Impact
Chocolate craft begins with seeds (often dubbed “Jungle M&Ms”) from zeppelin-shaped fruits referred to as ‘pods’. They hang like so many colorful lanterns to lure pollinators & porters (midges, monkeys & man) on a tree whose species name is cacáo, one of 22 species or so (15 of which are edible with Bicolor and Angustiflorium the other relatively well-known / cultivated members) belonging to the genus Theobroma.
Hence the binomial, Theobroma cacao.
Another that belongs: Grandiflorum. It fruits to about the size of a cantaloupe &, like cacáo, contains seeds surrounded by a white sweet 'n sour pulp. This pulp attracts & is what popularizes capuaçu in juices, jams, pies & ice-creams, especially around Brazil.
Beyond mere flavor, Grandiflorum's pulp, seeds, & leaves have served medicinal functions for centuries in the Amazon basin among early Americans -- the Waimiri, Atroari, Cabloclos & Tikuna. They used it particularly for gastrointestinal discomfort from giving birth & abdominal pain, to diarrhea, kidney infections, & even colon cancer.
Hence the binomial, Theobroma cacao.
Another that belongs: Grandiflorum. It fruits to about the size of a cantaloupe &, like cacáo, contains seeds surrounded by a white sweet 'n sour pulp. This pulp attracts & is what popularizes capuaçu in juices, jams, pies & ice-creams, especially around Brazil.Beyond mere flavor, Grandiflorum's pulp, seeds, & leaves have served medicinal functions for centuries in the Amazon basin among early Americans -- the Waimiri, Atroari, Cabloclos & Tikuna. They used it particularly for gastrointestinal discomfort from giving birth & abdominal pain, to diarrhea, kidney infections, & even colon cancer.
Appearance 3.9 / 5
| Color: | beautiful topaz |
| Surface: | so tight & sticky in its wrapper... |
| Temper: | … thus marred by the mylar |
| Snap: | tender heartbreaker |
Aroma 9.4 / 10
not too dissimilar to T. cacao
nuts (Brazil nuts, of course + Venzy-like almonds & macs) up against a hard wood, really hard wood
softened incredibly by banana bubble gum & marshmallows! -> taffy & cotton candy to follow
stunning & staggering in its range
nuts (Brazil nuts, of course + Venzy-like almonds & macs) up against a hard wood, really hard wood
softened incredibly by banana bubble gum & marshmallows! -> taffy & cotton candy to follow
stunning & staggering in its range
Mouthfeel 12.2 / 15
| Texture: | pasted queen of heavyweights |
| Melt: | a bit stuck… throat-catching... pliable but indissoluble |
Flavor 4 / 50
juicy starter (pear + pitanga + starfruit) -> barks out teak wood chips bar-b-q'ing smoked ground nuts & paradise nuts -> those candy FXs from the Aroma centered around guarana (apple-like / berry / bubble-gum) faintly ring around bitter grapefruit -> ditto distant butterscotch -> herbal (paracress)
Quality 15.3 / 20
Amma, forgiven, gets carried away, propagandizing over a "mind-blowing" sensuality. That mainly describes the Mouthfeel.
Flavor will, to many, be underwhelming.
Weighted at 80% grandiflorum / 20% sugar indicates just how meek a species compared to cacáo whose compounds usually necessitate 30% or more sugaring. Much of that due to this Grandiflorum's obese lipid content measured in the CBS (Cocoa mass / Butter / Sugar ratio) of ~1:4:1. So much ultra lush butter should obviously make for great White Chocolate.
It also lends to an a unmoored trait lacking an anchor in the flavor profile, creating some gaps & vacancies which T. cacao's baseline cocoa compounds fulfills in chocolate.
More than a mere novelty however, Grandiflorum possesses real attractions on its own merit. Make no mistake though: its docile nature reinforces cacáo's place as the king of all Theobromas.
INGREDIENTS: Theobroma grandiflorum, sugar
Reviewed July 24 , 2014
Flavor will, to many, be underwhelming.
Weighted at 80% grandiflorum / 20% sugar indicates just how meek a species compared to cacáo whose compounds usually necessitate 30% or more sugaring. Much of that due to this Grandiflorum's obese lipid content measured in the CBS (Cocoa mass / Butter / Sugar ratio) of ~1:4:1. So much ultra lush butter should obviously make for great White Chocolate.
It also lends to an a unmoored trait lacking an anchor in the flavor profile, creating some gaps & vacancies which T. cacao's baseline cocoa compounds fulfills in chocolate.
More than a mere novelty however, Grandiflorum possesses real attractions on its own merit. Make no mistake though: its docile nature reinforces cacáo's place as the king of all Theobromas.
INGREDIENTS: Theobroma grandiflorum, sugar
Reviewed July 24 , 2014