November 7, 2007
After a long, mild fall we are finally faced with winter. Just look at the tell tale signs! Harvests are becoming meager... the fuzzy-hat and calendar kiosks are popping up at the mall... people are stumbling away from the farmers market with wreaths the size of truck tires... and very soon (perhaps sooner than we all think) radio stations will begin piping holiday songs across the airwaves.

At Zingerman's, we've started ramping up for the sweet appetites of winter. Nearly everyday, a new delivery of chocolates, caramels, truffles, licorice, or brightly-bagged candies arrives at the Deli. There are goodies coming in that I've been anticipating for months, like the Mora Mora and Sambirano bars from Malagasy — really great Equitrade chocolates from Madagascar. And of course the new range of Artisanal Candies from Yummy Earth — a collection of 21 flavors making their world debut at the Deli this month!

In honor of Yummy Earth's fantastic new flavors, I'm hosting Zingerman's first (but not last) candy tasting on November 14th. And a little later in the month, we're wrapping up the 2007 chocolate tasting season with "Take 2" of the Cluizel Rendez-Vous.

New stuff Duff is really excited about:
(1) World Debut of Yummy Earth's Artisanal Candy Collection at Zingerman's Deli
I introduced you to Rob, Sergio and their labor-of-love — the candy company Yummy Earth — a few month's back. Since we started carrying their fantastic organic candies, I've watched many little hands go in and out of the lollipop jar in the Next Door. Some kids fish around for their favorite flavor, while others just take whatever they touch first — knowing full well that all Yummy Earth's flavors are tummy-pleasers. I've also watched grown-ups (gasp!) happily clutching their little bag of assorted candy drops as they leave the Deli — visions of Cheeky Lemon and Pomegranate Pucker dancing in their eyes. All in all, Yummy Earth has been a wonderful addition to our Deli lives.

So you can imagine my delight when Rob called me about a month ago and asked if Zingerman's would like to debut Yummy Earth's new line of candies — their Artisanal Collection. "Um, yes! We would be honored," was my short answer.  And it just got better from there. Turns out that Rob and Sergio have been working for the past 9 months to develop 18 new flavors, including tongue-busters like Chili Mango Mamba and neo-classics like Strawberry Smash.*

Yummy Earth works really, really hard to create flavors with depth and intensity — flavors that remind you of real life! Lemon that reminds you of lemon wedges, mango that reminds you of mango slices... Developing good flavors is hard work for Rob and Sergio, mostly because they refuse to use artificial flavors and ingredients. Using natural flavorings and colorants is not only more expensive, but it also requires more effort from flavor experts, most of whom throw in the towel and say "No thanks," to all the extra work. Luckily, Rob and Sergio have found a couple of flavor houses that are willing to spend time creating special recipes with them... and I really do think you can taste the difference between theresulting flavors and more conventional "off the shelf" flavors out there. This is really some of the tastiest candy I've ever had.

The great thing about the batch of candies that we are receiving this month is that they were made just for Zingerman's. I know — it sounds too good to be true. Maybe they are on a website somewhere? Or at least offered direct from Yummy Earth? Nope. I checked with Rob and he said, "We literally made these for you."

Yummy Earth picked Zingerman's to debut their candies because they know that the people that shop here — that's y'all! — love food and they respect your palates. They really want to know what you think of these new flavors. What about the Tooberry Blueberry? Does the Chili Lime Lambada have enough sizzle? Which new flavor is your favorite? Your kids favorite? Your co-workers favorite? Call me up or write me an email (eanderson@zingermans.com) with your thoughts/suggestions/comments and I'll make sure Rob and Sergio get the message. Want to take a poll at your office? Email me and I'll mail you some samples. Seriously!

*We'll have 12 of the 16 new flavors in time for the tasting on November 14th. The other four flavors — Lucky Lime, Orange Squeeze, Ginger Zest and Razzmatazz Berry — will arrive shortly thereafter!!

(2) Mora Mora and Sambirano Equitrade Bars from Madagascar
I first tasted these bars back in the spring, when co-founder Brett Beach of the Malagasy (i.e. meaning "from Madagascar") import company The Red Island kindly sent them to Zingerman's for us to evaluate. I was immediately intrigued, not only by the bars themselves but by the story behind their production. You see, the chocolates are actually made, bean-to-bar, in Madagascar — not France, or the UK, or the U.S., but Madagascar! Already, this puts the bars in an elite field of only a few chocolates in the world that are produced in the country of the cacao's origin. Furthermore, the bars are produced under the Equitrade seal — which signals a variety of ethical and business commitments.

Since my primary reason for carrying these bars was their quality and flavor — although the Equitrade seal is certainly a bonus — I'll start there by suggesting that all you chocolate connoisseurs reading out there add these two bars to your "must taste" list. They are, objectively, very fine chocolates. Both the Mora Mora and the Sambirano bars are made from beans cultivated in northwest Madagascar. TheMora Mora bar is, to me, typical of the flavor profile of the big red island — notes of red fruit and green banana, lively tartness, overall "bright" qualities and a clean finish. (Think Valrhona Manjari and Cluizel Mangaro). The Sambirano bar is completely different. It is extremely mild and "cocoa-y." For those of you who have tasted the Pralus Ghana bar, I think the Sambirano is very similar. There is no vanilla in either bar, but certainly added cocoa butter, resulting in a very silky chocolate that melts quickly in the mouth.

That was my taste buds talking. And as most of you probably know, we at Zingerman's trust our taste buds — more than any other sense — to guide us to the best, most flavorful food in the world. Sure we read all the press and listen to salespeople, but the ultimate decision to carry a product is usually made by two or three people sitting at a table in the Next Door tasting something together and saying either "Wow, this is really excellent," or "Wow, this isn't actually all that great."

And now, I'm going to spend a brief moment writing from the heart because there is a great story behind these bars — that has nothing to do with taste but everything to do with ethics and good business practices. The truth is that these chocolate bars were developed very deliberately as a tool to assist Madagascar in moving from a developing country (producing primarily raw materials) to a developed country capable of manufacturing fine, finished products — including chocolate!

The UK company Malagasy, in partnership with over 600 cooperative farmers and the Ramanandraibe Family (the family that owns the chocolate factory where the bars are made), aims to keep more profits on the island by training people to actually make chocolate — a much higher-valued good than the bean itself. Could Equitrade help eliminate poverty in Madagascar? Many people think it is as good a development model as any, although it certainly still has its critics.

I am very proud to carry these bars, mostly because I think Malagasy is leading an important trend of cacao producing countries "waking up" and desiring to become chocolate makers, not just cacao farmers. We've already seen similar movements in Ecuador, Venezuela and Columbia. The bottom line here is... this is great, thought-provoking chocolate on several levels. Come in and try it!

For more reading on the subject of Equitrade, visit www.equitrade.com and www.malagasy.co.uk.

Coming next month...
Pralus Pyramides
French Honey Nougat
Unico bars from Venchi
Mini Vosges Bars

Best,

Chocolate Lady Duff