Update January 2019: After release of this episode, Karine’s online shop Miss Choco closed. She now combines her academic roots and passion for chocolate as an Individualized (INDI) PhD candidate at Concordia, with an aim to dig deeper into the complex world of critical consumer education and food pedagogy, mostly surrounding small-batch craft chocolate. She continues to host tasting-workshops, corporate events and conferences. Contact her at [email protected] for more information.
Description:
Episode 4 of the Well Tempered podcast features entrepreneur, business owner, and chocolate educator Karine Guillemette of Miss Choco, a bilingual craft chocolate website and distributor in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. In this podcast we'll discuss origin trips to Madagascar and Peru, the reasons for shifting a retail storefront to an online business, as well as how the future of fine chocolate may feed off of the ritual and educational training of specialty coffee professionals.
Themes discussed in this episode:
How Miss Choco transitioned from a retail storefront to an online chocolate marketplace
Stories from origin: Madagascar (Chocolat Madagascar) & Peru (La Ruta del Cacao)
Differentiation between the US and Canadian chocolate market; customer preferences, trends
The process of collaborating with local specialty coffee professionals
A background of research and teaching has launched Karine to include education as an integral piece of her business and connection to chocolate lovers
Related links from episode:
Carla D. Martin PhD and the FCCI (Fine Cacao and Chocolate Institute)
Gaston Acurio; prolific Peruvian chef celebrating local foods - like cacao - and gastronomy
Mercedes clone most commonly found in Africa
East Coast Coffee Madness (October 2016 edition in which Karine took part)
Montreal Academy of Coffee // Academie de Cafe de Montreal
FCIA (Fine Chocolate Industry Association) January 21, 2017 event in San Francisco, California
Some chocolate makers from origin mentioned on Well Tempered:
Peru: Cacaosuyo, Maraná, Q'uma
Brazil: Amma
Ecuador: Pacari
Colombia: Cacao Hunters
Quebecois from-the-bean artisans/chocolate makers: Palette de Bine, Chocolats Monarque (Monarch Chocolate), La Chocolaterie Eau de Rose, Chaleur B
What craft chocolate Karine would eat in the Cosmos:
- Heart of Darkness 85% by Marou Faiseurs De Chocolat, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
- Chocolat Madagascar 100% bar (by Chocolaterie Robert)
- Palette de Bine, Mont-Tremblant, Quebec, Canada
Where to find more from Karine:
Bean to bar chocolate store & distribution: http://misschoco.ca
Facebook: http://facebook.com/MissChocoMontreal
Instagram: @Karine_Choco
Twitter: @Karine_Choco
Yelp: Miss Choco
YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/karine5001
Connect with the podcast host Lauren of WKND Chocolate:
Instagram: @wkndchocolate
Facebook: WKND Chocolate
Email: podcast @ wkndchocolate.com
Find new episodes, chocolate recipes, and writings at laurenonthewknd.substack.com