What the heck is ganache?... and other good things to know about our chocolates...
In its most basic form, ganache—[guh-nahsh]—is a silky smooth emulsion of chocolate and cream that makes up the center of a chocolate truffle. Sometimes truffles are simply balls or squares of ganache dusted with cocoa powder, sometimes they are enrobed in a thin chocolate shell (called couverture), and sometimes the ganache truffle centers are encased in beautiful molds of pure chocolate (often called pralines).
At Black Dinah, we make our ganache by infusing locally produced cream with a wide variety of locally grown, organic herbs, flowers and fruits, and whole spices. After carefully straining these out, we add locally produced butter and the very best Belgian, Venezuelan, and rare Peruvian chocolates. The result is a very smooth, appealingly firm ganache that we then enrobe or mold with hand-tempered chocolate into beautiful shapes.
Because the very best chocolates deserve the very freshest, tastiest ingredients, we buy from local farmers and producers whenever we can. And because we believe in sustainable agriculture and feel strongly that farmers of the best cacao in the world should get an above market price for their products, we use single-origin Venezuelan couverture that has been fairly traded and grown with respect for the land and the human and animal communities that live there.
Our chocolates are made from fresh cream and no preservatives, and for this reason (if you really need a reason), they should be enjoyed immediately. However, they will be good to eat for three weeks after you receive them. Store chocolates in an airtight container at, or just below, room temperature. If you must store them longer than three weeks, you may refrigerate them. Wrap tightly in plastic, or place in zippered bag with an airtight seal. Allow chocolates to come to room temperature before unwrapping or eating.