A few years ago, Jordan was sent on a last-minute work trip overseas and missed Valentine’s Day. Thankfully, he was only away for a couple of days, one of which he spent in London. Although we don’t usually exchange Valentine’s Day gifts, he brought me home a giant chocolate slab from Hotel Chocolat as a romantic gesture.
Yes, one of the ways to my heart is through my sweet tooth. If I remember correctly, the artisanal chocolate bar (which weighed more than a pound!) was a mixture of milk, strawberry, and white chocolate topped with a chocolate heart and other edible embellishments.
It was almost too beautiful to eat. So I didn’t.
That gorgeous piece of chocolate sat in the pantry until the following Valentine’s Day. Ridiculous, right? I repeatedly, deliberately chose not to break into it when I needed a chocolate fix because I thought such a gourmet treat should be saved for a special occasion.
Then, after a while, I sort of forgot it was there. By the time we ate the Hotel Chocolat slab — which, now that I’m thinking about it, was probably the following summer — it was well past it’s “best by” date. Sadly, it wasn’t even that tasty, although I’m sure it was absolutely delicious when it was fresh.
I’d like to think I learned my lesson. That if somebody gifted me an artisanal chocolate bar now, I’d make sure to enjoy it right away. Especially if it was a Compartes Chocolatier chocolate bar.
Have you ever heard of the Los Angeles-based chocolate factory and chocolate store? Recently, I’ve been noticing beautifully packaged Compartes chocolate bars appearing in my Instagram feed and had to investigate.
Oh my god, their flavors are as unique as their eye-catching wrappers: White chocolate with cereal and marshmallows. Milk chocolate with donuts and organic coffee grounds. Dark chocolate with biscuits and honey (Say what?!)
I doubt I’d be able to resist devouring a Compartes chocolate bar for a whole year, but I’d still try to savor it slowly — each bar costs between $10-$13!
(top images from Instagram, bottom images from the Compartes website)
i’m one of those weirdos who doesn’t really like chocolate, but these are really cool–and so beautiful!
“Who doesn’t like chocolate?!?” says the girl currently stuffing her face with organic dark chocolate from Whole Foods.
Haha! This reminds me of my mom. She calls it “salting it up” which, I guess, refers to when people didn’t have refrigerators and used salt to preserve/save things…? My friend Hiro also does this. He’s a sushi chef and his rich clients often gift him luxury items, like LV umbrellas, which he puts away and never uses. On the other hand, I dig in right away and regret not savoring things more!
Honestly, I wish I could be more like you! There are so many things in my life just waiting to be enjoyed. Also, I love your mom’s expression. Jordan just calls it “hoarding.” 😉