A Love Letter to My Chocolatier
14 years ago, I became allergic to a large number of foods, including chocolate. 3 years ago, I stopped being able eat any chocolate at all.
For me, Valentine's Day is no longer about cheesy romance. Valentine's Day is the 2-3 week period when I get to feel sad about how I can't have chocolate. There are cheesy red boxes and fancy wrapping and large pink and red hearts and...they are all full of poison. I didn't even like that stuff all that much when I could eat chocolate, but tastes change, especially if you can't have any.
For the last two years, this took me by surprise and without white chocolate resources to make myself feel better. This year, I was smart enough to pre-order from my local chocolatier, the one person who has made the chocolate allergy bearable. When you love chocolate but can't have it, you become really picky about the white chocolate options out there. So far, Ariel's is the only chocolates that make me forget that I can't have the "real" stuff. Hotel Chocolat consoles me when I can't get Ariel's stuff, and Godiva frustrates me more than it helps because they often have "white chocolate" offerings that include a sprinkling of chocolate, or a thin shell of dark chocolate, or something else that makes it Just Not Work. But Ariel's chocolates are consistently good and inventive and delicious.
Thank you Ariel, for making my Valentine's Day special.
For me, Valentine's Day is no longer about cheesy romance. Valentine's Day is the 2-3 week period when I get to feel sad about how I can't have chocolate. There are cheesy red boxes and fancy wrapping and large pink and red hearts and...they are all full of poison. I didn't even like that stuff all that much when I could eat chocolate, but tastes change, especially if you can't have any.
For the last two years, this took me by surprise and without white chocolate resources to make myself feel better. This year, I was smart enough to pre-order from my local chocolatier, the one person who has made the chocolate allergy bearable. When you love chocolate but can't have it, you become really picky about the white chocolate options out there. So far, Ariel's is the only chocolates that make me forget that I can't have the "real" stuff. Hotel Chocolat consoles me when I can't get Ariel's stuff, and Godiva frustrates me more than it helps because they often have "white chocolate" offerings that include a sprinkling of chocolate, or a thin shell of dark chocolate, or something else that makes it Just Not Work. But Ariel's chocolates are consistently good and inventive and delicious.
Thank you Ariel, for making my Valentine's Day special.