Review: Chuao Orange-a-Go-Go and I Spy Contest

My favorite chocolate company, Chuao Chocolatier (pronounced chew-WOW), just announced their newest flavor, Orange-A-Go-Go, which mixes rich dark chocolate with zesty bits of candied orange and soulful bergamot. 

This chocolate bar has a delicate flavor that evolves into a lively citrusy zing and ends with orange bergamot that will captivate any chocolate lover’s palate.

And the best part... it's also available in a 50-calorie ChocoPod mini bar. So cute!

Look at that yummy piece of orange zest in there!

Of course it's also available as a full-sized bar, which you can either share..... or not. (Shhh..... remember, I don't share my Chuao bars with the kids. They can eat Hershey.)

I Spy Contest

Chuao wants to know when you spy Chuao on the shelves at your favorite retailer!  They have launched their I Spy Chuao Instagram sweepstakes, which gives you the chance to win free chocolate and a $250 gift card.

Entering is simple. Follow Chuao’s Instagram feed @chuaochocolatier and follow the 3 steps below.

1. Post a photograph of a Chuao chocolate bar on the shelf at a local retailer with the hashtag #ispy
2. Tag @chuaochocolatier
3. Use hashtags for the name of the #retailer, #city and #street.

For example: #ispy @chuaochocolatier #Target #Chicago #West33rdSt

The I Spy Chuao sweepstakes begins at 3 p.m. PST on May 10, 2013, and ends on May 24, 2013. A winner will be announced every day and awarded a gourmet Chuao Chocolatier chocolate bar. The grand prize winner will win a $250 gift card to the retailer tagged in their entry. Rules and regulations can be found on Chuao’s website at www.chuaochocolatier.com/blog.

To find Chuao Chocolatier closest to you, please visit the retail locator at http://chuaochocolatier.com/locations. Participants may set up an Instagram account for free by visting www.instagram.com.

The chocolate bars discussed in this review were provided to me for review purposes.

Review: Chuao Chocolatier

Shhhhh...... don't tell my family, but I've been hiding (and eating) some delightful chocolate!

Chuao Chocolatier (pronounced chew-WOW) sent me some of their newest products to try, and I didn't tell a soul (until now!). And ate every bite myself!

The first product I tried was their 60-calorie mini chocolate bar: the Sweet & Salty ChocoPod. This two-bite delight features a touch of sea salt swirled into Chuao’s premium blend of milk chocolate. This was so so so good. I discovered last year that I love the flavor sea salt gives to chocolate so I knew I would love this. I was not disappointed!

Sweet & Salty is sold for $1 at retailers across the country.

Next I tried their Maple Bacon Bar.... so unique! This was one I savored over several days... breaking off small parts to enjoy when a chocolate craving hit me.

“We have been repeatedly asked by retailers and customers to create a chocolate bar with bacon, but
have waited until now to put our unique ‘Chuao spin’ on that coveted combo,” said Master Chef
Michael Antonorsi, co-founder of Chuao Chocolatier. “Our Maple Bacon bar is about the chocolate
first and foremost— its creamy sweetness lays the perfect foundation for the maple syrup. Then, sprinkled
through, are delightfully crunchy little bites of uncured bacon with a bit of smoky salt. The finished
product is a divine handcrafted bar destined to go on everyone’s must-have list.”


The Maple Bacon Bar is available in Chuao Chocolatier cafes, major retailers and online at
www.chuaochocolatier.com for an MSRP of $4.99.



About Chuao Chocolatier


Chuao Chocolatier, located in San Diego, Calif., creates culinary-inspired confections by blending
all-natural ingredients with its own premium blend of ethically sourced chocolate, featuring cacao from its founders’ native Venezuela. Master Chef Michael Antonorsi and his brother Richard started Chuao Chocolatier in 2002 with the intention of arousing the senses with unusual, unexpected and delicious chocolate experiences. And 10 years later, the company continues to delight with award-winning products, including the best-selling Firecracker bar and truffle, Potato Chip bar and Spicy Maya hot chocolate.

Chuao Chocolatier offers chocolate bars, ChocoPods (mini chocolate bars), hot chocolate, bonbons and other gourmet chocolate confections at Chuao Chocolatier Cafés and fine retailers nationwide including Whole Foods Market, Crate & Barrel, and Dean and Deluca. For additional information or to shop the company’s online store, visit www.chuaochocolatier.com.

Chuao Chocolatier Review: Spicy Maya and Ravishing Rocky Road bars

Don't forget about the "For the Love of Chocolate" sweepstakes from my friends at Chuao Chocolatier (pronounced chew-WOW)- they are giving away a year’s supply of gourmet chocolate treats to one lucky winner and many other crave-worthy prizes every week. We have discussed Chuao before- I think their products are simply divine.

