by Divinity | Blog News, Chocolatiers |
- by Divinity Chan | TheChocolateDate.com ©2013-2014 All rights reserved
Everyday creative and inventive chocolatiers are coming up with new concoctions and flavors to make your mouth water. They do such a great job that you just want to sink your teeth into and devour them all. Plus it’s eye candy for the eyes! Can you relate?
Well, here’s fun idea to help you save time shopping so you can share these moments of pleasures with your Chocolate Date savoring these delicious treats. What is it? Chocolate Tasting clubs!
Normally each month, chocolatiers will send a box of their chocolates to your front door step. Depending on the chocolatier, the chocolates they send may be the newest flavor of the month they want you to try before it is officially released to the general public. Or, it may be something special from their signature collections.
It’s like being the VIP where you get first dibs before everyone else does.
Here are some benefits you can find that chocolatiers may offer:
- chocolate sent to your home monthly – may include bars, truffles & signature pieces
- free samples and/or other related yummy treats along with your order
- discounts on future purchases
- invites to members only special events
- exclusive monthly offers
- free shipping
Note: membership structures will vary between clubs so be sure to read the details of
what it entails.
To save time:
- set it up to have the chocolates delivered to your Chocolate Date’s home to save you the trip and the expenses of gas and parking. Plus you can surprise your sweetie each month with yummy decadent treats.
- use this opportunity to plan in advance for future birthdays, celebrations, anniversaries and ‘just because’ occasions.
Where to find these chocolate clubs? Check out your favorite local chocolatier in your area or search online using keywords such as: Chocolate tasting clubs, chocolate membership, chocolate of the month, and chocolate club.
Well-known brands that offer clubs include:
- Godiva’s Chocolate Rewards Club (www.Godiva.com)
- Hotel Chocolat Chocolate Tasting Club (http://www.hotelchocolat.co.uk)
- Vosges Chocolate – Chocolate of the Month Club (http://www.vosgeschocolate.com)
This is a great way to check out new chocolates with your Chocolate Date without leaving the comforts of your home and so easy to set it up months to a year in advance. Surprise your sweetie with these delightful treats and reaps the benefits of being a member that your taste buds will love your for.
Let me know how it goes. Come over to Facebook or post your comments below. Love to hear feedback from you so I know how to better serve you.
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by Divinity | Chocolate Dating, Chocolatiers |
review by Mon Sun C “The Chocolate Date” Diva @2012 All rights reserved
TheChocolateDate.com | Cocoanymph chocolates
Chocolate making workshops and classes of all kinds is a great date destination especially when you are looking for something new and different. Plus, you can hop from one chocolatier to another and get exposed to the wide range of chocolate creations. These workshops and classes are very popular at festivals, holidays and special occasions like Christmas, Valentine’s Day, and Easter.
Here’s a review of a workshop I attended at one of Vancouver’s most popular chocolatier, Cocoanymph.
I was greeted by two of their staff members who were very friendly and knowledgeable about their products. They are heavily involved in the chocolate making process so they really know what they are talking about and can speak from their experience. They strongly encourage interaction and participation as it makes the whole evening fun. In my personal experience, the more interaction from the participants, the more the speaker will give a lot more information and tips. These speakers were really generous with their time and information.
They talked about the history of chocolate and how it came to be today. Starting with the Aztecs to how it was shipped off to Spain and how it spread through Europe to current time. We chatted about different methods, machinery and techniques that chocolatiers back then used to make chocolate and let me tell you, they didn’t have the high tech machinery we have today.
Even though I am a chocolate lover and know some of the history, there were some tid-bits of new information that I didn’t know so it was refreshing for me as I love learning.
Then we had samples of single origin chocolates varying from country and cocoa percentage. For this exercise, we were learning to taste the various aromas and flavors in order to discover the differences between each one of them. No chocolate is alike as they pick up their characteristics/personalities from the environment they are grown.
TheChocolateDate.com | Cocoanymph chocolate bath
After the teaching was done, it was time for the fun and messiness! Chocolate truffle making! They had pre-made slats of chocolate ganache in which we could make our truffles. We transformed them into various shapes using shape cutters and small round balls. When these were ready, we dipped the truffles into a container of melted chocolate. We had sprinkles and patterns of all sorts to decorate them with. At the end of the evening we packed our treats and devoured them later.
