May is the month where we celebrate our mothers, so why not help them celebrate with a box of Intrigue truffles?
Fortunato No.4 Truffle – This truffle is named for Senor Fortunato, a Peruvian farmer who played a crucial role in bringing this single origin chocolate back out into the whole wide world. Thought to be extinct for 100 years this fairly-traded cacao is organically grown at high altitudes.
Jamaican HOT Chocolate Truffle – One of our favorites, this truffle is laden with flavor from habanero peppers, vanilla, honey, nutmeg, and dark rum. One of the hottest peppers, habaneros are tropical fruit that is orange when ripe. Found in the Caribbean, they are originally from the Yucatan.
Saint Basil Truffle – Popular with customers, the Saint Basil truffle may surprise you with its green flavor and organic freshness. Granted magical attributes throughout the centuries, basil reigns among herbs for its flexibility and health benefits..
Zoka Moka Latte Truffle – Roasted by Zoka Coffee Roasters and Tea Company, an award winning Seattle-based operation, the coffee used in this extraordinary Moka Latte comes through in a big way, but manages to keep its smoothness. A Nicaraguan bean, the coffee used in this Intrigue truffle is direct-traded, and organically grown.
Orchid Truffle – Exotic food in your pantry? You probably have vanilla extract on hand, and that’s plenty exotic. Considered a rare plant, bearing an orchid as its flower, and one of the most labor intensive foods you will find in the world. Laborers who are quick with their hands, usually women and children, pollinate around 1,500 vanilla orchid flowers a day. Cultivation, pollination and harvesting is done completely without machines, fertilizers or pesticides. We use the whole vanilla bean to infuse this truffle with one of the best of aromas.
Vrai Chai Truffle – In Hindi “chai” simply means “tea”, and can be a myriad combination of spices all around a base of black tea, often with milk and honey included. Recipes for chai, as we know it, vary between families and are passed down through generations. Aaron starts with a complex chai blend with a list of warm spices as long as his arm, then tweaks it to just where he wants it by adding more spices. Be amazed as the many flavors emerge from this truffle as the chocolate melts.
Zen Dog Bite Truffle – Zen Dog Bite is the newest of our collaborations with Zen Dog Teas. This truffle is blended with Zen Dog‘s black pu-er tea. Pu-er tea is tea that is fermented after it is dried and rolled in the Yunnan province, China. The Bite is black pu-er tea and black cardamom: a zen dog bites its shadow at night.
Banana Truffle – This truffle is made with bananas and white rum which makes plenty of sense since Puerto Rico produces bananas and is the biggest producer of white rum.
Cassis Truffle – Cassis is a liquer made with black currants. Although there is a limited supply of black currants on the West Coast, we found a distillery in Oregon using fruit from a small grower in the region. Shipped while still on the stem, the result is a sweet and tart clear fruit brandy with huge flavor. Stirring it into dark chocolate seemed like the natural thing to do.
Dew of the Sea Truffle – Italian sea salt is harvested by filling pans with water in the spring from the Mediterranean Sea and letting the Sicillian sun and African winds evaporate the the water, which leaves you with salt that is rich in minerals and has a not too salty flavor.
Agave Truffle – Another traditional Native syrup, this one further South! Called “aquamiel” (honey-water) in Mexico, agave syrup comes from cooking down the sap and can also be made into candy. Held sacred and cultivated by the Aztecs, agave is a spikey plant that resembles a cactus or yucca. This large succulent is the essential ingredient for tequila, but from archeological evidence, its role in the lives of meso-americans was huge! Short list; fiber, clothing, storage, construction, fuel, food (shoots, flowers and sap). A light sweetness added to this truffle.
Urfa Biber Truffle – Urfa Biber is a turkish chile pepper that is often described as having a smoky raisin like taste that is less spicy than other chile peppers but slowly warms up. These peppers are prepared by drying them in the sun during the day then wrapping them tightly at night (this process is called ‘sweating’).
Melt into summer with a box of Intrigue Chocolates.
