Socola Chocolatier - Toasted Coconut and Black Sesame Milk Chocolate (bar) - May 20, 2021

Chocolate(s) of the Day

Socola Chocolatier 

Toasted Coconut and Black Sesame Milk Chocolate (bar) 
Good ++
Weight: 2 oz. (56.6 g.) / 4 oz. (113 g.) (estimate) in total bar
Calories: 310 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.95 + shipping for 1 bar
Purchased from: Socola Chocolatier, online order

Strawberry Matcha White Chocolate (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 4 oz. (113 g.) (estimate) in total bar
Calories: 157 calories (estimate) in 1/4 bar
Cost: $9.95 + shipping for 1 bar
Purchased from: Socola Chocolatier, online order

Welcome to Day #10 of Chocolate and Vietnam Theme Week, and Day #2 of Chocolate and VWXYZ Theme Week, featuring chocolate items with origins and flavor inclusions that begin with the letters V, W, X, Y and/or Z, such as Vietnam and Vanilla.

Today's two bars: 1.) Toasted Coconut and Black Sesame Milk Chocolate (bar), and the beautiful 2.) Strawberry Matcha White Chocolate bar were made by Wendy Lieu at Socola Chocolatier (San Francisco, CA). 

Socola (the Vietnamese word for chocolate) was founded in the San Francisco Bay Area by two sisters in 2001.* Their confections and bars often include Vietnam-inspired ingredients.

Opening the shipment containing these two bars was like unboxing happiness. Creativity, beauty, fun and great, fresh chocolate all in one package. 

It was good to see "Harriet," the winged alpaca, a Socola spirit animal of sorts again. (Covid-19 cut down on seeing local chocolatiers in the past few years.) Harriet appeared on the company's logo/packaging, on the chocolate bars, and in the Socola postcards that were generously included in the shipment.

Toasted Coconut and Black Sesame Milk Chocolate (bar)

This visual feast of a milk chocolate bar was adorned with toasted, shaved coconut pieces and a light sprinkle of black sesame seeds. It had a lovely, subtle aroma with notes of milk chocolate, roasted coconut and nutty sesame. The flavor was a fully realized version of the aroma notes with rich and creamy milk chocolate, a bit of soft crunch from coconut and seeds, rounded out with a touch of warm vanilla that tied together all these elements very nicely.

Warning: this bar could be slightly addictive. Yes this bar was sweet, but it was also very easy to enjoy.

Ingredients: Milk chocolate (cacao beans, pure cane sugar, sunflower lecithin, vanilla beans, cocoa butter, full cream milk); coconut; black sesame seeds. 

Allergen-related information: contains milk, sesame

Strawberry Matcha Tea (bar)

Today's second bar was a colorful confection: a field of green (white chocolate infused with green matcha tea) with freeze-dried, rosy red strawberries (embedded in and atop the bar).

White chocolate usually contains vanilla. (This bar did.) Vanilla adds an uplifting green, floral flavor and evokes the smell of warm, aromatic baked goods and hot chocolate. This "happy" spice accented the mellow, light spring green flavor of the sweet and creamy matcha green tea, and elevated the tart-sweet, softly crunchy, strawberry pieces. The result: harmonious and bright confection perfection.

Ingredients: White chocolate (sugar, cocoa butter, full milk powder, sunflower lecithin, vanilla); strawberries; matcha green tea

Allergen-related information: Contains milk

*Socola Chocolatier was founded by two Vietnamese American sisters, Wendy and Susan Lieu. Socola also has a chocolate and coffee shop location in San Francisco.

Socola Chocolatier - Raspberry + Pop Rocks bar - Feb. 4, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

Socola Chocolatier
Raspberry + Pop Rocks bar
Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 4 oz. (113 g.) (estimate)
Calories: 150 calories (estimate) in approximately 1/4 bar
Cost: $9.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Socola Chocolatier, San Francisco, CA (online order)

Today was Day #3 of Chocolate and Raspberry Theme Week.

