There's something irresistible about Equal Exchange organic chocolate. Maybe it's the fact that the company supports fair-trade practices and small growers. Maybe it's the knowledge that it's all organic. But frankly, I'm guessing it has as lot to do with the taste. Each variety I've tried has been all that I've hoped for - a delicious experience at a fair price. So given what we know about large-scale chocolate production, this year I'm considering giving my Valentine something we can both feel great about. Here are a few gift ideas from the folks at Equal Exchange:
Organic Chocolate & Coffee Pairing Gift Bag
I was happy to get a sample of this gift in the mail - 2 pounds of coffee and 4 chocolate bars in a recycled paper bag with a ribbon on it. The packaging is utilitarian, but the products (which sell on the Equal Exchange site for $34.95) are not. It's not hard for me to decide whether coffee or chocolate is more important in my life (only one is an every day necessity for me), but I do prefer not to have to choose.
Organic Dark Chocolate Minis
These bite-sized chocolates (55% cacao content) are tasty and kinda cute, and a package of 20 minis sells for $5.49. There's no coffee here, you might have noticed, but you can always supplement if you need to.
Equal Exchange chocolate bars are on sale until February 14th, and the company is currently offering free UPS ground shipping with the clever promo code “chocolatelove”.
I suppose it's possible that fair-trade, organic chocolate and coffee packaged in recyclable paper doesn't immediately suggest "romance" to you or your Valentine. But if that's the case, maybe you should consider getting yourself another Valentine.