February Truffle Flavors
February is the month of love, so what better way to start out this lovely month than to indulge in the natural aphrodisiac of chocolate?
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.
Jamaican HOT Chocolate Truffle – Dark rum, nutmeg, honey, vanilla and habenero peppers influence this favorite truffle. The character of rum can vary profoundly depending on how it is aged. Barrel aging and burnt sugar give this drink its characteristic natural brown color. Habanero peppers can be unpredictable, but they are all hot. The familiar orange tropical fruit originated in the Yucatan pennisula, but habaneros come out of the Caribbean, too. Rum and habaneros are old island mates, finally found together again in this exciting truffle.
Saint Basil Truffle – The “King of Herbs”, fresh, organic basil will surprise you with how wonderful it tastes in dark chocolate. One of the most popular herbs throughout history, our Saint Basil Truffle remains on the top of the popularity list with our customers. Rich in phyto-nutrients and iron, basil has many health benefits.
Zoka Moka Latte Truffle – This month’s Colombian Huila coffee beans are roasted by Zoka Coffe Roasters & Tea Company, an award winning Seattle-based operation.
Pear-Lavender Truffle – A touch of honey illuminates the fruit of the pear brandy and mellows the camphor bite of the lavender. Dark earthy cocoa, honey, pear, musk…
R. Valentino Truffle – Made with culinary-quality rose petals, this truffle is delicately floral but definitely rosy, with hints of vanilla. Do we even need to recount the myriad connections of the rose to romance?
Damiana Truffle – Damiana is a South American herb that has long been used as an aphrodisiac. It gives the chocolate pleasant herbal bright notes, a soft pepperiness, and a little rich musk.
Pomegranate Truffle – The pomegranate juice makes this our most intensely tart and fruity truffle. Native to Persia, this ancient fruit still represents love, prosperity, and fertility.
Paradise Truffle – The West African spice “Grains of Paradise” is reminiscent of cardamom, black pepper, jasmine, rose petals, coriander, … It starts subtly, but leaves an invigorating brightness on your tongue long after.
Sweet Raspberry Truffle – For those of you with a sweet tooth (or two), we have this truffle flavored with a sweet all-natural raspberry liqueur.
Sichuan Pepper Truffle- Sichuan pepper is not actually a pepper, it is the outer pod of some of species of tiny fruit that belong to the genus Zanthoxylum. It gets its name from its widespread use in Sichuan, China, but many other Asian countries embrace it also. Unlike the flavor of black, white, or chili peppers, it has a lemony aroma and creates a electric tingling on your tongue due to 3% hydroxy-alpha-sanshool.
Fig Truffle – Many people do not know this but figs are one of the highest sources of calcium and fiber in the plant kingdom. Figs are commonly dried because they bruise easily and spoil quickly after they are picked. When you ask someone what is a fig is they are very likely to say “a fruit” but they would be wrong. Figs are infructescense of the fig tree, which means that the tiny structures inside the fig are the fruits.
Share your box of Intrigue Chocolates truffles this Valentine’s Day. Now that’s love!
Thanks for November Flavors!
There are some cool new truffle flavors to try this month while we move toward the holidays and try to keep our perspective on what’s most important. Remembering our gratitude is a central tenet of living a good life. No matter our theology, if we keep our thoughts centered on what we are grateful for we will always be moving toward balance.
NEW! Malbec Juice Truffle – The Malbec grape comes from the Bordeaux region of France, but now is grown all over the world, including Washington. In this truffle the juice of the Malbec grape comes through with hints of blackberry and cherry. While Malbec grapes are most commonly used to produce wine, we like its fruitier flavor here as a simple juice. Thanks to Jeff and Sheila at Davenport Cellars setting it aside for us!