Overall it was a good and fun experience. I have been to other chocolate workshops and discovered that each have different offerings. What you have read here might not be the exact experience you will get at another chocolatier. Be sure to inquire what you will be getting in the session. And you may find that pricing will vary too.
Tips for planning the perfect date destination:
1. Call local chocolatiers to inquire about these workshops as they tend to fill up especially around special holidays and celebrations. Valentine’s Day will really be packed with couples.
2. Festivals is another great venue to check these out as they will have organized a number of classes with one or more chocolatier. But since it’s a festival, these activities do sell out quickly so once you hear about it, quickly sign up.
3. Check online for web deals such as Groupon, EthicalDeal or Dealfind. Local chocolatiers will promote their classes on there at a substantial discount. These don’t come often so it will be a game of luck and chance.
Single Men! Bonus Tip: Did you know that these are a great venue to meet women? Anything chocolate tends to attract more women than men. Great way to hook up for a potential Chocolate Date.
If you have any comments, post them below or The Chocolate Date Facebook page! We love to hear from you so we can better serve you. Check out our Facebook page to see the pictures of the event.
by Divinity | Blog News, Chocolatiers |
© TheChocolateDate.com | Theo chocolates display
Theo Chocolates is one of Seattle’s most famous chocolate companies. Theo is known to produce premium organic and Fair Trade specialty chocolates. If you know a little bit about the history of chocolate, you’ve probably already guessed where their company name originated from. If not, here it is: The scientific name for the cacao tree is Theobroma from Greek meaning the ”Food of the gods”. So Theo is from the cacao tree name Theobroma.
Their booth was busy with chocolate lovers and fans so I didn’t get a chance to chat with the Theo reps, but I can share my personal Theo experience with you.
First heard about Theo when I was visiting the Chocolate Box in downtown Seattle a couple of years ago. I was down there for the day visiting the local chocolatiers in the downtown area by foot. The Chocolate Box carries many chocolate lines and Theo was one of them. I was impressed by the variety of unique flavors and offerings that it peaked my curiosity. So naturally, I had to try as many of Theo bars I could.
A couple of years later, I had an opportunity to visit their Seattle retail space as it was just around the corner from where I was visiting. It was packed with shoppers and people waiting for their chocolate tour to begin. As I was soaking up the chocolate aromas and doing some shopping, I could hear numerous inquiries about any space availability for their afternoon tours. They were all booked. I personally don’t know how busy they normally are on other weekends, but that was a great day for Theo.
© TheChocolateDate.com | Theo Chocolates
After trying a few bars here and there, I’ve come up with a list of my faves:
- Spicy Chile – Dark chocolate with Spicy Chile – 70% dark chocolate with the warmth of guajillo chile and cinnamon, the tanginess of pasilla chile and a subtle hint of citrus
- Theo & Jane Goodall 70% Dark Chocolate – single origin dark chocolate (organic and Fair Trade certified)
- Fig, Fennel & Almond Dark Chocolate – It was the fig that caught my attention with this. Vegan dark chocolate with almonds, sweet chewy figs, and a touch of fennel
- Bread & Chocolate Dark Chocolate – Just by the name I just had to try it. Dark chocolate with buttery, toasted artisan breadcrumbs and the perfect amount of salt
- Chocolate and Wine Pairing Kit – I love their pairing kits! Each kit includes bars and wine recommendations. The kit I’ve gotten a few years ago is no longer available. The chocolate bars in their current kits have changed but I trust either way you will have fun as it is designed to go together.
Be sure to visit their Seattle retail space in the Fremont area where they offer chocolate tour of their facilities. These tours tend to book quickly so be there early to register for your spots. Website: http://www.theochocolate.com
If you have any comments, post them below or The Chocolate Date Facebook page! We love to hear from you.
by Divinity | Chocolatiers |
© TheChocolateDate.com | Divine Chocolate Ad
Divine Chocolate is a well-known Fair trade company partially owned by the cacao farmers. This part ownership allows the farmers a sustainable income while supporting the community. I had personally tasted their chocolates a couple of years ago at the Seattle Chocolate Salon and hoped to learn more about this company at the NW Chocolate Festival 2011.
