Cacao Farming & Fermentation with Sarah Bharath, Part 1

Cacao agronomist Sarah Bharath has become one of my closest friends in the craft chocolate world, and she's been on Bean to Barstool a couple times before. (You can listen to those conversations here and here.) Today I'm sharing the first of a two part conversation Sarah and I had recently about cacao farming and fermentation. Rather than getting technical (though there is certainly a lot of science here), the conversation was more philosophical, as we discuss the challenges and opportunities offered by small-holder farms in the cacao space. 

Farmers need to make money to live, and that means efficiency and predictability are easy to prioritize. But those goals might be at odds with soil health, long-term plant health, and the ultimately goals of cacao production: flavor and complexity. How do we reconcile these? And what do we do with the tension in craft chocolate and other artisan food and drink industries between the romance of terroir and agricultural variability and the need for consistency and agronomic predictability?

Listen in as Sarah and I discuss these topics!

Check out David's book Pairing Beer & Chocolate: A Guide to Bringing the Flavors of Craft Beer and Craft Chocolate Together.

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The music for this episode is by my dear friend, indie folk musician Anna ps. You can find out more about Anna’s music in the show notes or at their website annapsmusic.com, where you can also get in touch to book them to play at your brewery or other establishment.