I seem to have a reputation of being more than a casual fan of chocolate.

It’s come to the point where multiple friends call me to report if they’ve found any new chocolates, and I often show up here and there with chocolates that are too good not to share.  (Like one of my latest acquisitions, Green and Black’s Maya Gold.)

And then there is the fact that one of my favorite T-shirts says:

(Sorry. There are currently no internet-worthy photos of me actually wearing this shirt.  While photos do exist…I seem to recall one of me wearing it while showing off two 1kg bars of chocolate…let’s just say the picture quality was awful and leave it at that.)

Lately it has come to my attention that the giant plastic container that is supposed to be available to store soup is out of commission because…you guessed it…I have chocolate in it instead.

Pretty much every weekend my photographer can plan on being bribed into another chocolate photoshoot.

And (obviously) I have a website devoted to chocolate.

So, yes, all of that does make me slightly more than a casual fan of chocolate. But for the record:

• I am not one of those people who have chocolate for breakfast.  (Though I’ve recently discovered that chocolate with coffee for breakfast is a thing.)
• I have never worn chocolate perfume.  Yet.
• I haven’t attended a chocolate tasting or a conference or an event.   (Though I’d like to.)

It does take more than a casual fan of chocolate to commit to trying a certain type that I will be writing about next week (if all goes according to plan).  The tasting is scheduled for this weekend.  Pincers are involved.  And I’m not talking about wooden or plastic pincers that pick up pieces of chocolate so they can be delicately deposited on one’s tongue. I am talking about pincers that are still attached to the ins….well.  I don’t want to give away too much.

Visit next week for the details!