zChocolat – A "Taste" of Luxury in Recessionary Times

In these days of recession it is nice to know that you do not have to spend a fortune to have a “taste” (pardon the pun) of luxury. Chocolate has been around for centuries, but the good people at zChocolat take the creation of fine chocolate treats up to the luxury level. Not only has zChocolat been rated a Forbes favorite, their chocolates include fifteen exquisite recipes by the world champion chocolatier Pascal Caffet.

Pascal started his journey into the world of chocolate at the age of four, assisting his pastry chef father Bernard in his shop in Troyes, France. When Bernard opened a chocolaterie in 1979 his zeal and devotion made a big impression on his young son. Pascal was hooked. Bernard instilled into his son the importance of using exotic new recipes with the old traditional methods. While some artists use paint or clay, Pascal has found his artistic medium to be chocolate.

All of the chocolates offered by zChocolat are handmade in France with tasty fresh ingredients. Piemont hazelnuts from Italy, Valencia almonds from Spain, and French butter and cream are used exclusively. They have developed a more intense and stronger chocolate than those traditional varieties you normally find.

To many customers the Z Chocolate is the hands down favorite. It combines two of their favorite recipes including a soft, sweet and salty caramel and a crunchy praline made from Piedmont hazelnuts. Their Passion Fruit Caramel is another top favorite, blending a rich, tender caramel with a tangy passion fruit and mango puree. For all you coffee lovers out there they offer a fabulous coffee ganache in which premium coffee grounds from Kenya and Mexico are blended with dark chocolate, cream, and cocoa butter to create this silky delight.

Now that we have your taste buds churning with so many tasty treats to choose from, what is one to do next? When faced with so many good choices it is often hard to make a decision. Why not try them all! This is why they offer two combos, a 15 piece assortment with more dark chocolates, and a 15 piece assortment with more milk chocolates.

What is that you say? You don’t live in France? Not to worry. They ship all their chocolate creations around the world via DHL courier. So if you are on a farm in Nebraska, or a rice patty in South-East Asia, you will be able to enjoy their tasty treats.

Yes, this is a very long and dark recession, but it is nice to know that with the good folks of zChocolate around, you can still enjoy a “taste" of luxury.

- Wallace Kirby