Past Newsletters
Vol 2 No 3

In Pursuit of Chocolate

Flyer Chocolates

Chocolatier John Paris of Flyer Chocolate spent over two years developing the milk chocolate recipe for the Paris Chocolates Flyer and Paris brands. According to John, although making good dark chocolate is complex and his company has invested many years in its development, milk chocolate recipes are particularly difficult.

Milk fats pose special problems, and as a result most milk chocolates have an undesirable aftertaste. In our opinion, the true test of good chocolate makers is not just their dark, but also their milk chocolate. And John is particularly proud of his milk chocolate with its smooth texture and clean aftertaste.

Over Two Years to Create One Extraordinary Recipe!

In chocolate making, cooking techniques and combinations of ingredient are infinite in number. Flyer recipes are the result of over 100 years combined chocolatier experience,

countless tastings in their small batch kitchens, and state-of-the-art manufacturing in Switzerland and the United States.

Flyer cacao beans are carefully chosen for their individual characteristics, including high quality flavor, texture and color. John uses rare, South American Criollo beans, which make up less than 10% of the world’s annual crop, and exquisite cacaos from select regions in the world’s "cacaos zone." They are roasted using original Flyer methods and then finely ground for good texture.

Conching, a special kneading and stirring process, is the final step in developing rich Flyer chocolate and its legendary smoothness. It’s conched for days, two to eight times longer than most chocolates. We suggest that you savor each bite and pay particular attention to the distinctly different flavors and textures as the chocolate melts, you will notice continuous bursts of fruity cacao flavor!

And don’t eat all 10 bars today!

Rave Reviews!

"...raises the classic candy bar to new heights..." - Pamela Kaufman, Food and Wine

"...cacao beans from outstanding plantations around the world" - Dee Coutelle, Chef Magazine

"...elegant candy bar...lush caramel..." - Florence Fabricant, The New York Times

"The best of all...in the best of all cities" - Barbara Costikyan, New York Magazine

"...great candy bars...Elegant." -The Boston Globe

Flyer candy bars and chocolates have received the highest marks in professional and consumer tastings, including rave reviews by… ABCnews.com, Boston Globe, Candy Bar Gazebo,
Chef, Chocolatier, Food & Wine, New York magazine, The New York Times, Saveur, thestreet.com, The Tufts Daily, WOR-AM in New York, and so many others.

Chocolate is Cranky

Chocolate is extremely sensitive to heat and humidity, it burns easily, and must be coaxed into performing by meticulous regulation of its temperature. This precise heating and cooling process, which gives chocolate its characteristic glossiness and "snap," is known as tempering.

Tempering Great Chocolate is the work of tried and true artisans. Chocolate is rich in cocoa butter, which is polymorphic… it crystallizes in several forms as it solidifies, only one of which, the "B" form, is stable. The tempering process affects the crystalline structure of cocoa butter, inhibiting the formation of non-B crystals with lower melting points. If chocolate is melted improperly, some of these unstable crystals can rise to the surface and create a dull, streaked finish… the dreaded "bloom."

There are a number of different ways to temper chocolate, and each chocolatier will defend his precise methods, as zealously as he guards his recipes. Although chefs and many chocolatiers temper by hand, the process is fully mechanized in chocolate factories.

Most machines use water jacketed thermal containers that melt, temper, and store chocolate. Scrapers sweep the bottom and sides of the containers every few seconds, and stirring mechanisms keep the chocolate thoroughly mixed at all times. Some factory units feature pumps and tubes that enable chocolate to be pumped directly to and from other machines, e.g., coating and molding machines. And you thought your Palm Pilot was complex!

Secret Squirrel Caramel

Flyer caramel is made by sticking to handed down family secrets. Of course the sugar is caramelize with fresh butter and heavy dairy cream, but not all butter and cream tastes the same! They replicate what the cow, goat, ewe, camel, or yak, eats. Think about it… if you eat a lot of garlic and hot salsa, wouldn’t your milk taste different? La Lachee will validate this fact. And furthermore, not all sugars are the same, nor are they processed the same way.

The Paris Flyer method requires rigorous monitoring of temperature, flavor, texture and color. The cooking time is very important … there is a delicate balance between undercooking, where the flavor is not fully developed, and overcooking which burns the sugar, and the caramel looses it’s elasticity. To get an idea of what a good caramel chef must accomplish, take one of your chocolate covered caramels and gently pull from each end. The caramel strings will stretch 6 to 12 inches before breaking. For real caramel aficionados, we are proud to present the Paris Flyer Secret Squirrel rendition… creamy rich buttery flavor, chewy and thick. What else could you ask for?

