25 years ago I went out on a chocolate journey without really planning it. I started in Paris with the famed Master chocolatier, Michele Chaudun, who had the most romantic chocolate store that I needed as inspiration material for my writing career that I was planning carefully to myself. I never stopped planning the writing career ever since, chasing vigorously after inspiration materials that I needed so badly in order to finally make it happen. Meanwhile, some relatively extensive chocolate drama happened without me putting too much attention to it. I created a brand, which you’ve might have heard of: Max Brenner Chocolate by the Bald Man- (the bald man in the logo? That’s me) opened many chocolate restaurants around the world, invented some fun chocolate dishes wrapped in all kind of wacky ideas and didn’t really write anything. Many said that I’m some kind of a Willy Wonka reincarnation…
But then, seven years ago, I left my chocolate youth creation – Max Brenner – and took a long five years chocolate break. Put aside my Willy Wonka hat and went to the other side of chocolate, its unknown wild side – Cacao. On a trip to the Blue Mountains in Jamaica I met a cool guy, Jody, which served me with ”Jamaican Cacao Breakfast”- a beverage that enlightened me with a fascinating way of preparing chocolate beverages straight from the beans and retain the wild flavors of its origins.
It was a real coincidence when I stopped few weeks after in a Brazilian grocery store in Queens and discovered the Cacao Fruit Pulp and yet another unknown cultural aspect of the endless possible culinary creations of Cacao – this time refreshing granola bowls and energy smoothies’ that are prepared from the fruit in South American cultures. So I decided to go back to USQ, Manhattan, open “Blue Stripes Cacao Shop” and tell sensual stories of taste, smell and colors that are known for so long to the tropical cacao jungles tribes and share what I believe we miss for too long – physically, mentally and emotionally – in our urban, concrete jungle, lifestyle. I invite you to open all your senses and bring the tropical cacao jungle to your urban plate.
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