Carol Morse of Acalli Chocolate in New Orleans, Louisiana discovered craft chocolate due to her love of people and interest in anthropology, as well as her husband's work in archeology that introduced her to Latin and South American cacao producers. She currently sources from Norandino (the same cooperative that Well Tempered & Marañón Chocolate collaborated on for a GoFundMe campaign to send relief efforts to Peru). In her first year in business, her El Platanal bar received a 2015 Good Food Award.
In this, the first minisode interview of the Well Tempered Chocolate Podcast, Carol & Lauren talk about mini-bars -- smaller chocolate bars (about 1/3 to 1/2 the size of standard large bars), that are becoming a more popular way to introduce consumers to.craft chocolate, and that are popping up in many coffee and retail shops around the country.
Update: Acalli Chocolate closed their doors in winter of 2021.
Themes discussed in the podcast:
- advantages and disadvantages of mini-bars
- consumer and retailer reaction
- recipe development for varying chocolate products/sizes
- highlighting geographical regions with your chocolate product line
- packaging thought process & lessons learned
Various retailers stocking Acalli Chocolate (aside from their online store of course!)
World Foods in Portland Oregon
Gryphon Coffee in Wayne, PA
French Broad Chocolate Lounge in Asheville, NC
The Meadow in New York, NY & Portland, OR
Honeycreeper Chocolate -- fine chocolate retailer in Alabama
Find Carol & Acalli on Social Media:
Instagram: @acallichocolate
Twitter: @acallichocolate
Where to find Lauren, founder and host of Well Tempered Media and chocolate maker at WKND Chocolate:
Instagram: @wkndchocolate
New podcasts, Conversations in Cocoa at laurenonthewknd.substack.com