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Secret Challenge
WELCOME TO THE 2023
Secret Challenge
Update: We have three winners!
Please enjoy the quiz and you're welcome to let us know when you successfully complete all of the challenges. All of the prizes have been accounted for. Thank you!
This will be the ultimate test of your craft chocolate knowledge. The first three to complete it with 100% accuracy will receive a little reward. Good luck!
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Guess the Machine
Listen to this audio clip and guess what machine this is!
Yes indeed!
This is a tempering machine! Here's a video of our tempering machine in action while making our Single-Origin Truffles. A tempering machine heats, cools, and slightly heats chocolate again so that the crystal structure is just right for snappy bars and shiny confections. Intrigued? Read more from Pearl.
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Not quite!
Here's a hint. We use this machine for both chocolate making and confections. Try again!
Guess the Team
Guess which Dandelion chocolate team made these bars based upon the flavor notes ...
Yes! These are the notes from our previous 2017 Anamalai, India bar in Kuramae, Tokyo. Our San Francisco bar has flavor notes of kumquat, peanut, and buttercream.
Not quite! These are the notes from our previous 2017 Anamalai, India bar in Kuramae, Tokyo. Our San Francisco bar has flavor notes of kumquat, peanut, and buttercream.
Yes! These are the notes from our previous 2018 Wampu, Honduras bar in Kuramae, Tokyo. Our San Francisco bar has flavor notes of classic dark chocolate, macadamia nut, and honeycomb.
Not quite! These are the notes from our previous 2018 Wampu, Honduras bar in Kuramae, Tokyo. Our San Francisco bar has flavor notes of classic dark chocolate, macadamia nut, and honeycomb.
Yes! These are the notes from our previous 2017 Gola Rainforest, Sierra Leone bar in Kuramae, Tokyo. Our San Francisco bar has flavor notes of fudge brownie, marshmallow, and roasted almond.
Not quite! These are the notes from our previous Gola Rainforest, Sierra Leone in Kuramae, Tokyo. Our San Francisco bar has flavor notes of fudge brownie, marshmallow, and roasted almond.
Yes! These are the notes from our previous 2019 Cahabón, Guatemala bar in San Francisco. Our Kuramae, Tokyo bar has flavor notes of juicy, fresh grape and torched caramel, with red wine undertones at the finish.
Not quite! These are the notes from our previous 2019 Cahabón, Guatemala bar in San Francisco. Our Kuramae, Tokyo bar has flavor notes of juicy, fresh grape and torched caramel, with red wine undertones at the finish.
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Guess the Craft
Guess which Dandelion craft is behind each of these images ...
Yes! These truffles are from the last batch of our Hanami Collection.
Not quite! Here's a clue: these are extraordinarily delicious!
Yes! These are bags of beans from Ambanja, Madagascar. These bags at the factory are ready to sort and roast.
Not quite! Here's a clue: the black markings are handwriting.
Yes! These are the mixer attachments for our Hobart mixer at 16th Street.
Not quite! A clue: you likely want to be the first to lick this!
Yes! These are the green cords that we use to secure the Hanami Truffle collection.
Not quite! But a clue: each of these strands is the exact same length here.
Yes! These are the fork marks that are a tradition for the Gâteau Basque.
Not quite! This item is found in the pastry kitchen.
Yes! These are about-to-be-labeled glass jars for our peanut butter spread -- delicious with s'mores!
Nope! But a clue: these will require an allergen label before they leave the factory.
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Guess the Origin
Guess which Dandelion origin is behind each of these images ...
Correct! With such a beautiful waterfall like that it must be Zorzal. You can almost hear the birds singing!
Not quite!
Correct! Look at those beautiful raised drying beds.
Not quite!
Correct! Hopefully you spotted the "Ambanja" sign in the photo's center.
Not quite!
Correct! See the hills in the background with lush terrain? Maya Mountain!
Not quite!
Correct! Palm trees pop up from within Brazil's Atlantic forest.
Not quite!
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Guess the Cacao Pod
Guess which cacao pod images are real. The others were generated using DALL-E artificial intelligence!
Yes! This is the real image.
Not quite! This image is generated by artificial intelligence! Perhaps the pod in the top area looks a little misshapen?
Good job! This is the real image. Look at those tightly packed fresh cacao beans.
Not quite! This image is generated by artificial intelligence! Those cacao beans look a little suspicious!
Bingo! You spotted the real image.
Not quite! This image is generated by artificial intelligence! We can't easily spot the difference either. Perhaps the image is a little grainy and tightly cropped?
Cacao grows in all shapes, colors, and sizes! Yes, you spotted the real image!
Not quite! This image is generated by artificial intelligence! You can see one of the background cacao pods doesn't realistically overlap with the cacao tree leaves. It's also not clear where all of the branches are going!
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Guess the Limerick
Our very own Stephen Durfee has a penchant for limericks and wrote this months' rousing chocolate-themed puzzlers. While each is truly inspired, the difficulty level varies quite a bit with number three being the most challenging. We peppered in a few clues if you need them.
Good luck!
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Dessert Captcha
The November Secret Challenge is a dessert captcha inspired by our 10-year Valencia Street anniversary and the "I am not a robot" security questions that verify your human-ness by challenging you to guess which slices of an image contain a mountain, a traffic light, a bus, a bridge ...
Except there's a twist. All of the images are desserts, and for the system to determine whether you are a human and not a computer, you must see how well you can identify which desserts were created by humans (Lisa and team) and not a computer (Dall-E).
A few of the images (and we're not giving any hints!) below are Dandelion desserts from Lisa's kitchen while the remainder are generated by AI. Select the images that you believe are Lisa's photographed pastries and not the computer-generated stock images. After you've chosen, check your guess to see if you found the correct solution. Most people at the factory find the right solution in about 3 tries.
Good luck!
Woah! You are indeed a dessert-savvy human. Beautifully done!
Sorry, please try again.
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Congratulations!
You completed the end-of-year Dandelion Secret Challenge! You truly are a single-origin chocolate aficionado. From everyone on the Dandelion team, thanks for making our 2022 sweeter.