Chocolate is no longer a gourmandise swallowed greedily for pleasure. It is also moment of reflection, of ecstasy that cocoa purists are appreciating in increasing numbers. For these, the chocolate derived from the best beans of Ecuador, Peru, Madagascar, Ivory Coast, Papua-New Guinea or Chuao from Venezuela, one of the most sought after, bear no more secrets. Is it because the product made a giant leap in terms of quality in recent years? Is it because consumers are increasingly curious and knowledgeable? The two phenomena combine forces. On the one hand, enlightened amateurs are attending tastingclasses in greater numbers. On the other, suppliers are preparing to constantly raise the range of their products. Valrhona has its Mariages de Grands Crus de Terroir and Mariages de Grands Crus; Barry Callebaut its Origins and Plantations collection.All this raw material stimulates the creations of chocolate and pastry makers who may play to their hearts delight with the organoleptic differences of eachterroir to achieve the best effect. “Depending on their origin, some couverture chocolate is longer in the mouth or more crackly, thus ideal for coating. The qualities and tastes vary enormously between Venezuelan, Peruvian or African productions. But the high level of production on the latter continent does notprevent it from being uniform. We have our own couverture made of beans from Ghana, Togo and Sao Tomé, which is the creamiest and is very well adapted to a mousse,” explains Guy Krenzer, creation director and executive chef at Lenôtre. Récently during a trip to Peru to familiarize himself with production in this country, this professional made the pleasant discovery of notes of toasted fruit, red fruits and tangy candies in the dated harvest from the Alto del Sol plantation. Produced through equitable commerce practices, the quality of this product relies above all on...