How to savor chocolate, plus bars you can feel good about buying

By Robyn Doyon-Aitken ,

Meg Dalton, Tagan Engel, Stephanie Stender, Katrice Claudio

Published February 12, 2024 at 12:34 PM EST

Heart-shaped salted caramel chocolates at BE Chocolat, an atelier in Fairfield, Conn on January 19, 2024. — The salted caramel used in the heart-shaped chocolates at BE Chocolat in Fairfield is made from scratch in small batches using Vermont butter from grass-fed cows.

This week on Seasoned, we’re spending the hour talking about—and tasting—chocolate. We'll get a history lesson and follow cacao's journey from a bitter drink for wealthy Aztecs to the delicious thing it is today. Plus, if you care about where your food comes from and how it impacts the people who grow and harvest it, as well as the planet, we're recommending four chocolate bars that are certified organic, Fair Trade and Fair for Life.

First, you’ll meet Benoit Racquet of BE Chocolat in Fairfield. This master chocolatier is not just making artisan chocolates, he’s designing a tasting experience.

Benoit Racquet, master chocolatier and co-founder of BE Chocolate in Fairfield, Conn. sits for a portrait in the atelier's cafe area. Racquet was born and raised in Belgium, and has run the chocolate shop with his wife, Sylvie Fortin, for three years.

And, we talk with food historian Ramin Ganeshram about the evolution of cacao and chocolate. "So these individuals working with cacao for this world market—for colonizers, for their enslavers and those who'd indentured them—were skilled artisans," Ramin said, "they were agriculturalists, they were food scientists, and people I think don't realize that."

Chef, historian and author Ramin Ganeshram in the Westport Museum for History & Culture Bittersweet: Chocolate in the American Colonies exhibit, December 22, 2023. — Ramin Ganeshram is the Executive Director of the Westport Museum for History & Culture. She’s also a food historian, a professionally trained chef, a journalist and an author. She lead us through the museum's exhibit: Bittersweet: Chocolate in the American Colonies.

Finally, in between bites, Tagan Engel and Westport chocolatier Aarti Khosla recommend ethically made store-bought bars you can feel good about buying.

It's a tough job, but somebody's gotta do it. Tagan prefers a tall, thin Theo, and both agree it has a good snap. One of Aarti's top picks is from Tony's Chocolonely, one of the original chocolate makers working toward a 100% exploitation free chocolate.

Rainforest Alliance, Certified Sustainable Sourced and Direct Trade are certifications you may see on the labels of chocolate bars readily available at stores, but “while those symbols are certainly a step better than what’s done in the uncertified bars,” Tagan Engel says, “most of those are not really going as far on supporting workers as Fair Trade and Fair for Life.”

GUESTS:

Benoit Racquet: Master chocolatier and co-founder of BE Chocolat in Fairfield, Conn. (@be_chocolat_usa)
Ramin Ganeshram: Executive Director of the Westport Museum for History & Culture (@westporthistorymuseum). She’s also a food historian, a professionally trained chef, a journalist and the author of the book, "The General’s Cook," a novel which tells the story of Hercules Posey, the chef enslaved by President George Washington.
Aarti Khosla: Chocolatier/owner of Le Rouge Chocolates by Aarti in Westport, Conn. (@lerougebyaarti)

Chocolate bars you can feel good about buying
Tagan and Aarti tasted the following bars during their segment. All are readily available at markets or pharmacies and sell for between $3.00-$6.00.

AlterEco (Brown Butter Dark, Organic, Fair Trade)
Theo (Cherry Almond, Organic, Fair for Life)
Tony’s Chocolonely (Caramel Sea Salt, Fair Trade, Traceable Cocoa Beans)
Divine (85% Exquisitely Smooth Dark Chocolate Bar, Fair Trade, Ghanian farmer co-owned)

Learn More:
Visit the Slave Free Chocolate website.
The Fine Chocolate Industry Association is working on a glossary to help define the terms used for ethical and sustainable chocolate.

This show was produced by Robyn Doyon-Aitken, Meg Dalton, Tagan Engel, Stephanie Stender, Katrice Claudio, Meg Fitzgerald, and Sabrina Herrera.

Join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and email: seasoned@ctpublic.org.

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