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"It is dark as the AlChemist walks along the corridor, rough stone under his feet, air warmed from well smoldering hearth fires stirring his cowl. He opens a hewn timber door, worn smooth at the threshold over years of use. He breaths deeply the comforting smells of this laboratory. Hints of wood and smoke linger in the air from the last time he roasted raw materials for his elixirs. Another smell, heady and almost intoxicating, brings a smile to his face as he remembers the smell wafting up as he was last grinding his pastes and powders. He looks about. Everything is in place. The roasting drum is cool in the hearth. The mortars and pestles are laid out neat and tidy, only a small amount of deep brown paste marring their finish. The cracking mill is sitting ready, waiting for the next batch to be crushed fresh out of the roaster. It is time to begin his magic, his devotion, his passion, his Alchemy, yet again. He prepares himself for the work ahead. The roasting, the cracking, the winnowing, the grinding, the mixing. The transformation of base materials into something more than they were. The transformation of cocoa beans to chocolate, the work of Chocolate Alchemy."
1607448 visits and counting.
I am still working my way through the cocoa beans and determining how I want to offer them. In the mean time, I have a new Extra deodorized cocoa butter. Why another one? This batch was washed an extra time or two and is about as pure as you can it - it is Organic […]
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I have some interesting offerings coming up. A selection of various Ghana and Indonesian cocoa that I had the opportunity to share with you. I am still working out how I am going to offer it. Maybe as micro lots. Maybe some as blends. Stay tuned.
And as far as opportunities go, the same thing happened […]
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I’ve added an additional variation to the Venezuelan Sampler Packs - there is now a 4 lb version, giving you a full pound of each bean to experience, and it’s discounted 30% off the base price. Almost every week I get asked if milk chocolate can be made with fresh milk and I always […]
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With the addition of a new origin (Costa Rica), and the return of one (Ecuador), that puts the total number of varieties available to a new high for Chocolate Alchemy. Sure, not as many as available as coffee, but not insignificant either. The Costa Rican is from the Umpala region, and has a nice […]
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The reviews for the Rio Caribe F1 and Rio Caribe F2 are now up. In addition, I’ve added a special Venezuelan Sampler Pack for while these four varieties last. And lest that not be enough, two more new beans arrived late last week. A mild, slightly earthy Trinitario from Costa Rica (which is both Fair […]
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It’s been a few years since I have had this particular variety in. When Venezuelan cocoa became very popular a few years, there suddenly seemed to be more cocoa from this region being sold than being produced, and some (aside from being down right back) bore a striking resemblance to mediocre Colombian cocoa - I’ll […]
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