1 00:00:12,560 --> 00:00:14,800 Speaker 1: Anything you want to open. Um. You know, my credit 2 00:00:14,840 --> 00:00:19,640 Speaker 1: card is warm, so your credit card. I'm in the Meadow, 3 00:00:19,880 --> 00:00:22,960 Speaker 1: a tiny little shrine to craft chocolate in Lower Manhattan, 4 00:00:23,360 --> 00:00:26,680 Speaker 1: and I'm with Clay Gordon. So we have Syrene in Canada, 5 00:00:27,240 --> 00:00:33,559 Speaker 1: we have Ascos still might be the only from the 6 00:00:33,560 --> 00:00:37,040 Speaker 1: bean chocolate maker in Iceland, so their factory is in 7 00:00:37,159 --> 00:00:41,200 Speaker 1: reik Vick. I've been there. Clay is the chocolate expert 8 00:00:41,200 --> 00:00:43,640 Speaker 1: from Jafter four who took me through Whole Foods and 9 00:00:43,800 --> 00:00:46,880 Speaker 1: cluded me into the corporate powers behind almost every bar 10 00:00:46,960 --> 00:00:50,080 Speaker 1: on that shelf, and that experience left me longing for 11 00:00:50,120 --> 00:00:53,760 Speaker 1: the independence the small players who are crafting really good 12 00:00:53,800 --> 00:00:57,200 Speaker 1: stuff out of sustainably sourced beans. Up to now on 13 00:00:57,240 --> 00:00:59,360 Speaker 1: the show, we've been focusing on the handful of people 14 00:00:59,440 --> 00:01:02,440 Speaker 1: working with really wild cacao, which is kind of a 15 00:01:02,480 --> 00:01:05,640 Speaker 1: unique situation, and of course there are also hundreds of 16 00:01:05,640 --> 00:01:08,959 Speaker 1: producers around the world making amazing chocolate from the small 17 00:01:08,959 --> 00:01:13,920 Speaker 1: supply of high quality, farmed varieties, and as a professional journalist, 18 00:01:14,240 --> 00:01:17,000 Speaker 1: I felt it would be irresponsible of me not to, 19 00:01:17,400 --> 00:01:22,240 Speaker 1: you know, familiarize myself with those chocolates as well, So 20 00:01:22,680 --> 00:01:25,240 Speaker 1: Clay whisked me onto the subway and under the ease 21 00:01:25,319 --> 00:01:28,640 Speaker 1: driver did the meadow, which has about three hundred bars 22 00:01:28,680 --> 00:01:31,960 Speaker 1: on its shelves, displayed like fine art. And now he's 23 00:01:31,959 --> 00:01:35,880 Speaker 1: talking me through them as he grabs the greatest hits, mirrors, 24 00:01:36,640 --> 00:01:39,480 Speaker 1: date paste and fennel. O m g. It's like one 25 00:01:39,520 --> 00:01:44,800 Speaker 1: of my favorite bars. Insane. And soon there's a stack 26 00:01:44,840 --> 00:01:46,880 Speaker 1: of bars at the register and we've even sucked down 27 00:01:46,920 --> 00:01:50,120 Speaker 1: the woman running the store. All right, I'm opening amp Street. 28 00:01:51,560 --> 00:01:54,080 Speaker 1: Are you getting on? I haven't tried this one anyway, 29 00:01:54,120 --> 00:01:58,640 Speaker 1: so I'm curious. So you want to bite, because what 30 00:01:58,720 --> 00:02:00,320 Speaker 1: you want to do is you want to understand the chew, 31 00:02:01,080 --> 00:02:03,280 Speaker 1: how it feels as you bite down round. So this 32 00:02:03,440 --> 00:02:07,000 Speaker 1: is cold, and so it's sort of fractured when I 33 00:02:07,040 --> 00:02:12,000 Speaker 1: bit through it, but it usually started melting right, so 34 00:02:12,800 --> 00:02:18,200 Speaker 1: good thing. Sure m hm. We continue to chew a 35 00:02:18,200 --> 00:02:24,600 Speaker 1: few times to start them out. Rub some with the 36 00:02:24,639 --> 00:02:26,320 Speaker 1: tip of the tongue against the base of their teeth. 37 00:02:27,600 --> 00:02:30,919 Speaker 1: That will let us know about the greediness, the granularity, 38 00:02:30,960 --> 00:02:33,680 Speaker 1: how it's refined, so there's no grit, no grain, very 39 00:02:33,760 --> 00:02:39,080 Speaker 1: very clearly, very all right, there's um a little hint 40 00:02:39,360 --> 00:02:42,920 Speaker 1: of acidity that goes through the way through right, so 41 00:02:43,080 --> 00:02:45,079 Speaker 1: very bright, sort of up in the nose kind of thing. 42 00:02:45,160 --> 00:02:52,200 Speaker 1: There's yep, you want to let him in fun? Yeah, hey, 43 00:02:52,600 --> 00:02:55,120 Speaker 1: And then a pair of unsuspecting customers comes into the 44 00:02:55,160 --> 00:02:58,799 Speaker 1: Star and I can't help myself. Do you guys wanna 45 00:02:58,800 --> 00:03:01,959 Speaker 1: taste some chocolate? We just opened up a really good 46 00:03:01,960 --> 00:03:09,440 Speaker 1: barny go ahead? See yeah, so this is this is 47 00:03:09,480 --> 00:03:12,840 Speaker 1: a dark chocolate, so no added milk. It's made by 48 00:03:12,880 --> 00:03:17,760 Speaker 1: a small producer in the UK, the Chris Brennan, who's 49 00:03:17,800 --> 00:03:21,120 Speaker 1: the founder of the company Pump Street Bakery Chocolate. The 50 00:03:21,160 --> 00:03:25,079 Speaker 1: beans come from the Bachelor Hall Estates on the island 51 00:03:25,080 --> 00:03:28,960 Speaker 1: of Jamaica. Wow, there are some, and soon we've pretty 52 00:03:29,040 --> 00:03:32,200 Speaker 1: much taken over the whole store. There are open wrappers everywhere. 53 00:03:32,639 --> 00:03:36,120 Speaker 1: My credit card is smoking. We're making new friends and 54 00:03:36,280 --> 00:03:39,760 Speaker 1: I can say is god, damn this stuff is good. 55 00:03:38,920 --> 00:03:43,240 Speaker 1: It's it really feels like you're eating something special. It's 56 00:03:43,360 --> 00:03:51,520 Speaker 1: very magically because you are welcome to the final chapter 57 00:03:51,760 --> 00:03:55,080 Speaker 1: of Wild Chocolate. This week we dive into the actual 58 00:03:55,160 --> 00:03:58,560 Speaker 1: experience of eating real chocolate. Why does it have an 59 00:03:58,560 --> 00:04:01,440 Speaker 1: almost drug like effect so many of us, and what 60 00:04:01,520 --> 00:04:04,160 Speaker 1: kind of chocolate here due to make that experience pop? 61 00:04:05,480 --> 00:04:08,720 Speaker 1: And you know where can I get me something? For 62 00:04:08,760 --> 00:04:12,160 Speaker 1: seven weeks, we've dragged you past floods and jungles, electric 63 00:04:12,240 --> 00:04:15,640 Speaker 1: eels and nargo draftickers, and this week we're not going 64 00:04:15,680 --> 00:04:20,320 Speaker 1: to do any of that. No dangers, no scandals, just bliss. 