10th Annual New York Chocolate Show: One Chocolate Maker's Perspective

Alan McClure, chocolate maker of Patric Chocolate, walked the 10^th Annual New York Chocolate Show for part of each day from the 9^th-11^th. Here are his thoughts on the show:

The Metropolitan Pavillion & Altman Building was crowded full of chocolate lovers searching for chocolate revelations, and whether they found them or not, they had quite a lot to choose from. In fact, it seemed that every type of chocolate product from artisan-made limited edition truffles to micro-produced fine dark chocolate bars were available. However, there were also a good number of factory-produced chocolate products from much larger companies, and for the first time, gigantic chocolate manufacturers such as Mars were to be found giving out sample upon sample of some of their new dark chocolate products. Yet, despite all of this chocolate, there was a noticeable lack of products from many foreign chocolatiers and bean to bar chocolate manufacturers. Even Valrhona, one of the most well-known, quality, French chocolate manufacturers, was nowhere to be seen, and smaller manufacturers from both Italy and France were also absent. Even more interestingly, a number of talented American-based chocolatiers who had been present at the show in years past had decided to skip the event this year. One wonders if perhaps the show is starting to cater more and more to the consumer of mass-market chocolate rather than to those who have a particular love for fine chocolate. Only time, and next year�s show, will tell.

Regardless, there were still a decent number of what Chocolate in Context's Emily Stone has called �chocolate wonks� at the show, and I did my best, over the course of the three-day show, to track them down for chocolate-related conversations covering such topics as bean to bar chocolate manufacture and the future of fine chocolate. Clay Gordon, author of the book Discover Chocolate: The Ultimate Guide to Buying, Tasting and Enjoying Fine Chocolate, noted that chocolate folks are some of the happiest and nicest people that one can meet, and this happily turned out to be true almost without exception.

(Above photo: Alan (left) talking to Clay Gordon about the new American micro-chocolate movement)

In addition to talking chocolate, however, I was also interested in seeing whether there would be any new, up-and-coming, bean to bar makers at the event; those of which I had not yet heard. Though I keep pretty good tabs on what is going on in the United States, I was expecting a surprise here or there. However, it seems that no such new companies were in the crowd. That said, I continue to stand behind my belief that we are seeing the beginning of a new fine chocolate making movement in the United States, and I expect that over the next several years we will continue to see serious US-based individuals trying to make a difference in the world of fine chocolate manufacture.

One might wonder, though, why it seems that I am forecasting or even wishing for competition, but I don�t see it quite like that. Rather, I think that the more excellent-quality chocolate that is made in the US, and the more people who have access to such chocolate, the better off all of the small chocolate makers will be. This increase in exposure of people to fine chocolate will result in an inevitable education regarding appreciation of fine chocolate, and a larger percentage of Americans will be able to distinguish between the quality products of such micro-producers and those of the mass-producers that simply pretend.

As Alexander Morozoff, editor of CocoAroma, noted when I talked to him some months ago, there are scores of small but serious wineries in the US that do wonderful business, and there is room for all of them. Why shouldn't the same apply to the world of chocolate?

It's not that I expect there to be hundreds of micro-producers of fine chocolate anytime soon, but there is plenty of room for a few more of us, and hopefully next year at the NY Chocolate Show I will be seeing at least one or two new faces who are just as excited about fine chocolate making as those of us who were there this year. After all, can there ever be too much excellent chocolate?

(Above photo: Alan holding two samples of his just-released 70% Madagascar bar. Luckily the upside down bar tasted just fine!-Photo by Kerry Beal)