With almost 20 local chocolatiers and candy makers at this, the\u00a011th Annual International Chocolate Salon, there were lots of options, including ones\u00a0that managed to combine healthy and tasty.<\/p>\n My current favorite healthy yet\u00a0tasty chocolate option from the Salon is Cacoco\u2019s<\/a><\/strong> Firewalker drinking chocolate. After reading about the potential cough-suppressing abilities<\/a> of chocolate, I drank Fire\u00a0Walker when I had a cold with a cough. It didn\u2019t cure my cold, but it did seem to temporarily quiet\u00a0my cough.<\/p>\n I asked Rob Blume from Cacoco if they considered Fire Walker a cold remedy. He said that in addition to the health benefits of their unroasted\u00a0chocolate, they add other health-enhancing botanicals to their drinking chocolates (Cacoco has 4 different drinking chocolates) that provide a range of heath benefits.<\/p>\n Rob sent me info about the other healthy ingredients in Fire Walker, which I was\u00a0not familiar with. For example, Mucuna seed is an antioxidant that is good for kidney health, helps regulate blood sugar, and reduces stress, among other benefits.\u00a0Rhodiola root is good for the respiratory and central nervous systems, regulates the immune system, and improves physical and mental endurance. And Reishi extract is an antioxidant that boosts the immune system, liver, lungs and heart, and does a bunch of other amazing things.<\/p>\n Continuing the healthy focus of Cacoco products, all of the ingredients in Fire Walker, from the cacao to the habanero are organic, except for the Himalayan salt. (But that\u2019s only because salt is a mineral; it\u2019s not carbon-based, so can\u2019t be organic.)<\/p>\n Fire Walker is definitely a sipping chocolate: It\u2019s thick and intensely chocolate with a warm habanero burn that felt\u00a0good on my sore throat. Be sure to follow the prep instructions to get the full benefits (basically, add lots of chocolate to a little water and mix thoroughly).<\/p>\n You can order Cacoco products online<\/a> or find them locally in grocery & specialty food stores.<\/p>\n I didn\u2019t spend time with the other healthy-chocolate OGs at the Salon this time, but they all had their full lines of products at the Salon, which include some personal favs.<\/p>\n Of Firefly Chocolate\u2019s<\/a><\/strong> line of traditionally made chocolate (as in Oaxaca, Mexico traditions, not middle America traditions), I currently love the Wild Harvested Bay Nut bar, which has a unique smoky flavor from the nuts harvested from our local bay trees, and the Jar of Joy dark chocolate hazelnut spread, which is adult Nutella: full of healthy ingredients, including dark chocolate.<\/p>\n Firefly Chocolate products are available online<\/a> and at a few select locations, mostly in the North Bay. Check their website for details.<\/p>\n In Endorfin Foods<\/a>\u2019<\/strong> line of minimally processed chocolate, I like the Dark Mylk bars (alternative spelling because they use coconut milk, no dairy), especially the Turkish Coffee bar. Endorfin has the whole healthy chocolate program down: unroasted chocolate, no refined sugar, and free of soy, gluten, GMOs, and dairy. In fact, Brian Wallace, Endorfin\u2019s founder, gave a talk at the Salon about the science of chocolate that included information about the nutrients in chocolate. (Just know that it can be good for you if it\u2019s grown and processed correctly.)<\/p>\n You can purchase Endorfin\u2019s Dark Milk Bars online, along with their other bars, subscriptions, gift boxes and drinking chocolate. You can also find their bars in select locations. Check their website<\/a> for current locations.<\/p>\n Alter Eco<\/a><\/strong> was probably the oldest company at the Salon, founded in France in 1998 and headquartered in SF since 2005. Originally a fair trade-focused import\/export business, they now manufacture sustainable chocolate that hits all the healthy, good-conscious notes: fair trade, organic, gluten free, non-GMO, no soy or artificial flavors. They have some new dark chocolate bars, of which I am most intrigued by the Dark Salt & Malt. Alter Eco bars and truffles are widely available in SFBA and beyond.<\/p>\n If you wonder what the big deal is about artisan chocolate, all you have to do is try anything from CocoTutti<\/strong><\/a> Elyce did not disappoint at this Salon. In addition to a line of 14 flavors for sale, she debuted 4 new truffle recipes and included one of the first flavors she ever developed in her unique CocoQuintet bars. Plus she was selling the raspberry jam she makes herself to use in her raspberry truffles and bars. I am in as much awe of her energy as her artistry.<\/p>\n Of the new flavors, the Almond Butter Crunch with Cinnamon was the most addictive. It\u2019s very satisfying along the lines of a peanut butter cup, but with a crispy texture (the \u201ccrunch\u201d in the name) and a light cinnamon flavor that lingers. Adjectives our tasters used in describing it included \u201cstunning\u201d and \u201cheavenly.\u201d This is one to stock up on.<\/p>\n Her healthy option (she tries to have at least one in each line she offers) was Coconut Caramel (non-dairy\/vegan). \u201cIt was designed for people who can\u2019t have dairy,\u201d Elyce said, \u201cBut if people don\u2019t know it\u2019s dairy free, they can\u2019t tell it\u2019s dairy free.\u201d<\/p>\n She explained that she makes it with coconut cream skimmed from the top of coconut milk and toasted coconut, so the flavor is \u201creally coconut-y.\u201d<\/p>\n We agree. It\u2019s really good, with a nice range of textures from the liquid caramel to the chewy coconut. It doesn\u2019t seem like she made any compromises to make a healthy bar: The coconut-y-ness seems purposeful, instead of a weird extra taste I\u2019ve been noticing in some other chocolates that are using coconut products to substitute for dairy or refined sugars. If you like coconut and chocolate, try this one \u2014 the addition of caramel takes it over the top.<\/p>\n The other two new CocoTutti flavors,\u00a0Curry 5-Spice and Pink Peppercorn, were savory. Elyce said she finds herself working with themes: \u201cOne year tea, another year booze, this year savory,\u201d she said, because, \u201cIt gets boring if you keep doing the same thing.\u201d<\/p>\n We could smell the spices in the\u00a0Curry 5-Spice as soon as we opened it. Which I guess we should have known because Elyce said she made her own blend, so it was very fresh. The truffle had a dark chocolate flavor, even though it was only a 64%. Our tasters rated it from very good to excellent, noting that it was very herb-y, with a lingering licorice aftertaste.