65 00:04:21,600 --> 00:04:27,840 Speaker 1: So kick back and relax. This is dessert from Kaleidoscope 66 00:04:27,880 --> 00:04:32,640 Speaker 1: and I Heart Podcasts. This is Obsessions Wild Chocolate. I'm 67 00:04:32,720 --> 00:04:57,760 Speaker 1: Rowan Jacobson, Chapter eight, The bliss Factor. Here's off the 68 00:04:57,760 --> 00:05:09,040 Speaker 1: tast stop stop smart. Since the beginning of time, humanity 69 00:05:09,040 --> 00:05:12,840 Speaker 1: has kind of been on this quest for peak consciousness 70 00:05:13,800 --> 00:05:17,240 Speaker 1: and we're looking for all sorts of substances to achieve that. 71 00:05:18,040 --> 00:05:23,119 Speaker 1: And whether it's through something you know, nutritionally, or whether 72 00:05:23,160 --> 00:05:26,400 Speaker 1: it's through like performance with you know, athletics or meditation, 73 00:05:26,480 --> 00:05:30,760 Speaker 1: you name it, it's ongoing. That of course is Mark, 74 00:05:30,839 --> 00:05:34,159 Speaker 1: Christian philosopher of chocolate. Mark is here to help us 75 00:05:34,240 --> 00:05:38,200 Speaker 1: channel our bliss because the guy he's been around, he's 76 00:05:38,200 --> 00:05:40,440 Speaker 1: seen the big bond bond of chocolate culture from the 77 00:05:40,440 --> 00:05:43,640 Speaker 1: inside out, and he's convinced that this stuff has a 78 00:05:43,680 --> 00:05:46,919 Speaker 1: real power that hasn't been truly recognized outside of the 79 00:05:46,920 --> 00:05:51,160 Speaker 1: core believers. That is, these chocolate terians, you know, mad 80 00:05:51,240 --> 00:05:55,880 Speaker 1: for chocolate, chocolate maniacs. You go to their shows, but 81 00:05:56,000 --> 00:06:00,400 Speaker 1: there are across somewhere between a religious revival and a rave, 82 00:06:01,600 --> 00:06:04,159 Speaker 1: and they're they're really amped on it. And for them 83 00:06:04,160 --> 00:06:05,720 Speaker 1: it's so like, you know, when do you have chocolate? 84 00:06:05,800 --> 00:06:08,120 Speaker 1: I have chocolate, get up at chocolate for breakfast. I 85 00:06:08,120 --> 00:06:10,960 Speaker 1: had chocolate for you know, coffee break chocolate. You know, 86 00:06:11,040 --> 00:06:13,520 Speaker 1: after lunch, I have chocolate for tea with tea, bah 87 00:06:13,520 --> 00:06:17,320 Speaker 1: blah blah. And others they have chocolate hollars. Do they 88 00:06:17,320 --> 00:06:20,479 Speaker 1: know something that we don't? Are they on the golden path? 89 00:06:21,279 --> 00:06:25,359 Speaker 1: Well Mark says maybe he actually sees a glimmer of 90 00:06:25,360 --> 00:06:29,440 Speaker 1: salvation in those chocolate raves, because in a world of 91 00:06:29,480 --> 00:06:35,000 Speaker 1: increasing disunity, of splintering factions and agendas, he thinks chocolate 92 00:06:35,000 --> 00:06:37,600 Speaker 1: can be a unifying force, a way to remind us 93 00:06:37,640 --> 00:06:41,920 Speaker 1: of our common delights and our shared interests. The rainforest 94 00:06:41,960 --> 00:06:47,800 Speaker 1: ambassador to humanity is chocolate because billions of people love it, 95 00:06:48,960 --> 00:06:51,640 Speaker 1: and so as that ambassador from the rainforest, it can 96 00:06:51,720 --> 00:06:55,920 Speaker 1: bring people to the rainforest, not physically, but in that 97 00:06:56,040 --> 00:07:02,479 Speaker 1: portable transport called chocolate. What's really interesting about that attraction 98 00:07:02,960 --> 00:07:05,000 Speaker 1: is that we don't just share it with other people 99 00:07:05,040 --> 00:07:08,120 Speaker 1: across the planet right now. It also connects us to 100 00:07:08,160 --> 00:07:10,400 Speaker 1: all those people who have been seeking the sublime through 101 00:07:10,480 --> 00:07:13,480 Speaker 1: chocolate for thousands of years, all the way back to 102 00:07:13,560 --> 00:07:16,840 Speaker 1: those first unknown people who were playing around some pods 103 00:07:16,880 --> 00:07:22,640 Speaker 1: somewhere in the jungle and stumbled onto revelation. Mark has 104 00:07:22,680 --> 00:07:25,800 Speaker 1: a theory about that Big Bang moment. Maybe it was 105 00:07:25,800 --> 00:07:29,800 Speaker 1: a lazy afternoon and they were picking some pods and 106 00:07:29,800 --> 00:07:32,400 Speaker 1: they didn't get into splitting them open and taking them 107 00:07:32,440 --> 00:07:34,920 Speaker 1: for their juice, that pulp inside, which is what you know, 108 00:07:35,040 --> 00:07:38,480 Speaker 1: humans and monkeys wanted for when they maybe split some 109 00:07:38,560 --> 00:07:41,240 Speaker 1: pods open or just just stored them away for an 110 00:07:41,240 --> 00:07:44,320 Speaker 1: afternoon or two. And it started for many naturally, and 111 00:07:44,360 --> 00:07:46,680 Speaker 1: then when a human came by and they spliced it 112 00:07:46,720 --> 00:07:49,640 Speaker 1: open and boom, a this stuff tastes a little different, 113 00:07:49,640 --> 00:07:51,640 Speaker 1: a little it's from men, a little sour and so 114 00:07:51,840 --> 00:07:54,239 Speaker 1: and and then a couple of hours later, I'm getting 115 00:07:54,240 --> 00:07:58,000 Speaker 1: a little effect here, you know. Interesting. And then you 116 00:07:58,040 --> 00:08:01,920 Speaker 1: can also speculate that maybe one night, while they're they're 117 00:08:01,960 --> 00:08:06,560 Speaker 1: cleaning the pulp off um and they're around the campfire, 118 00:08:06,720 --> 00:08:10,080 Speaker 1: maybe some you know, seeds or beans got stuck in 119 00:08:10,080 --> 00:08:13,320 Speaker 1: the camp fire, you know, and then the fire is 120 00:08:13,360 --> 00:08:15,160 Speaker 1: done for the night or the next morning, and they 121 00:08:15,200 --> 00:08:18,080 Speaker 1: still see some those beans, and maybe somebody just by accident, 122 00:08:18,120 --> 00:08:20,600 Speaker 1: you know, picked up a bean, said, hey, that tastes bad. 123 00:08:20,760 --> 00:08:23,720 Speaker 1: It doesn't taste too bad. Let's see what we can 124 00:08:23,760 --> 00:08:30,680 Speaker 1: do with these things, and in the process begins. Fast 125 00:08:30,720 --> 00:08:33,080 Speaker 1: forward to a few thousand years ago, and cacao is 126 00:08:33,080 --> 00:08:35,439 Speaker 1: helping the ancient peoples of the Americas to make their 127 00:08:35,440 --> 00:08:42,239 Speaker 1: evenings extra special. They have this ritualized use of cacao. 