Holiday Event-Spiritual Spa Night

November 30, 2010 at 2:01 am (Shows and Samplings)

Join Jade Chocolates as we team up with perfumer, Yosh Han and our intuitive palm and tarot readers, Sandra and Isabelle as we bring you a night of spiritual bliss on Friday, December 3rd in San Francisco.  There will be a special presentation by Yosh who will explain how to balance your chakras using essential oils and perfumes.  Mindy of Jade Chocolates will give a brief summary of her award winning chocolate line followed by a group tasting of her chocolate creations.

    

Champagne and light appetizers will be served and Tarot and Palm readings will be available throughout the evening. Come out and enjoy and evening of spirituality with chocolate, wine, scented chakras and intuitive readings. 

A suggested donation of $2 will go directly to 826 Valencia, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping students, ages 6-18, with expository and creative writing. For more information on this event and information about the hosts, please go the the Spiritual Spa Night Events Page

$20 palm or tarot readings for $10; chocolate and perfume tastings as holiday gifts will also be available for purchase.

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We’re a Good Food Awards Finalist!

November 29, 2010 at 6:11 pm (Uncategorized)

We entered our Dragon’s Breath bar into the first annual Good Food Awards and we’re sure glad we did!  With 16 finalists chosen from across the United States and with discerning judges as Alice Medrich, Michael Recchiuti and John Scharffenberger we’re proud of our mighty Dragon’s Breath!

Dragon's Breath

Our Dragon's Breath bar is our most complex chocolate bar with smokey-spicy notes.

 The Good Food Awards celebrate the kind of food that we all want to eat: tasty, authentic and responsible.  The awards assures the consumer that they have found something exceptionally delicious that also supports sustainablity and social good.  For a full listing of the chocolate finalists, click here!

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Chocolate Cyber Monday Deals

November 28, 2010 at 5:10 am (Product Information)

Our Cyber Monday Deal starts now!

Jade Chocolates Holiday Products

Our sampler set contains Bittersweet Peppermint Nib Bark, Chocolate Covered Macadamias, Edamame, and Mangoes

Get a free chocolate bar with every online purchase. Type in the word ‘cyber’ in the discount code field.

Also, take advantage of Free standard ground shipping on all purchases over $65 or enjoy a flat rate of $7.99 on all shipments under $65. 

 Happy Shopping! 

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Results of our first Truffle Tasting

June 4, 2010 at 6:23 am (About Me, Shows and Samplings)
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Our truffles in training

 After two years of toying with the idea of creating a line of truffles, we finally managed to squeeze in some ‘play time’ in the kitchen.   At our event, we presented our guests with 12 truffles.  The idea of having a truffle event came into mind as a way of getting direct feedback before we launched our line.   

And feedback we got… good and bad.   

Jade Chocolates' fans, Fiona-Mae Sabangan and Sabrina Sandalo

Each person was given 12 truffles, champagne and a ratings sheet.  We asked each person to truthfully rate each truffle on taste, texture/mouthfeel, flavor and overall satisfaction.    The three truffles that people enjoyed the most were Creme Brulee, Jasmine Tea, and Pandan Leaf.  Chai, Bogart (a black tea flavored with hazelnuts and vanilla), Mint and Oolong all tied for 4th place and was followed closely by Thai Basil.  The least popular was our Mango Peanut Butter.    

We also left room for comments, here’s a few statements:   

Creme Brulee:   

‘Nice job capturing the essence of crème brulee’  
‘Love the smooth of chocolate and crunch of the hardened sugar’   

Thai Basil:  
‘really original taste’  
‘reminds me too much of pho’  
‘too herb-ee’ 

Bogart Tea:  
‘Perfect! Love it all!’   

Chai Tea:  
‘oui oui oui!’ 
‘this one is REALLY good! You captured the flavor well.’  

Oolong Tea: 
‘it’s orgasmic!’ 
‘pillowy-marshmallowy texture, so light! This is a good thing! 
‘Best chocolate ever!’ 

Mango Peanut Butter: 
‘Peanut butter was too strong, up the mango a bit’ 
‘I didn’t like the taste of the mango as much as the peanut butter, although this chocolate is good along the level of a reese’s peanutbutter cup.  Not extraordinary.’  

Our Mango Peanut Butter needs work....or scrapped altogether!