<\/p>\n The Pink Peppercorn was interesting: It was very peppery, but at the same time, mild \u2013 exactly like pink peppercorn. I also experienced a slightly numbing after-sensation, weird but not unpleasant. This would be a good chocolate for people who are hesitant to try spicy.<\/p>\n The classic Florentine in the new form of a CocoQuintet bar is a perfect showcase of how well the CocoQuintet bar serves Elyce\u2019s more elaborate flavor combos: The bar is 5 connected chocolate pockets filled with citrus-flavored liquid caramel, and the long flat side of the bar holds lots of chopped almonds. So the Florentine has a nice crunchy outside, and when you bite into it, liquid caramel oozes out (careful!). Afterwards, the mild lemon-orange flavor of the caramel lingers. And you still have 4 more pockets to enjoy.<\/p>\n We also got a sneak peek\/taste of a CocoTutti work-in-progress. Elyce showed us a beautiful, iridescent green truffle that she is working on flavored with fennel pollen, roasted black pepper, and bacon. She described it as savory and not too bacon-y. She intends it to be paired with red wine.<\/p>\n It was almost too beautiful to eat \u2014 oh, who am I kidding, of course we ate it. It had a strong licorice flavor from the fennel in a dark chocolate ganache with a little crunch \u2014 from the bacon, maybe? It didn\u2019t taste like bacon, instead we tasted the black pepper and fennel in chocolate, the bacon was just there to add a savory background. It\u2019s a good flavor combo that I hope to see again.<\/p>\n Finally, I have to say that CocoTutti had the best deal at the Salon: CocoTutti Boo Boos. If for whatever reason, Elyce decides a finished chocolate isn\u2019t good enough to sell for full price, it becomes a Boo Boo. Maybe the decoration didn’t look pretty enough, the shell was too thick or too thin, or the ingredients were not perfectly scattered on the outside, whatever; it goes in a Boo Boo bag. The bags are substantially discounted: You get the equivalent of 16 full-sized pieces, normally $18, for $10.<\/p>\n We stocked up on Boo Boos (we had to wait, they don\u2019t go on sale until later in the Salon), and I shared them with my dance class afterwards, who ranged from chocolate lovers to chocolate avoiders to I-only-like-milk-chocolate eaters. I think Elyce is on to something here because the responses were incredible. People were curious, and because the chocolate didn\u2019t look precious, the hesitant ones were more apt to try something \u2014 and love it. Even people who thought they wouldn’t like dark chocolate or chocolate with alcohol in it were enjoying those very Boo Boos.<\/p>\n Boo Boos may have started as a way for Elyce not to waste finished but imperfect chocolates, but I think they could be the gateway to more people appreciating artisan chocolate.<\/p>\n CocoTutti products are available online<\/a> and at special events (check their website for upcoming events they will be at). And CocoQuintets are available in some local stores; check their website for info.<\/p>\n Our newest recommended chocolatier, Fera\u2019wyn\u2019s Artisan Chocolates<\/a> Joanna & David Whittingham, the husband & wife chocolatiers, make beautiful and cute chocolates with interesting flavor profiles. They always seem to have something new to try, while maintaining a long line of popular chocolates. That can make it hard to choose what to buy from Fera\u2019wyn \u2014 trust me, unless you hate a particular food, you will like whatever you try at their booth and want to take it home with you.<\/p>\n In fact, as Joanna told us, some people love one of their products so much, they buy it with no intention of eating it: \u201cOur turtles are freakishly popular,\u201d she told us. \u201cPeople buy them, but refuse to eat them because they think they are too pretty to eat. One woman bought them for her turtle: not for it to eat but to set around its cage as decoration.\u201d<\/p>\n I find that funny, because while I think they are cute, I prefer to eat them than look at them. They are a more refined version of traditional turtle candies with caramel encased in a molded chocolate turtle sitting on top of a pecan half.<\/p>\n They come in dark or milk versions, and the milk chocolate turtles have a touch of ghost pepper salt: \u201cNot to make it spicy,\u201d Joanna said, \u201cBut to give it a savory aspect.\u201d<\/p>\n I am not sure I believe the people who say they buy them for looks only. The turtles never last long at our house: good chocolate, chewy caramel, and a big pecan piece makes for a satisfying blend of textures and flavors, and a taste of nostalgia too.<\/p>\n The new product at the Salon that also tasted of nostalgia was Fera\u2019wyn\u2019s Peanut Butter Silk. Joanna described it as \u201ca really soft meltaway; it just dissolves in your mouth.\u201d<\/p>\n The silks are not truffles; there\u2019s no shell and they are not as firm as plain ganache. Joanna said they were fairly new; Fera\u2019wyn\u2019s has been selling them for less than a year.<\/p>\n \u201cWe also make a mint dark chocolate silk and a Kirsch dark chocolate silk,\u201d Joanna said. \u201cBut I love milk chocolate and peanut butter together.\u201d<\/p>\n Me too, so I was glad the Peanut Silk debuted at the Salon. They were super cute: little golden-brown owls and flowers, and each pack had a different assortment of shapes to choose from \u2014 another perk of buying artisan chocolates.<\/p>\n The silks were very smooth and peanut buttery, with a little salt lift at the end. Our tasters described them as \u201cspot-on,\u201d and loved them so much one of us was caught licking the wrapper.<\/p>\n We refrigerated the rest of the pack because they are so soft, we thought they might melt before we finished them. When we tried them again, we discovered that they are good cold \u2014 not as melt-y as at room temp, but we preferred that (not as messy); they even had a little snap.<\/p>\n The other new product was a Zinfandel truffle. It\u2019s dairy-free\/vegan: a dark chocolate made with coconut milk. Joanna told us they made it as a special request initially; then they decided to sell it. The ganache contains a reduction of the wine (Silverado Vineyards 2013 Zinfandel Soda Creek), in which \u201cthe Zin is reduced so much,\u201d she said, \u201cthat it\u2019s very tart \u2013\u00a0like a single-origin red fruit bar.