How Big Companies RUINED chocolate!

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  • čas přidán 16. 03. 2023
  • How Big Chocolate Companies Ruined Chocolate
    SUBSCRIBE on youtube: bit.ly/H2CThat
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    Blog post includes details of chocolates tasted: www.howtocookthat.net/public_...
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    How To Cook That Channel: / howtocookthat
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    Hi I am Ann Reardon, How to Cook That is my youtube channel it is filled with crazy sweet creations made just for you. This week we taste test and discover why craft chocolate tastes so much better than mass produced chocolate. How chocolate is made, where cocoa is grown, what things effect the flavour of chocolate and why store bought chocolate tastes bland. With thanks to my chocolate loving taste testers Tracey, Faye and Caleb for their help in this one.
    Details of chocolate bars taste tested: www.howtocookthat.net
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Komentáře • 6K

  • @aki4ketski
    @aki4ketski Před rokem +2289

    EARLY!!! Ann's videos are honestly the best :))

    • @meganburns4174
      @meganburns4174 Před rokem +5

      Yes!

    • @repotra
      @repotra Před rokem +7

      🎉🎉 I agreed! I just couldn't get enough of her documentaries and baking

    • @marigeobrien
      @marigeobrien Před rokem +3

      I always look forward to Ann's amazing videos. I do always hope she'll have a new recipe but this was very interesting, too. And wouldn't you know: of course, Chocolate is incredibly difficult to make on your own. Rats.

    • @ShamelessFNGRL
      @ShamelessFNGRL Před rokem +9

      I completely agree! BUT sorry for hijacking your comment:
      Scrolling through your comments quite a bit, seems like I'm the only concerned about the (recent) scientific paper that came out about most chocolates containing LEAD(pb) due to the roasting process, and CADMIUM(cd) because of the soil the beans were grown. Considering Lead is sweet, don't be surprised if the contaminated ones taste 'better'.
      Can you please look into this?! Lots of EU approved brands/chocolates were on the contaminated list...

    • @fireflymiesumae
      @fireflymiesumae Před rokem

      For real

  • @stevemills3845
    @stevemills3845 Před rokem +1490

    I run a small chocolate business for nearly a decade and have been saying this to people for years. It's nice to see someone with such a good reputation for fact finding taking it on. Thanks Ann. Have a great week.

    • @lyllydd
      @lyllydd Před rokem +40

      Can people order from you online? Or do you mainly supply other food businesses?

    • @animeartist888
      @animeartist888 Před rokem +24

      Would also like to know if you do online orders. I love trying new brands of chocolate, and being able to support a small business at the same time is a double win.

    • @syndigriner-owens4351
      @syndigriner-owens4351 Před rokem +6

      same, curious if you do online orders, would LOVE to try it!!!

    • @RodneyAndMeVideos
      @RodneyAndMeVideos Před rokem +4

      Me too

    • @Aiba271
      @Aiba271 Před rokem +3

      Same!

  • @Tijggie82
    @Tijggie82 Před rokem +2269

    There's a chocolate company in my country called Chocolate Makers. They were fed up with how chocolate was done by the big companies and started their own company. They also factored in the environment in their business plan where possible. We use it in our bakery and we've had a tour through their factory and their tasting and the flavors were AMAZING!!! So happy to have been able to go with that chocolate :D.

  • @Oloren11
    @Oloren11 Před rokem +524

    Been working in chocolate for 20 years. You nailed it. Never heard a better explanation of the difference between great chocolate and junk.

    • @raymasraymas
      @raymasraymas Před 7 měsíci +10

      My experience after 15 years of R&D in conching with one of the big chocolate companies is quite different. In my experience conching is long and energy intense. Being an expensive process step, none of the large companies conche for a minute more than is necessary. Indeed over-conching does make chocolate bland, but that’s not what’s happening as much as she says. It’s almost an exception

    • @arkadiuszfilipczyk488
      @arkadiuszfilipczyk488 Před 7 měsíci +2

      @@raymasraymas OK, but what she says is that the difference is in how much conching is necessary, depending on the quality of beans.

    • @jackharvest7431
      @jackharvest7431 Před 7 měsíci +3

      All chocolate I’ve had is junk 😨

    • @raymasraymas
      @raymasraymas Před 7 měsíci +4

      @@arkadiuszfilipczyk488 conching is not just a function of the bean, be it quality, origin or flavour profile. A large part of conching is achieving the right viscosity i.e. textural property for a smooth mouth feel. This is relatively easy to measure and the moment it is achieved conching comes to an end. So the case she makes for over-conching is dead in the water in my experience

    • @Finn959
      @Finn959 Před 7 měsíci +4

      Which brand do you recommend

  • @lbatemon1158
    @lbatemon1158 Před rokem +1040

    I had a roommate in college that totally "ruined" me on cheaper chocolate after introducing me to these $5-6-7 bars from health food stores. Like everything, you get what you pay for. But instead of just inhaling those expensive bars like I was known to do with cheaper bars and still not feel satiated , the expensive ones satisfy me with just a few nibbles or a square. It's about quality over quantity!

    • @Theo-oh3jk
      @Theo-oh3jk Před rokem +16

      Any recommendations? uWu

    • @Gwenx
      @Gwenx Před rokem +37

      I tried out some super expensive chocolate at a Summerbird store i think, they explained the whole thing about how its done just like Ann just did, and man it was goooooood! We even got to try a 90% chocolate, that was bitter! I am honestly going to buy from them again, and test out the different chocolates as it was so much more satisfying getting that tiny piece then something cheap from the store :)

    • @TheAllMightyGodofCod
      @TheAllMightyGodofCod Před rokem +6

      ​@@Gwenxyou probably already know this but if the amount of chocolate is your mesure ir quality (mine is 😅) you can get 90...92... And I think 96% from Lindt. Last year I bought one close to 100% but I can't remember if it was 96 or 99%.
      Even some off brand chocolates go up to 90% and more.

    • @timmjackson
      @timmjackson Před rokem +25

      @@Theo-oh3jk Green & Blacks Organic Chocolate. If you are into dark chocolate, their 85% cacao bars are surprisingly creamy, smooth and not bitter. They're amazing. They have a whole line of excellent chocolate if you'd prefer less cacao.

    • @veroboro4035
      @veroboro4035 Před rokem +21

      I ones watched a documentary about chocolate and they said if People would Produce chocolate in a way which is fair to the workers and the environment it would have to cost 5€ a Bar. And I remember I was shocked because my parents always bought chocolate for under 1€

  • @rachelong3755
    @rachelong3755 Před rokem +4298

    It's so funny that Dave and the boys are up to taste just about any cooking "hack" monstrosity, and then the one time there's just genuinely good chocolate, they're like, "Meh." 🤣

    • @wobblysauce
      @wobblysauce Před rokem +50

      All depends on what you like, and most of us don’t have that quality range

    • @repentandbelieveinJesusChrist3
      @repentandbelieveinJesusChrist3 Před rokem +10

      Repent to Jesus Christ “for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.””
      ‭‭Romans‬ ‭10‬:‭13‬ ‭NIV‬‬
      H

    • @Megan_XD
      @Megan_XD Před rokem +289

      @@repentandbelieveinJesusChrist3 you will rot in hell for spamming lol

    • @augustinagabrilaviciute5887
      @augustinagabrilaviciute5887 Před rokem +75

      If it’s not microwaved for 10min, it’s not for them😂

    • @lShadow426l
      @lShadow426l Před rokem +30

      @@Megan_XD it's probably a bot do bots even have enough of a soul to go to hell?

  • @squishysoo6867
    @squishysoo6867 Před rokem +840

    as someone from the Philippines, I was shocked at how many varieties of apple they knew, but then when i think about it, i can also name several varieties of bananas easily 😂😂

    • @bluforrestleaf
      @bluforrestleaf Před rokem +31

      It’s crazy! Washington where I’m from is very huge in Apple production and the market is very huge!
      My area specifically grows a lot of
      Fuji
      Gala
      Red delicious
      Golden delicious

    • @KingdomOfDimensions
      @KingdomOfDimensions Před 11 měsíci +26

      I wish we had more than the Cavendish where I'm from. Every other type I've had (gros michel, Cuban red, gold finger, blue java, pitogo, couple im forgetting) have been far and away better. We somehow settled for the absolute worst one.

    • @peterkiss1204
      @peterkiss1204 Před 9 měsíci +18

      @@KingdomOfDimensions I believe Cavendish is the least problematic to produce therefore most profitable, that's why it became so popular around the world.

    • @andrewgrant6516
      @andrewgrant6516 Před 9 měsíci +11

      There are over 400 varieties of English apple. It was a common hobby of priests to crossbreed new varieties. Some are unique to one specific hillside. Supermarket dominance means much of that knowledge is lost now, and many are extinct.

    • @diddlybop
      @diddlybop Před 9 měsíci +8

      @@peterkiss1204it was chosen for its resistance to a disease or pest that was killing other varieties

  • @DoggoStreamwatcher
    @DoggoStreamwatcher Před rokem +135

    A few decades? ago in the US, Nestle and Hershey's lobbied to have cocoa butter taken out of the definition of chocolate. They lost, but while cocoa butter remains in a few of their flagship products, you'll find in many of them it's replaced with some alternative oil.

