Chocolate Show

The chocolate show is this weekend at Metropolitan Pavilion. The price has skyrocketed over the years, but the bounty of fabulous confections is worth the ticket :

http://www.chocolateshow.com/home.php?titre=2&id_code=2

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The Show :

Is it possible for a venue that distributes unlimited samples of gourmet chocolate from the premier cocoa bean plantations in Ecuador, Madagascar and Venezuela along with intricately constructed confections flush with such culinary delights as figs macerated in whiskey and green tea infused raspberries to be anything less than fabulous?
Sure you have to pace yourself:
(1) discard anything resembling white chocolate (with some notable exceptions at Mary's)
(2) do not be tempted by the servers hovering at the front entrance with the cheap (though undeniably tasty) French truffles. the true exotic pleasures lie in the crowded inner stalls.
(3) only nibble at the edges of samples until you have made the full rounds.
(4) carry a water bottle to neutralize the palette

Even when abiding strictly to the above rules, it seems inevitable that the most composed and restrained adults will run amuck like over-stimulated/sugared children on Halloween. Likewise, the gleeful high quickly subsides (usually at the half hour mark) with complaints of stomach aches as was the case with my father. In 30 minutes he ate his way through a good pound worth of chocolate not to mention also purchasing a 5 year supply of 'gifts'.
Obviously the show did not disappoint. The array of different strains of chocolate was suburb. One highlight this year was the purchase of an absurdly expensive bag of Madagascar (80% cocoa) chocolate nibs after tasting a miniscule sample that left us in rapture. For such a low cocoa butter content, the texture was miraculously smooth. As the morsel slowly melted on the tongue, the initially creamy and mildly sweet flavor gave way to hints of coffee, vanilla and a faint trace of whiskey. However, the truly exceptional nature of this chocolate came in the finish which sparkled with a pleasurable tingling sensation. Remarkable!

As in previous years, the Japanese company, Mary's, stood out with its stellar pairings of ingredients and chocolate perfectionism (see pictures below). The relatively inexpensive green tea , passion fruit, wasabi and sesame chocolate ganaches were all lovely. A newcomer, whose name I forgot, offered innovative new flavors (such as the aforementioned whiskey figs) and a fresh raspberry puree. A couple of Italian companies experimented with combining traditional tastes of olive oil and rosemary with the Asian spices of star anise and Chinese peppercorn.

With that said, the show was much smaller than in previous years. There was a dearth of the New York boutique chocolates that once flooded the aisles. Two years ago, silk screening colorful patterns on the confections and servings of luxuriously thick hot chocolate were ubiquitous. This year there were few examples of either. Similarly (and much to my disappointment), the trend of mixing dark chocolate with cayenne peppers (and other piquant spices) has diminished significantly.

After becoming suitably satiated, I stumbled over to the Guittard stand to pick up my yearly supply of baking chocolate ( a 15 lb box). I usually opt for the 70-80% cocoa content. However, some minor research has revealed that the graininess in a few mousses was due to the low cocoa butter content of the chocolate. Therefore I purchased the less complex in flavor 65%. This year my soufflés will be silky and the mousses ethereal!