Do you know about tapping maple trees for maple syrup? Back in Aaron’s home state of Minnesota the wildly fluctuating temperatures of March are ideal for this ancient and traditional activity. Very labor intensive, the season lasts weeks and requires many gallons of sap to boil down to a few quarts of syrup. The Anishinabe people of the region still work ancestral “sugar bush” locations. Now get your juices flowing for Spring with some awesome Intrigue truffles.
NEW! Maple Truffle – 100% pure organic maple sugar is added to make this truffle a special Spring treat. Maple sugar is a Native American tradition, where syrup is carefully, and slowly (to avoid burning and ruining the flavor) simmered to a state of dehydration. Much better for traveling than its liquid form!
NEW! Lemongrass Truffle – In its natural state Lemongrass is a stalky plant that carries a zesty lemon flavor and scent. Called an aromatic herb, lemongrass is described by some as tasting of citrus flavor with a trace of ginger. Used in ancient customs, such as Ayurvedic medicine, to aid in digestion, modern science has found the component, citral, to have an anti-cancer affect.
NEW! Agave Nectar 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.
NEW! Earl Grey Truffle – The story goes that Earl Grey tea is named for Charles Grey, the 2nd Earl Grey, Prime Minister of the UK in the 1830′s. He apparently had a preference for black tea blended with bergamot oil. Bergamot being a citrus fruit native to Italy, and about the size of an orange. Flavor somewhere in the range of lemony-grapefruity-bitter orange. Earl Gray tea is commonly used in cooking in other parts of the world, so we are just adding this fine truffle to a great tradition!
Stout Truffle – Dark beer and dark chocolate. It may sound strange, but it makes for a beautiful flavor combo. Not the same as chocolate stout (made from malt roasted to a dark, chocolate color), stout-flavored chocolate is awesomeness in the shape of a truffle.
Irish Coffee Truffle – Jameson Irish whiskey and coffee (fresh-ground, organic, free-trade). Need we say more? Well, you know we will anyway. Whether you have a “drop” of Irish blood, or were born amidst the foggy, green hills… everybody is Irish on St. Paddy’s Day, right? We honor our Irish roots with a drop of the world’s best whiskey in this boozy-mocha truffle.
Fresh Mint Truffle – This time of year we start to crave green. Green for shamrock day, new green things growing, and green flavors. The fresh, organic mint leaves in this truffle will give you a wonderful sense of green-ness just when you need it most. Think you’ve had mint-chocolate before? This is completely original mint-chocolate like you’ve never experienced.
Saint Basil Truffle – Fresh basil leaves sort of defy description by the written word when they are wrapped up in this truffle. But, oh, baby, we like. Familiar and exotic all at once.
The Anishinabe have many names for times of the year, usually based on natural occurrences or seasonal activities. A “moon” refers roughly to a month, spanning the time that it takes the moon to pass through all its phases. The month of March is called Ziinsibaakwadooke-giizis in Ojibwe (the language of the Anishinabe), roughly translated to “Sugar-Making-Moon”. We are so on-board with that!
Cranberry Truffle – NEW! A brand new concoction in time for Thanksgiving, 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. 
Orange-Fennel Truffle – NEW! Using fresh orange zest and fennel “seed”, this truffle will make an impression that you will not soon forget. Commonly called and sold as “seeds”, this is actually the fruit of the fennel plant which gives theslightly anise, or licorice 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 tastebuds 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!
Hot Toddy Truffle – NEW! 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 us to 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. Reminds us of nurturing bakers, and their welcoming kitchens that we love to visit.