Neurogastronomy of Bean To Bar

Join me as we learn all about the flavour and neurogastronomy of dark fine chocolate! We will even make our own fresh bean to chocolate from scratch during the class, that is, from the cocoa bean itself! We will also delve into the science of neurogastronomy and how it pertains to chocolate. We will learn about flavour and our senses, practical tools for tasting and interpreting fine chocolate like a professional, and conduct our own blind tastings followed by an interactive individual and group analysis. Anyone can learn to appreciate fine chocolate, and I’m here to help make that happen!

- A FEW SEATS LEFT -

The mysteries behind your favourite food are revealed.

Taste how chocolate is made! Think you know where chocolate comes from? Think again. This workshop journeys through the process of chocolate making while following how the flavour this glorious food develops along the way.

Enjoy at least 20 samples of cacao and chocolate related products, including some of the finest bean to bar chocolate made today. We will also make our own chocolate from scratch, that is, from the cocoa bean! You will get a chance at the end to taste and take some home!

This unpacks the 3 major areas of flavour development: the genetics, the growers, and the chocolate makers. We will sample various cacao and chocolate from various makers (local and international), various origins, varieties of cacao, and the many types of chocolate available today.

We will also cover what you need to know when purchasing chocolate for eating or baking, including understanding ingredients, interpreting labels, pricing, trade relationships, and how you as an individual can impact the future of our chocolate!

This workshop is one of a kind, and will open your eyes to what really goes on behind each chocolate bar. 

Theme & Topic for this meetup is:

New York City! Join us as we will delve into some usual and unusual bean to bar chocolate coming from New York City. We will also learn about what raw chocolate is, and how it differs from the rest. Come with questions!

Be Aware Of New Location in Gastown!

This is a local Vancouver chocolate meetup where we taste and discuss all things bean to bar (chocolate made from scratch). Bean to bar chocolate is a new movement in the chocolate world, and we want you to be a part of it! It is open to the public, from the novice to the enthusiast. It’s a great way to learn about fine chocolate in a welcoming and casual setting. All samples focus on plant based, gluten free, and fairly traded dark chocolate. Local craft chocolate bars will be available for purchase. #supportlocal

We will teleport ourselves ten thousand years before present, and learn all about where chocolate originated and those who shaped it to become the food we love today. We will travel over millennia and centuries as we taste the various forms chocolate took, and return to the 21st Century to learn about what fine chocolate is today.

This workshop will offer you a brief yet concise overview of the history of chocolate. There will be at least 20 samples of chocolate and cacao related products to taste as we enjoy stories and historical facts of how chocolate came to be.

We will learn how it shaped the lives of those before us, and what we can do today to pave a path of quality flavour, craftsmanship, and sustainable relationships.