The Art and Craft of Chocolate

Nathan Hodge is the co-founder and Head Chocolate Maker of Raaka Chocolate, a nationally distributed bean-to-bar chocolate company in Brooklyn, New York, founded in 2010. Hodge appears as a featured subject in the film, Setting the Bar (2017), a documentary that focuses on the leading role Raaka has taken in the craft chocolate movement's focus on sustainable cocoa sourcing. Hodge is a five-time presenter at the Northwest Chocolate Show, the premier US chocolate conference, and has fostered connections with USDA cacao researchers and academics at the Guiltinan Cacao Research Lab at Penn State and the University of Hawaii. Raaka's First Nibs Subscription program has become the gold standard for chocolate innovation. Every year, Raaka releases 24 unique chocolate bars inspired by recipes from all over the world, and in collaboration with local chefs and artisans.

1. Chocolate Comes From A Tree a) What is Cacao? b) Where Cacao Grows c) How Cacao is farmed 2. Cacao Takes Many Hands to Process a) Genetics and Terroir b) Harvesting and transport c) Fermentation and flavor d) Drying and export 3. A Brief History of Chocolate Culture a) The Olmecs b) The Aztecs c) The Spanish Empire d) Early European Chocolate e) The Chocolate Bar is Born 4. Complexities of the Cocoa Trade a) Early Dutch Trading b) The Commodity market c) Economic Challenges of Cacao Farming and Global Trade d) Growing Specialty Cocoa Market e) Wild and Heirloom Cacao 5. Chocolate Making Process a) Selecting beans b) Roasting and Winnowing c) Refining and Conching d) Tempering and flavoring 6. Bean to Bar Chocolate a) Brief History of Bean to Bar b) Chocolate Making Philosophy c) Sustainability and Social Consciousness d) Great Chocolate Factories of the World 7. Tasting Chocolate with Experts a) Meeting the Experts b) How to Taste Chocolate c) Great Chocolate Pairings 8. Chocolatey Recipes a) Chocolate Drinks b) Chocolate as a Savory Ingredient c) Unique Chocolate Desserts