When I host a corporate tasting, I have a minute to explain the difference between the fine chocolate in front of the attendees and the bars in the candy aisle of a grocery store. Here’s what I say.

Imagine spending a lifetime thinking of beef as nothing but fast food burger material. You’ve eaten burgers between meetings, in your car or at your desk. You swallow the last bite while watching a YouTube video.

Then, one day, you discover steak. Eating a steak, you realize, isn’t like wolfing down a burger.

You arrange it on a nice plate and use real silverware.

You put some jazz music in the background.

You pour some wine and feel time stretch. Perhaps you even invite some friends.

In fact, you don’t eat that steak, you savor it.

Tasting fine chocolate for the first time us like discovering a steak after a lifetime of eating burgers. Enjoying it requires us to think of our consumption style differently.

Chocolate, I’ve learned, deserves our respect. We can do that is by learning its history and making it the center of gatherings. Do you agree? Leave a comment and let me know.

“Do you still feel the chocolate magic?”

I was catching up with my friend and colleague Shobitha when she asked me that question.

“Yes,” I immediately said.

Although a lot has changed since the 37 Chocolates challenge, I keep discovering show-stopping bars that help me renew my vows with that magical food. Most recently, I found Paris to be an exciting place for chocolate. Whether that’s a new bean-to-bar maker or a change in ownership at a well-established company, the City of Lights is filled with chocolate surprises.

In this post, which is the third installment of The Craft Chocolate-Lover’s Guide to Paris series, I’ll share the highlights of my 2023 visit. These spots will appeal to fine chocolate lovers who enjoy a high percentage dark chocolate bar as much as well-crafted confection. Bookmark this post for your next trip and remember to revisit Part 1 and Part 2. I’ll soon compile them in a single PDF file with tips to make the most of your trip – sign up for the newsletter to be notified of its release.

Chocolat Chapon

Originally Buckingham Palace’s dedicated ice cream maker, Patrice Chapon established Chocolat Chapon in 1986 in Chelles, a suburb of Paris. Similar to renowned French brands like Bonnat, Cluizel, or Pralus, the company specializes in bean-to-bar chocolate production, sourcing cacao beans from various origins and crafting them into chocolate.

Chapon remained somewhat under the radar in the French chocolate scene until the company unveiled its “bar à mousse” (chocolate mousse bar) at the Salon du Chocolat in 2006. It was instant success. Chocolate mousse is the most popular French dessert (every French person, myself included, has made the recipe on the back of a Nestlé baking bar), so the concept captured the media attention, catapulting Chapon into the spotlight.

During my visit to the Rue du Bac shop last June, I indulged in a cup of mousse made with 100% Venezuelan chocolate, with just 40g of sugar added to the entire batch. It was, hands down, the most delicious mousse I’ve ever tasted – simultaneously dense and fluffy, bursting with rich chocolate flavor. I scraped every drop from my cone-shaped paper cup.

The single origin bars I selected were equally outstanding. In fact, the 70% Venezuelan Porcelana ranked among the top three bars I sampled in 2023. While Chapon bars had previously been hit-or-miss for me, I now look forward to trying their 25 single origin varieties, including those from Ecuador, Madagascar, and Bolivia. I’m especially intrigued by the licorice and tonka bean white chocolate bar, which tops my chocolate wish list.

It’ll be interesting to observe Chocolat Chapon’s evolution in the near future. In 2022, François Chapon sold 90% of the company shares to the investment group FrenchFood Capital. The new CEO, Cédric Taravella, has ambitious plans for Chapon, including expanding the number of Parisian shops. As long as the chocolate bars and mousses are as swoon-worthy as last year, I’ll remain a happy customer.

Chocolat Chapon

69 rue du Bac

75007 Paris

Opening hours:

Monday: 2:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Tuesday-Saturday: 9:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Sunday: 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM

L’Artisan du Chocolat

The best chocolate in Paris… may not be in Paris. Wait, what?

A bean-to-bar maker, Abdel El Baïz founded l’Artisan du Chocolat in the Western suburbs of Paris after a stint at La Maison du Chocolat and a cacao-centered trip to Ecuador. In addition to a range of single origin 78% bars, Abdel offers delicious confections like chocolate-covered candied oranges and rochers. Customers consistently line up for the signature “Noisettes de l’Évêque” [the bishop’s hazelnuts], which are a cross between a truffle and a rocher. After trying Abdel’s creations, I feel comfortable saying that L’Artisan du Chocolat tops my 2023 list of bean-to-bar chocolate in France. The 78% Haiti dark chocolate tastes like chocolate pudding with spices. It’s perfect.

