Plan to start your day listening in and participating: Live From Brooklyn, NY and streaming globally ... it’s The Daily Open Chocolate Chat on Clubhouse! News, views, and wide-open conversations about topics in cocoa, chocolate, and more Weekdays starting at 10am EDT.
The Chocolate Life
The Chocolate Life is THE club on Clubouse that covers the important topics in cocoa and chocolate – topics you won’t hear discussed anywhere else. Our promise? No 💩. 💬💬 Join the Daily Open #Chocolate Chat weekdays at 10am EDT to be a part of the conversation. ⚡️⚡️ Want to connect with Clay di…
To make the most of your TheChocolateLife on Clubhouse experience don’t forget to:
- Become a member of TheChocolateLife.com. There is a free member tier, but paid membership options are available and your support is greatly appreciated.
- Follow me – @discoverchoc – on Clubhouse.
- Follow me – @discoverchoc – on Instagram.
- Spread the word by adding a quote or thought you had about a room as a comment to that day’s IG post and/or here on TheChocolateLife (you do have to be a member to comment).
Podcasts
Living TheChocolateLife
Interviews, Clubhouse recordings, and more from TheChocolateLife archives featuring Clay Gordon, friends, and colleagues.
Monday – What Makes a Cacao Heirloom?
What is the process of deciding a cacao is “heirloom?” What makes an heirloom cacao excellent? What becomes a legendary cacao?
HEIRLOOM CACAO PRESERVATION FUND
To discover, identify and preserve fine flavor Heirloom cacao varieties for the conservation of biological diversity and the empowerment of farming communities.
2021 Best 50 — Cocoa Of Excellence
Real Estate Southern Costa Rica, Rain Forest Properties
San Vito is a Coffee growing region, now mix that with Organic Chocolate!..... a heavenly delightThis country farm is about 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the center of San Vito, then turning off the main highway another 6 kilometers (3 ¾miles) down into a very large valley. The Valley is incredible; …
Tuesday – The Cocoa Agroforestry Library
Rescheduled, with Featured Guest Dr Christopher.
Cocoa Agroforestry Library
The Cocoa Agroforestry Library brings together all available scientific literature on cocoa agroforestry to support sustainable cocoa implementation and research.
Zotero | Your personal research assistant
Agroforestry
Smithsonian scientists are working with coffee farmers to conserve habitat for migratory birds and other wildlife.
Cocoa-Based Agroforestry Production Systems - Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center
Shade Grown Cacao Workshop - Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center
Shade grown cacao workshop guiding principles and research papers.
The Bionutrient Institute
The science of nutrient density in food and what causes it. At the Institute, we recognize that soil, plant, animal, human and environmental health are intimately connected.
The Natural Way of Farming: The Theory and Practice of Green Philosophy by Masanobu Fukuoka (Buy on Amazon and support TheChocolateLife)
The One-Straw Revolution: An Introduction To Natural Farming by Masanobu Fukuoka (Buy on Amazon and support TheChocolateLife)
Lo mejor abono es los pies del dueno de la finca.
The best fertilizer is the footprints of the owner (caretaker) of the land.
— h/t Thomas Forbes
Wednesday – Warm Weather Shipping
Summer Shipping Tips & Tricks
Successfully shipping chocolate in warm weather requires careful planning and solid technique – even before Covid.
Recylable standup pouch source (UK – h/t DGH)
Tips for buying and bringing chocolate home
Polar Tech Industries, Inc. |
Frosty Tech | The Future of Cooling
Frosty Tech is a Custom Engineering and Eco-Innovation Group. We provide premium temperature solutions using sustainable innovation and green design. #FutureofCooling
Sustainable Packaging - KODIAKOOLER Manufacturer of KODIAKOTTON
KODIAKOOLER® provides a reliable, sustainable, insulated packaging solution with real value. Learn more about our sustainable packaging solutions.
