What’s your chocolate destiny?
Just in time for Valentine’s Day, we match your zodiac sign with a chocolate from one of Toronto’s artisan chocolatiers
The notion that we can divine our personalities, preferences, even our fates based on when we were born in relationship to the position of the sun, moon, planets and stars goes back a long way. But the basic breakdown of 12 lunar cycles in a year of rotating around the sun and the corresponding12 constellations prevalent in the sky by season is generally attributed to ancient Babylonians, via Egypt and then adopted and tweaked through ancient Greece, the Roman empire and Arabian culture. Today, we have a glut of things to associate with the sign of our birth, from Greek gods, to planets, animals/fish/ insects, symbols and colours.
Which brings us to our Valentine’s Day astrological challenge:
Which specialty chocolate — selected from the offerings of Toronto’s top chocolate artists — is best suited to each star sign?
ARIES (March 21 to April 19)
Buckle your seatbelts, because Aries is the sign of physical attraction and sexual chemistry. The first sign in the zodiac, Aries is a fire sign, ruled by the planet Mars, which is what imbues these early spring babies with such lusty leanings. Aries is a sign given to action and idealism, though ambitious new endeavours can sometimes suffer from a certain lack of caution; thus there may be some spilled milk to clean up later. Famous Aries range from Leonardo da Vinci and Vincent van Gogh to Joan Crawford, Quentin Tarantino, Mariah Carey and Reese Witherspoon.
Chocolate match: The 5 Chili Bullet bar from Chocosol will stir up the passionate Aries soul: an ancient flavour combination of dried chilies from across Central America zipped up with Mayan forest garden allspice, achiote and Zapotec sea salt. $10 at chocosoltraders.com
LEO (July 23 to August 22)
Theatrical, glamorous, generous, competitive, larger than life, Leo is a fire sign and feisty. Sometimes a show pony, always jostling for the leadership position, pride and neediness can undermine the efforts of those born under this star sign. The lion sign brings vitality passion and confidence, and cravings for luxury, but it can be easy for Leos to get distracted by shiny, pretty things. Famous Leos include Napoleon, Barack Obama, Madonna, Jennifer Lopez, Jennifer Lawrence and Helen Mirren.
Chocolate match: Mexicana Truffle from Odile Chocolate. Filled with tequila, candied lime peel and chipotle, this delivers a big bang a fiery Leo personality would love. $8 for a box of three at odilechocolat.com
SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21)
Ruled by Jupiter, the god of excess, this is the sign of the feast: hedonism and exotica. Bold and risk-taking, Sagittarians love to be social, and approach with an open heart. They may retreat and hibernate for a spell, but tend to emerge re-energized and with a fresh plan for adventure. Prominent Sagittarius folks include Chrissy Teigen, Britney Spears, Brad Pitt, Jay Z, Miley Cyrus and Taylor Swift. Reaching back further we have Jimmy Hendrix, Jim Morrison, John Milton, Jane Austen, Joe DiMaggio and Joseph Stalin all born under these stars.
Chocolate match: Rum Arrangé from Odile Chocolate would be a fittingly exotic and decadent treat for a Sagittarian. $5 for a package of two, or by the box at odilechocolat.com. This dark chocolate square is spiked with rum, vanilla and kumquat.
TAURUS (April 20 to May 20)
What’s a typical Taurus like? It’s complicated! This earth sign is ruled by Venus, the goddess of beauty and pleasure. So there is a healthy dollop of hedonism included. But while persistent and headstrong might be traits that imply success, they usually come with a side order of pride. Taurans are artists and epicureans and good and loyal friends. They tend to also be reliable, devoted and responsible. Famous Tauruses range from William Shakespeare to Liberace, David Beckham to Adele, with Sophia Coppola, Busta Rhymes, George Clooney and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson thrown in. Bitter, followed by sweet.
Chocolate match: Pink peppercorn and blueberry bark from Odile Chocolat. Strong, complicated flavours for a complicated star sign! $10 at odilechocolat.com
VIRGO (August 23 to September 22)
These late summer babies are born under an earth sign and tend to be reliable, hard-working, organized and disciplined. All those good, solid traits can come in too large a dose, however, tending toward slight neuroses and a fanatical focus on health and well-being. The range of Virgos is wide, from Beyoncé to Michael Jackson, to Keanu Reeves, Pink, Bill Murray and Charlie Sheen. Elizabeth I was also a Virgo.
Chocolate match: Raspberry bar from Soma Chocolate. This bright pink bar is so intensely infused that it feels like biting into a handful of fresh raspberries. The single-minded flavour and all-natural ingredients will appeal to the Virgo in your life. $7.50 at somachocolate.com
CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19)
This is the taking care of business sign. Earthy and simple, Capricorns like what they like and have great powers of restraint. They are rational, purposeful, honest and realistic, really all the things you should be in life. Timeless Capricorns are unsurprisingly successful, like Kate Middleton, Bradley Cooper, Kate Moss, Martin Luther King, Muhammad Ali and Isaac Newton.
