Mikkel Friis-Holm developed a deep passion for chocolate during his years as a chef, but he was never satisfied with the quality and ethical standards of production. Therefore, in 2014, he took matters into his own hands and created Friis-Holm Chocolate, which is now recognised for producing some of the world's finest chocolates — without the bitter aftertaste of a guilty conscience.
It is a quiet summer day in the rolling landscape near Herslev, outside Roskilde, where the Vikings ruled over 1,000 years ago, on and around the surrounding fjords and seas. Unfortunately for the Vikings, they could not enjoy the scent that I have the pleasure of inhaling as I step inside the small chocolate factory that houses Friis-Holm Chocolate. Floral, fruity, and sweet notes greet me as Mikkel Friis-Holm comes into view.
"Shall we warm up our taste buds?" asks Mikkel Friis-Holm, pointing to the counter where a selection of chocolates is already waiting for us. We begin with the Chuno variant, made from the single-variety cacao of the same name. It comes from Nicaragua and is a perfect example of the meticulous attention to detail and passion for nuance that defines the enterprise. Chuno comes in two variations, where the difference is that the cocoa beans in one variant have been turned twice during fermentation, while the other has been turned three times over the same period; a detail that the average chocolate consumer would never consider, but which nevertheless reveals a difference. Chuno Triple Turned is soft and round, in every way embracing and approachable with dark berry notes, while Chuno Double Turned offers greater complexity and a hint of tannin, similar to what one finds in red wine.
It's not about saying which one is best, but appreciating that they are different, he explains.
We move into the first room of the factory, where the seeds of the finished product lie in sacks. These are the fermented and dried cocoa beans that form the foundation for the finished chocolate bars and filled chocolates that have made Mikkel Friis-Holm one of the world's most celebrated chocolate makers, with multiple gold medals for 10 consecutive years at the International Chocolate Awards. To the uninitiated, it may seem very natural that there are cocoa beans in a chocolate factory, but the truth is that this is far from always the case.
"Historically, the chocolate maker and the chocolatier have never been connected. This creates a gap between handling the raw material and making the actual chocolate. As a chef or pastry chef, you quickly lose connection to the raw material and its origin. The whole idea behind Friis-Holm Chocolate is that I have knowledge and practical experience with all the processes in the production—both to ensure quality and to ensure that everything is done in a responsible and fair way," he says.
For this reason, Mikkel Friis-Holm trades directly with the cocoa farmers who supply his cacao beans. This, according to him, ensures the best quality and a much more respectful collaboration between him and the suppliers.
"The problem in many cacao-producing regions is that the big chocolate producers are basically indifferent to quality. They want as much cocoa as possible for the lowest price. The consequence is that the cocoa is harvested by poor people and children who should be in school. The trees are sick, and the fermentation of the fruits is completely uncontrolled. They are paid by weight rather than quality, which is why you often find 3-5 percent small stones in the batches delivered to the large warehouses. This gives the cocoa farmer no motivation to take proper care of his plantation, and the children have to work instead of going to school, because there is no money for more," says Friis-Holm, continuing: "When I trade directly with the cacao farmer, it's not about charity. On the contrary, it's about showing him that it pays to make an effort because he then gets a much better price for his cacao beans, thereby creating a better life for himself and his family. I have been able to see the prosperity lift for the farmers I've worked with over the past 10 years," he says.
Mikkel Friis-Holm's portfolio of chocolates offers a wide selection of chocolates made from single varieties, which with their unique characteristics lead to very different chocolates; a very unusual approach in a market where the type of chocolate is mostly defined by whether it is dark, milk, or white.
The chocolate world is at the same stage of understanding as wine was in Denmark in the 70s, where the level of understanding was limited to whether a wine was from France or Italy; but chocolate, like wine, is greatly influenced by the type of cocoa and the place it comes from. That's the story we want to tell, and that's why we spend so much effort planting new, exciting varieties," says Mikkel Friis-Holm.
The strong focus on unique varieties and the desire to show their differences have also made Friis-Holm's chocolates popular among some of Denmark's best restaurants, including Restaurant Jordnær, which earlier this year received its third Michelin star. Chef Eric Kragh Vildgaard, who owns and runs the restaurant with his wife Tina Kragh Vildgaard, has used the chocolates for several years and highlights the special dedication and quality that characterise them.
