Patch is counting down until our free coffee event at Tifa by providing one-on-one interviews with the sweet shop's finest chocolatiers. Get a free French press coffee or Tifa's famous hot chocolate for just $1 on Saturday, Dec. 11, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Jason Vishnefske's chocolate-making background is long and storied. A descendant of 19^th century chocolate-makers from Prague and a student of the French style of chocolate-making, admirers and competitors believe that the master chocolatier probably has cocoa beans running through his veins.

As a young man well ahead of his time, Vishnefske was making Jasmine tea and dark chocolate truffles long before California was ready for them in 1992. "Some of my first clients were caterers and event planners because they were the only ones who understood and appreciated artisan chocolates at that time," Vishnefske said.

The chocolate revolution

As he learned from the market and his chocolate consumers, Vishnefske began to see a pattern. He discovered that the American taste changes every 7 years or so. "You can almost chart it – from milk chocolate falling off the grid to its comeback to the high demand for dark chocolate these days," he stated.

Vishnefske claims we are due for a new taste revolution any time now, which could be something borrowed or adapted from Europe once again. "Americans are good at borrowing the best and putting everything together," he said "Unlike Europeans who usually do not want to deviate from protocol."

Eighteen years after it was founded, this marriage of European craftsmanship and American flair is part of what makes his business tick. Vishnefske stays connected with his European roots through his family connections and their chocolate-making facilities in Germany and the Czech Republic.

The cocoa beans are grown and fermented in various countries, including Fiji, Ecuador, Cameroon, Sri Lanka, Vietnam and Peru where eco-friendly farming techniques are used and fair pay standards are observed.

Chocolate praises

Here in the United States, Vishnefske keeps it simple and good, just like chocolate. "Good chocolate should taste like real chocolate," he explained. "There might be subtle notes of fruitiness or earthiness, but the predominant flavor should be chocolate."

People have begun to notice. World famous chocolatier Robert Linxe of La Maison du Chocolate in Paris proclaimed Vishnefske as "the future of chocolate." His mentor and good friend Maitre Chocolatier Jim Graham of Chocolats Le Francais in Chicago also recognized his work as "innovative and fanciful."

He claims that some chocolate-makers will try different roasting methods or add flavors, which have nothing to do with chocolate to hide various imperfections. "Some of them are trying to imitate the wine industry by adding the flavors," he said. 

Locally, the company counts ice cream companies, chocolatiers, food manufacturers, restaurants, hotels and home bakers as its customers. They also sell and ship to customers as far as Turkey, and get a huge chunk of their business from online orders.

Thinking outside the box

In Southern California, they count Tifa Chocolate and Gelato as one of their best customers, supplying them with baking chocolate and eating bars. "They care about quality and they really know what they're doing," Vishnefske said.

He lauds Shawn Orr, Tifa's "self-taught but brilliant" chocolate chef. "Shawn understands flavors and that requires a certain foresight and palate. He is truly someone to watch," he added.

Among the eating bars, Mike Ashamalla, owner of Tifa, counts the organic extra dark chocolate bars with 85 percent cacao as his personal favorite. "It's smooth and just slightly but not overly bitter," Ashamalla described.

Vishnefske is pleased about Tifa's choices and willingness to think outside the box. "They're not stuck in a structure. They have the ability to offer the entire world of chocolate to everybody," he said.

Adaptable business

When the recession hit, small gourmet businesses like Tifa continued to flourish, according to Vishnefske. But their big accounts cut back. Since compromising on quality was never an option, he still continued to offer the best chocolate with the best price. "I wouldn't sell anything that I wouldn't eat myself," he vowed.

Being adaptable was one of the things he learned from his early days as a chocolate importer. So with the economic slump, he learned to do just that – adapt to the situation and keep his operations lean with five full-time employees.

Chocolate trends

Vishnefske anticipates that in the next cycle, people, especially connoisseurs, will be leaning more towards savory chocolates. Think Gorgonzola or sesame seeds in chocolate.

After Thanksgiving, he used some leftover turkey, enhanced it with 70 to 85 percent dark chocolate and then served it with flour tortillas. The result? Mole Negro.

Taste is subjective, but an open mind helps, Vishnefske said. "I see chocolate merging with traditional cuisine and becoming a mainstream entrée dish just like the Mole Negro," shared the master chocolatier.