lorax

Yeah, Starbucks is carrying Caoni chocolate, I think. I can buy that here, but I prefer the depth of flavour of Superior, which is 100% Criollo beans. Caoni (a coastal producer) uses Arriba beans grown in full sun, which bitters the mix significantly, and robs the roundness and velvet of the flavour. Superior (an amazon producer) is using a mixture of shade-grown cultivated and wild-collected cacao. When I really want to go overboard, I buy Kallari 85 - this is 100% shade-grown wild-harvested amazon Criollo beans. It's worth every penny of the $6 that the 10 oz bar costs.

I've never had a problem with seized batches in high humidity, but thank you for the solution for siezed chocolate due to water - I generally turf it because the flavour and texture changes, even with the addition of more water.

I grow my own vanilla, but Ecuador also has a fairly major industry in real vanilla extract - we supply South America. Despite this, I still see Pine Vanillin in the stores, and I can't figure out why anybody would buy it. It's more expensive than the real stuff!

You can absolutely use Turbano sugar - I suspect it's the same type of product that I call Panela. Dark, sweet with hints of molasses and vanilla. The very best panela that can be purchased here is not granulated - it comes in solid 3 lb blocks and you use a special hardwood mallet to break off and mill what you need. I prefer what is called Blonde Panela (from harvests with abundant water) for baking, and Black Panela (which is from drought-harvests) for jams and whatnot. This season, it's getting harder to find local sources for the blonde - most azuecerias are only putting out black.