128 00:08:42,880 --> 00:08:46,280 Speaker 1: They're making beverages with it, and at the end of 129 00:08:46,320 --> 00:08:50,800 Speaker 1: these evenings they would take their vessels, their cups and 130 00:08:50,880 --> 00:08:55,640 Speaker 1: plates and smash them against the wall Hendrick style, you know, 131 00:08:55,720 --> 00:09:00,640 Speaker 1: like performative. It's it's we're at an end here. And 132 00:09:00,679 --> 00:09:04,280 Speaker 1: that was that. Okay, Today it's bad form to smash 133 00:09:04,320 --> 00:09:06,640 Speaker 1: the dishes against the wall after a little chocolate fix. 134 00:09:06,880 --> 00:09:10,600 Speaker 1: But you get the idea. Chocolate is performative. It gives 135 00:09:10,600 --> 00:09:13,520 Speaker 1: a little boost, makes that quest for peak consciousness a 136 00:09:13,520 --> 00:09:17,559 Speaker 1: little bit easier. But here's the thing. After spending months 137 00:09:17,559 --> 00:09:20,240 Speaker 1: in the land of washing cocaine in Ayahuasca, I've started 138 00:09:20,240 --> 00:09:23,319 Speaker 1: thinking about how there are different flavors of peak consciousness. 139 00:09:24,600 --> 00:09:27,200 Speaker 1: Sometimes you want to be a jaguar gliding through the 140 00:09:27,200 --> 00:09:31,800 Speaker 1: tropical night, and sometimes you just want to be reminded 141 00:09:31,800 --> 00:09:34,959 Speaker 1: of the joys of being a living, breathing, sensing human 142 00:09:35,000 --> 00:09:38,199 Speaker 1: being in a garden of earthly delights. For at least 143 00:09:38,240 --> 00:09:42,120 Speaker 1: five thousand years, chocolate has helped us get there. And 144 00:09:42,240 --> 00:09:45,719 Speaker 1: you'll know you're there because well, it might feel a 145 00:09:45,800 --> 00:09:49,199 Speaker 1: little bit like Mark Christian's experience after nibbling on one 146 00:09:49,200 --> 00:09:52,960 Speaker 1: of his favorite bars, a Tien Gong chocolate from Vietnam. 147 00:09:53,000 --> 00:09:56,719 Speaker 1: And I'm telling you, man, I was getting things like 148 00:09:57,760 --> 00:10:03,400 Speaker 1: sandal wood and fod yeah and clove, and then I 149 00:10:03,440 --> 00:10:07,360 Speaker 1: was getting things like opium. When a good chocolate hits you, man, 150 00:10:07,400 --> 00:10:11,920 Speaker 1: you're stoned. Like this bar is way off the charts. 151 00:10:12,400 --> 00:10:15,120 Speaker 1: You know, this thing was doing a gong on my head. 152 00:10:16,160 --> 00:10:18,160 Speaker 1: You know, I thought I was at the Apollo getting 153 00:10:18,160 --> 00:10:22,920 Speaker 1: taken off stage. This is going off and so like, 154 00:10:23,040 --> 00:10:26,120 Speaker 1: whoof And it just kept coming and coming in these 155 00:10:26,120 --> 00:10:28,800 Speaker 1: ways and so like, and then oh, here comes the 156 00:10:28,840 --> 00:10:33,000 Speaker 1: crow gives awesome saffron screeping in there. It wasn't stopped, 157 00:10:33,080 --> 00:10:39,520 Speaker 1: so like, there is no chocolate on earth like this Okay, everybody, relax, 158 00:10:39,960 --> 00:10:43,400 Speaker 1: don't panic. There's enough to go around. We've been working 159 00:10:43,400 --> 00:10:45,280 Speaker 1: on this for a while to make sure everybody can 160 00:10:45,280 --> 00:10:47,360 Speaker 1: get there fix and we'll give you the full scoop 161 00:10:47,880 --> 00:11:04,640 Speaker 1: after the break. Do you remember any formative memories when 162 00:11:04,640 --> 00:11:07,400 Speaker 1: you were a kid involving chocolate, the first time you 163 00:11:07,440 --> 00:11:10,800 Speaker 1: tasted it, or first time you tasted really good chocolate. Yeah, 164 00:11:10,880 --> 00:11:13,480 Speaker 1: I think when there was a kid. Uh, the first 165 00:11:13,600 --> 00:11:19,640 Speaker 1: chocolate I had was that's not a real chocolate, Sarah 166 00:11:19,640 --> 00:11:22,960 Speaker 1: got there was the first chocolate I was tried, and 167 00:11:22,960 --> 00:11:32,000 Speaker 1: that those was amazing. That is Chef's salvatory. Martoni sal 168 00:11:32,160 --> 00:11:35,199 Speaker 1: is a legendary pastry chef. He ran the pastry program 169 00:11:35,200 --> 00:11:38,680 Speaker 1: for the Joel Roberschon Restaurants, which have more Michelin stars 170 00:11:38,679 --> 00:11:42,320 Speaker 1: than any restaurant group in history, and he's also executive 171 00:11:42,320 --> 00:11:45,280 Speaker 1: pastry chef. First Statler Chocolate, which, as I'm sure you 172 00:11:45,360 --> 00:11:48,120 Speaker 1: figured out over the past seven episodes, is keeping up 173 00:11:48,120 --> 00:11:51,160 Speaker 1: with Kaleidoscope and Louisa Abram to bring a special box 174 00:11:51,160 --> 00:11:54,680 Speaker 1: of Louise's Wild Chocolates to the US. It includes three 175 00:11:54,679 --> 00:11:57,480 Speaker 1: different bars made with wild cocoo from three different rivers 176 00:11:57,480 --> 00:12:01,760 Speaker 1: in the Amazon Jurua Perus and token jeans, and they 177 00:12:01,800 --> 00:12:05,600 Speaker 1: are all incredibly rare and incredibly different from each other. 178 00:12:06,640 --> 00:12:09,280 Speaker 1: I can't remember how this idea got started. It was 179 00:12:09,320 --> 00:12:12,719 Speaker 1: just an idle comment like, hey, we should actually give 180 00:12:12,760 --> 00:12:14,920 Speaker 1: people a chance to taste this stuff. But the next 181 00:12:14,960 --> 00:12:17,440 Speaker 1: thing I knew it was real, and Jeff stal was 182 00:12:17,440 --> 00:12:19,760 Speaker 1: one of the people responsible for that. He was into it. 183 00:12:20,200 --> 00:12:22,760 Speaker 1: So I was truly curious to hear why he was 184 00:12:22,840 --> 00:12:26,000 Speaker 1: interested and what he thought of it, not to mention 185 00:12:26,120 --> 00:12:28,800 Speaker 1: why he thinks chocolate has such power over us in general. 186 00:12:29,679 --> 00:12:31,720 Speaker 1: And to start, we have to go back to his 187 00:12:31,760 --> 00:12:37,199 Speaker 1: son drenched childhood in southern Italy. I remember, like on Sunday, 188 00:12:37,400 --> 00:12:40,199 Speaker 1: my grandmother used to give me like who was at 189 00:12:40,200 --> 00:12:44,600 Speaker 1: the time equivalent to dollars today, and I would go 190 00:12:44,800 --> 00:12:49,360 Speaker 1: straight to the to the this candy store and spend 191 00:12:49,400 --> 00:12:52,560 Speaker 1: all my money and finish it before I even get home. 192 00:12:54,320 --> 00:12:58,559 Speaker 1: My mom would say, like, what happened? I bought some chocolates? 