Chocolate On The Road – Details, episodes & analysis

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OmNom Chocolate has become semi-famous over the last year, thanks to a Zac Efron show on Netflix. But even before that overnight explosion, OmNom had been quite famous within the craft chocolate industry in its own right. From their rainbow-hued wolf icon to their bold Icelandic flavors— like sea salt and licorice or burnt barley— they’re memorable, to say the least. And as co-founder, Kjartan has been there for all of it.

Over the course of the pandemic, he’s learned to roll with the punches more than ever, first depending upon the Icelandic public to keep them in business, and then manically trying to keep up with demand. In this interview, we dig into topics like production capacity, craft chocolate ice cream, and the tourist attractions in Reykjavik. So without further ado, here’s my interview with Kjartan. I hope you enjoy listening to our conversation as much as I enjoyed having it.

Show Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chocolateontheroad/

Show Notes: https://damecacao.com/interview-kjartan-gislason-omnom-chocolate

Not only is India one of the world’s largest economies, but the country has a huge range of micro-climates, even within each of its 36 states & territories. Of these, four are the most hospitable for growing cacao, and Tamil Nadu is one of them. This is where you’ll find the farms of Regal Plantations and the tiny chocolate factory of Soklet Chocolate, both of which are operated by brothers-in-law Harish Manoj Kumar & Karthi Palaniswamy.

Over the last five years, Karthi & Harish have built up a successful business processing & exporting fine flavor cacao, and making & selling craft chocolate. In this interview, Harish & Karthi and I dig into the development of the Indian cacao & craft chocolate scene, as well as sharing the flavors of India and how covid is affecting their community. I hope you enjoy listening to our conversation as much as I enjoyed having it.

Note that the general topics of Indian cacao & chocolate were the focus of my interview with Harish & Karthi, with the end product being the podcast episode on Indian Chocolate & Cacao.

Show Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chocolateontheroad/

Show Notes: https://damecacao.com/interview-soklet-chocolate/

Since 1995, Zotter Chocolate has been creating confections in southeastern Austria. In 2006, the family-owned and -run company began dabbling in bean to bar chocolates, and since then, they’ve become one of the largest craft chocolate makers in the world. Julia Zotter was raised as a part of the company, and is now its director of creativity after spending several years building up their Shanghai location.

A polyglot by nature, Julia speaks candidly about how her family’s company has been able to grow so much in such a short period of time, and still maintain its commitment to cacao farmers and organic sourcing. In this interview, Julia & I dig into the development of flavors over at Zotter, as well as some of the larger sociocultural pushes towards milk alternatives in chocolate. I hope you enjoy listening to our conversation as much as I enjoyed having it.

Note that milk alternatives in chocolate making was the topic of my interview with Julia, with the end product being the podcast episode on The Rise of Milk Alternatives.

Show Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chocolateontheroad/

Show Notes: https://damecacao.com/interview-julia-zotter-chocolate/

While the vast majority of travelers will associate Fiji only with resorts, pristine beaches, and tribal dances, some visitors will manage to glimpse another side of the islands. For over 100 years, Fijians have been growing cacao, sometimes sporadically, to be sold into the international market. But in recent years, the Pacific Island nation has seen a local chocolate industry appear and slowly develop, similar to what’s happened in Hawaii.

Since 2005, the islands have had small-batch, direct-trade Fijian chocolate circulating to tourists and locals alike. To discover more about the mysterious tale of Fijian chocolate, I spoke with four people involved in various steps of the supply chain, from growing & harvesting cacao to making & selling chocolate. Today’s episode explores how the islands came to grow cacao, and what the vision is for its future.

To read an article related to this episode, click here.

Show notes: https://damecacao.com/chocolate-on-the-road-fiji/

Show Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chocolateontheroad/

While Covid-19 has ravaged populations around the world, it’s also nearly halted the global economy. Almost every industry around the world is heavily affected, most often in the negative, and craft chocolate is no exception. Not only are chocolate sales directly affected, but the supply chain has been interrupted, potentially for many years to come.