You’ll find L’Artisan du Chocolat products in two small towns where most tourists won’t venture, but perhaps you will? The original workshop is the only business in Evecquemont, a village of 750 people known for its château and spotty cell phone reception. The second location is in Triel-sur-Seine, a larger town accessible from Paris by train. The café/shop serves drinks with an unbeatable view on the Seine river.

L’Artisan du Chocolat

23A rue de Chollet

78740 Evecquemont

Opening hours:

Monday, Tuesday: CLOSED
Wednesday: 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM; 2:00 PM – 7:30 PM
Thursday: CLOSED
Friday: 2:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Saturday: 9:00 am – 12:00 pm, 2:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Sunday: 10:00 am – 2:00 pm

Place Philippe Prévost

78510 Triel-sur-Seine

Monday: CLOSED
Tuesday – Saturday: 10:00 am – 2:00 pm; 3-7 pm
Sunday: CLOSED

Debauve et Gallais

Can we talk about Parisian chocolate without talking about one of the oldest chocolate shops in the city? I think not.

Debauve et Gallais was once known for being “the chocolate of the kings” and by “kings” we’re talking Louis XVIII and Charles X, who reigned in the 1800’s, both after the French Revolution and Napoleon I’s rule. This is an era referred to as Restoration.

A former pharmacist, Sulpice Debauve created chocolate pistoles or little chocolate disks that made Marie-Antoinette’s medicine more palatable. In 1800, or 11 years after the French Revolution, Sulpice left his pharmacy behind to open a chocolate shop in Paris. It didn’t take long for Sulpice to crush his business goals and, in just 4 years, he opened 65 “dépôts” aka franchise locations throughout France.

In 1823, soon after getting his first awards, he partnered with his nephew and fellow pharmacist Auguste Gallais. Together, they developed “diet chocolate” made with almond milk, vanilla, and orange blossom. Debauve and his nephew continued growing the company by sticking to quality and innovating. I was stunned to discover they invented Lactoline aka dehydrated chocolate milk before milk powder was a thing.

A true chocolate steward, Auguste Gallais wrote Monographie du cacao in 1827 to spread knowledge about cacao. If you read French, I HIGHLY recommend you get the book which blew me away by its accessible language and relevant content.

Today, Debauve et Gallais has two locations in Paris, where you’ll find the famous pistoles, chocolates, and bars as well as teas. The cherry cordial bonbons are apparently fantastic. Last year, a gentleman came in a rush asking for a box of them. The shopkeepers told him it would take 10 minute to prepare their order, so the customer told his taxi driver to wait a few more minutes. Leave it to French to wait for good food.

With new CEO Domitille Jollois at its helm, the company is going through a series of exciting changes, starting with a beautiful, fresh rebrand. I can’t wait to sit down with Domitille and learn more about her vision for this institution.

Debauve et Gallais Flagship Store

30 Rue des Saints-Pères

75007 Paris

Opening hours:
Monday through Saturday 9–7 pm
Sunday: CLOSED

Debauve et Gallais Vivienne

33 Rue Vivienne

75002 Paris

Opening hours:
Monday through Friday: 9:30 a.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Saturday: 10:30 a.m. – 7:30 p.m.

Jade Genin

Jade Genin’s confections are my latest Parisian chocolate crush. The daughter of famed chocolatier Jacques Genin, Jade left a successful career as an attorney to start her own chocolate brand in 2022. Located near the Opera, a couple of doors down from pastry superstars Pierre Hermé and Cédric Grolet, the shop stands out with its minimalist, yet opulent aesthetic. Inside, the white walls and golden touch provide the perfect background for the naturally colored confections.

The signature product is the little pyramid which, at half the weight of a regular bonbon, delivers a burst of flavor in each bite. You’ll be surprised that the dark chocolate pyramids are completely vegan (water ganache). The mint one was my favorite, it tastes so pure, so fresh. The pyramids are packed in a gold metal box that you can bring back for a refill. Since the confections are small, you can taste several without overloading your palate. Jade intentionally designed the line that way.

