Ep. 2: Be Still My Heart

Chocolate: food of the gods, balm of our hearts, and, at one point in time, a symbol of sacrifice and stand-in for human blood. In this episode, we explore what makes chocolate sexy and how to decipher labels on the nearly $400 million of chocolate sold in the days leading up to Valentine’s Day.

Guests include:
Gillian Goddard, farmer, educator and founder of Sun Eaters Organics, on how chocolate forges intimacy and what it means to empower farmers in the places where cacao is grown.

Aubrey Lindley, co-founder of Portland’s Cacao, one of the oldest specialty chocolate shops in the United States, on what to look for when assessing a chocolate bar.

Thierry Muret, global executive chef at Godiva, on what makes chocolate sexy.

Antonie Fountain, managing director of VOICE (Voice of Organisations in Cocoa in Europe) Network, previewing the challenges for West African farmers who grow the majority of the world’s cacao.

Subscribe here and listen below.

Click here for music attribution.

 

This series of beautiful photos and tiny love notes was the result of our first Instagram takeover—by Projet Chocolat. Projet Chocolat is dedicated to reviving and elevating the culture and enjoyment of what they describe as “the world’s most beloved delicacy.” See the series in its entirety on Instagram (@theslowmelt). Also, to learn more about the cocoa of Trinidad and Tobago, take a look at this historical survey from Frances Bekele of the Cocoa Research Centre.

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