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Chuao Chocolate

Southern California’s Artisan Chocolate Shop

On Valentines Day, year after year, I go to University engineered chocolate with stabilized fats.
Town Center or Encinitas to the Chuao Chocolate Café to
purchase chocolates for my honey and this year was no 2. Smell: Inhale the aroma; let your mind sense the flavors
exception. I joined a line of caring and thoughtful men who you’re about to taste.
gladly made the trek to please their valentines. I am almost
always the lone woman in line. Usually I hem and haw and 3. Taste: Let the chocolate melt in your mouth. Allow it to
can’t decide what kinds of lush brown confections to put cover your entire tongue. Allow the flavors to reveal them-
into my 9-piece collection. I don’t really do chocolate (yes, selves. Savor the flavors.
you read that right!) but my husband loves fine chocolate.
(In case you’re wondering, he is My friend savored the flavor, rolled
NOT a chocoholic – so he tells her eyes in ecstasy. She said “The
me!) I often enlist the help of flavor keeps changing, morphing
other shoppers or the sales and moving around my tongue. It
clerks to select the perfect has a hint of cayenne pepper that
combination. Nothing is too slightly numbed my tongue with
good for my man. its spiciness. Mixing deep dark
chocolate with these spices
is out of this world.”
So why, if I’m not into-
chocolate, am I writing After she came back
an article on choco- to the living she said
32 late? Well, to help that this was the best
chocolate she had
my fellow women,
of course! ever tasted. She as-
I consider it sured me that she
my moral and was making the
civic duty to tell trek to UTC the
everyone about following weekend.
the best chocolate Pronounced Chew-
around. WOW, Chuao is
Southern California’s
only artisan chocolate
I’m not able to wax shop. Named after the
eloquently about the cacao producing region in
fineries of chocolate, but I Central Venezuela.
am a qualified observer. But
where would I find a person
to try this chocolate for me? Venezuelan-born chocolatier
As it turns out, every woman Michael Antonorsi, used to be a
I know loves chocolate. So I biomedical engineer and decided to
treated a friend to her first piece follow his passion. He left his
of Chuao chocolate and delighted engineering career behind and moved
in her reaction. She is a well versed chocolater, and chose to Paris to study Pastry and Chocolaterie at the Ecole
the Picante piece for her first experience with Chuao. She Lenotre. Two years later he graduated, joined with his
knew the 3 steps to tasting chocolate: brother; entrepreneur Richard Antonorsi and founded the
company in San Diego County.
1. Observe: Is it shiny? How does it break? Does it crum-
ble or splinter? A clean break with a hard and clear crack At Chuao chocolatier you won’t find your standard run-of-
sound is also a sign of excellent quality. Does it begin the-mill chocolates, you will find creative and unique com-
to melt within a few seconds of holding it? 100% cacao- binations. Really unique, bold, uncommon and assertive
based chocolates will melt at body temperature faster than these flavors will delight your taste buds.
March/April 2008