Experience the ultimate chocolate indulgence at the Northwest Chocolate Festival in Seattle. Discover why the Northwest Chocolate Festival is a must-visit!

The Northwest Chocolate Festival is held the first weekend of October every year. It lasts two days and is acclaimed as the TOP SHOW for CHOCOLATE in North America and one of the best shows for Chocolate in the world for the past 15 years. During the festival, you can go to the world’s top education workshops, see some of the best chocolate exhibitors, and indulge in chocolate tastes! This blog post is from 2023.

I have to admit I tried a bunch of chocolate, and the samples are free with the purchase of an entry ticket. You can get your money back by enjoying all of the chocolate here, and you won't be disappointed. There are over 200 chocolate vendors here, and I'm sorry I didn't get pictures of each one of them, or this post would have taken me weeks.

Be prepared to delight your senses with milk chocolate, dark chocolate, inclusion bars, decadent desserts, truffles, bonbons, and caramels – all made by hand with the finest ingredients. Get your taste buds ready for a weekend of pure bliss.

Cacao beans are the seeds of the cacao fruit, harvested and prepared by producers at the origin. Every bean has a flavor profile shaped by the soil and climate it grows in, as well as the care each producer takes in cultivating and processing it. This fruity flavor is often roasted away in favor of that classic chocolatey note.

CHOCOLATE STARTS WITH A FRUIT.

Cacao beans are fruit seeds. Cacao is a fruit tree that bears heavy, football-shaped pods, full of lemony, sweet pulp and about forty to sixty seeds. These seeds are harvested by hand and referred to as “wet cacao” since they’re coated in the pulp. This pulp is about ninety percent water and ten percent sugar, making it the perfect food for microbes, which leads to the first step in the post-harvest process: fermentation! FERMENTATION BRINGS OUT THE FLAVOR

The wet cacao is fermented in wooden boxes covered with banana leaves for four to seven days, depending on the origin and the producer. While it’s the pulp that is fermented, and not the cacao seeds themselves, the seeds are subjected to the effects of fermentation, like high temperatures and the creation of ethanol and acetic acid, deactivating the germ and developing flavor and aroma precursors. What this means is that it tastes significantly better than before. When you eat chocolate, you’re almost always eating cacao beans that have been through the fermentation process. This is why they don’t refer to chocolate as raw: reactions during the fermentation process generate heat, bringing the temperature of the pile up to around 120°F. Without this process, cacao won’t properly develop the flavors and aromas that are so vital to the chocolate experience.

One of the longest-running award programs in the world for artisan chocolate, they have a reputation for exacting standards, and today, they are proud to continue the legacy and tradition of evaluating and awarding the top chocolate products from across the artisan sector of the industry. With up to 1,000 product entries each year, they dedicate themselves to finding the best handcrafted chocolate from artisans from more than 37 countries. The NW Chocolate & Chocolate Alliance Awards are coveted by professionals and are held in the highest esteem as a mark of quality.

Manoa Chocolate is located in Kailua, Hawaii. Since 2010, Manoa Chocolate has been crafting bean-to-bar chocolate on the Hawaiian Island of Oahu. They ethically source cacao beans from Hawaii and around the world to bring out the best in each bean.

Dandelion Chocolate is a bean-to-bar chocolate maker in San Francisco's Mission District. For over 10 years, they've been turning cocoa beans and organic sugar into single-origin dark chocolate. They travel and build lasting relationships with cocoa farmers and producers, then craft small batches of chocolate back home in their San Francisco factory. With a minimal approach, they aim to highlight different cocoa beans' distinctive flavor notes—from classic fudge to tangy fruit.

Ana Bandeira Chocolate is located in Vitoria, Brazil. All of their chocolate is handmade and tree-to-bar. By this, they mean that they only use cacao from their family farm in Espírito Santo, Brazil. They're working directly with the same cacao that their family has been growing for four generations, so they have an in-depth understanding of the unique characteristics of their territory. They are hands-on and directly responsible for every step of the chocolate-making process, from the selection of the ripe cocoa pods to the making of chocolate bars and other chocolate delights. This control of the entire production process gives them a unique ability to carefully develop the chocolate's flavor and guarantee quality through vital steps like the fermentation and roasting of the cocoa beans.

