EDITOR’S NOTE
If you are crazy about at least one of the 3Cs - chocolate, cheese and coffee - this issue is for you. My relationship with these three gems goes something like this: The older I get, the more I appreciate the flavour complexity of cheese. As for the other two must-haves, an oft-quoted saying goes, “Coffee makes it possible to get out of bed, but chocolate makes it worthwhile”.
Whether your taste buds pick on sweet, salty or bitter flavours, we've got the feature story to satisfy your palate. When it comes to chocolates, the majority of cocoa producers still come from West African countries like Ivory Coast and Ghana. In recent years, Southeast Asia has emerged to garner a slice of the cake; the chocolate market is said to be worth a whopping US$131 billion this year. With the rise of locavorism everywhere, a niche group of small-batch handcrafted chocolate makers in countries like the Philippines and Vietnam has entered the market at the right time to offer alternatives to conscious consumers. From sourcing cacao beans through local farmers, roasting them on-site, to packaging the handmade chocolates and shipping them to other markets, there’s an assuring traceability as well as a bean-to-bar connection (and advantage) offered by brands like Theo & Philo and Stone Hill. Turn to page 54 as freelance writer Xie Huiqun shares more about Southeast Asia's artisanal chocolate movement.
Our associate editor Eve Tedja has noticed an increasing number of chefs in Indonesia turning to local cheese producers as a source of supply, and the quality of these homegrown cheeses from Taleggio to Scamorza is comparable with imported varieties. Reporting from Bali, she shares more about the developments (turn to page 40). Digital writer Victoria Lim reveals where java enthusiasts can enjoy single origin coffee in Singapore and why Japanese coffee joints can give hipster cafes a run for their money (page 48), while freelance writer Priyanka Elhence recommends some hotspots to sip a cuppa in Ethiopia, Melbourne and London.