Chocolate as a dessert? Perhaps consuming it akin to having a flight of wines? How about bite-sized portions for sharing? Besides, don’t those portions help with calorie counting? And let’s not forget the holidays, when people really want to celebrate — chocolate, of course, being one great way to do so.

Then there’s the shift by both multinational manufacturers and artisan chocolatiers toward sustainable sourcing, which is very much on the minds of many consumers. Oh yes, there’s also news that cocoa prices will soar because of dry weather conditions and an insatiable and growing appetite from the East, specifically China. Exciting stuff, to say the least.