\u201d<\/p>\n We found that to be accurate: The first taste is tart, then a strong wine flavor, and it ends with dark chocolate. But note\u00a0that it\u2019s best on its own: When I tried a piece while drinking red wine, I couldn\u2019t taste the Zin anymore; it was just a dark chocolate. (Learn from my mistakes.)<\/p>\n Fera\u2019wyn\u2019s Artisan Chocolates are available online<\/a> and at special events. Check their website for the latest info.<\/p>\n Another truffle maker with a healthy chocolate angle is Basel B Inc.<\/a>,<\/strong> maker of the most bling-y chocolates I\u2019ve ever seen. He uses an 85% chocolate for his truffles, which means more of the health benefits of dark chocolate \u2014 if your heart doesn\u2019t stop from the price tag of $10 for a single piece.<\/p>\n Basel told us the price increase is based on the actual costs of making his substantial chocolates, which first caught our eye at last Fall\u2019s Holiday Chocolate Salon<\/a>. The\u00a0line, called \u201cDarkness,\u201d\u00a0are the biggest truffles I\u2019ve ever seen: over 1″ tall and wide with thick shells.\u00a0That\u2019s a lot of chocolate. Definitely\u00a0not something you just pop in your mouth.<\/p>\n He explained to us that these big truffles are meant for pairing with wine and savored over time like a glass of wine. He also offers smaller blocky pyramid ones that are more about the fillings.<\/p>\n Those are the ones I prefer because while I\u2019m not a fan of the 85% shells (too bitter, thick and hard for me),\u00a0Basel B Inc.\u00a0has some tasty unique fillings. \u201cThey are all my original recipes,\u201d Basel told us. \u201cI\u2019m working on the next line now and will have it hopefully in the next year. There will be more exotic fruits and layered fillings.\u201d<\/p>\n He is also adding more flavors to his less-expensive line of marshmallow pops, and he\u00a0told us that he is talking with investors now to get money\u00a0to open a store in the area. This would be great because now you can only get his chocolates online or at events like the Salon. And since his chocolates look like beautiful jewels, it just makes sense that you could buy them at a retail establishment.<\/p>\n I also hope that with his own space, he would add lighter chocolates to his line. To me, the Darkness shells\u00a0overpowers most of his fillings.\u00a0The fruit fillings are a good example. I want to scoop them out of the shells and eat them alone. In combination with the thick dark shells, the more subtle flavors get lost.<\/p>\n I\u2019d love to try the Mint Lemonade in a 72% shell.\u00a0It\u2019s like a mojito but with lemon instead of lime, so it\u2019s a refreshing mint with a tart lemon aftertaste. I think a thinner shell of milder chocolate would balance with the tart flavor better. Same goes for the orange liquid caramel, blueberry, champagne & raspberry, and cherry & pecan: the fillings are the attraction and should be showcased.<\/p>\n The one chocolate we\u00a0thought worked as an 85% was the Turkish coffee. It had a\u00a0good strong coffee flavor that we thought was a\u00a0good profile match for the darker chocolate.<\/p>\n Basel B\u2019s marshmallow line is currently 3 flavors. We tried the Black Cherry and Green Apple & Caramel at the Fall Salon<\/a>, so we got the Pumpkin Spice Marshmallow this time. They are large squares covered in white chocolate and dipped in orange-colored chocolate and dark chocolate to make a pretty ombr\u00e9-esque striping.<\/p>\n As expected, it tasted like pumpkin pie, but unexpectedly with a\u00a0texture similar to pumpkin pie. While a little too sweet for us older CBTB-ers, our young taster said he would treat himself to these once in a while. The only thing that would make him hesitate was the $7 price tag.<\/p>\n Basel told us that he is\u00a0selling his Darkness line at\u00a0wine events now, including the\u00a0Pinot Days San Francisco event, June 3, at Westfield Shopping Centre, 835 Market St., SF.\u00a0Basel B Inc. chocolates are available at the Velvet Raven caf\u00e9<\/a> and at special events.<\/p>\n Another chocolate company that\u00a0uses high percentage chocolate for their goods is new-to-us Oakland-based confectioners,\u00a0Coracao Confections<\/a>,<\/strong> who have been making their \u201chealthy takes on classic flavors\u201d bars for about 8 years.<\/p>\n Everything they make is dairy-free, unroasted, organic, vegan, paleo friendly, with\u00a0no soya lecithin, gluten, cane sugar,\u00a0or GMOs. Whew! I think they have every healthy angle covered, including using 81% cacao dark chocolate.<\/p>\n We talked to Daniel Korson, one of the 3 founders, who explained that they use coconut sugar\u00a0as the main sweetener in the bars, which gives them a caramel flavor. He also told us that the unroasted cacao in the bars gives them\u00a0a different flavor profile than other chocolates.<\/p>\n We found this to be true; these bars don\u2019t taste like other chocolates. I think if you are looking for a healthy alternative to traditional bars, these could work for you; but don\u2019t expect them to taste like the originals.<\/p>\n For example, Daniel told us that the Berkeley Bar is their version of Snickers. Berkeley Bars come 2 to a pack and\u00a0are cute, chubby little bars\u00a0with a\u00a0good chocolate smell out of the box. But the taste and textures are different from the standard Snickers bar. The\u00a0nuts are chopped more\u00a0finely, and it\u2019s\u00a0missing the gooey caramel of a Snickers bar. We could tell that\u00a0they are using good ingredients, but for us it\u2019s\u00a0almost there but not quite.<\/p>\n The Mint Fudge bar, we think, is their take on peppermint patties. The bar had a\u00a0good mint chocolate smell, but it was too minty for us\u00a0to eat. Maybe the bar mellows over time, and we just got a too-fresh bar, but we found the mint overpowering.<\/p>\n I think the stoneground Almond Butter bar is their answer to peanut butter cups, but hey, peanut butter is one of my top 3 foods, so I say no way, make a peanut butter bar. It should \u00a0also be noted that we found the almond flavor to be\u00a0more of a\u00a0sweet cooked almond flavor than the flavor of\u00a0almond butter from a jar.<\/p>\n The most unusual bar, however, was the Caramel bar. The chocolate was\u00a0grainy, as is\u00a0often the case with unroasted chocolate, but the texture of\u00a0the caramel was what was so unexpected: It had an\u00a0almost marshmallow texture. One of our tasters dubbed it \u201cEaster on the Beach.