SPECIAL GIRLS IN YOUR LIFE. THE SERVICE MOST ADULTS WOULD LOVE THAT IS TOMORROW AT 10. AM I
ALIVE IN THE DEEP? WE HAVE THE
OPPORTUNITY FOR MANY ARTISANAL
FOODS IN OUR AREA FROM THE
SAVORY TO THE SWEET AND TODAY
IT’S ALL ABOUT INDULGENT
CHOCOLATE CHOCOLATE MAKERS AND
ANN ARBOR IS MAKING UNIQUE BEAN
TO BAR CHOCOLATE MADE IN SMALL
BATCHES. THIS LOCAL MOTHER,
DAUGHTER AND DAUGHTER BUSINESS
IS BRINGING HEIRLOOM VARIETIES
OF CACAU FROM MINDO, ECUADOR,
RIGHT HERE TO MICHIGAN, AND I’M
SO HAPPY TO WELCOME BARBARA
WILSON AND ALICIA MEZZA IS
ALICIA OR ALICIA. ALICIA. ALICIA
UM, WELCOME TO THE SHOW. WE’RE
SO EXCITED TO HAVE YOU GUYS SO
EXPLAIN HOW YOUR CHOCOLATE MAKES
ITS JOURNEY FROM ECUADOR TO
RIGHT HERE IN MICHIGAN. YOU WANT
TO START WITH THAT WANT ME TO GO
UP IN? UM SO WE LOCALLY SOURCED
ARE CACAU IN ECUADOR OUTSIDE OF
MINDO, IT GROWS BEST IN A LITTLE
BIT HOTTER CLIMATES, THEN MEAN
TO ITSELF. FROM THERE WE DO THE
FERMENTING, DRYING AND ROASTING
ON OUR PROPERTY OR ON THE
FARMER’S PROPERTY, DEPENDING AND
THEN IT SHIPPED UP TO THE U. S.
AND FROM HERE WE FINISH OFF THE
PROCESS. I LOVE IT. I LOVE IT
NOW. I JUST WANT TO ALSO SAY HOW
COOL I THINK IT IS THAT YOU WORK
WITH YOUR MOM. AND THEN THERE’S
ANOTHER DAUGHTER. IT’S A FAMILY
AFFAIR, WHICH IS GREAT. BUT NOW
HERE’S THE THING. YOU GUYS CALL
YOURSELF CHOCOLATE MAKERS AND
NOT CHOCOLATE TEARS. WHAT MAKES
YOU DIFFERENT? SO WHAT CHOCOLATE
MAKERS DO IS THEY TAKE COCOA
BEANS AND TURN IT INTO CHOCOLATE
AND CHOCOLATE TEARS BY CHOCOLATE
THAT’S ALREADY MADE AND MAKE IT
INTO BONBONS AND THINGS AND
CHOCOLATE MAKERS ARE VERY UNIQUE
AND RARE. THERE AREN’T THAT MANY
WHEN WE STARTED IN 2000 AND NINE
THERE WEREN’T EVEN 20 IN THE IN
THE WHOLE UNITED STATES AND VERY
FEW WORLDWIDE, ESPECIALLY SMALL
BATCH. CHOCOLATE MAKERS.
SPEAKING OF YOU TO ILLUSTRATE
YOU BROUGHT IN THIS CHOCOLATE
GRINDER. AM I SAYING THAT RIGHT
STONE GRINDER? YES. SO YOU GO
FROM THE BEANS AS IN THE
CHOCOLATE BEANS INTO CHOCOLATE
BAR, RIGHT. TURN THAT ON LIKE
THEY DO THIS FROM THE VERY, VERY
SCRATCH YOU GUYS. THIS IS THE
REAL DEAL. AND THEN YOU THIS IS
WHAT MAKES WHAT DOES THIS DO? WE
HAVE SOME BEANS OVER HERE AND
YOU CAN SHOW THAT WE TAKE THE
COCOA. PAINS AND THE SUGAR AND
PUT IT INTO THE STONE GRINDER.
AND WE GRIND IT 24 TO 36 HOURS
UNTIL IT’S SMOOTH. WOW WOW,
THAT’S IMPRESSIVE. SO THIS IS
WHAT WE’RE DOING. THIS IS LIKE A
BEFORE AND AFTER THIS IS WHAT
YOU TAKE. AND THEN ROOM GETTING
THAT SPOON THERE. YOU GET THE
REAL DEAL, SO LET’S GO THROUGH
SOME OF THE STUFF THAT YOU GUYS
BROUGHT IN BECAUSE WE’VE GOT
TONS OF EXAMPLES OF YOUR
WONDERFUL CHOCOLATE. SO LET’S
START OVER ON THIS END, SO
MOSTLY. WHAT WE SELL IS
CHOCOLATE BARS. SO IN THOSE
PACKS, THOSE ARE CHOCOLATE BARS,
AND WE HAVE A LOT OF DIFFERENT
VARIETIES THAT WE’VE COME UP
WITH OVER THE YEARS ARE MOST
POPULAR. IS MICHIGAN TERRY SEA
SALT, AND THEN WE HAVE SOME
SPECIALTY BARS THAT ARE REALLY
COMING IN POPULAR WITH A COFFEE
TOFFEE BAR, AND THEN WE HAVE WE
HAVE A CARDAMOM APRICOT BAR.
