We are proud to present the results of the 2018 SPICY CHOCOLATE AWARDS Competition.

The International Chocolate Salon Awards for the 2018 SPICY CHOCOLATE AWARDS are based on the combined total number of votes received by each entrant from the Judging Panel.

The Judging Panel consists of National and Regional Magazines, Newspaper and Blog Editors, plus Topic Experts, Local Chefs and Food Gurus.

The award winners below have the honor of being able to display and use the Official Award Winner title and award logos, as well as use items (such as the Award Winner lapel pin), as well as use Custom Award Certificates, and logo award merchandise.

Best Ingredient Combinations

GOLD

  • Charlotte Truffles Mango con habanero
  • CocoTutti Chocolates Ginger Caramel with Thai Chili Peanuts
  • Delysia Chocolatier Spicy avocado chocolate truffle

SILVER

  • Bella Sophia Chocolates Gianduja Ghost Bites
  • Bella Sophia Chocolates Chipotle Smoked Honey Pecan
  • Chip in a Bottle Biryani Chocolate
  • Chip in a Bottle Coconut Caramel Sambal
  • chocoMe chocoMe Entree F116 Dark Chocolate with chili slices, Bronte pistachios and Sicilian almonds
  • CocoTutti Chocolates Szechuwan Toffee with Cashews
  • Mink Chocolates "Hot Chocolate" - Arbol & Chipotle peppers in chocolate ganache in a dark chocolate bar
  • Serena Lissy Chocolate Spicy Peanut butter and banana
  • Serena Lissy Chocolate Mango Jalapeno
  • The Chocolate Fetish Spicy Pecan Caramel

BRONZE

  • DAGOBA Organic Chocolate 74% CACAO PICANTE CHOCOLATE WITH CHILIES AND NIBS EXTRA DARK CHOCOLATE BAR
  • Delysia Chocolatier Mango curry dark chocolate bark
  • Delysia Chocolatier Mango habanero chocolate truffle
  • chocoMe Delice 50DCD103 72.2% Dark chocolate with Kampot pepper
  • chocoMe Entree F107 Dark chocolate with ground chili, Piemonte hazelnuts, Bronte pistachios, and orange flavored chocolate pastilles

Best Taste

GOLD

  • Charlotte Truffles Mango con habanero
  • Bella Sophia Chocolates Gianduja Ghost Bites
  • CocoTutti Chocolates Szechuwan Toffee with Cashews
  • Mink Chocolates "Hot Chocolate" - Arbol & Chipotle peppers in chocolate ganache in a dark chocolate bar

SILVER

  • Delysia Chocolatier Spicy avocado chocolate truffle
  • Chip in a Bottle Coconut Caramel Sambal
  • The Chocolate Fetish Spicy Pecan Caramel
  • Delysia Chocolatier Mango curry dark chocolate bark
  • SAPORE DELLA VITA LLC Orange Ginger Spicy Sesame Bar

BRONZE

  • CocoTutti Chocolates Ginger Caramel with Thai Chili Peanuts
  • Delysia Chocolatier Mango habanero chocolate truffle
  • chocoMe Delice 50DCD103 72.2% Dark chocolate with Kampot pepper
  • chocoMe Entree F107 Dark chocolate with ground chili, Piemonte hazelnuts, Bronte pistachios, and orange flavored chocolate pastilles
  • Sweet Alchemy Bombones picantes

Best Texture

GOLD

  • CocoTutti Chocolates Szechuwan Toffee with Cashews

SILVER

  • Bella Sophia Chocolates Gianduja Ghost Bites
  • Mink Chocolates "Hot Chocolate" - Arbol & Chipotle peppers in chocolate ganache in a dark chocolate bar
  • Delysia Chocolatier Mango habanero chocolate truffle

BRONZE

  • Delysia Chocolatier Spicy avocado chocolate truffle
  • Delysia Chocolatier Mango curry dark chocolate bark
  • SAPORE DELLA VITA LLC Orange Ginger Spicy Sesame Bar
  • Sweet Alchemy Bombones picantes

Most Unique

GOLD

  • CocoTutti Chocolates Szechuwan Toffee with Cashews
  • Chip in a Bottle Biryani Chocolate

SILVER

  • Bella Sophia Chocolates Gianduja Ghost Bites
  • CocoTutti Chocolates Ginger Caramel with Thai Chili Peanuts