\u201d If the chocolate was smoother, I could see enjoying this bar for that aerated caramel.<\/p>\n Coracao bars are available\u00a0online<\/a>, and at some local farmers markets\u00a0and stores like\u00a0Rainbow Grocery\u00a0in SF. Check their website for more locations.<\/p>\n Of course chocolate is a food, but when someone uses that phrase in their marketing, I think \u2018chocolate as punishment.\u2019\u00a0I fear it will be too grainy and raw tasting, with weird flavors coming from the healthy additives.<\/p>\n New chocolatier,\u00a0Live a Lot,<\/strong> has only been in business since last June, so I am willing to cut them some slack for using that phrase. The sister team of Giovanna & Regina Garcia\u00a0make \u201cchocolate with a purpose,\u201d according to co-founder & chocolate alchemist Giovanna, meaning chocolate with added superfoods to enhance health and well-being.<\/p>\n They use raw cacao\u00a0sweetened with coconut palm sugar and powered with healthy additives like goji berries. Everything is gluten free, dairy free, refined sugar free, soy free, vegan, fair trade, and organic.<\/p>\n Giovanna told us their chocolate is sourced from Ecuador, and they stone grind it in Santa Cruz. She also pointed out that it is not totally raw; it\u2019s\u00a0unroasted, but fermented.<\/p>\n Their line of \u201cIntentional Chocolate\u201d is 3 bars with different superfood combinations. \u201cEach variety tastes different,\u201d Giovanna said, \u201cBut the effect is the main intention.\u201d<\/p>\n For example, \u201cRevive\u201d\u00a0is intended\u00a0to boost energy with its superfood additions of matcha, ginger and mucuna. To me, it\u00a0tasted initially\u00a0like chocolate frosting, but it ended tasting raw. One of our tasters said it was all on the\u00a0upper end of the flavor register. He thought it needed some dark flavors to create richness.<\/p>\n \u201cIgnite\u201d is intended to enhance joy with goji, schizandra and cardamom.\u00a0This one was richer tasting than \u201cRevive,\u201d and kind of peppery; but I just don\u2019t like goji berry, so no go for me on this one.<\/p>\n \u201cUnwind\u201d is intended to reduce stress with medicinal mushrooms and mesquite. It did have an earthy taste to it with\u00a0notes of wood, dirt, and mushroom \u2013 but not in an unpleasant way.<\/p>\n We didn\u2019t notice any change to our well being after trying Live a Lot chocolate, but we probably had too small a sample to feel any effects.\u00a0I\u2019m not sure what the dose should be; each\u00a02″-square bar is divided into 4 smaller squares, so they\u00a0are easy to break into smaller pieces to enjoy, which is what we did to sample.<\/p>\n Live a Lot Chocolate\u00a0has a\u00a0good chocolate smell, but it does have that grainy, raw chocolate texture that I\u2019m not down with; and the pieces melted\u00a0a little\u00a0in our hands before we ate them.<\/p>\n One of our tasters, who shares my dislike of raw chocolate, said, \u201cI\u00a0liked it more than I feared,\u201d right before discovering a\u00a0\u201cLove Over Fear\u201d sticker inside the box.<\/p>\n Live a Lot Chocolate is sold\u00a0online, plus at events, some SFBA\u00a0stores and yoga studios. Check their website and Facebook page for more info.<\/p>\n Salon veteran,\u00a0Socola Chocolatier<\/a>, Because I had recently tried the\u00a0 Socola TCM Collection<\/a>, I instead opted to try their new\u00a0green tea bar.\u00a0Wendy Lieu, Socola\u2019s co-founder and head chocolatier, told us it\u2019s a\u00a0white chocolate bar, flavored with matcha green tea (which is full of health benefits<\/a>), and packed with crunchy feuilletine crumbs (I doubt anything that tastes like an ice cream sugar cone has any health benefits to tout).\u00a0She said she was going for a\u00a0matcha green tea cookie experience in a bar.<\/p>\n I like the look of it: It\u2019s a big, light green\u00a0bar made in\u00a0a custom Socola mold featuring their mascot, Harriet, the flying alpaca<\/a>. It\u2019s enjoyably crunchy, the first taste is white chocolate, followed by matcha; the sugar-cone flavor of the feuilletine crumbs comes last. I think it would make a good gift for your white-chocolate-loving friends.<\/p>\n Socola\u00a0had a packed booth with something Socola for everyone: In addition to the new TCM collection and green tea bar, they were also selling their Tea, Signature,\u00a0SF, and\u00a0Catalyst Collections, plus bars, barks, truffles, pate de fruits (lychee or mango passion), Easter candies, T-shirts, and socks(!). I bought myself a Socola T decorated in flying Harriets and other Socola hieroglyphics.<\/p>\n You can find most of Socola\u2019s offerings online<\/a>, but for the full line including non-edibles and limited editions, you need to find them at events or, better yet, visit\u00a0Socola Chocolatier + Barista<\/a> on Folsom in SF.<\/p>\n Melissa Santos of\u00a0Cadence Chocolates<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0has been selling her hand-painted truffles for a couple of years now, but this was the first time we\u2019ve seen her at a Salon. Based in SF, she uses\u00a0fair trade, GMO-free\u00a0Guittard chocolate and some organic ingredients for her bonbons.\u00a0And like the other traditional chocolate artisans at the Salon, she\u00a0makes\u00a0some vegan\u00a0flavors.<\/p>\n Cadence has a wide range of chocolates from the\u00a0simple (61% dark chocolate) to the complex and unusual (Cracker Jack white chocolate, Tequila Jalape\u00f1o, Fernet & Coffee). Since Cacaopod & I were judges at the Salon, she gave us a box of 4 judging samples (all vegan), but we thought they were too tiny to get a good feel for her bonbons. We bought a box of her full-size bonbons to get a better idea and shared them with our tasters. The chocolates are very pretty, and they had a\u00a0good chocolate smell, but the flavors ranged from too subtle to too strong.<\/p>\n For example, the Thai Tea and Hibiscus Rose bonbons were too subtle and mostly tasted like chocolate.\u00a0The Hibiscus Rose was\u00a0slightly tangy (which we attribute to the hibiscus) and ended with a raspberry note. We didn\u2019t taste rose at all.<\/p>\n On the other end of the scale were the Cinnamon Milk Chocolate and Olive Oil bonbons. The\u00a0Cinnamon Milk Chocolate smelled like cinnamon, but the taste was\u00a0too strong, and got\u00a0stronger as we ate it. One of our tasters said it was like eating a cinnamon stick. Similarly, the\u00a0Olive Oil was\u00a0too much, instead of a light taste and slippery feel, it seemed like the olive oil\u00a0was\u00a0just poured in. Too much of a good thing both times.