The 99%

People think of chocolate in many ways. For some its candy and for others it’s a health food. Often many craft chocolate bars are made up of only two or three ingredients — Cacao, Cane Sugar and either Cocoa Butter or an inclusion like Almonds. Gaining more popularity these days are 100% bars that actually taste great. This is decidedly based on the quality of the beans, and how they are fermented and roasted.

On the other hand, a Snickers Bar Ingredients are: Milk Chocolate (SUGAR, Cocoa Butter, Chocolate, Skim Milk, Lactose, Milkfat, Soy Lecithin), Peanuts, Corn Syrup, Sugar, Palm Oil, Skim Milk, Lactose, Salt, Egg Whites and Artificial Flavor.

In speaking with clients, I often find that they don’t understand what the percentages on a chocolate package mean. It’s simple math…

A two ingredient 70% chocolate bar contains 70% Cacao and 30% Sugar. A 99% bar means that 1% is Sugar.

A 65% bar is 65% Cacao and the remaining 35% could be made up of Sugar, Pecans, Cocoa Butter, Salt, etc. depending on the formula.

Chocolate Challenge II: What is the percentage of “other ingredients” in these bars?

1. 56%
2. 85%
3. 72%
4. 95%
5. 80%

Whoever guesses correctly first, will get a bar of craft chocolate from one of my favorite makers (this time from France).

Below are examples of a chocolate tasting sampler package I designed 360° showcasing 7 Heirloom Cacao’s.

Each chocolate was made from a particular bean using only Cacao and Sugar, allowing the taster to truly experience that bean’s flavor profile.

SONY DSC

SONY DSC

Photo Credit: Valerie Volinski

Chocolate’s Wild Side — #4 is #1 Hey!

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks everyone for your feedback on the logo design for the Landmark Wild Chocolate Reserve. We got responses all around the globe, from Peru to Germany.

The clear winner was #4, way ahead of the rest by more than double. #1 was second, # 5 was third, #2 was fourth and #3 was last in place (though I did get responses that the monkey was very cute and had fans).

For the record #2 was not one of our designs but the current logo being used by LWCR on their website.

Our next step is to revise and improve the direction chosen and also create a horizontal version.

All logos need to be designed both vertically and horizontally to accommodate different space constraints.

Go to my FB page to comment.

LWCR finds, preserves and exports the wildest chocolate on earth — harvesting pockets of wild beans with exceptional chocolate flavor from the Amazon rain forest — where cacao originated. Sustainable harvesting saves this exceptional cacao from extinction and before it disappears.

Read the Washington Post article about Mark Christian and the project.

Chocolate’s Wild Side

I’m so excited to be working with Mark Christian on the logo for his new chocolate venture, the Landmark Wild Chocolate Reserve. This his organization finds, preserves and exports the wildest chocolate on earth — harvesting pockets of wild beans with exceptional chocolate flavor from the Amazon rain forest — where cacao originated. Sustainable harvesting saves this exceptional cacao from extinction and before it disappears.

The first two chocolates are from the Beni River Valley in northern Bolivia and the Purus River Valley in northwestern Brazil.

Our initial brainstorming led us to our target base: gourmands and connoisseurs, the 5% of the chocolate loving public who want the rare and unattainable — adventurers who believe in sustainable economics, Harley rider wannabes.

We are in the creative process now and would love your feedback on some of the concepts for the brand we’ve developed. Let us know your faves.

Go to my FB page to comment. @sharonkleinGD

Read the Washington Post article about Mark and the project.

Sharon Klein Graphic Design, LLC | Portfolio | 212.645.8163 | FB

The Spirit of Cacao Tasting

This past Saturday was a bit cold and gloomy, but not inside Back Label Wine Merchants cozy back room. That is where 25 curious chocolate and spirits enthusiasts gathered to taste 8 new experiences from around the world. Mark Christian of the C-Spot and the Heirloom Cacao Preservation Fund spoke about the chocolates and what makes them heirloom designation, Natasha Soto-Albors of BLWM explained her spirit choice pairings then I discussed the importance of packaging and its effects on why you purchase what you do and showcased the Heirloom Chocolate Series package Mark and I worked together on.

Our line up was:

#1 Designation VII

Spirit — Tuthilltown Cassis Liqueur (NY)

Chocolate —  Origin: Maya Mountain, Belize / Barsmith: Brasstown (USA) / Cacáo-content: 70%

#2 Designation IX

Spirit — Bittermen’s Citron Sauvage (OR)

Chocolate —  Origin: Piedra de Plata, Ecuador / Barsmith: TO’aK (Ecuador) / Cacáo-content: 73%

#3 Designation II

Spirit — Catskills Provisions NY Honey Rye (NY)

Chocolate —  Origin: Beníano, Bolivia / Barsmith: Oialla (Denmark) / Cacáo-content: 78%

#4 Designation Preliminary

Spirit — Old New Orleans Cajun Spice Rum (LA)

Chocolate —  Origin: Purús, Brazil / Barsmith: Luisa Abram (Brazil) / Cacáo-content: 81%

My fave pairings in order were 3, 1, 4, 2.

One of the highlights was the chance to try the TO’aK sample disks from Ecuador. This bar at $300 a pop is the most expensive in the world. I was very curious to find out what makes it so special. I did like its very mature, grown up flavor, but as discussed earlier much of the hoopla is the cost of wonderful packaging and store presentation of the bar. Well done.

As a bonus, one of the guests, Glenn Petriello of Glennmade Craft Chocolates  gave out samples of his two heirloom chocolate bars whose beans originate from Belize and Ecuador. Glenn is a new bean to bar producer in Hoboken “yeah” and has 6 single origin dark chocolates in his line.

There were many lively questions and discussions and was so much fun that when it was over no one wanted to leave, but eventually we had to go ;-(

The quote of the day from our package “Save the Earth: It’s the only planet with chocolate”.