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Stop Biting Your Chocolate, And Other Tips From An LA Chocolatier
Chocolate begins as cacao beans, grown in rainforest climates. The nibs and cocoa butter (white disks) are removed and the product is refined, then mixed with various levels of milk and sugar to make chocolate.
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Jackie Orchard
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LAist
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Valentine's Day is a premium excuse to buy chocolate for someone you know — or for yourself.
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Stop Biting Your Chocolate, And Other Tips From An LA Chocolatier
Coco Ramirez is a student in the Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management program at Pasadena City College. She began working with chocolate on her own years ago, buying various trays and melts to experiment with.
Ramirez said the magic of chocolate is not always found on common shelves, but should be explored like a love of fine wines. She said one should find time alone to put one's feet up and savor the experience.
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Ramirez said if you're using your teeth, you're doing it wrong, because fine chocolate needs to melt on the tongue.
Know your options
Americans don't ever need to look far for chocolate.
“People who are in love with Hershey’s, Nestle, Cadbury, Dove — you know, that's chocolate you can chew and swallow and [you say] 'yummy,'” Ramirez said. “But good, quality chocolate — you’ve got to let that baby sit on your palate and melt into your senses.”
She said the most affordable chocolate that still has the highest quality for the price, in her opinion, is the Swiss Belgian chocolate brand Lindt.
“A lot of chocolatiers say that the best chocolate comes from Belgium.”
But Ramirez added that it's important to remember and acknowledge that most chocolate is grown where it is not enjoyed, such as Ghana, which is one of the largest growing areas for the cacao plant in the world.
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A game of percentages
What do those percentages on a chocolate mean?
53% is your semisweet. It tastes like childhood — like the chips mixed into cookie dough.
70% is bittersweet. The way to appreciate it: "You have to have to let it ride," Ramirez said.
58% chocolate is right in the middle. As Ramirez said earlier, this has to "melt into your senses."
Any darker than 70% and you're likely not going to enjoy it the way you think you will; it's for those who like a little bit of bitter punishment in their chocolate. For more of an indulgent experience — like, "island breeze music is going to play in the background" indulgent — consider the 58% range.
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Check out LAist's guide to hyperlocal chocolate.
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But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
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