#PodSaveChocolate Archive – Episodes 101+
News, views, and conversations on topics in cocoa and chocolate streamed live to YouTube, LinkedIn, and Facebook. #PodSaveChocolate! [ Updated October 3rd. ]
Episodes 101+
»» 2025 Episodes ««
October
The Early Education of a Chocolate Critic | #PSC 158
After questions about lead/cadmium and white chocolate, one of the most common questions I get asked during live AMAs is, “How did you become a chocolate critic?” Episode 158 takes a deep-ish autobiographical dive to get to the bottom of that query.
Clay Gordon
Ep 158 | Tue October 28th
Oops! They’re At It Again: CR’s Love Affair With Lead | #PSC 157
With apologies to Britney Spears, this episode takes a look at Consumer Reports’ recent reporting on heavy metals in protein powders and protein shakes, comparing it with past reporting on baby foods and chocolate products. [updated]
Clay Gordon
Ep 157 | Fri October 24th
Interview &Tasting: Tandy Peterson, Embers Chocolate | #PodSaveChocolate Ep 156
Interview/Tasting episodes are my favorite - so note the later start time, because you won’t want to miss one! (If you’d like to be featured in a Q4 2025 tasting/interview episode, send me an email, DM, or comment below or on YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook, or Instagram.)
Clay Gordon
Ep 156 | Tue October 21st
The Changing Landscape of Cocoa Sourcing: Part 4 | #PodSaveChocolate Ep 155
#PodSaveChocolate Episode 155 is the concluding part of this series, which examines challenges specialty chocolate makers face when assessing their bean suppliers’ claims for transparency, sustainability, corporate ownership, etc. [Updated with summaries before the episode went live and after.]
Clay Gordon
Ep 155 | Fri October 17th
Midwest Craft Chocolate Festival 2025 PREVIEW | #PodSaveChocolate Ep 154
#PodSaveChocolate Episode 154 is a preview of the upcoming 2025 Midwest Craft Chocolate Festival ... in Rushville, Indiana. [ Updated ]
Clay Gordon
Ep 154 | Tue October 14th
Ten Top Problems Facing Chocolate Today | #PodSaveChocolate Ep 153
#PodSaveChocolate Episode 153 takes a look at ten top problems facing chocolate and cocoa that cocoa producers, chocolate makers, confectioners, and chocolate lovers face today. [Updated pre-episode for grammar and sense.]
Clay Gordon
Ep 153 | Fri October 10th
Debunking Chocolate Conspiracy Theories | #PodSaveChocolate Ep 152
#PodSaveChocolate Episode 152 takes a look at seven (plus one) Conspiracy Theories about chocolate that can be found making the rounds on social media channels – especially Reddit. [ Updated post-episode ]
Clay Gordon
Ep 152 | Tue October 7th
October 2025 News & AMA | #PodSaveChocolate Ep 151
Episode 151 of #PodSaveChocolate features chocolate news that’s fit to eat and AMA/Ask me Anything (about chocolate and cocoa) for October 2025.
Clay Gordon
Ep 151 | Fri October 3rd
September
Are YOU Marketing Your Chocolate Wrong? | #PodSaveChocolate Ep 150
#PodSaveChocolate Episode 150 is inspired by video shorts featuring the UK adman extraordinaire Rory Sutherland. He suggests companies are thinking about their marketing claims backward, among other misunderstandings.
Clay Gordon
Ep 150 | Tues September 30th
An Ideal Chocolate Judging Rubric? | #PodSaveChocolate Ep 149
Episode 149 of #PodSaveChocolate revisits the hows and whys of judging systems, for your own enjoyment and professionally, and poses the question, “Is there an ideal rubric?” [ Updated Sep 28 ]
Clay Gordon
Ep 149 | Friday September 26th
Imagining the Next Dubai Chocolate? | #PodSaveChocolate Ep 148
Episode 148 of #PodSaveChocolate takes a look at the phenomenon of “Dubai” chocolate, taking a detour into imagining some alternatives with the help of an LLM.
Clay Gordon
Ep 148 | Friday September 19th
September 2025 News & AMA | #PodSaveChocolate Ep 147
Episode 147 of #PodSaveChocolate features chocolate news that’s fit to eat and AMA/Ask me Anything (about chocolate and cocoa) for September 2025.