NEW! Madras Curry Truffle – Curry is a word that covers a lot of territory. It stems from the South Indian word ‘kari’, meaning sauce. However, the name ‘Madras Curry’ was concocted by restaurants in the UK, and that term isn’t used at all in India. Similar blends are found near the ancient city of Madras (now called Chennai). Our Madras blend has this long list of spices: Coriander, Peppercorns, Ginger, Turmeric, Chilli Peppers, Green Cardamom, Cassia Cinnamon, and Fenugreek. Are you curious to find out what all those spices will do in a chocolate truffle?
NEW! Garam Masala Truffle – Garam Masala is another kind of curry-related term, loosely translating as “intense mixture”. Curries vary by continents, countries, and households. Aaron’s Garam Masala includes: Peppercorns, Cloves, Green Cardamom, Black Cardamom, Cumin, Black Cumin, Cassia Cinnamon, Ginger, Bay Leaves, and Mace. This type of spice blend comes out of the Punjabi region of North India.
Cranberry Truffle – This truffle is flavored with cranberry juice. Cranberries grow in acidic bogs across the northern hemisphere, and The Cranberries are an awesome band from Ireland where there are lots of bogs! First called Crane-berries by white settlers because of the shape of the plant’s flower, the same fruit was called sassamanash by the Native Americans who used it in pemmican, and purportedly served the fruit to settlers in what was to eventually be called The First Thanksgiving.
Hot Toddy Truffle – An off-shoot of the original Scottish recipe, our hot toddy serves up a touch of whiskey, honey, fresh lemon zest, and cloves. Its said that a hot toddy used to be considered a viable treatment for the common cold, or to warm up a chilled traveler. We still think its a heck of a comforting gesture, and that warms the cockles of our hearts!
Pie are Round Truffle – These are the spices that will remind you of luscious pumpkin pie: cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves. No pumpkin to be found here, just lots of awesome spicy flavor, swirled around in dark chocolate. This brings to mind nurturing bakers, and their welcoming kitchens that we love to visit.
Honeybush Truffle – The South African shrub (Heuningbos [Cyclopia spp]) infused into this truffle has an amazingly honey-like flavor with pronounced floral and herbal character. It is one of our favorite herbal tea ingredients and a great way to get honey flavor if you need to cook for someone with a severe bee allergy.
Orange-Fennel Truffle – Using fresh orange zest and fennel “seed”, this truffle will make an impression that you will not soon forget. Commonly referred to as “seeds”, these are actually the fruit of the fennel plant which gives these light anise flavoring. Naturally sweet all on it’s own, fennel fruit has many known medicinal values, including calming the stomach and aiding in digestion. Paired here with orange, the combination will give you pause as your taste buds work to decipher its complexity. Recognized as a noble plant in many cultures, it was said to be the fennel plant that Prometheus used as a torch to “borrow” a bit of fire from the gods!
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.
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 – The “King of Herbs”, fresh, organic basil will surprise you with how wonderful it tastes in dark chocolate. One of the most popular herbs throughout history, our Saint Basil Truffle remains on the top of the popularity list with our customers. Rich in phyto-nutrients and iron, basil has many health benefits.
Jamaican HOT Chocolate Truffle – Dark rum, nutmeg, honey, vanilla, and habenero peppers influence this favorite truffle. The character of rum can vary profoundly depending on how it is aged. Barrel aging and burnt sugar give this drink its characteristic natural brown color. Habanero peppers can be unpredictable, but they are all hot. The familiar orange tropical fruit originated in the Yucatan pennisula, but habaneros come out of the Caribbean, too. Rum and habaneros are old island mates, finally found together again in this exciting truffle.
What are we thankful for? Chocolate. You, our customers and family. Chocolate.
How to Make a Tipsy Truffle
“How do you make a truffle tipsy?”
Just ask our friend, Barbie, at findingchocolate. Oh, the fun things she dreams up to do with chocolate!
For this truffle-tastic activity you will need to assemble the following:
- Intrigue truffles, flavors of your choosing
- Creme de Cacao
- Vodka, Rum, or Brandy
- Grand Marnier
- Long toothpicks
We think this would be a smash-hit at a gathering of friends, or as an after-dinner drink and dessert combo!
Cheers!