TCCF stands for Thailand Craft Chocolate Festival, and this event had various chocolates from around Thailand. The idea of the TCCF was that organizers invited people in the Thai chocolate industry to come together with more than 30 brands. From growers to seed sellers, chocolate brand owners, chocolate makers, distributors, and equipment vendors, it's called the whole cycle. Award-winning chocolate brands like Kad Kokoa, Siamaya Chocolate, Matchima Chocolate, Shabar, Xoconat, and Pridi Cacaofevier tag team with the farmers behind the produce, Chocolatier with chocolate like Cacao Ceremony, and more. Chocolate lovers can't miss it.

I loved the designs on the chocolate wrappers. This TCCF chocolate bar design was done by the owner's granddaughter, who is 12 years old. Amazing!!

Soklet is located in the scenic Anamalai’s foothills of India and is nestled close to the Indira Gandhi wildlife sanctuary, also known as Top-Slip. Their plantations are located in a pristine environment, and the location of the plantation ensures that it receives showers from both the North-East & South-West monsoons, coinciding with our harvest seasons.

Their cacao is grown as an intercrop along with coconut, nutmeg, pepper, and banana, creating a mélange of interdependent fauna - the cornerstone of permaculture - adding to the flavor nuances of their cacao beans. The plantation is pesticide-free and managed using principles of aquaculture & permaculture, ensuring that the trees get the best nutrition so that they produce great-tasting cacao! Every year, they select the best trees for their breeding program to cater to their increasing acreage and demand for their cacao beans.

Fjåk is the first bean-to-bar chocolate maker in Norway. They make organic, ethically traded, ‘bean to bar’ chocolate of the highest quality possible and add the finest natural ingredients from the Nordic nature.

Their little factory is located in the Hardangerfjord in Norway, from where they source their Nordic ingredients. This was one of my favorite chocolates at the festival.

One of the Chocolate Systems, if you are so inclined to try and make your chocolate.

Green Bean to Bar Chocolate is from Tokyo, Japan, and each bar is hand-wrapped. Their chocolate is blended twelve times and yields unique flavors from just two ingredients. Cocoa beans and organic sugar. This was another one of my favorite chocolates. And my daughter agrees.

Goufrais is manufactured in Weil am Rhein, Germany, at the southern edge of the Black Forest near the borders of France and Switzerland. An unrivaled solid cocoa experience shaped as a miniature Bundt Cake – “Gugelhupf” is often paired with afternoon coffee or wine. Goufrais is unique and perfect for party favors, wedding mementos, corporate gifts and rewards, or to satisfy yourself!

Yeti Chocolates is a small batch artisan chocolate company nestled in the Wenatchee Valley of Washington State. They make gourmet chocolate truffles with no added artificial preservatives and as many organic ingredients as possible. Although this creates a shorter shelf life, they feel that creating a fresher, higher quality product is more important to them, and hopefully to you too! They have seasonally rotating "edible art" that keeps it fresh and interesting. Their ultimate goal is to provide "joy in a box", which makes Yeti Chocolates the perfect gift for any occasion.

A bar from the Venezuelan brand Azú Chocolate by María Evans, made with 70% pure Chuao cocoa, won in the Dark Chocolate category of the Northwest Festival tournament in Seattle, United States, in 2023.

"First time at a chocolate competition, first time at a fair outside of Venezuela, first time traveling alone with her eldest daughter to another country. Congratulations, Maria Evans!!

Goodnow Farms Chocolate is made at their 225-year-old farm in Sudbury, Massachusetts. They start with cacao beans and sugar, then perform every step of the chocolate-making process in-house, including carefully hand-wrapping each bar. They're also one of the only chocolate makers to use their own freshly pressed, single-origin cocoa butter in their chocolate. Doing this is time-consuming and complex, but the result is exceptionally smooth and intensely flavorful chocolate.

