Artist Palette Heirloom 70% Dark Chocolate Bar
CAROL AND THE CACAO BEANSTALK
Love is Love Chocolate truffle box
As a trained chocolatier, you would think that Carol must’ve learned about the rare “Naciónal” cacao during her training. However, that’s far from the truth. After her training ended, she came across this highly coveted chocolate variety at a local booth at an event. The moment she tried it, she fell in love. The single-origin heirloom “Naciónal” chocolate variety, sustainably farmed and sourced in Ecuador, is known for its complex balance, fruity and floral tones, and lack of bitterness. Protected by the Heirloom Cacao Preservation Fund, Gancia has been incorporating it into her creations ever since. This passion for premium chocolates, though, wasn’t newly found. It goes back to her Asian roots, where she grew up surrounded by a family of chocoholics. Thanks to her uncle’s international business travels, she was exposed to all things chocolate under the sun—be it unusually good flavor pairings or the quality of the sweet treat. Given her history of working as a TV show producer on KQED’s French culinary show, where she worked after immigrating to San Francisco, she learned to appreciate the art of food presentation and quality. Gancia trained with renowned chocolatier Melissa Coppel in Las Vegas and veteran pastry chef Stacy Radin at the Californian International Culinary Center to hone her skills. Being mentored by female leaders in a male-dominated industry empowered her as an entrepreneur.
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