According to the National Retail Federation, Americans spend $18.2 billion on Valentine\u2019s Day gifts. Jewelry tops the cha-ching list at $4 billion, flowers fall second at $2 billion with candies and chocolate trailing third at $1.7 billion. As mass production trumps taste, a “chocolate revolution” is on the rise. Artisan chocolates now earmark the market for quality. San Diegans in search of exquisite chocolates need to look no further than Chi Chocolate at Liberty Station. The artisan chocolate shop, owned by Tess and Jesse Brown, offer a decadent selection of luxurious chocolates, handmade treats, pastries and fine Spanish red wines within its artistically designed espresso bar and caf\u00e9. A myriad of exotic and classic chocolates appear among a potpourri of cocoa chips, chocolate pearls, humongous chocolate cookies, homemade granola, biscotti, assorted pastries and Calabria Coffee Beans. Preservative free and jampacked with heart-healthy antioxidants, Chi Chocolate\u2019s exclusive collection includes assorted truffles, Bon-bons, succulent enrobed chocolate fruit bars, plus a wide selection of chunky slabs of premium chocolates. Other treats include chocolate ganache truffles topped with Hawaiian sea salt and spicy sweet chili tangerine bonbons infused with Pasilla peppers. Valentine\u2019s Day specials include custom made, multi-sized, chocolate heart boxes filled with requested candies. Box can be eaten or melted for hot chocolate. Celebrating more than 10 years at Liberty Station, the New York jet-setters purchased the business from its previous owners who resold mass market chocolates. The Browns would have “none of that,” so despite knowing nothing about making chocolate, they dove in. Their diligence paid off. Chi Chocolate remains a must-do pit stop for tourists and locals in need of a “chocolate fix.” “We took it upon ourselves to learn how to make chocolate,” said Tess Brown. “We researched and experimented so that little by little we replaced all purchased chocolates. We learned the good and bad of everything chocolate, learning more good than bad.”
\nThe Browns purchased grade-A chocolate in bulk from Callebaut (Belgian chocolate) and Valrhona (French chocolate), “chocolate that passed our taste test,” and mixed various extracts, herbs, spices, liquors and fruits until pieces were “perfectly homemade with no shortcuts.” Brown admits that the learning everything about chocolate was both surprising and fun. Each tested their favorite flavors “Chocolate enhances the added flavors,” she continued. “We played with our favorite flavors until the taste balanced well on the palate.”
\nGreen cardamom is touted as one of their most surprising gems. “We paired green cardamom, a spice from the ginger family, with dark chocolate,” she said. “The chocolate\u2019s smokey flavor pairs well with the herbaceous spice.”
\nBrown listed popular “no brainer” flavors that include caramel, raspberry and strawberry among the daily 16-20 flavored offerings. Rose Water, Champagne, Maple Bacon, Amaretto and Toasted Almond are among the unique treats. The Browns make everything in small batches to ensure freshness. Custom molds, truffles and pieces are also available, as long as “it\u2019s not too crazy.” Brown likened the craft of making chocolate to “a woman.”
\n“Chocolate\u2019s temperamental,” she said. “I describe chocolate to be like a woman. Sometimes it sets and sometimes it doesn\u2019t.”
\nBrown explained the chocolate-making process as sometimes tenuous. Affected by weather \u2013 rain, heat and humidity \u2013 chocolate has its moments when compounds don\u2019t break down properly or excess moisture stalls the setting process. “We temper our chocolates,” explained Brown. “We do everything with patience and TLC. But it\u2019s important to us and our customers. A little chocolate taste \u2013 premium chocolate \u2013 goes a long way.” Chi Chocolate shop\u2019s popularity has grown by its taste testers. The Browns offer chocolate catering for parties, weddings and showers. Although the Browns never imagined they would become chocolatiers, they admit “we\u2019ve developed a knack for the craft.”
