After more experimentation, I’ve decided to change the Cardamint recipe. I felt that it was unbalanced, with too much cardamom at the onset and only a subtle mintyness. Since I am a big fan of mint, I decided to make it more minty. Now it tastes like a really good mint chocolate with a hint of cardamom. I think it’s better. I hope others agree!

After a month away from the Cocoa Room and with a trip to Europe under my belt, I’m ready to begin a new season of chocolate making. I think that our trip to Hamburg didn’t inspire me as much as it confirmed that the Cocoa Room is on the right track. It seemed that the trend in chocolate culture there strongly favored high-cocoa content, single origin bars or bars that were “seasoned” with herbs or spices. I visited a great shop called “Chocolate World” in Hamburg and picked up lots of interesting chocolate. My favorite bar was a Mace bar by a Belgian company called Zabaar. I thought it was perfectly spiced and super fresh because it was vacuum sealed. I didn’t visit any chocolatiers in Hamburg-I don’t think Hamburg is a hot bed for that sort of thing. I had some pretty awesome wheat beers, though.