193 00:12:58,640 --> 00:13:01,960 Speaker 1: Say what is it? It's going on? And little did 194 00:13:02,000 --> 00:13:05,560 Speaker 1: you know that you're going to be a professional. That 195 00:13:05,120 --> 00:13:07,959 Speaker 1: was that was going to be your field. Um. And 196 00:13:08,160 --> 00:13:10,800 Speaker 1: one of the things I've really learned a lot as 197 00:13:10,800 --> 00:13:14,000 Speaker 1: I've been working on this show. Is the amazing range 198 00:13:14,000 --> 00:13:17,199 Speaker 1: of flavors that different chocolates can have, different chocolates from 199 00:13:17,200 --> 00:13:20,720 Speaker 1: different places, different cocoa beans. Are there certain qualities you 200 00:13:20,760 --> 00:13:24,800 Speaker 1: look for in a chocolate, Yes, the origin of the 201 00:13:24,880 --> 00:13:27,800 Speaker 1: chocolate is the most important thing, you know, it's the 202 00:13:27,840 --> 00:13:32,199 Speaker 1: origin and the fermentation. In the beginning, you know, I 203 00:13:32,320 --> 00:13:35,640 Speaker 1: never would have told that chocolate was a fermented product 204 00:13:36,559 --> 00:13:39,240 Speaker 1: like like a wine like beer, you know, it is. 205 00:13:39,960 --> 00:13:43,920 Speaker 1: It is kind of strange that if there is no fermentation, 206 00:13:44,440 --> 00:13:48,600 Speaker 1: there is no chocolate flavor. The difference in flavor is 207 00:13:49,080 --> 00:13:53,320 Speaker 1: it's all depends from the where the beans is grown 208 00:13:53,960 --> 00:13:58,200 Speaker 1: and how it's fermented, and then how it's roasted. You know, 209 00:13:58,880 --> 00:14:01,160 Speaker 1: chocolate meg it's a little bit of a combination of 210 00:14:01,200 --> 00:14:05,480 Speaker 1: wine making and coffee making. Grape when you make wine, 211 00:14:05,480 --> 00:14:09,960 Speaker 1: it's everything, right. A cabernea savignon is the same method, 212 00:14:10,280 --> 00:14:14,280 Speaker 1: just different grades. And that's the fermentation part of the chocolate. 213 00:14:14,920 --> 00:14:18,760 Speaker 1: But coffee beans you have origin. That's very important. But 214 00:14:18,880 --> 00:14:23,120 Speaker 1: also roasting is super important. You know, some people roasting 215 00:14:23,240 --> 00:14:27,280 Speaker 1: very slow and delicate. Some people are more aggressive on 216 00:14:27,320 --> 00:14:31,840 Speaker 1: the roasting, dark roasting, and and the chocolate you have 217 00:14:31,920 --> 00:14:36,800 Speaker 1: both processed. You have fermentation, origin, and roasting all in 218 00:14:36,880 --> 00:14:40,960 Speaker 1: one product. There is one chocolate in particular that Lisa 219 00:14:41,120 --> 00:14:45,840 Speaker 1: was producing. It's called the Jewra River. Probably I'm not 220 00:14:45,920 --> 00:14:49,720 Speaker 1: pronouncing right, No, I think that's right. Yeah, I mean 221 00:14:49,840 --> 00:14:53,520 Speaker 1: pretty class. The things that she done is like she 222 00:14:54,240 --> 00:14:57,240 Speaker 1: understood from the beginning and this was like a different 223 00:14:57,320 --> 00:15:01,840 Speaker 1: kind of plant. And after there is roasted, it doesn't 224 00:15:01,840 --> 00:15:07,320 Speaker 1: never any basidity. And as this like very flower notes 225 00:15:07,480 --> 00:15:11,680 Speaker 1: that regular chocolate doesn't have. It's very different from other chocolates. 226 00:15:11,680 --> 00:15:14,280 Speaker 1: So that was very interesting too to work on this 227 00:15:14,360 --> 00:15:17,480 Speaker 1: project because of that. So you've got the three three 228 00:15:17,480 --> 00:15:21,880 Speaker 1: bars together in one box. So when people get the box, 229 00:15:21,920 --> 00:15:24,080 Speaker 1: they get the three bars and they can taste side 230 00:15:24,080 --> 00:15:27,240 Speaker 1: by side. Yes, they are all from different parts of 231 00:15:27,280 --> 00:15:31,120 Speaker 1: the Amazon River. So we have the Dua that is 232 00:15:31,160 --> 00:15:36,280 Speaker 1: the upper river, the Purus that's the middle, and the 233 00:15:36,320 --> 00:15:41,800 Speaker 1: Token Teens it's the lower river on Amazon. Each one 234 00:15:42,200 --> 00:15:44,680 Speaker 1: is as as different that could be from the other one. 235 00:15:45,320 --> 00:15:50,440 Speaker 1: The upper river is like leechy and flowery and no acidity. 236 00:15:50,520 --> 00:15:53,800 Speaker 1: And then we go to the middle of the Purus 237 00:15:53,960 --> 00:16:01,000 Speaker 1: River that's more like notes of banana and molasses and chestnut. 238 00:16:01,560 --> 00:16:05,680 Speaker 1: So very hearty flavor, and then the lower part it's 239 00:16:05,760 --> 00:16:11,440 Speaker 1: like orange zest and lemon zest and very like creamy 240 00:16:11,520 --> 00:16:17,440 Speaker 1: and honey flavors. So as humans, we always understand things 241 00:16:17,480 --> 00:16:21,480 Speaker 1: by comparison. Yeah, and there is nothing better to understand 242 00:16:21,520 --> 00:16:25,280 Speaker 1: the flavor of one by comparing to the others. Right 243 00:16:25,480 --> 00:16:28,280 Speaker 1: and same factory, So the only difference is the beings 244 00:16:28,280 --> 00:16:33,920 Speaker 1: themselves itself. Chef, you must have seen this a million times. 245 00:16:34,360 --> 00:16:38,560 Speaker 1: When people eat chocolate, they sort of get very focused, right. 246 00:16:38,600 --> 00:16:41,520 Speaker 1: They things that might be distracting them go away, and 247 00:16:42,120 --> 00:16:45,800 Speaker 1: they are very present in the moment with their chocolate. 