\nThe shop\u2019s chocolate beverages are all made with Chi\u2019s Chocolate. The Espresso Bar and Caf\u00e9 also offers Vietnamese, American and Italian coffees, Mexican mocha, as well as spiced hot chocolates, Chi Chai teas and flavored teas. Syrup options include hazelnut, vanilla, raspberry, cinnamon, English toffee, almond, coconut, sugar-free vanilla and sugar free hazelnut. Cold drinks are also available. When asked about the shop\u2019s name, Brown concluded, “Chi means energy and that\u2019s what chocolate gives you!” CHOCOLATE FUN FACTS Chocolate\u2019s 4,000-year history dates back to 1900 BC in the enclaves of Mesoamerica\u2019s tropical rain forests. The Olmec, Mayan and Aztec civilizations fermented, roasted and ground cacao beans into a paste that was brewed with water, vanilla, honey, chili peppers, spices and pureed corn. Thought to invigorate libido and mood, the bitter liquid was believed to possess spiritual and magical qualities. The Mayans worshiped a god of “cacao” while reserving the dark substance for rulers, warriors, priests and nobles. Referred to as “food of the gods,” the Aztecs believed that cocoa bean\u00a0seeds were gifted by Quetzalcoatl, the god of wisdom. Legend suggest that Montezuma, the Aztec king, drank three gallons of the black-brown liquid daily to increase his libido. Once America was discovered, the Europeans transported the native cuisine to Europe, in some cases in lieu of silver and gold. History notes that Montezuma honored Hern\u00e1n Cort\u00e9s with a chocolate drink, assuming the conquistador to be a reincarnated deity. The bitter liquid didn\u2019t become popular in Spain until honey and sugar cane was added. Thought to have medicinal and nutritional properties, chocolate then became a status symbol, ingested by royals and elites. Cassanova was noted to love the product as an aphrodisiac. Spain coveted the treasured treat until the royal marriage between Anne of Austria \u2013 a Spanish Princess \u2013 to King Louis XIII of France. France welcomed both the princess and the savory treat. In 1828, Coenraad Johannes van Houten, a Dutch chemist, invented the cocoa press. The machine squeezed fatty cocoa butter from the chocolate liquid, leaving a dry cake that was pulverized into a fine powder. Alkaline salts were added to reduce its bitterness. Known as “Dutch cocoa,” the powder was mixed with liquids and other ingredients and poured into molds. Now solid, the reduction of production costs made chocolate affordable to all. In 1847, J.S. Fry & Sons introduced the first chocolate bar. By 1868, an English company called Cadbury marketed boxed chocolates. Several years later, Nestle introduced milk chocolate. In 1879, Rodolphe Lindt invented a Conch Machine, a grinding machine that churned chocolate into a velvet texture. The Conch Machine also afforded production on factory assembly lines. Mars and Hershey appeared in the late 18th early 19th Centuries. Chocolate was so valued during America\u2019s Revolutionary War, it was included in military rations and often used in lieu of wages. Today, Americans consumes, on average, 12 pounds of chocolate every year. Worldwide consumption cashes in at $75 billion annually.
\nChocolate is made from the cocoa pod, the fruit of the cocoa tree. The pods are filled with seeds covered with creamy white fruit pulp. Historically, the pulp was removed and fermented as a drink under banana leaves or burlap tarps. Seeds, now referred to as cocoa beans, are dried in the sun and roasted. Cooked and cracked, the nibs are removed and used to make chocolate. Chi Chocolate
\nWhere: 2690 Historic Decatur Road.
\nHours: Closed Monday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesdays\u2013Fridays, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays\u2013Sundays. Info: 619-546-0650.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
According to the National Retail Federation, Americans spend $18.2 billion on Valentine\u2019s Day gifts. Jewelry tops the cha-ching list at $4 billion, flowers fall second at $2 billion with candies and chocolate trailing third at $1.7 billion. As mass production trumps taste, a “chocolate revolution” is on the rise. Artisan chocolates now earmark the market […]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":726,"featured_media":259671,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"11561","_seopress_titles_title":"Exquisite handmade treats, pastries and espresso at Chi Chocolate","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"jnews_override_counter":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[11551,11561],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-259670","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-peninsula-beacon"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/259670","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/726"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=259670"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/259670\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/259671"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=259670"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=259670"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=259670"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}