50. Interviews with Six Chocolate Pioneers

November 5, 2023.

The current chocolat revolution is called "The Bean-to-Bar Revolution". Here are six Interviews with pioneers who contributed to it.  I interviewed them at the 2023 Salon du Chocolat in Paris.

Andal Balu (USA): how she contributed to the use of the Indian wet grinder to enable the bean-to-bar revolution.

Maxime Elegbede (Benin):  a Beninien banker who dove into chocolate after trying to sell teak trees.  He started a business, Okochoko (chocolate farm).

Ndeh Dieudonné (Cameroon):  director of Soctracao in Cameroon. He has trained many women and men in cocoa transformation in 7 villages in the main cocoa production area.  Women have particularly benefitted by becoming economically independent.

Neal Kelsall (Madagascar):  developing strategies to reduce cost of transportation.  Superiority of small-batch cocoa butter.  Strategy to be the best.  Message to consumers:  fresh.  Short line between the farm and the producer.

Michael Poole (USA):  a chef who does corporate gifts, Seattle, WA.  Teaches chocolate making.

Alain D'Aboville (France):  building a small chocolate factory in Haiti.  Making chocolate at the origin is a fascinating proposition because bringing the farmer up the value chain can effect change.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Open Prelude number one. Chopin Prelude Number Three. Bach number four. Showpan number fifteen. Number sixteen is not ready yet. Bach number twenty two. Chopin seventeen.