Urban Grind Roasters and the Perfect Couple
6:47 AMCoffee & Chocolate: A Roaster's Perspective
The perfect couple | It’s no accident that coffeehouses and cafes world-wide ubiquitously present an array of chocolate-laden menu items. From the mocha to pain au chocolate and a dipped biscotti in between, coffee and chocolate are nearly two peas, er, fruits in a pod. Literally.
Common origins | Coffee and Cocoa beans are grown in many of the same regions and become fermented fruit. While coffee beans originated in the mountains of Yemen, Cocoa beans first took root in Mexico and Guatemala.
The artisan’s hands | From the roaster to the chocolatier, artisans skillfully create their masterpieces, both utilizing science and artistry to extract the right balance and character. As such, there is no substitute for quality in either pursuit.
Here comes the fun part - tasting, pairing and tasting again
to find the utopian meld of flavor, textures and aromatic symbiosis.
Of our three pairings, nothing evoked more excitement than
the blonde roasted Guatemalan, LA RUBIA - with its earthy, nut-like taste and
aroma teamed with VALRHONA Dark Chocolate hailing from the Dominican Republic
and Venezuela. Both are exquisite on the palette, leaving a subtle citrus,
anise & dried fruit essence behind. Hands down, our favorite!
South America spoke to us as we delved happily into the
Bolivian ORIGINAL BEANS bar and our Peruvian flagship dark roast we call
PORTOFINO. The smokey bold sweetness complements the honey, jasmine and fruit
notes of the chocolate.
Last, but never least, our Ethiopian Yirgacheffe |
Guatemalan blend, MORNING GRIND, provided the perfect foundation of full-bodied
richness to enhance the cinnamon, nutty, bitter cacao of SHATTELL from Peru.
We loved everything about this experience - I mean who
wouldn’t? Coffee. Chocolate. Are you kidding? We look forward to new
discoveries and invite you to come along for the ride!
-Bobbye & Sam, Urban Grind
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