Chocolate As It Should Be
It is always good to consider the ingredient list on product packaging . If you cannot pronounce an ingredient name , it is generally best to leave it on the shelf .
Philippe , of Habitual Chocolate , is a Swiss born chocolatier , who has been in Canada for 8 years . He had worked for the company approximately three years when he was given the opportunity to take over the business , in January of 2015 , on the very same day as the birth of his son ! Philippe never imagined , after his 5 year apprenticeship in Switzerland , which included baking , pastry and candy-making , that he would end up owner of his very own chocolate shop in Canada . In general , chocolatiers are taught and practise making chocolate from an already prepared chocolate that requires tempering and pouring to be made into lovely treats .
I never enjoyed the fact that I didn ’ t get to see the whole process through from start to finish . But once I ’ d had the opportunity to make chocolate from the bean , I was hooked ! With commercial chocolate suppliers , you have some freedoms to make the chocolate your own , but there is only so much that you can do . The chocolate all comes from a standard recipe which will always taste the same , no matter the season . With ‘ bean to bar ’ there are so many possibilities ; so many varieties and flavour profiles in the beans .
Habitual Chocolate currently uses beans from 9 different countries , which include : Dominican Republic , Peru , Nicaragua , Madagascar and the Ivory Coast . As a small company , they prefer to purchase beans that support small family farms , wherever possible . This is something that Philippe is very passionate about .
All of our beans are ethically sourced , which goes beyond ensuring fair wages and work conditions for farmers , extending to proper treatment of the environments and sustainability of the crops . We purchase beans from regions where changes in season , can actually affect the flavour profiles of the beans , in subtle nuanced ways . Sometimes these nuances are so subtle , that I ’ m still learning how to identify them . When we work with small farms , it often means that we will have bars which are limited editions , due to the small quantity of beans available . Although we like to keep our collection to 16 + varieties , we may not always have the same ones available from one year to the next .
CASA London : What makes your chocolate different from commercial chocolate ? Our chocolate has a base of three ingredients . These are : Cacao Beans , Cacao Butter & Cane Sugar . Your average commercial chocolate can actually have over 300 ingredients – many listed under general terms such as “ artificial flavour ”. We like to be as sensitive as we can to food allergies and sensitivities . All of our bars are made on a production line free of soy , nuts , and gluten . We also have a significant line of bars that are dairy-free . For most customers , truly understanding what is in their favourite commercial chocolate is difficult . Many people , who fear a chocolate allergy , are actually having reactions to all of the additives found in it , and not the cacao itself . It is often a surprise to our customers that our chocolate is quite healthy . It is high in fibre , and many necessary minerals that support your body . Many customers visit with the common misconception that all dark chocolate is terribly bitter , and that an increase in cacao percentage is always indicative of a more bitter flavour . Truly , it is the flavour and acidity of the bean that dictates the bitterness . The cacao percentage merely lets us know how much of the bar is made of the cacao bean itself .
CASA London : What is your favourite chocolate , that you make ? My favourite is the 80 % from Ecuador . It has an apple spice flavour profile , and the beans are very limited . We feel lucky to have gotten to work with this bean , even with only one bag .
The “ Nacional ” bean , which is native to Ecuador , was thought to have gone extinct in 1912 . More recently , they have rediscovered trees in a remote part of the country . They are now able to revisit this ancient variety , and you have the opportunity to try chocolate made from beans that were thought to be extinct !
These beans come from one of the first batches that has become available on the market . We always love to share the story behind our chocolate , and it is an exciting experience for the customers to come in and try the latest limited edition bar and hear the newest tales . The modern customer likes to see a more natural & preferably local product . When customers come in to see us , we love to share with them that there is a world of chocolate that they may have yet to experience . Like coffee and wine , the flavour of the product varies between regions and with growing conditions . We like to take the opportunity to introduce customers to what goes into making our product , so that they can be comfortable in the knowledge that the quality will warrant the slightly higher cost , when compared to commercial chocolate . Although our climate in Canada is not conducive to growing cacao , we do try to source many of our additional ingredients locally . When someone comes into the shop , they can try samples of almost all of our products . We stand behind the quality of our products , and recognise that 16 + flavours can be a bit daunting , if you weren ’ t able to try them and be sure that each bar , that you chose to take home , was just the flavour for you ! We feel that if you make a purchase that you ’ re happy with , you ’ re more likely to share that happiness with a friend , and positive word of mouth has proven to be one of the best marketing tools for our company .
CASA London : What does the future hold for Habitual Chocolate ? At this point , we aren ’ t looking at expanding through franchising , but we are always excited to see the growth in our business . I want to continue to be involved in the making of all of the chocolate . I have room to grow , but it is very important to me that the chocolate making process maintain a level of quality that I am happy to sell to my customers . We want to help customers realize that chocolatey indulgences do not have to leave one feeling guilty , or full of artificial ingredients . We love that Habitual has a wide range of customers , and are excited to see that people are excited by the things that we do .
Find Habitual Chocolate at the Farmer ’ s and Artisan ’ s Market at Western Fair and in Fire Roasted Coffee shops around London . ������� ����� ���� ����� ��� ����������� ��� ������� �������� ���� ��� specialty food and health shops around Ontario . Find more details at http :// www . habitualchocolate . com and http :// www . habitualchocolates . com .