Zise Chocolate by Diane Stein

          Why Zise? It means "sweet" or "sweetie" such as "she is such a sweetheart"; fitting for a chocolate maker and educator known for her caring nature.

 Diane has long been an engaging and passionate speaker. Now she brings her enthusiasm for all things chocolate to groups large and small featuring the sustainable, ethical, pure chocolate she makes.

          Her chocolate journey started when she was still a practicing pediatric neurologist interested in the welfare of children and families across the globe. Finding the 85% of industrial chocolate is made with child and slave labor she directed her time in retirement to sourcing ethical cacao and using this to make exciting rare and wild chocolates as well as Ecuador Nacional chocolate, considered "The Most Coveted Chocolate in the World." (Smithsonian Magazine.)

           As a craft chocolate makers, she is happy to share how chocolate is grown, processed and coaxed into her uniquely luxurious chocolates.  As a maker of chocolates from single small regions (estates) or Single Estate Chocolate especially those grown in the shade of the rainforest, she soars when leading you through how to coax flavors out of chocolate that will surprise you. Picture a fine wine tasting with joyful chocolates! - that is "Taste the Untamed Rainforest" An Encore Tasting, where she brings chocolates from different regions of a few countries is even more in depth with some blind tasting challenges. 

            Some programs include her other passions: stewarding our planet, preserving indigenous cultures, biodiversity, social equity and culinary anthropology.  Chocolate events are easily tailored to include any of these interests.  

            Converting others to craft chocolate is surprisingly not too different from awareness campaigns she founded when treating children with epilepsy. She will go over how to find other craft chocolates to enjoy - not just for their amazing flavors brought out by experts in choosing beans, roasting and small batch processing of chocolate, but also so that you can feel good as you promote social justice and environmental sustainability.  (Ethical Craft Chocolate producers can be found as winners of the Good Food Awards.)

           Her community supported her development as a chocolate educator. For them she started her Fine Chocolate Passover Seder based on Rabbi Prinz's Chocolate Haggadah. Of course, this seder features her fine craft chocolates.  (Prinz's book On the Chocolate Trail is highly recommended.)

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Ingredients Matter

As a physician--Diane knows firsthand how important diet is and how changes in diet has helped many patients and herself.  She is gluten free. She is happy to share chocolate dipped gluten free shortbread and her award winning chocolate coated caramel over shortbread (billionair bars!)  Her friends and family on restricted diets and even those on chemotherapy are often able to eat and really enjoy great chocolate made with the fewest, purest ingredients. 

 She makes allulose sweetened sugar free chocolate and various dairy free, vegan "mylk" chocolates:

• Gianudja with hazelnut instead of milk

• Oat Milk Chocolate: vegan, made without nuts & diary

• 70% Dark Chocolate: just chocolate and sugar​