Nine Raw Chocolatiers

Human obsession with chocolate, that veritable nectar of the gods, dates back to Aztecs boiling cocoa beans and Native Americans incorporating it into spiritual rituals. While holiday treats usually offer up a much more bastardized version of the tropical pod's gifts, raw chocolate-makers return to those untouched roots with the finest unprocessed ingredients—speaking to chocolate's bevy of actual health benefits and powerful antioxidants. For a …

Compartes Chocolates Holiday Collection 2009

by Julie Wolfson With creative flavor combos like smoked salt, blackberry sage, and spicy Mexican hot chocolate, Compartes makes their hand-dipped truffles with organic chocolate and other premium ingredients. Topping each piece with colorful graphic designs like elephants (with curry ganache), skulls (raspberry rose), and chandeliers (hazelnut gianduja). For a company that has been around for almost sixty years, Compartes approach to chocolate is definitely …

Hotchocspoon

The "iPhone among hot chocolates," Hotchocspoon is made of a wooden spoon stuck into a large cube of solid drinking chocolate. To enjoy it, simply stir into a searing cup of whole milk for a deliciously rich treat. Available in over 46 exotic flavors, including Strawberry and Pink Pepper, Chili Orange, Sea Salt and Honey and even Seaweed, my personal favorite, Amaretto and Macaroons, comes …