    • @bikeny
      @bikeny Před 6 měsíci +16

      And they even let them call that white stuff 'white chocolate.' It all depends on how things get defined. Earlier this year I had a kidney stone and it was from calcium oxalate. On the food sheet for my new diet there were things I now should avoid and chocolate and nuts are 2 of them. And they have a VERY HIGH level of the stuff. Moderation is key, so if and when I decide to get some chocolate, I will do my best to find the really good stuff. As for the nuts, that one is gonna be a problem, as I really like them.

    • @openingchocolate
      @openingchocolate Před 6 měsíci +16

      yep they did! they wanted to replace it with what they call CBE or cocoa butter alternatives, blah. Cocoa butter is the most valuable part now and they get more money if they sell it off (like in cosmetics). They don't care how it tastes.

    • @Emeraldwitch30
      @Emeraldwitch30 Před 5 měsíci +1

      ​@@openingchocolatei buy cocoa butter(food grade)for making my own lip balms and lotion bars.
      With local beeswax and coconut oil and cocoa butter.
      Its very healing.
      But when making candy I add a few disc of extra cocoa butter back in and people can tell for sure.
      Even if just using cheap chips for cookies.
      I'm not a huge chocolate person. But have always liked Mexican chocolate. Its not as sweet and its quite bitter afterwards but so rich.

    • @MizJanice
      @MizJanice Před 3 měsíci +8

      I think of Hershey chocolate the same way I think of kraft singles "cheese". Plastic. Nothing like the real thing

    • @blowitoutyourcunt7675
      @blowitoutyourcunt7675 Před 2 měsíci

      YES!

  • @mightyvikingjim
    @mightyvikingjim Před rokem +4904

    Funnily enough, the Lindt that Anne uses as the "bland" version is considered some of the higher quality stuff you can get in Canadian supermarkets!

    • @thaliafaudith9387
      @thaliafaudith9387 Před rokem +989

      I mean, if the other chocolate bar brand is hershey's... Lindt is most likely better.

    • @dc_mischief
      @dc_mischief Před rokem +450

      Same here on the East Coast of America. It's definitely not the most high-end chocolate out there--it's relatively easy to get fancier chocolate if you go looking--but it IS the finest that you can reliably get anywhere, since it's sold at most chain grocery stores and pharmacies. For anything more niche, you'll likely have to go to a more expensive store (like Trader Joe's or Whole Foods.)

    • @mightyvikingjim
      @mightyvikingjim Před rokem +435

      @@thaliafaudith9387 Thankfully, Hershey's is difficult to find in Canada. That stuff is atrocious.

    • @aslanpatience8278
      @aslanpatience8278 Před rokem +27

      Speaks absolute volumes

    • @dpchiko17
      @dpchiko17 Před rokem +116

      Yeah kinda sad, hard to find high quality chocolate where Im from, Lindt is like the best you can get

  • @anna9072
    @anna9072 Před rokem +206

    Interesting that coffee enthusiasts get really into different beans and their flavors and complexity, but chocolate has never been marketed like that.

    • @jo_asiago8539
      @jo_asiago8539 Před rokem +4

      Exactly! I hunt for fruity/acidic coffee but never knew I could do the same for chocolate:)

    • @marvalice3455
      @marvalice3455 Před rokem +14

      There is a culture of unsweetened coffee far more than unsweetened chocolate, and this alone makes all the difference.
      Sugar is highly addictive. You'll need rice most people who take sugar in their coffee don't especially care were it comes from either. It's mostly the people who take it black that care.
      And because almost all chocolate is full of sugar, almost all chocolate eaters don't care as long as they get their sugar fix

    • @snakewithapen5489
      @snakewithapen5489 Před rokem +8

      Part of it probably has to do with how people see coffee vs chocolate. Coffee is a morning ritual for many, many people, it's a STAPLE of some people's lives, so there being coffee snobs developing out of this incredibly prolific drink makes sense. Caffeine is practically seen as essential in the working world. It's almost a hobby for some people.
      Chocolate is a seen as a treat, so most people who eat it just want a sugary, sweet snack. You may be judged if you said that trying different types of chocolate is your hobby. We don't see plainclothes chocolate connoisseurs because most health-concious people don't see it as something that should be in our lives regularly, because it is unhealthy due to being so sugary- even though drinking too much coffee is also very unhealthy in a different way.

    • @Rgoid
      @Rgoid Před rokem +1

      To many people, chocolate is chocolate no matter who makes it as long as it’s sweet.

    • @fluidthought42
      @fluidthought42 Před 8 měsíci +5

      ​@@snakewithapen5489
      Well that depends on the culture! In Mexico having a cup of hot chocolate (or cold chocolate, in the form of smoothies) is a very common daily ritual. In fact I recall reading about a study that showed that cravings for chocolate are actually culture bound and that cultures that encourage common consumption of chocolate have women that express less cravings for chocolate.

  • @indulgentquagmire
    @indulgentquagmire Před rokem +180

    I once bought a single origin chocolate out of curiosity at an elitist organic store, and until then I believed chocolate always needed sugar to make it taste good, they were delicious without being overtly sweet. They were so expensive though!

    • @formes2388
      @formes2388 Před 8 měsíci +23

      Good chocolate tends to be expensive because of the work that goes into good chocolate. Same goes for good coffee, Tea, and just about everything else - you can do a cheap mass production method with little in the way of quality control steps in between, but - if you want a good product, that QC is necessary to ensure you get properly ripened source product. At it's core - this means that quality products aren't just a little more expensive, it means they tend to be a fair amount more expensive - and it starts with the harvest: Hand harvesting is basically necessary - the machines don't distinguish from almost ripe, to ripe, to overripe: It all is grabbed, and you do a good enough separation - but that good enough separation is cheap, and doesn't do a great job all things considered.
      Overall, what you end up with is easily tripling the end product price.
      And then there is mass production homogenization that is desired by big companies. Instead of getting small batches of a product that varies over time do to the input ingredients, the goal of these companies is to get a homogeneous flavor between batches so the consumer becomes familiar with that end result.

    • @ym10up
      @ym10up Před 7 měsíci +5

      "an elitist organic store" 😅

    • @indulgentquagmire
      @indulgentquagmire Před 7 měsíci +4

      @@ym10up I would never shop in those places normally. It is not for the spendthrift.

    • @ym10up
      @ym10up Před 7 měsíci +4

      @@indulgentquagmire I just find the term so descriptive that I can not only see it, I could smell it 🤌🤌

    • @indulgentquagmire
      @indulgentquagmire Před 7 měsíci

      @@ym10up Lol

  • @rbmarbella
    @rbmarbella Před 7 měsíci +32

    When we were kids (Philippines) and was introduced to 'Quik' Chocolate drink, were were like, "are we drinking shredded paper soup"???
    After years of enjoying chocolate from our Grandma's tree... i knew i know how Chocolate should taste!

  • @usmh
    @usmh Před rokem +901

    I really appreciate how the video just focuses on facts and communication. There are no memes, goofy gimmicks, drama or over-energetic delivery as cheap ways to "keep the viewer engaged." You made a video that was to the point, just aimed at people who want to learn. Pure quality, thank you.

    • @rita7070
      @rita7070 Před rokem +18

      there are plenty of channel like this... you seem to not have let kwon the algorithm your tastes strong enough

    • @101Volts
      @101Volts Před rokem +4

      Project Farm is also like this, but Todd's content is more about lawnmower engines, tools, and testing oils.

    • @legoworks-cg5hk
      @legoworks-cg5hk Před rokem +7

      What's wrong with memes?

    • @Celediev
      @Celediev Před rokem +26

      @@legoworks-cg5hk Nothing is wrong with memes if the video you are looking for is supposed to make you laugh. Educational videos, however, sometimes try to incorporate memes to push the engagement but in return their content loses credibility, as every meme put into an educational video makes it harder to distinguish between what is said to educate you and what is said to entertain you.
      Edutainment is certainly a thing, but it is incredibly hard to pull off properly, as it needs to be well balanced.

    • @pirojfmifhghek566
      @pirojfmifhghek566 Před rokem +12

      Ann's pretty damn good about that. Definitely worth checking out the other stuff in her channel, because it's very no-nonsense. Her debunking videos are a service to humanity.

  • @signalred
    @signalred Před rokem +514

    I always find it so amazing to think about how things like chocolate came to be. How someone had to harvest these beans and figure out what to do with the stuff inside them, how you have to let them ferment and dry and everything, it's really cool to think about the long history of these products and all the people that helped in making them the way that they are today.

    • @SysterYster
      @SysterYster Před rokem +14

      I believe, originally, the beans were actually smoked, not eaten. By the maya, inka or aztek indians. (I can never remember which one's which ^^;)

    • @talonhammer
      @talonhammer Před rokem +32

      I once read an account of how aztecs made their "hot chocolate" drink by pouring it between two cups until frothy. I tried it recently with my own recipe and it came out incredible. They also added hot peppers to it rather than sugar (I add both lol)

    • @michasokoowski6651
      @michasokoowski6651 Před rokem +10

      Thats cool and all... but what about people who discovered how to safely eat incredibly dangerous food, like fugu fish.

