I became an official cacao nerd after a visit to the Cacao Coast of northeastern Brazil. There I first truly understood the meaning of terroir when I ate artisanal chocolate that tasted remarkably like the smells of the tropical plantation where the beans were grown. Another cacao nerd I know is Cocoa Puro’s Tom Pedersen, who has been busy lately creating new products to sell along with his already successful Kakáwa Cocoa Beans. Visit Pedersen at the Downtown Farmers’ Market on Saturdays and ask him about his “Bean to Bar” chocolates. These single-origin chocolate bars are really remarkable, showing different flavor profiles that reflect their places of origin. “I cycle through different source beans as I have them,” says Pedersen. “When I run out, I make another microbatch with the beans I currently have.” Some of the amazing bars we sampled recently include a fruity 70% Madagascar, an earthy 70% Dominican Republic “La Red,” and a 50% Panama milk chocolate with caramel overtones.
For Nutella lovers who want to keep it local, Pedersen is making a Texas gianduja using roasted Texas pecans, vanilla, and milk chocolate. Use it as you would Nutella; I let it come to room temperature then spoon it over vanilla ice cream with sliced fresh cherries. If sweets are not your thing, Pedersen has a flavorful steak rub made with cacao nibs, roasted coffee beans, and dried porcini mushrooms. Rub it on the meat of your choice and let it stand a few minutes to absorb the flavors, then grill, sear, or broil. We tried it on a beautiful grilled rib eye and on a roasted pork tenderloin; I finished the meat with a dusting of the rub and a bit of sea salt just before serving. The flavor of the rub is earthy and robust yet subtle enough not to mask the flavor of the meat. Whether you are a cacao fiend or not, do yourself a favor and visit Pedersen at his booth and take home some of his products. You can thank me later.
This article appears in August 12 • 2011.
