What’s Behind Door #24? | #PSC 167
Episode 167 of #PodSaveChocolate takes a look at chocolate-themed Advent calendars; not a buying guide and not a critical tasting guide; just a look at what was/is on offer and what to think about them and the way they are described.
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Overview - Episode 167
Advent calendars trace back to German Protestant practices in the 1800s, where families marked the days leading up to Christmas by chalking lines on doors, lighting candles, or hanging a daily devotional picture.
By the 1830s–1880s, handmade countdown boards and wreaths appeared alongside the rise of Advent as a domestic devotional season.
The first printed Advent calendars emerged soon after the turn of the century; with German printer and publisher Gerhard Lang known for popularizing them beginning in 1908. Lang added small doors and, in the 1920s, chocolate – an innovation that helped transform a religious household ritual into a widely adopted seasonal product.
Production halted during World War II due to paper rationing, then resumed and spread internationally in the 1950s, with secular motifs joining nativity themes.
In this episode of PodSaveChocolate, inspired by an article in Food & Wine, I will be looking at their curated selection of chocolate-themed advent calendars for 2025, and weighing in on them
Food & Wine’s Editorial Guidelines
What’s in a number?
The first question I have is “Why stop at 21, not go all the way to 25?”
I suspect that it was a real stretch to find even 21 “distinct” categories, but having made it to 21, why not keep stretching?
- Best Splurge
- Most Artistic
- Most Innovative Design
- Best Illustrated
- Best Value
- Best Assorted Chocolate
- Best for Sharing
- Best Caramel/Butterscotch
- Most Classic
- Best Attention to Detail
- Best Milk Chocolate for Gifting
- Best Peppermint Bark
- ... 21
22 ... 25?
Another Set of Recommendations
Devorah Lev-Tov
Comments? Questions?
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Episode Hashtags and Socials
#Advent #AdventCalendar
#cocoa #cacao #cacau
#chocolate #chocolat
#specialtychocolate #craftchocolate #beantobar
#PodSaveChoc #LaVidaCocoa #TheChocolateLife
Future Episodes
Red Rock Chocolate & Fine Foods Festival Preview
with founder Jake Potter
TBD
2025: The Year in Review
2026: The Year Ahead
TBD
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Clay Gordon
Clay Gordon
Audio-only podcasts