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Venezuelan El Rey Chocolates
At the end of 1994, the Venezuelan manufacturer
El Rey launched its Carenero Superior line, the
first chocolate that included labeling information
about the origin of the beans to reach the American
market. We simply adore the fruity, complex flavors
and aroma of these Venezuelan originals:
Caoba (Milk Chocolate, 41 % cacao content)
Bucare (58.5 % cacao content)
Gran Samán (70 % cacao content)
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Scharffen Berger
Created by physician turned chocolatier Robert Steinberg
and former Champagne maker John Scharffenberger in San Francisco,
using vintage artisanal equipment and the best cacao beans money
could buy, this chocolate exemplifies the newly found quest for quality
in American chocolate making. Scharffen Berger’s quest is on high flavor
and blends of many beans including almost 50% Venezuelan beans, the best in the market
Scharffen Berger 62 %
Scharffen Berger 70%
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Cacao nibs 6 oz.
The appearance of cacao nibs, the roasted, shelled and
crushes, kernels of the cacao beans is an example of how a
new generation of chocolate manufacturers is exploring cacao’s
untapped potential. Packaged in 6-ounce nitrogen
flushed Mylar bags to extend their shelf life and aroma,
Scharffen Berger’s nibs, a blend of the various beans the
company uses in their premium chocolates, come
already roasted. The nibs can be further roasted to your liking
and ground with sugar and spices to make rustic chocolate
balls. You can then dissolve these in water or milk to make a
delicious drinking chocolate. With a bit of elbow grease
(you need to reduce the ground chocolate’s particle size) and ingenuity,
you can even make more refined chocolate bars.
Besides making chocolate, the sky is the limit for using cacao nibs
as an ingredient. Sprinkle them over dulce de leche ice cream,
meringue toppings for cakes, flans, and hot chocolate pizzas, offer them
as nuts at the bar, or grind them with dried hot peppers and other seasonings
to make exciting spice blends for soups, fruits cooked in syrup,
stir-fried seafood, and braises. Cacao’s deep aroma and nutty bitter edge
combined with the heat and flavor of dried chiles adds interest and depth
to any food, savory or sweet. |
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