dark chocolate

Who knew that you could "experience Rastafarian culture" through chocolates? The Zion Truffle Collection from Vosages is an exquisite collection that showcases some of the flavors of Jamaica with five unique flavor blends, shown above from left to right:

• I-tal - Blue Mountain coffee, organic fresh coconut and dark chocolate
• Selassie - pumpkin puree, Jamaican pepper, dark chocolate and organic roasted pumpkin seeds
• Rasta - Appleton Estate rum, fresh ginger, white chocolate, organic hibiscus and sorrel flowers
• Kaya - hemp seed nuts and milk chocolate
• Zion - Red Stripe beer, dark chocolate and cocoa nibs

Because the truffles are made with fresh ingredients, including fresh cream, they only have a shelf-life of ten days, which should be more than enough time to polish off all 16 of the pieces that come in this collection. Price: $41.

As the whether cools down a bit, chocolatiers start to unveil their newest creations in preparation for the upcoming holiday gift-giving season. Godiva has put together their Lady Godiva 2007 Limited Edition Gift Tin this year. The tin is decorated with a contemporary interpretation of the Lady Godiva riding a white horse, a work done by artist Amelie Hegardt. The box contains 37 pieces (1 lb. 3.2 oz.) of silky truffles, gooey caramels, sweet pralines and many other indulgent bites. Price: $62.

Whether chocolates have ever before been as cute as the Country Critter Collection from Moonstruck Chocolates is difficult to say, but there have certainly been none as lovingly crafted or as delicious. Each of these critters - there are six in all - is hand rolled and decorated with precision. The truffles may look like the perfect gift for a child, but the flavors are very adult. The duck and the lamb are both filled with extra-bittersweet ganache, while the chick is a cinnamon-almond truffle. The cow is a milk chocolate truffle and the turkey is mocha-flavored. The pig, last but not least, has a toffee truffle filling. Price $30.