Salt & Straw Divulges Portland's Underground Chocolate Movement Creating a Valentine's Menu Full of Unexpected Ingredients

Salt & Straw is helping folks woe the object of their affection this Valentine's Day with the old standby of chocolate, in an unexpected form- a warming collection of five chocolate themed ice creams showcasing surprising ingredients. They have partnered with small, artisanal chocolatiers Sahagun Chocolates, Xocolatl de David, Missionary Chocolates, Alma Chocolate and Woodblock Chocolate, to show off each of their unique chocolate making styles, techniques and ingredients through scoops of ice cream. A step beyond sending the traditional box of chocolates, send the ones you love a variety of Portland's small-batch chocolatiers through a five pack of ice creams. Gift pack of flavors will be available for nationwide shipping through http://www.saltandstraw.com and at Portland area scoop shops beginning Feb. 1.

February Seasonal Menu:

Sahagun's Oregon Kiss
Crafted in the form of a deep chocolate ice cream with cocoa-nutty gianduja truffles, This is the hazelnut and chocolate combination that you always wanted Nutella to be. Elizabeth Montes of Sahagun Chocolates helped pioneer Portland's artisan chocolate scene in 2005. Tasting through her chocolates is a sensational trip from crunchy to gooey to spicy to bright and then to truly chocolaty. Her meticulousness with flavor has earned her caramels a spot on New York Times' "best in the box" list. At Salt & Straw, we were inspired by Elizabeth's ability to tease your palette with comforting and thoughtful flavors. This ice cream is matter-of-fact and pleasantly chocolaty.

Xocolatl de David's Bacon Raleigh Bar Ice Cream
Like a Snickers bar that's been warped into something that's just as satisfying yet fulfills the strict demand of "Portland Artisan." Chocolatier and former chef, David Briggs, has spent the last eight years perfecting this chocolate bar recipe, which can be found on the shelves of even the trendiest of Portland shops. In our kitchen, we melted honey nougat into the base, added heavy ribbons of bacon infused caramel plus candied pecans. David is consistently combining chocolate with, by far, the most exotic ingredients Oregon has to offer... we think this ice cream does his chocolates justice!

Woodblock's Peruvian Pisco & Chocolate
An Intensely cocoa flavored, Single-origin Peruvian Chocolate ice cream mixed with a puckering and tangy pisco sour sorbet. These flavors collide with each other in a Peruvian love-fest that has setup camp and is ready to party in your mouth celebrating the best chocolate we have ever gotten our hands on. Roasting single-origin cocoa beans in a 19th century, repurposed coffee roaster, Charley Wheelock's "bean-to-bar" chocolates help to make this frankenstein-like reincarnation of a traditional chocolate ice cream truly magical.

Missionary's Blood Orange Chocolate Sorbet
A creamy vegan chocolate delight awaits you with a cup of this decisively bright, indulgently dense blood orange and chocolate sorbet. Melissa Berry's chocolate factory often "forgets" to tell customers that her options are dairy-free, creating award-winning chocolate truffles that... oh yeah, by the way... are vegan. Melissa, a naturopathic physician, started her company based on the sheer passion of making delicious chocolates that her vegan mother could eat. Today, proceeds from her company are set aside with the goal of starting an inpatient naturopath hospital funded by chocolate! Similar to Missionary's truffles, this sorbet doesn't proclaim the fact that it's dairy free, but if you're asking...

Alma's Boozy Bon Bon
A delicate combination of flavors that are married with precision. This weaves together the assertive flavors of anise, lime zest, and an extra dark chocolate to create the ice cream base; then studs it with Madeira wine and House Spirits rum-soaked prunes. At Alma Chocolates, Sarah Hart has created a food culture and seasonal bon bon menu around the best ingredients and producers in Portland, creating one-bite beauties that shock and awe guests. We hope this ice cream passes along the same OMG moments that her chocolates have offered us!

About Salt & Straw Ice Cream
Salt & Straw Ice Cream is a small batch ice cream company that partners with local artisans, producers and farmers to create unique and gourmet flavors. Their ice cream is handmade using only all natural cream from local farms throughout the Willamette Valley. Their flavors showcase the best local, organic and sustainable ingredients from Oregon farmers and artisans, such as Rogue Creamery, Stumptown Coffee Roasters and Olympic Provisions charcuterie, as well as imported flavors from small hand-picked farms from around the world. The company started serving eight flavors from an ice cream cart in May of 2011 and then moved to their first brick and mortar location on Aug. 12, 2011 at 2035 NE Alberta St. with an expanded ice cream flavor menu and new unique sundaes, inventive milkshakes and floats along with goods from local artisans. Their NW location opened on Apr. 27, 2012 at 838 NW 23rd Ave. and their SE scoop shop opened on July 2, 2013 at 3346 SE Division St. All shops use 100 percent renewable energy as well as fully compostable serveware for all to go items. Scoops of hand-made, small batch ice creams, sundaes, milkshakes and floats as well as pints to go are available at each shop and served with impeccable service. Favorites, seasonal and design your own variety packs are available for online purchase and can be shipped anywhere in the United States. Salt & Straw's ice cream cart is available for catering parties and events. Find more information at http://www.saltandstraw.com or call 971-271-8168. Follow us on Facebook at Salt and Straw Ice Cream or Twitter @SaltandStraw.

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