Chocolate with a Soul

You are all aware of how much I love chocolate. And we're not talking about your Hershey's and Nestlé, but the good stuff. Chocolate that accounts for the social inequities inherent in cacao cultivation and sale; that is cultivated under conditions in line with natural ecosystem function; and that brings out the flavor and distinct qualities of the diverse cacao around the globe. Yes, I've expounded upon this topic many times in my blog, but this time time there's a twist. Welcome to Chocolate with a Soul!

Over the next month or two (or three?), we will get to know different bean-to-bar chocolate makers. What is this term, you say? Well, bean-to-bar refers to the process of making chocolate - from growing and harvesting the cacao to curing and roasting the beans to crafting a little piece of heaven. Now bean-to-bar does not necessarily indicate any particular ethical bent to the company, but I'm not targeting the major players like Cadbury-Schwepes, Mars, or Lindt. We will focus our attention on the little guys, those with a smaller market share, but a larger heart. This is just a heads up, so stay tuned for the first in the series coming up in the next few days!