Elmer Pineda of Yojoa Chocolate in Honduras
Elmer Pineda and his family grow cacao and make tree to bar chocolate in the mountains of Honduras. Taking their company name from the Volcanic crater lake where their chocolate factory is located, Yojoa Chocolate makes classic two-ingredient bars, as well as a range of inclusion bars that celebrate the agricultural bounty of their corner of the world. When I connected with Elmer over Zoom recently, a tropical rain storm was drenching his property, and you might even be able to hear it in our conversation.
In this interview we talk about the background of Yojoa Chocolate and their cacao farm, the natural landscape that provides so much flavor and inspiration to Yojoa’s bars, the importance of not only fermentation but carefully controlled drying in flavor formation, and some of Yojoa’s unique inclusion bars, like Espresso and Anis Avocado.
You can learn more about Yojoa on their website or their Instagram.
Episode timeline (approximate):
2:00 - Introduction
3:30 - Yojoa summary and background
10:10 - Local microclimate
13:50 - The power of tree to bar
18:05 - Fermentation and drying
25:40 - Espresso bar
29:05 - Anis Avocado bar
33:30 - Whisky Barrel bar
39:25 - Packaging and artwork
40:40 - The story Yojoa is telling
Here you can find info and tickets for my upcoming beer and chocolate pairings at Third Eye Brewing and Full Circle Brewgarden.
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.