This bar was the talk of the festival, and I was surprised at how good it was.

Boho Chocolate is a bean-to-bar artisanal chocolate maker based in Florence, Massachusetts. They specialize in crafting high-quality chocolate using organic cacao beans sourced directly from farmers and small cooperatives located in South America and Madagascar. They also have USA relationships with the folks at Uncommon Cacao, Gino Dalla Gasperina of Meridian Cacao, and Daniel O'Doherty of Cacao Services, Honolulu, Hawaii.

Bogo Chocolate is located in Santiago, Chile. In 2019, dissatisfied with what they knew about chocolate, they decided to travel the world in search of new knowledge in the United States and Europe, and found the excellence of the "bean to bar", that is, how to take chocolate to its maximum expression. Then, still unsatisfied, they went deep into the Amazon, where they learned about the origin of cacao in all its genetic variability, and also how this is a central axis in the economy, culture and spirituality of local communities.

The fruit of that adventure is Bogo, which was born to share with the world what they learned: to produce chocolates of the highest quality worldwide in a transparent and collaborative process. They want to be an essential driver in this new era of chocolate that is just beginning.

They also want to innovate beyond chocolate: cocoa is a superfood, and they want to experiment with its versatility; from bars to brownies and chocolates, from soft and thick infusions to sophisticated cocktails, from soups and salads to meat and fish; cacao can be part of any preparation.

Wildwood Chocolate is located in Portland, Oregon. With every bite, they aim to bring you the same sense of joy and discovery that they experience wandering the scenic Wildwood Trail in Portland.

Their unique flavor combinations, luscious textures, and graceful balance are inspired by nature, creating an exceptional chocolate experience for your enjoyment.

Baron Hasselhoff's Chocolate is located in Auckland, New Zealand. This is what they say about the Mistress Tahini’s Plant-Based Drag Revue. She grinds (sesame seeds, that is). She whips it (vegan chocolate, of course). She milks oats live on stage (don’t ask). When her oaty milk jugs are full, she brings The Baron on for a cacao-filled finale. While she lip-syncs for her life, he gets to work blending creamy oat milk chocolate with silky-smooth organic tahini – creating a bar that’s 100% vegan and tastes great.

Founded by the Esteves family in Carabobo, Venezuela, the idea dates back to 2010 but did not materialize until 2017, when they started crafting artisanal bars in their house. Their name references the cacao belt of our planet, 20 degrees north and 20 degrees south of the equator. This is the only zone in the world where cacao can grow.

The designs that are displayed in their packaging are made by Maaku, a true chocolate lover and part of the Esteves family (mother of the founder).

In 2019, they decided to move to a proper facility that was equipped with all the necessary machinery to ensure the quality of their bars. Their emphasis is to promote the origins of their beautiful country and its high-quality genetics.

Created by two friends in Reykjavík, Iceland, in 2013, Omnom is led by passionate chef Kjartan Gíslason and entrepreneur Óskar Þórðarson. Omnom produces small-batch, “bean-to-bar” chocolate, using the finest cacao beans sourced worldwide. Together, Gíslason and Þórðarson challenge the understanding of bean-to-bar chocolate production and the way flavors and textures can creatively expand the business.

Raaka Chocolate is located in Brooklyn, New York, and inside every Raaka bar, they publish a report detailing their sourcing model. They call this model Transparent Trade. Each report shows the details of how they purchase cacao, who they buy it from, what they paid for it, and how that compares to the commodity market and fair-trade prices.

They feel that as makers, their role is twofold: work with cooperatives and grower-centered organizations that focus on cacao quality and pay higher prices to farmers for that quality; and secondly, educate customers in a manner that is honest and forthright. They also state that as eaters, their role is to ask themselves challenging questions about consumption and fairness. This is what Transparent Trade is all about.

