Since I’m fascinated with where food comes from, the next logical step in my ‘farm-to-table’ ‘bean-to-bar’ chocolate adventures was to try growing my own cacao trees…in London!
It was a challenge, with the first hurdle being to get fresh pods back from Ingemann in Nicaragua through US customs. After enduring a good hours’ worth of questioning by a typically Texan border enforcement official, the pods were let through!
Arriving at Heathrow and through security (after a bit of a faff with a re-useable water bottle) I tuck into sushi for breakfast, which I successfully spill all over myself after just one mouthful. Covered in soy sauce, and too frustrated to properly clear up my sea food decorations now adorning Heathrow Airports’ freshly cleaned floors, I flounce off to the departures gate; embarrassed, hungry and too annoyed to look back. In Departures I hangrily eat what is left of my edamame beans, so aggressively that beans frequently shoot in all directions and I only eat about half of them, much to the amusement (or possible annoyance) of the man sat next to me.
It’s October, so it’s a little cold, and a spontaneous last-minute decision saw me book a day trip to Paris. Catching the train at 5:30am from London St Pancras International resulted in a wake up call of 3am – not pretty! Despite the train being quiet, I was WAY too excited to sleep as I was off to Salon du Chocolat – the world’s greatest chocolate show with makers, growers and artisans from around the world. One day gives you barely enough time even to scratch the surface, and being in Paris I obviously had to check out the Eiffel Tower too! Taking some Zotterschokoladen to help me ascend the 674 steps to the second Level.
When you’re asked by the Academy of Chocolate to attend and speak at the Finnebrougue Fine Food Fair in Killyleagh Castle, Northern Ireland, courtesy of Food NI 2016 – the obvious answer to this request is ‘yes’.
The trip was all planned out by Food NI, and after an exhilaratingly turbulent 55 minute flight from Gatwick, I touched down in Belfast City Airport, greeted at the airport by Sharon Machala of Food NI – my chauffeur for the next 28 hours (this was very much a flying visit).
Please note: This article will not tell you how to to give up chocolate, that’s not the point.
The “Chocoholic”, as defined by Google and the English Oxford Dictionary reads: ‘A person who is addicted to, or very fond of, chocolate’, Wikipedia goes on to state: ‘A chocoholic is a person who craves or compulsively consumes chocolate.’ Sound familiar? There is even evidence to support this theory.
Our tongue is an amazing muscular organ, capable of detecting a range of different flavours on its taste buds. Until fairly recently it was believed the tongue resembled a ‘map’ of regions that detected these different flavours in groups – salty, sweet, sour, bitter etc as presented by German scientist David P. Hanig. Recent findings show this was in fact, a miss translation. But it’s not just the tongue and its taste buds that is important when it comes to taste and flavour detection, the nose plays an equally, if not more important role. Without your sense of smell, the range of different flavours that your tongue can detect is dampened by a staggering 60%, that’s why when you are sick you can’t taste your food much.
Alter Eco – Dark Salted Brown Butter Organic Chocolate
Alter Eco’s Organic Dark Salted Brown Butter chocolate is something every chocolate lover should have in their cacao library.
But it’s not just the silky melt-in-your-mouth texture, or the invitingly intense flavour of this fine Ecuadorian chocolate expertly blended with dark salted brown butter that should get you excited, it’s the ethos, and the story behind the company that makes this bar equally exciting.
Well, Taverna el Remer had certainly left its mark on me, in the form of one hell of a hangover! I mean, as I mentioned previously, the blues band was amazing and the drinks (extra strong and expertly crafted) went down all too quickly, to the point where I recall little of the night before – but my phone has managed to help me out; apparently on the way back we came across a variety of little glass sculptures which I’m sure you’ll agree are beautiful!
August Bank Holiday weekend saw the boy whisk me off to Venice for a belated birthday surprise! Arriving close to midnight, we stayed in the San Sebastiano Garden Hotel; a little out of the centre, but easy walking distance to the action.
Like most trips, I like to research the destination as much as I can, and create a little map with timings and things to do at each location. Very geeky, I know, but it means that if time and/or funds are not on your side, you can still let the place get under your skin, just about.
Venice can be hot, very hot in the summer, so what better way to cool down than with a classic chocolate drink, chilled to perfection?
The Adventures of Elle Coco 