Northwest Chocolate Festival in Seattle, WA Part 3:  My picks for the best bars (and a truffle) at the show, and a survival guide for tasting that many chocolates. 

This final post on the Northwest Chocolate Festival may just be my favorite because it's time to talk about my picks for best chocolates at the show.  

And the winners are:

Well, first off, I have to say that I always find Valrhona to make amazing chocolates, however, I really wanted to focus on what I found to be the best chocolates there that I either barely knew, or I had never tried.

My vote for the #1 truffle goes to the Rosemary Olive Oil Truffle by Smitten Artisan Truffles. Fantastic balance with the rosemary in this truffle.   Rosemary has the potential to overpower everything else, but it shines just right in this truffle. This is a lovely example of the rosemary trend being done right. http://www.smitten-truffles.com/c 

My pick for #1 dark chocolate bar goes to Very Dark 71% by Equal Exchange.  This gave me exactly what I'm looking for in a dark chocolate bar, and each time I eat this bar I get more flavor notes out of it including cinnamon (and it doesn't have any cinnamon in it).  Since the show I've tried some of their other bars, and hot chocolate mixes, and they are all fantastic, and at a good price too.
http://equalexchange.coop/products/chocolate

Next up (in no particular order now) is Videri Chocolate Factory's 70% bar.  You actually get two bars in one package.  What I liked about this item was the herbaceous notes in the aftertaste.   I don't often get a vegetal finish in a bar, so I found this one interesting.   https://viderichocolatefactory.com/

This Brown Butter Milk Chocolate bar by Fruition is so yummy with flavor notes of caramel, and nuttiness.  I've been noticing some bakeries are making brown butter chocolate chip cookies too. 

http://www.tastefruition.com/

This 60% bar by Escazu Artisan Chocolates is made with goat's milk.  You can definitely taste the goat's milk which lends an earthiness to this bar, along with this chocolate having that milk/dark taste. http://www.escazuchocolates.com/

I haven't forgotten about you white chocolate lovers out there!  This Balsamic Vinegar in White Chocolate by Gusto Chocolates gives subtle hints of the vinegar as you eat it, along with a bit in the finish. What it does is add pleasant acidic notes which white chocolate doesn't normally have.
https://www.facebook.com/Gusto-Chocolates-179853495487053/

I love, love, love this Milk Chocolate with Blue Bottle Coffee by TCHO.  They accomplish what few bars with coffee do by making a truly coffee taste without actual grounds in the bar, so the finished product is velvety smooth.  https://www.tcho.com/

Bonus Pick:  My #1 caramel pick (not pictured) is Jonboy Caramels Absinthe Black Salt Caramel. Unusual done well!!  http://jonboycaramels.com/

Now we all need to take a moment to go eat some chocolate...pause...breathe in the chocolatey aroma...ok...now we may continue.  

Chocolate Festival Survival Guide: 

The upside is that there are so many chocolate samples at this event.  The downside is that there are so many chocolate samples at this event.  This means you can't try them all.  Sorry, but your tastebuds will blow out before your desire to eat all the chocolate will.  Here are a few tips to allow you to try as many as possible.

1.  Drink water between each sample to help cleanse the palate between bites.

2.  Don't try to taste every sample at each both (many booths had around 10 samples).  Pick 1 or 2            that interest you the most.  

3.  Attend a couple of lectures/demos throughout the day to give your tastebuds a break.

4.  Bring savory protein snacks to eat a few times in between sampling. 

5.  If at all possible get a 2 day pass ticket, so you can really keep those taste buds going!

One more thing, in case you hadn't guessed, all the booths sell the bars they have out to sample, so be prepared to shop! (Discounts were often given when purchasing 4, or more, bars).  

Chocoholics unite!!!

Victoria :)

Northwest Chocolate Festival:

http://nwchocolate.com/

https://www.facebook.com/nwchocolate?fref=ts&ref=br_tf

Victoria Cooksey:

https://www.facebook.com/victoriacookseysrandomdish?fref=ts

https://instagram.com/victoria.cooksey/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCm-lp-lF_wB2oX_592jK9UQ