Yesterday I visited Chocolopolis, the new chocolate shop on Queen Anne. As I expected, it felt rather boutiquey, but you probably have to go for that feel if you're opening a shop in that neighborhood. It did feel like a shrine and, as someone who experiences awe in the face of the magical cacao bean, I felt appropriately reverent.
The chocolates are arranged by region. I told the salesperson that my all time favorite chocolate bar is Michel Cluizel's Mangaro, and she pointed out that, because it's from Madagascar, I should try other varieties from the same area. It was a good suggestion, and I'll probably take her up on it next time around.
This time I bought a bar made from beans grown in Northeastern Brazil. My sweetie is Brazilian, and I'd never run into a Brazilian chocolate bar before, so I couldn't resist. I also picked up a bar from a company called Askenosie, which had a photo on the front of the farmers who grew the beans. I loved the packaging, which was deeply rustic and had a piece of twine at the top.
I checked out the company's website, which explained that the proprietor personally meets each of the growers who supplies his beans, pays them more than they would receive with a fair trade arrangement, and even offers them profit sharing. The chocolate was good (although for flavor alone, I'd still choose Mangaro,) but I'm really glad to have discovered this company. I'm partial to approaches that creatively circumvent programs like organic certification and Fair Trade, especially when they exceed the certification program's standards, and rely on their own outreach to communicate about the integrity of their practices.
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