More truffles flavors are being whipped up in the kitchen and the truffles at the tasting are getting a fine tuning.  If you’d like to be one of the first to hear about our upcoming events, sign up for our newsletter by clicking here.

photo credits: Fiona-Mae Sabangan and Marco Sanchez

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Jade Chocolates’ Truffle Tasting Event

May 23, 2010 at 4:59 pm (Shows and Samplings)

Jade Chocolates' Truffles

Leland Tea Co in San Francisco, Thursday May 27th, 7pm-10pm

Come out and join us for a night of luxurious truffle tasting for the Jade Chocolates’ upcoming truffle line. Give us first hand feedback on our newest flavors. We’ll also have our signature chocolate bar selection available, including our three newest bars: Terracotta, Kuro Genmai, and Krakatoa.

The event will take place at The Leland Tea Company which was recently named as Best Tea in San Francisco by SFWeekly. Don’t forget to stop by Leland Tea’s Loose Leaf Bar-open the canisters, smell, feel, experience the tea in all its beauty. A few of our truffles will debut Leland Tea. Truffles alongside champagne and Leland Tea will be served. Jade Chocolates products will be available at a discounted rate.

As a special bonus, Sandra Edwards and Isabelle Choiniere-Correa will be giving transformational palm and tarot/numerology readings. I recently had the pleasure of getting a palm reading by Sandra and want to share her gift with you.

Admission is $10; optional $20 for10 minutes of palm or tarot card reading.

If you’re interested in having a reading, please come early and sign up with either Sandra for palm reading or Isabelle for tarot and numerology. Spaces will fill quickly.

To RSVP directly to our facebook invite, click here. Or email us directly at info@jadechocolates.com.    Please RSVP, as this event is limited to 75 people.

See you there!

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Come to the 1st Annual Napa Chocolate Salon

May 11, 2010 at 4:29 am (Shows and Samplings)

 

When: Sunday, June 6th, 2010
Where: Yountville Community Center
Time: 11am-5pm
Price: Adults: $20 (Door), $17.95 (Advance)
Children under 6: Free*
Children, 6 to 12: $10
*Applies to 2 children per adult. Each additional child under 6: $10

If you’re detered from the massive crowds at the San Francisco event, then this is the venue for you.  25 chocolatiers and chocolate makers will be participating in this event in the beautiful Napa Valley.  Make it a weekend escape and visit the local wineries, book a date in the mud baths or make a reservation at one of the many fine dining establishments in the area. 


Promo Code: Use code ‘Jade10Napa35a’ to get an additional 50 cents off the advanced ticketed price. Offer good until May 31st.

For more information and to buy tickets, click here: http://www.napachocolatesalon.com/ 

Added Bonus: Visit my booth, sign up for the Jade Chocolates’ newsletter and say the phrase ‘Free Terracotta Bar’ for a free Terracotta Bar!

See you there.

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Terracotta Bar Wins 1st Place for ‘New Product Award’ at the 2010 San Francisco Chocolate Salon

March 25, 2010 at 2:06 am (Product Information, Shows and Samplings)
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Jade Chocolates 7 Artisan Chocolate Bars

We had originally planned to release three new bars for the Christmas season of 2009, but the time constraints didn’t allow us to get everything in order.  So the next best target date was chosen:  The San Francisco Chocolate Salon.  We happily unveiled our newest members of the chocolate bar family:  Terracotta , Kuro Genmai, and Krakatoa.  The Terracotta Bar was the only one of the three bars submitted to the judges and we were delighted that it won 1st place in the New Product category.    

 This bar went through a series of changes over the 18 months of product development.  It first began as a roasted cashew bar with red clay sea salt in dark chocolate.   It  finally developed into a roasted almond soaked in tamari soy sauce with Himalayan sea salt in milk chocolate.  The salty and sweet combination won the judges over.  

Jade Chocolates won 23 additional awards at the salon including  1st place and 2nd place for the entire product line for ‘Best Flavored Chocolate Bar’ and ‘Most Delicious Ingredient Combination’ respectively and 2nd place for ‘Best in Salon’.  Individual product awards went to our Genmai Bar winning 1st place for ‘Best Flavored Chocolate’, and our Dragon’s Breath bar placing 3rd in the same category. This year, the attendees had a chance to vote for their favorite chocolatiers.  In the attendees’ categories, we managed to  nab 2nd place in ‘Best New Find’ and ‘Most Inventive’.

