Tag Archives: seasonal flavors

January Truffle Flavors

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January is named after Janus, the ancient Roman god of doorways. Let us step together through this doorway of the new year into peaceful transitions and beautiful beginnings in 2012.

What’s the Buzz? – Honey is an amazing medicine; anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-viral. All that, and so yummy! This month we’re using mint honey which is very dark and has a musky flavor reminiscent of old-fashioned horehound candy.  Thanks to our Truffle-of-the-Month Club member who provided this remarkable ingredient.

Tannenbaum – Close your eyes. Taste the subtle aromatic notes of a winter morning in the Pacific Northwest. This truffle is flavored with a Douglas fir bud brandy from Oregon. Does this taste like eating a tree?  Nope!  It tastes like eating dark chocolate while walking under frost-covered firs.

Frangelico – The flavor of this Italian hazelnut-and-herb liqueur adds a soft, rich luxury to the already earthy chocolate.

Cinnamon-Raisin – Cassia cinnamon has the cheery, robust smell that reminds us of baking cookies and holidays spent with Grandma. Raisins fight cavities and mouth disease by battling bacteria in the mouth.

Rooibos – Rooibos–also known as African Red Bush–gives a smoky, sweet taste with a touch of tartness. This is an absolutely delicious addition to chocolate!

the Doctor – “Put the lime in the coconut, you drink ‘em both up.” Thank you Harry Nilsson for this combination! This is another one of our vegan truffles (no dairy).

Thai Basil – Thai basil has a licorice taste and smell that are not found in sweet basil, but it is not to be confused with the Western strains called anise basil and licorice basil.


Ruby Port – This fortified red wine adds a deep, bright finish to the truffle.  We made this one with the 2004 Porto Paradiso from our friends at Paradisos del Sol Winery in Zillah, Washington.


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.

Fortunato 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 – This month’s direct-trade bean is the Colombian Huila, roasted by Zoka Coffee Roasters & Tea Company, an award winning Seattle-based operation.
Help your taste buds make this new year a good one by indulging in Intrigue Chocolates.

December’s Truffle Flavors

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Cocoa is a great way to start a chilly December!

Sugar Plum Truffle – Caramelized sugar and Mirabelle (plum brandy) join forces to create a special treat. We use organic, fair trade, evaporated cane juice for the best flavor. It is said that the variety of plum (the Mirabelle) used to make this brandy was a gift to the people of Lorraine, France, by Saint Nicholas himself.
Orange Spice Truffle – Like the changing seasons, this pairing creates a sense of anticipation and delight. The warm spices and vivid orange of this truffle will bring the winter holidays to mind. Fresh orange zest, cloves, allspice, and cinnamon to evoke aromatic seasonal memories.
Rumple Minze Truffle – 100-proof peppermint schnapps brings this chocolate truffle about as close as it could get to tasting like a candy cane!
Juniper Berry Truffle – After crushing the berries with a mortar and pestle, our chocolatier steeped them in the cream, and then strained out the bits, leaving only the fresh flavor behind. What flavor is that? Well, this one tastes like a Christmas tree, of course! (A chocolate-covered Christmas tree, at that.)
YoHoHo Rum Truffle – A chocolate lover’s version of a classic rum ball, this truffle is made with dark chocolate, dark rum, and vanilla beans.
Liquorice Truffle – Not to be confused with the taste of black jelly beans, licorice root (Glycyrrhiza glabra) adds a mellow, sweet, woody flavor to the chocolate.
Ginger-Molasses Truffle – Made with blackstrap molasses (organic and unsulphured) and dried ginger. Blackstrap is the third go-around in the process of separating sugar from sugar cane. A by-product by definition, but we think of it as one of nature’s yummiest sweeteners.
Pineapple Truffle – Pineapples are a great source of vitamin C (80% DV per 100 g). Also, pineapples got their name from it’s resemblance to pine cones. In some cultures pineapples are a sign of welcome, so welcome these truffles into your mouth!
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 phytonutrients and iron, basil has many health benefits.
Jamaican HOT Chocolate Truffle – Dark rum, nutmeg, honey, vanilla, and habanero chilis influence this favorite truffle. The character of rum can vary profoundly depending on how it is aged. Habanero peppers can be unpredictable, but they are all hot. Rum and habaneros are old island mates, finally found together again in this exciting truffle.
Zoka Moka Latte Truffle – Made with direct-trade coffee from Los Placeres Farm in Nicaragua. This bean is roasted by Zoka Coffee Roasters & Tea Company, an award winning Seattle-based operation.
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.

Our truffles at Intrigue Chocolates make great gifts for the holiday season!

Thanks for November Flavors!

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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.

October’s Spooky Flavors!

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We love Halloween. The adults’ perfect excuse to play dress-up, go to parties, and act goofy. A really wonderful Halloween would entail at least one Intrigue truffle in every trick-or-treater’s goodie bag!


New! Black Truffle – Flavored with honey and Italian Black Truffles, an underground mushroom that varies in size from the size of a grape to an orange. They are the most favored truffle used in Italian cooking.  This truffle truffle is sweet and savory.


NEW! Manhattan Truffle – Made with bourbon, dry vermouth, Angostura bitters, and orange zest. If you like to have a Manhattan every once in a while and you like fine chocolate, then this is for you.

NEW! Carrot Truffle – This truffle is made from the juice of carrots. The Greeks called it Philtron, which translates into love charm. Carrots contain beta carotene which your liver turns into vitamin A, helping to improve your eyesight. So if you love carrots or just want to eat enough truffles to improve your eyesight, go right ahead.  This truffle is rich, sweet, and surprisingly earthy.

Apple Cider Truffle – There’s nothing quite like a mug of hot apple cider on an autumn day with a chill in the air. Ever wonder what the difference is between cider and juice from apples? Overseas you will get a fermented beverage of the alcoholic variety. In the States, apple juice is one step of processing beyond cider. Longer in flavor, but shorter on shelf life, cider is a seasonal treat that you should be sure to enjoy this time of year. Why not in a truffle?

Grappa Truffle – Literally translated, grappa means “grape stalk” to indicate that it is made from distilling the solid remains of grapes once they are pressed for wine-making. Mostly grape skins, but seeds and stems might be included, this is recycling in motion. Since maybe 1000 A.D. Italians have been “re-using” what might be thrown away to make a potent drink.  Made with a Pinot Noir grappa, the taste of the grape comes through as a real treat.

Ghost Chili Truffle – The Ghost Chili is also called Bhut Jolokia, and hails from the Assam region of India. It’s so hot that it’s listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the hottest chili in the world. Toting around 1 million Scoville units per square bite, this baby is scary (think 8,000 Scovilles for a jalapeno, a mere 580,000 units in an habanero!). They say it’s so hot, you feel like you’re dying. It’s so hot, you might just end up as an apparition! (Still want to try it?)  Okay, so we do pare it down a little so you can taste all of the flavors without actually passing on.  Still, this one isn’t for the faint of heart.

NEW! Earl Grey-Chamomile Truffle – A blend of the Earl Grey and Chamomile. Earl Grey is black tea blended with bergamot oil. Bergamot being a citrus fruit native to Italy, and about the size of an orange. Chamomile, an herb that is used all around the world for its soothing herbal sweetness. Tisane plus tea equals delicious truffle.

Zoka Moka Latte Truffle – Made with 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.

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.

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.

Cinnamonyum Truffle – Cassia cinnamon has the cheery, robust smell that reminds us of baking cookies and holidays spent with Grandma.

Tricks aside, treat yourself (and someone you like to be spooky with) to some Intrigue truffles this month.

September flavors

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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.