Sôcôla

As a gift, I received from a very dear friend a special-edition box of chocolates, the Tê't Collection by Socola Chocolatier. It arrived a couple weeks early, so after unwrapping it and admiring its branding and presentation, I tucked it away into my pantry to save it for the occasion.

When the time arrived, I read the cards that came with the box to try to discern what makes this brand stand out from many of the other artisan chocolate boutiques out there. The first thing I noticed was a bunch of llamas on one card, and the logo of a winged one on the box. A bit of Googling reveals that it's not a llama, it's an alpaca named Harriet, and she is Socola's mascot. 

There is another card honoring the Year of the Cat, which, in Vietnam, is the animal of 2023. 

Socola was founded by Vietnamese American sisters who aspired to create treats that tasted like home (from the card insert): "As children of refugees, we lived in dual worlds, neither Vietnamese or American enough. As much as we wanted to fit into one category, our hyphenated identities was actually what made us special. So then we owned it. ... Channeling our immigrant hustle, we built an award-winning company flavor by flavor and now have a San Francisco storefront to boot."

The card then says that "sôcôla" is Vietnamese for "chocolate," and the confections chronicle their heritage.

I try 3 flavors: Jujube Caramel, Lapsang Suchong, Tamarind Sesame

They are each very good, with all of them being tastefully sweet while accentuating what their namesake represents. The most interesting taste for my palate, however, was the Lapsang Suchong. I thought it would taste like a tea I recognized, but instead, it's smoky, even savory. I realize I've not drank this tea before, so I will have to try it sometime. 

I've got three more flavors to go, but this is all I'll write on for now. 

One interesting thing I found while researching on this topic is that Vietnam has a thriving chocolate connoisseur scene focused on local ingredients, particularly in the use of 

the country's cacao beans. Max of Dame Cacao writes a great post about this: Vietnam Chocolate: Saigon Sôcôla Guide. 

[Special thanks to JDV for sharing these chocolates with me.]

 

The Tê't Collection