Chocolate Comes of Age In the Hudson Valley

A Passion For Chocolate

"Immortality is insignificant in the absence of Chocolate"

Baron Corso de Palenzuela de Habsburg

Chocolate is fabulous food. Its food that kindles the heart, comforts the soul, and lifts the mind. No other food I know has such rewarding and powerful attributes. Carolus Linnaeus, Swedish naturalist and founder of botany in the eighteenth century described the chocolate producing tree of America as Theobroma Cacao -- a term signifying " Cacao, Food of the Gods"

In Cuba I grew up with the heavenly aroma of chocolate which always permeated our household kitchens in Havana and our country estate in Pinar del Rio Province. Chocolate for us was glorious food. Hot chocolate was an invigorating drink our family would enjoy with earth and chocolate truffles, and fresh hors d'oeuvres, small sandwiches, or churros (deep -fried dough pastries) for our merienda, (afternoon snack) on any given day. Good chocolate is friendly to the palate and has a soothing effect on the psyche. We also drank hot chocolate topped with chocolate white cream and sprinkled with a pinch of habanero chili for extra flavor, and to help fight off the afternoon heat. Some family members would add a bit of super aged extra smooth Cuban rum along with nutmeg. It was a superb accompaniment to the treat. Even our great danes and Spanish pit bull dogs looked forward to this gathering every day. It was our chocolata: A lively feast, a traditional marriage of chocolate and various food courses. There were many great Chocolatas, even with the participation of the town folks that I remember well. Life was good. Chocolatas are great affairs for weddings, birthdays, and anniversaries. And as a festival by itself.

Our source of chocolate, as a rule of nationalistic pride would always be Cuban cacao, the very finest--a highly priced horticultural strain of breed of true criollo beans from Santiago de Cuba. Or the porcelana breed as well from Trinidad Cuba. A concoction of chocolate would be specially made for us by chocolatiers in Havana. This chocolate mix was known as a X-Chocolat Familiar. It came in an elegant black, green and gold tin with our name printed on.
It was prepared with unique spices along with flavors of pine nuts, vanilla, and almonds, nutmeg for my parent's discriminating taste--an indulgence of the aristocratic families of Spain and Cuba. Also there were many flavorful and succulent foods prepared with chocolate in our households: A very juicy Roasted Pheasant in Chocolate nectar with malanga mash and brocollino, or Quail or Partridge in Chocolate with Roasted Potatoes and Spinach. Even great tasting Tilapia or Lisa fish, Red Snapper of Lobster on a Black, or White Bean Muneta in a chocolate sauce. Gulf Oysters Chocolate soup made with Spanish Sherry, white semi -dry wine and diced bananas was a culinary joy and enjoyed with a great Amontillado or Champagne was an ethereal experience. The ultimate aphrodisiac. Rice Pudding with a chocolate and cinnamon topping, and Dark Bon Bons with white chocolate cream were also a special treat for us. Life was very very good.

Chocolate was first described by the Aztec and Mayan civilizations as "the drink of the Gods" while its creation as a drink is attributed to the Indians of Central America. Xocolatl or chocolate means "hot water drink with cacao. " In 1502 Christopher Columbus brought back beans from Cuba and Central America to King Ferdinand of Spain. Later on Hernan Cortez sailed from Cuba to conquer Mexico. Cortez observed that Montezuma drank chocolate that was spiced with different herbs before he entered his harem. The drink was brought back to Cuba and its promotion as an aphrodisiac spread throughout the island. In 1530 Cortes introduced the chocolate drink to the Spanish Crown where Chocolate remained a well kept secret of the royals and nobility. It was not until Theresa of Asturias Daughter of Philip II of Habsburg Spain married King Louis XIV of France in 1660 that chocolate spread throughout France and Europe. It was Augustin Farfan, court physician to Philip II who was the first to write and publish the benefits of chocolate in 1570 in Europe.

There are basically three types of Cacao: The Criollo Cacao originates in South and Central America . It has a fragile pod and the interior of the bean has a pure white to very light pink color. As a rule Criollo cacao command the highest prices on the international market. Some of the most sort after come from Venezuela, Honduras, Cuba, and other areas of the world. The natural flavor of the nuttiness is outstanding. The Trinitario Cacao has a range of medium to high flavor of nuttiness. The bean is whitish to lightly purple. The aroma of the hazelnut and Tannic flavor is quite pronounced. The shell of Medium thickness. The finest and rarest Trinitario are from Cuba and the Lesser Antilles -Trinidad and Venezuela. And lastly the Forastero Cacao: These beans are most abundant in the world they come from Africa, Asia, Brazil, and Ecuador. There flavor is less desirable. Beans are flattish, exhibiting sometimes very pronounced fruity flavors as in the Arriba from Ecuador. Their color interior as a rule is medium to a dark purplish hue. The exception is the Forastero Cotongo whose cotyledon is whitish. Many manufacturers of chocolate use all varieties in their products. Of course the best chocolates on the market use the finest criollo types of cacao they can acquire from the world cacao plantations.

