Cool Hunting
Belgian chocolatier Charlemagne makes a line of chocolates notable for their flavors (such as Hemp, Ginger and Green Tea) and their long thin bar shape. Using a patented process, owner Denise Courant Bellefroid infuses essences from fruits, flowers, coffee, tea and spices into the cocoa in the renovated farmhouse (where the company's namesake was born) that houses the business.
We sampled two bars from Charlemagne's organic line, which (like many Belgian chocolates) sources cocoa beans from Africa. The Hemp milk chocolate, which had a unmistakable cannabis flavor complementing the high-quality creaminess of the chocolate—a heady mix. Also creamy but more traditional, the dark chocolate with "a blend of mountain coffees" has a mild coffee bite, more akin to an Americano than an Espresso. In both cases the thickness of the bar (about 1/4 inch) was perfectly suited for breaking off bite-size pieces.
A selection of Charlemagne chocolates (not including the Hemp flavor unfortunately) are available online from Chocolate Source and Chelsea Market Baskets (who do sell the Hemp bar in the store).
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