Bar of the Week: Fresco's 213

Exceptional chocolate is created through a series of events.  Change any one event and the outcome is a new creation.  

                                             -Rob Anderson, Fresco Chocolate

This week we're featuring the 213 bar from Lynden,WA small-batch chocolate maker Fresco. Fresco's well-edited range of "prototype" bars are differentiated not just by cacao origins but also by processing particulars.

Just like Fresco's 212 bar, the 213 is a 72% dark chocolate made using single-origin cacao from the Dominican Republic. What sets the two siblings apart is the details of their manufacture: Fresco creates different chocolates out of the same cacao by adjusting the levels of roast and of conche (the process of smoothing out flavor and texture by subjecting liquid chocolate to high temperature and pressure). While the 212 has had a light roast and "subtle" conche, the 213 has had a heavy roast and no conche at all, and so conveys more strongly the cacao's natural notes of raisin and dried plum.

You can try Fresco 213 anytime on Saturday, July 30th, but if this post leaves you either curious or hungry, don't miss the opportunity to meet Fresco's founder, Rob Anderson, from 3-5pm. Rob will be offering more samples of his range and answering your questions about his unique take on chocolate making.