248 00:16:45,960 --> 00:16:50,720 Speaker 1: So especially Um, as you're describing the three tasting the 249 00:16:50,800 --> 00:16:54,120 Speaker 1: three different kinds side by side, it seems like almost 250 00:16:54,200 --> 00:16:58,080 Speaker 1: like a form of meditation where people can be totally 251 00:16:58,120 --> 00:17:00,880 Speaker 1: present with their senses, their small sent to smells and 252 00:17:01,000 --> 00:17:05,320 Speaker 1: to taste and come to some sort of connection with 253 00:17:05,359 --> 00:17:09,600 Speaker 1: the chocolate. Um. And you must see this in restaurants 254 00:17:09,600 --> 00:17:14,760 Speaker 1: all the time, where people are taking your your creations 255 00:17:15,240 --> 00:17:18,399 Speaker 1: and having sort of like a moment of peak experience 256 00:17:18,480 --> 00:17:24,000 Speaker 1: with them. Yeah. Um. Obviously like chocolate. You know, it's 257 00:17:24,000 --> 00:17:27,800 Speaker 1: a bigger list of dopamine. But at the same time, 258 00:17:29,000 --> 00:17:31,720 Speaker 1: at the same time, like if you're really tasting chocolate, 259 00:17:31,800 --> 00:17:35,240 Speaker 1: you know, like you were, you were like like melting 260 00:17:35,400 --> 00:17:38,480 Speaker 1: slowly in your mouth and filling all the notes of 261 00:17:38,480 --> 00:17:42,639 Speaker 1: the chocolate. And as you breed, you can also the 262 00:17:43,280 --> 00:17:47,000 Speaker 1: smell of the chocolate as an effect on you. When 263 00:17:47,000 --> 00:17:50,000 Speaker 1: you're eating it and the chocolates start to melt, because 264 00:17:50,000 --> 00:17:52,879 Speaker 1: it melts a body of temperature, the only thing you 265 00:17:52,880 --> 00:17:58,080 Speaker 1: can feel is like this silk smooth texture and it 266 00:17:58,320 --> 00:18:01,760 Speaker 1: is a little bit of of meditation, and like you said, 267 00:18:02,160 --> 00:18:06,280 Speaker 1: I give you this sense of peace and enjoy. It's 268 00:18:06,320 --> 00:18:12,600 Speaker 1: a very special product. Last pitch, I swear to order 269 00:18:12,640 --> 00:18:15,280 Speaker 1: the tasting box and try those chocolates. Just find the 270 00:18:15,320 --> 00:18:20,600 Speaker 1: link on the show notes bon appte. After the break 271 00:18:21,119 --> 00:18:48,840 Speaker 1: we go beyond the Bar. I have loved chocolate since 272 00:18:48,880 --> 00:18:50,920 Speaker 1: I was a little girl. I wrote a cookbook called 273 00:18:50,920 --> 00:18:54,360 Speaker 1: Desserts around the World for my first ever independence whole projects. 274 00:18:55,320 --> 00:18:57,080 Speaker 1: Like most of the people you've heard from on this show, 275 00:18:57,480 --> 00:18:59,800 Speaker 1: one of the things that brought uncommon to cow founder 276 00:18:59,840 --> 00:19:02,800 Speaker 1: and only stoned to chocolate was lovely interesting. And then 277 00:19:03,040 --> 00:19:06,200 Speaker 1: in seventh grade, I did my science project on cupcakes. 278 00:19:06,840 --> 00:19:09,280 Speaker 1: It is a called one is a cupcake not a cupcake? 279 00:19:11,320 --> 00:19:14,040 Speaker 1: That's a great title. It was really fun. I also 280 00:19:14,080 --> 00:19:16,920 Speaker 1: got to make many batches of cupcakes, and I basically 281 00:19:16,920 --> 00:19:19,520 Speaker 1: took one ingredient. I would each time to see like 282 00:19:20,000 --> 00:19:22,120 Speaker 1: how far I could get from it being a cupcake. 283 00:19:22,600 --> 00:19:25,280 Speaker 1: That's so scientific. I took out the flour, would still 284 00:19:25,280 --> 00:19:31,440 Speaker 1: be a cupcake? Answer? No, not really, um, not really frostable. 285 00:19:33,680 --> 00:19:36,639 Speaker 1: But let's hold on that cupcake for a moment. Because 286 00:19:36,640 --> 00:19:39,200 Speaker 1: one of the things Emily got me thinking about is 287 00:19:39,720 --> 00:19:43,239 Speaker 1: what is the best form for ultimate chocolate delivery. Up 288 00:19:43,280 --> 00:19:46,680 Speaker 1: to now, we've been talking about chocolates, piers form the bar, 289 00:19:47,320 --> 00:19:49,600 Speaker 1: but of course that's just one of many ways people 290 00:19:49,640 --> 00:19:51,840 Speaker 1: get their chocolate fix, and Emily is not even sure 291 00:19:51,880 --> 00:19:54,480 Speaker 1: it's the best way. We actually wound up chatting about 292 00:19:54,480 --> 00:19:57,000 Speaker 1: this one night over beers at a Belize Reay Gay bar. 293 00:19:57,600 --> 00:20:02,960 Speaker 1: Sometimes I wonder if chocolate bars are the totally yes, yes, 294 00:20:03,800 --> 00:20:06,280 Speaker 1: oh my gosh, we've got to get behind beyond the bar. 295 00:20:06,680 --> 00:20:09,080 Speaker 1: Beyond the bar definitely, And I think some of the 296 00:20:09,119 --> 00:20:11,359 Speaker 1: companies that we've seen grow the fastest in the craft 297 00:20:11,440 --> 00:20:14,399 Speaker 1: chocolate space, you know, our bean to bon bon and 298 00:20:14,440 --> 00:20:16,879 Speaker 1: being too cookie and being too brownie and being too 299 00:20:16,960 --> 00:20:20,120 Speaker 1: hot chocolate I couldn't get that idea out of my head. 300 00:20:20,640 --> 00:20:22,760 Speaker 1: So when I was back in the States, I searched around. 301 00:20:23,600 --> 00:20:26,800 Speaker 1: Like I've said, most chocolate makers just make bars, and 302 00:20:26,880 --> 00:20:30,480 Speaker 1: most chocolate tears just use ready made chocolate. But was 303 00:20:30,520 --> 00:20:33,040 Speaker 1: there some culinary artists out there who knew the ins 304 00:20:33,040 --> 00:20:35,560 Speaker 1: and outs of rare de cows and worked with them 305 00:20:35,600 --> 00:20:38,399 Speaker 1: to go beyond the bar? Could I find me a 306 00:20:38,400 --> 00:20:41,280 Speaker 1: bean to bon bon master who could help me understand 307 00:20:41,320 --> 00:20:44,280 Speaker 1: why chocolate is such a bomb for our brains, our bodies, 308 00:20:44,560 --> 00:20:48,600 Speaker 1: and our souls. Honestly, the same name kept coming up, 309 00:20:49,840 --> 00:20:53,040 Speaker 1: So everything here is a moment's beaten. We try to 310 00:20:53,040 --> 00:20:55,440 Speaker 1: have a sculpture in here at all times, usually last 311 00:20:55,480 --> 00:20:58,720 Speaker 1: about three months before something bars and eats it. And 312 00:20:58,760 --> 00:21:01,440 Speaker 1: from his website I could tell this was my guru. 313 00:21:02,080 --> 00:21:04,720 Speaker 1: So on a cold, gray winter day, I got in 314 00:21:04,720 --> 00:21:07,719 Speaker 1: my car and made the drive to a lonely temple 315 00:21:07,720 --> 00:21:13,080 Speaker 1: of chocolate in Manchester, New Hampshire. Everything is arn't we 316 00:21:13,119 --> 00:21:16,280 Speaker 1: Usually you're too busy to pay attention. It's like, well, 317 00:21:16,280 --> 00:21:19,280 Speaker 1: look at you think about old cultures like the Maya 318 00:21:19,560 --> 00:21:22,720 Speaker 1: and Japan before the West, right, there was no such 319 00:21:22,760 --> 00:21:26,080 Speaker 1: thing as art. You painted the screen you made things beautiful, 320 00:21:26,119 --> 00:21:28,800 Speaker 1: but that was an art. You just take that right. 