Uncommon Cacao is located in Arvada, Colorado, and they believe farmer prosperity is a key ingredient in good chocolate. They boldly embrace transparent trade to build authentic, long-term relationships across the chocolate supply chain. Uncommon started by creating cacao export companies in Belize (Maya Mountain Cacao) and Guatemala (Cacao Verapaz) that work directly with farmers to produce high-quality cacao, and they continue to invest in and support those companies today. Their United States and Europe offices distribute cacao sourced from over 5,000 smallholder farmers across 12 countries to over 250 craft and premium chocolate makers globally. Across Uncommon Cacao’s businesses, the company is pioneering a new cacao economy that pays farmers more and is grounded in genuine partnerships that deliver improved stability and success for all.

The Aggie Chocolate Factory is part of the Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Sciences Department at Utah State University. The Aggie Chocolate Factory (ACF), Learning and Research Center for the College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences, is a small batch, bean-to-bar chocolate processing facility.

The mission of the ACF is to provide educational, research, and outreach opportunities to faculty, students, chocolate producers, and the local community about their high-quality bean-to-bar chocolate. This opportunity is extended to students, industry professionals, the public, and the people who work with and for the ACF. They aim to provide this possibility with attention to quality, safety, and efficiency in a professional, cooperative, and collaborative working environment. They strive to offer an exceptional chance for all to learn about chocolate and its production.

Menakao Chocolate Factory is located in Ambohidratrimo, Madagascar. They wanted to illustrate themselves by putting forward the faces of the different ethnic groups that represent the Malagasy people, who are rarely known. The Tanala, the Betsimisaraka, the Mahafaly, the Antanosy, the Bara, and the Merina are all represented in their headdresses and traditional clothes.

A tribute and a desire to discover a country with multiple cultures that make Madagascar rich. The founder of Menakao, who wanted to recall four generations later the first commercial activities of the family, which began in the 19th century with the sale of postcards. These magnificent portraits, visible on their cases, painted by the late artist A. Ramiandrasoa, illustrated postcards of the period.

Lumineux Chocolate is located in Travelers Rest, South Carolina. The mission at Lumineux Chocolate is not just a line that sounds good; it is their guiding principle. They measure the success of all they do by how well it fits their mission statement. The world we live in is not always sunshine and happy days. However, they genuinely believe in the power that sharing good food (especially chocolate!), with intentional hospitality, has in brightening someone’s day. It is their mission to be that light to all, whether your day is filled with sunshine or a few clouds.

Junglegold Chocolate is located in Mengwi, Bali. They have the fame of being the world's first 100% Vegan Chocolate Factory. For over a decade, they’ve been working directly with farmers in Bali to produce the finest cacao beans, which they use to create premium bean-to-bar chocolate. Their beans travel a short distance from the farms to the factory, where they roast and grind small batches from individual cooperatives to handcraft their award-winning chocolate. Being close to the farms enables them to maintain the highest quality while supporting farmers with a price premium that means farmers benefit from their chocolate as much as you enjoy it. Being entirely plant-based, their chocolate can be enjoyed by everyone.

Their Chocolate is sweetened with coconut blossom sugar. Coconut sugar is made from the coconut blossom flower (not the actual coconut). It’s healthier than refined sugar because it’s low glycemic and contains trace minerals. Unlike refined sugar, it’s also farmed and produced by local communities not far from their factory. In 2014, they started working with local coconut sugar farmers to improve the quality of their sugar so they could use it in their dark chocolate instead of refined sugar.

Cacao Mae is located in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, and was born and raised in the heart of the Caribbean. They are a sister and brother who come from a family that goes back to their great-grandparents cultivating the land in their agricultural farm, where they raised cattle and grew cocoa, tobacco, and coffee, among other crops, and are always proud of the quality of their products.

They think their good taste and obsession for quality runs in their blood! Cacao Mae was born of their passion for a hot, creamy chocolate cup for breakfast before going to school and a mother who struggled to find the right cacao product with no added sugars or fillers, and most of all, pure organic cacao.

Jcoco Chocolate is located in Seattle, Washington. As a woman-owned company, they know that magic happens when everyone has a voice; it makes them bolder, pushes them to take risks. They’re endlessly inspired to evolve, to be better to each other and the planet, to leave the world kinder (and more delicious) than they found it.

