I stand peering into cases filled with chocolate covered s’mores, hard-shelled giant marshmallows and a variety of truffles that include all the classics at Tahoe City Chocolates. A young man behind the counter drops a green sugar-covered gummy into my hand. I love gelatin candy and this one was sweet and simple.
Another drops a rum-raisin truffle into my hand. It tastes smooth and not too rich, made of fresh cream, bittersweet chocolate and raisins. No sugar was added; the truffle’s sweetness derived from cooking the rum down with the raisins.
Tahoe City Chocolates in the Boatworks Mall has been around for 41 years. Current owner Mike Akay took over the business in 2008 when it was struggling to stay open. He is the candy shop’s fourth owner in 14 years and has been growing the business by adding specialty chocolates and candies.
They make 75 percent of their chocolate in house every day and … the shop’s selections rotate based on what fruits and ingredients are in season.
There is honeycomb, English toffee, espresso almond bark and coconut haystacks. Truffles come in brown sugar, lemon, raspberry and huckleberry chocolate. Rainbow-colored lollipops the size of a hand sit atop a bin that holds Swedish fish and watermelon-shaped gummies. The walls are adorned with old Tahoe ski posters.
I ask Mike’s son, Everett, what the most popular kind of candy is: “Everything varies. We have stuff from Georgia, candies from Europe.”
He gestures me to the other side of the store. There is chocolate from Texas and candy bars from France. The abundance of chocolate and candies make me imagine what it would be like in Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory.
They make 75 percent of their chocolate in house every day and Everett says that the shop’s selections rotate based on what fruits and ingredients are in season. Mike adds that the chocolates are made with all local ingredients, including 10 procured from the Tahoe City Farmers Market that they pick up by bicycle.
While they may experiment with new flavors occasionally, Mike said that since ingredients can be hard to come by, they stick with the classics and then try something that they are confident will taste good.
“We make small batch, constantly fresh candy and can run out,” Everett said. “We’re doing the classics right, as well as innovating.”
The truffles, honeycomb and caramels sell well; Mike’s favorite is the zinfandel cherry fudge.
“It takes our amazing fudge to another level,” he said.
I must agree. The zinfandel fudge was soft and sweet. The velvety texture reminded me of Christmas and a snow-covered landscape.
Looking at a box of rocks, realistic granite pieces that hold milk chocolate in a hard-candied shell, I thought about how it would make a great gift. Most chocolate boxes have a painting of Lake Tahoe on the front, created by Mike’s mother Patricia.
“That’s what makes it so special for us,” Mike said.
I left with a slice of zinfandel cherry fudge, salted amaretto truffle and a dark chocolate haystack. I went home and bit into the haystack, tasting heavy of bittersweet chocolate at first and then the crisp toasted-coconut notes came through. I instantly understood why families keep coming back to enjoy the sweet side of North Lake Tahoe. | tahoecitychocolates.com
