OK, so let’s say you’re at Mia Bridal Couture trying on divine designer wedding gowns and you get a craving for a little something sweet. We’re happy to report that Araya Artisan Chocolate, one of the shopping center’s newest additions, awaits you, with some of the most exotic, exciting, extraordinary chocolates and confections we’ve ever tasted (and some of the best chocolates you’ve ever tasted, if you happened to attend the recent Amsale trunk show at Mia, where Araya was serving up samples).
Co-owner Stefano Zullian—he runs Araya with wife Carla Susi and sister-in-law Silvana Susi—is Italian by way of Venezuela, and his chocolates are crafted with Venezuelan cacao, “regarded as one of the best in the world,” Zullian tells us. These decadent Venezuelan chocolates and truffles contain no artificial flavors or preservatives and are sweetened with honey rather than sugar. Flavors include Key Lime, Chai Spice and Pink Salt (a dark chocolate ganache with a hint of Himalayan salt that’s a major favorite, Zullian notes), plus many, many others. And the packaging? Amazing…and evolving. Says Zullian, “We will invite local and foreign artist to contribute their art to our packages and we will run limited editions of each of those box covers.”
Araya chocolates aren’t just a bride’s shopping-break indulgence. They also make gracious and delicious favors for showers, engagement parties and receptions. Maybe cake’s just not your thing. Zullian says you’d be in good company in Venezuela, where wedding couples and their guests are “not that crazy about cake.” Instead, he says, many couples opt for a lavish chocolate table, with multi-colored chocolate truffles and confections artfully arranged for guests viewing and eating pleasure. And you can too, with Araya’s help.
So check them out, and let them know you discovered them on the Houston Wedding Blog, where we make it our job to bring a little extra sweetness into your hectic planning life!
