A co-worker has been geeking out on chocolate recently, ordering bars and hot chocolate from places like Dagoba Chocolates. Thankfully, he’s a sharing individual, so I’ve gotten to sample many of the dark chocolate bars and hot chocolates he’s bought. He got me hooked and I placed an order with him this week and got my own Mon Cherri bar, Mint and Rosemary bar, and Xocolatl Hot Chocolate. It should be noted that he went in on a tea order with me last week. This entry could have been titled “The Tea Geek Meets the Chocolate Geek.”

Anyway.

Not only are Dagoba’s chocolates “the fancy stuff” (ie. “damn good”), they’re also Fair Trade Certified (seriously, is there anything more depressing than thinking about something as pleasurable as chocolate coming from slave labor?). Not all of their chocolates are vegan, but most of them are. Look for “dark chocolate” rather than “milk chocolate.” Besides, milk chocolate is considered inferior to dark chocolate by chocolate snobs. Who am I to argue?

I’ve also been enjoying the locally-purchased Endangered Species Bars which also follow fair trade practices (though they don’t seem to be officially “Fair Trade Certified”) and donate 10% of profits to environmental and wildlife charities. Each of their bars features a different endangered animal and purchases of that particular bar go directly to support that animal’s preservation. Again, not all their bars are vegan, but the following are non-dairy:

  • Tiger Bar (Dark Chocolate with Espresso Beans)
  • Rainforest Bar (Dark Chocolate with Deep Forest Mint)
  • Grizzly Bar (Dark Chocolate with Raspberries)
  • Chimp Bar (Supreme Dark Chocolate)
  • Wolf Bar (Dark Chocolate with Cranberries and Almonds)
  • Sea Turtle Bar (Dark Chocolate with Blueberries aka The “Oh Hell Yeah!” Bar, by me)
  • Bat Bar (Dark Chocolate with Cocoa Nibs)
  • Black Panther Bar (Extreme Dark Chocolate)
  • Dark Chocolate Bug Bites
  • Chimp Mints

Feel free to share stories of your favorite Fair Trade vegan chocolates. And you should also check out my aforementioned co-worker’s Hot Chocolate Blog. Seriously… hot chocolate… blog… that’s some good reading.