Clay Gordon
Ep 147 | Friday September 12th
August
Ending the Cocoa Crisis? | #PodSaveChocolate Ep 146
Episode 146 of #PodSaveChocolate explores industry responses to the ongoing cocoa crisis. Do any address root causes? (Spoiler Alert: No.)
Clay Gordon
Ep 146 | Friday August 29th
Callebaut in Crisis: The End of a Dynasty? | #PodSaveChocolate Ep 145
Episode 145 of #PodSaveChocolate explores the exodus of top talent at Barry Callebaut and the cratering of the company’s stock price as this industry behemoth struggles. Question: Is the “new” BC a digital dinosaur in the age of mammals? [ Updated on Aug 27 ]
Clay Gordon
Ep 145 | Tuesday August 26th
Making the Perfect Chocolate? | #PodSaveChocolate Ep 144
Episode 144 of #PodSaveChocolate responds to a clickbait article published in Popular Science. [Spoiler Alert: they don’t reveal the secret to making perfect chocolate but they do refer to a very interesting article on fermentation published in Nature Microbiology.]
Clay Gordon
Ep 144 | Friday August 22nd
Critiquing Chocolate Judging | #PodSaveChocolate Ep 143
Episode 143 of #PodSaveChocolate is a continuation of the discussion about chocolate judging from Episode 142. [ Updated ]
Clay Gordon
Ep 143 | Tuesday August 19th
Judging Innovation in Cocoa | #PodSaveChocolate Ep 142
Episode 142 of #PodSaveChocolate features an exploration of judging innovation in cocoa, from the perspective of a judge (me) of the 2025 Ecuadorian Cacao Innovation Award, with a BONUS tasting!
Clay Gordon
Ep 142 | Friday August 15th
August 2025 News & AMA | #PodSaveChocolate Ep 141
Episode 141 of #PodSaveChocolate features chocolate news that’s fit to eat and AMA/Ask me Anything (about chocolate and cocoa) for August 2025. [Updated with Futures Prices link]
Clay Gordon
Ep 141 | Tuesday August 12th
ICI Says the Obvious: Disappoints Again | #PodSaveChocolate Ep 140
Episode 140 takes a look at a recent report issued by the ICI - “Tackling child labour in cocoa: Results of ICI’s Member Reporting Exercise 2024.” What it says, and why this reporter is unconvinced.
Clay Gordon
Ep 140 | Friday August 8th
Mario Kart Economics & The Chocolate Value Chain | #PodSaveChocolate Ep 139
Episode 139 takes a look at “Mario Kart Economics,” if and how they can be applied to the chocolate value chain, and what they can mean for cocoa farmers and chocolate fans of all flavors.
Clay Gordon
Ep 139 | Tuesday August 5th
Tasting Random Chocolates (& Stuff) | #PodSaveChocolate Ep 138
Episode 138 answers the question: “Is the middle of Summer in the high desert of Arizona too hot for chocolate?” Given what you know about me, the answer will not surprise you, but my selections just might. [Updated with products tasted ⋯ watch the episode for details.]
Clay Gordon
Ep 138 | Friday August 1st
July
EUDR Update: Legislator’s Remorse? | #PodSaveChocolate Ep 137
Episode 137 explores some implications of a recent vote by the EU Parliament to amend the EUDR, as well as calls to delay (again) it coming into force. [Updated to include links to other episodes dedicated to EUDR coverage.]
Clay Gordon
Ep 137 | Friday July 25th
Just Say NO to Tariffs | #PodSaveChocolate Ep 136
Episode 136 is a presentation and discussion of a Trump Administration olive branch regarding tariffs on cocoa and coffee and what you can do to lobby against them. Time is of the essence - so tune in and activate!
Clay Gordon
Ep 136 | Tuesday July 22nd
Playing “The Taste Game” | #PodSaveChocolate Ep 135
Episode 135 of PodSaveChocolate explains how a simple exercise in the form of a card game can turbocharge your creative ideation game when it comes to developing recipes for chocolate, confections, pastry, and more.
Clay Gordon
Ep 137 | Friday July 18th
15 Years of the Good Food Awards | #PodSaveChocolate Ep 134
Episode 134 of PodSaveChocolate explores the 15-year history of the Good Food Awards in the Chocolate and Confections categories. Insights into the results, as well as into what it took to compile and clean the data. (TL;DR – extracting and cleaning the data was NOT pretty.)