<\/p>\n I was hoping I\u2019d like them more because I generally love olive oil chocolates<\/a> and I was intrigued by Cadence\u2019s darker milk chocolate. Melissa said that her milk chocolate is \u201cactually 2\/3 milk and 1\/3 dark.\u201d<\/p>\n Cadence\u2019s Negroni bonbon, however, was just right. Based on the cocktail, it had an alcohol smell, and tasted very boozy. It\u2019s got gin, Campari, and\u00a0vermouth,\u00a0tweaked with\u00a0juniper berries. Adding chocolate to that cocktail is genius. It was the\u00a0best\u00a0bonbon in the box.<\/p>\n We also liked\u00a0the Sunflower Seed Butter, which stood out\u00a0with a strong sunflower seed flavor, and a texture that was not too grainy.<\/p>\n You can\u2019t find Cadence Chocolates in stores yet. Melissa told us she is mainly\u00a0doing events and selling her chocolates in the DeYoung Museum during the holidays. You can also buy them online<\/a>.<\/p>\n Another young chocolate company,\u00a0Rainy Day Chocolate<\/a>,<\/strong> seemed almost like healthy chocolate slackers:\u00a0They make mostly dark chocolate truffles and use some organic ingredients, but their focus is not really on the\u00a0healthy aspects of chocolate so much as handcrafting\u00a0single-origin truffles and developing their own unique flavored truffles.<\/p>\n I say, give \u2019em a few years; they\u2019re still young. I predict that they too\u00a0will be\u00a0offering vegan, botanical-enhanced, non-something chocolates at a future Salon.<\/p>\n For now though, co-owner Jennifer Daly is just super-happy to be working on\u00a0something she loves. She showed us how much has changed since we met her at the Fall Salon<\/a>. \u201cOur packaging is better,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd we have new designs on truffles. It\u2019s\u00a0amazing compared to where we were a year ago.\u201d<\/p>\n She said they are also developing their own events. \u201cWe had our first chocolate night recently, with some\u00a0chocolate\u00a0history and tasting,\u201d she said. \u201cYou get to\u00a0really taste and get to know where the\u00a0chocolate\u00a0comes from.\u201d<\/p>\n She\u2019s still excited by this approach to chocolate, since she doesn\u2019t come from a craft chocolate background, and as she says, \u201cI loved my Snickers.\u201d<\/p>\n Right now, she is working on new flavors to fill out their line. At the Salon, she had their fanciest truffle, the\u00a0Zebra, which is a\u00a069% Belgian dark chocolate ganache, covered in white chocolate, then dark and finally drizzled with white. She also had their new Toffee and\u00a0Hazelnut, which\u00a0feature Heavenly Taste Toffee and Firefly Chocolate<\/a>\u2019s Jar of Joy dark chocolate hazelnut spread, both local suppliers. And she said that she has a Minted Raspberry coming soon.<\/p>\n I find Rainy Day Belgian truffles very fudge-y tasting, but what I\u2019m really interested in is their single-origin truffles: How will the unique flavors that come from different terroir taste in a truffle?<\/p>\n Unfortunately, there were no single-origin truffles this time.\u00a0Jennifer told us that they had some difficulty getting single-origin chocolate in time for\u00a0this Salon, so she only had their Belgian couverture truffles this time. She said they were\u00a0considering expanding to local chocolate suppliers for single-origin chocolate, which makes sense since they try to source their other ingredients locally too.<\/p>\n Rainy Day Chocolate is available online<\/a>, at events and in various stores and eateries\u00a0in Santa Rosa and the North Bay. Check their website for locations.<\/p>\n We do. Scharffen\u00a0Berger<\/a><\/strong> is close to our hearts at CBTB, because we first formulated this blog over hot chocolate at their cafe when they were still in Berkeley making their chocolate next door (and had the best-smelling bathroom in the world as a result). While the Scharffen Berger label still exists, it has lost some\u00a0of its appeal since it was bought out by Hershey\u2019s and left town.<\/p>\n But now we have a new incarnation thanks to\u00a0Rachel Dunn Chocolates<\/a>.<\/strong> They debuted a bean-to-bar line at the Salon that Rachel\u2019s husband, Michael Dunn, developed and that they have been making for a year now with some Scharffen Berger expertise.<\/p>\n The seven bars in the line all require different roasting temps and times, and the people roasting Michael Dunn cacao beans are from Scharffen Berger. And that\u2019s not the only thing old school about these bars: Their melanger is from Venezuela and date \u00a0from 1901. They are proud to be making chocolate the old fashioned way, and doing it all themselves.<\/p>\n Michael wasn\u2019t at the Salon, but long-time chocolatier Rachel was, and we got to chat with her about the new line and the rest of the Rachel Dunn Chocolate Experience. While they offer a wide range of chocolates, candy, and chocolate-covered items for sale, Rachel Dunn Chocolates are probably best known in SFBA for their chocolate-making classes.<\/p>\n \u201cThe classes are very\u00a0hands-on; you can ask questions and do the recipes,\u201d Rachel explained, \u201cI have 35 years of doing it; so we offer classes, where you can go home afterwards and duplicate the recipes.\u201d<\/p>\n She saw a need for this kind of class because so many people wanted to know how to make chocolates, and\u00a0\u201cwhere do you go for real information?\u201d<\/p>\n So Rachel\u2019s a bit of a crusader for chocolate (maybe she could write a chocolate blog?) and believes in empowering people with the knowledge and\u00a0experience to make their own. At the same time, she and her company keep moving ahead as this new bean-to-bar line shows.<\/p>\n The seven bars in the line are all single origin from different places. I think single-origin bars are really tricky. A blended bar has\u00a0a consistent flavor profile because the chocolate maker can balance the bitterness of one bean with the fruitiness of another, etc. But bars\u00a0made from a single type of bean can taste quite different, depending on the weather and soil where it grew.<\/p>\n This is their attraction, but also their danger: Bad weather, pests, pollution, and other agricultural problems more greatly affect single-origin chocolate. I have tasted some weird single-origin chocolate.