A Taste of Chocolate

Yoxall WI members were treated to an interesting talk by Jackie Roberts - The Chocolate Tailor. She offers a bespoke service and assured us that she would be able to make anything out of chocolate!  Jackie's early career was as a hotel employee before she embarked on lecturing in business subjects such as event planning and marketing. Not wanting to continue with this work she decided to turn a hobby into a career. She enrolled on a half day course - "Introduction to Chocolate" - at the John Slattery training school. Enjoying it so much she did a more advanced 2 day course, learning how to temper chocolate and has never looked back.

The history of chocolate begins with the Aztecs, who fermented, roasted and ground the beans of the cacao plant. The  Aztecs  believed that cacao seeds were the gift of Quetzalcoatl, the God of Wisdom, and the seeds had so much value they were used as a form of currency. Originally prepared only as a drink, chocolate was served as a bitter, frothy liquid, mixed with spices, wine or corn puree. After its arrival in Spain in the sixteenth century, sugar was added to it and it became popular through Europe, first among the ruling classes and then among the common people. Within about a hundred years, chocolate established a foothold throughout Europe. The arrival of the Industrial Revolution brought steam-powered engines to speed the processing of the cocoa bean. New techniques and processes revolutionised the texture and taste. In 1847 Joseph Fry learned to make chocolate mouldable and Henri Nestle developed a powdered milk that could be added. Besides Nestle, several chocolate companies had their start in the late 19th and 20th centuries. Cadbury was manufacturing boxed chocolates in England by 1868 and in 1893 in the USA Milton S. Hershey was making Hershey's chocolates with chocolate coated caramels.

Jackie purchases white dark and milk Belgian chocolate pieces , melts it down and then  flavours it with many different products. The flavoured chocolate is then poured into moulds.  Our first item for tasting was a white chocolate heart flavoured with lemon oil. A truffle was tasted next which had an almond flavour,  amaretti  biscuit and amaretto had been added. The final tasting was a crisp dark chocolate coin. A selection of Jackie's chocolates were on display and available to purchase at the end of the evening.

The members were asked to vote on the 2014 resolution.  There  is only one resolution this year 'The NFWI notes that 3 people die every day whilst waiting for an organ transplant. We call on every member of the WI to make their wishes known, and to encourage families, friends and members of their local communities to do likewise.' The vote was unanimous in favour of the resolution.

Nationally, the WI are undertaking a baton relay to celebrate 100 years of the WI in England and Wales. The baton comes to our area on Thursday 26th June and plans are under way for a celebration in Abbots Bromley.

Our next meeting is on 11th June which will be our Birthday meeting and for members and invited guests only. The July meeting is on the 9th and we have Alison Taylor talking about Aloe, Warts and All. Visitors are very welcome and further information can be obtained from  Penny Bailey through the link below. We meet at Yoxall Parish Hall at 7.30pm