What Makes a Good Chocolate “Good?” | #PodSaveChocolate Ep 127
Episode 127 of #PodSaveChocolate was inspired by the similarly named and themed episode (125) on the Craft Chocolate TV YouTube Channel, hosted by Dylan Butterbaugh of Manoa Chocolate (Hawaii). [updated with resources]
When and Where to Watch
Links below to watch LIVE and to view the archived episode.
Click on this (shareable) link to watch on YouTube. Please subscribe (free!) to the @PodSaveChocolate YouTube channel, like this video, comment, and share this episode to help grow the #PSC community.
Watch and comment LIVE or view the archived episode on LinkedIn. Join my network on LinkedIn to receive notifications and to refer business to each other.
Watch and comment LIVE or view the archived episode on TheChocolateLife page on Facebook (for 30 days, then watch the archive on YouTube).
Follow TheChocolateLife on Facebook to receive notifications and catch up on other content.
Episode 127 Overview
What does make a “Good” chocolate “Good?”
As with many things in the world of chocolate and cocoa, the answer is, “It depends.”
I have talked about what I mean by “quality” many times in episodes of TheChocolateLife::LIVE and PodSaveChocolate, but I have not approached the question by asking what “good” means.
That’s the topic for today’s episode, “What does make a ‘good’ chocolate ‘good’?” What characteristics comprise a “good” chocolate?
This episode is inspired by Episode 125 “What is Good Chocolate?” uploaded to the YouTube channel Craft Chocolate TV being recommended in my feed.
As I was watching it, I realized I did not agree completely with what the host (Dylan Butterbaugh, founder of Manoa Chocolate) had to saty on the topic. It will probably also not surprise anyone that I think the topic is worth spending more than five minutes and thirty-three seconds discussing.
So I am going to take about an hour talking about “good,” “quality,” and how the use of those terms intersects with how we use the terms, “specialty,” “craft,” “artisan,” and “bean-to-bar.”
This is not going to be a blow-by-blow, point-by-point response video.
I encourage you to watch the entire episode for the complete context and make sure I am not misrepresenting anything.
This video explores what makes chocolate "good". The speaker discusses the importance of starting with high-quality cacao beans and the role of other ingredients like cocoa butter and milk powder. They also highlight the significance of proper processing techniques and offer tips for sourcing excellent cocoa.
— AI-generated (probably Gemini) video summary on the video page
Following is a summary of the video with key points and timestamps generated by the still-in-beta Dia browser from The Browser Company (the developer of the Arc browser, which I have mentioned in prior episodes).
- Introduction & Main Question — Host Dylan introduces himself and poses the central question: What is good chocolate? [⏱️ 00:00]
- Importance of Quality Cacao Beans — Good chocolate starts with high-quality cacao beans. If you don’t start with good beans, you can’t make good chocolate, no matter how skilled the process. [⏱️ 00:10]
- Chocolate-Making Process — The process involves roasting, refining, and conching to achieve the right texture and flavor, but the bean’s quality is still the foundation. [⏱️ 00:24]
- Flavor and Texture — Good chocolate has a beginning, middle, and end in flavor, with a pleasant texture and a range of nuanced flavors originating from the bean. [⏱️ 00:48]
- Other Key Ingredients
- Cocoa Butter: Its quality varies and affects flavor and texture. Trying different cocoa butters is recommended. [⏱️ 01:08]
- Milk Powder: For milk chocolate, the type and quality of milk powder matter. [⏱️ 02:05]
- Sugar: They use organic cane sugar, ground finely for smoothness. [⏱️ 02:24]
- Texture Preference — The host prefers chocolate ground below 20 microns for a creamy, smooth texture that enhances flavor. [⏱️ 02:50]
- Minimal Ingredients — Good chocolate usually has a short, pronounceable ingredient list—often just cacao, cocoa butter, and sugar for dark chocolate. [⏱️ 03:44]
- Cocoa [sic] of Excellence Competition — The “Cocoa of Excellence” competition is a good resource for finding high-quality beans, as it judges and selects the best samples globally. [⏱️ 04:20]
- Conclusion — Good chocolate is about starting with great beans, using quality ingredients, and careful processing. [⏱️ 05:10]
Other Resources
Questions?
If you have questions or want to comment, you can do so during the episode or, if you are a ChocolateLife member, you can add them in the Comments below at any time.
Episode Hashtags and Socials
#Manoa #ManoaChocolate Instagram #Hawaii
#cocoa #cacao #cacau
#chocolate #chocolat #craftchocolate
#PodSaveChoc #PSC
#LaVidaCocoa #TheChocolateLife
Future Episodes
#PodSaveChocolate and #TheChocolateLifeLIVE Archives
To read an archived post and find the links to watch archived episodes, click on one of the bookmark cards below.
Clay Gordon
Episodes 101+ (link to the first 100 episodes archive in this post)
Clay Gordon
Archive of all episodes — 1-129.
Clay Gordon
Link to the posts for each of the 29 weeks of Clubhouse. Each post contains an index of the topics covered. Some posts have links to episode audio.
Audio-only podcasts