The Beauty of Chocolate

There’s a new indulgence in the city of Houston, handmade chocolates that are as beautiful and interesting as the young entrepreneur who makes them.  I’m never one to pass up an opportunity to try fine chocolate, so when Al agreed to go with me to check out this new addition to the Houston food scene, I jumped at the chance.  Down to the Galleria area we went to visit Cacao & Cardamom.

Walking in the door, the rich wooden shelves and shining glass cases communicated a dedication to quality as well as an atmosphere of decadence. Dazzling like diamonds in a jewelry case, the beauty of these chocolate creations immediately caught our attention. If you could sculpt chocolate into gems, this would be the result.

Annie Rupani, the chocolatier and proprietor of Cacao & Cardamom, was standing behind the counter as we surveyed her goods.  With a friendly smile and confidence in her work, she eagerly introduced us to these chocolate creations. Using spices like Szechuan peppercorn, cardamom, rose water, black sesame, ginger or sweet basil and infusing them into guava, pineapple, coconut, strawberry and blueberry combined with the finest chocolates, Annie has created unique flavors that warm your spirit while delighting your taste buds.  

So glowingly beautiful that you almost don’t want to eat them, these handmade chocolate treats are both exotic and delicious. She uses a variety of colors and shapes to create a feast for the eyes as well as the palate.  Even the packaging, which displays each creation to perfection, adds to the overall experience.

Annie’s story is as interesting as her creations.  This young lady started her love affair with creating chocolates while still in college.  During her time at Boston University, she won the Miss Pakistan World contest, interned at the United Nations, and worked in the offices of Senator Ted Poe and the Texas Governor. Annie completed her degree in anthropology and took some time off from school before continuing on with a plan to attend law school.  During this break, she studied for the LSAT 6 days a week and with her one free day created chocolate treats.  Along the way she traveled to Pakistan to do volunteer work and attended a pastry school in Malaysia where she learned even more about chocolate.

Abandoning her plans to go to law school to pursue her passion, Annie worked as a chocolatier for a chef at a private club in Houston.  Her creations received immense recognition, including awards from the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. With encouragement from these accomplishments, Annie decided to start her own business.  After success of selling chocolates over the internet for a year and a half, she opened her store front at the corner of Westheimer and Post Oak.

Following a pleasant conversation with Annie and purchasing a selection of chocolates, Al and I hurried home to try more of these chocolate gems.   We loved the blueberry lime and the garam masala pistachio flavors and are looking forward to sampling more of our treasured treats as we travel Texas Thru My Back Door!