<\/p>\n So I approached these bars with some trepidation, and asking Rachel which was her favorite \u2014 so I could figure out where to start\u00a0\u2014\u00a0was no help: \u201cMy\u00a0favorite flavor all depends on my mood,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n But she told\u00a0us that\u00a0they did blind tastings with 1,000 people of\u00a0the bars. Rachel told us they did each\u00a0tasting as\u00a0a hot drink and a bar because the flavor experience is different for both. And they\u00a0provided no packaging\u00a0or\u00a0information about the chocolate to prevent any bias in the outcome.<\/p>\n \u201cThe 58% Koko Kamili Tanzania was the hands-down favorite,\u201d Rachel said. \u201cIn\u00a0both the hot and room-temp\u00a0versions. It was almost\u00a0unanimous feedback. People might say they like dark, but most really prefer milk.\u201d<\/p>\n We got\u00a0several of the bars to compare, including the Koko Kamili, and\u00a0I am happy to report that I think the Michael Dunn single-origin bars\u00a0are successful. The modest packaging clearly displays the origin info and gives you a good look at the bar itself through clear cellophane. The bars are molded in a\u00a0series of\u00a0tabs, which I liked: They were\u00a0easy to break into uniform pieces.<\/p>\n At the same time, these bars don\u2019t appear to be\u00a0machine manufactured; there was an inconsistent thickness between bars, and some bars had a little curve to them. But these were small inconsistencies, and I liked them \u2014 they seemed natural and handmade, kind of\u00a0like the variations you get when you buy lumber.<\/p>\n We started with the 58% Maya Mountain Belize. We liked its fruity, natural sweetness. It was\u00a0not overpowering; it was pretty satisfying.<\/p>\n The 58% Kokoa Kamili Tanzania\u00a0was a very different bar with a\u00a0stronger fermented taste. It was more tangy\/sour\u00a0with a\u00a0tropical fruit flavor.\u00a0The sour\u00a0flavor came on quickly, but it got better as it melted. We liked its\u00a0complex flavor.<\/p>\n The 70% La Victoria Estate Ecuador\u00a0was a\u00a0pleasant bar with\u00a0lots of different notes as it melted:\u00a0raisiny, citrus-y, vanilla-y, and slightly roasted.<\/p>\n If so, Michael Dunn single-origin bars would work.\u00a0They\u00a0are not elitist; they are very accessible, very Scharffen\u00a0Berger.\u00a0These are not difficult bars to like. They have a\u00a0nice consistency, the flavors we tried were all tasty, and they are a good value: $6.95 for a 2-oz. bar.\u00a0These were one of my happy finds at the Salon.<\/p>\n We were happy to see one of our fav toffee makers at the Salon.\u00a0Cowboy Toffee Company<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0is planning to move out of SFBA and settle in Texas, and I worry that means we will see less of them, their good humor and their amazing toffee.<\/p>\n Toffee maker Dan McGinnis, AKA Garth Pitt as his wife & partner Samantha calls him, told us that they were in serious negotiations for a space in Cisco, Texas. \u201cIt\u2019s a\u00a0cool town with a nice history,\u201d Dan explained.\u00a0\u201cA guy who lived in New York City\u00a0moved there. He wanted to buy a bank but couldn\u2019t; so he bought a hotel. His name was Hilton.\u201d<\/p>\n Maybe Cowboy Toffee will find\u00a0a similar opportunity for\u00a0fame and fortune there.<\/p>\n If negotiations go well, they could be moved as early as\u00a0June. I\u2019m sure they will do well there \u2014 they certainly won\u2019t have to change their name or branding.\u00a0They have promised that they will still do some events in SFBA. I hope so, and I recommend that if you do see them at events, try some of their unique toffees.<\/p>\n They debuted a new toffee at the Salon. Texas Rose\u00a0is a\u00a0dark chocolate\u00a0toffee with\u00a0rose petals, bee pollen, and Fiori Di Sicilia Vanilla, which Dan described as a little tart\u00a0because\u00a0the vanilla has bergamot (the citrus fruit that flavors Earl Grey tea) in it.<\/p>\n It\u2019s\u00a0sweet\u00a0and\u00a0chewy; the citrus notes stand out, while\u00a0the rose flavor is more\u00a0subtle. I suspect that\u2019s due to using rose petals instead of rose extract, so it\u2019s a good choice if\u00a0you don\u2019t like strong flowery flavors. This is a very pretty toffee scattered with dried rose petals and bee pollen, and the bergamot is a good match with the dark chocolate toffee.<\/p>\n Cowboy Toffee\u00a0also had the rest of their line which includes something for everyone, and which we arranged as a toffee flight for tasting from white chocolate to dark & spicy.<\/p>\n Trigger\u00a0is their white chocolate toffee, which had a\u00a0rich flavor for a white chocolate. In fact, we were surprised by how well it worked with the toffee. This was the sweetest toffee in the flight, but not overly sweet like I expected it to be.<\/p>\n S\u2019mores\u00a0is a\u00a0milk chocolate\u00a0toffee. It\u2019s sprinkled with graham crackers and toasted marshmallows. We especially like the\u00a0chewy, long lasting marshmallows on this one.<\/p>\n Chuck Wagon\u00a0is my favorite: A milk chocolate toffee sprinkled with coffee grounds and smoked sea salt.\u00a0Nice layered flavors start with coffee, then sweet toffee, then\u00a0salt and smoke until\u00a0the end. Just be advised that you will probably end up with some coffee grounds in your teeth afterwards \u2014 just like real cowboy\u00a0coffee!<\/p>\n Mustang\u00a0is their\u00a0classic toffee. It\u2019s the right texture, with a good balance between the semisweet\u00a0chocolate, sweet toffee, and crunchy almonds. As one of our tasters said,\u00a0\u201cThese guys know their toffee.\u201d<\/p>\n Finally, Ghost Town is their surprise toffee. It\u2019s a dark chocolate toffee with almond, ghost peppers and salt.\u00a0It is hot and salty, but it\u2019s sneaky: It slowly reveals itself as you eat it. The heat is not overdone, but it finishes strong\u00a0and\u00a0lingers.<\/p>\n No matter where they land,\u00a0Cowboy Toffee will still have their online store,<\/a> and\u00a0should also be at some SFBA events. Check their website for more info.<\/p>\n Oakland-based\u00a0Tombo Toffee<\/strong>\u00a0was new to the Salon this year. They use unexpected flavors (rosemary? lavender?)\u00a0in seemingly\u00a0traditional toffee\u00a0and put it in a simply elegant bag that understatedly screams \u201cspecial gift just for you!