Chuao Chocolatier California Collective Review

CHUAO CHOCOLATIER UNVEILS NEW CALIFORNIA COLLECTIVE:

Maker of Culinary-Driven, Fair Trade Certified Chocolate Announces Premium Indulgence 

at Accessible Price Point

Chuao Chocolatier, maker of culinary-driven, Fair Trade Certified chocolate launches its latest innovation, the California Collective. A completely new, decadent line of chocolate bars, the Collective brings a premium indulgence at a sought after, accessible price point in five delicious flavors embodying the essence of California living.

The California Collective includes five sunny coast-inspired flavors that celebrate the spirit of Chuao’s home state, from the sunshine to the shoreline. Crafted with a premium blend of Fair Trade Certified chocolate, varietals include:

·       Sun Kissed Coconut: Your personal pocket full of sunshine with crunchy almonds and toasted coconut chillin’ out in milk chocolate.

·       Pool Party Pretzel: Dive into deliciousness with crushed pretzels and crunchy toffee in a pool of sweet milk chocolate.

·       Salted Caramel Dreamin’: Live out your west coast fantasy with sweet caramel toffee and sultry sea salt in creamy milk chocolate. 

·       Sea Salt Surf: Take your taste buds on a seaside getaway, where savory sea salt swims in waves of rich dark chocolate.

·       Bright & Sunny Honey: Escape to California, where awesome almonds and bits of crunchy honey toffee play all day in rich dark chocolate.

“Our goal was to capture the California spirit—salty ocean breezes, sun-kissed beaches and those creative Cali vibes—within each of the flavors,” shares Chef Michael Antonorsi, Chuao Chocolatier’s co-founder & master chocolatier. “The California Collective is my sweet way of sharing it all with you.” 

Chuao Chocolatier’s new California Collective is available online at www.ChuaoChocolatier.com for $2.99 per bar. A curated selection of the brand’s signature line of bars can also be found at fine grocery and specialty retailers nationwide, as well as the brand’s southern California boutique and www.chuaochocolatier.com.

 About Chuao Chocolatier:

Chuao Chocolatier was co-founded in 2002 by Venezuelan Master Chocolatier Chef Michael Antonorsi and his brother Richard Antonorsi. Named a Top 10 Chocolatier in North America by Dessert Professional Magazine, Chuao Chocolatier is on a mission to share joy with the world through deliciously engaging chocolate experiences. Committed to creating sophisticated, award-winning flavors using a proprietary blend of premium, Fair Trade Certified chocolate and high-quality ingredients, Chuao crafts chef-inspired chocolates in an exceptional assortment of flavor combinations. To find your joy, visit www.chuaochocolatier.com/storelocator.

My Thoughts:

Chuao Chocolatier has made an amazing assortment of sweet treats. These products will make anyone who loves chocolate go to the paradise of California by snacking on a piece of their California Collective line! I was very grateful to try each of the bars listed above! Having visited California a few years ago, this was a walk down memory lane. I also was thrilled to be snacking on something that is free of unnatural additives while still supporting fair trade ingredients. Their thought that everything you need to make a treat is in your own "pantry" was appealing to me. I will attach a picture and my thoughts on the flavors! I have to say, I was impressed and am excited to share them with you! 

Sun Kissed Coconut: I am usually not that fond of coconut in my chocolate. I love the smell, but find that the coconut is cute so coarsely that it is hard to chew and not enjoyable. However, I was over the moon with Chuao's Sun Kissed Coconut! The roasted almonds and finely cut toasted coconut were the perfect compliments to the creamy milk chocolate. I felt like I was basking on an island resort while eating this delicious chocolate bar. This one was by far my mom's favorite too. I caught her relaxing in bed watching television while enjoying it! Whenever I crave coconut, this is going to be the chocolate bar for me.

Pool Party Pretzel: Who doesn't love a good chocolate covered pretzel? It's been the go to snack for generations. This chocolate bar from Chuao Chocolatier knew just how to make that classic treat even better! With the perfect amount of crispy pretzels mixed with savory toffee and thick milk chocolate, you'll never feel like the summer time pool days have ended. If you want the ideal blend of sweet and salty, along with that light crunch, this is your go to! 

