Sunday, April 17, 2011

All About Rox Chox!

Welcome to Rox Chox!  We are River and Rochelle, and we make delicious chocolate by hand in our Raw Lab in Southeast Portland, Oregon.  Here is a photo of Rochelle posing with our organic & fair trade raw ingredients.



Rox Chox is a really delicious chocolate candy bar.

Rox Chox is more than a candy bar, though.  The unprocessed raw cacao and coconut in Rox Chox are chock full of nutrients, enzymes, and feel-good antioxidants, and the only sweetener we use is actually recommended by dentists because it promotes oral health. But it is so delicious most people are surprised that it is sugar-free and safe for diabetics. We are happy to provide a sweet and amazingly healthy treat to folks who have food sensitivities and our Rox Lab is free of most allergens, but Rox Chox is also for anyone who just loves delicious chocolate. This richly decadent chocolate treat began in the winter of 2010 when I, Rochelle, had doc's orders to go on a very restricted diet and couldn't eat sugar of any kind.   I didn't care too much about carbs or refined sugar, and fruits were really hard to give up, but I could not give up chocolate.  In a seventh grade time capsule I included chocolate chips and asked my future self if it was wrong to sneak chocolate from the kitchen at night (it's totally ok, child-self - here's some Rox Chox). I come from a long line of chocolate lovers.  I love chocolate.

And yes, it really is good for you.


So over the course of a snowy cabin winter in the Willamette National Forest in Oregon,  I experimented with recipes.  By springtime I had it down.  I always traveled with Rox Chox and shared it sparingly with friends.  They told me that it was so delicious that I 
had to sell it.  I had been working at People's Food Coop as a collective manager for four years in the Grocery department, so I knew that there really was nothing else like Rox Chox out there.  A delicious sugar-free chocolate that is super good for you?  And Vegan? And Raw? And almost all Organic?  And Fair Trade?  For Real!

Rox Chox was born in a whirlwind.  In May of 2011 I got started with the research on legalities, rented some commissary time, did a trial run of bulk Chox at People's, and decided to go for it.  In June, my partner River, who is a Culinary Professional, joined me as head of production.  We have been paying for everything as we go, building this business one step at a time as sustainably and compassionately as possible, and we have been delightfully rewarded by so many of our fans sharing their love for our lovingly crafted chocolate. 

Today I described Rox Chox as simply, 'Very rich, very dark, sweet, and a little bit salty'.  Because there are the top-notch ingredients and business ethics behind it, but what really counts is what is in your mouth.  One of the most rewarding moments is when I am giving away Rox samples and I see the look of surprise and delight on a first-time Rox taster's face.  The taste of this chocolate... it is to LIVE for!

Here's why Rox Chox are special beyond deliciousness: 


  • Our ingredients are fair-trade sourced and are mostly raw (unroasted) and organic, preserving the beneficial minerals, enzymes, and antioxidants found in unprocessed cacao and coconut.  All those new findings on the benefits of chocolate are right, but not if you roast it and then add sugar and dairy, so...
  • Our treats are free of Sugar, Soy, Gluten, Dairy (vegan), Nuts and GMOs.  That means, yes, diabetics can eat our chocolate.  So can those on the Candida (Can-Do-It!) cleanse.  But Don't Let Your Dog Friends near!  Xylitol is poison to them.
  • We handcraft our chocolate in small batches in the certified Rox Chox Raw Lab in Southeast Portland, Oregon, which is a dairy, sugar, soy, and gluten free facility where the only nut is coconut.
  • We offer Rox Chox in packages and also in bulk as a more sustainable and affordable option.  If you would like to cut back on packaging and fill your container with chocolate, you could ask your store to carry Rox in Bulk, or contact us directly for custom orders.

    Rox Chox welcomes wholesale and custom orders.

    Contact us at: roxchoxpdx@gmail.com or (503) 523 7538



    You may order Rox Chox over the internet right here on this blog at the right sidebar or on the 'Find Chox' page, or walk into any of the wonderful co-ops and independent natural food stores where Rox Chox has found quite the following.

    9 comments:

    1. Hey Rochelle. I just learned about you from an awesome review done by Whitney and EcoVeganGal.com
      Thought you'd like to see her awesome video all about your chocolate: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_vw0AGmTfY

      ReplyDelete
      Replies
      1. Thanks,Tanya. I totally love Whitney's video! So great to see her enthusiasm. Thanks for commenting, hope you get to enjoy some Chox soon!

        Delete
    2. I too heard rave reviews from Eco Vegan Gal on youtube, and now am dying to try this fab chocolate! I hope to find it in the Los Angeles are :-)

      ReplyDelete
      Replies
      1. Natasha, we don't have Rox Chox in LA yet- what's your favorite natural foods store in the area? We'll send them a sample, see if they 'bite'.

        Delete
      2. Hello Natasha,

        You can now find Rox Chox at Full of Life in Burbank!

        Enjoy.
        Rochelle

        Delete
    3. I also heard about you from Eco Vegan Gal. Your snack is something I have been seeking for several months. I don't know why more companies do not use the ingredients you are using! Good for your teeth, safe on your body. And I just recently developed some kind of disorder (seeing doctor soon) that is making it hard for me to handle fructose and added sugars. I am broke so I cannot try your snack right now but I cannot wait :)

      P.S. Will you get a .COM website soon?

      ReplyDelete
      Replies
      1. Hello Udoka,

        We appreciate your appreciation! We have put the .com website a bit further down on our priority list while we get some other things taken care of, as this one is working great. I hope that your health and wealth are improving.

        Thanks for writing,
        Rochelle

        Delete
    4. I would LOVE to sample your Vegan chocolates- connect with me at woodpress08 gmail to be featured on www.mommatoldmeblog.com, my readers just love a sweet organic treat!

      ReplyDelete
    5. Hi, my house guest from Seattle brought me some of your chocolate and I am enjoying it but am anxious to find out what sort of calorie hit I'm taking in. Looking forward to you posting the nutrition info that includes this information.

      ReplyDelete