\u201d<\/p>\n We talked to Tombo founder and candy maker, Lisa Grantham, about her \u201ctraditional candy with a modern twist.\u201d<\/p>\n Lisa told us that she was inspired by flavored chocolates, and that her toffee\u00a0ideas \u201ccome from my own creative cooking philosophy:\u00a0What\u2019s the worst that can happen?\u201d<\/p>\n Rosemary\u00a0was the first flavored toffee she made. \u201cI love making Marcona Almonds with rosemary and sea salt, and I love chocolate covered almonds,\u201d she explained.\u00a0\u201cSo if almonds and rosemary go together, and chocolate and almonds go together; why not try combining them?\u201d<\/p>\n That served as inspiration for the company, which has been in business\u00a01-1\/2 years. They primarily sell online and at a few local outlets, but Lisa is looking to branch out. \u201cThe Salon is our first real event,\u201d she told us. \u201cWe\u2019ll see how it goes to determine if doing more events makes sense, but based on everything so far, I\u2019m almost certain that we will.\u201d<\/p>\n She didn\u2019t have the Rosemary toffee at the Salon, but she did have 2 other flavors we wanted to try: Orange and Peppermint. \u201cOrange is our\u00a0newest flavor,\u201d Lisa said.\u00a0\u201cWe\u2019re just introducing it this morning. Orange and\u00a0chocolate is such a classic combination, we couldn\u2019t resist putting our twist on it through our toffee.\u201d<\/p>\n We liked it.\u00a0Tombo\u00a0Toffee is thicker,\u00a0more conventional looking toffee, and this one\u00a0had a\u00a0nice subtle orange flavor, with\u00a0an added surprise of salt.<\/p>\n We also liked the Peppermint: It\u2019s a\u00a0nice toffee, with a crisp texture; and the peppermint flavor was very subtle. We were\u00a0concerned about mint in toffee \u2014 but it\u00a0was refreshing, it didn\u2019t scream peppermint.<\/p>\n Lisa also gave us some background on the company name and branding. A\u00a0friend designed the distinctive packaging, and \u201cmy\u00a0son came up with the name because it\u2019s fun to say,\u201d she said.\u00a0\u201cIn fact, \u2018Tombo\u2019 means dragonfly in Japanese. Apparently, Samurai would draw\u00a0dragonflies on their quivers before going into battle in hopes their arrows would also fly straight and fast.\u201d<\/p>\n So the logo is a dragonfly, but there\u2019s more: \u201cMy\u00a0son\u2019s name is Fletcher, which means arrow maker,\u201d Lisa said. \u201cThe small, crossed arrows on the packaging are in reference to him.\u201d<\/p>\n Sounds like Tombo was just meant to be.<\/p>\n Local candymaker,\u00a0Kindred Cooks Caramels<\/a>,<\/strong>\u00a0is a Chocolate Salon regular, even though their main product is not chocolate at all. They make soft caramels in a wide range of flavors. They had\u00a02 new flavors at the Salon, one of them with chocolate in it.<\/p>\n The Mango Passion Caramels\u00a0are made with mango and passion fruit extracts, and\u00a0the tropical\u00a0fruit flavors hit you as soon as you eat a piece. I am often disappointed in passion fruit chocolates because the flavor fades quickly. It seems like if I don\u2019t eat it right away, it just tastes like chocolate.<\/p>\n These caramels don\u2019t seem to suffer this\u00a0problem. They tasted just as fresh & fruity weeks later as they did at the show.<\/p>\n The other new flavor, Almond Caramel with Chocolate and Toasted Coconut, surprised me because the almond flavor was\u00a0sweet almond, like marzipan, instead of the roasted almond I expected.\u00a0It was the predominant flavor in a lovely soft chewy caramel, with bits of toasted coconut and a dash of good chocolate.<\/p>\n There were\u00a0differing amounts of chocolate in each piece, a definite sign of handmade goods, so\u00a0Jeri Vasquez, Kindred Cooks\u2019 founder, made sure to give me a piece with a lot of chocolate in it.<\/p>\n Jeri told us that the Salon was the\u00a0first-time launch for these flavors. If they prove popular, we should see them at future Salons and other events.<\/p>\n Kindred Cooks Caramels are available online<\/a> and in some Peninsula and South Bay locations like Draeger\u2019s<\/a>. They are often at special events like the Chocolate Salons and San Jose Made.<\/p>\n As always, the International Chocolate Salon did not disappoint. And as usual, there were more chocolatiers and candy makers than I could visit, talk with, and sample their wares \u2014 even though\u00a0I focus on local businesses. So while the jury might still be out on how healthy chocolate can be for you, at least the\u00a0local chocolate industry looks healthy from here.<\/p>\n Is this a sign that the local artisan chocolate industry is maturing?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":9914,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[42,168,15,884,14,41,131,50],"tags":[353,891,282,824,917,94,275,920,793,919,843,497,822,433,826,916,794,359,892,281,274,918],"class_list":["post-9658","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-east-bay-chocolate","category-events","category-local-chocolate","category-north-bay","category-ourchocolatiers","category-san-francisco-chocolate","category-south-bay-chocolate","category-vitamin-ch","tag-alter-eco-fair-trade-chocolate","tag-basel-b-inc","tag-bean-to-bar","tag-cacoco","tag-cadence-chocolates","tag-chocolate-salon","tag-cocotutti","tag-coracao-confections","tag-cowboy-toffee-company","tag-defonce-chocolatier","tag-endorfin-foods","tag-ferawyns-artisan-chocolates","tag-firefly-chocolate","tag-international-chocolate-salon","tag-kindred-caramels","tag-live-a-lot","tag-r-j-toffees","tag-rachel-dunn-chocolates","tag-rainy-day-chocolate","tag-socola-chocolatier","tag-tastetv","tag-tombo-toffee"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chocolatebythebay.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9658","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chocolatebythebay.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chocolatebythebay.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chocolatebythebay.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chocolatebythebay.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9658"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"https:\/\/chocolatebythebay.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9658\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":45127,"href":"https:\/\/chocolatebythebay.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9658\/revisions\/45127"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chocolatebythebay.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9914"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chocolatebythebay.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9658"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chocolatebythebay.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9658"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chocolatebythebay.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9658"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"march](\"https:\/\/chocolatebythebay.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/march17Salon-crowd.jpg\")
