Mother's Day: Six Metro Vancouver sources of super-duper chocolate in various forms

    1 of 2 2 of 2

      For most people, chocolate makes for a foolproof Mother’s Day gift. If this is your plan for Sunday (May10), make it count by treating your mom to the good stuff.

      Here are a few places in Metro Vancouver to find just that.

      Rocky Mountain Chocolate  With a sleek new look, the nationwide chocolate company that started in Whistler recently donated 25,000 pounds of chocolate to community organizations, care homes, food banks, health-care workers, and others impacted by COVID-19. For Mother's Day, it has a few special offerings to choose from, such as the 17- piece Rocky Reserve box with floral- and fruit-infused chocolates. 
       
      BETA5 Chocolates  The award-winning Vancouver chocolatier has a weekly Emergency Stash Box. Each package is brown gold, with premium treats like Intergalactic Bars (a superior version of the drugstore bar with caramel and nougat), dark-chocolate-covered sponge toffee, and limited-batch bars, some of them past popular chef collaborations.

      While you’re at it, hit BETA5’s Provisions, a new offshoot that makes Valrhona, a premium French chocolate, available in bulk to keen home bakers. You’ll find flavours such as 64% Manjari Dark Chocolate, 37% Strawberry Inspiration Couverture, and 33% Opalys White Chocolate.

      Mon Paris Patisserie  Burnaby-based pastry chef Elena Krasnova has several topnotch treats making up her Mother’s Day Collection, including a premium dark Chocolate Teacup adorned with white-chocolate flowers, and Champagne, tiramisu, and mango-passionfruit truffles. The heart-shaped I Love You Mom Black Forest Cake has kirsch-soaked dark chocolate biscuit topped with mascarpone mousse and a sour-cherry compote.

      Origins Chocolate Bar  Located in New Westminster’s River Market, this small company is run by local theatre artists Katey Wright and Peter Jorgensen. The two seek out bean-to-bar chocolate makers from around the world, sourcing strictly fair-trade cacao. Produced via ethical labour practices, the beans are 100-percent traceable to the farm or farming co-op.

      Among the bars in the bar: Manoa Ali’i Kula Lavender 60% from Maui; Castronovo Chocolate’s White Chocolate with Lemon Oil & Lemon Sea Salt; and Fjåk Chocolate’s Brown Cheese from Norway: certified organic 45-percent milk chocolate with a crunch of Undredal Stølsysteri goat cheese and salt from North Sea Salt Works.

      East Van Roasters  A social enterprise that helps women living in the Downtown Eastside reenter the workforce, EVR has launched a new online shop just in time for Mother’s Day. Look for its hand-made bean-to-bar chocolates, freshly roasted coffee, and special items like the Eight-Piece Mother’s Day Box with mendiants and various truffles (lemon lavender, pomegranate pistachio among them). The shop is also carrying Hazl cakes (such as the Chocolate Cookie Dream) and Front Yard Flower Co. bouquets.

      Temper Chocolate and Pastry  The West Vancouver-based chocolatier is pairing chocolate caramels with a bottle of Tightrope Viognier 2018 and Tightrope Syrah 2017 for a special Mother's Day package, in addition to offering other sweet, tangy, and tantalizing treats.

      Comments