To enter, you simply need like Chuao’s Facebook page where you can then enter the sweepstakes for a chance to win the year of free chocolate. Entries will be accepted until February 28.

One winner will be selected each week during the Sweepstakes to receive a set of three of Chuao’s favorite chocolate bars, and the Grand Prize Winner will receive a year’s supply of Chuao chocolates (sent in four shipments- one for each season of 2013).

I recently received two amazing chocolate bars from Chuao to try- Spicy Maya and Ravishing Rocky Road- both were divine, in very different ways.

The Spicy Maya bar had an amazing spice to it- Chuao describes it as "seductive cinnamon, pasillavchile and warming cayenne bedded in dark chocolate".  As you can see in the pic above, you can actually see the little bits of spice in the chocolate. I LOVED this one.

The Ravishing Rocky Road bar is more traditional and is described as "Salted caramelized almonds and chewy marshmallows pave the way in milk chocolate". Full disclosure: I ate around the almonds. I'm totally weird and don't like whole nuts in my chocolate. But the flavor of this bar is wonderful and the marshmallows are soft and fluffy and add such a whimsy to this bar. Loved this as well.

Founded in 2002 by Master Chef Michael Antonorsi and his brother Richard Antonorsi - the company's Chairman of the Board; Chuao Chocolatier is pioneering “fusion chocolate” through a commitment to creating unusual, unexpected and delicious flavors using their secret blend of premium chocolate and fresh natural ingredients.

You can discover Chuao Chocolatier chocolate confections around the United States at fine specialty retailers including Whole Foods Market, Dean and Deluca, and Crate & Barrel, as well as fine restaurants & hotels including Omni Hotels nationwide, La Costa Resort & Spa, Coupa Cafe, and Hard Rock Hotel.

The chocolate bars discussed in this review were provided to me for review purposes.

Chuao Chocolatier Sweepstakes

My friends at Chuao Chocolatier (pronounced chew-WOW) are giving away a year’s supply of gourmet chocolate treats to one lucky winner and many other crave-worthy prizes every week. We have discussed Chuao before- I think their products are simply divine. Since I knew I already loved them, I was excited to get a Chuao bar in my Birchbox a few months ago!

The sweepstakes is called the “For the Love of Chocolate” because, at Chuao, they believe everyone should be able to enjoy handcrafted, all-natural decadence. 

To enter, you simply need like Chuao’s Facebook page where you can then enter the sweepstakes for a chance to win the year of free chocolate. Entries will be accepted from January 21 to February 28.

One winner will be selected each week during the Sweepstakes to receive a set of three of Chuao’s favorite chocolate bars, and the Grand Prize Winner will receive a year’s supply of Chuao chocolates (sent in four shipments- one for each season of 2013).

Good luck!

Chuao Review and Endless Summer Sweepstakes

My friends at my favorite chocolate company, Chuao Chocolatier (pronounced chew-WOW), sent me some goodies and I was excited when they were delivered the day we were leaving on our End-of-Summer-Vacay to CO.

 

Potato Chip bar

Creamy milk chocolate, a sprinkle of sea salt and that irresistible potato chip crunch. The Potato Chip bar combines two of the most crave-able creations on the planet for total taste bud domination.

Mr. Sasha and I split the Potato Chip bar on the plane. We are big fans of the salty-sweet combo and this was perfect! The bits of potato chip are tiny and give just the right amount of salty crunch to this delicious chocolate bar. And it's just right for sharing.

Honeycomb bar 

Crunchy bits of golden, caramelized honey embrace deep dark chocolate, like secret lovers meeting on a warm summer night. Sweet and decadent, the Honeycomb bar will charm you… one nibble at a time.

The Honeycomb bar I have to admit I pretty much ate on my own in CO.... over the course of a few days. This one was all sweet, but that was fine with me. So so good!

 Pop Corn Pop bar

 

A nod to our favorite movie theater treat, we’ve mixed puffed whole grains, toasted corn chips, popping candy and a sprinkle of sea salt in creamy milk chocolate. Take a bite, close your eyes, and experience “popcorn” popping in your mouth! Surround sound not included.

And the Pop Corn Pop bar... well, no one in my house even knew about this one. I quickly hid it and saved it for myself! Ha! I was intruiged by the popping candy. It was so cool! It actually popped in my mouth as I was eating it. Love it!

 

Chuao is launching a their Endless Summer Sweepstakes to give you the chance to win a $500 Cost Plus World Market gift card.

 

With two ways to enter – it’s simple and sweet! Snap a picture of your sweet summer moment….then:

1. Click HERE (http://chuaochocolatier.com/chuaoendlesssummer-html) to enter the sweepstakes. Use Chuao’s Facebook entry form and submit your photo using the hashtag #ChuaoEndlessSummer.
2. Follow Chuao’s Twitter (@ChuaoChocoholic)or Instagram (@ChuaoChocolatier). Submit your photo using the hashtag #ChuaoEndlessSummer.

