All summer, this house has been working on a seed of an idea that is finally ready to show its face in the big world. I am so excited to tell you about it!
(I have chills typing this!) After numerous conceptual meetings, decision making, midnight a-ha! moments, and, of course, lots of chocolate testing, I am so excited to introduce to you a line of chocolate bars designed and created by my husband Peter and his partners Frank and Robert. Komforte Chockolates.
I know! This is coming out of left field, right? Wait! A chocolate bar? What?
Komforte Chockolates (pronounced just like 'comfort chocolates') began as a casual idea among friends earlier this year. As a brand consultant, Peter has had the opportunity to create and craft brand images for many people and companies, but I think the desire has always been there to produce his own brand. Creating a brand of chocolate came about because we had access to knowledgeable folks within the chocolate industry. Peter collaborated with Seattle Chocolates, a leader in the industry, and his idea grew with their knowledge and expertise. They believed in the concept and jumped in to help develop the product.
So, what is Komforte Chockolates?
The idea is simple. Peter believes in all-American comfort food. Food that is familiar, that feels like home, that's full of flavor, and that tastes good. Komforte Chockolates does not come from an elite palate, but rather, one that finds familiarity in good food. Mixing amazing chocolate with everyday, flavorful comfort food was the goal. Sweet and savory is nothing new in chocolate (chocolate and bacon comes to mind), but Peter's idea was coming from a different. Our summer months were spent mixing recipes (both at Seattle Chocolates kitchens and here in our own kitchen). Deciding to focus on three great combinations was the easy part. Getting those combinations just right took many months, but we are so happy to be finally there.
Our first three flavors are:
French Toast- premium milk chocolate mixed with bits of crunchy, savory french toast. A hint of cinnamon. Just like mom used to make.
Tortilla with Lime & Salt- Milk chocolate mixed with lime infused tortilla chips. All of our favorite flavors in one bar...
But then, we were absolutely stumped on the third bar. Nothing was coming together quite right and we were running through the list of possibilities, having no luck.
And then, one night at dinner, we were talking to the kids about our dilemma.
Emma had a random thought...
"Dad, what about ramen noodle?"
Blank stares across the table.Suddenly, we had our third flavor.
Emma's favorite food of all time, Ramen Noodle (now you know the truth about mealtime around here), became the third combination. (My favorite combination actually.) Crunchy ramen noodles mixed with rich dark chocolate. Consider it sort of the next evolution of your childhood nestle crunch bar. (Check out Emma's hidden "ERS" initials on the bar's label. She's very proud of that.) Seriously good.
The packaging of these bars is intentionally clean and unadorned.
Why the weird spelling? Well, if you've ever tried to trademark a generic word like "chocolate" you'll be nodding your head right now. So, Peter got creative.
Where can you get it? Its slowly making its way out into the world. If you're in Seattle, you can find it on the amazonfresh home grocery delivery website. They are also available on the main amazon website, but as of yet only by the sleeve (12 bars per sleeve). They will soon be available at Uwajimaya (we will be doing a sampling demo there soon, I will let you know when). We are excited to now be available in Portland at The Meadow. For right now, our website is mainly for wholesale orders, but if you are interested in wholesale, please email us at sales@komfortechockolates.com. All up to date news can be found on our facebook page (there is a fan box in my upper left sidebar).
**Right now, I've got 2 sets (1 of each of the bars in a set) available to give away. Please leave us a comment on this post, check us out on our facebook page, and tell us what your ideal Komforte Chockolate flavor combination would be (we have a list, but would love to hear from you too). Thank you!
Update: The winners have been chosen, thank you to everyone!