This luscious and loaded Raspberry + Pop Rocks bar from the creative team (sisters Wendy and Susan Lieu*) at Socola Chocolatier (San Francisco, CA) was full of dark chocolate and red raspberry flavor.

And if you were thinking of pairing this bar with a glass of champagne or sparkling wine...I suppose you could, but there's no need. A light sprinkle of pop rocks (popping candy) took this bar to a whole new fizzy level without adding extra sugar or affecting the flavor.

This bar would make a perfect Valentines Day gift.

*And Harriett the flying alpaca of course (shown as logo at right)

International Chocolate Salon - San Francisco, 3/15/14

International Chocolate Salon
March 15, 2014
Fort Mason, San Francisco

Fort Mason is home to several organizations; and it is a great site for meetings and conferences. Located on San Francisco Bay, one can watch sailboats during breaks. I felt sorry for the participants in the food addicts recovery group meeting last Saturday at Fort Mason. Not only might they have been tempted by Greens Restaurant, but in the nearby Festival Pavilion a day-long International Chocolate Salon (organized by TasteTV) was underway. And parked in front of the pavilion was the "Melt" food truck, oozing with grilled cheese goodness.

The Chocolate Salon was an amalgam of chocolatiers, chocolate makers, spirits and scent vendors, chocolate talks and demonstrations, under one large roof, that has become an annual Spring event. (The also have a similar Chocolate Salon event in the fall.)

For the price of admission, attendees were able to view chocolate art (chocolate shoes, chocolate skulls, and other items). More to the point, they could taste (and buy) chocolate truffles, bars, toffee, caramels, and much more. Several local Bay Area companies were there, including Socola Chocolatier (the company recently opened a retail space in San Francisco); Jade Chocolates; CocoTutti; and Saratoga Chocolates.

And, there were opportunities to hear more about chocolate-related topics from experts.

The first presenter I listened to was John Scharffenberger, a successful, serial food and beverage entrepreneur, whose first venture was sparkling wine. Later he switched to bean-to-bar chocolate, and co-founded Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker with Robert Steinberg in San Francisco in 1997. I can still remember company's great factory tour in the East Bay. Hershey's (The Hershey Company) eventually bought Scharffen Berger for an estimated $50 million. The bars can still be found online and in specialty stores.

Advice columnist Joey Garcia passed on tips about love, comparing it to chocolate. Garcia was influenced by a wise, Maya grandmother from Belize, a country with a long cacao tradition; and she brought a few copies of her new book, When Your Heart Breaks, It's Opening to Love.

Jessica Ferraro, BarCacaco.com, gave a talk titled "Discovering Craft Chocolate: Beyond the Bon Bon."

Art Pollard, of Amano Artisan Chocolate (Orem, Utah), talked about his recent visits to cacao farmers in South America and the Dominican Republic -- all part of the quest to obtain the best beans for his bars. He also sampled some of his single origin bars. I enjoyed the floral notes in the Amano "Dos Rios" bar made with cacao from the Dominican Republic.

Socola Kheer truffles - May 13, 2013

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

Socola Chocolatier
Vegan Kheer Truffles
Good + - Very Good
Weight: .8 oz. (22.68 g.) in 2 pieces / 4 piece-box
Calories: 120 calories (estimate) in 2 pieces
Cost: $9.95 (estimate) for 1 4-piece box
Purchased from: Socola Chocolatier, San Francisco, CA

Today was Day #4 of Chocolate and Vietnam Theme Week.

Kheer is a milky rice-pudding like dessert in India, with similar versions in other Southeast Asian countries. Fragrant with cardamom, with touches of nuts and other spices, and maybe a touch of saffron and pandan, or dried fruit, these flavors were all tantalizingly present in today's Vegan Kheer Truffles from Socola Chocolatier (San Francisco, CA).

These Socola Kheer truffles inspired me to make a creamy, cardamom infused kheer-like dessert of my own -- with a Straus Family Creamery Greek yogurt base, and sweetened with golden-orange hued saffron honey. I also added some finely chopped almonds, cinnamon, vanilla, and other aromatic (pandan) and floral (rose water) ingredients.

