Ideal Bite

What's inside the box you wish you'd never opened?

11.22.2006

Submitted by idealbite on Wed, 11/22/2006 - 6:00pm.

The Bite:

Opening up a box of chocolates can be a bittersweet affair when it makes us lose all self-control. But now that there are so many amazing organic and fair trade options, we feel better about lifting that lid. (We'll have just 1 bonbon. Well, maybe 2. 3 isn't such a high number, is it?)

The Benefits:

The taste. Sorry, but the conventional stuff just doesn't hold up against the divine organic chocolate options.
The way the cocoa's grown. Only about 2% of the US food supply is grown organically, but as more of us vote with our dollars in favor of it, that number's climbing.
The fact that it's fairly traded sweetens the deals. Fair trade helps cocoa workers reach self-sufficiency.
The health factor. The flavonoids in dark chocolate have major antioxidant power and may help relax blood vessels.

Personally Speaking:

During her summer in France, Sara started out almost every day with bread and chocolate for petit déjeuner, a chocolate sandwich for déjeuner, with dîner often consisting of a baguette with a little bit of chocolate for dessert. She relives those days as often as possible with the organic goodies below.

Wanna Try:

Theo Bread and Chocolate Bar - obviously Sara's favorite ($4).
Cocoa Vino- Oh. My. God. Delectable bonbons with wine in the middle (organicwhenever possible). Try the Roman Holiday one with a little glass ofSambuca ($31).
Dagoba - the first US chocolate company to go completely organic ($12/4 bars).
Divine Milk Chocolate - the brand name doesn't lie. Jen loves their fair trade milk chocolate bar ($5/2 bars).
Bija Dark Truffle - lots of omega fatty acids help you combat heart disease as you get your chocolate fix ($4).
Equal Exchange Espresso Bean - sold out in a flash at GreenFest, these are Heather's current fave ($4.25).
Endangered Species Organic Chocolate - profits go to preserving rare wildlife and their habitats. We like 'em all ($2/bar).