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Chocolate Is Always In-Season

It’s April 1st and although the official first day of spring was two weeks ago, today feels more like the long-awaited season. With the transition to spring and the month of April beginning, there is a natural shift for many of us to start thinking about Easter chocolate, especially in the fine chocolate industry. 

In fact, our members have been very busy preparing special seasonal offerings of their delicious chocolates. From the adorable shapes of bunnies and chicks, to gorgeous pastel egg colors and speckled designs, our members do not disappoint. Even their spring flavors are extraordinary! 

We couldn’t be happier to share these works of art. Have you seen our social media posts over the last couple of weeks? We’ve been leading up to this memorable season with incredible chocolates and will continue to do so until the Easter ordering window closes, or our members sell out. So, be sure to check out all of the fun flavors and designs and grab them up while you can.  

In case you’ve missed it on our Facebook and Instagram, we have featured the following members’ Easter offerings, to date.

andSons Chocolatiers, Signature Easter Eggs
Garcia Nevett, Dulce de Leche Egg
  • The Goodtime Bunny from Lake Champlain Chocolates, crafted from three pounds of gourmet milk chocolate, decorated with white and dark chocolate accents and standing at over one foot tall.
Lake Champlain Chocolates, The Good Time Bunny
Chocolate Maya, Salted Caramel White Chocolate Eggs
  • From a typical Brazilian delicacy, the Honey Bread Egg was born. Mission Chocolate developed this egg based on pão de mel, a typical  Brazilian dessert that they love and want the whole world to try. Made with chocolate milk and a touch of spices, it is the perfect option for fans of this dessert.
Mission Chocolate, Honey Bread Egg
  • At The Violet Chocolate Company they’re getting their Easter treats ready, including a Fluffle of Bunnies with all new flavors. This year the trio includes Raspberry Lemonade, award-winning Strawberry Basil, and a dark chocolate Blueberry Cherry. All crafted by hand, in bite-size bunny ears, packaged together to celebrate spring.
The Violet Chocolate Company, Fluffle of Bunnies
  • Celebrate Easter with one or both of the Easter Egg truffle sets from Maya Moon Co.  They are available in traditional flavors of dark chocolate and mixed berry dark chocolate; or bold flavors of lemon dark chocolate, chai spice dark chocolate, peppermint dark chocolate and dark chocolate.
Maya Moon Co., Easter Egg Truffles

Do we have you in the mood for springtime chocolates yet? Stay tuned for more

Be sure to visit these FCIA member sites, and follow us on Make Mine Fine’s Facebook and Instagram for more delicious and unique seasonal chocolate specialties like these. We know that chocolate is always in-season, but we like to have a reason to celebrate fine chocolate in any way that we can.  

If you would like to learn more about chocolate, its origins and a group of amazing chocolatiers, be sure to check out our website here at MakeMineFine.com. Also, learn more on the Fine Chocolate Industry Association website at finechocolateindustry.org.  

The Fine Chocolate Industry Association (FCIA) is the only organization focused 100% on supporting fine chocolate professionals. We promote the artistry and craftsmanship of the chocolate professional, focused on producing superior products made from premium chocolate and natural ingredients. We believe in using best practices in cacao processing and chocolate production; as well as transparent labeling and marketing practices.

Categories
General News

Top 10 Chocolate Gifts To Wow Your Loved Ones For Valentine’s Day

February has arrived and with it, the biggest day for fine chocolate makers and retailers is fast approaching. Valentine’s Day is celebrated by many, from couples to children, romance to celebrating the love we share. This special day has become synonymous with chocolate of all kinds. We, at the Fine Chocolate Industry Association, would like to honor our namesake with a unique list of ideas surrounding this holiday. Let’s celebrate our love of fine chocolate by reviewing our Top 10 Chocolate Gifts for Valentine’s Day. They are sure to impress!

Fruition Chocolate Gift Box


This year, we are thinking outside of the proverbial chocolate box. Our members at the FCIA have extraordinary offerings. In no particular order, here are ten ideas. Let’s get started. 

1. CocoTerra Tabletop Chocolate-making Machine for the home chocolate maker

2. For the cocktail enthusiast, Indi Chocolate has a Cacao Infusion Kit. Add your spirit of choice and let it infuse for three days or more. (Drink. Repeat.)

Cacao Infusion Kit from Indi Chocolate

3. From Fruition Chocolate, a Subscription Membership to receive chocolates delivered to your door every two months. Available to pay monthly or annually as a gift! 

4. Virtual Chocolate & Cheese Pairing Class from Caputo’s Market. Their most popular tasting class gets a new pairing treatment…cheese! Find out how to identify flavors, get familiarized with great chocolate makers, and learn other priceless bits of chocolate know-how, along with what makes certain chocolate “fine” and others “standard.”

