So, a month after the San Francisco International Chocolate Salon (Presented by Taste TV) I find myself not able to toss a little teal and brown box with a winged alpaca image that used to hold Socola truffles… It seems that should I open it again, I might find that one last piece still there, not noticed before, hiding in a rustling brown ruffles of empty paper cups. Nope, not there. What makes them SO special? Maybe, gold shimmery dust that covers Guinness-filled ones, or red Hawaiian salt on burnt caramel, or guava pate de fruit, that melts in your mouth at the first bite. Well, there is no second bite. Nope, not any more. In other words, I have my own personal winner of the Salon competition, and it’s Socola Chocolatier, a two-sister-owned and operated company in Oakland. Not that they haven’t won a first place in Best Gift Set and a second place in Best Presentation and Packaging, but Socola (Vietnamese for “chocolate”) is much more than that – a soulful combination of flavor, texture and “meltiness” that creates a TASTE, and then an aftertaste one remembers and craves long after the very last piece is gone. If you insist on dissecting the magic, the company co-founders Susan and Wendy Lieu (Harvard and Davis graduates, now in their 20s) create their chocolates by hand, boldly experimenting with flavors, but consistently using Straus Family Creamery’s butter and cream in their recipes, and making fresh-to-order truffles in small quantities. Some of their assortments are found in retail in Daily Delectables (Oakland), Alameda Natural Grocery Store (Alameda), and Whole Foods South Market (SF), and orders are accepted through their very informative website, www.socolachocolates.com, or call 510-931-0007. Photo courtesy of Susan Lieu.
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