I’m personally a fan of the delicate, gold-dusted rochers and of her work with pistachios (ooh, the spread). Interestingly, the young artisan picked couverture chocolate by Xoco Gourmet which is single varietal and made at origin.

In addition to being a phenomenal chocolatier, she’s also founding member of the Bondir-e association, whose mission is to help foster safer work cultures in professional kitchens.

With her crafts(wo)manship and sense of aesthetic, Jade is a breath of fresh air in the world of Parisian chocolate. You may check her shop out because of her last name, but you’ll come back for her modern, delicious, and very well crafted bites. Mark my words: this is just the beginning for Jade.

PS: You should see the lines at Cédric Grolet’s shop next door. Definitely pre-order online if you don’t want to return to your hotel empty-handed.

Jade Genin

33 Avenue de l’Opéra

75002 Paris

Opening hours :
Monday: CLOSED.
Tuesday-Friday: 11 am-7 pm.
Saturday: 11 am-7:30 pm
Sunday: 11:30 am-6:30 pm

Patrick Roger

If you’re heading to Paris soon, make time to check out one of the 7 Patrick Roger locations in the city. This French chocolatier and sculptor has a devoted following that swears by his chocolates — Patrick Roger sells 4 million pieces each holiday season across the world.

What’s so special about the chocolates? I tasted my way through one of the signature green boxes to find out.

The ganaches stood out with their very smooth texture and strong cacao aromas. The pralinés may have been the best I’ve had thanks to a strong nut content tamed by just a touch sugar. I loved the chocolate-covered orange slices. The signature product is the first chocolate the craftsman sold, a rocher called “Instint” or “Instinct” in English.

Fun fact: I remember finding the box heavy for its size when I left the shop and it took a while to realize why — the entire bottom is covered by a chocolate & nib bar.

What stood out the most from walking into one his sleek, black-colored shops was the creative freedom the French artisan lets himself have. From molding a huge chocolate sumo for the storefront to naming a candy bar S*X, Patrick Roger breaks all the codes of what a high end chocolate shop should be. Perhaps it’s that sense of freedom that keep his customers coming back.

Patrick Roger

7 locations across Paris, plus 2 in the suburbs. Check the Patrick Roger website for all 9 addresses.

Sign up for the 37 Chocolates newsletter to be notified of blog updates and upcoming online chocolate tastings. For corporate and private tastings, please fill out this form and I’ll get back to you within 48 hours.

Bonjour 👋 I’m Estelle Tracy, an award-winning food writer and chocolate sommelier in Kennett Square, in the Philadelphia area. Join me on Thursday, March 7, 2024, at 6:30 pm ET on Zoom for an overview of chocolate-making and tasting basics. This tasting is for you if you’ve been following me for a while but have been too intimidated to join an event. Or perhaps you caught me on Fox29 and have wondered: is there that much to know about chocolate?

Your ticket includes a tasting kit shipped to your home with USPS Ground Advantage Mail. Please order your ticket by Thursday, February 29, 2024, to allow ample time for delivery. Your kit will include an assortment of milk and dark chocolate samples for 2 people.

We all need a fairy godmother at work, don’t we? In 2023, Bruce was my fairy godfather.

Last August, I gave a talk at a retirement community on “what you didn’t know about chocolate.” At the end of the talk, a gentleman lingered and introduced himself as Bruce, a chocolate consultant.

As it turned out, this gentleman retired from a 40-year career for some of the world’s largest chocolate companies to get involved with meaningful projects. For instance, he helped launch Hope Chocolates in New Jersey to train former convicts on chocolatiering skills. In addition, he’s stayed involved with the Retail Confectioners Association of Philadelphia. Talk about active retirement.

That fall, we met at a Starbucks to brainstorm a seminar topic for the association’s January gathering.

“I have an idea” I told Bruce.

After 8+ years hosting hundreds of chocolate tastings to very diverse groups, I came up with a very simple representation of chocolate consumers on a pyramid.

Interacting with the top of the pyramid is easy. Engaging with the base of the pyramid, NOW that requires creativity. However, that’s where the potential is. When I draw the (very) basic pyramid on my notebook, Bruce’s eyes lit up.

“I like it. Send me a proposal.”

So I did.