Expect the new bars to hit stores within the next few weeks.

 

 

 

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Developing the Dragon’s Breath Bar

March 10, 2010 at 2:56 am (Product Information)
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DRAGON’S BREATH

Strong yet Gentle

Here’s the fourth of my chocolate bar posts describing how chocolate and culture come together.  The Dragon’s Breath Bar has the most sophisticated flavor profile with a distinctively different start, middle and finish.  Your first bite into the chocolate releases the crunch of the toasted sesame and is immediately followed by the smokiness of the tea.  The finish ends with a gentle punch of the red chili in the back of your throat.

Country of Inspiration: China

The Label: The mythical and benevolent Eastern dragon is much revered in Asian culture and should not be confused with Western dragons of medieval times.  It is a divine animal.  An auspicious symbol of power, strength, good luck and controller of wind and rain.  The image of the dragon below is used on the front and back of the label.  This dragon is flying in the clouds.  Red lokta paper is used to wrap this bar which in Chinese culture is a color used for joyous occasions (marriage, parties for newborn babies).  It is also an indicator of the red spice used in the bar.   In certain circumstances, the Dragon, when combined with the Phoenix, represents matrimonial harmony. 

  

Many who try the Dragon’s Breath are excited about the layers of flavors. It is not overly spicy as many expect it to be.  The Dragon’s Breath bar has the right balance of texture from the toasted sesame, the smokiness of the tea and the gentle spiciness of the red chili.  Asian dragons are strong, yet gentle.  I suggest pairing this bar with a spicy red wine or lapsang souchang tea.

 

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Developing the Genmai Bar

February 21, 2010 at 5:11 pm (Product Information)
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GENMAI BAR

Tea and Chocolate

This is the first chocolate bar created in our line and continues to be one of the most popular. When I first started the company, my mind with clouded with ingredients that I could blend with chocolate.  I had no focus.  So I went down to my local neighborhood Asian market and slowly walked down every aisle until I spotted a bag on Genmai–roasted brown rice. “Eureka!”.  I little lightbulb flashed above my head.  “Genmai Cha and chocolate.  That’s gotta be a winner!”

 This is our sweetest chocolate bar, which is balanced by the deep nuttiness and crunchiness of the brown rice.  It’s followed by a pleasant floral tea aftertaste. People have often described this chocolate bar as being a ‘high end Nestle Crunch bar’ or the ‘adult version of a Nestle Crunch Bar’.   

Country of Inspiration: Japan

The Label: The artwork on the front of the label is inspired by traditional Japanese woodblock printmaking coupled with the long tradition of family crests or mon used on clothes which distinguished individuals or signify membership in a specific clan.  The pattern of tea leaves wrap from front to back of the label. 

This bar, along with Dragon’s Breath, always gets surprise reactions from customers. 

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Developing the Orient Espresso Bar

February 8, 2010 at 4:20 am (Product Information)
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Orient Espresso Bar

Showing some Hospitality

Here’s the second of my posts that describes how chocolate and culture come together.  The Orient Espresso bar is scented with my favorite spice-cardamom.  It’s mouthfeel is extremely smooth and creamy with strong caramel  notes but still high in cacao.

Orient Espresso

 

Country of Inspiration: Vietnam and Turkey
Turkish and Vietnamese coffee are the inspirations for this bar.  Vietnamese coffee is extremely sweet with heaps of condensed milk added to the beverage.  Turkish coffee is generally very dark with little or no sugar and usually an aromatic spice like cardamom is added while the coffee is being ground.  The Orient Espresso bar is a 50% cacao chocolate with milk chocolate blended into this bittersweet bar. A perfect blend of these two coffees.

Orient Express cup and saucer

The Label:  The name of this bar is a play on words of the famed train, The Orient Express. The front of the label depicts a man in a blue uniform holding a cup of steaming coffee, a symbol of hospitality in Turkey and other cultures.  Behind him is The Orient Express.  The blue  uniform is an actual uniform of one of the Orient Express lines and the cup and saucer depicts the train’s logo.

If you look at the front label where the Jade Chocolate’s logo is, you can see the pattern of the background begin here and wrap around the backside of the label.  This is a pattern for a Turkish rug.  The image below shows the illustration of the rug.

Turkish Rug

 

Of the current four bars in the Jade Chocolates line, I snack on this bar the most.

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