So who are the supply chain players who’ve been most & least affected? How might this shift over the next year or two? To find some answers to these queries, I spoke with four people involved in various steps of the supply chain, from growing & harvesting cacao to making & selling chocolate. Today’s episode explores the ways in which Coronavirus has changed the landscape of fine chocolate as we knew it just a few months before, and what you as a consumer can do to help.

To read an article related to this episode, click here.

Show notes: https://damecacao.com/chocolate-on-the-road-coronavirus-killing-craft/

Show Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chocolateontheroad/

For over a decade, Ning has been working in the chocolate industry on peninsular Malaysia. Under his brands Culture Cacao and Chocolate Concierge, he’s now growing, fermenting, and processing his own cacao beans into chocolate. Much of this work has been done alongside re-forestation projects done in the indigenous communities near his home in Kuala Lumpur.

So after a decade of work, why is Ning’s delicious chocolate only sold within Malaysia? Has he inspired a revitalization of Malaysia’s ancient, but dying, cacao culture? In this interview, we dig into the market void that brought Ning to where he is, and what he hopes to accomplish with his many projects over the next decade. I hope you enjoy listening to our conversation as much as I enjoyed having it.

Note that Malaysia was the topic of my interview with Ning, with the end product being the podcast episode on Malaysian cacao & chocolate.

Show Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chocolateontheroad/

Show Notes: https://damecacao.com/interview-ning-geng-ong-founder-chocolate-concierge/

Singapore is much better known for its financial institutions than its fine food selection, and this is for good reason. The options for chocolate lovers in Singapore have increased dramatically over the last several years, but relatively few consumers have become interested. Locals are still more interested in fine cakes and foreign cookies than they are in chocolate. It will take big steps for the Little Red Dot to put itself on the world’s chocolate map. But how about Singaporean consumers?

What could convince Singaporeans to buy more and better chocolate, if anything? To find some answers to this query, I spoke with co-founders from two Singaporean bean to bar chocolate companies, and a bean to bar chocolate retailer in Singapore. Just five years ago, none of these companies existed. Today’s episode explores the basis of fine food in Singapore, as established by the country’s young fine coffee culture.

To read an article related to this episode, click here.

Show notes: https://damecacao.com/chocolate-on-the-road-singapore/

Show Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chocolateontheroad/

Coconut milk chocolate has become a pretty standard part of any craft chocolate maker’s lineup of offerings. Yet the list of plant-based milks seems to grow every day. From nuts & legumes to fruits & grains, there’s an option for every dietary requirement, none of which ever touch a cow. This wave of milk alternatives has finally hit the chocolate industry in a big way, with some large-scale chocolate manufacturers even releasing vegan chocolate lines.

So what does this movement mean for the chocolate industry, and the planet as a whole? To find some answers to this question, I spoke with the founder of a vegan chocolate brand, and a decades-old chocolate company with a large range of vegan chocolates. Today’s episode asks how we can expand the definition of chocolate in a sustainable and delicious way.

To read an article related to this episode, click here.

Show notes: https://damecacao.com/chocolate-on-the-road-the-rise-of-milk-alternatives/

Show Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chocolateontheroad/

Indian food is famous, but Indian desserts, and certainly Indian chocolates, haven’t yet found their way onto the world’s radar. But they’re out there. India has grown cacao for centuries, in fact, and now has around a half dozen established chocolate brands, with another several dozen in the works. Yet you probably couldn’t name any— so why is that?

One huge reason is that domestic demand for cocoa is on the rise, and the country continues to need to import cacao to meet the demand. But in this episode, we talk to four people involved in each stage of Indian chocolate making, from tree to bar. We get into the reasons for flying under the radar, their projections for the future, and which crops could spell the end of Indian cocoa.

To read an article related to this episode click here.

Show notes: https://damecacao.com/chocolate-on-the-road-india/

Show Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chocolateontheroad/