If you are a true chocolate lover, you must know how delectable artisan chocolates are. After all, they are hand-made with premium ingredients. Because they are made in small quantities, each piece has a premium flavor, mouthfeel, and appearance. Undoubtedly, these chocolates offer you an experience your regular grocery store chocolate can’t. Want to know more about artisan chocolates? This blog has you covered for everything. From types to benefits and their shelf life, we’re going to talk about everything. So, grab your favorite piece of chocolate and get ready for this sweetly informative ride.
What are Artisan Chocolates?
As the name tells, artisan chocolate is made by chocolate craftsmen. Moreover, their making involves the highest quality ingredients and a responsible production process. Also, the highlight of artisan chocolates is that they are handcrafted in small batches. This is how these chocolates retain their premium taste and texture.
“Artisan chocolates are different from mass-produced ones because their making involves a high level of craftsmanship, care, and attention to detail.”
Artisan chocolatiers make their products with a passion for delivering something unique. Therefore, they always offer a delightful variety for you to try. From custom gift boxes to truffles and bars, the options are truly endless.
How are Artisan Chocolates Made?
Chocolate fanatics are not just interested in indulging in these treats. In fact, they want to be a part of the chocolate-making journey. And the best way they can do so is by learning about its ingredients and production process. So, let’s talk about how artisan chocolate brands make their treats.
Ingredients of Artisan Chocolates
The best thing about artisan chocolates is that they mostly contain natural ingredients and very less – almost never – artificial ingredients. This is the reason why they have more rich flavors as compared to their mass-produced counterparts. Besides, all the ingredients used are sourced ethically and undergo a thorough quality check. Here is what your chocolate contains:
- Cacao beans
- Sugar
- Dairy content
- Natural additives
- Natural colors
Artisan chocolate brands even try to avoid using artificial emulsifiers. Because they are mission additional content like artificial flavoring, they give off a more indulgent and luxurious taste. Besides, you can also find vegan chocolate artisan options if you are following a more sustainable lifestyle. For this, artisans use the most premium plant-derived substitutes like oat milk, coconut milk, soya milk, etc. Now let’s talk about how the magic happens - this chocolate process.
The Artisan Chocolate Making Process
Whether industrially produced or hand-made, chocolate is delicious in all forms. As aforementioned, artisans use a more sustainable and responsible chocolate making process. Besides, their process doesn’t involve any machinery. Instead, they use their hands to do it all. At J. Patrice, you are sure to find the best artisan treats to delight your taste buds. From bonbons to toffee bars, we have it all for you. Anyway here is how the best artisan chocolate is made:
- Selection of Beans
This is the first and the most important step of the whole process. After all, the quality of the whole product depends on the ingredients used. Chocolatiers source their cacao beans from the finest regions to ensure the high quality of their chocolates. Moreover, they choose beans on the basis of factors like origin, variety, and harvest conditions. It’s so because these factors directly impact the flavor and texture of chocolates.
- Fermenting & Drying
After harvesting, the next step is the fermentation of cacao beans to develop their distinct flavor. This step continues for several days. Moreover, this process transforms the bean’s bitterness into the complex flavors of chocolate. Afterward, the fermented beans are dried under the sun. This reduces the moisture content in beans and prepares them for the next steps of chocolate production.
- Roasting & Grinding
You should know that roasting plays a vital role in unlocking the rich, chocolatey aroma of beans and deepening their flavor. The temperature and duration of roasting are carefully controlled to achieve the desired taste profile. After roasting, the beans are cracked open, and the nibs inside are ground into a thick paste known as cocoa liquor, which is the base for artisan chocolates.
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Did You Know? |
Cocoa liquor is the foundation of all sorts of chocolate products. |
- Conching Process
When it comes to conching, cocoa liquor is continuously mixed and aerated in large conch machines. This step refines the texture and further develops the flavor. Plus, it removes any unwanted acidity and bitterness. Conching can last anywhere from a few hours to several days. Its duration depends on your desired chocolate quality.
- Tempering & Molding
To make the best artisan chocolates ever, chocolate is heated and cooled to stabilize the cocoa butter crystals in it. What’s more, artisans usually cool their heated chocolate down on a marble countertop. After that, the molding process follows. You should know that the tempered chocolate is poured into molds to take different shapes and forms. After cooling, the chocolate is ready for packaging.
What are the Types of Artisan Chocolate?
If you are a true chocolate lover, you must be very interested in trying out different types of artisan chocolate. After all, every variety has a different – delightful – experience to offer. Moreover, artisans make all sorts of chocolatey treats to delight your taste palate in the most premium way. Just like its commercial counterpart, artisan chocolate is also available in similar types:
- Dark Chocolate
- Milk Chocolate
- White Chocolate
As aforementioned, the selection of premium-quality ingredients is what makes these chocolates more indulgent than their commercial counterparts. This is why these treats are nothing short of otherworldly delights. With every bite, they offer your tastebuds a blissful experience. Plus, both these types of chocolate – dark, milk, and white - are made into different forms and shapes. These include the following popular ones:
- Bars
- Truffles
- Bonbons
- Minibars
These are some of the popular types. You can find the best artisan chocolate in so many shapes – especially during the holiday seasons. But why wait for festivities when these premium chocolates can make all your days special?
