A Private Tasting at the Charles Chocolate Factory
by Paul Lee
July 04, 2006

Chocolate. It's apparently one of those foods that seem to transcend culture, politics, and World Cup rivalries. So when AsianConnections.com received an invitation to tour the factory of Charles Chocolates, there was really only one decision to make. When chocolate comes calling, we're ready to answer! Chuck Siegel founded the Charles Chocolates in late 2004 in Emeryville, CA. After having successfully operated his first chocolate and candy business in the late 1980s, he made a decision to devote more time to his daughter and sold the company. But like all good things, the self-taught chocolatier found events converging in a propitious way and Charles Chocolates was born. Like coffee and wine before it, chocolate is increasingly becoming the object of desire of everyday chocoholics as well as devoted connoisseurs. No longer is that traditional bar of Hershey's milk chocolate adequate for consumers seeking a quick fix of a lavender-infused cream truffle or the sharp and delectable taste of a Mojito Heart. Once you've had a Fleur de Sel Caramel, a heavenly creation of handmade caramels covered in bittersweet chocolate (with a touch of the world's most expensive sea salt added as a sublimely inspired ingredient to counteract the natural bitterness of caramel), there is no going back. So it probably shouldn't be too much of a surprise that Charles Chocolates is already making a mark in the super premium chocolate business. By always using the best ingredients, both organic and locally sourced in nature, Chuck Siegel has found devilishly creative ways to work with the cocoa bean. That much was apparent in the selection of chocolates Mr. Siegel had set out for the media tour. I've already mentioned the lavender-infused cream truffles, the Mojito Heart suffused with just the right amount of rum and mint, and the Fleur de Sel Caramels. But bite into a peanut butterfly and you'll come to understand the scene in the movie "Sideways," when Miles angrily rants, "I will NOT drink merlot!" Reese's, it was nice while it lasted. Another superb creation was the gold-flecked caramel. The technology behind this seemingly innocuous product was very intriguing, if a bit startling to think about at first. Just as big industrial presses can press soy-based ink onto paper, someone figured cocoa butter would work just as well as ink (presumably using machines free of ink, of course). The cocoa butter is literally printed onto sheets of polyester film in a wide variety of fancy patterns. Since cocoa butter has a melting point close to body temperature, it becomes quite easy to transfer the pattern onto a fresh batch of hot-but- solidifying chocolate by pressing the film onto the surface of the chocolate. The cocoa butter separates from the film and quickly bonds with the chocolate. Voila! Gold-flecked caramels, without the heavy metal! Naturally, running a chocolate factory isn't just about exercising one's powers of creativity or having fun. A business needs to make sales to stay in business, and on that front, Chuck Siegel seems equally talented. Despite being less than 2 years old, you can find Charles Chocolates at more than 300 retail stores nationwide. There's the web sales, too. While 300 stores may sound like a lot, Mr. Siegel explained he is not really obsessed about volume. For example, he always uses real cream when making chocolate confections instead of the less perishable milk solids or powdered milk found in mainstream products. Thus, a Charles Chocolate has a limited shelf-life because fresh cream will spoil over time. And in keeping with Charles Chocolates' philosophy of "minimally processed foods," you won't find any preservatives that artificially increases shelf life. As a result, Mr. Siegel will only work with stores that have his confidence in properly managing inventories of perishable products. He is so dedicated to the concept of great-tasting chocolate, his fresh chocolate line is only carried by 5 retail stores. Speaking of stores, Chuck Siegel has just completed a 7 week retail experiment in San Francisco. It was his first foray into operating a retail store, and it proved to be a great success. While he spent weekdays at the chocolate factory, he manned the register of his store on weekends to give him a chance to meet customers face to face and talk chocolate. It shouldn't be a surprise the after just a few short weeks, Mr. Siegel had already built-up a loyal following in the Laurel Heights area of San Francisco. So while you can always click on over to charleschocolates.com to see what all the fuss is about, hopefully in the not-too-distant future, you will be able to walk into a Charles Chocolates store near you. As our visit to the factory proved, there's nothing quite so heavenly as breathing in the perfumed air of bittersweet chocolate!