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at Sun, 06 Nov 2005 09:10:20 GMT in >,
(djvigil) wrote :

>
>Mark Thorson Wrote:
>> Blake Jones wrote:
>>
>> On that thought, I was wondering if it would be possible to make
>> a cup of Criollo (or Chuao) hot chocolate.
>>
>First of all it is Criollo and not Griollo. And it is not an Origin but
>rather the type of cacao bean that it is. There are three types
>Forestero(Little flavor but the hardiest therefore less expensive),
>Criollo(most flavorfull and the hardest to grow. It is prone to
>disease and therefore is the most expensive) and Trinitario(A hybrid of
>both Forestero and Criollo. More flavorfull than Forestero but not as
>much as Criollo and more hardy than Criollo but not as much as
>Forestero.)

To some extent, however, this is an oversimplification. Much depends on the
specific varietal, where it was grown, and how it was processed.

For instance, Domori's Ocumare 61, Ocumare 67, and Porcelana (all Criollos)
are very different from each other. And an Ecuador Arriba (Forastero) is
very different from a Ghana Forastero.

Now, very, very broadly, Forasteros tend to be the most bitter. Their
flavours lean towards the earthy and woody. Some have very strong flavours,
others rather weak ones.

Trinitarios usually have a fair amount of bitterness and a lot of
complexity. Their flavours can be spicy and nutty, as well as quite
frequencly having a dark molasses flavour.

Criollos are usually not bitter, and lean towards fruity flavours,
especially mild berries like strawberry and blueberry, in their palette.

There are big exceptions. Ocumare 67 is quite earthy and with a distinct
bitter hit. Arriba has characteristics of blackberry and woods in it.

There are also grey areas. Carenero Superior might be considered either
Criollo or Trinitario. It's more typically Criollo in flavour, and has a
very high proportion of Criollo genetics. It might not be a purebreed, but
then again most "Criollos" aren't purebreeds - the notable exception being
Porcelana. Chuao is generally considered Criollo but it's not a particular
varietal in an exact sense, but rather is any cacao from the village of
Chuao, some of the production of which is actually Forastero.

>The answer is yes there are cocoa powders made from Criollo you just
>have to find them and pay the big $$ for them.

The issue here is that virtually no cocoa powers are specifically labelled
as to varietal. Domori says they're Trinitario without giving more
description. It's a good bet that Cluizel isn't cheap bulk-grade beans but
there's no indication as to source. Valrhona Dutches theirs, which tends to
remove especially a lot of the fine characteristics of a typical Criollo,
so one is inclined to suspect a lower-grade bean, but then again, Ocumare
67 beans would be very amenable to Dutching.

As for Chuao cocoa, AFAIK, Amedei isn't making that yet (I think it would
be a good idea - Chuao would be a very suitable bean indeed for this use).
However, you could easily make hot chocolate with a chocolate bar,
basically using a ganache technique. Grate or chop up some chocolate very
finely. Heat, let's say, 1 cup half and half to just barely simmering. Pour
over about 4 oz. chocolate. Stir gently.

--
Alex Rast

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