Exotic Chocolate Tasting » Fair Trade chocolate

Chocolate with a Conscience

Roxanne Browning — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 17:41:59 +0000

Welcome. “Chocolate with a Conscience” is where you have just arrived. Chocolate has found its way into your heart and body, but has

Wine and Chocolate

it reached your soul? What is she talking about, I just came here to buy some chocolate online!

Not just any chocolate… the best chocolates are made by farmers that are fairly compensated and preserve the delicate ecosystem of their rain forests. (known as Fair Trade or Direct Trade) By ethical chocolate makers that partner with the farmers then transform cocoa beans with few ingredients with integrity and love to capture chocolates true essence in your dark chocolate bar.

My mission though Exotic Chocolate Tasting is to bring awareness of the people that created the chocolate, the chocolate health benefits, and to demonstrate how to mindfully savor every morsel for your well being in a guided tasting experience.

Explore this site, whether you decide to book an event or make a purchase, leave with a little more intent for your soul.

In Deed and in Truth we are all one.

Wine and Chocolate Pairing Class

Roxanne Browning — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 21:14:59 +0000

A Palate Pleasing Adventure!

Perfect for foodies that want something new, or for anyone who wants to enhance their appreciation of wine and chocolate while having fun! Learn how to identify the complimentary flavors of wine and chocolate using all the senses and discover a fun new way to enjoy your favorite pleasures.

Each wine bar, winery or restaurant will be a different experience. Like a snowflake, each pairing is unique. New York’s Chocolate Sommelier does the hard work finding the pairing that will compliment…you enjoy!

NY Chocolate Sommelier Adventures to Amazon to learn Chocolate Making from Natives

Roxanne Browning — Fri, 06 May 2011 19:26:41 +0000

Roxanne will be volunteering at the Kallari cocoa cooperative in the heart of Ecuador’s Amazon rainforest from June 7-16 to learn chocolate making from the cacao pod to the bar.

This will be a ‘hands on’ experience on how chocolate is made by the indigenous people. Kallari Chocolate has created sustainable income so Kichwa people can fulfill basic family needs without logging the rainforests or selling their land.

Living with a host family, assisting in communal chores and harvesting cacao for market. The organizer recommended a Swiss Army knife or can opener as an appropriate “thank you” for the host family. This put everything into perspective, we take for granted our comforts…the Kichwa people live simply and respect the land. The collective, comprised of 850 families make up this cooperative, living in huts that have no plumbing or electric, the more affluent families have concrete floors and an out-house. My idea of camping is staying at a Super 8 motel, so this will be a real challenge for a Long Island gal that has never been without a hair dryer!

The experience will enrich my ability to convey the importance of location, cocoa bean variety and the terroir that make up the chocolate served at my Exotic Chocolate Tasting events. It will also put a face on the farmers who produce the product–an important part of the growing farm-to-plate education trend.

Knowing the source of their food empowers consumers, they can make a choice between sustainable chocolate versus commercial chocolate made from bulk cocoa beans imported from West African countries that exploit child slaves. Once they are aware, will consumers opt for the bar, chocolate bunny or Santa made from commercial chocolate or direct or fair trade chocolate? My mission is to bring awareness so that they will opt for the one that helps, not hurts children from other nations.

Exotic Chocolate Tasting Events video

Roxanne Browning — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 20:22:15 +0000

What’s in your Easter Basket?

Roxanne Browning — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 14:21:49 +0000

Chances are Child Slaves Harvested the Cocoa to Make Your Child’s Bunny

This fact the cocoa industry chooses to hide and has broken international agreements not to import beans from West African countries that support slave labor. The exporters buy children as young as 7 years old to cut down the cocoa pods with machetes and harvest the beans.

These children are smuggled into the Ivory Coast by human traffickers with the promise that they will make money for their needy families in nearby countries. These families never see their children again. Human traffickers make about $230 euros per child. Their corrupt government has covered up this issue since cocoa is their leading export.