Salted Caramel Dreamin': I adored this wonderfully sweet and salty chocolate bar. The caramel toffee reminded me of the nights out in California with my mom when here and I were out there together. If you look closely in the pictures, you see the yummy toffee mixed in with the delicious milk chocolate. The added sea salt balances the sweetness, making the flavors completely enjoyable and able to be tasted together. 

Sea Salt Surf: Dark chocolate is by far my favorite. It isn't overly sweet and always creamy (and healthy for you too!). I adored this thick and tasty product from Chuao Chocolatier. The sea salt allows the dark chocolate to take on an even more powerful taste. As a dark chocolate lover, I would sit back and enjoy this any day of the week!

Bright and Sunny Honey: Chocolate and almonds are the ideal combination. This bar is the choice for those that love sweetness. The dark chocolate adds the pow factor to the sweet honey toffee and finely cut roasted almonds. There is a nice mild crunch to this bar with a sweet after taste. I loved it!

If you are looking for delicious, fairly priced chocolate that is using real products on the market, Chuao Chocolatier is for you! Supporting fair trade, ethically sourced Cacao, and fresh ingredients, these products are unique along with delicious. The California Collective line is a must have! 

Connect with Chuao Chocolatier: 

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Unique and flavorful chocolate from Chuao Chocolatier

Chuao Chocolatier (pronounced chew-WOW) is the first Venezuelan Chocolatier based in the United States and Southern California’s premier artisan chocolatier.

Founded in 2002 by Master Chef Michael Antonorsi, Chuao Chocolatier is on a mission to spread joy to all by arousing the senses with delicious chocolate experiences.

The Venezuelan born chef, now San Diego resident, named the company Chuao Chocolatier after the legendary cacao-producing region of Chuao (pronounced chew-WOW) located in central Venezuela. Antonorsi’s decision was a reflection of their commitment to both high quality and their Venezuelan family heritage. Chocolate is part of Chef Michael’s roots, with ancestors who once ran a small family farm that was an important part of the criollo cacao plantation industry.

Initially, the company started with a single boutique in Encinitas, CA featuring a one-of-a-kind confectionary menu of chocolate bars, bonbons, truffles and drinking chocolate. Their signature flavor was Spicy Maya, a modern twist on the Mayan’s ancient drinking chocolate recipe, infused with cinnamon, pasilla chile and cayenne pepper. The Spicy Maya flavor has since extended across all of Chuao’s product lines.

Creative flavor combinations are at the heart of Chuao Chocolatier’s decadent chocolate experience including: Firecracker, a chipotle caramel fudge truffle with popping candy, a hint of salt, and dark chocolate and Pan Con Chocolate, a dark chocolate bonbon filled with toasted Panko bread crumbs, olive oil ganache with a touch of sea salt.

"Creative flavor combinations are at the heart of Chuao Chocolatier’s decadent chocolate experience…"

Chuao Chocolatier has expanded the menu to include numerous drinking chocolate and espresso beverages, gelatos and seasonal creations. They now own and operate two chocolate cafes in San Diego county.

Today, you can discover Chuao Chocolatier across the United States at fine specialty retailers including Whole Foods Market, Dean and Deluca, and Crate & Barrel, as well as fine restaurants & hotels including Omni Hotels and W Hotels nationwide.

Connect with Chuao Chocolatier

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My Thoughts

What unique and very good tasting chocolates. I was amazed by the flavoring of these. They were really good, I don't think I can write that enough. My family and I had a lot of fun trying all the flavors and picking which ones we'd want to eat again and which we would pass on.

These are the chocolates we tried.

The Caramel Apple Crush was my favorite. I'm not usually a fan of caramel, but I didn't taste that in this one. I tasted the green apple. I also devoured the Salted Chocolate Crunch. That one was so tasty.

If I had to choose the one I didn't like, it was the Firecracker. Well, let me rephrase that. It was very interesting. It had popping candy inside it, so when you ate it, you got little pops in your mouth which was really cool and made us laugh. It was spicy, but at first bit, it tasted good with the chocolate. The issue with this one was that it left an not so good after taste.

As you can see from the flavors, your taste buds are in for a treat and experience. In case you're curious where to find these, you can head down to your local CVS and find these at their store.

I will be keeping an eye on these and trying more flavors. These would also make great gifts for the chocolate lover in your life.