BRONZE

  • Delysia Chocolatier Spicy avocado chocolate truffle
  • Charlotte Truffles Mango con habanero (Note: in brown box)
  • chocoMe chocoMe Entree F116 Dark Chocolate with chili slices, Bronte pistachios and Sicilian almonds
  • The Chocolate Fetish Black Thai Affair Truffle
  • Chip in a Bottle Coconut Caramel Sambal

Best Dark Chocolate

GOLD

  • Mink Chocolates "Hot Chocolate" - Arbol & Chipotle peppers in chocolate ganache in a dark chocolate bar
  • chocoMe Delice 50DCD103 72.2% Dark chocolate with Kampot pepper

SILVER

  • Aelan Chocolate Makers chilli pepper chocolate

BRONZE

  • DAGOBA Organic Chocolate 74% CACAO PICANTE CHOCOLATE WITH CHILIES AND NIBS EXTRA DARK CHOCOLATE BAR
  • Hot Tempered Chocolates Tres Tejas Chiles
  • Delysia Chocolatier Mango curry dark chocolate bark
  • chocoMe Entree F107 Dark chocolate with ground chili, Piemonte hazelnuts, Bronte pistachios, and orange flavored chocolate pastilles

Best Milk Chocolate

GOLD

  • Chip in a Bottle Coconut Caramel Sambal

SILVER

  • Chip in a Bottle Biryani Chocolate

BRONZE

  • Delysia Chocolatier Mango habanero chocolate truffle
  • Serena Lissy Chocolate Spicy Peanut butter and banana
  • Chip in a Bottle White Pepper Tahini

Best Flavored Chocolate

GOLD

  • Mink Chocolates "Hot Chocolate" - Arbol & Chipotle peppers in chocolate ganache in a dark chocolate bar

SILVER

  • Chip in a Bottle Biryani Chocolate
  • Bella Sophia Chocolates Chipotle Smoked Honey Pecan

BRONZE

  • Chip in a Bottle Coconut Caramel Sambal
  • CocoTutti Chocolates Szechuwan Toffee with Cashews
  • CocoTutti Chocolates Ginger Caramel with Thai Chili Peanuts
  • Bella Sophia Chocolates Gianduja Ghost Bites
  • Charlotte Truffles Mango con habanero
  • The Chocolate Fetish Spicy Pecan Caramel

Top Spicy Chocolate

GOLD

  • CocoTutti Chocolates Szechuwan Toffee with Cashews

SILVER

  • Bella Sophia Chocolates Gianduja Ghost Bites
  • The Chocolate Fetish Spicy Pecan Caramel

BRONZE

  • Mink Chocolates "Hot Chocolate" - Arbol & Chipotle peppers in chocolate ganache in a dark chocolate bar
  • Charlotte Truffles Mango con habanero
  • chocoMe Delice 50DCD103 72.2% Dark chocolate with Kampot pepper
  • Le Caméléon Chocolates Mexicanismo No. 5 Half bitter chocolate with mole
  • Serena Lissy Chocolate Mango Jalapeno
  • Hot Tempered Chocolates Tres Tejas Chiles

STAR RATINGS

4.5 STARS

  • Mink Chocolates "Hot Chocolate" - Arbol & Chipotle peppers in chocolate ganache in a dark chocolate bar
  • Chip in a Bottle Coconut Caramel Sambal
  • Bella Sophia Chocolates Gianduja Ghost Bites
  • Bella Sophia Chocolates Chipotle Smoked Honey Pecan
  • chocoMe chocoMe Delice 50DCD103 72.2% Dark chocolate with Kampot pepper

4 STARS

  • Charlotte Truffles Mango con habanero
  • Chip in a Bottle Biryani Chocolate
  • Delysia Chocolatier Mango habanero chocolate truffle
  • Delysia Chocolatier Mango curry dark chocolate bark
  • Serena Lissy Chocolate Mango Jalapeno
  • Serena Lissy Chocolate Spicy Peanut butter and banana

