Dark, Milk, or White: A Holiday Chocolate Guide

Ditch that dry Panettone this holiday season and instead indulge in something that will melt in your mouth. EDGE recently tasted our way through the 14th Annual Chocolate Show in New York City and unearthed the sweetest confections for you and your loved ones. With Martin Howard (aka Chocolatina Q Dessert-one of NYC's tastiest drag queens) on the Advisory Board, you'll be sure to find something for every palette under the rainbow.

NibMor
Heather Kenzie and Jennifer Love met while taking classes at the Institute of Integrative Nutrition. Adopting a drive-off-the-cliff mentality in line with Thelma and Louise (without the actual cliff), the two developed and launched a line of all-natural organic chocolate bars. Many manufacturers tout the whole "organic, raw, eat-me-I'm-good-for-you" thing, but theirs takes top honors for that perfect combination of bittersweet and mouth feel. For an extra jolt, try their Extreme bar, composed of 80% cacao and crunchy cacao nubs for the ultimate dark chocolate experience.

Antidote Chocolate
The panacea of chocolate, Antidote's bars are organically and sustainably made from some of the finest cacao in the world sourced from the Ecuadorian Amazon. The unique blends of raw and roasted cacao also include Moringa, a powerful anti-aging component used for centuries in Ayurvedic medicine.

Rogue Confections
Former set designer for NBC's "Late Night With Conan O'Brien," Sherry Adler chose to remain in New York when the show headed west (not a bad move considering the late night shakedown that ensued). She capitalized on her collection of vintage fabrics, wallpapers and postcards through a unique appliqu� process on edible parchment paper. The result is a stunning collection of edible disks and postcards worthy of the Cooper-Hewitt.

Gnosis Chocolate
You may mistake a Gnosis cacao bar for that of 19th century soap with its over-the-top proclamations and retro package design. In spite of its projectile popularity, Gnosis chocolates are still made by hand using 100% recycled packaging and exotic ingredients like Horny Goat Weed, Shizandra Berry and Gotu Kola.

Xocolatti
Forget rubies and diamonds-for edible gemstones, you must experience Xocolatti's handcrafted truffles, slates and clusters. Enjoy unusual flavors from olive oil & basil and masala milk to rose cardamom or champagne brute. Their 9-piece collections rival the Crown Jewels.

Chocolate Getaways
If one mouth-watering bite is just not enough, pack your bags and head to one of these unique chocolate destinations and surrender to your sweet tooth:

The Chocolate Library in the Ritz-Carlton
Hong Kong
Ultimate decadence on the 103rd floor, including chocolate afternoon tea, chocolate & champagne dinner, and their new dining and spa package, Cocoa Rehab.

Hotel Chocolat
Saint Lucia, West Indies
A tropical paradise comprised of lush gardens, cacao groves and CocoaJuvenate-signature spa treatments that harness the power of the cacao.

Tirimbina Rainforest Center
Costa Rica
More than 800 acres of forest and several ecosystems are the setting for a chocolate and wildlife adventure.