FEAST! Surf ‘n Turf Rental Deal:

As part of Feast!, Chocolate Tofino will be partnering with neighboring surf shop, Live to Surf. Buy $10 worth of product at Chocolate Tofino then rent some surf gear at Live to Surf and receive a free Live to Surf Tee Shirt! Offer only valid during FEAST!, May 18th – June 2nd, 2012.

Details are available at Live to Surf and some restrictions may apply!

For the month of May, buy a Chocolate Tofino Bear filled with tiny
Chocolate Fish and one dollar from your purchase will support local
Bear Aware efforts. Great as a gift or a token of appreciation.
Available in Milk or Dark Chocolate.

Sea Shepherd Gallery :: 04:01:2012
Friday Harbour, San Juan Island, WA

Chocolate Tofino is passionate about saving the whales! This March, for the 26th annual Pacific Rim Whale Festival, we broke out the whale molds and made Chocolate Whales to Save the Whales! We are proud to support the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society again this year with the proceeds from the Chocolate Whales. As an added bonus, Cam was able to visit the Sea Shepherd Gallery in Friday Harbor, WA to meet an intrepid Sea Shepherd Captain, Peter Hammarstedt.

Cam is seen pictured above with Captain Peter Hammarstedt holding the Chocolate Tofino Save the Whales Banner in the San Juan Islands. Captain Hammarstedt is the Captain of the SSCS Bob Barker and has served on numerous missions from the Faeroe Islands to Antarctica. His conservation work can be seen on the Animal Planet Series Whale Wars.

“It was a pleasure meeting you and I felt inspired to see how you and your wife decided to utilize your skills and resources to support our mission at sea. Thank you for helping to keep our ships out at sea!” – Peter Hammarstedt

This year, Chocolate Tofino was able to donate $1000 to the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society to help save the whales. Thanks for partnering with us in ocean conservation.

Easter is almost here!

We’ve been crafting up our Easter Bunny Bowls and filling them with Egg-shaped Truffles, Crispy Bunnies, Easter Eggs and some of our favourite hand-made Chocolates. They’re as fresh as ever and are available all week up until Easter.

We’ve also got Solid Bunnies in Milk or Dark Chocolate.

We’re also celebrating the annual return of the Aussie Style Easter Bilby.  Buy an Easter Bilby for the Australian in your Life! Make them feel at home with a beloved chocolate marsupial only available at Chocolate Tofino.

Hop on in! We’ve got something for everyone!

That same day, Chocolate Tofino is excited to be a part of the Taste of Tofino Community Market!  At this fun market, you’ll find all kinds of locally made delights, including Chocolate Tofino Chocolate Whales! We’ll have an assortment of delicious goodies to tempt you, including beautiful Gift Boxes and adorable Chocolate Tofino Bears.

The Taste of Tofino Market will be at the Tofino Community Hall from 12:30 to 4:00 on March 17, 2012. Visit the Pacific Rim Whale Festival Events page to get more details and a list of the great artists and culinary delights that will be there.

Remember, this March, buy a Chocolate Whale and two dollars from your purchase will go to support the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society anti-whaling campaigns. We’ve got them in single color or two color as well as available in Milk or Dark Chocolate.

We’re excited that the whales are on their way back and the Pacific Rim Whale Festival is just around the corner!

This March, buy a Chocolate Whale and two dollars from your purchase
will go to support the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society anti-whaling
campaigns.

We’ve got them in single color or two color as well as available in Milk or Dark Chocolate.

“There are so many confirmations that I’m walking on the path that I should be walking on; that I’m in the right place, doing good things that make a difference to people in the world.”

When Roy’s in town, being part of his Storytelling at the Eagle Aerie Gallery is the place to be. Roy’s a captivating guy and he’s got a lot of tales to tell.

Canadian artist Roy Henry Vickers is best known around the world for his limited edition prints. He is also a carver, design advisor of public spaces, a  sought-after keynote speaker, publisher and author.

Roy’s love and respect of the magnificent natural beauty of this area is clearly evident in his art. His boldly colourful sunsets, subdued misty rivers and peaceful winter scenes reflect the essence of the west coast of Canada.

We’ve recently partnered with the Eagle Aerie Gallery to bring you Roy’s famous icon in solid Milk or Dark Chocolate. Find the Eagle’s Moon Medallion in our online store or in our Chocolate Cabinet.

Roy Henry Vickers Eagle’s Moon Medallion by Chocolate Tofino

www.tofinoapp.com

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The historical Hacienda was a beautiful environment to see Cacao Pods maturing on natural, shade covered trees. The harvest will officially take place in March however, Kim and I were able to experience the process from start to finish.

As with Coffee, Cacao is best grown in conditions that aren’t totally sun-drenched or exposed to the elements. The Hacienda has Coffee and Cacao randomly interspersed within the natural canopy cover and had the most beautiful natural surroundings including a giant waterfall.

As you can see, Cacao Pods can grow directly on the trunk of the tree, as well as on the branches.

Cacao trees will only bear fruit 20^oN and 20^oS of the Equator but most of crops are produced within a smaller band only 10^oN and 10^oS of the Equator. The trees require an average temperature of approximately 25°C (77°F), relatively high humidity and substantial rainfall.

When the pods are ready to harvest, they are carefully cut from the trunk and leading branches of the tree, with care not to damage the growth node. The brightly colored pods are then cut open to reveal 20-30 almond-sized beans. The beans are covered in a white gelatinous pulp.

The Cacao beans are left to ferment under cover. This process allows sugars and pulp to dissipate which leaves the beans clean and bursting with new flavors that previously didn’t exist. During fermentation, high temperatures from the process make the bean unable to germinate and the nutrients stay in the bean. Better fermentation leads to better flavor and less roasting time to bring out the intended flavor. Fermentation can last up to eight days.

Cocoa beans, as they are now referred after fermentation , are then left to dry in racks in the tropical sun . Drying the beans reduces the moisture content and can last from 5 to 10 days. While the beans release their moisture, they shrink and can be picked over for debris, germinated beans and broken pieces.

The Cocoa is now a commodity and is ready to be sorted by size and quality. It can now be bagged and shipped to Chocolate Manufacturers who can then roast the beans and begin the process of turning them into chocolate, cocoa butter, cocoa powder, and other products.

Although everything has been a carefully executed process thus far, the path to having chocolate as you know it has just begun…

Chocolate Lover’s Hearts are the ultimate treat for your Love this Valentine’s Day. Each Chocolate Heart is bursting with an assortment of fresh Truffles, filled Chocolates and a delicious Tortuga or Bear Claw. This year in addition to your regular Chocolate Tofino favorites, we’ve added our Love at First Bite Caramels.

There’s nothing more sultry than a creamy Love at First Bite Caramel. Using fine Mexican Vanilla, we’ve put together a little number that will surely impress  this Valentine’s Day. Available in Milk & Dark Chocolate, these Caramels are perfect for the Sweetness in your life.

We’ve also done up our Organic Lavender Truffles in a Heart shape for the special day and garnished each one with a few lavender florets. It’s a special touch on a classic favorite!

The Chocolate Lover’s Heart is $29.95 and is available in milk or dark chocolate. Give us a call to pre-order your Chocolate Lover’s Heart. Valentine’s Day gets a little crazy and we don’t want you to miss out! :)  We’re open Monday – Saturday from 11am – 6pm (Give us a call! 250-725-2526)