Learning Objective: To introduce you to a way of looking at chocolate

Developing your expertise and reverence for chocolate

Ecole Chocolat Note: The following is a report that was generously sent to me by one of our students. It takes us inside the world of chocolate from the perspective of Andrea Bianchini, chocolatier in Florence.

I included this report in the program because I, too, believe that chocolate is not just a "product." It is an art, a science, a moment in time, a passion and a pleasure. As you become a chocolatier, you need to look at chocolate from a different perspective – one of respect and admiration for the beauty of chocolate — for both your palate and eye. That respect translates down to both your employees and customers. 

I am lucky to count Jacques Pepin as a friend and I clearly remember the first time I met him when I was a student in one of his classes. I had just opened my chocolate business and had taken the class to see how a professional culinary teacher conducts his classes. I had been asked to teach chocolate making and wanted to make sure I would deliver in a professional manner. I wanted to learn from the "master." 

What struck me most was Jacques' expertise, reverence and careful handling of the ingredients for a recipe. How he picked up the ingredients and talked about their provenance told how important the act of preparing food – using the best ingredients – was to him. It was more than only his words could have conveyed. 

I came away knowing that I had to treat chocolate with that same reverence and passion if I was going to be successful as a chocolatier. Enjoy the following report and I hope you, too, begin to develop a reverence for the product that is poised to become a very big part of your life.

Musings from an Ecole Chocolat student who took a class with Andrea Bianchini and wished to remain anonymous.

The instructor, Andrea Bianchini, is owner and proprietor of Schocolate in Florence, Italy, and is a member of the Italian National Pastry Team. His class was being offered through the culinary school, Apicius, also in Florence.

The class consisted of 12 sessions and was part of a larger culinary school experience. Accordingly, the instructor opted for a more fundamental academic approach, focusing on a broader working knowledge of cocoa rather than a recipe-filled offering. However, having professional aspirations, it took me some time to learn the value of such information as it related to my future practical goals.

How many modern-day chocolatiers can discern the distinctions between the trinitario, criollo and the forastero bean? It seems to be that those I have spoken with are more familiar with producers/suppliers and their product lines than varietals of cocoa and their geographical characteristics. A large portion of the class was spent learning about the “roots” of cocoa, literally and figuratively. Like the studies that are applicable to the appreciation if wines, so too, did we learn that the same analytical format can be effectively applied to the study of a particular cocoa variety being grown in a particular area.

The class was emphatic about approaching cocoa in no less of a disciplined manner, akin to wine studies. The similarities between cocoa plantations and vineyards are numerous. The same empirical lesson learned in wine production can assist in giving us a structure in which to develop a sophisticated understanding of cocoa and the production of chocolate.

It was with this perspective that the class focused a great deal on history, agriculture, identification, tempering, taste sensations and philosophy.

Does everyone know that cocoa is a FRUIT? And why this very unassuming and initially distasteful fruit grew to become such a valued agricultural product as to be traded as currency for some of the worlds strongest cultures? This is an example of what Andrea believes all chocolatiers should know, minimally.

The Italian culinary culture is built upon deep respect for varied regional food and animal products in its country. Andrea’s approach to chocolate, albeit on a global perspective, is very similar. Andrea and the class spent a great deal of time learning the history of cocoa, its agricultural roots, early utilization and its introduction to Europe. This historical reference is important for two reasons:

One, because it is in these same parts of the world that the best cocoa is still planted, grown and harvested;

Two, today’s best quality chocolate is still refined and manufactured by many of the same European entities that developed many of the early processes, i.e. Nestle, Lindt (first conching), Van Houten, Suchard, Cadbury, Fry, Messier, Poulain, and, of course, Hershey.

It is Andrea’s belief that any "chocolate chef" (not to be confused with a designer, sculptor, or decorator, etc., as distinctions were also discussed in class) have an in-depth comprehension of cocoa’s relatively young history and our modern-day reference thereto. Andrea also believed and lectured on responsibility of all professionals that trade in cocoa and chocolate to accurately advocate their potential, including its history and current trends.

In understanding the roots of chocolate production, we must also acknowledge the capitalistic adventures of the many historical participants that continue to influence chocolate even as we know it today. Brokers and merchants, and their style of blending, profiteering, and creativity, live on in many popular chocolate products today.

Class content also included the scope of current “agricultural science” as it is being applied to the germination, growth and production of cocoa, i.e., the Imperial College of Tropical Agriculture from the ‘30’s to the genome mapping that is being conducted by the International Cocoa Genebank of Trinidad. Cocoa is still incredibly fragile because of its very incestuous lineage.

