March 8, 2012: this is a story for the glutton that I am! A report in a chocolate store. Arrived at 14h, I (re) discovers the store of Prangin where one is always well received. Sniff sniff? Yum's chocolaatttte! Before you start taking pictures everywhere Rapp offers me to leave my bag in the small room next door, between the molds for rabbits, eggs, chickens and other forms of Easter and the chocolate fountain. First step: the kitchen and the workshop where all achievements are prepared chocolate.

Employees are currently making foams 3 chocolates. Yum! The background is bisque and they put a layer of dark chocolate mousse since they are very large stainless steel bowls and then in a bag for this socket is clean.

A group of school students from Germany arrives for a training course of one hour on chocolate. I also want to listen to explanations about the making of chocolate from the cocoa. We harvest the pods on the cacao, the tree usually grows toward the equator (Madagascar, Ecuador, Venezuela, etc. ...). By opening the pod, we harvest the cocoa beans. They must then be cleaned, dried and then roasted.

There are three kinds of cocoa, the Forastero (80-90% of world production), the criollo (1-5% of world production) and Trinitario (10-20% of world production). The first is a very rustic cocoa, the second is fine and is the most aromatic. The latter is a cross between Forastero and Criollo, to overcome the lack of criollo due to a storm in the 18th century. When we roasted beans, they are ground and pressed to extract two things: cocoa butter and cocoa paste hard.

From there, we can make chocolate. To make dark chocolate, it takes at least 70% of cocoa paste, 20% sugar and 10% cocoa butter. For white chocolate, you put 50% of cocoa butter, 30% milk powder (sometimes double cream) and 20% sugar.

From these things up to taste! Small pellets of chocolate and milk chocolate fountain. We also have chocolate caramel pellets.

Prepare young animals with chocolate molds under the guidance of head: We must clean the molds with paper so they are bright, so clean. And then, to have animals in chocolate very smooth and shiny,'' painted on'' the molds with chocolate. It clips the molds together. Is filled to the brim with chocolate and one empty, the procedure is repeated two times, you hit a bit with a stick to remove excess chocolate. During the passage of the bat, we just sing as did the young:'' choco-choco-la-la, choco-choco-de-de, chocola, chocodé, Chocolade'' (Schokolade in German). Mr. Rapp is also preparing three chocolate bars with engravings of chocolate for the group of which it is party and which show a high-quality cocoa and expertise.

Once the mold fills, the direction the freezer so that it takes. Mr. Rapp gives students their certificates during this time, everyone is happy, he brings glasses and water. It is time to sample student achievement. The chocolate bar and its design:

This is the end of class on chocolate, I want to take pictures of several chocolate confections such as truffles, bonbons and other chocolates and large bags of marzipan.

The story ends sadly. It makes you want to make chocolate. Especially when you see how Mr. Rapp is happy in his studio and how he likes to talk and to bring to people's business. It is with good humor, playfulness almost taste the different chocolates that saying'' hop, hmm that's good.''
I go back to having still bought an iPhone C. .. C for Chocolate!

I again thank Mr. Rapp and people in the shop for the reception, good humor and for allowing me to carry this story. Here is their website : Chocolaterie RAPP