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

Guittard Chocolate, Bringing Their Best Approach to Fine Chocolate

Since winter is the perfect season for chocolate beverages, we are focusing on two chefs who have a special talent for all things chocolate. Chef Donald Wressel and Chef Josh Johnson of Guittard Chocolate have shared some chocolate beverage recipes that provide a unique spin on something traditional to showcase their expertise. Check out their distinctive takes on hot cocoa on our Instagram feed, @makeminefine

Chef Donald Wressel found passion for cooking at a very young age, and grew his life around it. He began his journey at Washington State in the Chef Culinary Program, and worked in multiple locations on both the east and west coast before settling down with Four Seasons Restaurants for almost twenty years. In 1986, he began working for the Four Seasons in Philadelphia, quickly making his way up to executive pastry chef at the Four Seasons Beverly Hills location. He remembers these times as his noteworthy learning years. 

Chef Wressel’s commitment to excellence led him to participating in worldwide pastry competitions resulting in multiple awards and medals for his talent. Donald joined Guittard Chocolate in 2006 as their corporate pastry chef, and to this day continues to create new and stunning recipes that are incomparable. He continues to master his craft while teaching others as well with his “Guest Chef Series” classes at the Guittard Chocolate Studio in Los Angeles. 

Another chef we’d like to highlight is Chef Josh Johnson. Chef Johnson’s love for chocolate began as a teenager working at his uncle’s pastry shop. He moved on to working at the Ritz-Carlton in Chicago, where he gained more experience alongside world-renowned pastry chefs. Josh ventured into many different pastry positions before opening Cocoa Bean Fine Desserts, his own shop in Geneva, Illinois. He soon became a teacher as a pastry chef instructor at The French Pastry School of Chicago. He was thrilled to be given the opportunity to teach others his craft, the way he was taught by so many chefs throughout his life as well. He now works as a pastry chef for the Guittard Chocolate Company, where he combines all of his knowledge and skill to bring new ideas and creations to the table.

Guittard Chocolate chef, creating a masterpiece.

We invite you to learn more about chefs and chocolatiers like these on our website, 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.