    • @101Volts
      @101Volts Před rokem +8

      Well, hundreds of years ago we didn't have Facebook, Twitter, CZcams, Tiktok, TV, and (depending on the region) not even newspapers. Besides the point being that less distraction might help in different ways, I don't suppose learning the process happened quickly; people more likely found out the process gradually, over years.

    • @michasokoowski6651
      @michasokoowski6651 Před rokem +16

      @@101Volts or that someone gathered a very bitter fruit so he threw it away only to later find it tasting better, so he gathered more and let them sit in a basket and then dried it so they would last longer.
      Im actually planning to make some % out of kivi fruits because i had some spoil and they did smell nicely sweet. i didnt taste them only because it was uncontrolled fermentation.
      point is, you can find out stuff like that by dumb luck.

  • @pancake2700
    @pancake2700 Před 11 měsíci +59

    When I was 8 my family was in Honduras for a vacation, and one day we visited a cocoa farm that was set up to show tourists some of the process of cocoa growing. I still remember being fascinated (and a little grossed out) seeing a pod cracked open and these slimy white beans come out 😂 blew my tiny child mind that chocolate could have ever started from that point. This video really brought me back to that moment, even almost 2 decades later. Hope that farm is still doing well

    • @lurji
      @lurji Před 8 měsíci

      yoooo im from honduras glad you liked it there ✌️

    • @oxoelfoxo
      @oxoelfoxo Před 7 měsíci

      slimy?! must've been an overripe pod. the white flesh should be firm, like a good mangosteen or santol.

    • @pancake2700
      @pancake2700 Před 7 měsíci

      @@oxoelfoxo I mean, I was 8 at the time and it’s now nearly 20 years later so I could be misremembering it, but I think I remember it being slimy. I know I thought it seemed gross for some quality it had lol. Maybe it just looked slimy but wasn’t actually? I don’t know that I touched it.

    • @oxoelfoxo
      @oxoelfoxo Před 7 měsíci

      it's too bad they didn't give you a good seed to sample. it's actually quite yummy@@pancake2700

  • @AzarakiDragon
    @AzarakiDragon Před 7 měsíci +14

    0:53 The way he says "no" like he thinks you're about to spring some 5-minute-crafts chocolate on him is so funny

  • @vaskauzunova5997
    @vaskauzunova5997 Před rokem +436

    if you put together a box of labelled samples from this video so we could taste them together while watching and compare, i'd pay crazy money for that, Ann! you've piqued my curiosity

    • @OneSneakySloth
      @OneSneakySloth Před rokem

      This exists! Not very cheap but Gabriel’s chocolate in Yallingup (Western Australia) do tasting packs for single origin chocolates. They’re a really cool experience.

    • @almccormick85
      @almccormick85 Před rokem +10

      Ooooh, great idea!

    • @TamarLitvot
      @TamarLitvot Před rokem +2

      Love this idea!!

    • @faintpraise
      @faintpraise Před rokem

      I was thinking the same thing!

    • @scaredyfish
      @scaredyfish Před rokem +8

      I know here in New Zealand we have a company that does tasting boxes like that - I never got it, because it is quite expensive. I imagine there is probably something like that wherever you happen to live.

  • @jbenjamin94
    @jbenjamin94 Před rokem +526

    As a mexican form the state of Tabasco, we are very proud of our chocolate! it was common in the past to grind and make chocolate at home, my grandma used to do it, so i was very familiar with the real flavor of cocoa beans and chocolate. Sometimes when tasting cheap or very procesed chocolate feel weird and some of my friends tend to call me a snob because i'm very exigent with the flavor of chocolate, but when they taste what is a real and good chocolate, they find out why i'm like that hahaha thanks a lot for sharing this knowledge!!!

    • @magical571
      @magical571 Před rokem +1

      more like they are trying to be polite 🤣

    • @zrrob1149
      @zrrob1149 Před rokem +10

      Sounds like a fascinating life experience. Thanks for sharing!

    • @Thingsandcosas
      @Thingsandcosas Před rokem +2

      Pásame unos contactos porfa..me perdí los números a quienes me compré mi cacao 😂

    • @tomireland3644
      @tomireland3644 Před rokem

      .

    • @Cecylovesyou
      @Cecylovesyou Před rokem

      Do you remember the name of the beans?

  • @ArcadiaP
    @ArcadiaP Před rokem +103

    I hadn't realized how complex the process was to make the end product for the cacao beans. It honestly sounds a lot like making cheese, with all the enzymes and fermentation processes. No wonder it's so complex and varied in all the different regions of the world.

  • @Shutter_Priority
    @Shutter_Priority Před 9 měsíci +28

    I used to think that I didn't like chocolate until I learned in a documentary about the different types of beans and how bars are made and I got curious about it. Today I really love dark chocolate, but I only buy very small quantities of very good quality bars. A lot of people who tells me that they don't like dark chocolate have been impressed so far when they taste it.

    • @openingchocolate
      @openingchocolate Před 6 měsíci +6

      So true. When you have only tasted bad grocery store chocolate good craft chocolate tastes so much better.

  • @rainbowslinkies
    @rainbowslinkies Před rokem +533

    10/10 love the "17 minute video about a food industry" format, please do more in-depth videos like this!

  • @oktabramantio4709
    @oktabramantio4709 Před rokem +308

    I live in a chocolate producing region of Indonesia. The local government then built a theme park called "Kampung Cokelat" (Chocolate village) filled with educational materials of chocolate production and they sell (locally made) chocolate bars as well! Thanks for the video!!

    • @sabrinakroesen6791
      @sabrinakroesen6791 Před rokem +13

      That would amazing to visit! Getting a chocolate bar/piece would be great learning incentive 😂 (thinking kids on school trips, etc)

  • @amanderineorange
    @amanderineorange Před rokem +529

    That Lindt bar you showed was part of a recent consumer report about lead and cadmium in chocolate. I would love to hear you talk about the implications of that report.

    • @jtduarte6829
      @jtduarte6829 Před rokem +4

      Loved the way they say bar, Bhe!😂

    • @RogerCharlamange
      @RogerCharlamange Před rokem +36

      The implications are it's bad. That probably shouldn't be in food. All sorts of shit is in food though so

    • @estheranders1502
      @estheranders1502 Před rokem +4

      Yes I was going to add a comment about that as well. I'd like to know if it's true or not.

    • @Alexander_C69
      @Alexander_C69 Před rokem +41

      22 other brands exceed also violated California's maximum allowable dose levels for lead or cadmium. The implications of that report are that cocoa farmers and the cocoa industry need to implement better agricultural practices such as reducing wet cocoa bean contact with soil and dust, and soil-testing at farms.

    • @RejectedInch
      @RejectedInch Před rokem +28

      @@Alexander_C69 and equipment consumpion. lead and cadmium are found in metal alloys, aka: check the grinders and all metallic tools used in the process that are prolly overused.

  • @crazygarnett
    @crazygarnett Před rokem +52

    I will never cease to be amazed at Anne's ability to break down complex topics in an understandable way. Keep up the good work Anne!

  • @SimonaJuk
    @SimonaJuk Před rokem +357

    As a fellow chocolate lover I can say that after watching this I have a STRONG desire to try some actually good chocolate (because for my uncultured tongue the Lindt seems great) 😅

    • @creativesoul2778
      @creativesoul2778 Před rokem

      ####

    • @sierrasnode
      @sierrasnode Před rokem +5

      Same!!

    • @rebeccaboyack422
      @rebeccaboyack422 Před rokem +2

      Me too!

    • @neverstoplearning7214
      @neverstoplearning7214 Před rokem +1

      Same

    • @SarcasticShrubbery
      @SarcasticShrubbery Před rokem +29

      Yes! Lindt is also my favourite as far as supermarket brands go, but I've had really amazing single origin chocolate from a small manufacturer a couple of times and it's worldchanging if you're a chocolate lover. So worth the splurge, you won't gobble it all in one go anyway because it's so much more intense!

  • @anthonyritchie5128
    @anthonyritchie5128 Před rokem +436

    I remember the first time I had an artisanal chocolate. It's been too long for me to recall specifics, but the feeling of standing there in front of the guy who made the final product while he explained the origins, the tasting notes, the process... indescribable. It was a creamy mouthfeel unlike anything I had experienced with chocolate before, and hearing him talk about it made me appreciate the product even more. That something like chocolate could have TASTING NOTES was unbelievable. It was a totally different experience. I still love my Hershey's Dark Chocolate stocking stuffers, but nothing can compete with the care that goes into the small batch producers!

    • @Kifflington
      @Kifflington Před rokem +17

      This is the thing; I think perhaps many of us get so used to just shoving chocolate in our faces as kids that we forget to really make an effort to taste the complexities. It's a bit like music, I guess - sure, natural talent in things like playing an instrument or having a gourmet palate exists but it still has to be focused on and an effort made, and knowing the background adds a whole other layer to the experience. I will certainly think differently about the next chocolate I eat after watching this video.

