Mission: Hummingbird Chocolate

During my professional chocolatier program, one of our assignments was to run a chocolate taste test. It was a great opportunity for me to canvass Cape Breton in search of single-origin chocolate bars to taste alongside the commercial chocolate available at most retail stores. I found myself in small shops I had never visited before, like Charlene's Nutrition Centre and My Fair Ladies Ethical Emporium, and I tasted chocolate unlike anything I had ever experienced or imagined before (including a bar that tasted like geraniums smell -- not a high point in the experience, but I digress). 

At the same time, I was conducting research on chocolate trends and establishing my concept for a Newfoundland-based chocolate business for another assignment. I was inspired by the modern design and flavour profiles of Kate Weiser Chocolate in the United States. When my sister travelled to Toronto for work, her mission, which she (thankfully) chose to accept, was to locate CXBO Chocolates and procure one of their Jackson Pollock-like bars or disco eggs. A few weeks later, two 4" squares arrived in the mail, one of which was salted caramel. They looked incredible and I loved the colour combinations (but if I'm honest, the flavour was only average).  

I also recall inviting friends on Facebook to share their favourite chocolate, whether that was fine chocolate or, more commonly, a retro commercial candy bar. There were so many that I had never heard of before! When one friend referenced a 4 Flavours chocolate bar, I did some research and recreated it for her as a present. I still have a list of the other retro candy, including Bar Six, that I compiled for future projects. (So many chocolate possibilities, so little time!)

When I restarted this chocolate journey in January, one recommendation from that time linked to the fine chocolate realm popped back into my head: Hummingbird Chocolate.

One of my Toronto-based friends insisted that I had to try Hummingbird Chocolate, which is made in Almonte, Ontario. And as I thought about my resolution for 2023 to improve my chocolate skills, it occurred to me that I should also continue honing my chocolate tasting skills! (Any excuse to eat more chocolate, right?) And so around Valentine's Day, I visited the Hummingbird Chocolate website to look into placing an order, but was deterred by the cost of shipping (which, like everything these days, has gone up in price). But as luck would have it, shipping would not be necessary anyway! I mentioned Hummingbird Chocolate on a Teams meeting at work and a colleague googled it only to discover that it is available locally at Port City Grocery!

On St. Patrick's Day, my boyfriend and I made a pilgrimage to purchase Hummingbird Chocolate. Unfortunately, the grocery store didn't have any of the single origin bars in stock, but they did have a selection of Easter bunnies and filled eggs. I chose the 60% milk chocolate eggs with peanut butter centres. Pleased as punch, we headed home to try them out. 

The first thing I noticed was that the peanut butter eggs weren't sweet, though they were rich and creamy. The second thing I noticed was just how thin the shell of the egg was -- something I've not yet been able to accomplish in my own work (partly because of the fluidity of the chocolate with which I work). The cap was a bit thick in comparison to the shell, but I'm not one to complain about more chocolate. The chocolate itself had faint notes of roast coffee. These peanut butter mini eggs were delicious and satisfying. 

I'm hoping that after Easter, Port City Grocery may have a greater selection of Hummingbird Chocolate products available. In particular, I'd love to try a few of the bars in the Sampler Gift Box and the Origins Collection. But if not, then I may just have to pony up the cash to have them shipped to me -- or buy an excessive amount of chocolate to qualify for free shipping. 

Did I say excessive? I meant appropriate.