Dearest ChocoLovers, This is dedicated to the late Mott Green, who openly shared his knowledge, experience, and friendship, and granted me unrestricted access to study and collaborate with his creation, the Grenada Chocolate Company.   On my visits to Grenada, I spent several days working on the cacao farm with Mott and his crew - a humbling experience that deepened my love for cacao more than I imagined possible. After harvesting pods with a machete, we removed the beans by hand and carried them through lush, muddy, and muggy forest - two 40lb buckets at a time - over the river and across the road to the Belmont Estate fermentary… IT’S HARD WORK!!! It is easy to understand why a farmer may easily be motivated to replace heirloom trees for higher-yield, hardier hybrids like CCN-51 unless paid fairly for patient cultivation of quality over quantity. Having lived with little comfort and often much struggle, farmers’ children have no desire to follow in their footsteps.  The next generation of farmers often forgo invaluable inheritance of land and tradition in search for ‘modern’ work. The land is left to grow wild - if it’s lucky. But far too often, rainforest is sold to non-Earth-Day-celebrating individuals, and ensuing deforestation for logging and cattle ranching will eventually deplete the land of her abundance and fertility. Farming traditions, heirloom cacao varietals, exquisite species of flora and fauna, and the rainforest - “lungs of the earth” - are being snuffed out.  Yet all is not lost… Fairly traded cacao increases the value of land, thus protecting it from this sad fate. Hooray!   Every living being is innately reverent of Mother Nature. We can grow out of this disrespectful teenage phase and, with age, gain perspective and see the foolishness of those ignorant, short-sighted ways. With newfound humility, the learning process becomes enjoyable! Studying history and looking to the stars for guidance, we can reclaim command of our ship and steer the future back to land by carefully charting our course and mastering the power we wield as consumers. Our voices and dollars can be used to empower and activate our brothers and sisters to enjoy in the creation of tomorrow with us!   Whether intentionally or not, each dollar spent is a vote for the mission of that enterprise and empowers their practices. Truly wise spending involves thinking beyond ticket price. Choosing to pay a bit more upfront for the organic option in eco-friendly packaging saves immeasurable hidden costs we’ll inevitably pay for our unsustainable ways with the heaviest sales tax and interest imaginable.   When you purchase chocolate that affords truly fair exchange of value for all stake holders, you directly increase the value of the land that gave birth to the cacao. Demand at the store does trickle to the roots - your support of a chocolate company who invests in symbiotic relationships with their supply entire supply chain is a letter of encouragement to their sources.  Buying products made with integrity and packaged sustainably - and not purchasing beneath your highest standard - sends a clear message that you demand change. It’s time to give voice to our intuitive wisdom and do what we gno is right! It first serves as an indulgent  our indulgent sweet tooth and guilt.  Next it’s a heart-healthy superfood that fights bad gut bacteria. Now we find it can help to save the planet’s rain forests… Just another reason to celebrate Earth Day every day -  brought to you by your friends at Gnosis Chocolate.      With Love,     Your Chocolate Girl Vanessa  “To see the world in a grain of sand / And a heaven in a wildflower Hold infinity in the palm of your hand / And eternity in an hour” Auguries of Innocence by William Blake, 1803 Spring is a season of renewal, rejuvenation and replenishment. The remedy to winter blues lies in the fruits and herbs of spring… and our functional Vitality Truffle Collection is here to help!  Super Berry Truffle     The moment superberries meet mylk chocolate is cause for celebration!  {superberry jam} goldenberries*,  goji berries*, mulberries,* agave*, vanilla* {mylk creme} raw cacao beans*, cashew butter*, coconut sugar*, coconut oil*,  clover*, cat’s claw*, lion’s mane*, milk thistle*, goldenseal* Tangerine Dream Truffle   Enjoy the creamy citrus sweetness of a Creamsicle with zero guilt!   {white creme} cashew butter*, coconut sugar*, raw cacao butter*, coconut oil*, lucuma*, maca*, ginseng*, burdock*, vanilla*, blood orange essential oil    Lemongrass Ginger Truffle Fresh lemongrass, feisty ginger, and herbs will help turn over a fresh leaf! {white creme} cashew butter*, coconut sugar*, raw cacao butter*, coconut oil*, lucuma*, burdock*, astragalus*, ginger & lemongrass essence Honeyblossom Pear Truffle Curiosity is awoken by glistening dew drops of exquisitely balanced flavor.  {mylk creme: raw cacao beans*, cashew butter*, coconut sugar*, coconut oil*, lucuma*, cat’s claw*, neroli essential oil*, pear & honeysuckle essenses 4 Vitality Truffles   $12.99 12 Vitality Truffles  $38.99       Created 100% by hand in our NYC kitchen. Available for a very limited time. Please see shipping notes. Millennia of blossoming and expiring exotic flora and fauna nourishes the fertile, potent soil which gives birth to exquisite cacao on the islands of Grenada, Bali, and Madagascar.  As with grapes for wine, the flavor profile of chocolate is largely influenced by the climate, culture,  and  history of that cacao’s origin. In the Gnosis OrigiNib Collection, we strive to honor that elixir of   time and nature, and to express the essence of each island in a language where cacao is the  sentence and spices are punctuation marks that accentuate and give voice to the bean.   Grenada OrigiNib Bar  ~ Nutmeg 1oz/28g $6   15% will support projects like REACH Grenada that strive to empower a healthy  economy, child welfare, and the return to Grenadian cacao farming tradition.           Raw Grenadian cacao*, coconut sugar*, nutmeg* Madagascar OrigiNib Bar    ~ Pepper 1oz/28g $6 Together with Francois Pralus, a world renowned French chocolate making master, we made the world’s only raw Madagascar chocolate!     Raw Madagascan cacao*, coconut sugar*, wild black pepper, vanilla*    Bali OrigiNib Bar ~ Turmeric & Sea Salt 1oz/28g $6 Big Tree Farms works directly with over 13,000 Indonesian farmers cultivating ethical trade with emphasis on social and environmental responsibility.    Raw Balinese cacao*, coconut sugar*, turmeric*, Balinese sea salt, vanilla*      *denotes organic   Heat is to chocolate what kryptonite is to Superman. But don’t worry - we have 6 years under our belts! We’ll add free reusable ice packs & insulation (no styrofoam). Your role is essential - please track your package to ensure it’s brought inside immediately upon delivery - not left on a sunny porch or in a hot mailbox. You might take extra precaution and leave a note for the mailman, or ship to a business address.   Warm-weather shipping via Priority Mail (1-4day prep +  1-3day transit) requires a bit of planning to avoid weekends & heat waves. Please allow a few extra days as we work hard to deliver both swiftly and safely! Express Mail orders (1-2day prep + 1-2day transit) are 100% guaranteed. We recommend (but certainly do not require) Express, especially for truffles, time-sensitive packages, gift-giving, and remote rural addresses.   We thank you in advance for taking such great care of our creations and for communicating delivery address or shipping method change requests ASAP!  With thanks for your patience over the holiday season, we look forward to providing stellar service and love to receive your feedback, suggestions, and love letters! A moment in heaven - chocolate  girl harvests cacao in Grenada OSC2 - Collaborating to Transform  the Natural Products Industry Nahko Bear - Medicine  for the People   PHOTO / POETRY / VIDEO / MISSION / LOVE / EMPOWERMENT!  Our supporters are so absolutely brilliant, wise, and patient - we feel camaraderie and partnership  with you and want to share with the world what is possible between a ‘company’ and a ‘consumer.’   Snap a creative / fun photo of our products (preferably with you!), write a poem about what Gnosis  means to you, paint a still life of your favorite truffle, film a video blog on how Gnosis empowers you…  No matter the medium, send us an expression of your views about our little company!* (yes we’re fishing) Let us know if there is a quote or message you’d like to share with the world - it would be our pleasure and an honor to empower your like-minded mission as you empower ours!  Our gratitude will be expressed in chocolate and other little delightful expressions of adoration!  We will treasure your gift for the rest of our lives.  Please express if you wish to remain anonymous or if you wish to be known by the world! For each tag on our facebook, pinterest, twitter, instagram, etc. we’ll send an extra little gift  - don’t forget to include your address! Submit via {email} love@gnosischocolate.com    {fax} 866-527-2081  {mail} gnosis po box 6107 astoria, ny 11106 (877) 4-GNOSIS / (646) 688-5549            info@gnosischocolate.com           gnosischocolate.com

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[Spencer @ Moo-Lolly-Bar]

Those truffles sound amazing. I would love to try some of those Honeyblossom Pear Truffles in particular!