Comments on: The Birthplace of Chocolate http://www.alongdrive.com/a-long-drive/a-long-drive-na/the-birthplace-of-chocolate/ From Polar Bears to Penguins - Driving North to South across the Americas Wed, 15 Jul 2009 23:16:12 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Shreesh http://www.alongdrive.com/a-long-drive/a-long-drive-na/the-birthplace-of-chocolate/comment-page-1/#comment-538 Shreesh Sun, 16 Mar 2008 20:03:01 +0000 http://www.alongdrive.com/food/the-birthplace-of-chocolate/#comment-538 Madhuri - Wine is a perfect place to see this type of dichotomy between price and taste. For some reason many are insecure about their wine tastes and there are many California Cabernets that are extremely over priced and not very good. That being said, results can easily be skewed by 'researchers' wanting to make the data conform to their world view. For example if you present anyone with a very young Barolo it will be tough and tannic. Tasted blind it may even be beaten by a $2 Chuck which is very fruit forward, but wait 15 years and a marvel will emerge out of the bottle. I have never been able to taste many young Barolos, Bordeauxs, and Rhones in a row without quickly developing a thick and yucky tannin buildup on my tongue. I don't know how others can slog through it... Give me a '66 Ch. Angelus decanted in a Nalgene bottle anyday! Madhuri -

Wine is a perfect place to see this type of dichotomy between price and taste. For some reason many are insecure about their wine tastes and there are many California Cabernets that are extremely over priced and not very good. That being said, results can easily be skewed by ‘researchers’ wanting to make the data conform to their world view. For example if you present anyone with a very young Barolo it will be tough and tannic. Tasted blind it may even be beaten by a $2 Chuck which is very fruit forward, but wait 15 years and a marvel will emerge out of the bottle.

I have never been able to taste many young Barolos, Bordeauxs, and Rhones in a row without quickly developing a thick and yucky tannin buildup on my tongue. I don’t know how others can slog through it…

Give me a ‘66 Ch. Angelus decanted in a Nalgene bottle anyday!

]]> By: madhuri http://www.alongdrive.com/a-long-drive/a-long-drive-na/the-birthplace-of-chocolate/comment-page-1/#comment-536 madhuri Fri, 14 Mar 2008 19:59:28 +0000 http://www.alongdrive.com/food/the-birthplace-of-chocolate/#comment-536 Checkout http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/articles/2008/02/24/grape_expectations/ (forwarded by one of your readers) Checkout http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/articles/2008/02/24/grape_expectations/
(forwarded by one of your readers)

]]> By: Shreesh http://www.alongdrive.com/a-long-drive/a-long-drive-na/the-birthplace-of-chocolate/comment-page-1/#comment-535 Shreesh Fri, 14 Mar 2008 19:19:47 +0000 http://www.alongdrive.com/food/the-birthplace-of-chocolate/#comment-535 Galan - I deride those who deride Chantico! :) I had similar problems with it as you did, too sweet and too rich, but overall it was pretty yummy. The nice thing about my recipe is that it can be customized to taste - especially if you specify the mix for your chocolate. My chocolate has much less sugar that Yolanda's, hence I avoid the too sweet problem. But clearly Mexicans like theirs sweeter. A hunch is that an electric tool should work, but be careful not to over whip as this can cause the chocolate to fall. Ada - You found the 'Para Diabetico' too sweet as well? Strange how they label things in Mexico! I wonder if you can get custom blended chocolate in SF? You might also want to try Callebaut, but they are, yeeg, Belgian... Galan -
I deride those who deride Chantico! :)
I had similar problems with it as you did, too sweet and too rich, but overall it was pretty yummy. The nice thing about my recipe is that it can be customized to taste – especially if you specify the mix for your chocolate. My chocolate has much less sugar that Yolanda’s, hence I avoid the too sweet problem. But clearly Mexicans like theirs sweeter.

A hunch is that an electric tool should work, but be careful not to over whip as this can cause the chocolate to fall.

Ada -
You found the ‘Para Diabetico’ too sweet as well? Strange how they label things in Mexico! I wonder if you can get custom blended chocolate in SF? You might also want to try Callebaut, but they are, yeeg, Belgian…

]]> By: Fred http://www.alongdrive.com/a-long-drive/a-long-drive-na/the-birthplace-of-chocolate/comment-page-1/#comment-534 Fred Thu, 13 Mar 2008 23:59:34 +0000 http://www.alongdrive.com/food/the-birthplace-of-chocolate/#comment-534 If one cannot have his or her chocolate custom mixed, I have discovered that adding powdered unsweetened chocolate can decrease an undesirable sweetness. I hope I can find more Oaxacan chocolate in the Mission here in S.F. or I will be making an emergency trip back to Oaxaca to stock up! If one cannot have his or her chocolate custom mixed, I have discovered that adding powdered unsweetened chocolate can decrease an undesirable sweetness. I hope I can find more Oaxacan chocolate in the Mission here in S.F. or I will be making an emergency trip back to Oaxaca to stock up!

]]> By: Ada http://www.alongdrive.com/a-long-drive/a-long-drive-na/the-birthplace-of-chocolate/comment-page-1/#comment-533 Ada Thu, 13 Mar 2008 23:33:13 +0000 http://www.alongdrive.com/food/the-birthplace-of-chocolate/#comment-533 Fred and I have been enjoying the various chocolates he brought home from Oxaca. I will say they are bit sweet for my taste. It is very reminicent of the chocolate I had as a child. We are almost out and will be making a trip to the Mission to see what we can find there. By the way Galan, I loved that Chantico, alas I only discovered it about a month before they stopped having it on the menu. I could easily drink an entire cup each afternoon. Fred and I have been enjoying the various chocolates he brought home from Oxaca. I will say they are bit sweet for my taste. It is very reminicent of the chocolate I had as a child. We are almost out and will be making a trip to the Mission to see what we can find there. By the way Galan, I loved that Chantico, alas I only discovered it about a month before they stopped having it on the menu. I could easily drink an entire cup each afternoon.

]]> By: jerzy http://www.alongdrive.com/a-long-drive/a-long-drive-na/the-birthplace-of-chocolate/comment-page-1/#comment-532 jerzy Thu, 13 Mar 2008 20:45:09 +0000 http://www.alongdrive.com/food/the-birthplace-of-chocolate/#comment-532 And what about the water for chocolate? I am expecting your next chapter to be focused on that. And what about the water for chocolate?
I am expecting your next chapter to be focused on that.

]]> By: Galan http://www.alongdrive.com/a-long-drive/a-long-drive-na/the-birthplace-of-chocolate/comment-page-1/#comment-531 Galan Thu, 13 Mar 2008 15:56:55 +0000 http://www.alongdrive.com/food/the-birthplace-of-chocolate/#comment-531 Mmm!! :) I hate to bring this up (because it was widely derided) but your hot chocolate recipe sounds vaguely similar to the failed "Chantico" experiment from Starbucks!? It too had a very thick and velvety consistency, and was very rich. I actually liked it, but it was so rich I had to split their tiny 6 oz cup with my wife, and have no more than one a week. ;) Any tips on ratios? Think some type of "electric whisk" would suffice for the churner? Have fun, Galan Mmm!! :)

I hate to bring this up (because it was widely derided) but your hot chocolate recipe sounds vaguely similar to the failed “Chantico” experiment from Starbucks!? It too had a very thick and velvety consistency, and was very rich. I actually liked it, but it was so rich I had to split their tiny 6 oz cup with my wife, and have no more than one a week. ;)

Any tips on ratios? Think some type of “electric whisk” would suffice for the churner?

Have fun,
Galan

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