Chocolate Hoarding Leads To Creation Of Prittie Chocolat

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — A St. Petersburg chocolatier, Maggie Prittie, kept finding pieces of chocolate in the pockets of her coats instead of what she looked for, a passport, for an upcoming trip to Italy.

"That's when I realized I was a chocolate hoarder," Prittie told Patch. "And then I started to deepen my knowledge about chocolate."

That realization happened about 10 years ago. Then Prittie began her one-woman business, Prittie Chocolat.

She started researching cocoa bean farmers, and the steps to make chocolate.

"I found out that chocolate can be complex," Prittie said. "It takes 42 steps to make chocolate-the first step begins at the farm where the cocoa beans are being harvested."

The reason Prittie likes referring to chocolate as she is because "she can be a b----," she said. "Very finicky. And she doesn't like humidity or water. On a humid day, it takes longer. No day is the same when you're making chocolate because of those unpredictable factors."

To learn more about the craft, Prittie then took a chocolate-making class in Orlando, learning the flavor profiles, Prittie said.

"Chocolate's flavor profiles are like wine, coffee and tobacco," Prittie said. "Each origin has its own flavor profile."

Prittie said she got to know cocoa bean farmers in Belize, Ecuador and Venezuela so she could do business with them using their beans to handcraft chocolate. Prittie makes chocolates from 13 origins with three ingredients: cocoa, cocoa butter and sugar.

At some point in her 10 years of making chocolates, she got to be known as the Chocolate Lady in St. Pete. Prittie also noticed the longer she worked with cocoa bean farmers, her care for them grew.

"Cocoa bean farmers are really my passion, and I want to make sure they are taken care of properly," Prittie said.

She provided handcrafted chocolates for the Salvador Dali Museum, the Florida Orchestra, the American Craft Art Museum, St. Pete Opera, the Tampa Club and the Ringling Museum.

Two Sundays ago, Prittie said she made about 12 pounds of chocolate for the Dali. It took her about 3 1/2 hours to temper the chocolate. Tempering chocolate is making everything the right temperature so it mixes together properly.

A couple of the chocolates Prittie handcrafts include dark chocolates Ecuador (Arriba 72 percent) and Venezuela (Maracaibo 65 percent).

A future goal of Prittie's is to have her chocolate business in a facility.

Prittie then wants to share her chocolate knowledge by hosting classes teaching the history of chocolate, the work of cocoa bean farmers and how to make chocolate.

Prittie will be at The Must Wine Loft Wednesday night teaching a dark chocolate and wine pairing class that begins at 6 p.m. This is the launch of the dark chocolate and wine pairing class that will take place every third Wednesday of the month with Prittie and The Must Wine Loft. To reserve your spot for Prittie's class, click here.

To try Prittie's chocolates visit her website to place an order. Or stop by The Must Wine Loft, 442 Second Street North, St. Petersburg, and purchase Prittie's handcrafted chocolate from the retail section. (Check hours and days of operation at Wine Loft before heading over.)