Recently in Brands of Chocolate Category
Just like a fine wine, a fine chocolate engages not just your sense of taste, but also your sense of smell. Some chocolates might have more of an earthy palate, while others might evoke the scent of jasmine or tobacco. How well can you recognize the different aromas in different chocolates?
Chocolate aficionados argue that single origin chocolate is special in the same sense as a regional wine or coffee variety. Cacao beans grown in a particular area of the world make it special, sometimes even from a specific town or cacao plantation.
Despite the name, Endangered Species Chocolate isn't made from rare things like white tigers and spotted owls. While that would be extreme indeed (if somewhat gruesome and quite irresponsible), ESC is one of the good guys. They're a company that produces fine, environmentally-sensitive chocolates.
In this week's exciting episode, we'll provide a miniature portrait of a company that's as well known for its humanitarian and environmental conservation efforts as for its incredibly tasty, purely organic chocolate candies.
Since its debut at Chicago's Candy Expo in June 2006, bubble chocolate has become a favorite treat among American chocoholics. A star turn on The Today Show along the way certainly didn't hurt. A taste sensation in Europe since the 1940s, it's taken a while to jump the pond -- but rumor said it was worth the wait.
That being the case, we decided recently that it was about time for us to determine whether it is, in fact, extreme enough to become an X-Choc favorite. After extensive research, we decided that it is indeed; and in this article, we'll tell you why.
Mother's Day, Valentine's Day, special birthdays -- what occasion doesn't deserve beautiful chocolate desserts? And if you're a real chocolate connoisseur, not just any chocolate dessert will do: you demand the best, the most extravagant, the most lavish and richly presented chocolate desserts in existence!
Fortunately, you're not alone. There are others out there who crave gourmet chocolate desserts, and we've found just the place for you to find them: Vosges Haut Chocolate.
That's right: Hotel Hershey has created the Hershey chocolate spa, specifically designed for chocoholics. Not only is this beautiful hotel a luxurious, beautiful spot in is own right, now you can visit its spa and take full advantage of themed treatments.
Caramel, fudge, and cherry crème are hardly unusual chocolate flavors. In fact, you find them in every box of Christmas candies, right alongside other standbys like mint, coconut, and orange crème. If you're dealing with a really adventurous company, you might find something like chilies or cereal crunch hidden in your chocolate delight. But that's not the end of the story when it comes to chocolate flavors!
Fusion cuisine, the newest trend in cooking, means blending flavors that don't traditionally go together and, well, seeing what happens. In the world of chocolate, that means some pretty interesting ideas, ranging from pop rocks buried in chocolate truffles to olive and balsamic vinegar laced treats.
Godiva Chocolatier is known for its outrageous Valentine's chocolates, but they've never made a chocolate room before -- until now! Godiva's 2008 chocolate promotion involves not only a chocolate room but a chocolate suite!
The way it works: Godiva has constructed a lavish suite made entirely of chocolate. The walls are chocolate, the color schemes are chocolate, the chandelier is chocolate, the candelabras are chocolate, and... well, you get the idea!
Chocolate and bacon? Now, those are two words you rarely see in the same sentence, even on the Internet. But as it turns out, a boutique confectioner called Vosges Haut-Chocolat recently introduced a chocolate bacon bar to the world, and chocoholics everywhere are abuzz.
You have to admit that the idea's intriguing. In these virtual pages we've recommended chocolate-covered chicken, chocolate sauerkraut cake, and xocolatl, the spicy drink of Aztec kings. We've even offered up a tasty chocolate martini. After all that, what’s a little pork with your chocolate bar?
Chocolates, gourmet chocolate bars named for how they might change your personality, or at least affect your mood, with a simple bite.
Keep in mind that chocolate alone -- even without New Tree’s holistic infusion of natural extracts and chic flavors -- contains phenylethylamine, which secretes so-called “happiness hormones” into the chocolate-lover’s unsuspecting body and psyche. These hormones -- serotonin, endorphins and dopamine -- can improve your overall well-being.
Besides, chocolate tastes good, which makes me very happy.
