Fall in Chocolate: It’s Good for You!

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Chocolate is good for your eyes. Do your eyes get tired from spending too much time staring at a computer screen? Lots of us do, and it’s tough to avoid. Here are some things you can do to deal with eye strain:

  • Take breaks from staring into your computer screen on a regular basis, focusing at something across the room.
  • Better yet, stand up and move around even for a few seconds while looking into the distance, double duty. Get the blood flowing to your arse and unclench your eyeballs.
  • Eat some dark chocolate!

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Taste of Summer: August Flavors

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August is still full-fledged summer, with all the heat, humidity, and brightness that drives us on to pack in as much summer flavor as possible. Undeniably summertime, for now we will try to put off sensible things like house work, early bedtimes, and regular schedules. Taste all that summer left in August’s flavors.


NEW! Blackberry Truffle – Yes, a fruit. No, not a berry. Gotta’ love that word ‘drupelet’ that describes the conglomeration of tiny fruitlets surrounding the seeds that cling together to make our dear blackberry. Brambles–or caneberries in places like the UK–they are tasty anywhere. Extra tasty in this truffle.

NEW! Mezcal Truffle – Made from the heart of the maguey plant, this distilled beverage hearkens back to the fascination of the conquistadors with the native drink, ‘pulque’. Aguardiente–fiery water–is said to come from a lightning bolt striking the ‘pina’ or heart of the agave.

NEW! Black Lemon Truffle – Known by the names black lemon, black lime, or loomi. Not really lemons at all, this Middle Eastern specialty is actually a dried lime. Strong sour-citrusy flavor that is slightly bitter comes from boiling fresh limes in salt water and drying in the sun.

Fortunato No. 4 Truffle – Thought to be extinct for 100 years, this single origin chocolate comes from Peru and is organically grown and fairly traded. Named for the Peruvian farmer, one Senor Fortunato, who was caring for the re-discovered cacao trees at the high altitudes of the Maranon Canyon.

Basmati Truffle – Rice flavor in chocolate might seem odd, but only if you don’t know basmati. In Sanskrit its name means “the fragrant one”, and in Arabic “my smile”. And for a very flavorful reason. This isn’t your mama’s white rice, folks. Nuanced fragrance is a lovely thing in a truffle. Compare the fresh lime zest in this truffle to the loomi in the other one to see how different a lime can be.

Good Thymes Truffle – Ancient Greeks loved to use the herb thyme in their baths, and for the penetrating fragrance it gave as incense. Believed to give courage and ward off nightmares if tucked under your pillow.

What’s the Buzzz? Truffle – Nectar of flowers, so romantic and so darn good for you, too. Honey is an amazing medicine; anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-viral. All that, and so yummy!

Lady Lavender Truffle – Aromatic as an evening walk through a summer garden. Lavender was sold in Roman times for 100 denari a pound, as much as a month’s wages for a farmer!

Peppercorn Truffle – The piperine compound is responsible for the “pep” in the peppercorn. It gives a distinct woody flavor and a haunting indescribable aroma to this delightful truffle.

Zoka Moka Latte Truffle – Made with organic direct-trade coffee from Los Placeres Farm in Nicaragua. This bean is roasted by Zoka Coffe Roasters & Tea Company, an award winning Seattle-based operation.

Saint Basil Truffle – Clean and clear as a fresh-mowed lawn, green and healthy as the organic day is long. Our basil truffle always pleases.

Jamaican HOT! Chocolate Truffle – The gentle heat of habanero chili peppers peaks through the dark rum, nutmeg, honey and vanilla of this very popular truffle.

This month’s novel flavors bring Intrigue Chocolates to a total count of 109 original truffle flavors. Catch a little taste of summer before it’s over!

July’s Blazin’ “Hot” Flavors

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Hot as blazes, and looking for relief? The intensity of summer heat brings out a different perspective in most of us. A self ready to have fun for the sake of fun, a self prepared to kick back and be “lazy”, like floating down a slow river in an inner tube with a cooler full of chilled beverages. Or a self ready to jump into action, grill up a mess of burgers for the whole crew, or rally teams for jungle volley ball. We had that all in mind as we came up with July’s truffle flavors.

Fortunato No. 4 Truffle – Thought to be extinct for 100 years this single origin chocolate comes from Peru and is organically grown. Named for the Peruvian farmer, one Senor Fortunato, who was caring for the re-discovered cacao trees at the high altitudes of the Maranon Canyon. You could call it a “plain” truffle, but this complex bean has so much going on there’s nothing plain about it.

