Makers Series 3: Valrhona

The Slow Melt: A podcast about chocolate

Valrhona was founded in 1922 by Albéric Guironnet in the small village of Tain L’Hermitage, France, and is now also based in Brooklyn, USA. The company is dedicated to enhancing the flavors of rare cocoa beans, highlighting the land where the cocoa beans come from, and offers artisan tasting bars and baking products. It also operates its own four pastry and chocolate schools (two in France, one in Tokyo and one in Brooklyn), L’École Valrhona—for which our guest, chef Sarah Tibbetts, serves as the North American Pastry Chef—and cocoa plantations in Venezuela and the Dominican Republic. Hear from chef Sarah about the history of Valrhona, how they let the flavor of the beans determine the end products, and the difference between tasting and eating chocolate.

Please join us in tasting the Manjari 64% bar. Learn more at theslowmelt.com. For more information on Valrhona, head to their website (www.valrhona-chocolate.com), and use code “slowmelt” for a 15% discount on all products, including the Manjari 64% bar, from now through October 15, 2017. You can also purchase an exclusive bar bundle, including all nine bars featured in the Makers Series, at Chocolopolis.com (in the U.S.; use code “slowmelt” for a 15% discount), and find most of the bars in a subscription box by BeanBarYou.com.au (in Australia).

This episode is brought to you with the kind support of these sponsors:

• Chocolate Alchemy: Supplier of the largest selection of fine flavor cocoa beans, chocolate-making equipment and volumes of free chocolate-making information. Use code "slowmelt" at chocolatealchemy.com to receive 10% off any retail cocoa beans.

• Rottar Grinders: Chocolate grinders designed and built by a chocolate maker in the USA. Learn more at www.rottar.com.

• Cacao Cucina: Reliable and rugged chocolate-making machinery built in the USA. Use code "SlowMelt10" at cacaocucina.com/contact-us for a 10% discount through September 1.

• Blue Apron: $30 off your first order with free shipping at blueapron.com/chocolate.

Soundtrack: "Soldier" by The Slackers. Hear more at theslackers.com.