Drink to your health<\/h2>\n
![\"Cacoco](\"https:\/\/chocolatebythebay.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/CacocoBob.jpg\")
Delicious & educational<\/h3>\n
Long-time health benefits<\/h2>\n
Chocolate to die for<\/h2>\n
![\"CocoTutti\u2019s](\"https:\/\/chocolatebythebay.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/CocoTuttiElyce.jpg\")
![\"4-cup](\"https:\/\/chocolatebythebay.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/11\/cupicon2.png\")
<\/a>, and you will understand. CocoTutti has been one of my personal favorites since they started in 2010<\/a> because Elyce Zahn, founder and master chocolatier, combines interesting flavors, makes almost everything from scratch herself, decorates each chocolate beautifully, and keeps experimenting. I tend to make a beeline for her booth whenever I see her at an event. I recommend you do the same.<\/p>\nBetter than good<\/h3>\n
Savoring savories<\/h3>\n
![\"CocoTutti](\"https:\/\/chocolatebythebay.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/CocoTuttiFlorentine.jpg\")
All the right notes<\/h3>\n
Something to look forward to<\/h3>\n
![\"cocotutti](\"https:\/\/chocolatebythebay.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/coctuttiiridescence.jpg\")
Good deal<\/h3>\n
Goody, goody<\/h2>\n
<\/a>,<\/strong> seemed to be exploring 2 different themes with their new products: healthy chocolate and nostalgia.<\/p>\n![\"Fera\u2019wyn\u2019s](\"https:\/\/chocolatebythebay.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/FeraTurtles.jpg\")
To eat, or not to eat<\/h3>\n
Silky smooth<\/h3>\n
![\"Fera\u2019wyn\u2019s](\"https:\/\/chocolatebythebay.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/FeraPBsilk.jpg\")
![\"Fera\u2019wyn\u2019s](\"https:\/\/chocolatebythebay.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/FeraJoanna.jpg\")
Dark, red treats<\/h3>\n
The darker, the better<\/h2>\n
![\"Basel](\"https:\/\/chocolatebythebay.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/BaselBsingle.jpg\")
![\"Basel](\"https:\/\/chocolatebythebay.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/BaselBbites.jpg\")
More, more, more<\/h3>\n
![\"Basel](\"https:\/\/chocolatebythebay.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/BaselBpumpkimpop.jpg\")
Fun pops<\/h3>\n
![\"Coracao](\"https:\/\/chocolatebythebay.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Coracaoguys.jpg\")
Healthy makeovers<\/h2>\n
![\"Coracao](\"https:\/\/chocolatebythebay.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Coracaobars.jpg\")
Healthy compromises<\/h3>\n
![\"Live](\"https:\/\/chocolatebythebay.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/LiveALotGiovanna.jpg\")
Chocolate as food<\/h2>\n
Meant to make you feel good<\/h3>\n
![\"Live](\"https:\/\/chocolatebythebay.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/LiveALotchoc.jpg\")
![\"Live](\"https:\/\/chocolatebythebay.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/LiveALotsticker.jpg\")
Inspiring chocolate<\/h3>\n
Traditional medicine in traditional chocolate<\/h2>\n
![\"Socola](\"https:\/\/chocolatebythebay.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/socolaGrennBar.jpg\")
<\/strong> was also emphasizing health, but in their own unique way with their TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) chocolate collection. This set of 4 dark chocolate truffles features Chinese medicine botanicals representing the 4 seasons and are way tastier than any\u00a0TCM I\u2019ve ever had before.<\/p>\nGreen is good<\/h3>\n
![\"Sockolas\"](\"https:\/\/chocolatebythebay.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Sockolas.jpg\")
Chocolate fashion<\/h3>\n
Goldilocks bonbons<\/h2>\n
![\"Melissa](\"https:\/\/chocolatebythebay.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/CadenceMelissa.jpg\")
Intriguing flavors<\/h3>\n
![\"Cadence](\"https:\/\/chocolatebythebay.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/CadenceChocs.jpg\")
Not too strong, not too subtle<\/h3>\n
Better than Snickers<\/h2>\n
![\"Jennifer](\"https:\/\/chocolatebythebay.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/RainyJennifer.jpg\")
![\"Rainy](\"https:\/\/chocolatebythebay.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/rainyDayZebra.jpg\")
New flavors, local sources<\/h3>\n
Do you miss Scharffen\u00a0Berger?<\/h2>\n
![\"Michael](\"https:\/\/chocolatebythebay.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/MichaelDunnspread.jpg\")
![\"Rachel](\"https:\/\/chocolatebythebay.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/RachelDunn.jpg\")
No balancing act<\/h3>\n
Singular success<\/h3>\n
Looking to try\u00a0single-origin bars?<\/h3>\n
Yellow Rose of Texas<\/h2>\n
![\"Cowboy](\"https:\/\/chocolatebythebay.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Cowboyboxes.jpg\")
A flower grows in Texas<\/h3>\n
![\"Texas](\"https:\/\/chocolatebythebay.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/TexasRoseToffee.jpg\")
Wide-open range of toffee<\/h3>\n
New kid on the block<\/h2>\n
![\"Tombo](\"https:\/\/chocolatebythebay.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/TomboLisa.jpg\")
Understatedly unconventional<\/h3>\n
![\"Tombo](\"https:\/\/chocolatebythebay.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/TomboToffee.jpg\")
What\u2019s in a name?<\/h3>\n
![\"Kindred](\"https:\/\/chocolatebythebay.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/KindredJeri.jpg\")
Kinda, sorta chocolate<\/h2>\n
A lasting passion<\/h3>\n
![\"Kindred](\"https:\/\/chocolatebythebay.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/KindredCookCaramels-e1493859360771.jpg\")
Chocolate update<\/h3>\n
More good-for-you chocolate than is probably good for you<\/h2>\n
11th Annual International Chocolate Salon award-winning SFBA chocolatiers & candy makers<\/h3>\n
\n
<\/a>: 7 Gold | 4 Silver | 2 Bronze<\/li>\n<\/a>: 3 Gold | 7 Silver | 3 Bronze<\/li>\n