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Art_and_Felix

Cuyagua: Art’s Most Memorable Chocolate Experience

The AMANO  Blog One of the things I have always found most wonderful about chocolate is how unlike it is from so many other foods: it reaches in and touches a person’s soul. Few foods do that, and none that I’m aware of do so so completely. Because of this, I have had some incredible experiences. People of all walks of life tell me what a profound impact our chocolate has had on them and how much they love that experience. (or love the chocolate?) The same goes for some well-known chefs whom I have admired from afar for years. It is easy to forget how, after the chocolate is made, it has a life of its own to the retailer and then to the final person who enjoys it in the intimacy of the home or a fine restaurant. So my most precious memories center around learning how our

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A person gently picks a flower from a plant, showcasing the beauty of nature at Amano Artisan Chocolate.

Cacao Sourcing, General Blog Post

24 Oct 2013

Sourcing Vanilla: A Trip Report Part 2

The AMANO Blog Before I left, I gave Jeanne Chan a sample of our chocolate we had made using her

A man proudly holds a bunch of ripe bananas, showcasing the fresh produce alongside Amano Artisan Chocolate branding.

Cacao Sourcing

24 Oct 2013

Sourcing Vanilla: A Trip Report Part 1

The AMANO Blog Food has the ability to tie people together no matter their race, culture, politics, religion, or other

Image of amano owner and woman examining cocoa beans

Cacao Sourcing

24 Oct 2013

Hunting The World’s Finest Cocoa in Villahermosa Mexico

The AMANO Blog I arrived on a beautiful Mexican night. Upon exiting the airport, I was greeted by the sounds

A diagram of caffeine with coffee and dark, milk, and white chocolate bars.

Chocolate Insights

23 Oct 2013

How Much Caffeine is in Chocolate?

People often ask us, “Does chocolate have caffeine?” and if so, “How much caffeine is in chocolate?” For the record,

Cocoa beans on a conveyor belt in an old industrial machine.

Chocolate Science

23 Oct 2013

Removing the Chaff, Winnowing Cocoa Beans

Winnowing the Wheat from the Tares Winnowing Cocoa Part 2 Okay, when we are dealing with cocoa beans, we aren’t

A pile of cocoa beans in a bowl next to an old grinding machine.

Chocolate Science

23 Oct 2013

Winnowing, a Key to Quality Chocolate

Winnowing Cocoa Part 1 Removing the Chaff Part 2 When people think about chocolate making, they often overlook one important

Cacao Sourcing

20 Oct 2013

Delivering Chocolate to the Farmers in the Guayas River Valley, Ecuador

The AMANO Blog One of the greatest privilege I have is to be able to take finished chocolate back to

Farming/Growing Process

16 Oct 2013

Speaking to the Ecuadorian Congress-against CCN-51

The AMANO Blog Fine-quality cocoa has many challenges. It costs more, it is hard to get, and the supply is

A crashed white pickup truck against a pole on a rural road.

Chocolate Travel Log

18 Sep 2013

How I Crashed in the Dominican Republic

I start to write this from my hospital bed in the village of San Francisco in the Dominican Republic. We