Clay Gordon
Ep 137 | Tuesday July 15th
What IS The Chocolate Life? | #PodSaveChocolate Ep 133
Episode 133 is a road trip through my history, a journey from where I started to where I am now ⋯ and, along the way, I will chat about what drives me in everything I do (not just chocolate).
Clay Gordon
Ep 133 | Friday July 11th
🗒️
This episode of Pod Save Chocolate is a deep dive into the origins, philosophy, and personal journey behind “The Chocolate Life,” as told by its creator.
The Chocolate Life is about more than chocolate—it’s about finding your purpose, having fun, sharing what you love, and inspiring others to do the same. The episode is a blend of memoir, philosophy, and a call to action, encouraging everyone to seek out and embrace their own “chocolate life”—whatever form it may take.
— AI-generated summary
The Chocolate Life is about more than chocolate—it’s about finding your purpose, having fun, sharing what you love, and inspiring others to do the same. The episode is a blend of memoir, philosophy, and a call to action, encouraging everyone to seek out and embrace their own “chocolate life”—whatever form it may take.
— AI-generated summary
Can an LLM Teach You How to Make Chocolate? | #PodSaveChocolate Ep 132
Episode 132 of #PodSaveChocolate was inspired by a post in the r/chocolate sub on Reddit. Let’s take a look at what the OP (referring to ChatGPT “advice”) posted, how the community responds, and then ask other LLMs and ChatGPT to chime in and explore what LLMs can teach us about making chocolate.
Clay Gordon
Ep 132 | Tuesday July 8th
Manufactured Sweetness: World Chocolate Day | #PodSaveChocolate Ep 131
Episode 131 of #PodSaveChocolate features a deep-ish dive into the history of World Chocolate Day (celebrated on July 7th, this coming Monday in 2025) and how it has been, and will be, observed this year in the US and elsewhere.
Clay Gordon
Ep 131 | Friday July 4th
July 2025 News & AMA | #PodSaveChocolate Ep 130
Episode 130 of #PodSaveChocolate features chocolate news that’s fit to eat and AMA/Ask me Anything (about chocolate and cocoa) for June/July 2025. (There was no June News/AMA episode.) [ Updated ]
Clay Gordon
Ep 130 | Tuesday July 1st
June
Deep Dive: International Chocolate Awards 2024 World Final | #PodSaveChocolate Ep 129
Episode 129 takes a deep dive look at the Winners in the 2024 World Final round of the International Chocolate Awards. Which company was the biggest winner? What can we learn about the distribution of winning entries? And more. [Updated]
Clay Gordon
Ep 129 | Friday June 27th
A #Chowhound Listicle Review | #PodSaveChocolate Ep 128
Episode 128 is an exploration of a Chowhound listicle titled, “The Absolute Best Chocolate Shops In Every State.” Are the 50 shops listed The Absolute Best?
Clay Gordon
Ep 128 | Tuesday June 24th
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]
Clay Gordon
Ep 127 | Friday June 20th
Examining Tony’s Open Chain: Is This a Good Use of AI? | #PodSaveChocolate Ep 126
Episode 126 of #PodSaveChocolate features an exploration of using Gemini to summarize Tony’s Open Chain Report for the 2023-2024 reporting year. Is this a good use of AI? What can we learn from Gemini’s analysis? What are the limits? Is anything missing? Can Gemini be trusted? [updated]
Clay Gordon
Ep 126 | Tuesday June 17th
Where Chocolate Grows | #PodSaveChocolate Ep 125
Episode 125 of #PodSaveChocolate features an interview with three of the authors of the book Onde Cresce o Chocolate (Where Chocolate Grows). [updated to include photo and link mentioned]
Clay Gordon
Ep 125 | Friday June 13th
Exploring Tony’s “Open” Chain | #PodSaveChocolate Ep 124
Episode 124 of #PodSaveChocolate is an exploration of Tony’s Open Chain, searching for answers to, among other questions, “How ‘Open’ is Open?”
Clay Gordon
Ep 124 | Tuesday June 10th
May
Interview and Tasting – Baianí Chocolates, Brazil | #PodSaveChocolate Ep 123
Episode 123 of #PodSaveChocolate features an interview and tasting of Baianí Chocolates (São Paulo)/Vale Potumuju (Sul da Bahia) with Juliana and Tuta Aquino.