Amazing Qualities of Artisan Chocolates
As aforementioned, artisan chocolates are surely different from others. Unlike regular bars with ordinary sweet flavors, these treats offer you a more intense, richer, and nuanced flavor. Every bite of them tells you why they’re perfect. Whether a luxurious gift or a pick-me-up treat, these fit all the roles – perfectly so! Let’s bite into some amazing qualities of gourmet chocolates.
- High Cocoa Content
You will notice that all artisan chocolates usually have an intense and deeply rich flavor. This is because these chocolates focus more on the quality of the beans. And better quality beans mean nuanced flavors. Besides, you should know that there are fewer additives in artisan-made chocolate. Therefore, you can have a better taste of the cocoa.
Dark artisan chocolates contain about 70% – 99% cocoa, while milk artisan chocolates have about 35% – 65%.
- Craftsmanship
Here comes the most amazing quality of gourmet chocolates: craftsmanship. Artisans hand-craft each piece of their chocolate products with utter attention to detail. Moreover, they use both traditional and innovative techniques to create rich, flavorful treats. This is why their products are not just deliciously irresistible but elegant-looking too. Their HANDS-ON approach (quite literally) ensures every produc of theirs is a delicious work of art.
- Organic Ingredients
Another reason that makes artisanal chocolates better than regular chocolates is their ingredients. Mostly, artisan chocolates are made with the best quality ingredients – all natural. Moreover, you should know that reputable artisan chocolate brands always source their cacao beans from the finest gardens around the world. They also perform quality check on all the ingredients before putting them to use.
- Sustainable Choice
You should know that artisan chocolate is good, both environmentally and economically. After all, their making process involves ethical sourcing and eco-friendly practices. Moreover, many brands use the production of these chocolates as an initiative to support fair trade cocoa farmers and small-scale organic farms. Undoubtedly, it’s a conscientious choice for mindful consumers.
- Healthier Chocolate
One of the main reasons why artisan chocolate is better than your regular chocolate is that it’s a healthier option. Moreover, it contains higher quality ingredients. Also, you already know that artisanal chocolate has more cocoa content. And more cocoa content means higher amount of antioxidants, with neutralize harmful free radicles. As a result, our body stays protected from alot of health issues.
- It’s Delicious
You don’t need anymore reasons to try artisan chocolates when you know they are just delicious. As aforementioned, these chocolates have the best contents and are made with great artistry. So, obviously, they are better tasting than your regular chocolates. Furthermore, you can find a wide variety of flavors for you to enjoy. From classics to fusions, they have it all.
Artisan Chocolate Vs. Regular Chocolate
Although artisan chocolates are so premium, you have seen that regular commercially produced chocolates are popular among masses. Why so? Because they are made to cater to masses. Anyways, here is a brief comparison of premium artisanal chocolates with regular grocery store chocolates. Have a look at it to see how both differ from each other and which one is better:
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Quality |
Artisan Chocolate |
Industrial Chocolate |
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Ingredients |
High-quality, organic |
includes artificial flavors and preservatives |
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Production |
Small-batches, handcrafted |
Mass-produced, automated processes |
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Cocoa Content |
Higher |
Lower |
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Flavor Variety |
Unique, complex |
Standardized, limited |
Quick Question: Why is artisan chocolate so expensive?
Artisan chocolate is surely expensive as compared to others. However, good things always come at a price. Furthermore, they contain premium ingredients which are expensive on their own. Besides, their production takes more time and labour as compared to commercial chocolates. Also, many artisans sell made-to-order chocolates. This means they are always fresh and never stale. Another reason why these treats come at a higher price range is that they are are elegantly-packaged.
Conclusion
We’ve thoroughly discussed all you needed to know about artisan chocolates. From their qualities to types and processing method, this sweet guide covers you for everything. Clearly, regular chocolate is better than your artisan chocolate. After all, it has better quality ingredients and hand-crafted with excellent craft. Besides, you can find them in so many different shapes and types. Whether its truffles or bars, you have so much to explore. Why waste your money on mundane commercial chocolates when you can indulge in the richness of artisan chocolates.
FAQs
Our artisan chocolate guide has covered everything quite comprehensively. Here is some more sweet info for you. Check out these frequently asked questions about artisan-made chocolate:
What are the benefits of artisan chocolate?
Artisan chocolate offers premium flavor, rich texture, and exquisite flavors for you to indulge in. Besides, they are a healthier option because of their organic ingredients and a sustainable choice.
How long does artisan chocolate last?
You should know that artisan chocolates can last for several months if you store them properly in a cool dry place. Furthermore, the ideal temperature for storage is 14 and 18 °C.
Where to buy artisan chocolate?
You can purchase artisan chocolates from specialty chocolate shops, gourmet food stores, farmers' markets, and online retailers. Many local boutiques and high-end supermarkets also carry artisan brands. You can check out J. Patrice for a delectable variety of artisan-made chocolates.