By Jaime Schick
Pastry chefs understand the value of using high-quality products, including single-origin ingredients. Chocolate, coffee and vanilla beans are staples in the pastry kitchen and are available in a range of quality, prices, proprietary blends and single origin varieties. While proprietary blends provide consistency in flavor and price, single origin ingredients allow for curiosity and creativity to desserts that showcase the unique character of the ingredients.
What does single origin mean?
A product labeled as single origin indicates that the ingredient was grown in one specific geographical area, or at a specific farm. Each ingredient has seasonal harvests that may vary from year to year due to the characteristics, or terroir, of the area. Terroir is the environment; climate, altitude and terrain. This means droughts, storms, fires or other shifts in climate can alter the final flavor. In addition to terroir, the individual practices of the growers and harvesters and their customs and traditions also have an impact on the flavor of the final product. This can include the amount of roasting of coffee beans, fermentation of cacao or curing of vanilla beans.
When we look at a variety of single-origin chocolate, coffee and vanilla beans from different countries, the flavors indigenous to each region become apparent. Ecuador produces nutty, fruity and caramel notes in chocolate and coffee, while those same ingredients from Colombia are said to have spice, exotic fruit and dark cocoa notes. Vanilla beans from Tanzania are described as woody and vegetal as opposed to Madagascar vanilla beans that have notes of spice and balsamic. Understanding these tasting notes allows pastry chefs to create desserts that highlight, compliment or contrast the flavor nuances of the ingredients.
Knowing the characteristics of the region, or terroir, and the other ingredients grown there helps create intentional and sometimes unfamiliar flavor combinations. Examples of terroir-specific pairings are Ecuador single origin chocolate with components of orange, caramel and coffee, Madagascar vanilla beans paired with cloves, pineapple and peanuts or Colombian coffee combined with banana, panela and rum. Another reason these pairings work well is they match in flavor intensities. When you work with single origin ingredients, you’ll notice that the delicate flavors can easily be overpowered, but by matching flavor intensities, pairing heavy or light flavors together, you allow the complexities to be highlighted. In these examples, chocolate and caramel, and coffee and rum are matched in heavy intensities, while vanilla, pineapple and peanuts are lighter. Remember to taste and evaluate each component and the finished dessert, assessing aroma, flavor and texture to ensure the dish is balanced and the flavors shine.
When you use single-origin products, you are more likely to determine where it was grown and how it was handled. Many of these products are bought through direct trade or fair trade, where workers receive fair wages and safe working conditions. With direct trade, purchasers work directly with the producers to obtain the product, thereby preserving traditional growing methods and supporting the community. Using single-origin products adds variety to a menu, but can be limited in quantity, have flavor variability and/or come with a higher cost. In the end, single-origin ingredients allow pastry chefs to respect the ingredients, places and people that make single origin possible and sparks creativity in flavor pairings.
Photos by Jaime Schick
Jaime Schick is an Associate Professor and Department Chair at Johnson & Wales University. She teaches courses ranging from baking and pastry foundations to contemporary plated desserts. Jaime holds a Bachelor of Science in Baking and Pastry Arts and a Master’s of Education in Teaching and Learning. She co-hosts the Culinary Now Podcast with her colleague Matthew Britt. Find Jaime on Instagram at Vanillabeanchef
(This article appeared in the Winter 30 issue of Pastry Arts Magazine)
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