    • @buddies1954
      @buddies1954 Před rokem +2

      I remember the first time I had an artisanal chocolate. It's been too long for me to recall specifics, but the feeling of standing their in front of the guy who made the final product while he explained the origins, the tasting notes, the process... indescribable. It was a creamy mouthfeel unlike anything I had experienced with chocolate before, and hearing him talk about it made me appreciate the product even more. That something like chocolate could have TASTING NOTES was unbelievable. It was a totally different experience. I still love my Hershey's Dark Chocolate stocking stuffers, but nothing can compete with the care that goes into the small batch producers!

    • @sectumsempra9837
      @sectumsempra9837 Před rokem

      She didn't even say anything about the people being exploited and how they have never tasted the same chocolate they are used like slaves to make... Typical west get anal about useless stuff but gloss over the atrocity

    • @221b-Maker-Street
      @221b-Maker-Street Před rokem +4

      @@Kifflington Likewise. I think if people removed most of the sugar and then really _tasted_ their bog-standard chocolate, they'd realised it tastes of texture, not flavour at all. Sugar masks a lot of wrongs...

    • @oldvlognewtricks
      @oldvlognewtricks Před rokem +4

      As someone from outside the US - Hershey’s is like a block of plastic, to me. So hard and almost crumbly in texture. It’s so funny how different a basic chocolate bar can be just because of a few variables like melting point and particle size…

  • @bgshin2879
    @bgshin2879 Před rokem +149

    Wonderful content!!
    I used to be part of this cocoa chain (supplychain) largely for NYBOT and LIFFE (now both changed their names).
    Just to add my 2 cents worth;
    1. Cocoa beans travel half way around the world to be processed. This has a very damaging effect on the beans. There are infestations, condensations, extra fermentation due to condensations etc.
    2. The demand for cocoa beans have grown exponentially in last 10 odd years. Hence the supply has become relatively tighter. Everyone is trying to get as much beans as possible. Hence the threshold for all grades have been somewhat lowered.
    3. Recycled beans become a big business. The extra fermented or other low grades beans were not so much in demand years ago. Yet these have become super hot as their cost was super low before. Hence there are specialists who collect and trades these low grade beans. The problem is, small producers would not have sufficient volume to blend these into their line, hence those are mostly used by ‘large’ producers. There used to be some Chinese backed producers who specialised in low grade beans but after their collapse, the supply have been available to anyone who wants it. So many of the cost conscious producers adopted low grade beans more and more. This trend will only continue to grow as the crop yield is likely to fall and the demand stays strong.
    We are seeing more and more ‘artificial flavouring’ introduced to the products. Unfortunately this is likely to continue and grow as the constraint supply will be squeezed even tighter and demand will only grow with population growth.
    The good old true chocolates will soon the out of reach for many. Shame.

    • @stellaewunia9783
      @stellaewunia9783 Před 8 měsíci +15

      This makes sense to me because even Lindt chocolate tasted better 10 or 15 years ago. Now it's inedible

    • @Christoff070
      @Christoff070 Před 7 měsíci

      Thanks for sharing

    • @nancy9478
      @nancy9478 Před 4 měsíci +1

      Hersheys always had a waxy taste. Wonder why?

    • @withelisa
      @withelisa Před 3 měsíci +1

      I wish we could somehow collectively agree to indulge in good quality chocolate maybe once a week. Stop wasting it in milk and cereals and cakes and cheap treats. Treat it like the specialty product it is.

    • @hauntedshadowslegacy2826
      @hauntedshadowslegacy2826 Před 2 měsíci

      Out of curiosity, what do you think about the possibility of people isolating the different bacterial strains for more precise fermentation? Do you think it'd be a good thing or a bad thing if other places could use the bacterial strains to grow and ferment cacao outside of its natural habitat in greenhouses?

  • @marissalorraine8700
    @marissalorraine8700 Před rokem +19

    I’m in love with the fact you have that tree growing. Its going to be so amazing and special when it gets fruit. I can see you making your own special chocolate.

  • @error.418
    @error.418 Před rokem +756

    This is a problem in the coffee world, too. There are so many parallels between chocolate and coffee. Comparison tasting is also massively helpful for both. Excellent work.

    • @rtyzxc
      @rtyzxc Před rokem +61

      Also tea world. Basically with any natural product, the soil, farming and processing determine the end result.

    • @Martin-sp4zf
      @Martin-sp4zf Před rokem +5

      I like Chocolate and Coffee but I never compared them until I read your post. Thanks.

    • @error.418
      @error.418 Před rokem +9

      @@rtyzxc I totally agree that agricultural products often go this way, so tea is totally another valid example. Coffee feels even more relevant to me alongside chocolate because both are grown in similar regions, both are seeds that you have to prepare and then roast. There's the combination of regional differences and then roast differences with a disconnect between the grower and the roaster. There's specialty coffee/chocolate and commodity coffee/chocolate, there are fair trade concerns. Modern specialty roasters of both coffee and chocolate are trying to reconnect with the farmers and improve quality of life for the farmers, quality of the product, and enhancing the notes of the terroir. I could go on. I wish I knew more about tea to make similar comparisons, but coffee and chocolate have such a similar and interesting journey.

    • @rtyzxc
      @rtyzxc Před rokem +6

      @@error.418 I have heard all the same stuff you just said about tea.

    • @error.418
      @error.418 Před rokem

      @@rtyzxc Awesome! Would love to learn more.

  • @ellielittler5542
    @ellielittler5542 Před rokem +170

    as a botanist i am so glad you mentioned how environment affects how plants grow and taste. so many people dont realize how even slight soil pH or nutrient changes, rainfall, or humidity affect how your food tastes and medicine works!

    • @viviandibrell849
      @viviandibrell849 Před rokem +6

      This is similar to how the flavors in wine come about.

    • @84rinne_moo
      @84rinne_moo Před rokem +2

      Yes, It’s known as terroir.

    • @aina2165
      @aina2165 Před rokem +2

      @@viviandibrell849 Yes and coffee.

    • @cynthiajohnston424
      @cynthiajohnston424 Před rokem +1

      So true ! Even the same varieties of local backyard / homegrown fruits & veggies will vary in taste , depending on soil , water , organic fertilizer , mulch , etc.

    • @profounddamas
      @profounddamas Před rokem

      As a botanist can you tell us how many of those healthy benefits in the original cocoa fruit survive all the way to the final product? Don't bother, I already know the answer.

  • @janejay8119
    @janejay8119 Před rokem +11

    Making chocolate is such a complicated process it makes me wonder how anyone discovered it.

    • @PigmyPipistrelle13
      @PigmyPipistrelle13 Před 6 měsíci

      A guess a long history of trial and error. And maybe a couple of happy accidents.

    • @hansmemling2311
      @hansmemling2311 Před 3 měsíci

      People have been fermenting, boiling, baking, roasting and mixing everything throughout history. The things one can make with just water ferment and grain alone… it’s part of our survival mechanism to try out these things. Once a product is discovered it’s generations of experimentation and refinery till it becomes a widespread product

  • @sergpie
    @sergpie Před rokem +4

    I know exactly what he meant at 4:56
    We had these huge Hoya plants in our house as a kid, and when they'd bloom, the flowers begin forming little nectar beads and drip. That nectar had a very distinct, sweet, almost rose-like flavor. Not sure if you can straight up eat the flower, but the nectar was totally safe.

  • @mikchik00
    @mikchik00 Před rokem +122

    If I was a middle school science teacher, I would use these videos as chapter enrichments. Complex ideas presented in a easy understandable way. Love this.

  • @amoasiwa.n6598
    @amoasiwa.n6598 Před rokem +370

    My great grandma's village in Ghana also farms cocoa .. You'll mostly go and meet some cocoa beans being fermented ..So beautiful to see .and I'm glad My country was mentioned 😊❤️Ghana 🇬🇭

    • @napoleonfeanor
      @napoleonfeanor Před rokem +2

      Maybe make some chocolate from it!

    • @martindione386
      @martindione386 Před rokem +2

      thanks for the chocolate man, and those funny home brew sci-fi classics ;)

    • @amoasiwa.n6598
      @amoasiwa.n6598 Před rokem +6

      @@napoleonfeanor we do on occasion

    • @napoleonfeanor
      @napoleonfeanor Před rokem +2

      @@amoasiwa.n6598 I'd love to try but I have no access to this kind of chocolate.

    • @susanaaragorn8606
      @susanaaragorn8606 Před rokem +1

      They say that most of cocoa is expprted it is true? Is there good chocolate there?

  • @dameanvil
    @dameanvil Před 6 měsíci +58

    00:25 🍫 Different types of cocoa beans result in distinct chocolate flavors.
    03:33 🌍 The location where cocoa beans are grown significantly influences chocolate flavor.
    07:35 🍇 Fermentation is a critical step in developing the flavor of cocoa beans.
    09:19 🕒 Even a minor change in fermentation time affects the flavor profile of the chocolate.
    11:53 🌐 Many cocoa farmers have never tasted chocolate made from their own beans, which highlights the need for better education and communication in the industry.
    14:47 🔬 Conching, a process that refines chocolate texture, can either enhance or diminish flavors depending on itsduration.