The Divine Chocolate table was packed with chocolate lovers and chocoholics sampling their chocolates that I didn’t get a chance to chat with the people behind the table. Who can blame them? The bars tasted good that I ended up buying a couple myself – Limited Edition Dark chocolate hazel nuts and dried cranberries and Dark chocolate hazel nut truffle. The Limited Edition dark chocolate hazel nut and the dried cranberries had a nutty and fruity taste to it. I have never been a fan of mixing nuts and dried fruit together but I was impressed. The dark chocolate hazel nut truffle was like eating Nutella sandwiched between two pieces of dark chocolate. If you have eaten Nutella, you know what I am talking about…. smooth!
© TheChocolateDate.com | Divine Chocolate Bars
Visit their website: http://www.divinechocolate.com for more information on their products. One of the things you may notice is the different online offerings from US to other countries.
If you have any comments, post them below or The Chocolate Date Facebook page! We love to hear from you.
by Divinity | Chocolatiers |
© TheChocolateDate.com | Chocolate Shop
“The Chocolate Lover’s Wine, takes the perfect pairing – Chocolate and Wine – to the next level, marrying fine wine and rich dark chocolate to create an indulgent wine experience like no other.”
This chocolate gem was tucked away in the Beer and Wine garden section of the Aphrodisiac Room. One can’t miss the large glass containers of malt balls on The Chocolate Shop’s table. Only a couple of booths were promoting wine and spirits at the time I was there, but I got enough to get a taste and do a wine and chocolate pairing at the same time.
The Chocolate Shop was promoting their Chocolate Red wine. I naturally assumed it was going to be full-bodied like a port wine but after tasting a sample, it was light with a hint of sweetness and full of chocolate aromas. The flavors lingers on your tongue giving you a lasting finish..
© TheChocolateDate.com | Chocolate Shop Chocolate wine
To satisfy your other taste buds, this company also produces Creme de Cocoa (chocolate cream wine) and Chocolate Strawberry Red wine, Triple Cream Reserve (chocolate cream wine) and the Box of Chocolate Red wine. I haven’t tried them yet as these were not available at the festival, but it does sound yummy.
For more information visit their site: www.chocolateshopwine.com. These bottles are available in local US supermarkets.
If you have any comments, please post them The Chocolate Date Facebook page or on Twitter! We love to hear from you.
by Divinity | Chocolatiers |
© TheChocolateDate.com | Intrique Chocolates Co - Aaron, chocolatier
Truffles, truffles and nothing but truffles!
I first met Aaron, the chocolatier behind Intrigue Chocolate Co. a couple of years ago at the Chocolate Salon event in Seattle. Seeing him again was like running into an old friend even though we only met once. Just talking to him you can totally tell that he is passionate about his truffles, dedicated to his work and eager to share the excitement about his new discoveries.
This time around he was excited to show me his newest art, the rediscovered Fortunato #4, a rare cacao bean known to be extinct. He is one of the select few chocolatiers in Seattle to work with this chocolate due to limited quantities. To get another batch of cacao beans will take at least 7 years to grow these particular trees. Cross your fingers in hopes for any cacao pods as not all trees are successful. Trees must be in the right growing conditions. We shall see what happens in the next decade to see how successful this particular bean will be.
© TheChocolateDate.com | Intrique Chocolates Co - truffles
In the meantime, you have the opportunity to try Aaron’s other chocolate truffles. My faves is the Ghost Chili, Basil and of course the Fortunato #4. These truffles are full of flavor that melts heavenly on the tongue. The Ghost Chili sold out within hours of the festival opening. If you happen to have tasted this, you can see why – good bite of chili that finishes off smooth and creamy on the tongue. The Fortunato will take you on a journey of sweet to savory notes. Nothing needed to be added or taken away as it had its’ own personality. Basil… well if you love this herb, you will love how flavorful this truffle is.
Be sure to check out their Seattle retail store. Alternatively, you can order online thru their website: http://intriguechocolates.com
If you have any comments, please post them The Chocolate Date Facebook page or on Twitter! We love to hear from you.
© TheChocolateDate.com | Intrique Chocolates Co. - Forunato truffles