You can feel and taste the dedication Mikkel has to his chocolates, and when he is crowned the world's best chocolatier, it is entirely fair in my book. He goes down to the smallest detail when selecting his beans, and he is extremely skilled at bringing out the personality in each bean and each batch. It's like with the great vintage wines: They have a character, but they are never exactly the same from one vintage to another. It's not about standardising the product, but rather about bringing out the best in each harvest. For me as a chef, it's fantastic to work with chocolates that are so pure and yet complex in flavour," says Eric Kragh Vildgaard.
Mikkel Friis-Holm has the same opportunity in his own chocolate workshop, where in addition to the pure chocolate bars, his chief chocolatier Cendie Themsen also produces a wide range of filled chocolates, often made with other products that have an interesting story and a Danish origin. We taste a piece with whisky from the Danish producer Stauning. I have almost traumatic memories of mass-produced filled chocolates with alcoholic fillings, but this piece is anything but traumatising. The chocolate shell is made from the Johe variety, which with its round, dark chocolate flavour perfectly embraces the intense whisky taste, so you almost feel teleported into a dark cigar lounge with soft leather furniture and mature whisky in the glass.
"Some of our filled chocolates we have worked on for more than a year before we feel that they are perfect. This characterises our approach in many ways. It's not about doing everything as quickly and efficiently as possible. For example, we use a 100-year-old conching machine (a machine where chocolate particles are slowly agitated while cocoa fat and dry matter are emulsified, ed.). It's far from the fastest machine, but it is the best you can get," says Mikkel Friis-Holm.
Nicaliso 70%
The Nicaliso beans come from northern Nicaragua. It melts with a delicate creaminess in the mouth and unfolds sweet notes of blueberries, dried fruits, and roasted grain, while the aftertaste offers a potpourri of warm spices. To achieve so much fruity sweetness and elegance in a dark chocolate like this cements Friis-Holm's high level.
Johe 70%
This variety also comes from Nicaragua and is believed to be the ancestor of the now more well known criollo variety from Venezuela. It smells of dark cocoa and also reveals a darker character than Nicaliso in the mouth, with more roasted nuances and less acidity – a more classic expression of dark chocolate, but still with the elegance that characterizes Friis-Holm's chocolates. This is the piece everyone will love.
Rugoso 70%
The beans for this bar are also from Nicaragua, but they have undergone a shorter fermentation, giving a more wild expression, making me feel like I'm standing in the middle of a plantation with the raw material in hand. It has a lively acidity on the tongue that harmonizes beautifully with the fruity notes of plum and a hint of banana; a very exciting and at the same time delicate chocolate with a slightly more robust tannin structure, creating a lively mouth feel.
Medagla Soy 70%
Friis-Holm has also expanded the repertoire to bars with added flavours, here in the form of dried first-class soy sauce from Yuasa in Wakayama Prefecture. The already quite savoury chocolate with notes of herbs and spices gets extra depth and umami from the dried flakes of soy sauce, which seamlessly melt together with the chocolate in the mouth; a sublime chocolate for those seeking a dry chocolate experience.
Dark Milk 65%
Milk chocolate is generally considered less fine, but in Mikkel Friis-Holm's hands, this category also reaches new heights. With a restrained sprinkle of milk powder, this still dark chocolate takes a new turn, where the dark cocoa nuances are supported by full-fat cream and a note of toffee; a perfectly balanced chocolate with both tannin, acidity, and sweetness.
White Nibs 40%
If milk chocolate tends to have a poor reputation, one hardly dares to talk about white chocolate, but this is a completely brilliant bar of chocolate. It is made with organic cocoa butter from Ecuador with a completely pure taste of butter with a mild note of fruit, which blends perfectly with the roasted O’Payo nibs, generously sprinkled into the white chocolate. These have an ingratiating character of banana and roasted nuts. This chocolate can be chewed, but I especially love to let the white chocolate melt and then enjoy the pure taste of the delicious nibs.
Friis-Holm Chocolate is available on a selection of international websites such as:
Cocoarunners.com
Cocolates de luxe.de
Friisholmchokolade.dk
You can also visit The Chocolate Factory:
Kattingevej 18
4000 Roskilde
Denmark
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