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Post by vivachoco on Jun 22, 2006 18:12:36 GMT -5
are any of you familiar with dagoba chocolates? on their website www.dagobachocolate.com it says "We're family owned and dedicated to the Art of Chocolate Alchemy: transforming cacao into exquisite chocolate through Full Circle Sustainability (tm) that blends quality, ecology, equity & community."So I wonder if there is any connection? To anybody here? Yes? No? I bought a 5lb bag of their roasted organic cocoa beans I happened to see at a store. I thought I might just as well try what somebody else's roast would taste like. ;D Does anybody know what kind of cocoa beans they would be? The label does not specify. Thanks
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Post by Samantha Madell on Jun 22, 2006 19:15:35 GMT -5
Hi vivachoco,
In answer to your question about what kind of cocoa beans you've bought: if the label doesn't specify, then they're almost certainly Forastero. I say this because, statistically, there's a greater than 90% chance that they're the most common variety (Forastero) ... and if they were something rarer, Dagoba would almost certainly be promoting that fact.
In answer to your question about forum members' familiarity with Dagoba ... well, the company sticks firmly in my mind for two reasons:
1) "Dagoba" also happens to be the planet that Yoda comes from (except that Yoda spells it with an "h" on the end), and
2) Dagoba's decision to associate themselves with the term "alchemy" (i.e. the pseudo-science of turning base metals - such as lead - into gold) is highly ironic and unfortunate, given that they recently had to recall a number (but not all) of their products due to lead contamination.
Sam
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Post by vivachoco on Jun 22, 2006 20:22:12 GMT -5
thanks sam, your logic makes sense. mm. so at dagoba they are turning gold into lead ;D -- well, i should not be saying that. the cocoa beans smell and look good - so lets see what chocolate made out of them tastes like.
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Post by Alchemist on Jun 23, 2006 15:47:52 GMT -5
Actually, most of their beans are Trinatario, and if memory serves, the nibs are from South America, but I can't recall the region. Costa Rica maybe. His take on it is to let the beans and chocolate speak for itself. Frederick (of Dagoba) likes to roast very lightly, and likes a particular bright snap in the chocolate he makes, so you will see that in those nibs. And as for familiarity, I know Frederick. He is a wonderful, giving man. If not for him, Chocolate Alchemy would not be where it is today. He was the one source of information I had in the begining and was completely open about it. Very few (present company excluded) are that open in the chocolate making industry. As for the name, yoda's planet is pronounced differently (Dag-o-ba vs Da-go-ba). Dagoba is an old word for temple if I recall. Finally, what can I say, I am fond of fellow alchemists and that we both came to the name and reference completely independantly ( I had not heard of Dagoba when I created Chocolate Alchemy)
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Post by vivachoco on Jun 24, 2006 16:12:55 GMT -5
john - great to hear you have such positive thoughts about dagoba. i think openness means more good to go around for everyone. i am so thankful to you and this forum - without you i would not have thought it actually was possible to make chocolate from beans at home. quite a life changing experience actually.
i have not tried the dagoba nibs yet. but i did your criollo (84% cocoa) and trinitario (75% cocoa), which both came out divine. i liked trinitario more (maybe because i made a lighter gentler roast) and the taste is quite bright. but truffles made from criollo are unlike any i or my friends have ever tasted. i think (in my humble inexperienced first attempt opinion) that it may be a bean that by itself is an acquired taste, but when combined with something it does not hide itself, but reveals, and just blossoms.
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