How sad it is that American children receive “Blood Chocolate” to celebrate a Holy day at the expense of children their own age. If you give chocolate for Easter, do not give any chocolate make by Hershey, MM Mars, Godiva, Cadbury, Nestle, Kraft or any generic or brand drug store chocolate. Look for the Fair Trade label or Direct Trade that is described on the label.

Exotic Chocolate Tasting approves of the following sources: Savorique has fine chocolates that are slave free, also you can find them at Food Emporium, Fairway, Whole Foods and health food stores. Even local chocolatiers buy bulk chocolate to re-melt it down and mold into those cute bunnies. They may not even know that the bean source is from West Africa, where the in the Ivory Coast alone 12,000 children are enslaved.

Be an informed and caring consumer by knowing where your chocolate and other foods like coffee and tea comes from. More info found on “What is Fair Trade” tab above.

Put down that Whitman Sampler! There is child slavery in those bonbons!

Roxanne Browning — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 18:39:40 +0000

The chocolate that’s used for those boxed bonbons and candy bars found at all retail stores are made from bulk low quality (really no quality) that is bought on the commodities trade from West Africa. 42% of the worlds cocoa beans come from the Ivory Coast were an estimated 12,000 children are forced to work on their 600,000 cocoa farms which together account for one-third of the nation’s entire economy.

These children typically come from countries such as Mali, Burkina, Faso, and Togo. Destitute parents in these poverty-stricken lands surrender their children to traffickers believing that they will find honest work once they arrive in Ivory Coast and then send some of their earnings home. But that’s not what happens. These children, usually 12-to-14-years-old but sometimes younger, are forced to do hard manual labor 80 to 100 hours a week. They are paid nothing, are barely fed and are beaten regularly if they do not cooperate. Most will never see their families again.

Human traffickers make about 230 euros per child. The Ivory Coast’s corrupt government has covered up this issue since cocoa is their leading export. Filmmaker U Roberto Romano’s “The Dark Side of Chocolate” documentary, went to West Africa to uncover modern day slavery. (The link above provides a peek and info of the movie)

Three major corporations – ADM, Cargill and Callebaut harvest 75% of the worlds cocoa, all have headquarters in the Ivory Coast and control the pricing that supply chocolate manufactures with their cocoa beans. Neslie headquartered in the Ivory cost for 50 years claim they no nothing about child slaves. Furthermore, Hershey’s refuses to disclose the source of their cocoa beans. The $13 billion U.S. chocolate industry is heavily dominated by just two firms – Hershey’s and M&M Mars – who control two-thirds of the market. Unfortunately, both of these companies fall into the category of those companies who use large amounts of Ivory Coast cocoa, and whose products are almost certainly produced in part by slavery.

M&M Mars and Hershey Foods Corp. are not alone. Other companies whose chocolate is almost certainly tainted with child slavery include: Ben & Jerry’s, Cadbury Ltd., Chocolates by Bernard Callebaut, Fowler’s Chocolate, Godiva, Guittard Chocolate Company, Kraft, See’s Candies, The Chocolate Vault, and Toblerone. While most of these companies have issued condemnations of slavery, and expressed a great deal of moral outrage that it exists in the industry, they each have acknowledged that they use Ivory Coast cocoa and so have no grounds to ensure consumers that their products are slavery-free.

In 2001, all chocolate manufactures signed an international agreement not to engage in child slavery, but there is no enforcement and the abuse continues. The same year, our Government failed to pass a rider to an agricultural bill proposing a federal system to certify and label chocolate products as “slave free”. Lobbyist for the American chocolate manufactures won that battle.

Make the effort to seek out Fair Trade or Direct Trade Chocolate makers. About a dozen are listed on my web site, buy direct from them, as I don’t have a financial interest, just want visitors make the ethical choice.

Another way to assure your chocolate purchase is slave free is to look for the Fair Trade label or Direct Trade. Also, look for organic chocolate, since it’s not produced in West Africa.

Indulging in quality hand crafted chocolate guarantees that farmers receive fair wages for their crop, sustains the rain forests and helps shed light on the unethical practices of greedy corporations.