321 00:21:29,640 --> 00:21:33,080 Speaker 1: In downtown Manchester, there's this little postage stamp shop called 322 00:21:33,160 --> 00:21:37,119 Speaker 1: Dancing Lion. It's part chocolate shop, part Wonka's factory, and 323 00:21:37,160 --> 00:21:40,760 Speaker 1: I'm standing inside with its proprietor why Dancing Lion before 324 00:21:40,760 --> 00:21:42,720 Speaker 1: I forget? Oh, my name is Tango LOWI. Tango is 325 00:21:42,720 --> 00:21:47,080 Speaker 1: a dance Lois Remainian from Lion. Richard Tango Low is 326 00:21:47,119 --> 00:21:49,120 Speaker 1: a middle aged guy with a bandana on his head. 327 00:21:49,359 --> 00:21:51,919 Speaker 1: He talks fast. You might be tempted to chocolate up 328 00:21:51,920 --> 00:21:55,280 Speaker 1: to caffeine, but actually most chocolate is very little. The 329 00:21:55,320 --> 00:21:58,600 Speaker 1: real source of Richard's excitement is inspiration. He reminds me 330 00:21:58,640 --> 00:22:01,439 Speaker 1: of a combination between a mad scientist and a master painter. 331 00:22:02,000 --> 00:22:06,040 Speaker 1: He's just possessed by his subject. The perception that everything 332 00:22:06,200 --> 00:22:09,840 Speaker 1: is just art kind of started to infuse everything here 333 00:22:10,080 --> 00:22:14,159 Speaker 1: became kind of unavoidable. Then you know bars bon bonds, 334 00:22:14,280 --> 00:22:17,680 Speaker 1: how we served drinks. He's definitely got the art gene. 335 00:22:18,040 --> 00:22:21,320 Speaker 1: But in his former life, before he answered the siren 336 00:22:21,400 --> 00:22:24,240 Speaker 1: song of chocolate, he was a physicist. And you can 337 00:22:24,240 --> 00:22:27,879 Speaker 1: tell it's for chocolate tier the fact that it is 338 00:22:28,080 --> 00:22:31,520 Speaker 1: a non Newtonian fluid becomes that big deal with different Wisconsin. 339 00:22:32,000 --> 00:22:34,600 Speaker 1: When you start moving in different viscousins wants, it's moving, 340 00:22:35,080 --> 00:22:37,359 Speaker 1: see what I mean. We're a little unusual. When the 341 00:22:37,400 --> 00:22:39,680 Speaker 1: most chocolate tears worked with like a chocolate or two, 342 00:22:40,359 --> 00:22:44,960 Speaker 1: we have twenty. Maybe Rich was my guy, the cocao 343 00:22:45,000 --> 00:22:47,959 Speaker 1: whisper who's listening to the beans, asking them what they 344 00:22:47,960 --> 00:22:51,119 Speaker 1: wanted to be, and then taking them all the way there. 345 00:22:51,760 --> 00:22:54,000 Speaker 1: The front half of Dancing Lion holds a few tables 346 00:22:54,400 --> 00:22:57,560 Speaker 1: stacks of Japanese style pottery by a local artisan, and 347 00:22:57,600 --> 00:23:02,439 Speaker 1: a glass case filled with crazy z creations, chocolate goddess 348 00:23:02,480 --> 00:23:08,159 Speaker 1: sculptures and bounce side trees, edible raccou teacups, chocolate hearts, 349 00:23:08,880 --> 00:23:13,040 Speaker 1: and I mean hearts like a yordas. The back half 350 00:23:13,040 --> 00:23:16,119 Speaker 1: of Dancing Lion is the mad scientist part, a pile 351 00:23:16,160 --> 00:23:19,520 Speaker 1: of churning machines, turning all those different beings into non 352 00:23:19,520 --> 00:23:22,800 Speaker 1: Newtonian fluids to serve as the clay for Rich and 353 00:23:22,800 --> 00:23:26,240 Speaker 1: as co chocolate your Rachel's creations. But they don't simply 354 00:23:26,240 --> 00:23:29,120 Speaker 1: turn each chocolate into its own thing. They use them 355 00:23:29,160 --> 00:23:32,119 Speaker 1: like a conductor might use a string section from a 356 00:23:32,200 --> 00:23:36,520 Speaker 1: flavor perception standpoint, your moods, your perceptions, what you've eaten, 357 00:23:36,560 --> 00:23:38,240 Speaker 1: how do you feel, what's going on in your life 358 00:23:38,240 --> 00:23:41,280 Speaker 1: that week? All those effect what you taste. And so 359 00:23:41,400 --> 00:23:42,600 Speaker 1: we need to do is we need to kind of 360 00:23:42,600 --> 00:23:45,880 Speaker 1: get an overall flavor model in our brains, so we'll 361 00:23:45,880 --> 00:23:50,320 Speaker 1: taste formally and casually over weeks. Because red chocolates have 362 00:23:50,359 --> 00:23:52,480 Speaker 1: different moods. Some are spiky and some are soft, and 363 00:23:52,520 --> 00:23:55,840 Speaker 1: some are cylindrical, and some evolve in different ways in 364 00:23:55,840 --> 00:23:58,200 Speaker 1: your mouth. And you have to really learn what a 365 00:23:58,320 --> 00:24:01,760 Speaker 1: chocolate looks like know how to use it. If you're 366 00:24:01,760 --> 00:24:05,679 Speaker 1: a fan of the super shiny, overly gilded sopranos style 367 00:24:05,760 --> 00:24:08,160 Speaker 1: of bond bond you find in every other chocolate shop, 368 00:24:08,640 --> 00:24:10,520 Speaker 1: you're not going to know what to make of dancing 369 00:24:10,560 --> 00:24:13,960 Speaker 1: lions bond bonds. Rich is the disciple of Wabi sabi, 370 00:24:14,400 --> 00:24:18,480 Speaker 1: the Japanese aesthetic that finds a sort of heartbreaking beauty 371 00:24:18,800 --> 00:24:23,080 Speaker 1: and the fleeting nature of existence for for the times 372 00:24:23,160 --> 00:24:25,680 Speaker 1: this year, we always feel a limited edition, like twelve 373 00:24:25,720 --> 00:24:27,960 Speaker 1: things and Rachel I made these hearts and they were beautiful, 374 00:24:28,040 --> 00:24:30,960 Speaker 1: and we just I can tell with her she wasn't happy, 375 00:24:30,960 --> 00:24:32,720 Speaker 1: and I wasn't happy, and I mean, they were gorgeous, 376 00:24:32,720 --> 00:24:34,600 Speaker 1: but they weren't right. And we're sitting there having to 377 00:24:34,880 --> 00:24:38,359 Speaker 1: one Monday morning, so we're just chatting, and she said, 378 00:24:38,400 --> 00:24:40,840 Speaker 1: we need to break the hearts and I said, so 379 00:24:40,880 --> 00:24:42,400 Speaker 1: we take a girl in there, We take all the SARTs, 380 00:24:42,400 --> 00:24:44,800 Speaker 1: we just smash and include them back together and they 381 00:24:44,800 --> 00:24:48,840 Speaker 1: were beautiful. Okay, that's that. Aesthetics shows in all his chocolates, 382 00:24:49,040 --> 00:24:52,000 Speaker 1: which have the palette of a late fall day, all 383 00:24:52,080 --> 00:24:56,680 Speaker 1: bronzes and dusky skies and copper patina. You can't help 384 00:24:56,680 --> 00:24:59,320 Speaker 1: but think about the incredible beauty of the world, even 385 00:24:59,359 --> 00:25:02,120 Speaker 1: as it slips a ay from you. Rich plunks two 386 00:25:02,119 --> 00:25:04,800 Speaker 1: plates on one of the tables, each holding a rustic truffle. 