CHUAO VS JAVA.

Laughable of course to most chocolatiers. Chuao comes from a plantation in Choroni, along Venezeula's Caribbean coast. That much I knew. To get more Paul Lewis, a writer with the Guardian, who travelled to Choroni, helped.

As you approach this village in a large valley, the arid scent of fermenting beans shows you the way. A small pretty village of nicely painted houses and a church. They produce about 20 tonnes of cocoa beans a year. It costsabout $12 a kilo. It is a cash windfall for the families that live here. I some places bits that trickle out are sold for about $15 a kilo. The chocolate that it produces is sold for about $20 per 50gm.

Chuao is genetically "pure" Criollo". It was in the early stages abadoned in favour of the more hardy forastero bean. Pure Criollo softer, more aromatic,was neglected. But experts say that this species, like gold dust, still thrives in rainforests in Madagascar, the Carribbean islands and Mexico.

It used to be believed that Chuao has something in the soil, a unique combination of minerals.But it is more likely that the secret of Chuao beans is its inherited methods of growth, fermentation and drying. It is also people. They do as they have been doing for hundreds of years. They keep it small.

It makes me envious. I recall a plantation i recently visited near Ciajur, near Bandung. AS you approach the scent of fermenting beans overwhelms you. Very vinigarish.

Java riollo, as is planted here is also known as red Java. It was imported from Caracas, Venezuela in 1888. This plantation produced about 900kg a ha. With a total crop of 15 tons. In a wet year the crop could be more. Here it certainly looks like the methods of growing, fermenting and drying hasnt changed for years.

Does any great chocolatier use Java. I asked the best I know, Bonnat who produce atop the French Chartreuse Alps.One of the oldest factories in the world. Indeed they use Java cocoa. They produce a 100gm chocolate bar called Bonnat Java 65% Dark Milk Chocolate which is described as "a powerful blond cocoa coming from the Indonesian island of Java. The taste is unique with a creamy sensation on your palate,"

I suspect Java cocoa needs more PR.

FAMOUS CHOCOLATE THIS WEEK.

The chocolate dessert atop the dessert list at Fat Duck currently is Delice of Chocolate which everyone knows is Chocolate Sorbet cumin caramel.

I cant off hand tell you what the recipe is. But judging from Heston Blumenthol's masterpieces, it will be very simple but skillfully prepared. So the chocolate will turn out as if it were made in heaven

The difference in this sorbet is the cumin caramel. Blumentol usuaaly turns out a better caramel than mortals. Blended to this is probably cumin seeds, roasted in a dry pan. This will deliver a impactful cumin flavour to the caramel.

You can imagine the result when it crackles with the sorbet.

Finally I got to taste a morsel from the revered Pierre Marcolini. Some chocoholics may have heared of his exquisite lookingFor sexily tickling taste buds I persume. chocolate heart with gold leaf packed in a box worthy of Tiffany,which replaced diamonds last Valentine's day.

What I got to taste, with compliments from a pasrty chef at Ritz Carlton, Marshmally cube , handmade I was told, with chocolates fragments and sprinkled with little sparks of chocolate.
Marshmallows are difficult to get in Jakarta. But this was not the usual stuff you get. It has more of a light jelly texture. It is French in orgin and called guimauve. I was offered it as part of a dessert. But I chose to eat it srraight and eyed the bag in which it arrived. The chef quickly placed it in his desk draw.

Pierre Marcolini's signature chocolate I am told is a blend of beans from Java and Venezuela.
There are nine varieties of Venezulan beans. But I suspect the bean he uses is Chuao. A hybrid of Trinitaro and Criollo. It is very assertive, sharp, plummy, with hints of molasses. It should blend, I guess well with the light bodied Java.

And talking about Chuao, it is also the brand name of the chocolate of Venezuelan brothers Michael and Richard Antonosri. Ferran Adria, of El Bulli, says it is the best in the world. Their Par Con CHocolate Burbon is filled with roasted Panko bread crumbs in olive oil with a pinch of sea salt. Next week I will tell you about their ancient Mayan chocolate chocolate recipes, if a friend at Four Seasons keeps his promise.