Is it acceptable for chocolate lovers to be “educated” on lies and misinformation?
Chloe Doutre-Roussel refers to herself as “an international chocolate expert” [7]. But in her book, “The Chocolate Connoisseur”, Doutre-Roussel proves herself to be both dishonest, and startlingly ignorant about cocoa and chocolate. (These allegations are explained in detail below). Chloe Doutre-Roussel is undeniably charismatic, with many admirers describing her as an angel [3], a goddess [4], or a saint [2]. For the most part, though, Chloe Doutre-Roussel is acclaimed by two kinds of people, specifically: 1. people who know even less about cocoa and chocolate than she does, and who are therefore not qualified to judge her expertise, and 2. people who benefit from the lies, myths, and propaganda that she spreads. The people who benefit from the misinformation in “The Chocolate Connoisseur” include premium chocolate sellers, such as Doutre-Roussel’s erstwhile employer (Fortnum & Mason), as well as chocolate manufacturers who process, or claim to process, Criollo cocoa beans. Although s