387 00:25:05,480 --> 00:25:07,480 Speaker 1: He wants to teach me how to taste, how to 388 00:25:07,560 --> 00:25:11,919 Speaker 1: be in the experience, however fleeting it is, or maybe 389 00:25:12,000 --> 00:25:15,399 Speaker 1: because it's cleaning. This is This is a straight up 390 00:25:15,400 --> 00:25:17,800 Speaker 1: ghana ganash for a little bit of honey. It's a 391 00:25:18,000 --> 00:25:20,359 Speaker 1: fluffy but nelts really beautiful in your mouth. It's gonna 392 00:25:20,440 --> 00:25:22,879 Speaker 1: have a really high sort of bike. Continue structure to it. 393 00:25:23,520 --> 00:25:25,960 Speaker 1: And then I dusted it with in robed it, dusted 394 00:25:26,000 --> 00:25:28,119 Speaker 1: it with chie spice and tie teeth, and we ground 395 00:25:28,160 --> 00:25:31,280 Speaker 1: and then in robed it again. Um. The robe is 396 00:25:31,320 --> 00:25:35,440 Speaker 1: a blend of Tanzania and met ness. Just so you 397 00:25:35,520 --> 00:25:38,560 Speaker 1: got that. It's a truffle with a fluffy center, made 398 00:25:38,560 --> 00:25:42,280 Speaker 1: from Ghana chocolate, enrobed in a mix of two other chocolates, 399 00:25:42,320 --> 00:25:45,360 Speaker 1: some from Tanzania and some from Vulkan, Lehman and Bolivia, 400 00:25:45,840 --> 00:25:50,080 Speaker 1: then rolled in Chinese spices and powdered Thi tea. We 401 00:25:50,119 --> 00:25:52,480 Speaker 1: popped them in our mouths and my teeth break through 402 00:25:52,480 --> 00:25:55,440 Speaker 1: the crispy shell into the creamy center, and a symphony 403 00:25:55,480 --> 00:26:02,760 Speaker 1: of chocolate notes cascades over me. Thank you so for 404 00:26:02,840 --> 00:26:09,640 Speaker 1: you that you have probably have questions, Yeah, like why 405 00:26:09,720 --> 00:26:12,640 Speaker 1: is that truffle so good? So we take it very much. 406 00:26:13,200 --> 00:26:15,560 Speaker 1: What do we want you to experience when when we're 407 00:26:15,600 --> 00:26:18,480 Speaker 1: making a bond bondy, So what's the first thing he 408 00:26:18,520 --> 00:26:21,800 Speaker 1: hits your tongue with a truffle the chocolate on the outside. 409 00:26:22,280 --> 00:26:24,640 Speaker 1: So if that would pure Tanzania, you would get berries 410 00:26:24,960 --> 00:26:27,280 Speaker 1: and you would lose everything else. And I didn't want that, 411 00:26:27,320 --> 00:26:29,919 Speaker 1: but I did want the acidity um to cut against 412 00:26:29,920 --> 00:26:34,480 Speaker 1: that really kind of rich fight in Ghana. Um, so 413 00:26:34,920 --> 00:26:38,679 Speaker 1: using enough, you know, maybe half Tanzania and half Bolivia 414 00:26:39,000 --> 00:26:42,400 Speaker 1: brings that tansonia down, softens it, olaws it's playing better, 415 00:26:42,440 --> 00:26:45,159 Speaker 1: but still brings up the acidity a little bit. I 416 00:26:45,160 --> 00:26:47,359 Speaker 1: asked him if that's the secret to chocolates appeal, the 417 00:26:47,359 --> 00:26:51,480 Speaker 1: intensity of flavor, and he says, well, yeah, but don't 418 00:26:51,480 --> 00:26:54,879 Speaker 1: forget the psychoactives. Chocolates feel good. It doesn't give you 419 00:26:54,840 --> 00:26:58,040 Speaker 1: a just gets your heart going a little bit. It 420 00:26:58,040 --> 00:27:01,159 Speaker 1: makes you feel good. Sixty and neuro transferters, they all 421 00:27:01,200 --> 00:27:04,320 Speaker 1: make you feel good. So it's a it's a dopamine 422 00:27:04,320 --> 00:27:08,520 Speaker 1: bad right the th and there. It's like you you 423 00:27:08,640 --> 00:27:11,280 Speaker 1: eat chocolate, you feel good. There's a reason that people 424 00:27:11,280 --> 00:27:15,520 Speaker 1: think that because it works. Neurotransmitters are just the molecules 425 00:27:15,560 --> 00:27:18,560 Speaker 1: that the neurons in your brain use to communicate to think, 426 00:27:19,119 --> 00:27:22,200 Speaker 1: and the ones in chocolate, like dopamine, just happened to 427 00:27:22,240 --> 00:27:25,359 Speaker 1: be the ones your brain uses to think deep happy thoughts. 428 00:27:26,200 --> 00:27:29,560 Speaker 1: And that brings me back to the ancient Maya and Aztec. 429 00:27:30,200 --> 00:27:33,280 Speaker 1: To them, chocolate was sacred. It wasn't just a latte 430 00:27:33,320 --> 00:27:35,600 Speaker 1: of the four hundreds. It was their way of coming 431 00:27:35,600 --> 00:27:39,040 Speaker 1: into harmony with the universe, with the cacao goddess, with 432 00:27:39,080 --> 00:27:44,520 Speaker 1: their own ancestors, and they always drank it. But why 433 00:27:44,880 --> 00:27:47,000 Speaker 1: that question had been kicking around my brain for months. 434 00:27:47,840 --> 00:27:50,479 Speaker 1: The Maya and Aztec were perfectly capable of eating their 435 00:27:50,520 --> 00:27:55,160 Speaker 1: chocolate in solid form, and yet they never did. Why 436 00:27:55,280 --> 00:27:58,320 Speaker 1: Is there something about drinking the stuff that changes the experience, 437 00:27:58,880 --> 00:28:01,639 Speaker 1: that maybe brings the god a little bit closer. I 438 00:28:01,720 --> 00:28:04,240 Speaker 1: knew Rich was the guy to ask, because that's his 439 00:28:04,320 --> 00:28:07,920 Speaker 1: other specialty. While one hand pursues chocolate in its most 440 00:28:08,000 --> 00:28:12,400 Speaker 1: artistic and impossible forms, the other is obsessed with chocolate 441 00:28:12,760 --> 00:28:15,520 Speaker 1: that has no form at all. I've done a lot 442 00:28:15,520 --> 00:28:18,680 Speaker 1: of research on how people basically help people originally made 443 00:28:18,800 --> 00:28:21,000 Speaker 1: drinking chocolate, you know, see all next, going back about 444 00:28:21,000 --> 00:28:24,920 Speaker 1: six thousand years probably, And so we serve it pretty 445 00:28:25,000 --> 00:28:27,879 Speaker 1: much the same way. This kind of similar spices a 446 00:28:27,920 --> 00:28:30,320 Speaker 1: little bit of you know, we use Central American chili's 447 00:28:31,000 --> 00:28:33,320 Speaker 1: um and we serve it very frothy, and then you're 448 00:28:33,359 --> 00:28:36,919 Speaker 1: pouring it from on high into bowls. So this is 449 00:28:36,920 --> 00:28:39,040 Speaker 1: about of authentics that can make this step no dary 450 00:28:39,080 --> 00:28:42,600 Speaker 1: in this It's hardly sweeten it, just it's a mostly 451 00:28:42,640 --> 00:28:49,000 Speaker 1: early chocolate. We use Karagua and Calabash. Bulls were pretty 452 00:28:49,000 --> 00:28:51,840 Speaker 1: traditional and that's not really patrical for us. Sorrow Bulls 453 00:28:51,920 --> 00:28:55,520 Speaker 1: have our logowner made by a local product. People like it. 454 00:28:56,200 --> 00:29:00,200 Speaker 1: The cool thing about the bowls. You can't drink a 455 00:29:00,200 --> 00:29:04,560 Speaker 1: bowl without paying attention. You're looking into the ball. So 456 00:29:05,120 --> 00:29:07,960 Speaker 1: Rich came to this inside after quietly observing people in 457 00:29:08,000 --> 00:29:11,320 Speaker 1: his cafe. But we learned early on here that people 458 00:29:11,320 --> 00:29:14,080 Speaker 1: would come in and they'd be busy. People have things undermined. 459 00:29:14,280 --> 00:29:17,000 Speaker 1: But when you pick up a ball, you have to stop. 460 00:29:17,160 --> 00:29:19,120 Speaker 1: We had these two guys, they were obviously lawyers, and 461 00:29:19,120 --> 00:29:21,560 Speaker 1: they took over a table and they had papers everywhere. 462 00:29:21,640 --> 00:29:23,440 Speaker 1: They would be talking and talking, and then we get quiet. 463 00:29:23,480 --> 00:29:24,960 Speaker 1: You look and they both pick up their bulls and 464 00:29:25,000 --> 00:29:27,360 Speaker 1: they would drink and be like fifteen seconds of nothing, 465 00:29:27,880 --> 00:29:30,760 Speaker 1: and then you go back to work. And we realized that, 466 00:29:30,960 --> 00:29:32,960 Speaker 1: you know, that's the reason that works. We see our 467 00:29:32,960 --> 00:29:35,560 Speaker 1: tea now and you know we sort of coffee and 468 00:29:35,640 --> 00:29:38,920 Speaker 1: balls because you're part of One of our goals is 469 00:29:38,960 --> 00:29:41,280 Speaker 1: to take people out of their normal life to make 470 00:29:41,320 --> 00:29:47,080 Speaker 1: them pay attention. So I try it. Rich hands me 471 00:29:47,160 --> 00:29:50,120 Speaker 1: a simple pottery bowl filled with frothy chocolate, and I 472 00:29:50,160 --> 00:29:53,120 Speaker 1: retreat to a corner table. I blow a window into 473 00:29:53,120 --> 00:29:56,200 Speaker 1: the froth to reveal the thick, brown liquid, and for 474 00:29:56,240 --> 00:29:59,520 Speaker 1: the first time I realized that when they drink a 475 00:29:59,560 --> 00:30:05,360 Speaker 1: gourd of chocolate, every mine, every Amazonian must think, Hey, 476 00:30:05,720 --> 00:30:08,440 Speaker 1: this stuff looks just like my river. It's like they're 477 00:30:08,480 --> 00:30:11,800 Speaker 1: drinking the lifeblood of the rainforest, and in a sense 478 00:30:12,360 --> 00:30:15,600 Speaker 1: they are. I sipp the chocolate and let the aromatics 479 00:30:15,600 --> 00:30:19,120 Speaker 1: of the Amazon fill my sinuses, and for a moment, 480 00:30:19,640 --> 00:30:25,640 Speaker 1: I'm back there, the ancient trees, old trunks falling, new 481 00:30:25,680 --> 00:30:30,600 Speaker 1: ones rising, the thick rivers spilling over the land, the 482 00:30:30,680 --> 00:30:36,280 Speaker 1: frothing biology. I keep sipping now. The neurotransmitters are seeping 483 00:30:36,280 --> 00:30:39,160 Speaker 1: into my consciousness, softening the edges of the new England 484 00:30:39,160 --> 00:30:44,080 Speaker 1: winter outside. Just for a moment, time stands still, and 485 00:30:44,120 --> 00:30:47,160 Speaker 1: the hot jungle rises. Out of my bowl. There's an 486 00:30:47,160 --> 00:30:50,640 Speaker 1: echo of ayahuasca on the periphery, a sheen of colors 487 00:30:50,840 --> 00:30:54,840 Speaker 1: merging into a brown vortex of oneness, and I just 488 00:30:55,080 --> 00:30:57,640 Speaker 1: sit with it for a while. I don't know how long, 489 00:30:58,240 --> 00:31:07,320 Speaker 1: an hour, a second, and then of course time snaps back. 490 00:31:08,280 --> 00:31:26,120 Speaker 1: The bowl is empty, an existence flows on. Thank you 491 00:31:26,160 --> 00:31:28,720 Speaker 1: for listening to the show again. If you want to 492 00:31:28,760 --> 00:31:31,360 Speaker 1: get a taste of some Wild Chocolate. Head to Stetler 493 00:31:31,480 --> 00:31:45,200 Speaker 1: Dash Chocolate dot Com link in the show notes. Wild 494 00:31:45,240 --> 00:31:48,800 Speaker 1: Chocolate is a Kaleidoscope production with I Heart podcast hosted 495 00:31:48,800 --> 00:31:51,720 Speaker 1: and reported by me Rowan Jacobson and produced by Shane 496 00:31:51,760 --> 00:31:55,400 Speaker 1: McKeon at Nice Marmatt Media. Edited by Kate Osborne and 497 00:31:55,520 --> 00:31:58,720 Speaker 1: my Guest out of Kudor. Sound design and mixing by Soundboard. 498 00:31:59,280 --> 00:32:02,800 Speaker 1: Original music composition by Spencer Stevenson, a k a Botany 499 00:32:03,400 --> 00:32:06,880 Speaker 1: production help from Baheeny Shorty from My Heart. Our executive 500 00:32:06,880 --> 00:32:10,720 Speaker 1: producers are Katrina Norvelle and Nikki Etre. Special thanks to 501 00:32:10,800 --> 00:32:16,520 Speaker 1: Laura Mayor, Costaslinos Ozwalash and Aaron Kaufman, Will Pearson, codel Burn, 502 00:32:16,920 --> 00:32:20,000 Speaker 1: Bob Pittman, Daria Daniel and the team at Stetler who 503 00:32:20,000 --> 00:32:22,160 Speaker 1: are helping us make a very special chocolate of our own. 504 00:32:22,840 --> 00:32:25,760 Speaker 1: That's right, We're working with Louisa at Others to protect 505 00:32:25,800 --> 00:32:30,920 Speaker 1: the rainforest and make delicious Amazonian chocolate. Visit www Dot 506 00:32:30,960 --> 00:32:34,200 Speaker 1: Stetler Dash Chocolate dot com to taste it for yourself. 507 00:32:34,840 --> 00:32:40,000 Speaker 1: That's www Dot Stetler dash Chocolate dot com. And if 508 00:32:40,000 --> 00:32:41,560 Speaker 1: you want to hear more of this type of content, 509 00:32:41,880 --> 00:32:44,440 Speaker 1: Nothing is more important to the creators here at Kaleidoscope 510 00:32:44,680 --> 00:32:48,880 Speaker 1: than subscribers, ratings, and reviews. Please spread the love wherever 511 00:32:48,920 --> 00:32:49,320 Speaker 1: you listen.