    • @openingchocolate
      @openingchocolate Před 6 měsíci +1

      yes! many chances to develop interesting flavours.

    • @salsaverder
      @salsaverder Před 4 měsíci

      Exactly as wine. I do wine more than 10 years, result is unpredictable, it depends of various factors including grape condition, yeast, maceration, maturing... Some of 7 or 5 years old are brocken, some others are delicious. Endless journey).

  • @medicwebber3037
    @medicwebber3037 Před rokem +3

    This was utterly fascinating!! Thank you for the time you obviously put into this. ❤

  • @RocketJo86
    @RocketJo86 Před rokem +386

    I once tasted some really dark belgian choclate brought to me by a friend from Luxembourg. It was something like 80 or even 90% cocoa and normally I find anything over around 50% to bitter. But this one was AMAZING. It was the best chocolate I've ever tasted. It wasn't even bitter at all, but I can't describe the flavour anymore. It's been almost six years and I still regularly think about this chocolate. I never could wrap my head around why this one was so diffrent from the dark chocolates I normally knew - until now. I would have never thought that there are so much diffrences between cocoa beans, or in how many countries cocoa is grown. Thank you! It also explains why powdered cocoa/ hot chocolate can taste extremly diffrent depending on the brand.

    • @Bobbias
      @Bobbias Před 8 měsíci +13

      Well for things like hot chocolate, you also have to consider the difference in levels of cocoa butter, cocoa solids,, milk, and so-on. While it's true that even with identical recipes, they could taste different, for lower quality products like that, the differences are more likely to be due to recipe than bean source. When you're sourcing large amounts for high volume products, there are typically only a couple companies you can realistically choose from.

    • @odomisan
      @odomisan Před 7 měsíci +17

      The bitterness can also come from over roasting. With a small artisan chocolate maker, they can closely monitor smaller batches and roast them just right.

    • @openingchocolate
      @openingchocolate Před 6 měsíci +8

      Fine flavour cacao shouldn't really even be bitter. That is a marketing bamboozle! There are so many good craft chocolate makers out there now no reason for anyone to eat the other junk. BUT...careful, Belgian (or swiss) chocolate does not necessarily mean good. Most of that is just Barry Callebaut, a giant industrial manufacturer

    • @blueredacted
      @blueredacted Před 5 měsíci

      I absolutely hate hot chocolate, but boiling milk with belgian chocolate made the best cup I had ever had. It’s unreal!

    • @dshe8637
      @dshe8637 Před 3 měsíci +1

      Try Solkiki. They are amazing

  • @zanefreeman954
    @zanefreeman954 Před rokem +477

    Ann: I picked a few
    Also Ann: Goes the extra mile and shows fifteen chocolate bars

  • @davidd968
    @davidd968 Před 11 měsíci +2

    I love all of your debunking and cake save videos, but this was so educational, I loved it! ❤

  • @margaretarossyyy
    @margaretarossyyy Před 7 měsíci

    such an amazing insights about chocolate! I feel like some local chocolate bars do not really match my taste, but I now realized that maybe it's really just because I'm already accustomed to the big brands' products. Sometimes, some variations are indeed exciting to try and learn more :) Thank you Ann!

  • @dearthofdoohickeys4703
    @dearthofdoohickeys4703 Před rokem +327

    This channel consistently shows me that the world is a much more complex and interesting place if you take the time to look into it. Thank you Ann!

    • @Aysh100
      @Aysh100 Před rokem +2

      So true, I always learn something new from Ann 😊

    • @Gatorade69
      @Gatorade69 Před rokem +2

      A lot of people don't realize just how complex a lot of things are. Most Americans would probably think "Chocolate is chocolate." Sometimes you just need to slow down, take it all in and try to learn something new.
      Once I started growing vegetables I realized plants, just like people, are incredibly varied. There's so many varieties of everything but most people wouldn't know it as the supermarkets stock only a couple varieties that have been bred for looks, size and transportability over flavor.

  • @Magmafrost13
    @Magmafrost13 Před rokem +1812

    It really does suck that colesworth seemingly adamantly refuse to stock any fair trade chocolate, and insist on only stocking chocolate from slaver companies. I have to look a lot harder and pay a lot more to get actually decent chocolate that is slavery-free.

    • @Jakey4000
      @Jakey4000 Před rokem +129

      I just say screw it and buy Tony's chocoloney, but it seems to be hard to find. Quite depressing how prevalent nestle and mondelez is, and both companies produce awful quality. It's really sad how Cadburys tastes like a skeleton of its former self

    • @Nightstarlady
      @Nightstarlady Před rokem +21

      if i ever buy chocolate at coles or woolies i always get whittakers

    • @vanessagil3527
      @vanessagil3527 Před rokem +21

      Woolworths sells Loving Earth chocolate in the health food isle. It’s fair trade.

    • @hazelcrisp
      @hazelcrisp Před rokem +2

      @@Jakey4000 I only find them at the high end supermarkets which I don't really shop at

    • @redwitch95
      @redwitch95 Před rokem +66

      Unfortunately, that's usually the reason when something is so cheap - they use slave labour and/or produce their goods in countries where workers have far fewer rights.

  • @Kazner0h
    @Kazner0h Před rokem +1

    Wow it's been a long time since I tuned into your channel, and I just gotta say: Your progress in terms of videography quality is super apparent! Great work!

  • @jessicaazzola6703
    @jessicaazzola6703 Před rokem +1

    Wow! I love these educational videos you make Ann. And this one was especially fascinating! Thank you.

  • @nicolle2126
    @nicolle2126 Před rokem +181

    Really happy to see the Philippines mentioned here! We've had quite a history with chocolate as it was first introduced to us by the Spaniards during the galleon trade with Mexico in the 17th century. It's even made its way to our traditional cuisine with dishes like champorado and tablea chocolate (it's pretty common to find chocolate cakes and desserts here marketed as made with tablea to indicate that it's a very dark chocolate)
    That said our own local artisinal chocolate scene is pretty recent. There's been efforts by these local companies like Auro, Malagos, etc. to spotlight homegrown chocolates, and they are slowly getting more mainstream like getting sold in big Philippine supermarket chains instead of just their own specialty stores, and even win international awards.
    I'm really happy to see our chocolate get more recognition outside the country! Cheers Anne!

    • @rocknpirates456
      @rocknpirates456 Před rokem +6

      I love finding bits of the exchange between Mexico and phillipines. We have Champurrado in Mexico too and those chocolate tablets, wonder how similar they are. Would love to taste a Phillipines traditional chocolate! love form Mx

    • @nicolle2126
      @nicolle2126 Před rokem +2

      @@rocknpirates456 same, i'd love to taste a proper Mexican champurrado! Our champorado might be different though since it's more like a warm rice pudding with sticky rice in it. We have 2 versions of tsokolate drinks (one thin amd drinkable, and one very thick) and a regional variant called Tsokolate de Batirol which features tablea, sugar, and ground peanuts/peanut butter. Highly recommended if you ever visit the northern mountain provinces of the Philippines!
      Thank you Mexico for introducing chocolate to us ☺️

    • @scottydu81
      @scottydu81 Před rokem +1

      I love how two halves of the globe can impact each other so deeply

    • @Decanta
      @Decanta Před rokem +1

      It must be exciting to pioneer the local flavor of such a big industry! My home town in Canada has a large Filipino community and the cuisine is to die for, I'd love to see what they do with chocolate!

    • @philippak7726
      @philippak7726 Před rokem +1

      it was really cool for me to see too, NZ has a really good relationship with the Philippines (or at least it feels like we do T.T) but I notice that even The Wellington Chocolate Factory (biggest single-source producer that I know) does NOT get your beans, so I hadn't realised that you guys have a bunch of farms there. I'm sad that I don't know nearly as much as I should about a close neighbour *thoughtful face*
      becomes even more sad when you all go to the trouble of learning english and none of us learn Tagalog T.T

  • @magsimags
    @magsimags Před rokem +197

    i noticed one of the chocolate bars you bought is from Zotter. they are a well known higher end chocolate company from Austria. and they actually have a chocolate factory in Austria that you can visit. they provide tours and you can try so so so much chocolate it's incredible. you get to try the different kinds of chocolate at different stages in the process, they even let you try some cocoa beans. it's a super fun day out for anyone and also quite educational

    • @sasismile6374
      @sasismile6374 Před rokem +12

      I was gonna comment that! As an Austrian, Zotter is my favourite chocolate company, I've been to the factory so many times and it's always an amazing experience!

    • @TheBestCat1290
      @TheBestCat1290 Před rokem +1

      they also have Cadburys world here in the UK. i think it is similar to this but i have never been

    • @glynnL
      @glynnL Před rokem +1

      That sounds like a delicious day!

    • @AdamJorgensen
      @AdamJorgensen Před rokem

      There are some botique chocolate makers in Franschoek, Western Cape, South Africa that also provide a similar experience, although much smaller scale.

