Grocery Stores
SOMA Chocolate
SOMA Chocolate, located in the Distillery District, designs and creates handmade chocolate in their on-site chocolate lab.
Shops near Queen & Spadina.
By Rollin Su
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Sunday, February 12, 2012
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http://cdgnghusdd.com
They make it 3 ways, in an intense small shot, a conventional hot chocolate with milk (it looks pretty much like regular hot chocolate), and something else...water, I think.
None looked like the very thick, dark drinking chocolate you see in some period piece movies, but I'm guessing the shot is the closest approximation.
I tried the conventional milk version, and they did a nice job - it's spicy without being gritty or making your throat burn (I'm looking at you, Camino spicy hot chocolate powder), still a nice velvety drink. It was under $5, a little on the pricey side but if you're used to buying Starbucks drinks, you won't be alarmed at the cost. They sell it in bags of powder to prepare at home as well, $5 for a sample size or $25 for a bigger bag.
I also bought the large 250g bar of their "Costa Rican Milk Chocolate" and was disconcerted that it had a distinct sunflower seed flavour. I don't know if it's rancid or normal or what, but yeah...I don't find it pleasant. Maybe someone from Soma will read this and can enlighten me...it might be sunflower seeds, it might be Varathane, but it's odd, and sort of wipes out any cocoa flavor. The melt is excellent, but I can't get past the weird taste. I don't know if I'm just a chocolate philistine, but if you're eyeing their bars I recommend trying a smaller portion first.
They also have normal sized bars, which were $5-6 apiece. There were very few bars with inclusions...some milks and darks with salt, and some very small $4 bars that come in lemon, cherry, and hazelnut, but if you like trying new flavour combinations this isn't the place. No fair trade certified products, but I wasn't expecting that anyway. Their truffles were pretty standard fare as well, although much, much prettier than most...gorgeous molds, particularly the cone-shaped darks.
Altogether, they don't have a very diverse selection of chocolate products. Definitely go for the spicy hot chocolate - it's clearly their flagship product. It's also a nice place to visit at least once - the exposure of their machinery gives it a very Willa Wonka feel, and like most Distillery District buildings it's got a nice architectural design.
On a side note, calling it "Mayan" is such a crock of shit. Just call it spicy and save me the contrived exoticization, thanks.
On a further side note, if you want fair trade / ethically traded chocolate (for those not in the know, chocolate is one of those industries that's particularly rife with human rights violations) Delight Chocolate in the west end has fair-trade products including spicy hot chocolate and Kakayo Chocolate in the east end has fair trade stuff too. I think the Art Square Cafe near the AGO uses fair-trade cocoa for its truffles & spicy hot chocolate too.