Robert Steinberg | Chocolatier, 61
Robert Steinberg, 61, a family doctor who helped popularize artisan chocolates in the United States through the company he cofounded, Scharffen Berger, died on Sept. 17 of lymphatic cancer in San Francisco.
Robert Steinberg, 61, a family doctor who helped popularize artisan chocolates in the United States through the company he cofounded, Scharffen Berger, died on Sept. 17 of lymphatic cancer in San Francisco.
Dr. Steinberg found out he had lymphoma in 1989 and left his medical practice to follow his passion for food and cooking. His science background and love of cuisine proved to be a perfect combination for becoming a chocolatier.
After finding little help from chocolate-makers in the United States, Dr. Steinberg went to France to study under a small family business.
Dr. Steinberg and John Scharffenberger, a former patient, made their first chocolate in Dr. Steinberg's kitchen in 1996, testing 30 types of cacao beans.
They soon bought a machine from a chocolate factory in Germany, and made their first bar of chocolate in a small factory in South San Francisco. Hershey's bought the company in 2005. - AP