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Chocolate Judge

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Chocolate Judge

We feature ethically-sourced chocolate makers and chocolatiers around the world! Join the Chocolate Judge on her delicious chocolate journeys around the world!

I am an international craft chocolate judge and IICCT level 3 certified chocolate taster.

14/05/2026

A funny 🤣 chocolate 🍫 story from my recent vacation in Thailand! I always share chocolate that I buy with anyone who is with me. I was traveling solo this time but had a guide and driver in Bangkok. They got a crash course in fine chocolate while they were with me, complete with tastings! The guide was bilingual and would translate my comments about each chocolate I shared with them to the driver who spoke no English. On my last morning in Bangkok after I had plied them with lots of local chocolates the previous days, there was one more I wanted to share. I handed them each a piece and was just about to say what I liked about it so my guide could translate it to the driver when he seemed hesitant to eat it and asked (through the translator):
Him: Chocolate so early in the morning?
(In my defense, it was 10:30.)
Me: What?!?!? {I completely short circuited while I had to process that other people might not eat chocolate all the time.}
Him: ………
Me (finally recovering from the shock): Chocolate at ANY time!!!
No translator needed for that one. We all laughed, and yes he ate the piece of chocolate. And now I still laugh that I am so used to having a small piece of chocolate truly at any time of day that it caught me so off guard when someone questioned it! 🤷🏻‍♀️

09/05/2026

My sad 🙁 chocolate 🍫 judge 👩🏻‍⚖️ face as I have finished judging hundreds of plain dark, milk, and white bars; bars with inclusions and infusions; and filled chocolates for the Americas 🌎 regional competition of the International Chocolate Awards. It is always such an honor and a pleasure, so I am sad 😢 when it ends. Stay tuned on the International Chocolate Awards page and socials for the results! 🥇🥈🥉🏆 Good luck / buena suerte / bon chance to all who entered!!! ☘️

Erin Seidemann

08/05/2026

More chocolate 🍫 judging 👩🏻‍⚖️ insights!!! This is how I prepare to judge just before sitting down to start (see previous post about changes to daily habits). I turn off my regular music 🎶 and put on a calming, meditative 🧘🏻‍♀️ sound. Once I sit down with the samples ready next to my laptop, I take three deep breaths to calm my body down and focus. We all have crazy 😵‍💫 things going on in our lives, but I want to be as clear-minded as possible when I judge. The samples to judge represent people’s livelihoods from the farmers to the chocolate makers and everyone along the supply chain, and they deserve my utmost attention. It is truly mindful eating at its best! If you are a chocolate judge or taster, what do you do to prepare? Or if you enjoy eating chocolate as a healthy snack, do you have any mindful eating rituals?

International Chocolate Awards

04/05/2026

More chocolate 🍫 judging 👩🏻‍⚖️ insights!!! Ways I change my daily 📅 routine while judging: 1. Unplug 🔌 room scents for the duration of judging, not just part of the day, since those smells can be strong and linger. I’m ALL about smells and go around smelling everything, and I love to have different refreshing and seasonal smells in my house, so this one is painful to do for so long but necessary!; 2. No aromatherapy in my shower 🚿 either since I often judge soon after showering; 3. No strong 🧼soaps, shampoos, or 🧴lotions; 4. No strong herbs 🍃 or spices in meals unless they are many hours before judging; 5. No 💊 vitamins, medications, or supplements before judging since those can often leave a strong medicinal taste. 6. Budget enough time ⏰ to judge. It’s not simply saying if I like a sample or not. I owe it to each entrant to be as detailed as possible so they can improve any issues or know what they are doing well. So it takes time and is not to be rushed! These are small changes, but since they are normally part of my daily routine, it takes conscious effort to stick to them!

International Chocolate Awards

30/04/2026

Sadly, no more posts about my vacation chocolate shop visits. But how about some fun chocolate 🍫 judging 👩🏻‍⚖️ insights while I am knee-deep in judging for the International Chocolate Awards? Tabs I keep open on my computer while judging: 1. Google to look up ingredients and inclusions/infusions I have never heard of. One of the pleasures of judging from an international 🌎 pool of chocolate makers is that even after many years of judging, there is always something I have never heard of! Or it’s something I have had before but is known by different names in different places. I love learning about food from around the world, especially when the chocolate maker thinks it is important enough to include in their products! You get a little insight into their food culture, and that’s a beautiful blessing! 2. Google Translate because a lot of submissions come from chocolate makers who don’t speak English or speak limited English. Because of where cacao originated, there are many Spanish-speaking entrants, so I get to practice my rusty Spanish and learn new words! But there are many other languages too, so I get to pick up words from around the world, another blessing of judging! 3. My personal spreadsheet of strange or unique inclusions and infusions I have eaten in chocolate. That’s a whole separate post topic in itself, but believe me, just when I think I have tried everything one can put in chocolate, I am wrong! Judging keeps things interesting for sure! Never a dull day judging chocolate!

25/04/2026

Wat Chocolate, Temple of Cacao WAT Chocolate Siem Reap was the first Cambodian 🇰🇭 bean to bar chocolate maker. Cambodia often takes a back seat to its surrounding countries when it comes to cacao, but Wat Chocolate is doing their part to put it on the chocolate 🗺️ map! They have shops in Siem Reap and Phnom Penh. Their packaging features beautiful scenes, designs, and artwork. They have a nice selection of plain 🍫 bars, bars with infusions, bonbons, and drinking chocolates. Definitely worth a visit when you are in Cambodia!

23/04/2026

Ruedookarn: thai craft chocolate is a boutique chocolate shop in Phuket that offers a small selection of Thai origin 🍫 bars and bonbons. I loved the hanging decoration of dried cacao pods. The atmosphere inside was inviting and relaxing. The name in Thai means “the seasons”. I rarely have drinking chocolate, preferring to save my calories for bars or bonbons, but it was so hot that day during their dry season that I had one of their delicious iced 🧊 drinking chocolates as I walked back to my hotel, and it was perfectly refreshing! Go check them out when you are in 🏝️ Phuket!

22/04/2026

I am still catching up on posting about all the cool chocolate shops I visited on vacation! Here is a cute little shop called Khom Chocolatier House in the Old Town section of Chiang Mai. The inviting shop has a variety of drinking chocolates, plain 🍫 bars, and bars with infusions and inclusions. Their mango 🥭 sticky rice bar with freeze dried mango for texture was a great representation of the national dessert in chocolate form! Check them out when you are in Chiang Mai!

21/04/2026

The sign of a great vacation: I bought about 15 pounds of 🍫 chocolate while in Thailand and Cambodia (not pictured: everything I ate along the way)! It sure felt like more than 15 pounds since I schlepped it in my backpack to keep it off hot airport ramps in checked luggage! No, it’s not all for me. Lots for gifts 🎁 to family and friends… but ok most of it is for my collection. I visited 2 cacao farms and 16 chocolate shops from 14 different companies. And it wasn’t even a chocolate-specific trip. Still did all the sightseeing but also always gotta hit up the local chocolate shops when I ✈️ travel!

20/04/2026

My favorite 📦 package all year was waiting for me when I returned from Thailand and Cambodia! No, it’s not from Home Depot. I can’t think of anything from HD that would get me so excited except maybe a handsome fix-it guy, but I don’t think they ship those. This box holds hundreds of chocolates 🍫 for judging! It is my high honor and pleasure once again to judge for the International Chocolate Awards Americas regional competition! Good luck / buena suerte / bon chance to all who entered! Follow the International Chocolate Awards to see the results soon!

Erin Seidemann

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