Frank Homann's Page

"Hi Teresa, In our experience, it doesn't make much sense to wash the beans, although it may have worked in Vietnam. Actually, washing the beans pre-fermentation may mess with the pulp that is essential for the fermentation (it is actually the…"

"Jim, Very sorry if I offended your emotions around Brazilian cocoa. I am sure that the beans from your farm are indeed excellent. I know a couple of excellent chocolates that have been made with specific Brazilian beans. I (yes, humbly, sort of)…"

"Clay, Agreed. Being a business man, I think the whole issue is around supplier power vs. buyer power. I think the big chocolate manufacturers can get away with paying too low prices for cocoa because suppliers are disperse and relatively…"

"Hi John and J Sandy, Great blog, and I am totally aligned with your quest to promote "heirloom" cacao from Nicaragua. Just to add a few facts that we in my company, Xoco (www.xocogourmet.com), have laerned over the past years: Today most…"

"To John and Xinhong regarding differences between bean types/tree varieties and regional or farm origin labelling: This question is at the center of a lot of confusion among chocolate makers and consumers alike. In my company, Xoco…"

"There probably aren´t. The logic is this: If you have fine cocoa beans, which you need to make great chocolate, you get a premium from that. You don´t need fair trade premiums that are often quite moderate. Fair trade is sought by cocoa…"