Fast forward to last week when I had the honor to present on “the science of taste & the psychology of chocolate consumers” to a crowd of ~ 40 chocolatiers. We talked about supertasters, Emily in Paris, TikTok trends, and why chocolate industry pros should ask their wives about their wrappers. I promise it all blended perfectly.

The audience GOT IT. The feedback was fantastic and I cannot wait to see how attendees upped their marketing game to reach the base of chocolate pyramid consumers.

Now I cannot wait to share this masterclass at conferences and, ultimately, release it as a recorded masterclass. Sign up for my newsletter to be notified of its release.

A big thank you to Bruce for seeing the potential in a pyramid shape and championing my work. Here’s to the next event.

I’m not a chocolate guru.

I don’t have a “dark chocolate” agenda.

When a client hires me, there’s a tacit expectation that I’ll approve or disapprove of their choices.

But I won’t judge you for what you like, because I’m in the business of making you happy. Sure, I’ll tell you what criteria I use to select a chocolate. But I never, ever want to make you feel bad for liking what you like.

When I started my chocolate journey, I looked up to expert figures to approve of a chocolate choice.

Some would say “taste is a personal matter” but, in the same breath, acted like they held dark chocolate or 2-ingredient bars (cacao beans and sugar) in higher regards.

This used to make me feel inadequate, until I decided to focus my attention inward. That’s when I connected with myself and what gave me pleasure.

The truth is, we all come to specialty foods with a baggage full of insecurity. So when we embark on a flavor journey, we need someone who’ll guide us with encouraging words.

Have fun.
Try everything.
Get to know yourself.

This is the advice I give to new chocolate enthusiasts.

The fact is, some people will never ever tolerate, let alone like, dark chocolate because of their genetic make-up.

Google “TAS2R38” to learn why.

When we say something like “dark chocolate is the best” or “white chocolate is not real chocolate,” we subtly imply there is a hierarchy of taste.

And that, to me, isn’t OK.

I’m in the joy business.

I’ll take you on a flavor journey.

You’ll be the one doing the judging.

Sign up for the 37 Chocolates newsletter to be notified of blog updates and upcoming online chocolate tastings. For corporate and private tastings, please fill out this form and I’ll get back to you within 48 hours.

Chocolate mousse is one of the most popular desserts in France. You’ll find it on bistrot menus, in cafeterias, and on the face of many young gourmands. Most French home cooks follow the recipe printed on the back of the 200g bar of Nestle baking chocolate, which calls 7 oz of 52% dark chocolate and 6 eggs.

Now that I live in the US, I make it with 6 oz of 70% chocolate for a deeper, richer chocolate flavor. I usually use 2 bars of BOHO Chocolate’s 70% Ghana ABOCFA bars, which lend the mousse a classic fudgy flavor. You’ll find the 2-bar bundle on the 37 Chocolates e-shop, which ships with the printed recipe.

Making mousse is easy if you make sure to bring your eggs to room temperature beforehand. Otherwise, the chocolate will harden and you’ll have to start over. The recipe below can easily be halved, if desired.

FRENCH CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

Note: the eggs in this recipe aren’t cooked, which can expose you to salmonella. Daniel Haran of Chocolats Monarque recommends sing an immersion circulator to sterilize your eggs.

Ingredients for 6 people

• 6 ounces of 70% dark chocolate, roughly chopped
• 6 large eggs, brought to room temperature, separated

Instructions

1. Start by melting your chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave. If using a microwave, put the chocolate in a large bowl and let it melt in 30-second increments. Stir well after each cooking cycle and be careful not to burn the chocolate. Set aside.
2. While the chocolate is cooling, separate the eggs. Place the whites in a medium bowl and the yolks in a small bowl.
3. With an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form.
4. Combine the egg yolks one by one to the melted chocolate.
5. With a spatula, mix ⅓ of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture, then fold the remaining with a spatula, one cup at a time.
6. Divide the mousse into 6 cups or ramekins and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving.

When I started this blog in 2016, my goal was to introduce you to my favorite chocolate-makers through a series of interviews. Looking back at the blog archives, it’s bittersweet to see that most people I interviewed have closed shop. Acalli Chocolate? Gone. Dulcinea Chocolate? A memory. Batch Craft? An ephemeral beauty.

