Pellau Magazine: 11 Unusual Chocolate Gifts

Chocolate Wine

Chocolate and wine is a natural pairing, so it's no surprise that some savvy winemaker and food-lover would think to put them together in one bottle. Chocolate Shop's Sparkling Chocolate Red Wine is a sweet and delicate creation, combining a lightly fizzy red wine with rich chocolate flavor. The staff recommends you serve it chilled, just as you would any other sparkling wine. If you prefer your wine without bubbles, the company also offers a selection of still beverages, like Chocolate Red Wine, Chocolate Strawberry Wine, and Chocolate Mint Wine.

Chocolate Cheese

Chocolate and cheese might, at first, sound like an unusual (and unappetizing) combo, but this chocolate-and-cheese confection, produced at the Michigan State University Dairy Store since the 1960s, clearly has some staying power. The crew at MSU combines mild cheddar with cocoa, sugar, and other ingredients (including chopped peanuts) to create this truly unique concoction. At only $6.55 per pound, it's an affordable treat, and its dense, fudgy texture and savory-sweet flavor is like nothing else you'll find this Valentine's Day.

Chocolate BBQ Sauce

King's BBQ sauce is a small, family-owned company, but Tom Cleveland, its "sauce boss" (as his wife and company co-owner Vicky refers to him), has been perfecting his recipes for nearly a decade. Tom, along with his brother Richie Cleveland, makes all the company's sauces in small batches, and their chocolate sauce is truly a family creation. Although the brothers formulated the final product, Tom and Vicky Cleveland's sons were the ones who came up with (and demanded) this innovative flavor combination. It's based on their original blend, with the addition of sweet, smooth milk chocolate.

Chocolate Beer

The Winston-Salem, NC-based Foothills Brewing company puts out a special beer just for Valentine's Day — the Sexual Chocolate Imperial Stout. With a name like that, you're sure to convince your loved one that beer is the right beverage to celebrate with this year. And with notes of sweet toffee, molasses, and espresso, this cocoa-infused stout made with organic Peruvian cocoa nibs will win you over, too. Sexual Chocolate Imperial Stout will be available on tap in bars across North Carolina around Valentine's Day, as well as in some establishments in South Carolina and Virgina.

Chocolate Perfume

Want to give your love the luscious scent of pure chocolate without the calories? Zaja Naturals, owned by the Beer Soap Company, makes an array of all-natural bath and beauty products. Love Chocolate Perfume Oil has become one of the company's most popular scents, likely because, in co-owner Zaidat's words, it is "feminine and mature, without being a 'candy' type of aroma. Its mixture of citrus and cocoa awakes the senses." Sounds almost good enough to eat!

Boozy Chocolates

Nunu Chocolates is a Brooklyn-based company that crafts all of its chocolate products in its shop, where they also sell beers and other beverages. The chocolates may look traditional on the outside, yet in reality they're anything but. One of the more popular assortments is the "Six Pack," a box of six chocolates all made with different beers — usually whatever brews are on tap at the time. Currently the box includes Troegs Dreamweaver, North Coast Old Rasputin Imperial Stout, Goose Island Bourbon County Stout, Tusker Lager, Two Brothers Outlaw IPA, and Carlton Boat Pale Ale. The beers change frequently, so it's best to check with the staff at Nunu before ordering. If you're not a beer-lover, Nunu also offers a fabulous booze-infused assortment, which includes Absinthe, Moonshine, Sake, Rye, Mezcal-Chili, and Amarula truffles, as well as a Raspberry and Prosecco box especially for Valentine's

Wasabi Chocolate

If you're looking to impress your love with something exotic this Valentine's Day, look across the globe to Asia for some inspiration. In Japan, chocolate often gets infused with rather unusual flavors (at least by Western standards). Over 200 different flavors of KitKat have been introduced in Japan since 2000, and many come from traditional Japanese ingredients, like this wasabi-flavored version. Distinctive flavors like this are often sold as limited editions, but if you're looking to purchase in the U.S., check out sites like Amazon or eBay.

Camel Milk Chocolate

Another exotic option? Why not try a box of chocolates made with camel's milk, courtesy of a company called Al Nassma, which is based out of Dubai, UAE. Camel's milk is actually quite low in fat, with a slightly minerally taste, according to the brand's representatives. Al Nassma also uses acacia honey to sweeten its chocolate, which gives it a distinctive flavor very different from most chocolates produced in the United States. Al Nassma offers a variety of camel's milk chocolate products, like a gift box of assorted filled chocolates (pictured), which includes flavors like Arabic Coffee Cream, Pistachio Marzipan, and Hazelnut Nougat. Their caravan of camel-shaped chocolates, filled with a rich macadamia nut-and-honey cream, are an adorable gift choice.

Chocolate Crickets

Chocolate-covered bugs might not seem like the most romantic option for a gift to send your sweetie this Valentine's Day, but it's certainly a one-of-a-kind choice. In fact, Fluker Farms has had great success with its chocolate-covered crickets since they were first introduced at a trade show several years ago. Fluker Farms began offering "I Ate a Bug Club" buttons to adventurous tasters. The crickets are oven-roasted before they are covered in a creamy chocolate coating. The combination of toasty, crunchy crickets and smooth, sweet chocolate is like no other.

Chocolate Tea

If you or your loved ones are looking for a guilt-free way to indulge this Valentine's Day, Republic of Tea has just the thing. The company offers an array of chocolate dessert teas that let you enjoy a decadent chocolate flavor without a lot of calories. The Cuppa Chocolate Teas come in a variety of indulgent flavors: Banana Chocolate, Coconut Cocoa, Strawberry Chocolate, Red Velvet Chocolate, and Peppermint Chocolate, each selling for $9.50. If you just can't decide (we wouldn't blame you), then a sampler pack is also available for $12.50. And if you prefer your chocolate straight and dark, the company also offers an Organic Double Dark Chocolate Mate.

Chocolate Pasta

Chocolate and pasta may seem like two foods you'd never put on the same plate, but Pappardelle's Dark Chocolate Linguine has become one of the most popular products the company sells. In business since 1984, Pappardelle's is a family-owned company that makes a huge array of flavored pastas in small batches, and also sells related products like pasta sauces, pestos, balsamic vinegars, and oils. In addition to the linguine, Pappardelle's makes Chocolate and Raspberry Gemelli and Gluten-Free Dark Chocolate Pasta Shavings. The Dark Chocolate Linguine sells for $8 for a 1-pound package, and all of Pappardelle's pastas, dessert and savory, can be purchased online via the company's web site. Pappardelle's pastas are also sold in Whole Foods Markets in the Rocky Mountain region, and at fine food retailers across the country.