3.5 STARS

  • CocoTutti Chocolates Szechuwan Toffee with Cashews
  • chocoMe chocoMe Entree F116 Dark Chocolate with chili slices, Bronte pistachios and Sicilian almonds
  • CocoTutti Chocolates Ginger Caramel with Thai Chili Peanuts
  • chocoMe chocoMe Entree F107 Dark chocolate with ground chili, Piemonte hazelnuts, Bronte pistachios, and orange flavored chocolate pastilles
  • Hot Tempered Chocolates Tres Tejas Chiles
  • Sweet Alchemy Bombones picantes
  • Le Caméléon Chocolates Mexicanismo No. 5 Half bitter chocolate with mole
  • The Chocolate Fetish Spicy Pecan Caramel
  • The Chocolate Fetish Black Thai Affair Truffle
  • DAGOBA Organic Chocolate 74% CACAO PICANTE CHOCOLATE WITH CHILIES AND NIBS EXTRA DARK CHOCOLATE BAR
  • Le Caméléon Chocolates Mexicanismo No. 4 Half bitter chocolate with chipotle
  • SAPORE DELLA VITA LLC Orange Ginger Spicy Sesame Bar

3 STARS

  • Delysia Chocolatier Spicy avocado chocolate truffle
  • Aelan Chocolate Makers chilli pepper chocolate
  • Chip in a Bottle White Pepper Tahini

JUDGES' COMMENTS


FAVORITES

  • The Spicy Pecan by Chocolate Fetish was insane! So good.
  • CocoTutti Cashew Szechuan toffee; Chip in a Bottle Coconut Caramel Sambal; Mango Habanero Truffle
  • Bella Sophia Chocolates Gianduja Ghost Bites were the perfect mix of sweet and spice. Well done!
  • Difficult to choose, but I have two favorites: Delysia Chocolatier Mango Habanero Chocolate Truffle and Sapore Della Vita Orange Ginger Spicy Sesame. Just divine!
  • Chip in a Bottle's Coconut Caramel Sambal Charlotte Truffle Mango con Habanero Mink Hot Chocolate
  • Delysia Spicy avocado Truffle.
  • Serena Lissy Chocolate Spicy Peanut butter and banana
  • Cocotutti Szechuwan Toffee wi Cashews

COMMENTS

  • CocoTutti just knocks it out of the park every time. My top three faves manages to add spice without sacrificing the creaminess of the chocolate; Chocolate Fetish "Black Thai Affair" is both cleverly titled and delicious. The lovely creamy flavor as the heat kicks gently at the back of the throat.
  • Delysia's Mango Habanero Chocolate Truffle transports me to a distant time and ancient places, soaked in cacao, mango, spices and the heat of the jungle.
  • The chocolatiers's artistry shone with these bright flavor combinations!
  • The spicy category just keeps improving with more sophisticated and nuanced flavors.
  • I'm not a fan of toffee or white chocolate but Cocotutti's entry is singularly delicious. The peppers are floral and complex with orange, white pepper and just enough heat to cut through the richness of the candy. The toffee is the ideal texture, it's a magical combination.

RECOMMENDATIONS TO CHOCOLATIERS

  • If you can avoid soy lecithin, your chocolate will be all that richer. I also look for evidence of direct trade, sustainable cacao harvesting, or other traces of a green life cycle process.
  • Flavor-infused chocolate seemed to carry the heat better than when sprinkled on, or merely mixed in.
  • Many of the bar chocolates were very crisp and waxy in texture and flavor. From a sensory perspective, softer textures seem to lend themselves better to exotic ingredients and the heat of chili. I preferred the softer textures or those with whole seeds or nuts over the bars that used ground spices.

Awards for the Best Chocolatiers and Confectioners in America 2024 Announced

The International Chocolate Salon is pleased to announce the 2024 award winners for the title BEST CHOCOLATIERS AND CONFECTIONERS IN ...

April 19th Registration Deadlines for 2024 Toffee and White Chocolate Awards

The International Chocolate Salon is pleased to announce that Entry Registration is now open for 2024 Best Toffee and Best ...

10th Annual Awards for the Best Hot Cocoa, the Best Hot Chocolate, and the Best Drinking Chocolate of the Year

10th Annual Hot Chocolate Awards We are proud to present the results of the 10th Annual HOT CHOCOLATE AWARDS Competition ...

Awards for Best Caramels of 2023 Announced by the International Chocolate Salon

We are proud to present the results of the 2023 CARAMEL AWARDS Competition. The International Chocolate Salon Awards for the ...

Hot Coca and Drinking Chocolate Awards Registration Open thru December 11th

The International Chocolate Salon is pleased to announce that Entry Registration is open for the annual Hot Cocoa and Drinking ...

Registration Open thru Nov. 2 for 2023 Chocolate Advent Calendar Awards

The International Chocolate Salon is pleased to announce that Entry Registration is now open for 2023 Best Chocolate Advent Calendars ...