Then start voting on Facebook – and get your friends to vote too! Photos from Twitter and Instagram will populate on Facebook, so let the voting begin. The photo with the most likes at the end of the sweepstakes period will be the grand prize winner.

 

The #ChuaoEndlessSummer sweepstakes begins on Aug. 22, 2013 and ends on Sept. 21, 2013. Additional winners will be chosen each week at random to receive a set of three delectable Chuao chocolate bars, and the grand prize winner will receive a $500 Cost Plus World Market gift card for the ultimate summer adventure! 

Rules and regulations can be found on Chuao’s website at http://chuaochocolatier.com/chuaoendlesssummer-html.

 

Disclosure: I received the three bars featured above for review purposes.

Review: Chuao Firecracker Bar

Last Saturday I told you about three of the bars my friends at my favorite chocolate company, Chuao Chocolatier (pronounced chew-WOW), recently sent me. Although we (I) wolfed those down, I smartly set aside one of the bars for later- the Firecracker bar.

Firecracker bar

Sultry sea salt, smoky chipotle, and popping candy exploding in dark chocolate.

Another bar with popping candy! This is quite a sophisticated chocolate bar- the chipotle flavor adds such a great dimension.... and the POPPING CANDY element is so COOL! Definitely a fave.

Chuao is launching a their Endless Summer Sweepstakes to give you the chance to win a $500 Cost Plus World Market gift card.

With two ways to enter – it’s simple and sweet! Snap a picture of your sweet summer moment….then:

1. Click HERE (http://chuaochocolatier.com/chuaoendlesssummer-html) to enter the sweepstakes. Use Chuao’s Facebook entry form and submit your photo using the hashtag #ChuaoEndlessSummer.
2. Follow Chuao’s Twitter (@ChuaoChocoholic)or Instagram (@ChuaoChocolatier). Submit your photo using the hashtag #ChuaoEndlessSummer.

Then start voting on Facebook – and get your friends to vote too! Photos from Twitter and Instagram will populate on Facebook, so let the voting begin. The photo with the most likes at the end of the sweepstakes period will be the grand prize winner.

The #ChuaoEndlessSummer sweepstakes begins on Aug. 22, 2013 and ends on Sept. 21, 2013. Additional winners will be chosen each week at random to receive a set of three delectable Chuao chocolate bars, and the grand prize winner will receive a $500 Cost Plus World Market gift card for the ultimate summer adventure! 

Rules and regulations can be found on Chuao’s website at http://chuaochocolatier.com/chuaoendlesssummer-html.

Disclosure: I received the bar featured above for review purposes.

Chuao Chocolatier

I was recently contacted by Chuao Chocolatier, a company that was new to me. However, considering my love of all things sweet, especially chocolate, I was eager to sample their products.

Chuao Chocolatier sent two items for me to try.

Potato Chips in Chocolate bar
Premium milk chocolate with kettle cooked, lightly salted potato chips

and a darling package containing two bonbons.



On the left: the Love Child bonbon (an aphrodisiac blend of a port wine drenched dried strawberry in a chocolate ganache)

On the right: the Firecracker bonbon (guaranteed to blow your mind with chipotle caramel fudge, popping candy and sea salt in dark chocolate)



I cut both open to have a look. On Firecracker bonbon on the left, you can see popping candy and sea salt on the edges. When I cut the Love Child bonbon on the right open, you could see the wine drenched strawberry and the ganache looked so thick.


P grabbed a portion of the Love Child bonbon and before I could stop him, he ate it. He was not a fan, which is fabulous because he is just 8 and should not yet have a taste for alcohol! But I ate the other half and it was divine.... so rich and the strawberry and ganache together were perfect.

WC grabbed part of the Firecracker bonbon, and said "It's popping in my mouth! Cool!" And it was... and the sea salt paired with the chocolate was so so good.



Mr. Sasha and I split the Potato Chips in Chocolate bar and it was divine. Salty and sweet go so well together. This reminded us of a product we used to get for a local candy maker- chocolate covered Pringles.




Chuao Chocolatier is offering a giveaway to win a trip for two to San Diego! Between now and February 14, click the banner above for a chance to spend two nights at the glamorous La Jolla Shores Hotel, enjoy dinner at the beachfront THE SHORES restaurant, and attend a private wine and chocolate pairing event with Master Chef Michael Antonorsi of Chuao Chocolatier. You will also have a chance to win one of 14 Limited Edition Sweetheart Boxes filled with 22 signature Chuao Chocolatier bonbons featuring delectable, aphrodisiac ingredients.

You can also use the code "BLOGGER" and receive 20% off your entire purchase at their website between now and February 14, 2012.

Disclosure: The chocolate products pictured above were provided to me for review purposes.