To finish off this sweet, Socola (Vietnamese for chocolate) dessert tray: two hand-rolled, individually wrapped chocolate caramels. Life is good. Thank you to Wendy, Susan and Harriett at Socola, for making it so.

Kumquat, Guava Chocolates - May 12, 2013

Chocolate(s) of the Day:

Socola Chocolatier

1.) Kumquat
Very Good
Weight: .4 oz. (11.32 g.) (estimate) in 1 piece / 4 piece box
Calories: 60 calories (estimate) in 1 piece
Cost: $9.95 for 1 4-piece box
Purchased from: Socola Chocolatier, San Francisco, CA

2.) Give it to Me Guava
Very Good
Weight: .4 oz. (11.32 g.) (estimate) in 1 piece / 4 piece box
Calories: 60 calories (estimate) in 1 piece
Cost: $9.95 for 1 4-piece box
Purchased from: Socola Chocolatier, San Francisco, CA


Today was Day #3 of Chocolate and Vietnam Theme Week.

Happy Mother's Day to the moms out there. I celebrated this day with a small 4-piece Mother's Day Collection box from Socola Chocolatier (San Francisco, CA). (Socola is the word for chocolate in Vietnam.) I was excited to open this box and try new Socola flavors with ties to Vietnam this week.

The four flavors in this collection: Passion Fruit Vanilla Bean, Give it to Me Guava, Jasmine Tea, and Kumquat. Kumquat was a new Socola flavor. And now it's one of my new favorites.

Kumquats and Umami
I love kumquats, and the bursts of flavor contained in these small orange fruits -- that have a sweet rind and a tart center. (I have a small, recently planted kumquat tree in my yard. I'm hoping for my own tiny harvest to combine with chocolate next year.) Fresh, tropical fruits are often served as a dessert in Vietnam and Southeast Asia. And with the delicious flavors like this, I can see why.

Socola's description of this new chocolate reminded me that the tiny slivers of salt-preserved kumquat (also made into a drink in Vietnam), that were embedded in a 61% dark chocolate ganache, were high in umami flavor. (Other umami foods include parmesan cheese, mushrooms, truffles, fish and cured meats, green tea. I'm a big umami fan, so it's no wonder this chocolate rang some bells for me.)

Guava
The second flavor I'm counting for today, Give it to Me Guava, contained a tropical guava fruit gelee (pate de fruit) and dark chocolate ganache. Like the kumquat (and passion fruit) chocolates today, it was very authentic and fresh, with real fruit (in this case, guava) flavor. The Guava truffle was decorated with a white stencil of "Harriett", the flying llama, a creative mascot for the company.

Jasmine & Memories
The Jasmine Tea truffle I'd tasted and featured before on this site. It was infused with a lovely floral tea flavor. The two sisters (Susan and Wendy) behind Socola remembered sips of their grandmother's Jasmine tea when they were growing up.

Socola Jameson Whiskey truffle - April 15, 2013

Chocolate of the Day:

Socola Chocolatier
Jameson Whiskey truffle
Good - Good +
Weight: .375 oz. (10.6 g.) in 1 truffle / 4.5 oz. (127 g.) in total 12-piece box
Calories: 112 calories (estimate) for 2 pieces
Cost: $24.95 for 12-piece box
Purchased from: Socola Chocolatier table at SF Chocolate Salon, San Francisco, CA

Happy April 15th -- more commonly known as tax filing deadline day in the U.S. Turning to sweeter things, today was also the first day of Chocolate and Spirits Theme Week.

Whether you're celebrating a refund or writing a check to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), you might be able to celebrate with a wee taste of Whiskey today, in chocolate form. I recently picked up a "Hat Trick Collection" box of attractive, bite-sized truffles from Socola Chocolatier (San Francisco, CA) that contained three flavors: Jameson Whiskey*, Bacon and Stout Beer.

The Jameson Whiskey truffle was decorated with a light "Socola" green paisley pattern across the top, and had a creamy dark chocolate ganache infused with whiskey notes.

