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Touring the Zotter Factory
During Easter vacation we decided to visit the Zotter chocolate factory in Riegersburg, Austria which is about 1.5 hours south of Vienna in the middle of nowhere. For those not familiar with the Zotter brand, he is a famous Austrian chocolatier who those zany truffle bars with unique flavor combinations such as cheese and wine,…
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Tell us about your favourite bar…
We’ve been choosing our favourite bars over the past few months, and for December’s ‘Pick of the Month’, we’d like a little help. Leave a comment below (or e-mail us at marianne [at] kerstinschocolates [dot] com) telling us why your favourite bar should be December’s feature. We’ll pick the most passionate response and give the…
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November Bar of the Month: Madécasse 67%
Madécasse sent us a brand new shipment towards the end of October, and we quickly re-fell in love with their 67%. All of Madécasse’s bars are not only made with Madagascan beans, but are manufactured in Madagascar as well, a practice which is thankfully becoming more common with dedicated chocolate-makers. It’s always helpful to know…
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The Americans – Portland
While Portland may only have one bean-to-bar manufacturer (Woodblock), the flavours going on in Oregon are pretty exciting, with the likes of Cocanú, Shagùn, Alma and Xocolatl de Davíd all in the mix. I couldn’t resist filling my suitcase with “a few” bars for Rachel and I to sample back at the shop. Here’s how…
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Our October Pick: Michel Cluizel’s Maralumi Lait
We were originally wowed by Michel Cluizel’s handling of the Maralumi Noir, made up of beans from his Papua New Guinea plantation. But then he sent us Maralumi Lait. Cluizel has an excellent record when it comes to dark-milks. Just taste the surprisingly bright and citrusy Mangaro Lait. His Maralumi milk keeps this trend going.…
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Thoughts: Escazú Roasted Pumpkin Seed and Guajillo Chili
The recent Escazú shipment was long anticipated, and happily, the bars I’ve sampled have been living up to expectations. Thoughts on their EZCA Goat’s Milk bar coming soon, but first up is the pumpkin seed and chili. Of all this bar’s notable aspects, the smell is quite something to behold, and I encourage you to…
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Dessert with Domori
Although almost every restaurant has a chocolate dessert that promises to shine, I’ve eaten many disappointing flourless chocolate cakes, ice creams, puddings and the like, that did not make for a brilliant ending to the evening. So while wandering around Québec City a couple weeks ago, I was happy to stumble on Restaurant l’Échaudé, a…
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Bicycles + Chocolate
Sarah of ‘Girls and Bicycles‘ road her bike over to the Shop with some friends this past Friday to check things out. You can find her post, with tons of great photos and thoughts, here.
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Amano – Guayas
Compared to the likes of Amedei, Pralus and Cluizel, Amano is a relatively new chocolatier, who started up in 2006 in the Rocky Mountains of Utah. Although only four years old, Amano has come out of the gate strong, picking up more than a few awards from the Academy of Chocolate in 2009. Opening any…
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For that extra citrus kick – Valrhona Manjari Orange
Madagascar chocolate is an easy sell for me – I love the flavour of dried fruits, the slight spiciness, and mostly, the citrus. Of course, Valrhona was the one to step up with this flavoured bar, studded with candied orange rind, to give their 64% Manjari that extra edge. Valrhona’s efforts did not go unnoticed…
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Chocophilia Spiced Drinking Chocolate: A truly grown-up drink!
In this entertaining article in the Edmonton Journal, Liane Faulder had two pre-teens test our four types of hot chocolate. The kids found our drinking chocolate to be a little to spicy, but Liane said that she “loved the Chocophilia, which is best in small doses, like caviar. Thick and slightly bitter, the drink spread…
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New products arrive at The Cocoa Room
We have recently brought some new products into the store for you chocolate connoisseurs. Coppeneur is a German chocolate maker, and we decided to carry their chocolate, because we find their quality to be excellent. Their organic single plantation bars are truly delicious. Also check out the Coppeneur filled bars in flavours such as Walnut…
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