Introducing ‘The Slow Melt’ Chocolate Podcast
Being the podcast fan that I am (they are a great way to learn while driving, walking or traveling), I’ve been on the hunt sometime now for a podcast about chocolate. However, my experience thus far when searching ‘chocolate podcasts’ led me to programs of one-off interviews or informational shows about chocolate. I could never find a show that was JUST about chocolate.
Until now.
On my latest I-Tunes search I was happy to find ‘The Slow Melt’, a new bi-weekly podcast about chocolate by Simran Sethi, a journalist who comes well qualified to host such a program:
- Sethi is a former visiting scholar at the University of West Indies’ Cocoa Research Centre
- The author of Bread, Wine, Chocolate: The Slow Loss of Foods We Love, named one of the best food books of 2016 by Smithsonian
- An a fellow at the Institute for Food and Development Policy (Food First) in Oakland, USA
Sethi has also lectured on writing, chocolate, agricultural biodiversity, environmentalism and sustainability at such high-profile institutions as Harvard University, Columbia University, and Cornell University.
According to www.theslowmelt.com, “The Slow Melt uses chocolate as the thick, delicious lens through which to explore the world—from flavor and physiology to chemistry and conservation, from global markets and gender to climate change, social justice and beyond—highlighting the people, places and processes behind this $100 billion industry. By better understanding chocolate, we can better appreciate it, more easily identify what we love, and support the makers and producers that create those kinds of bars. Guests include farmers, conservationists, manufacturers, tasting experts, scientists, social justice advocates, chocolate purveyors and, of course, award-winning chocolate makers.”
Granted, this may appear a bit deep for those of you who just want your ChezSlaughter Chocolate 🙂 but, chocolate-in-mouth notwithstanding, I believe you’ll enjoy my chocolate much more if you know:
- From where chocolate comes
- What environmentalists are doing to save endangered species of the cacao tree
- How chocolate is grown, harvested, processed and fashioned into bite-size ‘food of the gods’ pieces
- And on and on and on…
On first listen to Podcast Episode # 1, entitled “Chocolate Is Multiple”, Sethi interviews a variety of experts with extensive knowledge about chocolate including:
- Brigitte Laliberté, coordinator of the Global Network for Cacao Genetic Resources (CacaoNet) and the Cocoa of Excellence initiative;
- Peter Schieberle, a German food chemist who speaks about the 600 flavor compounds in chocolate;
- And Eagranie Yuh, a Vancouver chocolate educator who authored the book, “The Chocolate Tasting Kit”, which teaches how to discover, identify and enjoy the dominant flavors in chocolate.
The Slow Melt podcast runs less than 30 minutes and is informative, imaginative and entertaining as Sethi injects her knowledge, wit and humor into the interviews. The Slow Melt is professionally-produced by a team of passionate chocolate lovers including producer Shawn Corey Campbell and editor Sáša Woodruff. Other Slow Melt team members include Katie Ranke as media manager and Kim Hawley, who created the website and logo.
Why not grab your second favorite chocolate (because your favorite is ChezSlaughter and we’re currently out of the shop) and give The Slow Melt a listen? Not only do I think you’ll enjoy it, I think you’ll come to appreciate just how much goes into that bar or box of chocolate you love so much!
Find The Slow Melt on I-Tunes or listen online at: www.theslowmelt.com
ChezSlaughter Chocolate of Shreveport-Bossier City, LA is a roving artisan chocolate company. We make chocolate confections from premium Belgian chocolate and handcraft artisan caramels and cookies such as Biscotti. We also offer chocolate workshops and chocolate-themed parties.