Chocolates for Lee McCoy

Finally I did send boxes of chocolates to Lee McCoy and I’m glad I did, thanks Lee for asking me several times.

Flavours description of the box: (starting left above) 

Marzipan 43%, Madre 3 peppers, Felchlin 70% centenario crudo, 

Akesson’s milk 40%, Marou 65%, ElCeibo 71%,

Daintree 44%, Esmeralda 42% sea salt, The Grenada Chocolate Company 71% cocoa nibs,

Cru Virunga&Marc de Champagne, Felchlin – World’s best chocolateGhana 60% Cru Suhum and Original Beans Cru Virunga

 

Chocolate and the Tejate – Drink of the Gods

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This aromatic tree produces flowers that are closely associated with traditional cacao use. Long before the arrival of the Spanish in Mexico, the Aztecs used these highly pungent flowers, known as Cacaoxochitl, to flavor their chocolate drinks. It was known in the ancient times by names of Poyomatli, Xochicacaohuatl or Cacahuaxochitl. These words literally mean, “flower of cacao” even though the plant is not botanically related to cacao. In Mexico today these flowers are known in Spanish as “flor de cacao” or “rosita de cacao” or “madre cacao“. 

The flowers are mixed with chocolate and other ingredients to concoct Oaxacan cacao drink tejate, a spicy beverage with medicinal and religious significance. This energy drink, “the drink of the gods” was originally served only to the ruling elite of Aztecs. They also used to drink cold chocolate mixed with corn and the Rosita de Cacao which they called Poyomatli. 

The earliest known record of Rosita de Cacao was noted in 1582 in The General History of New Spain by Fray Bernardino de Sahagun where he affirmed that the name comes from Cacahuaxochitl and means “cacao flower” or Xochicacahuatl which means “precious flowers” and has fragrant and penetrating odor. 

Truly amazing chocolate from traditional recipes, artisan-crafted with organic, fair and direct trade cacao, that supports cacao farmers & communities livelihoods.

 

http://www.madrechocolate.com

 

Single origin dark and flavored chocolate bars including chipotle allspice, hibiscus, amaranth, rosita de cacao, passion fruit, pink peppercorn, triple cacao, and many more enticing flavors.

 

Madre Hawaiian fresh delivery chocolate.

Finally I received last week a fresh batch of Hawaiian chocolate, Madre of course! I’m always very curious to taste there chocolate and again I’m really satisfied with the result of there small recipe made chocolate bars.

They are sourcing the beans for there wonderfull chocolate bars, always directly from farmers and cooperatives. Nat Bletter and Dave Elliott describe their launch into making chocolate as a “social mission to make a positive impact on the lives of cacao farmers and their communities.”

I must admit I have my owne favorites from Madre and these are the flavoured Triple cacao and the Coconutmilk with caramelized ginger, just so magical to taste over and over again.

It’s mind-blowing, you’re not used to seeing that much variation.

Bean to bar chocolate making kit.

Never underestimate the influence of good marketing material.

Find more of Madre on these pages of my blogs:

http://cocoaskiss.blogspot.be/2011/07/madre-chocolate-from-road-in-xoconusco.html

http://cocoaskiss.blogspot.be/2011/06/nat-has-invited-us-to-event-chocolate.html

http://cocoaskiss.blogspot.be/search/label/Madre

https://whydowelovechocolate.wordpress.com/2011/10/27/first-bonbons-with-madre-chocolate-spicy-and-sweet/

https://whydowelovechocolate.wordpress.com/2011/10/25/welcome-to-the-world-of-chocolate-straight-from-its-origins-madre-chocolate/

http://madrechocolate.com/Home.html

 

 

An Edible History of Chocolate.

A Food project in Chiapas, Mexico by Nat Bletter & Dave Elliott •

About this project

When chocolate arrives to you via the shelf of the local store, it is sadly disconnected from its origins in southern Mexico and Central America.  We aim to change that experience while supporting the farmers and communities that have given the world the great gift of chocolate.  Help us make a direct purchase of cacao from an organic cooperative in Chiapas, Mexico, and we’ll craft an edible history that will connect you to the roots of chocolate!  Read on and we’ll give you a break down of the who, why and how.

My first contact with Madre was with Natt Bletter about two months ago, I just found them true there website. I feld the same feeling about there chocolate and story as I feld with Adi chocolate Fiji, I wanted to taste the origin, birth of thise divine chocolate, so I contacted Madre.

After a few mails and a nice contact with Natt I received there samples, they are just looking great and the tasting will follow within a few days or so…

Now back on this project from Nat and Elliott:

Dear friends, family, & chocophiles alike,

Dave and I are trying to do something big here– take chocolate making back to where it belongs, to its roots in Central America– so we’ve launched a kickstarter fundraising campaign to help us help the cacao growing communities in Chiapas, Mexico who have been growing cacao and making chocolate for thousands of years by buying 1000 lbs of cacao and getting it processed into chocolate liquor in Chiapas. The cacao farmers there often have rare or heirloom varieties of cacao with unique taste characteristics and complex cultural practices surrounding their preparation of chocolate, with spices, flowers, and herbs that are rarely heard of, let alone tasted. We almost never ask for help or money, but since this is such a huge endeavor, where we are trying to thank the people who brought us chocolate, and help them keep alive their chocolate making recipes and associated ingredients, we are humbly asking for your support of this project:

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/madrechocolate/an-edible-history-of-chocolate 

 

We’d be honored if you’d take a moment to watch our kickstarter video and learn how we’re bringing chocolate making back to its roots in the prized Aztec cacao growing region of Xoconusco, Chiapas, Mexico. As Dave and I travel in late June down from Oaxaca, where most of the chocolate is made in Mexico currently, to Chiapas where the cacao is grown, we’ll update you on tasty chocolate combinations and traditional recipes we find from Tejate, to Cacao de jaguar, Cacahuaxochitl, Achiote, and Atole. If you can pledge to help us support these cacao and spice farmers, you’ll get to sample all these amazing flavors rarely tasted outside of their origins in Southern Mexico while feeling good that you’re supporting the rich cultural heritage of chocolate in its birthplace, its tierra madrein Central America! 

Thanks so much for your help & support,

Nat & Dave

   

 

P.S. A huge thanks to everyone who helped us get this far already with chocolate making: our partners Abby & Dani for hours of understanding & support, Maiara for coming into the world in the middle of a chocolate whirlwhind, our families for getting us here, all our friends who cheered us on, Shirley & Stan at Chop Chop Media for making us 2 amazing videos, Kristen for keeping the shop & chocolate making running smoothly, Matt for dealing with chocolate dust devils & flames, all the farmers who have provided us with great cacao & fruits to turn into chocolate, everyone on The Chocolate Life and Chocolate Alchemy who have given us endless advice, and everyone single one of you who has bought and enjoyed our chocolate from Hawaii to the mainland, Belgium, Ireland, New Caledonia, Australia, and New Zealand!

 

http://madrechocolate.com