*One caveat: Jameson Whiskey may be a seasonal flavor; and if so, I'm happy to have caught the last train to chocolate and whiskey happyland. 

The Bacon truffles in this box were very good. I believe this truffle was the same as, or a close relative of, Socola's "Notorious HOG" truffles, that burst on the scene a few years ago (featured here in 2011).


I did not taste the third flavor, Stout Beer Truffles (decorated with white strokes); however, much enjoyment ensued when sharing these with others.

If these flavors don't excite you, I suggest checking out Socola's Give it to Me Guava (which I look forward to featuring in the future), and their Jasmine truffle (available as part of a tea collection box) which is wonderful if you like floral flavors.

Thank you Wendy, Susan and Harriett (the inspirational flying llama)! 

SF Chocolate Salon - March 24, 2013

Chocolate Salon - San Francisco
March 24, 2013

Good fun was had today at the annual Chocolate Salon, held at the Fort Mason Center in San Francisco, CA. I enjoyed saying hello to local favorites (Socola, Neo Cocoa, Jade Chocolates, Clarine's Florentines, and many others) as well as discovering new bars, truffles and flavor combinations.

Trends, What's New
New chocolatiers in this year's group of exhibitors included Marco Paolo Chocolates, Mission Blue Confections, Nosh This, Fab. At least one chocolate maker was missing who'd been attending in recent years, Dandelion Chocolate (the company was likely focusing on ramping up their new place on Valencia, in the Mission district of SF).

There also seemed to be more wine and spirits vendors this year. The first table in the hall was occupied by a sparkling wine vendor from Los Angeles. And TV host Leslie Sbrocco ("Check Please! Bay Area" on KQED/PBS Channel 9) gave a lively presentation with suggestions for wine pairings with Toffee Talk, Poco Dolce, and Marich chocolates. The audience enjoyed samples as well.

Speaking of presentations, this year's show had at least one, conveniently located separate break-out room (off the floor) for some sessions/talks -- an improvement from earlier years. And a well-done presentation schedule was posted at the entrance in a few places from the start. Hurray!
 


Presentations, Demos, Talks
I wasn't able to attend every event, but in addition to exhibitors, the show included a variety of talks and presentations, including a...
- Talk about orchids, vanilla and chocolate by Bruce Rogers (author of "The Orchid Whisperer," Chronicle Books), that included whiffs of lovely chocolate-smelling orchids, and vanilla beans
- Chocolate Meetup featuring a talk, given by Marcia Gagliardi of tablehopper, about great chocolate desserts in San Francisco, accompanied by mouth-watering photos
- Demonstration on how to make a world class chocolate mousse (on-site) from a distinguished chef and teacher, Stephen Durfee
- Panel discussion about where chocolate comes from, from farm to bar, with Art Pollard of Amano Chocolate (Orem, UT), and Gary Guittard of Guittard Chocolate (South San Francisco, CA), moderated by food writer, cookbook author and chocolate fan, Amy Sherman.

Location, Location
San Francisco was a great place for this show. When we needed a break from too much sugar and chocolate, we needed only to look out the window, or to step outside, to catch a little breeze, and to see sailboats scudding by on the San Francisco Bay, on a day so clear that Mt. Tamalpais (across the Golden Gate Bridge in Marin County) was visible in the distance.

SF Chocolate Salon - Nov. 11, '12

San Francisco Fall Chocolate Salon
Nov. 11, 2012

Yesterday I spent hunting for new chocolates at the Fall Chocolate Salon in San Francisco. This event, one of two annual Chocolate Salons in the city, was held at Fort Mason. We were so focused on tasting, we scarcely gazed up at the sailboats and blue sky outside. Such is the power of chocolate.

I enjoyed attending parts of three talks. The first talk was about decorating chocolates, followed by Art Pollard (Amano Chocolate) speaking about Organic and Fair Trade. Pollard shared some of the challenges associated with certification and pricing.

