Bar of the week: E. Guittard Ambanja
Bean Type: Criollo
Cocoa Content: 65%
Last week our customers described the Domori Arriba bar as having notes of hazelnut and banana. This week we move on to the world's fourth largest island, Madagascar. Cacao from this african island appeals to many palates because of its fruity, sometimes citrus flavor. Because of this we've devoted a whole section in our store to the beans of Madagascar, and the Guittard Ambanja bar is a great place to start. Guittard began in 1868 in San Francisco as a way for Etienne Guittard to profit from the sweet tooth of the area's wealthy gold miners. Four generations later, the company is still family-owned and operated and is popular with pastry chefs nationwide (Christopher Elbow uses Guittard to enrobe his confections).
Every Saturday between 10:30 am and 1 pm we are sampling out the bar of the week, so stop by and give us your opinion.
Fun Fact: Guittard's business was destroyed during the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, but Etienne's son, Horace, quickly rebuilt and kept the company going.