Why is Răzvan chocolate not bitter?
May 20, 2021
In a small town in Mureș, Răzvan chocolate is prepared quietly, with the grace of an artisan
Răzvan chocolate is made by me in the laboratory in Reghin according to the bean-to-bar model, with the idea of being a fine moment of indulgence.
I wanted to create something special, which has not been done before nobody in Romania, that's how I got to this chocolate recipe. I wanted an authentic, fine, elevated taste, but also with a traditional side.
The first contact was the experience I had at the Mast Brothers shop in London in 2016, where I had an introduction to the world of Bean to Bar chocolate. A period of research and various trials followed, and finally I arrived in Vilnius at Chocolate Naive, where I met Domantas Uzpalis, one of the greatest artisans of the new wave of chocolate on the globe. Arriving at him in his small factory on the outskirts of the city, the contact with all the machines specially manufactured, according to his instructions, the bags of cocoa beans, arrived by farmers from South America, and the discussions around the product, meant a lot in the development of Răzvan chocolate .
At Chocolate Naive, one of only 200 such producers worldwide, the production cycle begins with a dry cocoa bean. The beans are carefully selected from top farms. These are then transported by ship to Europe and finally to Lithuania, at the Chocolate Naive house.
The method of preparation of the cocoa bean is specific to the Naive house, so that certain desired characters are accentuated. Chocolate is finally born after a meticulous analysis of taste, color, smell and texture.
Why is Răzvan chocolate not bitter?
The Bean to bar concept, from the cocoa bean to the chocolate bar, is the process of making chocolate using only simple and very high quality ingredients, carefully following each production step.
The taste begins with roasting the beans. Roasting develops the flavor. Cacao undergoes a dramatic chemical change during the roasting process, giving rise to more than 700 compounds, nearly a third of which are important aromatic compounds.
During roasting, the beans change color and become more or less modified in taste. In less roasted beans, the flavor is not fully developed, while in more roasted beans the pleasant taste can become very impaired or even replaced entirely by a bitter and harsh flavor.
Care, grace and the recipe are important components in the final result of Răzvan chocolate.
When I prepare Răzvan chocolate, I use only very good quality ingredients, and the recipe is created from my experience accumulated in the journeys made in search of taste.
My journey, of taste and of life, culminated at this point and I'm glad to continue sharing my WORD with you.
With love,
Răzvan
