The smooth squares of an unwrapped chocolate bar are irresistible, especially when Valentine's Day is the occasion for this simple indulgence. For K+M chocolates, the recipe for an attractive and healthy chocolate bar starts with an essential Italian ingredient: organic extra virgin olive oil from Tuscany.
“Our goal is to produce the highest quality chocolate on the world market, replacing some of the common cocoa butter with polyphenol and flavonoid-rich MANNI extra-virgin olive oil, boosting the health benefits of the antioxidants in the chocolate, and helping produce our signature silken texture," says K+M co-founder Armando Manni.
It took five years of research for Manni and Thomas Keller, the chef and restaurateur from landmark American restaurants The French Laundry in California's Napa Valley and Per Se in New York City, to develop a chocolate bar that balances the flavors of cocoa beans and MANNI organic extra virgin olive oil.
Every bar pulls in the best of both worlds, the palate of America's first chef to earn multiple Michelin stars and the expertise of one of Tuscany's finest organic olive oil producers.
K+M chocolates uses MANNI extra virgin olive oil, which infuses the chocolate bars with a higher level of antioxidants. Credit: K+M chocolates
To celebrate Valentine's Day, K+M sells a three-bar pack called the “Love is Sweet Trio.” The featured flavors include K+M Extravirgin 75% Dark Peru, Milk Chocolate with Coffee + Sea Salt, and Milk Chocolate Cocoa Nibs.
K+M directly sources all of the cocoa beans and gently roasts them to maintain the health properties of flavonoids and antioxidants that are often lost along the way. The bars infused with MANNI organic extra virgin olive oil have a “special synergy,” Manni says, that leads to a heightened complexity of flavors and a velvety texture. The chocolate is batched in Napa Valley.
“Love is Sweet Trio” K+M's chocolate bar set for $39.95
Manni's brand of organic extra virgin olive oil has an enduring quality and taste that lasts for up to three years rather than the standard 12 months. The oil holds onto higher levels of antioxidants, too, making it a sought-after ingredient that Keller uses in his award-winning restaurants. As Keller says, this chocolate is “good for the body and good for the soul.”