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World Chocolate Awards Gold Medal for Best Bean-to-Bar Dark. Aromas of bay leaf and olive oil combined with elegant flowers. Toasted nut notes move onto florals in a long, smooth finish. Imported from Italy. 70% dark Chocolate. 50g (1.75oz).
To understand why this is a truly rare and unique gem, let's take a look at the four major cacao bean varieties: Forestero, Criollo, Trinitario and Nacional. Trinitario is a natural hybrid of Forestero and Criollo that was first found in Trinidad. It is a fine flavor bean having many of the characteristics of the much–coveted Criollo bean. Nacional is a well–respected flavor bean found naturally in Ecuador and elsewhere. On the other hand, Forestero is a common bulk bean used to balance the other beans or as a filler.
Now, Criollo is clearly at the top of the heap in terms of the world's fine flavor beans. We estimate that Criollo makes up well less than 5% of all world-wide cacao production today. Within the Criollo family, you will find a very rare, almost extinct tree that produces Porcelana, named for the porcelain-like whitish bean. It's truly unique in the sense that no other bean looks like it or produces chocolate that tastes just like it. We are not aware of anyone besides Amedei making bars from Porcelana beans.
Amedei has worked hard to secure the only 3000kg of Porcelana beans produced in the world. From this Cecelia carefully draws out delightful flavors of dried fruits with an uncommon roundness and balance. The finish is reminiscent of toasted almond oil.
PLANET
POSITIVES:
+ Fair trade with growers ensures fair wages on the farm
How did they achieve this renowned status? Cecilia concentrated on the fine details of chocolate making, not just following a standard process, but patiently respecting the temperament of each variety of cacao and taming them to bring out balance and pleasure. While Cecilia was taming the cacao, Alessio was searching the best cocoa–growing regions of the world: Venezuela, Madagascar, Ecuador and beyond. Here he would discover cacao farms that no westerner had ever visited. He would replace the old ways of business with fair direct trade with the farmers thereby securing supply to some of the best cacao beans in the world.
Amedei adheres to the principle that like fine wine grapes, the quality of the chocolate depends greatly upon the care taken in growing the cacao. With this principle in mind, it's easy to understand why Amedei imposes strict quality standards and production limits on their farmers. This means that there is no race to produce more cacao per acre. As with fine wine grapes, low bean production allows the tree to bring forth the best concentrated, complex flavors.
To understand why this is a truly rare and unique gem, let's take a look at the four major cacao bean varieties: Forestero, Criollo, Trinitario and Nacional. Trinitario is a natural hybrid of Forestero and Criollo that was first found in Trinidad. It is a fine flavor bean having many of the characteristics of the much–coveted Criollo bean. Nacional is a well–respected flavor bean found naturally in Ecuador and elsewhere. On the other hand, Forestero is a common bulk bean used to balance the other beans or as a filler.
Now, Criollo is clearly at the top of the heap in terms of the world's fine flavor beans. We estimate that Criollo makes up well less than 5% of all world-wide cacao production today. Within the Criollo family, you will find a very rare, almost extinct tree that produces Porcelana, named for the porcelain-like whitish bean. It's truly unique in the sense that no other bean looks like it or produces chocolate that tastes just like it. We are not aware of anyone besides Amedei making bars from Porcelana beans.
Amedei has worked hard to secure the only 3000kg of Porcelana beans produced in the world. From this Cecelia carefully draws out delightful flavors of dried fruits with an uncommon roundness and balance. The finish is reminiscent of toasted almond oil.
PLANET
POSITIVES:+ Fair trade with growers ensures fair wages on the farm
PROFILE: Amedei
Amedei is the passion of Alessio and Cecilia Tessieri, a brother and sister team that creates what Food and Wine Magazine called “The World's Best Chocolate.” With eight medals from the 2009 Academy of Chocolate Awards including the top honor of The Golden Bean, it would be hard to disagree with this title.How did they achieve this renowned status? Cecilia concentrated on the fine details of chocolate making, not just following a standard process, but patiently respecting the temperament of each variety of cacao and taming them to bring out balance and pleasure. While Cecilia was taming the cacao, Alessio was searching the best cocoa–growing regions of the world: Venezuela, Madagascar, Ecuador and beyond. Here he would discover cacao farms that no westerner had ever visited. He would replace the old ways of business with fair direct trade with the farmers thereby securing supply to some of the best cacao beans in the world.
Amedei adheres to the principle that like fine wine grapes, the quality of the chocolate depends greatly upon the care taken in growing the cacao. With this principle in mind, it's easy to understand why Amedei imposes strict quality standards and production limits on their farmers. This means that there is no race to produce more cacao per acre. As with fine wine grapes, low bean production allows the tree to bring forth the best concentrated, complex flavors.
- Item #: 8003
