Last weekend we teamed up with Ryan Kendrick from Chocolot, to taste chocolate from around the world. Much like wine tasting, we found that every chocolate expresses distinct flavor and texture. Ryan explained that these differentiations have several explainations: the type of bean used (is it Criollo, Forastero or Trinitario), where and how is the bean farmed, and what is the process that the chocolate maker uses to create his own signature chocolate. We tasted the Grand Cru of French Chocolates from Valrhona to chocolate make by a native Virginian man who uses a lobster pot to roast his beans (Potomac Chocolate). After tasting 8 different chocolate we all had our favorites and it seemed a bit more manageable to navigate selecting which chocolate bar to purchase at the store.
The chocolate lovers who attended the mixer also took home some of Ryan’s confections by Chocolate as well as some gourmet brownies made by me. We will all be eating chocolate this week!
You can and should follow Ryan on twitter @ryankendrick and his blog slceats. He knows a lot more about the local food scene than just chocolate and he’s got a knack for excellent photography.
We had SUCH a fun time at the chocolate tasting. Delicious, and informative, and so enjoyable!