    • @defs8073
      @defs8073 Před rokem

      Super fun? Not just fun?

  • @Ch3rryCanary
    @Ch3rryCanary Před rokem +4

    Love this new style for your content. It truly shows off your food scientist experience/knowledge in a palatable way for a broad audience that doesn't compromise the science. Would love similar videos about the effects of baking/cooking methods & other flavors like vanilla. Vanilla is a complex flavor but gets a truly bad rep due to imitation extracts. Same for almond & cinnamon. This is truly fascinating for someone who doesn't care much for chocolate. My frontal lobe has been reopened culinarily. 💜

  • @meganchristensen7618
    @meganchristensen7618 Před 9 měsíci +3

    Thank you so much for this video! This was incredibly informative and now I can’t wait to go visit my little local chocolate shop to find some interesting bars! ❤

  • @welcome123ization
    @welcome123ization Před rokem +174

    This is why I love Ann!! You aren’t just telling us about the different chocolate, but going in depth with similarities, differences, and using people to compare.
    I now want to go out and try different types of chocolate because of you!!

    • @tomireland3644
      @tomireland3644 Před rokem

      .

    • @profounddamas
      @profounddamas Před rokem

      Very bad idea. Don't accept advice on what you should eat from people that want to sell you "food".

  • @Casutama
    @Casutama Před rokem +249

    First of all, I'm so excited that you picked a bar of Zotter chocolate, because its "home-base" is close to where I'm from (you can visit the factory, watch the chocolate-making process, "taste" every step of the journey from bean to bar, and later have an all-you-can-eat of selected flavours and products)
    Also, I just love the quality of your videos so much; you take so much care to be nuanced and factual. I absolutely loved everything about this video!

    • @paulinelieder1368
      @paulinelieder1368 Před rokem +3

      I also noticed! And I really recommend visiting the factory. I’ve been twice and it were the two best days of my life ❤

    • @priestrat
      @priestrat Před rokem +3

      I bought some Zotter chocolate when I was in Wien, but I didn't like it :/ maybe I chose the wrong kind. Personally I like Chocolats Villars from Fribourg 🇨🇭

    • @lo4568
      @lo4568 Před rokem +3

      Als Wienerin muss ich ehrlich sagen, dass ich Zotter Schokolade (bis jetzt) überhaupt nicht mag. Ich war aber mal in so nem schicken Schoko-Geschäft (irgendwo im 6. oder so, in der Nähe der Mahü) und die hatten dort die Marke Pichler. Extrem gut, vor allem deren Kirschen-Schokolade. Hat mich echt umgehauen haha 😂 Aber Pichler kennt halt wirklich keiner, ist ne Marke aus Kärnten oder Tirol glaub ich

    • @Casutama
      @Casutama Před rokem +2

      @@priestrat I can agree that it's a bit of an acquired taste - it's a very different "style" of chocolate than what lots of other brands do. Each bar comes with an instruction to really savour each bite though, to fully let it melt in your mouth to experience all the flavours, and that can be amazing.
      I've found that the easiest "entry" into Zotter chocolate, for most people, seems to be Laboko: their "pure" chocolates (of different percentages / single fruit flavours). Also their Drinking Chocolate range. And their weirder flavours at least always provide an interesting experience.
      What I definitely can faithfully promise though is that regardless of how much you think you like their chocolate, if you ever find yourself in Austria again, the factory is well worth a visit, and (especially for what it offers) the ticket price is extremely reasonable.

    • @toniu5417
      @toniu5417 Před rokem +1

      I'm jealous!! I always wanted to visit the factory, I love Zotter so much ;_;

  • @andrewjpalla
    @andrewjpalla Před 7 měsíci +8

    Food science really is fascinating! Had no idea chocolate was a result of fermentation.
    Edit: they just ran a Lindt ad on top of your video 😂

  • @santosh911
    @santosh911 Před rokem +327

    This was a surprisingly good description of the issues involved in making a good chocolate. As a former chocolatier from Trinidad, where the Trinitario type of cocoa originated, I was proud to make chocolate that was made in the same estate in which it was grown. For some of the finest chocolate in the world, it's worth searching out Trinidad and Tobago Fine Cocoa Company's bars.

    • @shubhampadhye7263
      @shubhampadhye7263 Před rokem +5

      Are you Trinidad Indian? So nice to meet you!

    • @santosh911
      @santosh911 Před 10 měsíci +6

      @@shubhampadhye7263 I am! Very proud of both my Indian and Trinidadian heritage. And of Trinidad's extraordinary cocoa heritage as well.

  • @claireraesch6818
    @claireraesch6818 Před 11 měsíci +21

    You've inspired me. My husband (who doesn't really care for chocolate) and I (who loves chocolate) bought fancy chocolate that's from specific places and fermented for certain lengths and roasted certain amounts. And I love chocolate even more now! It's so cool and complex. And my husband has figured out he likes chocolate less and really does prefer white chocolate and the least like chocolate chocolate you can buy. Lol.

    • @nevaladder
      @nevaladder Před 8 měsíci +1

      Aww, I thought this story was going to end with your husband discovering af let's one type of chocolate he actually liked. 😂

    • @TickleMeTimbers
      @TickleMeTimbers Před 7 měsíci +1

      "it's so cool and complex" you just leveled up to Hipster Supreme. No really though, enjoy your $10 50g chocolate bar.

    • @Christoff070
      @Christoff070 Před 7 měsíci +2

      ​@@TickleMeTimbersif you watched the vid you'd realise shes not doing it to be a hipster

    • @clumsyroad4026
      @clumsyroad4026 Před 7 měsíci

      @@Christoff070 if you weren't retarded you'd realize he's talking about the commenter

    • @openingchocolate
      @openingchocolate Před 6 měsíci

      White chocolate is making a resurgence in the craft chocolate industry with so many great inclusions. It is like a canvas fro craft chocolate makers. So many interesting and tasty bars out there right now.

  • @indie-cloud
    @indie-cloud Před rokem +533

    I had a subscription box for chocolate a while back and it was only then I started to realise chocolate tastes so different from the supermarket bars I was used to - you can taste the fermentation, there’s so much character in it. Anyway, after the subscription ended chocolate was of course ruined for me 😂

    • @justanotherclaud
      @justanotherclaud Před rokem +33

      Do you remember the name of that? Bc it sounds so good!

    • @Linkale_
      @Linkale_ Před rokem +12

      @@justanotherclaud I'd like to know too!

    • @M0rbidCuriositea
      @M0rbidCuriositea Před rokem +11

      I triple that request for a company name, please!

    • @tangerine5903
      @tangerine5903 Před rokem +9

      I'd like to quadruple that request

    • @ayidas
      @ayidas Před rokem +7

      Quintuple

  • @chelelight5107
    @chelelight5107 Před rokem +40

    Your son's tasting notes of dirt from the floor mixed with grass had me in stitches but also very impressed

  • @alinabelousova
    @alinabelousova Před rokem +3

    Wow, I've learned so much about chocolate in under 20 min! And very clearly and interestingly presented as well ;) Thank you, Ann!

  • @megan5867
    @megan5867 Před rokem

    This was absolutely fascinating! Thank you, Anne! Your videos are informative and interesting and fun!

  • @krux02
    @krux02 Před rokem +30

    I think the real irony is, when Lindt put in back variety into chocolate by adding all sorts of extra stuff like chili or fruits, when they worked so hard to get rid of it.

  • @MsAnthropoLogic
    @MsAnthropoLogic Před rokem +89

    One day I tasted the chocolate from an old little shop run by a family of chocolate makers since 1930 and I discovered REAL chocolate! It’s just like all another food: I usually don’t really like chocolate, but that one is different. Please support your local shops, sometimes you can find incredible thing thanks to them!

  • @katherineschopf9572
    @katherineschopf9572 Před 7 měsíci

    Amazing description and step by step explanation. I really appreciate your content. Thank you!

  • @rebeccabee1111
    @rebeccabee1111 Před 3 měsíci

    This was so interesting and informative! Thank you Ann for all your research and hard work in putting this video together!

  • @CHEFPKR
    @CHEFPKR Před rokem +81

    This was a great taste test. We have a chocolate shop near me called The Meadow and they carry so so so many single origins bars, bars that have unique tastes and techniques, bars from all over the world.
    If you haven't had the pleasure of trying single origin or artisan chocolate, it will change your life.

    • @DessertGeek
      @DessertGeek Před rokem +4

      The Meadow is so cool! I love visiting them when I can! (And I love that they have mystery boxes, those are so fun!)

    • @CHEFPKR
      @CHEFPKR Před rokem +2

      @@DessertGeek ohhh they have mystery boxes? I need to visit soon...

    • @helenamirian908
      @helenamirian908 Před rokem

      oh, I mainly go there for salt! I'll have to try the chocolates.

  • @venere.gommosa
    @venere.gommosa Před rokem +279

    In Modica (Sicily-Italy) they keep doing chocolate using manual grinding in a cold environment so that the sugar doesn’t really dissolve. The grainy texture makes this chocolate otherworldly!
    To all travelers who would like to visit Sicily, make a stop in Modica and you won’t regret it at all!
    All the love ❤

    • @eveenorth6125
      @eveenorth6125 Před rokem +3

      It’s not a good habit to lie on the internet x try not lying next time x much love, from England x

    • @Axolotls_out
      @Axolotls_out Před rokem +11

      I won't lie, I visited a few years ago with my chocolate crazy family and we really didn't like it lol.