Zoka Moka Latte – Fuerte! That’s Spanish for “strong”, a notch past robust this fresh-ground coffee flavored truffle has muscle. Made with organic fair-trade coffee from Los Placeres Farm in Nicaragua. This bean is roasted by Zoka, an award winning Seattle based operation.

Zoka Way Tisane – Tisane (or ptisan from an ancient Greek word) is the proper term for what we commonly call an herbal tea. Defined by what it’s not, a tisane is an infused drink made from plants that are not the leaves of a tea bush. From the Zoka company, this tisane is comprised of hibiscus, cloves,lavender, orange peel,stevia leaf, and licorice root.

Lavender Lemonade Truffle – Fresh lemon zest, Washington-grown lavender impart cooling flavors to this summery truffle. Garden party elegant, a lavender lemonade is a fragrant and refreshing drink. Where does pink lemonade come from? We don’t know for sure, but steep the perfectly lavender colored flowers, add fresh squeezed lemon juice, and – voila! – naturally pink lemonade. Ahhhh!!!

Grapefruit Truffle – Love it or hate it? Words like sour, bitter and acidic abound in descriptions of the grapefruit. We can’t really argue with that, but we must defend this awesome fruit. Fresh, clean-tasting and wake-ya’-up-in-the-mornin’ zingy. We have to go on record as grapefruit lovers. Using fresh grapefruit zest in this truffle makes the chocolate sing!

Cacao Truffle – Laced with white rum, and with organic fair-trade cacao nibs stirred in, this truffle is an all around satisfying sensory experience. Remember that nibs are the ground version of the roasted cacao bean. Considered a superfood by some cacao beans in this truffle give it an almost coffee roast flavor.

Balsamic-Strawberry Truffle – Fresh, organic strawberries marinated in balsmic vinegar, who’da thunk it? You will be delightfully surprised at how great summer dessert treat can be. Of course, chocolate makes it even better.

Paradise Truffle – An aromatic and pungent spice from a leafy plant that grows in West Africa, Grains of Paradise is reminiscent of black pepper. The little reddish brown seeds taste of jasmine and cardamom. They are ground for use in traditional savory dishes and add a spicy aroma to this truffle.

Coconut-Cardamom Truffle – Lots of recipes combine these two alluring flavors. Strange bedfellows as they seem, they actually do very well together. Found in the delectable East Indian candy called burfee, coconut and cardamom flavored sweets are a traditional treat. We use coconut milk and ground cardamom with it’s wonderfully complex notes of lemon,and pepper.

Mojito Truffle – Time to cool off with this traditional Cuban drink and get your mojo workin’. A combo of white rum, lime zest, and fresh organic mint, will make you think of floating among Caribbean Islands.

Saint Basil Truffle – “Isabella or The Pot of Basil” LXIII. And so she pined, and so she died forlorn, Imploring for her Basil to the last. No heart was there in Florence but did mourn in pity of her love, so overcast. And a sad ditty of this story born from mouth to mouth through all the country pass’d: Still is the burthen sung–”O cruelty,”To steal my Basil-pot away from me!” John Keats

Jamaican HOT Chocolate Truffle – Sometimes heating things up a notch can take the sting out of the swelter. Try that theory with this truffle comprised of dark rum, nutmeg, honey, habanero peppers and vanilla.

Summer. Wonderful, exhausting summer. So much daylight. So many camping trips, vacations and barbeques to plan. Intrigue truffles go great with them all!

Super Stars of Seattle Chocolate Salon

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Intrigue Chocolates Super Stars? Well, our big sisters think so (and hopefully some of you who are wild about our truffles…)

We were happy to be back for the 4th Annual Seattle Chocolate Salon a few weeks ago (May 14). The 2011 edition of the Salon was a full house of excited chocolate imbibers. Held at the Bell Harbor Conference Center, the throngs that passed by our sample table looked to be having a great time. And by the conversations we had with those that dipped into our truffles, they liked us, too!

In the midst of tastings, chocolate-making demonstrations and expert talks, we were thrilled to visit with so many of you. And while we were all having fun, the judges were hard at work sampling premium artisan chocolate. Pretty rough job! But, seriously, we appreciate their dedication to the difficult task of sorting through so many fine, gourmet chocolates.

The competition was serious, with many really excellent chocolatiers in attendance with their wares. And yet, Intrigue Chocolates came home with some notable recognition. We grabbed “a Silver” in Best Dark Chocolate, Most Delicious Ingredient Combinations, Best Milk Chocolate, Best Flavored Chocolate, and Best Traditional Truffles.

