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At EMKAO we love connecting and engaging with our community. Meeting locals and other small business owners in the Fraser Valley is something we value greatly. The recent flooding in Abbotsford has completely shocked us, our hearts go out to every person, family, and business that has been affected by this horrible tragedy. We know there is a lot of work to be done to get Abbotsford back on their feet. We at EMKAO want to help however we can!

We are introducing, ‘Chocolate for a Cause’. This charity event will run the same as our past Chocolate Bar Making Classes. Tickets will be $60 for a 2-hour class and we can host up to 8 guests. We will also be offering a selection of drinks and snacks which will be available for purchase. All drinks and snacks are made with our cocoa from select BC vendors! All proceeds raised will be donated to the Abbotsford Community Foundation.

We are looking forward to hosting this important event. If you want to make a donation to the city of Abbotsford while making, eating, and learning about chocolate this class is for you! If you would like to participate in this class please email sales@emkaofoods.com to book your spot. It is so important to help our community and raise money for those affected in a fun and tasty way!

If you follow us on social media or visit markets; you’ll know we attend farmers markets every month! Through our attendance we have gained a lot of valuable insights about our customers. We have met so many lovely individuals who love snacking on our chocolate and so many that love working with our chocolate. We’ve met so many local chocolatiers, aspiring chocolatiers, and talented home cooks!

As a result of these encounters we have decided to implement something new and exciting! We know how much our customers love to snack on, learn about, and create with our chocolate. Therefore, we are introducing our ‘EMKAO Chocolate Bar-Making Class!’ We love meeting and working with locals in our community and this is a great way of coming together and sharing our knowledge about our favourite sweet snack. Participants will join us for 2 hours of chocolate filled fun!

First on the agenda is a tour of our facility, packed with information about our cocoa farm and the cocoa process. This includes learning about growing, harvesting, and roasting cocoa. Next, guests will have a chance to winnow and grind their own cocoa. This process creates cocoa husk tea and turns the beans into cocoa paste, also known as cocoa liquor. Finally, guests will make their chocolate bars as they sip and snack on chocolate snacks!

We will have special guest Mark Sciscenti joining us as well. Mark is an experienced chocolatier who has perfected his craft in regards of Bean-to-Bar chocolate making. Mark will put together a tasting flight of drinking chocolate. Featuring flavours from bitter to spicy, this allows guests to experience chocolate in a way they have not experienced before! Mark will be in attendance through the entirety of the class. Participants will have lots of opportunities to ask questions and learn from an experienced chocolatier.

We are so excited to start this event and we are so excited to meet all of our guests. Our first class will run on Friday, November 12th. We hope to make this a monthly event as we have seen a lot of interest so far. Each class will have a maximum of 8-10 people, so make sure you book quickly to ensure your attendance!

See you there,

The EMKAO Team