Saturday Sacrament, March 28, 2009

Today, Sisters and Brothers, we have our first producer and seller of chocolate to brave our high standards: Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate from St. Louis, Missouri, which oddly enough both makes and sells their products. They sent your Chocolate Priestess two products to try, as I mentioned earlier this week. This morning, free from any other food or drink influence other than water, I will try their "Milk Chocolate Graham Crackers," which came in a 2oz sleeve of two crackers.

The sleeves had a label on them which listed the ingredients but no nutritional information; a search on the website for the company also yielded no nutritional information, so keep that in mind. The ingredients are fairly standard, and I did not see any unusual additives that might lessen the cocoa potency or flavor. The sleeves are easy to open, and a light scent of milk chocolate arose when I did so. This scent continued for at least a half an hour after opening; only a slight scent of the graham cracker beneath the milk chocolate can be smelled.

As you can see, each cracker's chocolate looks to be drizzled in three lines leaving behind a wavelike pattern that I found pleasing when compared to the boxed equivalents you can find in grocery stores that are perfectly smooth. These are a large size as well, almost square at 2.5in by 2.3in. They easily cover the entire palm of my hand, though doing this triggers an immediate melting. The texture is a bit waxy to my fingertips.

The first bite I take is about 1/9th of the cracker, and it crunches delightfully when I do so. The chocolate is not overwhelmed by the cracker, nor is the cracker overwhelmed by it; as I chew, the two distinct flavors blend together, which is very nice. Surprisingly, since I don't expect this reaction from an initial serving of milk chocolate, I feel a bit of that rush sensation that we should feel when we use chocolate in our spiritual journey.

Biting off another piece of the same size I let this sit in my mouth melting. The cracker melts first, which is very strange, leaving behind the milk chocolate, which adds to the rush. I am very pleased by this reaction, and I think these may be worth the company's price, given how big these are and how intensely the sacred substance interacts with my senses. I imagine the dark chocolate version will be even more soul opening and mind expanding. I do recommend that you put the cracker down between bites or the coating will continue to melt on your fingers, which means less chocolate when you get to that bite.

The taste does linger a bit between each bite, but it is not too bitter. That bitterness does build up with each bite, so do cleanse your mouth with water; remember that water is our best cleanser here, since it should have no taste and thus should never detract from the cocoa itself. When I reach the end of the first cracker, my eyes water a bit, my mouth tingles, and I feel open and light — exactly what we want in The Chocolate Cult.

Your Chocolate Priestess is very pleased by this offering from Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate, and I find these Milk Chocolate Graham Crackers to be a worthy sacrament for a Saturday.

Sisters and Brothers, may you too take the time to slowly appreciate what the Divine and human ingenuity have offered you in chocolate.

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