For your Valentine…
February 11, 2010
I know that many will show their love via chocolates this Valentine’s Day. Chocolate certainly says love to me. But what does organic, vegan, fair-trade chocolate say?
I recently discovered Wei of Chocolate at the Town & Country Farmer’s Market. Sean took me down there and had me to sample some of their flavors to see what I thought. My husband has long since learned that chocolate is my cure-all for whatever is bugging me… bad hair days, no sleep, work stress, you name it. There have been times he has stopped to pick up chocolate on the way home just from sound of my voice on the phone. It never fails to work. My mother feels same way.
As a chocolate snob, I am always a little hesitant to try new kinds. I don’t want silly chocolates with a lot of nuts or fillings. I want my chocolate to be midnight dark with a high cacao level and velvety smooth.
So it was a wonderful discovery to find exactly what I was looking for right at the Farmer’s Market. I got to meet Lisa Reinhardt, the Chocolatier behind Wei of Chocolates. She let me try a few of her varieties while talking about her products. All of her chocolate is organic, vegan and fair-trade. As if I didn’t love chocolate enough already, she really gave me a reason to feel even better about them and me. She uses a number of floral and herbal essences to enhance the chocolate. I tried chocolates with subtle chai and chili undertones that were rich and wonderful, but decided that I liked the Pure Joy the best. It is luxuriously dark with just the slightest flower essence to it.
Lisa’s background is in mediation, that it shows in her chocolates. There is something very soothing to your senses when you take a bite. It does feel like a gift to enjoy something that feels decadent, while being good for you at the same time. I liked them so much that I went back and picked up a bag for my mother.
Lisa and Wei of Chocolate are at a number of farmer’s markets and in some of the boutiques and spas around the valley. You can find her at the Town & Country Farmer’s Market on Wednesdays and the Old Town Farmer’s Market in Scottsdale on Saturdays. You can also buy online or find additional locations on her website.
If you really want to show someone you care, why not skip the big heart-shaped box and go for something that really expresses true love.
Wei of Chocolate
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