Third, Elyce Zahn (CocoTutti) demonstrated the significance of ingredients in fresh and flavorful truffles/bonbons by handing out small tasting experience kits with starter components such as small discs of dark and milk chocolate, a fresh raspberry, a dab of sweet raspberry puree (yum); and finished raspberry and coffee flavored truffles.

Speaking of fruit, we marveled at some giant caramel and chocolate covered apples from Rachel Dunn Chocolates (Concord, CA), and some beautifully decorated, sizable dessert bowls made entirely of chocolate.

Newcomers to this Fall Show included Smitten Truffles (Portland, OR) and Marti Chocolatt (Los Angeles, CA).

Otho at Smitten handed us samples from 4 tiny vats of ganache used to fill 4 different truffles: Dark Chocolate and Vanilla Bean; Water Avenue Brazilian Coffee; Kalamansi (Lime) and Creme Honey; and Vanilla Caramel and Tahitian Vanilla Sea Salt.

Marti Chocolatt Chocolatier, Tonet Tibay, presided over a variety of exotic and well-executed flavored truffles -- that included Durian, Ube, Pandan, Pina, and Calamansi lime.

Socola delivered a few wonderful new flavors, as always. Their mint truffles were the epitome of fresh and natural tasting mint leaves harvested from the garden.


Snake and Butterfly (a Bay Area bean-to-bar maker) and Tea Room Chocolates (organic, tea infused bars, based in Novato, CA) had tables full of good chocolate choices, as did Amano Chocolate (single origin bars and drinking chocolate).

Saratoga Chocolates (Saratoga, CA) had a good line-up, including their Blueberry-tini chocolates (blueberries infused with blueberry vodka and coated with dark chocolate), and assorted truffles, dipped apricots and toffee squares.

Sixth Course's Wine and Spirits collection (sold out) was wonderful, as were their caramels, with skillful incorporation of local ingredients (St. George Single Malt whiskey), herbs (rosemary, and sage and brown butter caramels). A new line of candy bars will incorporate favorite flavors.

The selections at the Feve Chocolatier (San Francisco) table looked great, but at least 3 of their truffles contained wheat (a lovely thin wafer) -- that I can't have; so I had to pass on these.

Attractive bags of fresh toffee were available from several vendors -- such as Toffeeology and Toffee Talk, most with nuts, some with nibs.

Thank you to organizers and vendors and local chocolate Meetup group. Those chocolatiers mentioned above were a small sampling of the total; apologies to those I've not mentioned by name. Thank you to Elise for tasting company and good conversation throughout the day.

ChocolateBet: April 18, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

1/2 egg
Socola Chocolatier
Very Good+
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42 g.) / 3 oz. (84 g.) (estim.) total egg
Calories: 225 calories (estimate)
Cost: $10.00 total egg
Purchased from: Socola Chocolatier, at the San Francisco International Chocolate Salon, San Francisco, CA

I like fresh fruit and eggs for breakfast, so this royal (King of Fruits) Durian Easter Egg was a fun find; and -- along with its smaller Durian Truffle cousin -- this Socola chocolate Easter egg was also Chocolate Banquet's Chocolate Challenge winner for the most unique chocolate at the San Francisco International Chocolate Salon. The Chocolate Salon was held yesterday at Fort Mason, by the bay, in San Francisco, CA.

To fully appreciate the challenges of working with an ingredient like the durian fruit, it must be noted that this is the only fruit I'm aware of that is banned on some forms of public transportation (buses, trains in some parts of Asia).

I once purchased a large scoop of durian ice cream (to go) and after carefully placing my cup of ice cream in a car cupholder, I proceeded to drive a 1/2 mile to my next stop where I could enjoy this unusual treat. However, I never made it. After less than two blocks, I pulled over and threw the ice cream overboard (into a public trash can). Such was the smell filling my car.

But, I'm not easily deterred, and neither are the two skilled sisters behind Socola Chocolatier (pictured above holding the Durian Easter Egg). I'm happy to say that this egg had a fresh tasting, white chocolate ganache filling that sparkled with tropical fruit flavor.

Today was Day #20 of Chocolate Egg Appreciation Theme Month (April).