They say it\u2019s never too late to follow your dreams,\u00a0and that\u2019s exactly what Chuao Chocolatier founder Chef Michael Antonorsi did.\u00a0In his mid-thirties,\u00a0Chef Michael decided to stop chasing his ego and start following his heart, leaving behind a successful tech career in Venezuela to pursue his lifelong dream of becoming a chef.\u00a0Chef Michael uprooted his wife and small children to move to Paris where he would attend culinary school, and ultimately, fall in love with art of pastry and chocolate making. Armed with European chocolate-making techniques and his own culinary creativity, it soon became clear that\u00a0Chef Michael\u00a0had a recipe for success.<\/p>\n
From there it was off to San Diego, where he and his brother Richard co-founded Chuao Chocolatier (chew-WOW) in 2002 just a stone\u2019s throw from the beach. What began as an artisan chocolate boutique, with\u00a0Chef Michael\u2019s\u00a0wife running the cash register in the front while he hand-rolled truffles in the back, soon gained a reputation for innovation. Chocolate lovers swarmed to taste his spicy drinking chocolate and cabernet-infused caramels with a joy that was simply contagious.\u00a0That joy became Chuao\u2019s mission\u00a0–\u00a0quite literally. The company exists to share joy with the world through deliciously engaging chocolate experiences.\u00a0According to Chuao\u2019s fans, they\u2019re doing just that.<\/p>\n
Chuao Chocolatier has since grown into an internationally award winning operation with acclaim from Food Network to Oprah.com to Vogue for their ultra-premium chocolate bars, available in over two dozen flavors, as well as their decadent bonbons and truffles, drinking chocolate and seasonal confections. Named Top Ten Chocolatier in the US by Dessert Professional in 2016, Chuao\u2019s distribution has grown across the United States at fine specialty retailers including Whole Foods Market, CVS, Target, Cost Plus World Market,\u00a0Bed Bath and Beyond,\u00a0and REI.<\/p>\n
A pioneer of fusion chocolate, Chuao Chocolatier crafts their coveted confections with rich, premium,\u00a0Fair Trade Certified chocolate;\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0free of artificial preservatives, colors, flavors, sweeteners, and\u00a0trans fats. Layering flavors and textures is Chef Michael\u2019s specialty, noted in goodies like Salted Chocolate Crunch,\u00a0dark chocolate\u00a0layered with\u00a0breadcrumbs and sea salt,\u00a0and Totally Tangy Mango,\u00a0crafted with\u00a0dark chocolate,\u00a0dried mango, lime and sultry spices. The results are truly drool-worthy, living up to\u00a0Chef Michael\u2019s\u00a0favorite saying: \u201cif it\u2019s not a wow, it\u2019s not chew-WOW\u201d.<\/p>\n
Some of Chuao\u2019s most popular chocolates include:<\/p>\n
Why Kosher?<\/p>\n
Kosher certification has become a symbol of quality to customers and quality is of utmost importance to Chuao. So, becoming OU Kosher certified was done with those customers in mind\u00a0–\u00a0to give them the confidence that Chuao\u2019s delectable treats are crafted with the highest food production standards.<\/p>\n
\u201cSharing joy with the world is simply why we exist. Now that our chocolate is Kosher certified, we are ecstatic to celebrate our commitment to quality, meet this dietary restriction and share our joy with the Kosher community.\u201d \u2013 Chef Michael Antonorsi<\/p>\n
As of 2017, all*\u00a0of Chuao\u2019s chocolate bars have been OU Kosher certified. Their bonbons and truffles, drinking chocolate and mini chocolate bars will soon be certified as well. Chuao is dedicated to achieving its joyful mission, one Kosher chocolate at a time.<\/p>\n
*This excludes Baconluxious Chocolate bar.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
They say it\u2019s never too late to follow your dreams,\u00a0and that\u2019s exactly what Chuao Chocolatier founder Chef Michael Antonorsi did.\u00a0In his mid-thirties,\u00a0Chef Michael decided to stop chasing his ego and start following his heart, leaving behind a successful tech career in Venezuela to pursue his lifelong dream of becoming a chef.\u00a0Chef Michael uprooted his wife […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":36,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"ep_exclude_from_search":false,"_cloudinary_featured_overwrite":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1019","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-btus"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n