Did you know that this week (March 20-26) is American Chocolate Week? To help us celebrate, the National Confectioners Association (NCA) is sponsoring a giveaway on ZOMG, Candy!*
They’ve just launched a new website, which looks like a good resource to learn more about how chocolate is made, where it comes from, and how to savor it. The website is called The Story of Chocolate, so this giveaway is all about your chocolate story.
To enter, leave a comment about your personal chocolate story, whether it be a chocolate memory, a family recipe that uses chocolate, or just an ode to your favorite chocolate. One commenter will be randomly selected to win a Chocolate Gift Pack from the NCA’s Chocolate Council (example above; actual assortment may vary slightly).
Only US readers are eligible to win. Make sure you leave a valid email address in the form, where only I can see it, NOT in the content of the comment, where anyone, including spammers, can see it. Entries close at 11:59 PM EST on Friday, April 1. Good luck!
*Note: I have received no monetary compensation for this post. The NCA has supplied me with my own Chocolate Gift Pack for future review.
Edit: This contest is now closed. Congratulations to Jen!
I love store bought chocolate as much as the next guy but I love using chocolate to make my own snacks. I use it for homemade girl scout cookies, homemade chocolate bars, and everything else that should only be bought. I love the challenge and rewards.
Going back to your recent Kinder Surprise post, I miss those babies! I used to get them all the time as treats when I was younger and lived in Belarus. My brothers and I have a whole cabinet full of the tiny toys. Since they are banned in America I almost never get to have the eggs. The chocolate is obviously not the best quality but I don’t care – the childhood memories make it taste delicious.
I have never been much of a chocolate person. Being female, I have been teased about this (why are women stereotyped as chocolate lovers) for the majority of my life.
I remember the first time my mother ever brought home chocolate truffles, however. I had my doubts about them – dusty little black, um… turds? My naive, young mind had no idea what to expect when my mother offered me one. I wrinkled my nose, but bit in.
Suddenly, I was in pure, creamy, melty, truffly bliss. It was amazing.
Now I realize that, although I am not a general chocolate lover, I DO love a really good chocolate.
And cream.
I love getting chocolate bars and candy, melting them down and making a big tray of chocolate bark! White chocolate with reeses pieces and dark truffle swirls? Oh, so delicious! You can really find out some great chocolate combinations!
I’m definitely a chocoholic. Who else would schlep 45 lbs of chocolate around in a carry-on bag through a large airport, then take it on the plane with her, and guard it with her life?
I never was that into chocolate until I met my wife 21 years ago. She converted me all the way, and now I’m not only into milk chocolate, but I’ve gone over to the dark side, and love the deep, dark 70% stuff.
my love of chocolate reminds me of my dad – he’s the true chocoholic. over the years I’ve become a bit of a snob – while I love some of the commercial chocolate candy, my true favorites are from our local chocolate shop. the only exception to that would be the plain, old king-sized Hershey bar. why? because that’s what my dad eats π
I love chocolate! I just finished a Butterfinger π
My family is originally from the UK so most of my choco memories revolve around smarties and such. I do recall my mother driving two hours (that’s considered a full on major trip where I’m from) to hit a British imports store just for a few Curly Wurly bars. Oh, and how can I forget my beloved Fanny Farmer molasses sticks? They were these yummy crunchy sticks enrobed in dark chocolate. So, so good!
O chocolate how I love thee
luscious, creamy, and sweet
how I recall so fondly
the chocolate bar with heat.
The chilis come on slowly
with the sweet melt of the bar.
As the heat does surely linger,
I feel I need some more.
I’m such a chocoholic that for my 18th birthday, my high school choir gave me a massive box of candy bars. They’d each bought me 3 or 4 candy bars, so it ended up being 70+. They lasted months. π
i absolutely adore chocolate – and my favorite recipe is short rib ragu with chocolate to help add some sweetness to the savory. I love to search for new uses of chocolate, and I like to have a stash on hand at all times π
As most cherished collections or unique experiences my chocolophilia was subtle, unintentional, and hardly noticeable. An innocent bite here, a recommendation there, before long a size-able portion of my time and conversations all turned to chocolate; it was like Godwin’s Law (only with chocolate!) ie- given enough time in a discussion with me, chocolate will be mentioned! I’ve run up and down the streets of San Francisco looking for Smarties as per a British friend’s fond chocolate memories, drove to various Whole Foods (NY/NJ) to find Grenada Dark Chocolate, and stopped into EVERY chocolatier I saw in Vienna with my mother just to see what was different. Through it all this ‘addiction’ has left me with: a cherished collection of memories, unique experiences, and new friends made along the way. Do I ever: Feel the need to CUT DOWN? no. ANNOYED by people criticizing my chocolate habit? no. GUILTY for consuming chocolate: no. Need chocolate as an EYEOPENER: occasionally (CAGE assessment=chocoholic)
my brother once sent me a whole case of british chocolate bars for my birthday. that was an awesome birthday.
I travel a lot, so I try to pick up new and unique chocolates to bring back for my family. My wife gets a kick out of it b/c its something fun, and I love surprising her with fun things
My favorite chocolate memory: when I was 6, my health-nut mom bought several different kinds of chocolate hazelnut spread and had us blind taste test them all, comparing until we settled on a favorite. π
hugzeke@gmail.com
What’s been striking me lately is how my chocolate tastes have evolved. I used to love regular old store bars but now I almost cringe when I have a Snickers. I need better and weirder chocolate now to be excited by sweets. Good timing, since the 2000s apparently are the age of chocolate covered fava beans.
Occasionally we drive up to Canada for the sole purpose of buying chocolate. The chocolate in Canada is formulated differently and it just seems to taste better. My favorite bar is dark chocolate with whole roasted hazelnuts. And we always buy a few random bars just to try. I’m pretty sure I’ve had every Cadbury product by now.
I love chocolate. More specifically I love candy bars, which I have been collecting the wrappers from the ones I eat for about 5 years, and now have over 300 of them. I even give my friends money to buy me candy when they travel to different countries.
I have also written research papers about the benefits of eating chocolate in high school and in college, and later this semester I will be presenting how chocolate is made to the food processing class I’m in.