It’s the fans that make the Super Stars. We couldn’t do it without you! Thanks for coming out to see us, for loving us for who we are, and knowing good chocolate when you taste it. These awards go out to you, truffle-lovers!

Summer Solstice and June Flavors

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Celebrate again the coming of the long season of light, Summer Solstice (June 21st). Need we tell you of ancient, timeless customs that recognized the magic of those long, gentle summer days and especially short summer nights? Or do you instinctively know the un-nameable, but irresistible pull to wander outdoors and stare into the starlit sky with your lover at your side? We do. Bring some Intrigue Truffles along to enjoy the shortest night of the year.


NEW! Tarragon Truffle – Considered one of the “four fine herbs” of French cuisine, tarragon is understood in its role as a flavoring for eggs, fish and chicken. Its significantly less recognized as an excellent addition to dark chocolate. Decide for yourself what you think of this new truffle flavor. Tarragon is aromatically similar to anise, and presents itself beautifully through the chocolate.

NEW! Toasted Sesame Truffle – On the upper regions of the Tigris River, centuries ago, Assyrians told a legend that held the sesame seed in great honor. According to their seers, at the time the gods convened to create the world, they quaffed wine made from sesame seeds. And let us not forget Ali Baba’s magic words; “Open, Sesame!”.

Hibiscus Truffle – Made with the dried petals of the hibiscus flower, this truffle emanates a bright and tart, fruity flavor. The flower itself is a startling red, and when made into a tea is found to be a health additive. Hibiscus is fortifying for the immune system since it is high in Vitamin C. It always appears that it may lower blood pressure and have beneficial effects on cholesterol levels.

Smokin’ Scotch Truffle – You already know that Scotch is whisky made in Scotland, but we like to say it again, because it’s cool! To be true scotch, it must be oak barrel aged for a least three years. Since scotch is usually blended, the year of age listed on a bottle must be of the youngest whisky used in that particular blend. Older is better? We love that sentiment!

Coriander the Great Truffle – “Coriandrum sativum” is the name for the whole plant, from its leaves (cilantro), to its seeds (coriander). Blessed with two common names, this plant evokes strong feelings about its aroma and flavor. Popular in Caribbean and Asian cooking, coriander has a pungent smell, and a citrusy tang.

Orange-Rosemary Truffle – Native to the Mediterranean region, rosemary is a perennial herb with fragrant, needle-shaped leaves like an evergreen. It lends itself well to the citrus flavor of the orange, an ancient cultivated hybrid. Today’s orange traces its roots most likely to a cross between the pomelo and the mandarin.

Clove Truffle – Cloves grow on trees that are in the evergreen family, but have large, shiny leaves. It’s not surprising that this frangrant herb is often used in the making of perfumes, it’s smell is so intense and heavenly. Also a critical component for incense in Japanese and Chinese cultures. We love what it does in chocolate.

Awesome Assam Truffle – Assam tea comes from the Assam region of India, where it grows near sea level. Full-bodied and brisk, this tea is known for its malty flavor and bright color. It is bold enough to be noticed through the dark richness of this truffle.


Bourbon Truffle – An American whiskey, Bourbon is a distilled primarily from corn. Barrel-aged, it is named from its geographical association with the Old Bourbon area of Kentucky. Produced first around the 18th century, tradition has kept this char-barrel spirit alive and well.

Jamaican HOT Chocolate Truffle – Dark rum, nutmeg, honey,vanilla, and habanero chilis flavor this cornerstone truffle. An integral ingredient in Yucatecan food, habanero chilies are used in solid or puree form in many dishes. It’s not just about the heat, but is made all the more amazing by its floral aroma, and citrus-fruity flavor.

Saint Basil Truffle – As always, we use fresh, organic Basil in our hallmark truffle. The botanical name for basil is “ocimum”, derived from a Greek verb meaning “to be fragrant”. And isn’t it ever?


Red Wine Truffle – Using Paradisos del Sol 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon, from the heart of Washington’s Yakima Valley. Each individual wine’s red hue is dependent on the type of grape and how long the grape skin pigment is in contact with the liquid during processing. A small, family-owned and run vineyard takes the time to eat their grapes and find out what kind of wine they want to become. A perfect wine-chocolate pairing!

Whether your Summer Solstice celebration includes a crowd of friends, or just the two of you, take the time to mark the longest day. And bring some Intrigue truffles along to enjoy the shortest night of the year.