This episode features the allure of chocolate. Chocolate is enjoying an unprecedented boom in Japan, owing to the health benefits of the polyphenol it contains, as well as from the recent development of a new variety. "Bean-to-bar" producers have appeared, handling all aspects of chocolate production, from the selection, roasting and milling of the cocoa beans to the refining. They offer a taste of the cocoa beans from different regions that many people hanker after. Ruby chocolate is the new so-called "4th" type of chocolate, which joins the ranks of dark, milk and white chocolates. It has been a great hit with consumers. It relies on a process that is able to bring out the natural pink color and particular flavors of a special type of cocoa bean. We visit a long-established confectioner which has breathed fresh air into tea ceremonies by blending chocolate into its traditional Japanese-style sweets. And we also visit a bar in Ginza that pairs chocolate and drinks.
