Issue 18: Chocolate Shopping Spree
It has been a bit of a crazy few weeks. The whole family got COVID. While that didn't slow down my intake of hot chocolate, it slowed down my ability to document all those hot chocolates. I know it’s almost Easter, and that I should be focused on Easter themed products like everyone else, but COVID made me go a bit silly and so this week is going to be quite random. I’m sharing a range of extremely wacky, chocolate themed products that you might be interested in investing in (or not).
If you have any others I’d love to see them! Send me an email at giselle@ultimatehotchocolate.com or send them to me through Instagram @ultimatehotchoc
Thanks for following and please do share!
Giselle
Chief Chocolate Sipper ultimatehotchocolate.com
My random chocolate shopping list (or not)
It’s getting colder here (not that it ever really gets cold in Perth). The Joy Jacket created by Hirsch and Mann for Cadbury might be the go. The jacket is programmed to respond and change as the user eats chocolate as a way of amplifying the joy experienced by a person (those purple bits pop out and lights flash across the jacket). It’s meant for eating Cadbury but I doubt the jacket will know otherwise…
How about painting your walls with chocolate instead of paint next time they need a pick me up (its 70% apparently but I’m guessing you could go white or milk if you preferred). This version is by Scottish artist Anya Gallaccio. All lickable, of course.
If you are now looking for some art to put on those walls, you may be interested in the Morgue Series by Stephen J. Shanabrook that is showing at MONA Tasmania. The chocolates are cast from wounds found on bodies in a New York morgue. Why…
In terms of carpets, I’d love to see this carpet by Trish Andersen but in chocolate browns. A hot chocolate waterfall.
Our chocolate room is looking a little bare, so how about some furniture. I actually do want to buy this piece by Marcantonio Raimondi Malerba for Seletti to store all of my hot chocolate mixes!
To finish off this chocolate themed home renovation, a fire pit is necessary (to roast marshmallows of course). I think Rich would like this Iron Maiden themed one. It’s the same price as the cow cupboard though, so I vote for the cow.
And finally, food retailer Iceland conducted research that found that a third of UK adults admit to stealing chocolate from friends and family during Easter (someone got paid to do that research, it wasn’t me unfortunately). In response, they created this chocolate lockbox. I admit I did double check to see if this was posted on April 1st…it wasn’t.
This Week’s Hot Chocolate News
This post from Laurent Gerbaud in Brussels made me laugh. No, they don’t make waffles…so stop asking (here’s a review I wrote up last year).
Last year, Australian scientists discovered a chocolate frog in New Guinea (which actually just looks like a brown green tree frog). Freddo (frog shaped) chocolates are a big deal in Australia so I thought this was a fitting discovery for an Aussie to make. Well done you.
Chocobar Cortez has a restaurant in NYC where you can get traditional Puertorriqueno hot chocolate and all the food has chocolate in it in some way (including the grilled cheese!)
And don’t forget that chocolate is toxic for furry friends (meaning cats and dogs..in case you have other furry friends).
Tasting Table shares this list of the biggest mistakes you are making when cooking with chocolate.
A lot of cocoa comes from West Africa, but not of chocolate. Here is a short list of 7 to look out for.
Diggers is a craft chocolate shop in Lyon that is starting to make its own chocolate bean to bar. And yes, they have an amazing looking hot chocolate menu by origin and chocolate cocktails.
Blue Hawaii Lifestyle in Honolulu, Hawaii makes a hot chocolate using local grown and crafted Waialua chocolate plus a dash of pepper.
Finally, if you liked this newsletter, could you please share it with a few other hot chocolate loving friends?
Thanks for reading and have a great week!
Giselle
Chief Chocolate Sipper at www.ultimatehotchocolate.com.
Follow on Instagram @ultimatehotchoc
Changing the way we view hot chocolate, one sip at a time.