THAT’S REALLY DELICIOUS, AND
THAT’S A MILK CHOCOLATE. AND
THEN WE HAVE SOME ITEMS THAT WE
HAVE FOR MOTHER’S DAY THAT WE
JUST MADE. I’M REALLY EXCITED
ABOUT THEM. THEY’RE ALL NATURAL
, NO ARTIFICIAL COLORINGS OR
ANYTHING. BUT THERE ARE THESE
BEAUTIFUL BRIGHT COLORS BECAUSE
THEY’RE MADE WITH BLACK CURRENT.
AND PASSION FRUIT. I LOVE IT
WHEN WE HAVE A GIFT BOX FOR
MOTHER’S DAY THAT WE HAVE GOT
SOME OF OUR BECAUSE THAT’S
BEAUTIFUL BISCOTTI, AND WE HAVE
A VEGAN AND GLUTEN FREE ITEMS,
AND MOST OF OUR CHOCOLATE IS
VEGAN AND ALL OF ITS GLUTEN
FREE. VERY NICE. ALICIA TELL US
ABOUT THE TOURS THAT YOU GUYS
OFFER. I HEAR THAT YOU’RE ABLE
TO MAKE YOUR OWN CHOCOLATE BAR.
YES SO THE TOURS ARE VERY, VERY
POPULAR. AND THEY’RE SUPER FUN.
UM THE CHOCOLATE MAKING TWO. ARE
WE GO THROUGH THE WHOLE PROCESS
? I HAVE A PRESENTATION ABOUT
WHAT? I CAN’T SHOW IN PERSON.
AND THEN I SHOW THE FACTORY AND
ALL OF, UM, THE EQUIPMENT THAT
WE USE HERE IN DEXTER AND THEN
THE CHOCOLATE MAKING THE
CHOCOLATE BAR MAKING CLASSES
REALLY FUN. YOU MOLD YOUR OWN
BARS. YOU GET A CHOICE OF WHAT
KIND OF TAPPING THAT YOU PUT ON.
AND THEN YOU LEAVE WITH THE BARS
THAT YOU MADE BEAUTIFULLY
WRAPPED BY YOU. IT’S THEY LOVE
IT. WE ALSO HAVE A TRUFFLE
MAKING CLASS WHERE YOU GET TO
ROLL YOUR OWN TRUFFLES. PEOPLE
LEAVE JUST IT’S EXCITING
QUESTION. EAT THEM BEFORE YOU
ACTUALLY MAKE IT HOME PROCESS.
OKAY SO WHERE CAN PEOPLE LEARN
MORE ABOUT YOU AND COME AND
VISIT YOUR STORE IN ANN ARBOR?
WILL IT MEAN THAT CHOCOLATE DOT
COM AND YOU CAN FIND ALL THE
INFORMATION ABOUT WHERE OUR
STORE IS AT 206, NORTH FOURTH
AVENUE AND ANN ARBOR AND CARRY
TOWN AND THEN WE ADD. OUR TOURS
ARE AT OUR PLACE IN DEXTER,
WHICH IS MY HOUSE. WE HAVE A
COMMERCIAL KITCHEN, AND WE’VE
BEEN MAKING THE CHOCOLATE THERE
SINCE 2009. WE ALSO HAVE ONE
MORE TOUR. THAT’S REALLY
INTERESTING IN THAT SILLY AND
THE TOUR STARTING UP FOR THE
SUMMER. IT’S AN OUTDOOR TOUR
WHERE WE’RE MAKING CHOCOLATE THE
WAY IT’S BEEN MADE FOR OVER 5000
YEARS. THAT’S EXCITING. WELL,
THANK YOU BOTH SO MUCH FOR BEING
WITH US. AND SHARING MINDO
CHOCOLATES WITH THE REST OF
METRO DETROIT. IT’S REALLY
EXCITING ABOUT BUSINESSES LIKE
THIS, AS WELL AS OTHER FUN
THINGS TO DO IN THE AN ARBOR
AREA. CHECK OUT THE WEBSITE ALL