In his class, Andrea pursued a more academic offering. Not to diminish the practical experience, as I am rather confident in my abilities to properly temper by hand a variety of different chocolates in a variety of different environments. On the contrary, much of the class time was exclusively spent on repeatedly tempering and retempering – a sort of boot camp. So Andrea was well aware of the need for “hands-on” fluency as well.

Yet, while his lecture presentations did not include proprietary ingredient lists or favorite methods, Andrea attempted to instill in us a sufficiently broad base of knowledge (in only 12 classes) so that we can begin to understand chocolate on a personal basis and can begin to think independently about cocoa and chocolate. (As the biblical story goes “…feed them fish… but, teach them to fish they can feed themselves…” While dramatic, it goes to illustrate what I believe Andrea was trying to share.)

Andrea, who routinely drives his partner and colleagues nuts, rarely begins to prepare or practice for a competition, a presentation or daily food service until, literally, just a few days before, if not the very same day. Yet he repeatedly finds success in all his professional endeavors. And it is my belief that for any person to consistently perform successfully at such quality levels, a broad and seasoned skill set is required, and that included the information Andrea was sharing in his classes. Andrea considers himself a consummate improviser.

Andrea deliberately taught us students to understand cocoa from the ground up. Initially I was disillusioned by the content of his presentations, as I did not see myself a botanist, but I have come to understand that if I truly make an effort to know from where the cocoa bean comes, and the processes that have affected its composition, only then can I really begin to think I have a foundation to know how to ever enhance or alter the flavor and/or texture of chocolate and share it with another person.

There are many items that Andrea has, for the better and worse, ingrained in me whenever I am working with or thinking about chocolate. They are the building blocks upon which I constantly rely to shape my perceptions, opinions and style as I aspire to become a professional culinarian. I would like to share some of those mantras as follows:

1. Creating chocolate flavors and sensations begins with specific cocoa/chocolate. One must clearly know his/her culinary objective(s) when choosing your ingredients.
2. Chocolate is a science. Every action has a reaction and time always influences production — always be aware of your environment. When one can instinctually manage this information, one will only then begin to become truly creative with chocolate.
3. “Make Attention”: there are no shortcuts in quality chocolate production; from the ingredients, processes to flavor sensations… One must always use the best and do their best, if they desire a quality end-product to which they can attach their name.
4. Milk chocolate = dark chocolate + white chocolate… only. Milk and milk products are not grown with cocoa, therefore is not really chocolate. (Sorry Daniel Peter.) Unless it was a specific filling or ganache, Andrea advocated the avoidance of milk. His only concession was for consumer and retail value.
5. Creativity is requisite for any chocolatiers. It was said that "standard recipes" under-utilize the capabilities and opportunities for chocolate. Never use a previously-published recipe. While, from a practical point of view, this is not reasonable, Andrea’s teachings are illustrative of one aspect of his philosophy.
6. The number one under-estimated friend of chocolate is *Zabaione. (I am inclined to believe that this was based more upon personal taste than educated pearls of wisdom based upon his years of experience.)
7. Chocolate needs time for quality production, not for consumption. Or as Andrea would say, “….chocolate should never be saved, just eaten…” Shelf life and conservation are issues that large commercial scale producers need to worry about. Andrea believes that artisan chocolatiers should avoid inorganic ingredients and synthetic preservatives at every opportunity.
8. Chocolate likes spices. Seasoning chocolate celebrates the scope of its versatility, especially when you use those that come from the same geographical area of the cocoa’s plantation. (So Italian of him.)
9. Be kind to the chocolate with gradual temperature changes. Andrea believes that this is as much an ingredient as cocoa – factor in adequate time to slowly change between temperature extremes.
10. Chocolate is at its best with simple recipes (especially with savory preparations).

*Zabaione is one of the classic, simple desserts that one finds in many places; the French know it as sabayon, This particular recipe is drawn from Giuliana Ascoli Vitali-Norsa's La Cucina nella Tradizione Ebraica.

6 egg yolks 
2/3 cup (120 g) sugar 
18 tablespoons of Marsala wine (this should come out to slightly more than a cup)

Beat the yolks and the sugar until the mixture is palest yellow tending towards white, then beat in the Marsala and cook over a double boiler. Do not let it reach a boil, but remove it from the fire as soon as it thickens. When it has cooled to merely warm, you can, if you like, fold in an egg white beaten to very firm peaks.