5. For the more savvy (or advanced) fine chocolate-lover, we found the perfect gift: a chocolate master class by Ecole Chocolat. Their Mastering Chocolate Flavor Program will give participants the opportunity to focus on the intricacies of chocolate flavor, while helping use chocolate more effectively. Understanding chocolate flavor will help create better and more interesting chocolate recipes.

6. Chakra Truffles from Maya Moon Collective to activate your energy centers. Each gift box comes with a link to guided meditations for each flavor to elevate your embodied eating experience and align your energy.

Maya Moon’s Chakra Chocolate Truffles Gift Box

7. Plant based chocolate bars from TCHO Chocolate. They have a variety to select from and even offer a gift box.

8. Drinking chocolate from Mission Chocolate. Bringing you the flavors of traditional drinking chocolate from Mexico with these chocolate disks, flavored with cinnamon: just add water or milk. 

9. Book a unique Kahkow Experience, such as a Virtual Farm Tour, a Virtual Factory Tour, or Live Demonstration. 

10. Chocolate Bars of The World Gift Box from Bar & Cocoa. This special box brings together 7 or 10 curated chocolate bars for an amazing chocolate adventure.

We do hope you’ll explore these different gift ideas for Valentine’s Day, and also take this opportunity to learn more about these craft chocolate brands. 

If you would like to learn more about chocolate, its origins and a group of amazing chocolatiers, be sure to check out our website here at MakeMineFine.com. Also, learn more at finechocolateindustry.org.  

The Fine Chocolate Industry Association (FCIA) is the only organization focused 100% on supporting fine chocolate professionals. We promote the artistry and craftsmanship of the chocolate professional, focused on producing superior products made from premium chocolate and natural ingredients. We believe in using best practices in cacao processing and chocolate production; as well as transparent labeling and marketing practices.

Categories
General News

How To Enhance Your Daily Health With Chocolate

The month of January is filled with New Year’s resolutions. Many of those include losing weight, improving our health and generally feeling better. That’s why it is the perfect time to read-up on scientific research that proves chocolate does, in fact, offer many health benefits, especially when it comes to fighting the flu. 

Yes, you read that right. 

Image: CocoaRunners

Winter is the season for hot drinking chocolate. One study in Japan found that drinking a cup of hot chocolate can help prevent the flu (among other illnesses). 

So, how exactly does chocolate fight the flu? Researchers concluded that drinking cocoa works in three different ways:

  1. It inhibits the virus from absorbing into cells and inhibits infection.
  2. Cocoa activates natural immunity. 
  3. Cocoa has an anti-inflammatory effect. 

Chocolate helps boost the immune system, but also offers other pretty impressive health benefits, including relieving stress, lowering blood pressure, increasing heart health, burning belly fat, and lowering diabetes risk. 


Image: Dandelion Chocolate, located in Japan and in the United States in California

Basically, we’re telling you that you should not hesitate when the craving hits for that delicious, hot cup of drinking chocolate. 

You’re welcome.

In another study that was recently published, researchers in Spain and at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston shared that the consumption of chocolate in the morning or evening leads to a number of changes in the body that can impact burning fat and reducing glucose levels. Now, you don’t have to feel guilty about savoring that chocolate bar at least twice per day!

Participants of the study ate chocolate bars one hour after waking, as well as within one hour of going to bed for two weeks. The shocking result is that no one gained weight, and the experiment showed a reduced feeling of hunger. Therefore, their overall calorie consumption was lower for the day. It even promoted healthier sleep patterns. 

These sweet scientific results are just what we needed to kick off a healthier new year. We chocolate-lovers and enthusiasts can always get behind the science of chocolate benefits. However, it’s really nice to have the facts to prove it. 

To learn more about chocolate’s health and wellness benefits from one of our FCIA members, visit Club Chokolate’s Blog. It features many different articles on this topic!

If you would like to learn more about chocolate, its origins and a group of amazing chocolatiers, be sure to check out our website here at MakeMineFine.com. Also, learn more on the Fine Chocolate Industry Association website at finechocolateindustry.org.  

The Fine Chocolate Industry Association (FCIA) is the only organization focused 100% on supporting fine chocolate professionals. We promote the artistry and craftsmanship of the chocolate professional, focused on producing superior products made from premium chocolate and natural ingredients. We believe in using best practices in cacao processing and chocolate production; as well as transparent labeling and marketing practices.

Scientific research provided by GreenMedInfo; and Drs. Norbert Herzog and David Niesel.