Megan Giller

Thank you to Netgalley, Storey Publishing LLC, and Megan Giller for the chance to read and review this ARC;

How does one even begin to explain the magic and depth of knowledge contained within this tome of glory? If you are a chocolate lover, run, don't walk and get yourself a copy of this book. It has amazing in-depth knowledge about the roots of chocolate, where it's come from, how its made, how it's changed through the ages.

The pictures alone will leave you feeling decadently craving and satisfied by the richness of the chocolate available in the world. Much like wine pairings, chocolate pairing pages are scattered, glorious and well detailed, with amazing art (all sorts of pairings, my favorite was the blue cheese set!). There will, also, be art processes on what goes into all you know about chocolate being made, and the differences of types of things you don't think about (such as hot chocolate vs. drinking chocolate, etc).

I am in utter adoration of this book and can't wait to be owning one!… (mais)

I am working on an all age curriculum for chocolate -- and found this unique title at the library. First of all the format is small and sleek and feels good in your hands. The paper is high quality which sets off the amazing photos (which there are a lot of).

There is a lot of history about chocolate and how the beans are grown and how each different bean has its own unique characteristic based on the soil where it grows, the environment, when it was picked, and how it is processed. Fruity flavors from beans grown in Madagascar, nuttier tastes from those grown in Venezuela, and a pineapple/watermelon/raisin taste from Hawaii. This book made my mouth water on every page wanting to taste these amazing wonders for myself.

But this book also focuses on the current generation of craftsmen that are not out for quantity but quality of the taste and experimenting to get just the right blend of flavors. There are several small biographies of small independent chocolate companies that show their vision and inspiration and their inventions to turn out their unique blend of chocolate. Which is different from what we usually think of as chocolate (sugar & vanilla) that is the industrial chocolate created for low cost and consistency.

"The resulting flavors are an expression of the bean's time, place, and heritage, and even bit of the maker's personality." (p vi)

There is a lot of talk about the self-sustaining culture of chocolate and the new focus of working with the farmers to enable them to be a part of the process. -- the section "Why Chocolate Shouldn't Cost $1" (pp156-157) talks about the human rights violations that have been associated with the chocolate industry since the beginning and what measures are being put in place today to help correct that.

I agree with the Michael Laiskonis when he said -- "The more I learn about chocolate, the more I realize how much I don't know, which is both wonderfully satisfying and endlessly frustrating." (p vi)

Again this book has lots and lots of information about the individuals in today's market that craft chocolate, using their own creative process, engineering for taste with a passion -- "people who really like chocolate and geek out about it." (p38)

There are a few recipes included throughout the book -- special ingredients to make "real" chocolate; however, I would rather just buy the finished product. There is a list of the Bean to Bar Chocolatiers in the back of the book with contact information -- including one that happens to be about two hours away from me...can you say, "roadtrip".

I originally gave this book four stars but changed it because I reread it often enough that I finally had to buy my own copy. It is very entertaining and educational and think it would make a great read for anyone who likes chocolate. -- I originally had not included it in LEARNING WITH CHOCOLATE (A Homeschool Curriculum for the Whole Family) but changed my mind and added it as a great resource for Advanced students and parents or any chocolate geek.

Some of the unique sections in this book:

The Process of Making Chocolate
• What’s in a Craft Chocolate Bar? (page 18)
• How Do You Make Bean-to-Bar Chocolate? (pages 19 -20)
• Chocolate’s Green Beginnings (pages 22 – 23)
• How Cocoa Bans Becomes Chocolate (pages 24 - 25

The Origin of Chocolate
• What is Single-Origin Chocolate? (pages 46 - 49)
• Where American Chocolate Comes From – And What It Tastes Like (pages 54 – 55) **also can be used for Geography
• What’s the Deal with “Cacao” and “Cocoa”? (page 26)

Kinds of Chocolate
• Shades of Brown (page 116)
• White Chocolate Isn’t Chocolate (page 123) **Debate topic
• The Most Interesting Ingredients in Craft Chocolate (page 71)
• Chocolate Taste Wheel (page 83) **also can be used for Geography
• Composed Chocolate Plate (pages 106 – 107)

The Machinery of Chocolate
• John Nanci, DIY Machines, and American Ingenuity (page 35 – 36)
• Chocolate Machines (page 37)

Marketing & Consumers
• How to Read a Chocolate Label (pages 136 – 137)
• Label Smarts (page 138)
• Phrases to Avoid (page 139)… (mais)