Blog - Kakao ChocolateKakao Chocolate | Creator of exceptional artisan chocolates and confections in St. Louis, MO.

Now that Thanksgiving 2011 is behind us, we can start thinking about Christmas at Kakao! Truthfully, we’ve been thinking about it for awhile now, getting staffed up to make and serve our chocolates, buying our holiday packaging and preparing our new products. And now we’re ready to start showing them off. One of the special things about Kakao is that we only sell things that we make, or the ingredients we use to make them, like the Traveling Tea we use...
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15 Nov

Hostess Gifts for Thanksgiving

By Brian

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Kakao Around Town

Next week is Thanksgiving, and millions of us will show up at a relative or friend’s house to enjoy one of the largest meals we’ll eat all year. Some people will bring flowers, some will bring wine, and the people who really want to be invited back again will arrive bearing gifts of chocolate. We’ve got some great ideas for you to make your hostess (or host!) want to invite you over more often. We can do Kakao gift baskets or...
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23 Oct

A Pretty Incredible Deal

By Brian

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Kakao Around Town

A special deal on chocolate, while you help out the Cardinal Glennon Children’s Foundation — what could be sweeter? Kakao is participating in the Glennon Promotion from October 28 to November 6. You simply buy a card for $50 — at participating merchants — and then show it at any of 225+ participating stores, and get 20% off your purchase. ALL of the $50 goes to the Cardinal Glennon Medical Center, plus it’s tax deductible. The 20% discount is donated by...
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13 Sep

Chocolate and Asian Flavors

By Brian

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Kakao Around Town

We’ve been at it again, combining chocolate with Asian Flavors in our last Peculiar Pairing of the year. All of these confections are available in both shops, so come in and give them a try while they last! In the words of the confectioners who created them: Miso Truffles – Kate Miso is a fermented paste of rice and soybean. The confection I made for this peculiar pairing is a combination of ingredients that are sometimes included in traditional miso dish. I steeped ginger,...
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02 Sep

Iron Kids

By Brian

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Kakao Around Town

I’ve always wanted to be on one of those shows like Top Chef or Iron Chef. Of course it would be fun to compete, but I know I’m not anywhere close to that level. No, I’d want to be a judge. Or better yet, one of the people who get to eat the food, the people who’s time to eat starts when the chefs’ time to cook and prepare and plate has run out. Those people get to enjoy some...
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12 Aug

Chocolate and Farmers Market Veggies!

By Brian

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Kakao Around Town

Indeed. They go quite well together, according to a special tasting panel last night at Kakao Maplewood. We’ve got a few of most of these available for purchase at the Maplewood shop, while they last. Best to let the confectioners who made them describe them: Cocoa Nibs and Corn – Brian The ancient Mayans first discovered chocolate, and would grind the nutty nibs into a smooth paste and add it to water. Since they didn’t have sugar as we know it –...
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03 Aug

School Supplies = Chocolate!

By Brian

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Kakao Around Town

Yes, it’s hot here in St. Louis. Which means that school will be starting up soon. (Maybe not soon enough for some people?) It also means it’s time of the year when Kakao partners with the St. Louis Office for Developmental Disability Resources, a publicly funded agency that supports community-based services for developmentally disabled people who want to stay in their homes and community. These agencies provide a variety of services ranging from life and job skills coaching to learning...
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15 Jul

Chocolate and Beer Confections!

By Brian

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Kakao Around Town

We had a great time last week introducing our Chocolate and Beer Confections for our July Peculiar Pairings. Evan Benn of the Post-Dispatch was our guest pourer, and gave us all an in-depth look at each of the beers used in the confections. And the proceeds of the night went to Operation Food Search! Without further ado, here are the confections, in the words of the confectioner who created them! Gummy Beers – Brian In thinking about fruit-flavored candy, I thought of...
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27 Jun

Beer and Chocolate!

By Brian

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Kakao Around Town

We have to admit, this isn’t unfamiliar territory to us at Kakao. We’ve offered a Stout Truffle — made with a reduction of stout beer blended into a creamy ganache and dipped in bittersweet chocolate — since the very beginning. In fact, because of its rich and complex taste, it’s one of Brian’s favorites. And we paired some old favorites and new confections side-by-side with an assortment of Schlafly Beers at a fundraiser for the St. Louis Art Museum...
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10 Jun

Introducing…Chocolate and Cheese Confections

By Brian

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Kakao Around Town

Last night we introduced the first in our series of Peculiar Pairings: our chocolate and cheese confections, at a special fundraiser for Slow Foods St. Louis. All the cheese/chocolate confections are available — starting today, at both shops — for $2 each. Supplies are limited, but I’m guessing if you like them we’ll make more. We sampled six amazing confections, each made by a different Kakao team member, and each using a different type of cheese. Here are the artists’...
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