September flavors
NEW! Sake Truffle – Our 110th flavor is made with Dewanoyuki (“yuki”) sake. “Yuki” means snow and this sake comes from the Yamagata prefecture (prefectures are governmental bodies encompassing cities, towns, and villages) on the island of Nippon (Japan). This sake is made in one of the oldest Japanese breweries (established in 1620)and adds an interesting element to our dark chocolate truffle.
California Bay Truffle – Much stronger than the typical bay leaf of our mother’s beef stew, the California Bay leaf flavor develops weeks after it is picked and dries. With a history as a medicine, it is said that the pungent smell can relieve headaches by tucking a leaf into your hatband.
Chipotle Truffle – Spanish for “smoked chili pepper”, chipotle (or chilpoptle) derives from the ancient Nahuatl word chilpoktli. Jalapenos dried slowly through a traditional process give this truffle a smoky heat.
Tequila-Lime Truffle – Salt, tequila, lime, or tequila, salt, lime? It’s entirely up to you, there is no official governing body for tequila shots. However, Mexico does maintain the exclusive international rights to the word “tequila”, upon pain of legal prosecution. Agave, the plants from whence all tequila comes, tastes differently depending on where it is grown, In the highlands agave takes on a sweeter character, from the lowland agave there is a more herb-like flavor.
Utah Basin Salt Truffle – Ancient seas left behind a rich salt deposit in the basin area of Utah. With commercial saltworks and mining there since 1848, Utah salt has been reknowned for its mineral laden salt. With a unique pinkish appearns and over 60 trace minerals, this salt has a sweet flavor that really brings out the true chocolate flavor of the truffle.
Peaches ‘n Cream Truffle – Someone tell Harry; ancient Chinese emperors sent sorcerers ahead of them when traveling, bearing peach-branch wands to ward off harm. Peaches are still served at birthday parties in China as a symbol of long life. We want peaches with cream at our party.
Orange Truffle – Orange, a noun and an adjective, But what came first, the fruit or the colour? Before this word was introduced to the English-speaking world, the colour was referred to as geoluhread (yellow-red in Old English). There were no oranges for eating in England then, but eventually the fruit bore the name and the English word for it became synonymous with the colour after about 1512. Any way you slice the etymology, orange and chocolate flavors are one of the best combos in the modern world.
Anise Truffle – Anise is the plant that gives real licorice its true flavor. It was so prized in 1305 England that King Edward I taxed it as an imported medicine at its profits helped rebuild the London Bridge. Your mouth will be marveling at what anise does in our dark chocolate.
Zoka Moka Latte Truffle – Sourced from Zoka coffee roasters in Seattle this direct trade bean, works wonders with chocolate and cream. Mocha is how we Americans order chocolate in our coffee, but the name was first a place in Yemen, a major coffee exporter in ancient Arabia. The Italians call it Moka, and that rhymes with Zoka!
Fortunato No. 4 Truffle – Maranon Valley in Peru produces a rare cacao plant that has a mixture of purple and white seeds. Back up, did you know that most cacao beans are purple? Both colored beans turn brown when roasted, but the white beans are lower in bitter anthocynanins. Thereby giving a more mellow tasting chocolate.
Saint Basil Truffle – Basil now grows wild in the Mediterranean areas Such a glorious thought to imagine basil growing as a “weed” (a completely subjective judgement, right? Weed, indeed.) How cool would it be it plunk yourself right down in the thick of it and breathe in the perfume? One fantasy made better only by adding Intrigue truffles to it. Ahhh…a truffle picnic in a Mediterranean field of wild basil. Gorgeous.
Jamaican HOT! Chocolate Truffle – You will find habanero chili peppers, white rum, vanilla and honey in this special truffle. Capsaicin (from the habaneros) is what puts the hot in this HOT! truffle. More evidence is being gathered that says this truffle should be an important part of your weight-loss plan. Capsaicin can curb appetite and increase energy expenditure by increasing heat production. Really! Plus it’s yummy.