| Green Chocolate By: Carrie Pestritto Everyone thinks of chocolate as the ultimate guilty pleasure, but rarely because of cacao farming and environmental issues. There are a number of artisan chocolatiers, however, who are concerned with social responsibly and make it their goal to do more than just produce great tasting candies. Chuao Chocolatiers, located in Carlsbad, California, is such a company. Brothers Michael and Richard Antonorsi founded Chuao Chocolatiers in 2002, with Michael as the chef and Richard as the CEO. Michael says that even before they started Chuao Chocolatiers, the two of them had been business for most of their lives. They spent fourteen years in telecommunications and networking before Michael decided to go to Paris to become a chef. He was there from 1999-2001 and said, “You know, you want to please your parent and find your one true calling. I had always loved to cook and my dream was to go to Paris and become a chef. After working in telecommunications and networking for fourteen years, I was able to afford it and knew it was my time.” Michael and his brother have other connections to chocolate, as well. Their family once owned a cacao plantation in Venezuela, called Aguasanta, and Michael informed me, “The plantation was taken over by the banks a long time ago. Then illegal tenants invaded, about 30 or 50 families, and the plantation was completely lost. Because Venezuela has such a complicated government, it is difficult to get our hands on the land and do really important social efforts there; the government has to be the one directing all social efforts, so they sabotage any independent endeavors.” One of his dreams is to one day get the land back and recuperate it, although he says, “It’s more of a dream than an actual possibility.” Nevertheless, Chuao Chocolatiers is doing a lot to give back. Their website talks about cacao sustainability and the charitable works the company is involved in, saying, “Through our Aguasanta Growth Initiative, Chuao Chocolatier is contributing time and funds to La Fundación Proyecto Paria, a local Venezuelan NGO (non-governmental organization) devoted to the growers of cacao in the Paria Peninsula (the location of the Aguasanta farm).” Michael describes the foundation’s work and explains how they train new cacao farmers and educate them about new technologies, because the current generation of cacao farmers are aging and their children are often more interested in moving to the cities than following in their fathers’ rural footsteps. Another project that Chuao Chocolatiers is involved in, although Michael says it is not yet “off the ground,” is the genetic preservation of certain types of Venezuelan cacao. “We want to assemble a large group of the best genetic cacaos in Venezuela. We can farm them here, keep them and replicate them, so they don’t start to disappear and cheaper, less good cacao starts to thrive more. This will secure access to the best cacao—the most sophisticated and exotic.” When the idea for Chuao Chocolatiers was being formed, Michael thought that all these initiatives would be a great way to combine to his Venezuelan homeland and its cacao—which he assured me is the best cacao in the world—to the European methods he learned in Paris to make something new and exciting. The result is surprising, creative chocolates made with the best natural ingredients. It is clear from speaking with him that Michael’s passion is food; he tells me he dreams and thinks about food all the time and draws inspiration from all kinds of dishes with different approaches. He will tweak the approach or idea of a dish and see if it works as a confection—for instance, using goat cheese in chocolate. “When someone eating my chocolate, I like to hear them say that they wouldn’t expect this combination to taste so good. The combinations are not traditional, but they make sense. We have one with strawberry, caramel, and balsamic vinegar and the vinegar balances out the sweetness from the strawberries and caramel. I want to challenge the taste buds and cross over from the savory side to the sweet side.” When eating “green chocolate,” like Michael’s, you can feel a little less guilty knowing that you are doing something sweet for cacao sustainability and the future, as well as eating something delicious. To learn more about Chuao Chocolatiers or to order some of their mouth- watering chocolates, you can visit their website: www.chuaochocolatiers. com. |
 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