Clay Gordon
Ep 123 | Tuesday May 27th
Top Ten Questions People Ask About Chocolate | #PodSaveChocolate Ep 122
Episode 122 of #PodSaveChocolate is an exploration of what search engines and AI Chatbots – Google, DuckDuckGo, Perplexity, and ChatGPT “think” are the top ten questions people ask about chocolate.
Clay Gordon
Ep 122 | Friday May 23rd
May 2025 News & AMA | #PodSaveChocolate Ep 121
Episode 121 of #PodSaveChocolate features chocolate news that’s fit to eat and AMA/Ask me Anything (about chocolate and cocoa) for May 2025. [ Updated ]
Clay Gordon
Ep 121 | Tuesday May 20th
Interview/Tasting: Neil Ransom, SIAMAYA Chocolate | #PodSaveChocolate Ep 120
May is Tasting Month on PodSaveChocolate, with at least five episodes featuring tastings – most of them with interviews with makers. Episode 120 is dedicated to an interview and tasting with Neil Ransom of SIAMAYA Chocolate (Thailand).
Clay Gordon
Ep 120 | Friday May 16th
Interview/Tasting: Warren Hsu, Fu Wan Chocolate | #PodSaveChocolate Ep 119
May is Tasting Month on PodSaveChocolate, with at least five episodes featuring tastings – most of them with interviews with makers. Episode 119 is dedicated to an interview and tasting with Warren Hsu of Fu Wan Chocolate (Taiwan). [ Updated ]
Clay Gordon
Ep 119 | Tuesday May 13th
Interview/Tasting: Ali Gower, Chocolate Tree | #PodSaveChocolate Ep 118
May is Tasting Month on PodSaveChocolate, with at least five episodes featuring tastings – most of them with interviews with makers. Episode 118 is dedicated to an interview and tasting with Ali Gower of Chocolate Tree in Scotland.
Clay Gordon
Ep 118 | Friday May 9th
Interview/Tasting: Tania Molina, VillaKuyaya | #PodSaveChocolate Ep 117
May is Tasting Month on PodSaveChocolate, with at least five episodes featuring tastings – most of them with interviews with makers. Episode 117 is dedicated to an interview and tasting with VillaKuyaya Chocolate’s Tania Molina. [ Updated to include discount code ]
Clay Gordon
Ep 117 | Tuesday May 6th
Tasting Random Chocolate & Stuff | #PodSaveChocolate Ep 116
Episode 116 of #PodSaveChocolate will feature a tasting of some chocolate bars I have rattling around the office, as well as some ingredients to consider. [ Updated ]
Clay Gordon
Ep 116 | Friday May 2nd
April
The 2025 Craft Chocolat Challenge Awards | #PodSaveChocolate Ep 115
Episode 115 of #PodSaveChocolate is dedicated to recognizing the winners, sponsors, judges, and organizers of the 2025 Craft Chocolat Challenge.
Clay Gordon
Ep 115 | Tuesday April 29th
The 2025 Chocolate Scorecard & Tony’s “Fair” Report | #PodSaveChocolate Ep 114
Episode 114 of #PodSaveChocolate features a discussion of two recurring topics: The Chocolate Scorecard (released just in time for Easter), and the most recent “Fair” Report from Tony’s Chocolonely. [ Updated ]
Clay Gordon
Ep 114 | Friday April 25th
The ChocolateLife Forums | #PodSaveChocolate Ep 113
Episode 113 of #PodSaveChocolate features a re-introduction to TheChocolateLife Forums.
Clay Gordon
Ep 113 | Tuesday April 22nd
The Nature of Innovation | #PodSaveChocolate Ep 112
Episode 112 of #PodSaveChocolate features an exploration of what makes a chocolate bar “innovative” – one of the judging categories in the 2025 Craft Chocolat Challenge.