Chocolate match: The Guasare chocolate bar from Soma Chocolate. This simple classic would suit a traditional Capricorn personality. It also won best dark chocolate in the world recently at the International Chocolate Awards in Florence. It is made at the Soma factory in Toronto in a microbatch, from beans grown in Venezuela, near the Colombian border, with rich, heritage Criollo flavours. $17.50 at somachocolate.com
GEMINI (May 21 to June 20)
The sign of the twins, the Gemini personality is notable for its extremes. The ruling planet is Mercury, from whence the word “mercurial” is derived: so there are elements of duality and ambiguity. That can mean they are polarizing and unpredictable. But beyond that, Geminis are responsive and often funny. They are excellent communicators and multitaskers. Geminis draw people to them and love the spotlight, so, unsurprisingly, a number of top celebs share this sign: Angelina Jolie, Kanye West, Johnny Depp, Lenny Kravitz and Natalie Portman. But intriguingly, a number of famous poets — Walt Whitman, Ralph Waldo Emerson, W.B. Yeats and Alan Ginsberg — were also Geminis.
Chocolate match: The Baked Alaska truffle from Soma Chocolate is the ultimate seasonal goody for a Gemini. Fire and ice, this oversized (for two!) truffle has chocolate roasted to taste like marshmallow, almond meringue, hazelnut praline and two truffle layers, one of passion fruit the other rum chocolate. $20 at somachocolate.com
LIBRA (September 23 to October 22)
The children of the scales, Librans seek balance. Diplomats and mediators, those born under the sign of Libra can be a study of sweet and salty contrasts, and when there are so many decisions to weigh sometimes they end up deciding nothing. This air sign is marked by sociability and artistic skills. Top Libra stars include Kim Kardashian, Gwyneth Paltrow, Eminem, Will Smith and Hugh Jackman.
Chocolate match: The Sinfully Raw Vanilla bar from Chocosol is high in cacao content (82 per cent) and mellowed out with whole vanilla pods. There is extra crunch from raw cacao beans in the mix. This way, your Libra love will get a lively contrast in each bite. $10 at chocosoltraders.com
AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18)
Those born under Aquarius, by contrast to the month before, are much dreamier. This air sign brings a love of surprise and spontaneity and experimentation, and a concern for social justice. Original, sometimes visionary, thinkers, the only hurdle for Aquarians is trouble with follow through on all those great ideas. See any of that in famous Aquarians Jennifer Aniston or Justin Timberlake? How about Abraham Lincoln, James Dean, Mozart, Galileo, Darwin or Michael Jordan?
Chocolate match: Dreamy Aquarians will swoon over Chaucer’s Heart truffles from Laura Slack. The 14th century poet was the first to associate Feb.14 with romantic love. The pretty confection, hand-painted in speckled pink, is a dark chocolate ganache infused with pink lemonade from Sloane Tea. $14 for a box of 4 and up, from lauraslack.com
CANCER (June 21 to July 22)
Careful and sensitive, those born under the sign of Cancer are empathetic with others, but guarded about sharing their innermost thoughts. This moon sign follows the motto of “be prepared” and those born in this house tend to be good with money and planning. That doesn’t mean there aren’t mood swings to watch out for! Vulnerable creative Cancers include Selena Gomez and Ariana Grande, Ginger Rogers, Mel Brooks and Bob Fosse. Cancers who have obtained powerful positions include Angela Merkel, Henry VII and Nelson Mandela.
Chocolate match: The Smoked Milk Chocolate Bar from Laura Slack. This unusual flavouring will appeal to the secret hidden depths of those born under the sign of Cancer. And the mellow milk treat will soothe anyone stung by a Cancerian crabby mood. $7 at lauraslack.com
SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21)
Mysterious and intense, saucy and stubborn, Scorpios can also be guarded. This water sign brings both passion and patience and a tendency to hold on hard to a grudge. Serious and self-controlled, Scorpios are simultaneously free spirits who enjoy a good secret and a deep dive into any subject. Don’t try to flatter a Scorpio, they will see through you and show you their sting. Scorpios of renown include October’s Very Own Drake, Leonardo DiCaprio, Emma Stone, Scarlett Johansson, and the Ryans: Gosling and Reynolds. Beyond Hollywood, Scorpios include Marie Curie, Pablo Picasso and Bill Gates.
Chocolate match: Skull truffles from Laura Slack Chocolate. These handmade truffles will appeal to Scorpio’s dark side: The skulls are a signature for Slack, and come filled with rich and creamy dulce de leche. $14 for a box of 4 and up at lauraslack.com
PISCES (February 19 to March 20)
This water sign brings intuition and spirituality to those born at the end of winter. Soulful and restless at the same time, Pisces like to be on the move, and they often select the path of least resistance. It’s only logical, when you are wearing rose-coloured glasses. There can be unseen depth to Pisceans, just look at famous ones, including Rihanna and Justin Bieber, Daniel Craig, Liz Taylor, Jon Bon Jovi and Bruce Willis. There are also big thinkers and groundbreakers born under this sign, such as Einstein, Darwin and George Washington.
Chocolate match: Mon Cherry D’Amour, in honour of the tree America’s first president chopped down. This treat from Chocosol Traders is made on St. Clair Ave. W. by hand with organic sour cherries from Quebec sweetened with a little apple juice and balanced with sea salt. $10 at chocosoltraders.com