The founder chocolatier, John Paris, is an aeronaut and holds a hot air balloon license. Who else would name his chocolate company Paris Flyer? And I am willing to bet you will always remember his name and his outstanding chocolate and caramel bars!

John Paris and friends constructed their own balloon in 1974. At the time, modern ballooning was in its infancy… so you know he’s not afraid of risks, and he no doubt has the soul of dreamer. He’s probably a perfectionist too. His balloon, was called "Pie in the Sky," And for you fellow balloonists, it has the FAA registration number of N314. John Paris flew his first solo flight just before sunset on October 23, 1974.

In 1994, at the annual award ceremony for the Smithsonian National Air & Space Trophy, the guests ate Paris Flyer chocolate bars after a black tie dinner. It was there that John Paris met aviation pioneer and former White House correspondent, Fay Gillis Wells.

In 1929, Mrs. Wells founded the Ninety-Nines women's flight organization with her friend Amelia Earhart and other pilots. The Ninety-Nines is the oldest and largest association of women flyers in the world.

Between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn

Cacao trees are found in the geographical belt bounded by the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, 20° north and south of the equator. This tropical region includes the countries of Bolivia, Brazil, Cameroon, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Grenada, Haiti, Indonesia, Ivory Coast, Malaysia, Mexico, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Sao Thomé, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka, Togo, Trinidad, Venezuela, and Zaire.

Criollo beans are the finest, and the most sought after, but they represent only 10% of the production.

The fruit of the cacao tree is a pod containing 20-40 cacao beans. It is shaped like an elongated acorn squash and comes in a variety of green, yellow, orange, red, and brown colors. The beans are white (prior to fermenting) and approximately 1" long and ½" wide.

The Criollo bean is considered the best with a light color and pleasant aroma. It represents only 10% of the world's production. The Forastero bean and a few hybrids, one of which is known as the Trinitario, make up the other 90%. Forastero beans are bitter and come in a wide range of quality and colors. It is with the choosing and blending of the various types and qualities of beans that the guarded secrets of the great chocolate makers begin.

The two major parts of the cacao bean are the dark brown cocoa powder and the light yellow cocoa butter that can be pressed out of whole roasted beans with hydraulic equipment. Both must be present in a product for it to be called chocolate. What we call "white chocolate" is not technically chocolate.

However, one of its main ingredients is cocoa butter, the most expensive part of the bean. "White chocolate" does not contain cocoa powder. On the other hand, cheaper candies are often made with what is known as compound. Compound contains cocoa powder but no cocoa butter. A cheaper vegetable fat is substituted for the expensive cocoa butter. Compound cannot be called chocolate in the United States.

Hans Burie’s Belgian Chocolate Art!

This story is about a mortal sin. Yes, it really is true… I know what you’re thinking. What kind of a fanatic would do this to The Food For The GODS! It’s a darn good thing Montezuma can’t see this chocolate car made with 1800 pounds, or to put it another way 28,800 ounces of Belgian Chocolate! This Chocolate Car is the same size as an actual Opel (Are they still making those things?). This brings a whole new meaning to the word "Fahrvergnügen."

It took 5 Chocolatiers working for 4 weeks, from 7 AM until 10 PM to create this car. It was made with milk, dark and white Belgium chocolate. Hopefully Paris Flyer Chocolate won’t get inspired by this grandiose gesture. But then again, who in the world of chocolate will ever forget Hans? Let’s hope that someone besides the mice got a bit of this. What would you do with it… melt it and invite your friends over for a bath?

Now Han’s Chocolate Giraffe family does bring tears to my eyes. (See page 4). Although I mourn the chocolate, I must admit that Burie is one of the great chocolate artists. And I will never forget his name!

FLYER CHOCOLATE MOUSSE…

Shall we say, a more pragmatic use for Extraordinary Chocolate

16 oz. Flyer Gold Plane 4
1 pt. of heavy cream
4 egg whites
1 oz. orange liqueur

Slowly melt the chocolate in a double boiler and stir as needed to prevent burning. Turn heat down or off after initial melting and continue to stir until smooth.

Whip the cream to a soft, thick peak and whip the egg whites to soft peak. Add 1/2 of the egg whites to the chocolate using a whisk until the egg whites are evenly mixed into the chocolate.

Using a spatula, fold the remaining egg whites and the whipped cream into the chocolate until well mixed and very smooth. The mixture will be all the same color and filled with air. Place the mixture into serving cups or a large bowl, and then into the refrigerator for at least three hours until it has set.

COCOA or CACAO?

We have asked other chocolate producers about the proper use of the words cacao and cocoa. It seems that the words have become interchangeable. However, it is technically more accurate to use the term cacao when referring to the trees and raw production prior to manufacturing processes.