Sorry everyone. I have been so late in sending the chocolate potato chips to the winners. I will try to get them to you ASAP....

When I get a bit more organized I hope that I will be able to offer another giveaway or think of how I can sell it to everyone.

Thank you for your kind patience. m ( _ _ ) m

Hi everyone!
I have made a new category, called "***GIVEAWAYS***" so that I can periodically give ROYCE' chocs to the people who access my blog, Please try your luck!!!

People have been contacting me wanting to try ROYCE' chocolates and I have been sending them by air mail, but sometimes the chocolate never arrives! Could it be disappearing in the mailman's tummy or what? I know that you can send chocolates to the U.S. but can anyone tell me about other countries? Are there restrictions in your country to import chocolates? It can be quite disappointing when the chocolates don't arrive..

The ingredients for chocolate is cacao and similar to wine, depending on the bean variety, country of origin, the soil which the cacao tree was grown, fermentation, dried and conched can make a difference in its palate.
The scientific name of cacao is theobroma cacao and theobroma which is the genus meansfood of the gods. The cacao bean is the seed of the fruit. These seeds are dried and roasted so that they have be formed into cocoa. The tree is grown in what is called the cocoa belt around 10 degrees north and 10 degrees south latitude. High temperatures are the best for the cocoa plant with a maximum of 30-32 degrees C average. Rainfall and humidity is very important for the cultivation of the cacao tree. Annual rainfall between 1,500-2,000 mm which is distributed throughout the year is preferable.

Cacao is produced around the world however the leading countries are Cote de Ivoire, Ghana, Indonesia, Nigeria, Brazil, Cameroon, Ecuador, Colombia, Mexico, Dominican Republic and Papua New Guinea

The cacao tree is divided into the Criollos species, Forastero species, two species and the Trinitaro species. Until the middle of the 1700s Criollos was predominant in the cocoa market . It means native and is the original cacao consumed by the Maya. Criollos species are high-quality beans and have a distinctive mild flavor. However, it is difficult to grow and the yield is not high.

The most cultivated species in the world is the Forastero species because its resistance to disease and higher yielding than criollos. It accounts for approximately 90% of the world's cacao crop. Forastero which means “foreign” is characterized by a strong bitter cocoa flavor and considered a bulk cacao however it adds desirable elements when blended.

Trinitaro is a hybrid between the Crillo and the Forastero. Its palnting started in Trinidad (hence its name) in around 1730 and spread to Venezula, Ecuador, Cameroon, Papua New Guinea among other countries. It inherited characteristics of each species making it a good blend of all the desired qualities and is hardy like the forastero. Most of the varieties grown in the world are derived from these 3 species.

The first time I had a ROYCE chocolate was when I went to Hokkaido for the snow festival in Sapporo. At Sapporo Chitose airport they were giving out taste samples of ROYCE chocolate and believe me, it was love at first taste. I just wanted to share with you the wonders of ROYCE chocolate and hope that if you ever get to Japan, that you will be able too.