Educate yourself further. Good sources of information include:

· Global Exchange Global Exchange.org

· The Child Labor Coalition Stop Child Labor.org

· Anti-Slavery Stop Chocolate Slavery

· Fair Trade Trans Fair USA.org

. Chocolate Slavery

Exotic Chocolate Tasting

Roxanne Browning — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 01:01:23 +0000

http://www.exoticchocolatetasting.com How to enjoy the nuances of fine chocolate and savor its many dimensions and sensations. Four friends sample single-origin dark chocolate bars; hints of spices and other complex overtures to elegant truffles. Much like a wine tasting, your taste buds explode by one of life’s indulgences that is actually good for you.

Duration : 0:4:1

Host an Exotic Chocolate Tasting

Roxanne Browning — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 20:57:59 +0000

Click to short video of events

Roxanne will guide you and your guests on a journey discovering chocolates from Madagascar, the Amazon rain forest and tropical Islands paired with wine or straight up. A passport around the world from your home, office, restaurant or wine bar. An affordable luxury creating a smart and distinct event that is both entertaining and educational, providing value within budget. Have fun with friends, family, coworkers, or business associates in this palate pleasing adventure!

Tasting chocolate is different than eating chocolate
Single-origin chocolate makers rely on the flavor of the cacao bean to shine. Unique as a snowflake, each handcrafted bar will have a distinct flavor profile. Enjoy these award winning chocolates while discovering their journey from the bean to the bar, how they sustain the rainforests and its indigenous people and mindfully savor each bite for your well being.

Chocolate & wine…now that’s a perfect sensory experience! The concept of chocolate enhancing the flavors and nuances of wine is proven each time a guest has that second sip with the chocolate. An “aha!” moment follows — Infusion of flavors using all the senses will reveal a fun new way to enjoy these beloved pleasures. Beer/spirits chocolate pairings are also available. See the video below for a peek!

Chocolate & Wine Pairing Event

A Chocolate Pairing or Tasting includes:

Each event can be customized to meet your needs:
• The world of chocolate – an interactive presentation – History of chocolate, how it’s made, the health benefits, and what to look for and avoid on a chocolate bar label
• Guided tasting of flights of chocolate; from 3 to 6 organic Direct Trade dark, milk, white, fusion, raw from 60%-80% cacao from all over the world
• Chocolate tasting place mats for rating; describe the aromas, textures and flavors

Your venue or at wine bars, winery or restaurants. Details & pricing to host an Exotic Chocolate Tasting, call or email Roxanne at 631-252-0658 ExoticChocolateTasting@gmail.com

See listing of public events on the right panel in the New York area

GIFT CERTIFICATES – Available for all public events. Sent by email or snail mail. References available upon request

Theo Chocolate

Roxanne Browning — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 00:44:01 +0000

Video produced for Theo Chocolate, now live on the MSN/Kashi website:
http://healthyliving.msn.com/default.aspx?section=video&contentType=video&contentId=54&source=mailtoyou

Features TransFair USA footage & information on Fair Trade!

Duration : 0:2:49

Exotic Chocolate Tasting is on the air!

Roxanne Browning — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 20:33:59 +0000

Reservations now taken for the Chocolate Covered Wine Dinner at A Mano Osteria & Wine Bar on Long Islands East End, November 28 at 5 pm www.amanorestaurant.com

Interview with Roxanne on Chef Extraordinaire Tom Schaudel radio talk show aired Sept. 25 WHLI 1100 AM Tom Schaudel, owner of famed restaurants Cool Fish and A Mano; the author of Playing with Fire and host of his radio show of the same name. Tom, along with his co-host, Malibu Sue, talk chocolate, wine and even pair wines with artisan chocolates on the air! Passionate foodies salivate over his show and I was honored to be his guest. Listen on the WHLI website (click on Sept. 25) or click on the podcast link below.

PODCAST: “Playing with Fire” http://podcast.whli.com/whli/2605484.mp3