Cold Ice | Evercold Ice Blanket
Vericool | Packaging for a Greener World
Woolcool Thermal Insulated Packaging Company | Food & Pharmaceutical
The original thermal insulation packaging using 100% pure wool. For transporting temperature sensitive food and pharma goods. Trusted by leading global brands. Our packaging team can help bring cost saving across your supply chain 01785 262030.
Food & Beverage Eco Packaging Applications — Green Cell Foam
Green Cell Foam designs custom, green, eco-friendly packaging solutions to ship food and beverage products safely.
Packaging Science (B.S.) | Degree Programs | Clemson University, South Carolina
Cal Poly Packaging Program
School of Packaging
Leadership for Global Challenges
“It may be possible to engage student researchers in university packaging programs to test the thermal properties of a shipping system to optimize it – often very inexpensively.”
— Russell/Packaging Scientist.
Thursday – Deep Dive: Roasting
The photo for the IG post for this room (see the gallery below) was taken in Mexico on my first bean buying trip with Shawn Askinosie. This is an actual gas-fired roaster we saw in a small chocolate factory in Tapachula.
What’s The Deal With Fluid Bed Roasters? — Monsoon Roastery Coffee
So why doesn’t everyone switch to this new technology instead of sticking with the old ways? Well the answer is the same as why some people never switch to a chainsaw from a hand saw; some people just do it the way they do it and how it works for them. And like I said earlier, the quality of the roa
A guide to fluid bed coffee roasters
Today, drum roasters are the most popular machine for professional coffee roasters around the world. However, in the past few decades, some manufacturers have started looking away from drum roasters in favour of an alternative model.
Coffee Crafters
The Chemistry of Cocoa (view/download .XLS)
Effect of Cocoa Roasting Time on Volatiles Composition (view/download .PDF)
Friday – Edibles: Cannabis/Hemp/Psilocybin
With Featured Guests Sandra Lee, Dave Owens & William Zitser
Cannabis Edibles Primer (.PDF h/t Sandra for compiling)
Terpenes
Terpenes are aromatic compounds found in many plants, though many people commonly associate them with cannabis because cannabis plants contain high concentrations of them. These aromatic compounds …
Terpene Profiles in Chocolates | True Terpenes & CannaCon
CannaCon and True Terpenes are partnering to share a recent study on altering terpene profiles in chocolates using new techniques.
The Many Psychoactive Compounds in Chocolate | To’ak Chocolate
Cacao—the source of chocolate—is a veritable pharmacopeia of psychoactive compounds that are legal and, in most cases, quite healthy and useful. Here’s a look at what they are and what they do, organized by category.
Ardent Nova Portable Decarboxylator (h/t William, Amazon link)
LĒVO II – Herbal Oil/Botanical Decarboxylator (Amazon link)
– your purchase using an Amazon link helps support TheChocolateLife.
What We’re Working on For Future Rooms
- Monday, August 9th – Deep Dive: The Cut Test
- TUESDAY, AUGUST 10th is our 100th episode of The Daily Open Chocolate Chat on Clubhouse! Topic: The next 100 episodes.
- Wednesday, August 11th – Going Slave-Free: Lessons Learned
- Thursday, August 12th – How Awards Programs Fail Us
- Friday, August 13th – “You’re lucky, He’s lucky, I’m lucky, we’re all lucky!” (10 points for the first person to identify the source of this pop-culture reference; 10 more points for correctly identifying who says it.)
- Day TBD – What’s Up With ...? The spotlight is on club co-admin David Greenwood-Haigh in this new series that takes a look at the chocolate-related educational, authorial, and other activities of TheChocolateLife on Clubhouse members.
- Day TBD – Cottage Food Laws (h/t Thomas Forbes).
- Day TBD – A Lighter Side: Chocolate in Movies, Musicals, & Comics. From Willie Wonka to Chocolat to Spiderman villains the Universe and beyond! (h/t DGH).
Help The TCL/CH Community Grow!
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