Clay Gordon
Ep 112 | Tuesday April 15th
April 2025 News & AMA | #PodSaveChocolate Ep 111
Episode 11 of #PodSaveChocolate features chocolate news that’s fit to eat and AMA/Ask me Anything (about chocolate and cocoa) for April 2025. [ Updated ]
Clay Gordon
Ep 111 | Friday April 11th
Grading Cocoa | #PodSaveChocolate Ep 110
Episode 110 explores how cocoa quality is evaluated and expressed. [ Updated ]
Clay Gordon
Ep 110 | Tuesday April 8th
Chocolate in NYC 2025 Trip Report | #PodSaveChocolate Ep 109
Episode 109 of #PodSaveChocolate takes a look back at the time I spent at the recent Salon du Chocolat in NYC as well as thoughts about NYC as a chocolate destination after two days of walking. The Things We Do For Chocolate.
Clay Gordon
Ep 109 | Tuesday April 1st
March
Chocolate in NYC | #PodSaveChocolate Ep 108
Episode 108 of #PodSaveChocolate takes a look at my first steps back in Manhattan and a search for new chocolate experiences after being away for two years. [ Updated with links ]
Clay Gordon
Ep 108 | Tuesday March 18th
Judging Chocolate | #PodSaveChocolate Ep 107
Episode 107 of #PodSaveChocolate is an exploration/explanation of judging entries in the 2025 edition (Season 4) of the Craft Chocolat Challenge.
Clay Gordon
Ep 107 | Friday March 14th
March 2025 News & AMA | #PodSaveChocolate Ep 106
Episode 106 of #PodSaveChocolate features the chocolate news that’s fit to eat and AMA/Ask me Anything (about chocolate and cocoa) for March 2025.
Clay Gordon
Ep 106 | Friday March 7th
Elements of a Successful Chocolate Festival | #PodSaveChocolate Ep 105
After attending and/or participating in well over 100 chocolate/food festivals and conferences between 1998-2025 (and a similar number between 1983 – 1998 during my high-tech career), Episode 105 of PodSaveChocolate takes a look at what makes a festival successful and why some fail. [ Updated ]
Clay Gordon
Ep 105 | Tuesday March 4th
February
A Threat to Craft Chocolate? | #PodSaveChocolate Ep 104
Episode 104 is a response to an OpEd penned by Alastair (Ali) Gower of Chocolate Tree (Scotland), published in the industry newsletter Cocoa Radar. While the OpEd posits questions about the definition of craft, it questions how (some) companies market themselves as being craft. [ Updated ]
Clay Gordon
Ep 104 | Friday February 28th
Salon du Chocolat NYC 2025 Preview | #PodSaveChocolate Ep103
Episode 103 .... previewing the upcoming Salon du Chocolat in NYC to be held March 21-23 at the Javits Convention Center.
Clay Gordon
Ep 103 | Tuesday February 25th
Equipping a Startup Craft Chocolate Biz | #PodSaveChocolate Ep102
Episode 102 explores options for equipping a startup craft chocolate business for success and where the CapEx equipment budget is a key concern. I will only cover build-out issues incidentally.
Clay Gordon
Ep 102 | Friday February 21st
Equipping a Budget Workshop Pt 2 | #PodSaveChocolate Ep101
Episode 101 explores options for smallwares and low(er)-cost items that fill in the gaps when kitting out a budget chocolate/confectionery workshop. [ Updated ]
Clay Gordon
Ep 101 | Tuesday February 18th
»» Episodes 1-100 ⬇️ ««
November 17th 2023 – February 14th, 2025
Splitting up the archive makes page loading much faster. Click the card below to visit the page for episodes 1-100.
#PodSaveChocolate Archive Episodes 1-100
News, views, and conversations on topics in cocoa and chocolate streamed live to YouTube, LinkedIn, and Facebook. #PodSaveChocolate!
Clay Gordon
The first 100 episodes
#PodSaveChocolate and #TheChocolateLifeLIVE Archives
To read an archived post and find the links to watch archived episodes, click on the bookmark card, below.
#TheChocolateLifeLIVE Archive
News, views, and conversations on topics in cocoa and chocolate streamed live to YouTube, LinkedIn, and Facebook.
Clay Gordon
PodSaveChocolate
Hosted by Clay Gordon, the creator and moderator of TheChocolateLife.com, #PodSaveChocolate covers a wide variety of topics in the worlds of cocoa and chocolate. The video versions of this podcast are hosted and archived on YouTube, LinkedIn, and Facebook. Click on the PodSaveChocolate link in the top nav on TheChocolateLife for the links to the post accompanying each episode.
Audio-only versions.