    • @francescofilippi2824
      @francescofilippi2824 Před rokem +4

      This is how chocolate was made once

    • @MTknitter22
      @MTknitter22 Před rokem +3

      @@Axolotls_out some do lie, it’s true. Some get accused of it if the accuser just doesn’t like somebody complimenting the ITALIAN chocolate.

    • @jimandmandy
      @jimandmandy Před rokem +9

      Tried it when I was in Sicily. Sorry, but could not take the gritty texture.

  • @Kitsune-DAS
    @Kitsune-DAS Před 4 měsíci

    I loved every single moment of this video and would love to see more like it: history, comparisons, taste tests across multiple participants, current processes, small producers, and science, science, science!

  • @draco1811
    @draco1811 Před rokem +6

    A few years ago, I had the pleasure of going to the Dominican Republic with family. We went on a tour of a cacao farm. We saw all the stages Ann mentioned, from fruits being harvested to fermentation to drying. The owner of the farm roasted a few of the beans himself over wood coals, and then roughly ground them with a metate. I got to try some, and it tasted nutty, chocolaty, and a little bit like coffee. It was an experience I hope I never forget.

    • @jewelsbarbie
      @jewelsbarbie Před 8 měsíci

      That sounds like such a fun experience!

  • @MikuruChan123
    @MikuruChan123 Před rokem +73

    Haha this reminds me so much of culinary school. Most of my classmates agree that Lindt is bland as a chocolate. However I argue that this is advantageous during chocolate bon bon making because then you can really concentrate on the filling, almost like a blank canvas.
    Would love a part 2 of this video where you explain how ruby chocolate is made!

    • @zvikaso
      @zvikaso Před rokem

      Lindt make a variety of different chocolates. Not all are bland. The sweeter ones are. The 85% rich dark version is nice imho. It's fair for its price.

    • @MikuruChan123
      @MikuruChan123 Před rokem

      @@zvikaso for most people, the 85% is nice but for most of us in the culinary world, it's considered a bland chocolate. This is because it tends to lack depth of taste, there is no evolution as the chocolate lingers on your tongue and melts. Of course it all comes down to personal enjoyment at the end of the day so if you enjoy it, enjoy it! I am definitely shamed by my peers for liking Somersby cider and nobody can tell me differently. :)

  • @cannibalvegetableyt
    @cannibalvegetableyt Před rokem +67

    I was lucky enough to have a friend from El Salvador that lived in the jungle; her family made molcajette fudge (cocoa + rock sugar ground together into a paste and dried) it was somewhat chalky, and it was THE BEST chocolate I have ever had in my life. The abundance of flavors and smell was like no chocolate I had ever had or have had since.

    • @mimosa5174
      @mimosa5174 Před rokem +2

      This sounds similar to chocolate done without conching! I can easily believe it was the best you’ve ever had, the powdery (?) texture is incredible!

    • @KatanaBart
      @KatanaBart Před rokem

      I bet someone has a mole sauce recipe that's next level compared to the stuff you get in jars

  • @patriannaanderson8683

    Ann, ,your videos are always so well thoughtfully made. Truly some of CZcamss best.

  • @ellasheridan7637
    @ellasheridan7637 Před 4 měsíci

    Thanks Anne! This was such an insightful and interesting topic to listen to you explain. Its amazing how little I know about something I eat on a regular basis.
    Also, your hair is looking absolutely gorgeous, as always.

  • @eltooyo2
    @eltooyo2 Před rokem +137

    I knew NONE of this going in. As always, Ann, you never fail to educate AND entertain. (Always nice to see Dave & the boys again, as well.) Thanks!

  • @blakefarnsworth
    @blakefarnsworth Před rokem +356

    This video just made me go out and spend £100+ at London Chocolate since they do single source chocolate bars. It was crazy to me how good dark chocolate could taste, and how different each of the bars could be, even with it just being cocao and sugar. Thank you, Ann!

    • @oliviamartini9700
      @oliviamartini9700 Před rokem +9

      More money than sense...your pensioners are starving.

    • @IuliuPascaru
      @IuliuPascaru Před rokem +50

      @@oliviamartini9700 If no one buys the expensive chocolate, then the chocolate makers will be starving too.

    • @jasmint3207
      @jasmint3207 Před rokem +5

      I would love to try some single source bars now, too! I don't know where to get them but I will have to try and find some

    • @blakefarnsworth
      @blakefarnsworth Před rokem +50

      Me spending £100 at a local business helps the economy, and by relation, those starving pensioners, far more than it just sitting in my bank account.

    • @starsash
      @starsash Před rokem +42

      ​@@oliviamartini9700 Why are you here to shame on how some bloke spends his hard earned pay? He didn't write the laws that have the pensioners starving. Let him alone and write to your politicians if you have a bone to pick.

  • @halomasamune2762
    @halomasamune2762 Před 9 měsíci

    I liked the video, I almost always find them useful. I think the only thing missing from this video is some recommendations of chocolates to try, where to get started in finding good chocolate.

  • @tlozfreak888
    @tlozfreak888 Před 9 měsíci

    Already put in an order for some chocolate from Argencove. Gonna share it with my mom (also a dietitian) because we both absolutely love eating chocolate, trying new and hopefully better chocolates, and food in general. Thanks for all you do!

  • @raymondmagat4025
    @raymondmagat4025 Před rokem +88

    I'm proud of our booming infant chocolate industry. Even though it only recently started few years ago, our local producers were able to produce world class cacao beans and chocolate products that are starting to get attention in the international stage. Thank you for including the cholate industry of the Philippines. BTW, I'm eating a coffee-dark chocolate bar produced from Davao right now. :)

    • @snflwrchan8019
      @snflwrchan8019 Před rokem +4

      I live in Davao and I see local chocolates here a lot but I've been taking them for granted! Definitely will be buying some when I'm out shopping

    • @blazechaos212
      @blazechaos212 Před rokem +3

      Waiiit, what brands are they? Would love to buy them

    • @snflwrchan8019
      @snflwrchan8019 Před rokem +3

      @@blazechaos212 where do you live? I'm not quite sure what brands export internationally. The one in the video is a UK brand i think that offers philippine-sourced beans for their limited edition line. Famous Filipino brands that I can name for now that source their chocolates from the same region are Malagos Chocolate, Auro Chocolates, Cacao Culture, Cacao de Davao and The Chocolate Bean.

    • @blazechaos212
      @blazechaos212 Před rokem +1

      @@snflwrchan8019 I see. I live in Iligan City, in Northern Mindanao

    • @raymondmagat4025
      @raymondmagat4025 Před rokem +1

      I've been enjoying Malagos chocolate recently. They're great chocolates from Davao.

  • @TheZombieGladiator
    @TheZombieGladiator Před rokem +128

    I think this is my favorite H2CT video yet. Excellent information density paired with really good visuals (I really adored the map, especially what you did at 6:36). The flavor interviews were really powerful- they did a superb job showing the variation between different regions' beans, and it was particularly telling that even though people didn't describe the beans in the exact same terms, everyone still tended to cluster around flavor profiles unique to each bean. That there were *preferences* rather than "this one is good and this one is bad" made me think about what kind of experience we could all be having as chocolate consumers. This video has certainly inspired me to investigate further on my own!

  • @fannyandersson3371
    @fannyandersson3371 Před 7 měsíci

    I learned so much from this video thank you! Also I cackled in the beginning because the ad that came before the video was for LIndt Exellence!

  • @jorhanwu7741
    @jorhanwu7741 Před 7 měsíci

    Very informative ! Thank you ! As a chocolate lover I have learned quite a bit interesting info👍

  • @noxriddle
    @noxriddle Před rokem +25

    Last year, I did a brownie tasting at an upscale chocolatier - each brownie was made using different chocolates from different locales. It was funny because everyone asked me, did they really even taste different? Yes, absolutely! One was very fruity and tangy (like raspberries and yogurt), one was very sweet and floral (like honey), and one was very fudgy and a little savory (think like brushing olive oil on brownies). I've completely stopped buying mass-produced chocolate, and it is pretty shocking how bland it tastes after you make the switch.

  • @elizabuga4337
    @elizabuga4337 Před rokem +101

    I love how your husband’s reactions are often just “not nice” or “I like it” 😂. Very cute.

    • @DemonsCrest1
      @DemonsCrest1 Před rokem +3

      that's similar to how I rate movies - "alright" and "pretty good" ^_^

    • @BigMamaDaveX
      @BigMamaDaveX Před rokem

      @@DemonsCrest1 😏 I rate movies: "awful" and "within acceptable parameters".