A few weeks ago, Will Marx officially announced the closure of Wm Chocolate in Madison, Wisconsin. As a chocolate-lover, I’ll miss Will’s bars — his Belize is one of my top 10 dark chocolate of all times — as well as his thoughtful approach to crafting.

I was curious about the motivations behind his decisions, so I invited him to answer a few questions here. I really appreciate Will’s vulnerability in his responses and hope it will help appreciate the work it takes to run a chocolate company.

When we last spoke in 2021, you were a chocolate-maker based in Madison, Wisconsin. Who and where are you today?

I’m still in Madison, working full-time as a web developer.

Your company Wm Chocolate went through several iterations. In the early days, you offered a whole range of single origin dark chocolate. During the pandemic, you narrowed your focus to a few bars, all made with Dominican cacao. What prompted that change?

The decision was based on years of observing chocolate consumers combined with my evolving views of what progress in the chocolate industry should look like. On the consumer side, there aren’t enough people who are willing to regularly pay a premium for the origin factor. At this point, origin-driven differences remain a curiosity, best delivered through occasional experiences, rather than something consumers spend money on regularly. Despite my personal interests, from a business standpoint, it did not make sense to continue spending significant extra resources producing a diverse lineup of origin bars that few people valued. I simply distilled the bars that people liked best into fewer products that cost me less to make, and then sold the results at a lower price, hoping to increase scale.

Having been liberated of any commercial reasons to source raw cacao globally, I was free to focus on doing what seemed best for origin economies and the environment. Sourcing cacao mass from as close to home as possible (hence, the DR) grew out of this newfound freedom.

Wm stood out by its decision in 2021 to import cacao mass vs. cacao beans imported from origin. Can you elaborate on that? 

There are about a dozen reasons why it’s a better approach. It is more equitable because more of the product’s value is added at origin. Costs are lower because there is no waste to ship–mass is extremely dense and fully usable, unlike raw cacao. Emissions are lower for the same reason. Quality is better because mass is much easier to protect during transit compared to raw cacao. My needs for labor and equipment were greatly reduced, allowing me to focus on time and money on growing the business through sales and marketing efforts. The list goes on.

Even though I did not continue the business, the switch was absolutely the right move and made it better by every measure.

From the outside, it seems your company was thriving and doing well. What drove your decision to close Wm?

On the inside, it was always a difficult business. It only continued for so long because I was extremely stubborn and passionate. I wanted to make relatively unadorned dark chocolate bars from extremely thoughtfully sourced ingredients. It turned out that despite my different approaches, and despite what the casual observer may think, the market for dark chocolate bars is quite limited. Without going into too much market detail, there was just nowhere to grow with the bars. Growth would have required adding many products I was not interested in making: perishable chocolates, coffee shop offerings, and the like. Rather than take new risks on products I didn’t want to offer, I stepped away.

How do you personally feel about the end of the Wm. journey?

I’m proud of having made it as far as I did without compromising, enriched by the many lessons I learned, and appreciative of the producers and customers I worked with over the years. At the same time, it was such a struggle that it’s an easy goodbye.

Looking back at your entrepreneurship journey, what do you wish you’d knew when you started? What advice would you have for a new maker? 

As many have said before me, if I knew then what I know now, I would never have started. In my case the specific reason for that is simply that you can’t have a successful business making bars alone, which is all I ever wanted to do. Hence, my advice for other makers is to figure out if they are willing and able to diversify their offerings beyond bars. I would even go so far as to say “forget about bars” when it comes to revenue, because the potential there is just so small relative to what you need to have a stable business.

I’m curious, will you still make chocolate as a hobby or will you buy chocolate for your own consumption?

I have a couple years worth of extra chocolate to eat first, and won’t be making any acquisitions until it’s all gone!

You always stood out as a maker who asked the right questions vs. seeking answers. What’s a question you have for the craft chocolate industry? 

How are we going to transfer a bigger piece of the pie to cacao-growing countries? Buying raw materials is never going to make much of a difference, no matter how much extra we pay for quality. We need to help origin economies capture more of the value added to raw cacao so that they grow stronger at large and can help their farmers weather changes in climate, farming technology, and beyond.

Sign up to the 37 Chocolates newsletter to be notified of blog updates and upcoming online chocolate tastings. For corporate and private tastings, please fill out this form and I’ll get back to you within 48 hours.