#PodSaveChocolate Archive – Episodes 101+
News, views, and conversations on topics in cocoa and chocolate streamed live to YouTube, LinkedIn, and Facebook. #PodSaveChocolate! [ Updated July 11th, 2025. ]
Episodes 101+
»» 2025 Episodes ««
July
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
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#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.