    • @DemonsCrest1
      @DemonsCrest1 Před rokem

      @@BigMamaDaveX
      xD.
      Yea, i feel like i am a lot less "wowed" by movies the last, oh i dunno, 15-20 years ^_^

  • @alteredegoz
    @alteredegoz Před rokem

    Thank you Ann. I found your video, and particularly your presentation style very easy to listen to. I enjoyed the information you shared. I love to say I’m crazy about chocolate but I didn’t even know that there were other cacao beans out there. I have more of an appreciation now to get out there and taste the variety moving away from the mainstream.

  • @Xanthelei
    @Xanthelei Před 9 měsíci +4

    So what I learned here is that a big part of the downfall of Hershey's chocolate in their move from the US to Mexico (a cost cutting move) is that they aren't processing the chocolate long enough, likely also a cost cutting move. Ever since we started getting mostly Hershey's from their Mexican plants in my area, they've been incredibly gritty and chalky, to the point that the only kind of Hershey's chocolate I eat now is the very occasional M&M cookie. That's such a shame, it sounds like if they just took an extra day or so of processing they would still have perfectly fine bargain chocolate.

  • @SocialNetwooky
    @SocialNetwooky Před rokem +30

    As a diabetic, I can still eat chocolate (in *moderation*) when there isn't much sugar added, and LINDT 85% (And higher) chocolate really tastes extremely bland. Sometimes I'm able to find fairtrade chocolate with similar amounts of sugar and cocoa percentage and the taste difference is indeed amazing. Thanks for clearing up the reasons ... and now I need to check whether I still have some in my fridge :P

    • @christinebenson518
      @christinebenson518 Před rokem

      I've had Lily's chocolate over the years. It's quite good. It's got stevia instead of sugar. They've got dark, milk and white chocolate varieties. There's mint, caramel, even a cookies and cream. They also make chocolate chips, which I've successfully made truffles with.

    • @oxoelfoxo
      @oxoelfoxo Před rokem

      Japan has a Meiji chocolate (common brand) that's 88% and it's very smooth but very bitter, too.

  • @rebekahdavis5935
    @rebekahdavis5935 Před rokem +244

    The boys were actually VERY descriptive with their tastings, " ripe bananer and butterscotch" I'm impressed with how specific they were :)

  • @petermccracken2247
    @petermccracken2247 Před rokem

    THANK YOU !!
    I learned some interesting facts from this video. I never knew how many varieties of cocoa beans there are in the world, & the flavor of each of them.
    The process of making chocolate was eye-opening.
    GREAT VIDEO, GREAT DELIVERY, WELL DONE !! I look forward to more of your videos.

  • @rachaelhoffman-dachelet2763
    @rachaelhoffman-dachelet2763 Před 2 měsíci

    I love these videos so much. Thanks for your hard work, and props to your family for being such good sports.

  • @allanjmcpherson
    @allanjmcpherson Před rokem +126

    This reminds me a lot of the difference between commercial and specialty coffee. The process is slightly different but it seems there are more similarities than differences.
    I also note that your eldest has really good vocabulary for tasting. You've clearly taught him well!

    • @briemoore3457
      @briemoore3457 Před rokem +8

      I was going to comment the same thing. I know a bit about the coffee industry because my partner works in specialty coffee, and it's so similar! I was even surprised at the similarities of roasting the beans longer to get rid of undesirable flavors.
      It's so cool that smaller companies are working directly with farms to help them fine tune their product.

    • @oscargr_
      @oscargr_ Před rokem +1

      Yep .. was also my observation.
      Coffee, but really many other household products available made by small local companies and the bland but cheaper version by big name brands.

    • @karenryder6317
      @karenryder6317 Před rokem

      I thought of the coffee comparison as well. Since we seem to really love chocolate, someone likely could make a killing by using the start-up concepts of Starbucks on cocoa beans. My guess is that the concept would really grow.

  • @toysmostwanted
    @toysmostwanted Před rokem +370

    My sister gave me a single origin chocolate bar and I can honestly say that I tasted fruits while eating it. I even checked the label to see if I was eating a fruit and nut bar but it wasn't. Just some good quality chocolate.

    • @RedCascadian
      @RedCascadian Před rokem +5

      Went to the Seattle chocolate festival last year with some friends. Sooo many lovely chocolates.

    • @ziosuna2143
      @ziosuna2143 Před rokem

      Just chocolate doesn't have fruity flavors...

    • @di3486
      @di3486 Před rokem +8

      Coming from a chocolate country (that grows cocoa) I can’t stand the standard American chocolate😖

    • @RedCascadian
      @RedCascadian Před rokem

      @Di :3 we ruined suits at first too. America was the China of the 19th century to manufacturing.

    • @toysmostwanted
      @toysmostwanted Před rokem +5

      @@di3486 The Philippines has a growing cocoa industry but chocolate hipsters from the western world has priced out many of the locals from tasting it.

  • @Nanagos
    @Nanagos Před 8 měsíci +1

    "This chocolate - by comparison - tastes bland"
    *pulls out the most expensive chocolate available in my local supermarket*

  • @Aleksandra.Klapsa
    @Aleksandra.Klapsa Před 3 měsíci +1

    Lovely video and eye opening, had no idea about such differences! :)

  • @SteMegManzaroli
    @SteMegManzaroli Před rokem +169

    I went to a workshop on chocolate and they had samples from all over the world for every stage of the production, when they offered us the raw cocoa bean we were shocked and disgusted!
    There was a room were you could smell the beans from different countries, they all had a specific fragrance, so cool!

    • @deedercakes
      @deedercakes Před rokem +3

      this is so cool!

    • @snakewithapen5489
      @snakewithapen5489 Před rokem +2

      The raw cacao bean actually tastes good when it still has the goopy stuff on it. It tastes like a fresh fruit, like a mango! But don't bite down, the bean itself is very bitter

  • @stuchatterton6550
    @stuchatterton6550 Před rokem +31

    Its not just the taste and ingredients (yes palm oil, I'm looking at you), Cadbury's went from the most trusted brand in NZ to No.36 in the space of only a couple of years. It now sits at what appears to be near permanent discount and Whitakers occupies the premium space at supermarkets. In terms of taste, freshly hand made chocolate in Zurich Switzerland (eat in 3 days, no preservatives) was a highlight :)

    • @DystopianOverture
      @DystopianOverture Před 9 měsíci +6

      Kraft ruined Cadburys. Here in the UK basically we all kicked off because the chocolate now tastes more American candy bar than chocolate bar. Cadburys used to be UK's top selling chocolate bars because of the quality.

  • @heatherm2140
    @heatherm2140 Před rokem

    Thanks for all you do!! Love your channel!

  • @eaglebreath5
    @eaglebreath5 Před 7 měsíci

    Excellent video. I learned lots. Thank you Ann

  • @hannie7141
    @hannie7141 Před rokem +146

    I love your boys (including Dave)! They are all so thoughtful and articulate. The taste tests are the best, because the way they express their impressions make me almost feel like I’m getting a taste, too 😊 Clever and creative!

    • @HowToCookThat
      @HowToCookThat  Před rokem +48

      That's very kind of you ... they are all wonderful boys / men

    • @Eggs63
      @Eggs63 Před rokem +4

      @@HowToCookThat men

    • @nunyabiznuss3040
      @nunyabiznuss3040 Před rokem

      ​@@Eggs63 Even Jed is growing up 😊

    • @Eggs63
      @Eggs63 Před rokem

      @@nunyabiznuss3040 🙂

  • @Chyriea
    @Chyriea Před rokem +33

    As a former chocolatier, I thought I knew a lot about chocolate. I have specific chocolate makers that are my go-to for product, but I never really thought about WHY. This was a highly informative and highly entertaining video! Such engrossing delivery and format, and I learned so much. Thank you for this video!

  • @Qwerty-ff4ki
    @Qwerty-ff4ki Před 7 měsíci

    This is my happy video, I watch it maybe once a month when I need to decompress. Thank you Ann

  • @shia_labeouf
    @shia_labeouf Před rokem

    Absolutely fascinating video. I never knew there was so much involved and so much variety out there. I love dark chocolate but... maybe I don't! I will definitely look out some of these smaller producers and see what I've been missing out on.

  • @Talmorne
    @Talmorne Před rokem +42

    Theres even some small independant chocolate growers/companies popping up in Australia/Queensland in the past few years! Same goes for coffee as well. Would love to see a coffee episode similar to this, and would love if you could include some Aussie coffee if you can get your hands on it

    • @HowToCookThat
      @HowToCookThat  Před rokem +22

      oh yes, I looked up the QLD growers. I'd like to get up there one day

    • @adameichler
      @adameichler Před rokem

      I would say that already 80 % of this video applies to coffee, too :) Single origin/processing/taste profiles/roasting etc.

  • @cptn.penguin902
    @cptn.penguin902 Před rokem +106

    I feel a weird sense of kinship, when I see how grown up your kids are getting.
    Thanks for you continuing efforts! Your videos keep getting better without losing the authenticity and personal charm of your early content.

    • @sailorarwen6101
      @sailorarwen6101 Před rokem +6

      I swear every single video they look different 😭 growing up too fast

  • @hitchhicker92
    @hitchhicker92 Před rokem

    Hey algorithm, I love this channel and it's videos... Ann you are the best, thanks for all the MaD content