Choco le`a - January Specials
What’s new at Choco le`a for January?
Here I am as the owner of this sweet chocolate shop I love and I realize I don’t even talk about all of the incredible specials we do every single month! Yup, our menu of seasonal specials rotates every single month! That’s a lot of research & development, design, testing, and executing that keeps us busy year-round!
So starting in January, I will be sharing all of our specials and how we came up with the idea and our suggestion on who to gift it to to connect through chocolates, sweeten relationships, and bring peace to our world!
Inspired by the new year, Chinese New Year on January 22nd, year of the rabbit, brand new vegan and dairy free options, and reminiscing the old days at the crack seed stores, we hope you enjoy what we’ve created to kick off 2023! We launch the year with collaborations with other local businesses: Wholesale Unlimited & Enjoy Snacks. Read on to see descriptions and *who we recommend you giving this to!
4pc Dairy Free Truffle Box
Inspired by our dairy free, vegan friendly friends, here is a brand new chocolate option for you! Instead of our usual ganache filled truffles made with butter & cream, we tried something new with oat milk. New year, new choices.
*Give this one to the person you know who loves chocolates, but who is vegan and dairy free! This is a rare treat they will appreciate!
Movie Night Premium Arare Bar
Inspired by a collaboration with local business and chocolate friend, Kai at Wholesale Unlimited. This is a brand new special making its debut! Using their best premium arare available in the movie theaters and furikake chex mix, we created this "Movie Night" bar to enjoy at home! A slab of dark chocolate, filled with all these goodies for a yummy crunch that can easily be broken into 18 squares to share! Known here in Hawai`i as arare, kakimochi, or mochi crunch, this Japanese cracker is made from glutinous rice & soy sauce.
*Give this one to the family who loves “movie nights” or the one whose New Year’s Resolution is to stay home and “Watch all of season _____ on Netflix!”;P
Crack Seed Chocolates
Inspired by a recent visit to a crack seed store with my mom and dad, I reached out to our chocolate friend, Kamei, to help me out with the ingredients I knew everyone would enjoy! In honor of Chinese New Year this month, we are taking it back old school to your local crack seed store at small kid time. We decided to do all of your familiar favorites, but with a chocolate twist! 5 individually wrapped small clear bags with a shiny red tie twist containing:
Li Hing Hand Rolled Truffles
Chocolate Crystallized Ginger
Lemon Peel Lychee Gummy Bears
Li Hing Chocolate Mango
Sweet Li Hing Hand Rolled Truffles
*Give this to the uncle that used to skip lunch and spend his lunch money walking to the crack seed store after school to buy candy. (Aka my dad and late gramps!) It will make the “old” man smile!
Chocolate Red Bean Bunnies
This is the year of the rabbit and recently inspired by the cute bunnies we got our kids for Christmas, we’re hopping into 2023 with our dark chocolate bunnies, stuffed with a sweet red bean filling. This delicious treat is wrapped in an optional red envelope to give out to family and friends, symbolizing good luck and prosperity to all in the new year!
*Give this to the family member born in 1963 or anyone born the year of the rabbit. Let them know that you love the qualities they have like a rabbit - calm, vigilant, and peaceful.
9pc Fresh Gau Truffle Box
This flavor was made as a “joke” years ago to put gau instead of mochi inside a truffle and it became an accidental hit that everyone loved. Now, it's our once a year, sell-out and a super unique special that we don't know of anywhere else in the world! Freshly made gau, topped with sesame seeds and wrapped in a dark chocolate shell. The combination is a delicious pairing and texture and this year, it is wrapped in a beautiful box with our custom design for the year of the rabbit! On the box of the back, it wishes the recipient "Kung Hei Fat Choy - Wishing you prosperity!"
*This is a great box to share for a special occasion to wish someone prosperity!
Melts
After eating Japan’s Royce Nama chocolates for years, we were asked to create a version of this in Hawai`i several years ago for those who loved traveling to Japan, but wanted this treat at home. Now, locals have come to enjoy our unique European & Hawaiian chocolate blend of melt-in-your-mouth dark chocolate ganache pieces dusted in fine cocoa powder.
*Give this to that family member who keeps asking and has been waiting “for the one with the cocoa powder that melts in your mouth” or who misses traveling to Japan!
Hot Cocoa
Due to many requests from chocolate friends, we made hot cocoa again for you to share or enjoy at home while it's the coldest it gets here in Hawai`i.
*Give to people who work in a cold office, who are always cold, or who live somewhere outside of Hawai`i where it is actually cold. :p
Dark Chocolate Animal Crackers
As kids in Hawai`i, we grew up eating Diamond Bakery’s animal crackers so collaborated with our friends of this local business to use their chocolate animal crackers, to cover in chocolates and top with rainbow sprinkles.
*Gift this to the kids or kids at heart who want a snack to take them back to the simple days.
New Year Truffle Box
This box was created so you could invite anyone who had a rough 2022, to a brand new year. Encourage them on with their hopes and dreams for this year and make it a 2023 full of connections, sweet relationship, & peace.
*Give this to anyone to wish them a “Happy New Year!”
