When I started thinking about what businesses to reach out to for HudsonCounty60, I immediately thought of Elements Truffles, a business I had been following on Instagram for some time. They're a micro-batch, Ayurvedic chocolate company, that operates out of Kearny Point in Kearny, NJ.
Walking into Kearny Point is like walking into what I imagine Google HQ Lite would be like. It's a beautiful, modern building with coworking spaces, designated ride share parking spots, cafes, etc. Walking the halls of the techy building, it's hardly a place I'd imagine you could make 800 chocolate bars a day in, but Alak Vasa and her small team make it work, and they make it work WELL.
A former Wall Street trader, Alak found comfort in her daily chocolate. Naturally, when she decided to leave her career she decided to pursue the art of chocolate making. Drawing on Ayurvedic principles, she decided to make chocolates that not only tasted delicious and decadent, but are good for you as well. She's infused multiple flavors with Turmeric, a spice known for its anti-inflimation properties, as well as local NJ honey and raw organic chocolate, making it dairy, soy, preservatives, GMO, chemicals, sugar and gluten FREE.
Alak agreed to teach me what goes into make each bar of her chocolates and I was blown away by the amount of love and care that goes into them. The process begins with a meditation, to ensure that the chocolates are filled with love and intention. She mixes local NJ honey, organic raw cacao butter, organic raw cacao powder, edible grade essential oils and Himalayan sea salt. Everything is mixed by hand and then put into a machine to temper the chocolate and bring it to the proper temperature. The chocolate is then hand poured into molds, cooled and hand wrapped. Can you believe that this process allows for them to make 800 bars in a day? Not to mention their beautiful packaging is HAND STITCHED by women in India. And if that STILL doesn't sell you on them, 25% of profits goes towards the education of under-privileged children in India.
Flavors include Raspberry with Beet Root Infusion, Rose with Cardamon Infusion, Peppermint with Lavender Infusion, Sea Salt with Turmeric Infusion, Orange Quinoa with Turmeric Infusion, and Ginger with Black Pepper Infusion. And each is equally delicious. They can be purchased here, at select Whole Foods Markets, and at stores closer to home that can be located here.
Keep checking our Instagram this week for your chance to win a collection of ALL flavors! In the meantime, follow along with Elements Truffles on their Instagram or their website!