Collegiettes, Valentine’s Day is right around the corner. Whether you want to buy a treat for your special someone or for yourself, chocolate is the most popular choice this time of year. Luckily there’s no need to hunt down a specialty chocolate shop to get a fix for your sweet tooth. The grocery stores around Wake’s campus all offer some great options that are not only more convenient but also more budget friendly. I took a trip to both a regular grocery store and Whole Foods to try some of the great options and help you pick the best chocolate for you.
If you like the classics, nothing is better than the Hershey Bar. This can be purchased at any retailer, like actually anywhere, for about $1. This melt in your mouth favorite is sure to evoke some childhood memories. However, it’s not the most sophisticated choice and it tends to have a flavor that is a little too sweet for some.
The other well-known choice, Godiva, a little more upscale classic, is also available at various retailers. This brand is more known for a more sophisticated flavor. Godiva makes exquisite truffles but I’m currently obsessed with their chocolate covered Oreos. This fun take on a classic cookie is absolutely amazing. They also have amazing chocolate covered strawberries if you can make it to a Godiva store.
*Cocoabeantown.com
At Whole Foods I encountered a huge array of chocolate, so many options ranging from milk to dark, nuts to fruits, fair trade to organic, and much more. I chose a few brands to sample and while they all cost about triple the average Hershey bar they definitely make an impression.
If you want to save the world, Theo chocolate is fair trade and organic, so you are helping the planet while you indulge! I tried the 45% milk chocolate bar from this brand and it was melt in your mouth amazing. The taste was the perfect amount of sweet and the bar was very creamy and smooth. The simple wrapper is also very cute! This is a great choice if you want something simple and sweet, yet better for you and the planet.
Craving something with crunch? Equal Exchange Chocolates is for you. From this brand I tried the caramel crunch bar which is 55% cocoa and made from organic and fair trade ingredients made in small farmer co-ops. This bar is darker than most milk chocolates and the flavor goes perfectly with the caramel notes and crunchy caramel pieces. The inside of the wrapper shows where all the ingredients came from and even which coffee it would pair best with – in this case French roast!
*valleygreenfeast.com
For the world traveler, Vosges Haut-Chocolat is not your typical chocolate. This brand is famous for its wild and insanely exotic flavors like Dark Chocolate Bacon, Smoke and Staut, Red Fire, Cherry Rooibos, and Coconut Ash and Banana. I decided to try the Blood Orange and Caramel Bar which is 70% cocoa, a very dark chocolate bar with a gooey caramel and blood orange liqueur filling. This is the most expensive brand I tried but it’s definitely worth it when you need a cocoa fix. To really enjoy these bars, break off a little piece and allow it to melt in the roof of our mouth, just biting into these delicious bars would be a sin. The brand aims to evoke the senses of world travel with their chocolate bars that highlight flavors from exotic places.
*thehipreport.com
For the romantic, Chocolove is a great brand with tons of interesting flavors. I tried both the Orange Peel and Raspberry, both in 55% dark chocolate. All of their bars come with a love poem inside, perfect for Valentine’s Day, and cute stamps which spell out the flavor. Both bars contain freeze dried pieces of fruit and they make the perfect snap when you break of pieces to share with your Valentine.
*trendhunter.com
For the luxury lover, Divine Chocolate is a luxurious chocolate brand with a glamorous brown and gold wrapper. I tried the dark chocolate with raspberries bar which is 70% dark chocolate. This bar is silky smooth and full of yummy raspberry pieces, the perfect combination.
For the thrill seeker, Alter Ego is a great chocolate brand and I decided to try the “Dark Twist” bar with crystallized orange peels. The taste is vibrant and tangy with 60% cocoa. Also fair trade and organic, you can feel good about taking a bit out of this exciting bar.
No matter which bar you choose you really can’t go wrong with any of these great picks! Happy V-day!