Since its founding in 1991, Seattle Chocolate Company has created its signature meltaway truffles and truffle bars in the heart of the Pacific Northwest. The 2001 Nisqually Earthquake destroyed the original chocolate factory, but entrepreneur, mother, and investor Jean Thompson has never been one to turn down a challenge. At a make-or-break moment for the company, she stepped up and took the helm as owner and CEO. Jean had little industry experience but was armed with an unparalleled love of chocolate and a whole lot of grit - and soon turned the company into the colorful, thriving place it is today.

In 2012, Jean created Jcoco, a bold new chocolate brand under the Seattle Chocolate umbrella, with a focus on feeding hungry families at its core. With each Jcoco purchase, Jcoco donates fresh servings of food to those in need through partnerships with food banks in Washington, California, and New York. With the help of our chocolate cravings, they’ve donated almost 4 million servings to date!

Moku Chocolate is located in Philomath, OR. Dedicated to spotlighting cacao farmers around the world, Moku handcrafts high-quality, bean-to-bar, single-origin chocolate from raw, direct trade cacao beans. Moku’s direct trade beans are sourced from farmers in Nicaragua, Peru, the Dominican Republic, Sierra Leone, Madagascar, and Colombia. Direct trade ensures socially responsible compensation to the cacao farmers and fosters prosperity among the farming communities with a focus on integrity, quality, and environmental sustainability.

Going a step further, Moku strives to share the stories of the communities where the cacao beans are grown to help connect consumers to the land and people of the chocolates’ origins. Moku’s single-origin chocolate bars each tell a different story, each with enchanting and unique flavor profiles.

Argencove Chocolate is located in Granada, Nicaragua. As a group of friends fascinated with great food, they became very curious about luxury chocolate several years ago, driving them to learn what makes great chocolate. This led to 3 Australian families embarking on a journey of taste that evolved into a Central American odyssey.

They studied and traveled. They observed different cocoa orchards and fermentation systems in various farms and countries and chatted at length with industry leaders. They also examined, queried, tested, tasted, and felt that an agroforestry system from tree to bar complemented their approach to growing cacao and making chocolate.

After visiting 20 countries, they made Nicaragua their new home due to the fertility of the country, the climate, and the welcoming local people. They are driven to develop world-class taste to achieve culinary pleasure. They want to accomplish this by investigating what influences great taste in chocolate and applying these findings in their orchard and factory.

Conexion Chocolate is located in Quito, Ecuador, and is a woman-owned Chocolate Company. Jenny Samaniego’s love of cacao started at a young age in her home country of Ecuador, where she now works alongside small-scale cacao farmers to bring single-origin artisan chocolate to life. Conexión Chocolate is made with Heirloom Arriba Nacional Cacao and a precise attention to detail, creating an unmatched depth of flavor.

The Heirloom Cacao Nursery Project will utilize grafts from the designated Heirloom Cacao trees in South and Central America in cooperation with the USDA/ARS to enable the Heirloom Cacao farmers to develop nurseries and experimental farm plots, determine best management practices for these rare varieties, and provide training in nursery development and cultivation techniques. Their goal is to not only protect and propagate fine flavor cacao for future generations but also to improve the livelihoods of cacao-growing families. These efforts will ultimately help farmers scale up and strengthen commercial links to the fine chocolate market.

I had so much Coffee-Flavored Chocolate, it was nice to see an actual coffee booth. They had me sold on the word coffee. I loved the coffee here and the idea of having the names of the roaster, grower, cultivator, elevation, region, and flavor notes on each bag.

Dismas Smith. Is an award-winning coffee roaster and barista. He started this micro-roaster so that he could roast small batches of coffee with the customer in mind. He has worked with coffee for over 20 years and enjoys seeking out and roasting the best coffee he can find. Whether you like a pour-over or a shot of espresso, he has a coffee that suits your taste. This project is a labor of love!!

