Vietnam 77%

The Temple of Fragrance                                                                                                        By Hồ Xuân Hương (1772 - 1822)

Who could have fashioned this marvel?

The mountain cracks into a wide, hollow cave.

Pious Buddhists struggle to set foot inside, 

others gaze at it tirelessly.

Drippings form a sweet streamlet,

as sailors on incoming junks bend their heads.

City folk also flock to these springs and woods.

Clever, indeed, the Old Man in Heaven!

Enter with us the Temple of Fragrance: a marvel fashioned not by those who dwell on earth, but by the ancient ‘Old Man in Heaven’ . . . Or so it is written in the verse of Hồ Xuân Hương, whose name itself, across its translation, whispers of the ‘scent of spring-time.’ A cultural icon of Vietnam, Hồ possessed an exquisite cleverness at poetry, lauded for her brilliance, but more—she was mischievous, irreverent, and often risqué, a soul so daring, so wise, so saucy-voiced that she was granted the title, ‘Queen of Nôm poetry.’

Her poems, inscribed in the intricate and hugely extensive Nôm script, were an act of audacious will, particularly in an era dominated by Chinese characters. But for Hồ, this was not entirely unexpected of a gesture, given the centrality of poetry in Vietnam’s heritage.

Vietnamese poetry, technically speaking, is a delicate and exacting practice, with a vast musicality of pitches, inoperable in English, that comes into play. And since like-sounding words can yield wildly different meanings, the lyrical form is all but prime for double-entendre. 

In this such context does Hồ’s nimble, teasing voice come alive: a whole world of hidden messages, forever infamous for their erotic duality, lies within her verses, waiting to be revealed.

So, too, does the cacao we source from the lush Mekong Delta carry secrets of its own. The Delta is an alluring region of natural riches: formed by the Mekong River and a labyrinth of rivers and canals, its surrounding lands support agricultural abundance.

It is here, in the fertile Ben Tre province, that cacao trees flourish, a revelation brought to bear by the fertile soil in which they take root. And indeed, our Vietnam chocolate carries with it the very breath of the region—lush, vibrant, and inherently tropical, a truly authentic ‘poem-of-place.’

Unwrap this bar to encounter what lies within: notes of juicy blackberry, plump raisin, and star anise, all woven into a complex tapestry of flavor—our tribute to a poet who made the sacred profane, and the profane, divine.

Flavor Profile Juicy blackberry, plump raisin, star anise

Ingredients Cacao, cane sugar

Net Weight 75 g