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If we were to say what has been the biggest change in people's eating habits in recent years with the growing understanding of food? It can be summarized in one word - “back to basics”. Throwing away all kinds of additives, we begin to miss and pursue the original taste of food.
📝 Bean to Bar
It is in this context that Bean to Bar chocolate has emerged and is increasingly becoming a common choice for fine chocolate lovers. Bean to Bar is a method of production in which the entire process, from the selection of the raw cacao bean to the processing of the chocolate bar, is supervised by the same company or store.
Unlike commercial chocolate production, which uses a mixture of beans from different origins or directly purchases raw materials for chocolate production, Bean to Bar carefully selects and strictly controls the entire process from bean selection to roasting, grinding, blending and molding, without adding extra impurities, to present the pure flavor of cocoa itself. Just like the wave of single-appellation boutique coffee beans that is now rising in the streets, although this concept is still not well known in China, for chocolate lovers, Bean to Bar is the inevitable pyramid to climb on the way of chasing the rich flavor of cocoa.
In the past, the mention of chocolate people will be taken for granted with “unhealthy”, “long fat” equals, this is actually because of the commercialization of chocolate in the mass production process in order to reduce costs, improve profitability and add a large number of cocoa butter, flavoring, sugar and so on due to the cause. This is due to the fact that commercialized chocolate is made with a lot of cocoa butter, flavorings, sugar, etc. during the mass production process to reduce costs and increase profits. In the production of Bean to Bar chocolates, we use high quality cocoa beans, and try to choose natural ingredients, such as unrefined sugar, etc., so that the taste of chocolate is lighter and more pleasurable - cocoa is a gift from nature, and there is no need for too much pretense and burden.
🤗 COCO KYOTO
COCO KYOTO Chocolate in Kyoto is a brand that specializes in Bean to Bar chocolate and has won the INTERNATIONAL CHOCOLATE AWARDS several times. COCO KYOTO Chocolate's brand philosophy is Cocoa for Healthy Life, so they do not use sugar in their chocolate production, but only use “healthy” sugar, such as Luo Han Guo Sugar, Organic Agave Syrup, Organic Coconut Sugar, which all have the common point of having a lower GI value (Glycemic Index).
Born in Kyoto, confectioner Katsuhisa Yokota began his career at the famous RUTE DE CHOCOLAT in Tokyo. After accumulating 17 years of experience, he became the pastry chef at the Century Hotel in Kyoto. As he continued to refine his skills, he realized the limitations of traditional commercial chocolate and joined COCO KYOTO as a pastry chef when it opened. Since then, based on the belief that “the quality of chocolate depends on how seriously you treat the ingredients,” Yokota has been carefully weaving his own chocolate dream net.
Bronze Medal at the International Chocolate Awards Americas Asia-Pacific Congress in 2017, Silver Medal at the same Congress in 2018, Bronze Medal at the 2019 Congress, and Silver and Bronze Medals in 2020 - this chocolate dreamcatcher's net woven with cacao beans as the material and with conviction, dedication, and creativity has also caught uncountable accomplishments and rewards.
In response, Katsuhisa Yokota said, “We are active on the world stage as a confectioner leading the Kansai chocolate world. We will continue to rise to the challenge and aim even higher. With the mission of mastering the original flavor of cocoa, we will continue to take on the challenge of revolutionizing the chocolate world.”
How can we change the old world of chocolate that has built up so much in the past? By not using white sugar and using low glycemic index and low carb sweeteners such as rooibos and organic coconut sugar; and by using rice flour instead of wheat flour to make chocolate bars;
As an artisanal chocolate maker in Kyoto, we use delicious ingredients unique to Kyoto such as Uji tea, roasted tea, Kyoto currant, Kyoto white miso, Kyoto Kitayama unprocessed sake, Kyoto Tamba wine, Tamba black beans, Tamba chestnuts, etc. COCO KYOTO centers around its philosophy of healthy chocolate, not just as a commercial business, but also as a responsibility to be practiced.
COCO KYOTO says that in pursuit of safe and secure products, they have reviewed cheap, mass-produced chocolates on the market and sourced the finest cacao beans from 10 countries around the world, including organically grown cacao beans from Vietnam. They engage in fair trade deals with cocoa bean and superfood producers around the world and ensure transparency, strictly managing and manufacturing their products from inception to commercialization.
The process involves searching for unique cacao beans, carefully roasting, grinding, and controlling the time, temperature and heat of each step of the process to create a delicious chocolate bar that maximizes the flavor of the cacao beans. This process makes Bean to Bar's chocolate taste rich and varied, and is worth savoring, and you can fully feel the surprise and fun brought by chocolate.
In his constant pursuit of innovation, Katsuhisa Yokota not only focuses on the production of chocolate itself, but also works to develop more extended products with cocoa beans. Through in-depth research into the properties and flavors of cocoa beans, he has successfully launched a variety of cocoa drinks. Whether it is rich hot chocolate or cool iced cocoa, each drink contains his unique understanding of chocolate and careful blending. Using high-quality cocoa beans and natural sweeteners, these cocoa drinks are not only rich in taste, but also health-conscious, bringing consumers a different chocolate experience.