Spinnaker Chocolate is located in Seattle, Washington, and is a family-owned and operated business. Every item purchased, they donate cleaning up the ocean so that future generations can enjoy better ingredients, too.

They've taken an intensely scientific approach to the production process. They've spent years researching, testing, and iterating on thousands of different variables to dial in their manufacturing. Their process is different from other chocolate makers in many ways, but the most significant distinction is their dedication to roasting nibs instead of whole beans.

Conjure Chocolate is located in Asheville, North Carolina. Founded by Marjory Rockwell, a Pennsylvania State University and Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Institute graduate, Conjure Craft Chocolate is the product of an indistinguishable love of both science and all things sweet. After graduating from Penn State with degrees in Science and International Studies, Marjory found herself immersed in the world of biotechnology. Realizing this was not her true passion, she attended Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Institute in Ottawa, Canada, receiving a Diplôme de Pâtisserie. Pastry and a love of traveling allowed her to work under a James Beard-nominated chef, Craig Deihl, in Charleston, S.C., flex her creativity as a pastry chef in Connecticut, and finally land herself in Kenya, where she learned the art of making chocolate.

Sibö Chocolate is located in San Isidro de Heredia, Costa Rica. "Do Something great! Make things better." This simple mantra became a guiding principle for Sibö Chocolate, back when they started the company in 2007. Despite the odds and ignoring the advice of friends and family, the two forged ahead with optimism and perhaps just the right amount of naiveté. And so Sibö Chocolate was born. The goal: the chocolate had to be organic, it had to be made start-to-finish in Costa Rica, but most importantly, it had to be good enough to stand up to the best chocolates in the world. If not, then why bother?

Julio began designing for packaging. The bonbon boxes had to be free of plastic and bulk and use recycled materials. His experiments would eventually lead to crafting boxes out of cacao husks and fiber that are generally discarded in the process of making chocolate. While he found a packaging solution, Julio was hand-painting details on every single plain brown box that left their workshop— something he remembers with a mixture of fondness and dread.

Avitika Chocolate is located in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Avitika develops synergies with various specialized institutions. It maintains partnership agreements with the Ministry of Agriculture, faculties of Agronomy, and strategic alliances with producer organizations. It also develops specific relationships with specialized training and research centers on cocoa at the international and European levels.

Avitika works with foundations, NGOs, businesses, and donors who support Haitian rural families in the establishment and ecological management of cocoa-based agroforestry systems.

Pure Chocolate is located in Ocho Rios, Jamaica. It was a chocolate brand born in January 2017 from a desire to give back and develop a long-dormant and underappreciated homegrown product in Jamaica - its fantastic cocoa.

The driving force behind Pure is Rennae Johnson, along with her husband, Wouter Tjeertes. Rennae is a seasoned pastry chef born and raised in Jamaica and knows the country, its farmers, and community. Wouter has 3 decades of experience as an executive pastry chef and chocolatier at various high-end resorts and boutique pastry shops in the Caribbean and Europe. Together as partners in business and life, they combine their love for each other with a passion for creating a unique chocolate brand from the land of wood and water.

Kah Kow Chocolate is located in El Sendero del Cacao, Dominican Republic. The Kah Kow project began in 2005, when the Rizek family already had a century of experience in the production of delicate and aromatic cocoa in the Dominican Republic. Since 1905, Rizek Cacao has been known for its passion for cocoa production. Their farms, located in the heart of the Dominican Republic, are distinguished by the excellence of their genetic material and their extraordinary post-harvest treatment. Kah Kow introduced distinctive recipes to the gourmet chocolate industry by being the first in the world to produce certified organic chocolate at the place of origin.

They believe in the excellence of their Dominican nation. They work with discipline and determination, sowing and cultivating the land. They have accepted with humility and responsibility the challenge of representing Dominican cocoa. Their farms, located in the heart of the country, are distinguished by the excellence of their genetic material and by the exclusive post-harvest treatment to which their fruits are subjected.

