News & Events
Winner of
Recipe by: Wendy Kou
Plantation The Laguna
Located in the heart of Guatemala, the new Plantation La Laguna, a partner of Manufacture CLUIZEL, nestles in the mountainous forest of Alta Verapaz. The Rio Cahabón River crosses the 4,800 ha plantation to reach La Laguna Lake. Water, a real source of life, irrigates these natural and preserved lands, where cocoa trees are cultivated on the mountainside, between 475 and 600 meters above sea level.
Cradle of one of the oldest civilizations in America, Guatemala has preserved the traditions of its ancestors Maya. On these lands of origin of cocoa, planters continue to cultivate it according to ancient principles: by hand and as close as possible to cocoa trees. The cocoa selected by MICHEL CLUIZEL is characterized by very fragrant beans, even before fermentation. Plantation chocolate La Laguna is thus the worthy descendant of a tradition of fine and typical cocoas.
The cocoa beans of the La Laguna Plantation are rich in aromas and have allowed us to create two chocolates: Black 70% cocoa, with rare notes of yellow fruits, apple cooked in butter mixed with notes of liquorice, Grilled cocoa ending in an extension of tart and minty notes, then Milk 47% cocoa with hints of cappuccino, hot chocolate, hazelnut, toast and butterscotch ending on intense cocoa notes.
For the second time we participate to the Great Taste contest for which we apply with 3 of our plantation tabs,whom 2 were rewarded (see the article below), also our Lollipops “Gribouilles de Choc” and our ganache beans Ingot, both with a brand new look. Thanks to their originality and their unique taste they have been awarded by a star!
Our 'Ganache beans Ingot': “A rather pleasing balance of sweet and bitter and thoroughly enjoyable.”
Our lollipops 'Gribouilles de Choc': “This looks and sounds like a fun product and we all need a bit of fun in life!”
Our Plantation Chocolates in the spotlight!
As every year we compete to the International Chocolate Awards contest, in the European and Bio European categories, and for the second time to the Great Taste contest. For 2018 we took the decision to apply with our new plantation 51% Riachuelo, our Bio plantation 66% Mokaya and the plantation 67% El Jardin.
We are proud to announce that all of them received awards in both contests! Get them here.
We are proud to announce that all of them received awards in both contests! Get them here.
Thank you for making Chocolate Lover Tour & Tasting a huge success!
Culinary Corner Chocolatrium Field Trip
Students from Andrea Millstein’s FSM 215 Elementary Nutrition class visited the Michel Cluizel Chocolatrium in West Berlin, New Jersey (www.cluziel.us). What a great field trip! After a student presentation on the benefits of chocolate, their interest was piqued to explore this topic further. We traveled on a privately guided tour to experience the world of chocolate. Learning how chocolate evolved through centuries, how it is processed and the health benefits (YES!) was very informative. During the tour, we enjoyed hot chocolate, eclair pastries filled with chocolate, a French macaron flavored with Earl Gray tea and a flaky pastry with mango. The French chocolate delights we enjoyed went from basic morsels to ganache-filled chocolates and even a chocolate mushroom filled with soft caramel and crumbly almond nougatine. Jacques Dahan, the president, and our guide said, “the more chocolate you eat, the smarter you get," and just a small piece of fine chocolate satisfies your palate to be enjoyed for a long time. We encourage others to treat yourself to the tours offered by this gem in our community!
Submitted by Andrea Millstein
Andrea (left) and her FSM 215 students
Andrea (left) and her FSM 215 students
