Chocolate Monkey

One of my favorite things about craft chocolate is exploring the cuisines of different cultures through the inclusions in their chocolate. The first time this really clicked for me was when I tried (and loved!) a chocolate bar with cupuacu

If you're in the US as I am you might be wondering- what the heck is cupuacu 🤔 It is a large fruit native to Central and South America (but specifically from Brazil) and a relative of cacao (what chocolate is made of). The fruit tastes like pineapple, pear, banana, passion fruit, and/or melon and it isn't something most of us in the US have ever heard of much less tasted- and we are missing out 😲

I am offering TWO chances to taste this delicious tropical fruit this month

for my locals- I'll be pairing these Luisa Abram Cupuacu Dragees with a peach brandy on Saturday the 14th, tickets are still available and this would make a great outing (couples, friends and solo tasters welcome!)

and the upcoming virtual guided tasting "Interesting Inclusions in Chocolate XI: Theobroma, Chocolate’s Family Tree" on Friday, Feb 20th includes three cupuacu chocolate samples along with samples from cacao's other cousin- jaguar cacao- and several samples of chocolate with cacao fruit

If you're curious I would love to have you join us- details on my website- click the link in bio/comments

The ice and snow storms 🧊 ❄️ over the last two weeks have played havoc with everyone's schedules here in North Carolina

but thankfully (and by just a few degrees 😲) we were still able to present the Wine and Chocolate Pairing 🎉 Everyone loved the oranges and cherries so much they bought me out 😍 which was completely unexpected! but in hindsight not suprising….

The dark chocolate coated candied oranges paired perfectly with the citrus notes in the Chardonnay and the dark chocolated coated Montmorency cherries paired divinely with the Cinsault ❤️ I highly recommend both of these chocolates for pairing- and they will both be featured again THIS Saturday paired with brandy in Monroe, a completely different experience but equally delicious

If you are looking for something memorable to do for ***Valentine's Day*** this event would be ideal (details in bio link/comments)

Can you guess why I bought this chocolate bar?

Yep… the monkey on the wrapper. I’m predictable like that — if there’s a monkey on it, I’m buying it. 🐒🍫

What did surprise me, though, was how beautifully this bar paired with all the wines we opened during last Sunday’s Zoom tasting. This 70% dark chocolate, made with beans from Maragrito Mendoze in Ostuacán, Chiapas, Mexico, was absolutely perfect with the port I was drinking. Hands-down my favorite pairing of the night — and I’ll definitely be stocking up!

Huge thank-you to everyone who joined the pairing + mystery tasting and made it such a fun night! ❤️✨

What do all these chocolate bars have in common? (Besides being crafted by some amazing makers!) 🤔

They’re just a few of the mystery samples featured in my corporate tastings this week 🍫

If that sounds like your kind of fun, join me for a Virtual Mystery Chocolate Tasting on Sunday, November 9th — if you dare! 👀

🧩 You’ll receive a *different* set of mystery chocolate samples shipped right to your door
🍷 We’ll kick things off by pairing a few samples with red wine (or your favorite beverage)
🍸 Then we’ll wrap up by creating a delicious vegan cocktail/ mocktail together

Ready to taste, guess, and sip along?
Tap the link in bio for details and to reserve your tasting kit!