It’s a universally-known fact that chocolate is the answer to just about everything. No matter the kind of day you’ve had, there’s little that chocolate can’t fix.
However, our stomachs may disagree. Shockingly, around 70% of the world’s population is lactose intolerant; in Asia, this jumps to around 90%! Many people either brave the painful effects of lactose intolerance for their favourite chocolate treats or steer clear entirely. Thankfully, as more brands start creating vegan chocolate offerings, there’s no need to choose between these two extremes.
There are environmental benefits of vegan chocolate, too. Due to its production methods, milk has both a high carbon and water footprint, while vegan options have generally lower environmental impacts. Additionally, some chocolate companies have adopted environmentally-friendly practices like teaching more sustainable farming techniques to mitigate the risks of deforestation.
In honour of World Chocolate Day on July 7, here is our roundup of 5 vegan chocolate brands that you can get in Hong Kong. Drool at your leisure!
1.
THEO & PHILO
Sourcing its cacao beans from Davao in Mindanao in the Philippines, Theo & Philo’s yummy offerings include green mango and salt, ginger and mint and calamansi, AKA the Philippine lemon. They’re also gluten- and soy-free!
Find Theo & Philo chocolates at their website, or stockists Wine Art Studio and Green Common, where a 45g bar will cost you around $59.
2.
CONSPIRACY CHOCOLATE
Based in Hong Kong, Conspiracy Chocolate sources its cacao beans from the Dak Lak region in Vietnam. The craft chocolate contains no soy and gluten and is made with only cacao beans and raw organic cane sugar. The brand boasts unique options like Sichuan Pepper, Chai and Kashmiri Chilli.
Find them on their website, as well as Coffee Academics, Eric Kayser, Sweetworld and Organic Oasis. A 50g bar goes for HKD$50.
3.
SELECTED LINDT CHOCOLATES
Little-known fact; some of Lindt’s chocolates are vegan! Its Excellence range with 70%, 85%, 90% and 99% Cocoa dark chocolate bars are made sans animal products, as are the Caramel & Sea Salt 70% Cocoa and Raspberry & Hazelnut 70% Cocoa chocolates.
You can find Lindt at most grocery stores around Hong Kong. A 100g bar goes for around $40.
4.
MOO FREE CHOCOLATE
Moo Free Chocolate makes organic, gluten and soya-free vegan chocolate with a wide array of flavours, from sea salt and lime to orange caramel crunch. The packaging is also super cute!
Find Moo Free Chocolate on their website.
5.
PANA CHOCOLATE
Made in Australia, Pana Chocolate offers a wide array of fun flavours, including fig and wild orange, coconut and goji and sour cherry and vanilla. Plus, Pana Chocolate bars are made without preservatives and are gluten, dairy, soy and refined sugar-free.
Find Pana Chocolate at Food For Life.
Besides being better for the environment, vegan chocolates are virtually indistinguishable from traditional dairy chocolates taste-wise.
So the next time you’re at the grocery shop, consider picking up a vegan chocolate option- it’s a small step to lowering your overall carbon footprint, but a step nonetheless!
See also: The Truth About… Honey
