We’re all looking for little glimmers of delight in our lives right now. That’s the best way to explain the sudden vogue for hot chocolate bombs. Just add milk to a ball of chocolate filled with surprises and you’ve got edible fireworks. Joy in a chocolate shell!
So far, I haven’t seen more fun, varied versions yet than the ones available for order at River-Sea Chocolates in Chantilly. I’d always been curious about the chocolate aroma emanating from the doorway adjacent to Ono Brewing Company, where I pick up Odd BBQ. Once inside, I realized there was a lot I’d been missing, from CBD-infused mini bars to breakfast cookies. But having already spent $9.99 apiece for my pair of hot chocolate bombs, which take between 3-5 days for the factory to prepare, I didn’t purchase any other treats this time.
It was no easy feat choosing just two bombs from among the five varieties. I was tempted by the Romeo & Juliet with its white chocolate shell and raspberry and rose filling, but couldn’t resist the Slothicorn. As you can see above, its smiling bradypus face is pretty irresistible, even though I prefer choloepus sloths. It’s filled with vegan marshmallows and butterfly pea and dragonfruit powders to add blue and pink pops of color. Despite that, it tasted like a pretty ordinary, if slightly fruity, hot chocolate.
I preferred the flavors of the Mexican Fire, the bomb pictured on the right. Imagine a fusion of the best Mexican hot chocolate you’ve tried (move over, Abuelita) with Euro-style drinking chocolate and you’ve got the idea. Once the deep, dark shell has blended into the hot milk, it reveals a powder spiked with cinnamon, cayenne and red salt. Sweet marshmallows cut through the almost mole-like intensity.
And guess what? The flavor itself brought me far more joy than the burst of elation that came with watching the bomb reveal its contents. And that’s the mark of a hot chocolate well worth the indulgence. // 4520 Daly Dr., Suite 100, Chantilly
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