Éclat Chocolate in West Chester, run by renowned master chocolatier Christopher Curtin, makes some of the best chocolate in the world, writes Kiki Aranita for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Curtin was a champion cross-country skier when he decided to train in Europe to become a master chocolatier at 22. Years later, he became the first American to earn the title of Konditormeister, which translates to Master Pastry Chef and Chocolatier, in Germany.

He continued to travel throughout Europe and Japan, where he worked with many legendary chocolate makers, such as Van Dender and Marcolini in Brussels.

At his West Chester shop, Curtin loves to experiment. He is now infusing beans with bourbon in kegs and various herbs, and working to perfect the temperatures for the roasting and conching of a variety of beans – most of which he imports from Peru, Madagascar, and the Dominican Republic.

“For the Madagascar, you’d roast it totally differently than a bean from the Dominican Republic,” he said.

Curtin also invented parallel bars, as he calls them, which are based on symbiotic relationships in nature.

“The flavor goes across the bar but you can eat each different square together,” he said.

Read more about Christopher Curtin at Éclat Chocolate in The Philadelphia Inquirer.

______