One of the great benefits of living in the Hudson Valley is that I have come to really appreciate some of the chocolate confections, products, and chocolate pastries produced by entrepreneurial and highly talented chocolatiers in Rhinebeck and Red Hook. They source from the very best world manufacturers. One of the most delicious chocolate creations in this field are created by Chef Oliver Kita Chococolate in Rhinebeck New York. Mr. Kita is a staunch supporter of Fair-Trade chocolate and uses the finest raw organic origin chocolate from Valrhona Chocolatiers, a very respected world manufacturer of extraordinary chocolate. The company philosophy promotes a well established Fair Trade world position and as such a strong supporter of the human rights of workers in cacao production ---ideas that are compatible with Mr Kita's own philosophy.

At Chef Kita's elegant store you'll find a varied and super delicious assortment of Truffles, Pralines,and Ganaches, and Bonbons, and other delicacies like Hot Chocolate Tins packed with flavorful chocolate that really stand out.
Mr. Kita, who was mentored by world reknown Chocolatier Michel Cluizel, has been in the food business about twenty years. The last six years he has been in the beautiful town of Rhinebeck at Astor Square. His artisanal chocolates are loved by many connoisseurs, and foodies, and well informed public of the region. He uses five different organic origin chocolates from Venezuela, Madagazcar, Ecuador, Honduras and Ghana. They come in feves, small pieces of specific chocolate bars with different degrees of cacao percentages- mostly a 70 percent content. These feves are intricately mixed on a Temperuse, a tempering machine that melts and churns the chocolate to its proper temperature. The chocolate is tasted for flavor and richness to assure the creation of a top note and proper crystallization. The chocolate is then poured into a mould, and a wide assortment of organic ingredients are added to create flavorful nuances, and lastly, artistically decorated by the master himself. Oliver Kita's chocolate are all crafted preservative free.
According to him chocolate has great benefits that helps awaken all our sensual sensibilities:"I believe in the health benefits of Chocolate for the body and the mind." He is well acquainted with the essence of chocolate flavors and its intricate pairing and applications with many food ingredients like fruit and herbs, wine, Amontillados and Champagne to help produce the most delectable results. He also says, "Chocolate is like a fine perfume. The need to achieve a top note is crucial to have an extended essence of flavor" That ethos and philosophy, entrepreneurship and hard work all comes together at his shop. The magic chocolate that Mr. Kita creates, does indeed, sing and last most sensually on our palate.

Another excellent source of chocolate is in Red Hook N.Y. Taste Buds owned by Chef Daniel Budd. Taste Budd's Chocolate store is a mecca for really tasty chocolate desserts and confections. His store attracts many of the staff and students from nearby Bard College.
Chef Budd, originally from Vermont, is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America and tenured at the River Cafe in N.Y.C where he learned the fine art of making chocolate pastries, and cakes from master chocolatier Eric Gruteyon. Chef Budd's source of cacao is from top plantations in Venezuela. Trinidad, and Ghana -- all top quality with over 60 percent cacao content -- which he uses to create two of his most delicious signature pastries,
the Red Hooker, and the Rhinebecker both very popular with Hudson Valley locals. Cheff Budd, like all good chocolatiers, spends most of his time experimenting with new cacao from the world market to make some delightful confections infusing them with organically grown ingredients like cherries, passion fruit, apple, and other natural flavors like chipotle, and tea.
All are preservative-free. He says, "Everyday for me there is a challenge to make chocolate with a nice smooth melt on the palate, and flavors that blossom with the essence of the chocolate." Surely Chef Budd is one the most talented and creative chocolatiers working in the Hudson Valley today. With over twenty years in the business and five years in Red Hook, Chef Budd keeps challenging our passion for chocolate with his artisanal artistry, a very healthy chocolate with outstanding flavor.

Chocolate experience for me are always expanding, never ending, ever evolving as new Patisseries and Chocolatiers enter this very exciting culinary food niche of the food market business. I am very sure that in the Hudson Valley and the country we will see more and more experimental chefs creating new cuisine with chocolate and heightening food flavors using the magnificent and celestial nectar of Theobroma Cacao.

Baron Corso de Palenzuela von Habsburg is an international food, wine, beer and chocolate critic, a chef and connoisseur who has written extensively on international wines and cuisines. He resides in New York, Virginia, and Spain. The Gourmet Baron can be be reached at 845 706-1244