How It Works
Online 103: Chocolate Tasting
an intro to tasting chocolate: techniques, flavors, and vocabulary
1
SELECT YOUR CLASS
From tastings, ingredients, and truffles, to origins, choose the class you or a friend will enjoy, and purchase its accompanying set.
2
CHOOSE A DATE
We'll send a package containing your chocolate and other class materials, including sign-up instructions with a private code to reserve your class seat (at no additional charge).
3
JOIN IN
You're set! You'll have everything you need to taste, explore, and join in a conversation about the world of single-origin bean-to-bar chocolate.
Five different origins.
Five tasting experiences.
Each bar features chocolate from a single origin, and is made with just two ingredients — cocoa beans and sugar — so the inherent flavors of the different beans shine through. Without any additional ingredients, every chocolate bar tastes unique. We coax distinctive flavors from each origin, from fruity to nutty, caramel to floral. Our bean-to-bar chocolate has the same flavor complexity, nuance, and tone you might find in wine or coffee.
70%
COSTA ESMERALDAS
ECUADOR
tasting notes
hocolate ganache and blueberry
70%
AMBANJA
MADAGASCAR
tasting notes
cherry yogurt, honey, and fresh citrus
70%
KOKOA KAMILI
TANZANIA
tasting notes
honey, fresh pineapple, chocolate pudding
70%
TUMACO
COLOMBIA
tasting notes
chocolate ice cream, walnut brownies, and wildflower honey
70%
MAYA MOUNTAIN
BELIZE
tasting notes
honey yogurt, lava cake, and berries
A little about us...
We Make Bean-to-Bar Chocolate
We're Dandelion, a bean-to-bar chocolate maker in San Francisco's Mission District. For over 10 years, we've been turning cocoa beans and organic sugar into single-origin dark chocolate. We’re part of the New American Chocolate Movement of small-scale chocolate makers building specialized machines and rethinking chocolate making practices to reclaim the depth of flavor in chocolate.
As a bean-to-bar maker, we first source our own beans, and then sort, roast, crack, winnow, melange, temper, and mold each bar we make. Our approach focuses on minimal ingredients, just cocoa beans and cane sugar (not vanilla, emulsifiers, or additional cocoa butter), so that the quality and flavor nuances of the bean shine through.
Just Two Ingredients.
That’s All.
Our chocolate bars are made of just two ingredients: cocoa beans and organic sugar. We don’t add cocoa butter, soy lecithin, vanilla, flavorings, or preservatives, so the quality and flavor nuances of our beans shine. With a light hand and minimalist approach, we aim to highlight different cocoa beans' distinctive flavor notes — from classic fudge to tangy fruit.
We Visit Each Origin to Build Lasting Relationships
When we look for cocoa beans, we look for good flavor and good people. Building trust is at the heart of what we do, and relationships are reciprocal. In addition to looking for good cocoa, we’re also interested in what our cocoa producers need from us — feedback on a new fermentation process, upfront capital to offset a bad season, or connections to other chocolate makers to grow business. Each year we publish the stories, numbers, and practices of our producers in our annual Sourcing Report.
We Work With Collaborators & Chocolatiers Worldwide
While chocolate makers make chocolate from cocoa beans, chocolatiers use finished chocolate to create truffles, bonbons, candy, and confections. Since we don’t add emulsifiers or additional cocoa butter to our chocolate, working with it requires extra time and attention. As a result, making truffles or chocolate-covered nibs with our chocolate can be especially challenging. Still, our collaborators remain undaunted, inventing new recipes and products each year. We celebrate their talents and share these crafted treats with you.
Join Our Virtual Classes to Experience Chocolate from a New Perspective
Our Chocolate Educators have been with the factory for many years, and share their perspectives on tasting single-origin chocolate, making treats at home, and experiencing chocolate in new ways. Our classes are available for individuals, families, and group events.
See Our
Chocolate-Making in
San Francisco
If you’re in San Francisco, we hope to soon invite you to stop by our café and factory in the Mission District to sip on a hot chocolate while watching our chocolate makers turn cocoa beans into bars of chocolate.