In addition, Yokota has also set its sights on other desserts, launching a variety of new products such as chocolate ice cream, chocolate cake and room temperature snacks. Chocolate ice cream is made from low-temperature roasted cocoa beans, which has a smooth and delicate texture and retains rich nutrients; chocolate cake is made from rice flour, which is not only fluffy and delicious, but also reduces the intake of gluten; and ambient snacks are made by combining Kyoto's unique ingredients with chocolate to create a variety of unique snacks. These extensions enrich COCO KYOTO's product line and provide consumers with more healthy and delicious choices. Katsuhisa Yokota hopes that through these innovative products, more people can enjoy the wonderful taste of chocolate while conveying the concept of healthy and happy life.
🤗 popular item
This level of dedication and devotion to chocolate has allowed COCO KYOTO to win awards at the World Chocolate Awards year after year. For example, their Madagascar 62%, which won the bronze medal at the ICA (World Chocolate Golden Globe Awards) Asia Pacific 2017, was COCO KYOTO's first ever International Chocolate Awards-winning special creation, which has a soft bitter and astringent taste, blending perfectly with the fresh, sweet and sour fruity aroma, and in the mouth, the distinctive citrus flavors and acidity alternated with the mellow cocoa flavor, playing a balanced symphony of nuts, sweetness and cocoa, and therefore a gorgeous finish. The balanced nutty sweetness and cocoa flavors of the wine were a magnificent symphony on the finish, which captured the hearts of the judges in one fell swoop.
The following year it went from strength to strength, winning the ICA 2018 Asia Pacific Silver Award for Vietnam 85% is also fantastic, Vietnam cocoa beans are valued more and more for their high quality due to its unique geography, this chocolate fully stimulates the magical flavor of cocoa by using 85% high cocoa content, a fine taste can be tasted on the tongue to feel the unique flavor of blackberry tartness, nutty and even a little bit of earthy, it's an absolutely An interesting chocolate that you don't often get to see.
The Peruvian 50%, which won a bronze medal at the ICA 2020-21 World Championships, is made from Peruvian White Cocoa, a rare cacao characterized by low bitterness and astringency, resulting in a chocolate with a magnificent aroma similar to that of black tea, as well as a rich cacao flavor that complements it.Each piece of COCO KYOTO's chocolate is like a journey to the origin of the cacao bean, a journey to explore flavors, textures and aromas with the tastebuds. Explore flavors, textures and aromas and enter a world of unparalleled sensory pleasure.
Winner of a Gold Medal 🥇 at ICA 2023 Asia and a Silver Medal 🥈 at Worlds, this is an ingenious creation that combines Kitagawa Honka Sake Meal from Fushimi, Kyoto, with Uganda-produced milk chocolate. This chocolate contains 50% cocoa, with the sake meal cleverly blended in and flakes of sake meal added to give the overall texture and flavor a great deal of richness and expansion.
Innovation is another major pursuit for COCO KYOTO, as they are constantly experimenting with new techniques and flavor combinations to push the boundaries of chocolate, such as one of their signature products, the “KYOTO” series, which pays homage to the traditional flavors of Japan. With flavors such as matcha green tea and yuzu citrus, each piece of chocolate perfectly blends the essence of the East and the West, showcasing elements of Japanese cuisine and culture for a unique taste experience that is both familiar and new.
[Madagascar 62% Kyoto Mizuo Yuzu]
2019 ICA Bronze Award Winner
What: Using the light aroma of Kyoto Mizuo Yuzu with the fruity tartness of Madagascar cacao, the taste is softly bittersweet and tart with a lingering aftertaste.
[Peru 50% Kyoto Yuzu Roasted Tea]
2020-2021 ICA World Congress Silver Medalist
Characteristics: The sweet aroma of Tamarind Roasted Tea combines with the fruity sweetness and tartness of Peruvian White Cocoa Milk Chocolate, leaving a genmaicha aroma in the mouth.
[Honduras 50% Kyoto White Miso Sesame Seed]
2021-2022 ICA World Congress Silver Medalist
Characteristics: The crunchy texture of low-temperature-roasted white miso flakes and black sesame nuts is complemented by the deep flavor and moderate acidity of Mayan red cacao milk chocolate from Honduras.
[Honduras 50% Kyoto Sencha]
Silver Medalist, ICA Asia Congress 2021-2022
Characteristics: The elegant flavor of bitter-free and mild Kyoto sencha is complemented by Honduras-produced Maya Red Cocoa chocolate with a moderate sourness on the palate.
If you have the chance to visit Kyoto, you must experience for yourself the uniqueness of this Chocolate Dreamland, enter the carefully decorated chocolate store, have an in-depth conversation with the chocolate-loving staff, see the chocolate-making process, deeply experience the chocolate-making process and culture that makes COCO KYOTO stand out, and then finish with a piece of flavored chocolate as a perfect ending. Here, you will fully realize that chocolate can be so pleasurable.
- Author:japan guides
- URL:https://japan-guides.com/article/diet-32
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