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Chocolate, chocolate, we love
chocolate!
The tasty secret of the cacao (kah
KOW) tree was discovered 2,000
years ago in the tropical
rainforests of the Americas. The
pods of this tree contain seeds
that can be processed into
chocolate.
The first people known to have
made chocolate were the ancient
cultures of Mexico and Central
America. These people, including
the Maya and Aztec, mixed ground
cacao seeds with various
seasonings to make a spicy,
frothy drink.
Later, the Spanish conquistadors
brought the seeds back home to
Spain, where new recipes were
created. Eventually
the
drink’s popularity spread
throughout Europe. Since then,
new technologies and innovations
have changed the texture and
taste of chocolate, but it still
remains one of the world’s
favorite flavors.
Here are some of our
favorites...
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Dagoba
Organic Chocolate -
With an all organic
facility in southern Oregon,
their mission is to create
exquisite chocolates
with a focus
on improving the
world
through organic/sustainable
agriculture, fair trade
philosophies and eco-friendly
manufacturing practices. |
Scharffen Berger
-
founded by long-time friends
Robert Steinberg and John
Scharffenberger to produce
chocolate of the highest quality
from the finest cacao beans
using artisinal methods.
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Vosges
-
Vosges’ exotic truffles and
bars are made from the finest
ingredients offered around the
world.
The infusions of rare spices and
flowers combined with premium
chocolate give a delicate
balance of flavor, leaving you
with a layered and lingering
sensation of spice and
chocolate. A true
‘haut-chocolat’ experience. |
El Rey
- El Rey chooses
not to blend
varieties of cacao like some
other chocolatiers and
prefers to focus on the
intrinsic qualities of select,
single varieties of cacao and to
use only 100% Venezuelan cacao. |
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Santander
- From the heartland of
Colombia comes one of the finest
cacaos in the world. For over a
half a century this company has
been promoting good cultivation
practices among local growers in
turn creating single-origin
chocolates with outstanding
flavor, rich floral and fruity
aromas and distinctive nutty
hues. |
Valrhona
- Since it was created in
1924, by a pastry chef from the
Rhone Valley, the vocation
of Valrhona has been to
elaborate exceptional chocolate,
with the respect for the natural
aromas of the various cocoa
origins and the tradition of the
trade. |
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Endagered Species Chocolate Co.
-
created by Jon Stocking in an
effort to raise environmental,
and social awareness. Using
premium, all natural and organic
chocolate as a medium for that
message, Jon hopes to affect
change in commerce and instill a
sense of responsibility in
consumers and the corporate
world as well. |
New Tree
- an exciting new
"functional food" company aimed
at creating quality products to
tantalize the palate and
increase your well-being. |
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Fran's Chocolates
-
Fran opened her business with
the goal of creating and selling
extraordinarily high quality
chocolates, caramels and
desserts,
providing
the ultimate taste experience by
cooking with only the finest
ingredients in small batches,
using no preservatives or
artificial additives. |
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Gifts of Chocolate |
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