Sweet Pleasures
The world of chocolate is a magical world. We recently learned that the history of chocolate actually starts in South Mexico with the Aztecs, who believed that cacao seeds were the gift of Quetzalcoatl — the god of wisdom. Well today, we want to share a little wisdom on this secret world of sweet pleasures.
When we hear chocolate, we often think of the usual suspects. We think of Switzerland and their scrumptious Lindt chocolate. We think of Belgium and their mighty Godiva. But the world of chocolate goes oh so much deeper. There is a secret society of chocolate lovers and chocolatiers whose price tags go up by the hundreds, and they go to the greatest lengths and to the ends of the earth to craft the perfect bar. It is akin to fine jewelry, and some chocolatiers may even throw in a few gems in your box, or line your packages with gold. If you have $550 to eat away, Debauve & Gallais’ Le Livre offers you 35 scrumptious bites of pralines and ganaches in a gold-embossed leather box. But this is only the tip of the iceberg.
To’ak is another sweet seducer that has captured the imagination of many. To’ak makes limited editions of single-edition Ecuadorian dark chocolate that is aged for four years in a French oak cognac cask. Not quite your Hersheys bar on aisle 9, huh? They use the oldest and rarest variety of cacao on earth, according to their founder. Each bar is presented in a handcrafted Spanish elm wooden box with individual bar numbers engraved on the back. It is also accompanied with a 116-page booklet and specially designed tasting utensils. How much does all this splendor cost, you might ask? Well last year, To’ak retailed a new Artist Series Blend for $685. Insanity you may think. But this is the chocolate underground … where sweet pleasures know no price!
“Your hand and your mouth agreed many years ago that, as far as chocolate is concerned, there is no need to involve your brain.” — D. BARRY
The Golden Phoenix Cupcake — the most expensive cupcake in the world.
Then there is Italy’s artisan chocolatier, Amedei. Located in the Tuscany region, Amedei is considered to be one of the finest chocolate producers in the world. They are known for their single-origin and single varietal cocoa beans harvested from Venezuela’s Chuao region. Their award-winning dark chocolate, Amedei Porcelana, has been said to be the world’s most expensive chocolates based on the pure value of their cacao — i.e. sans the pomp and flare we see from the To’aks of the world who add costly embellishments. And Porcelana is quite the superstar. This sweet seducer is included in the infamous Golden Opulence Sundae — a $1,000 dessert sold at Serendipity 3 in New York City. It is also used in making the most expensive cupcake, the Golden Phoenix, which is made by Bloomsbury's — a boutique cafe in Dubai.
OUR FAVORITES
So there you have it. We only dipped our feet in this secret world of decadence. There are a few others we didn’t get to mention, like Knipschildt and their chocolates made with $1,000 per pound truffles, but we should probably do this one in doses (*wink).
xoxo,
SS
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