At Chocolats du Monde, we are used to traveling to find the best Bean-to-Bar artisans and the most aromatic varieties of cocoa. This time, we only had to walk a few hundred meters to join Emile Germiquet and Alain Chanson in their Geneva acacias workshop. We asked them to select a signature tablet for this month of October, and are happy to present to you:
Alain Chanson and Emile Germiquet, photo by Nicolas Filippov
Tanzania, OLAPA 75%
Real work on the texture is carried out to enhance the fruity acidity of Tanzanian cocoa. We thus obtain a more delicious, creamy result, evoking the famous Gianduja and emphasizing the sweet taste of the red fruit notes.
Terroir Kokoa Kamili
The cocoa comes from the impressive Kokoa Kamili cooperative. A cocoa of the Trinitario varieties and a small presence of neo-Nacional grown in the Kilombero valley and bordered by the mountains of the Udzungwa National Park. The beans have notes of red fruits and berries. Kilombero farmers have been practicing organic farming for generations without any pesticides or chemicals.
Cascade fermentation Kokoa Kamili Tanzania
Our Meeting with Carrack, a bean story
This year, Sacha (the cocoa expert from Chocolats du Monde) undertook a chocolate experiment with Carrack, aiming to best capture the flavor of cocoa beans while remaining indulgent. The first step was to bring back a batch of the best Forastero amenalado beans from our farm in Sao Tome. After harvesting the pods, we launched a micro-batch fermentation (less than 40 kg) in a wooden box, for 7 days, the micro-organisms were activated, consuming the sugar and oxygen. Then the beans were dried under the blazing equatorial sun on wooden sieves for 10 days to extract all the moisture.
The second step was to find a chocolatier bold enough to welcome us into his home. Carrack accompanied us on this adventure, creating the “Princess Bean”. With the help of Émile and Alain, we coated the cocoa beans in sugar, heating them with a blowtorch in a coating machine, to caramelize them. Finally, after melting a 75% chocolate from Tanzania (OLAPA) we slowly coated the beans. The result ? A delicious blend of chocolate and nibs allowing you to enjoy the bean gently and restoring the vegetal and berry aromas of Forastero. We leave you the pleasure of tasting our Princess Beans and do not hesitate to send us your opinions!
Handmade packaging for Carrack, photo by Nicolas Filippov
An expanding universe
Carrack uses its experience as a Bean-to-Bar chocolatier to create “follies”, with carefully coated Piedmont hazelnuts, or even a rich cream spread. We are delighted to see the Bean-to-Bar movement grow in Switzerland with artisans such as Carrack who are popularizing ethical chocolate and revealing all the aromatic richness of cocoa.
“Carrack” The name do a reference to the ships that braved the oceans to bring back to Europe the first exotic cocoa beans. A symbol bearing chocolates that celebrate the union between the audacity of explorers and Swiss artisanal excellence.
The particularity of Carrack
One of the signatures of these Genevan artisan chocolatiers is to offer the different bars only in two intensities: 50% (milk) and 75% (dark). It is a deliberate choice which aims to promote cocoa. Despite a similar percentage, each plate has its character, its particularity. Roasting and conching are adapted to each cocoa, thus demonstrating all the richness and aromatic diversity of exceptional terroirs.
Discover the carrack tablets on our site
Many thanks for the photos by Nicolas Filippov
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