Miskatonic University Press

Before the virus, every Saturday morning I’d go over to the farmer’s market managed by The Stop at the Wychwood Barns. I have a number of favourites there, and I’d been planning to take photos and write them up. Since I can’t go to the market I’m going to write up what I can now.

First: ChocoSol. They make delicious chocolate, all of it dark. They do one with chilis, one with vanilla sea salt, some special ones with dried berries or pumpkin seeds, and a few other types, including one that’s 100% pure that I tried once and was very intense. They also make bars from “jaguar chocolate” (Theobroma bicolor, a cousin to cocoa) and do “jaguar swirl” bars that are mixed dark and jaguar that are fantastic.

When it’s hot they do cold drinking chocolate. The rest of the year they do hot chocolate. Every week I’d take my mug over and they’d fill it up. Mmmmm. I’d also get a bar or two, depending on how my home stocks were doing. The people at the table were friendly and really know their chocolate. It was nice to have a little chat about new products while we were waiting for the kettle to boil.

The last time the market was open was a month ago. My stocks lasted me a while, and then I found a Lindt bar in my fridge door that I ate with much more appreciation than I would have before. Then I had no chocolate. Well, so be it. Then I realized that a local natural food store carries ChocoSol bars. Then I realized: Of course! I can order directly!

A few days ago I ordered their Darkness special. Darkness is 75% cocoa and I agree with their note about it:

A beautiful expression of our house-blend of cacao, this classic dark chocolate is one of our simplest. A mid-range dark chocolate, this bar is best for enjoying the pure, full-bodied flavour of our feature cacaos. In celebration, each bar is finished with a whole cacao bean.

Yesterday a cheerful young fellow came by to deliver it. When I opened up the box inside I found a large bag, a small bag, and a note. Here are the small bag and the note.

This is the note, explaining that the little bag is a free bar!

Here’s the big bag. It’s 18 cm high, in case you wondered.

The view inside the big bag. Chocolate!

Here’s one bar.

I broke the bars into smaller pieces and got them into storage containers, with some in the small bag for eating now.

ChocoSol: highly recommended.