One One Chocolate Company is located in St Mary ​, Jamaica. Their perfectionists!! The industry standard is that 1.5% of your chocolate will be husk (the tricky shell bit), and that doesn’t sit well with them. They aim to get all the chocolatey nibs and none of the gritty outer shell, so they use some cool repurposed coffee machines, which do a much better job. The next bit is their favorite, the one they love the most. They add the ground beans slowly. Then, over many, many hours, their chocolate changes; it gets physically smoother, and the tastes get richer, the bitterness changes to something that feels luxurious. They specialize in 70% bars that are plain and packed with health-benefiting antioxidants, as well as white and dark alternative milk bars that have the added boost of superfoods sourced right in the Caribbean. ​They also use their chocolate in a range of drinks, nut butters, and chocolates for home and professional baking.

A demonstration on how they crush the cacao nibs.

Saku Tea is located in Bellingham, Washington. They make superfood latte blends based on Turmeric, Beetroot, and Matcha. Saku is a great way to boost your health & wellbeing while enjoying a treat. Their wellness lattes are a snap to prepare, packed with benefits & delicious. They can be made with your favorite milk & enjoyed hot, iced, or as a cocktail! Saku is 100% organic, vegan, gluten-free, and sugar-free. They mix in small batches and only use the most fragrant, freshly ground ingredients. Nourish your body & feed your soul.

Saku was born out of the love for the art of living slowly, joyously, and beautifully. A Saku latte is a chance to enjoy uninterrupted time with each other, enter into your inner world, or engage in creative work. By honoring ancient traditional wisdom while embracing the modern world, they bring you a truly whole and unique beverage which is honest, organic, phenomenally healthy, and delicious.

Texier Chocolate is located in Oaxaca, Mexico. From a very young age, David Texier discovered his fascination for chocolate and the culinary arts in his native France. Growing up, he studied Engineering in the Agri-Food Industry and Biotechnology at Les Etablieres, a profession that paved the way for experimentation and innovation. In 1995, he decided to settle in Oaxaca. In this city, he established his life project: Texier, a chocolate shop with original mixtures of ingredients that, combined with artisanal techniques, produce unique flavors and aromas.

Gusto Chocolate is located in Mount Vernon, Washington, and is a member of the Forte Chocolate family. The pictures below are of Forte Chocolate.

This Award-Winning Lemon Pepper in White Chocolate bar is a chef's favorite! Zest and lemon oil from fresh Meyer Lemons are paired with coarse-ground black peppercorns and seductively rich white chocolate for a rejuvenating culinary delight! While this bar is great for eating as is, the Gusto line was developed as a chocolate you can cook with as well! Gusto Lemon and Pepper is fantastic zested over salmon and halibut, and great as an Alfredo sauce too! (2oz bar) White Chocolate (sugar, cocoa butter, skimmed milk powder, milkfat, GMO-free soy lecithin (emulsifier), natural vanilla), Lemon Essence, Black Pepper Gluten Free Contains: Milk and Soy

Forte Chocolate is located in Mount Vernon, Washington. They started as caramels and truffles and have now expanded to bars. Since its founding and well-earned accolades, Forté Chocolate has built on its 
success, transforming from a local, small business to a nationally recognized brand, leading the appreciation for handcrafted gourmet confections produced with only the purest and finest ingredients. Bringing out the flavors naturally within their chocolate 
is a methodical and artful process of blending distinctive ingredients, including. 
Savory elements such as organic herbs, honeys, and spices to produce a symphony of signature flavors—a transcendence likened to experiencing the virtuosity in a musical masterwork.

The Northwest Chocolate Festival is a must-attend event if you like chocolate. It's incredible how different chocolates from around the world can taste based on the factors in which the cacao grows. I've been going here before COVID, and I always make this event every year. Look at it this way, you have almost 200 vendors and each one has four to eight different types of chocolate to sample, so you get your money back for the price of admission. The hardest part for me is that I love them all, and it's so hard to pick one that stands out. If you see me here, please come and introduce yourself.

Places to Stay:

The Belltown Inn

Mediterranean Inn

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