Phillip Ashley Rix has created his magnum opus chocolate collection: Taste of America.
It started with a visit to a Godiva chocolate shop with his mom, and then Willy Wonka showed up. It was a weird dream. “When I woke up, I knew that I would make chocolate for the rest of my life,” Rix says.
Rix, who runs Phillip Ashley Chocolates and has been called the “Real-Life Willy Wonka,” is like a mad scientist, concocting one-of-a-kind creations made from the finest ingredients. “It’s important to me to have a vast knowledge about my chocolates,” says the self-taught chocolatier with a chemistry degree. “I spend a lot of time studying herbs, spices, proteins, beer, and wine.”
This July, Rix will start shipping what he describes as his magnum opus: Taste of America. “I’ve always wondered what America would taste like if it were a box of chocolate,” he says. “So, I decided to create my vision for it. Each piece represents a state and has its own flavor: Sea Salt Kettle Chips and Pretzels (PA), Peaches & Cream (GA), CBD (CO), Old Bay (MD), PB&J (VA), Sweet Corn Basil (IA), and Bananas Foster (LA), to name a few. There’s even a “Scrapple” praline for Delaware made of pecan meal, applewood smoked bacon, and caramel. The 50-piece red- and white-striped limited-edition box (now available for pre-order) resembles the American flag, and the inside flap features a gold inscription of the preamble of the U.S. Constitution.”
“At the end of the day, we may look different, but we are all human beings trying to achieve our respective goals,” Rix says with a laugh, “and we’re all in this box of chocolates together.”
Note: This is a pre-order. Orders for this product will begin shipping July 7th.
The site [HERE] describes the states “Taste of America” chocolate flavors as:
50 Pieces
Delaware (DE)
“Scrapple” pecan meal applewood smoked bacon caramel praline
-
Pennsylvania (PA)
Sea salt kettle chips and pretzels -
New Jersey (NJ)
Salt water banana taffy creme -
Georgia (GA)
Peaches & Cream -
Connecticut (CT)
Nutmeg Thyme -
Massachusetts (MA)
Cranberry -
Maryland (MD)
Old Bay -
South Carolina (SC)
Sweet Tea Caramel -
New Hampshire (NH)
Spiced apple cider -
Virginia (VA)
PB & J -
New York (NY)
Junior’s Cheesecake -
North Carolina (NC)
Strawberry Hot Sauce -
Rhode Island (RH)
Peppermint Lemonade -
Vermont (VT)
Maple Caramel -
Kentucky (KY)
Kentucky Straight Bourbon -
Tennessee (TN)
Memphis Barbecue -
Ohio (OH)
PawPaw -
Louisiana (LA)
Sazerac Rye Pecan Praline Bananas Foster -
Indiana (IN)
Caramel Popcorn -
Mississippi (MS)
Mudpie -
Illinois (IL)
Pumpkin -
Alabama (AL)
Banana Pudding -
Maine (ME)
Wild Blueberry Vanilla Bean -
Missouri (MO)
Vanilla Custard -
Arkansas (AR)
Watermelon Molasses -
Michigan (MI)
Cherries Jubilee -
Florida (FL)
Key Lime Pie -
Texas (TX)
Dr. Pepper -
Iowa (IA)
Sweet Corn Basil -
Wisconsin (WI)
Triple Creme Cheese -
California (CA)
Napa Valley Red Wine -
Minnesota (MN)
Puffed Brown Rice -
Oregon (OR)
Hazelnut Praline -
Kansas (KS)
Cinnamon Roll -
West Virginia (WV)
Black Walnut Liqueur -
Nevada (NV)
Soy Sauce Caramel -
Nebraska (NE)
Rum Raisins -
Colorado (CO)
CBD -
North Dakota (ND)
Barrel Aged Wildflower Honey -
South Dakota (SD)
Apricot Jam Toasted Almond Tart -
Montana (MT)
Huckleberry Truffle -
Washington (WA)
Apple Pie -
Idaho (ID)
Roasted Sweet Potato -
Wyoming (WY)
Chokecherry Truffle -
Utah (UT)
Raspberry Jello Cake -
Oklahoma (OK)
Smoky Pecan Pie -
New Mexico (NM)
Ancho Chipotle Vanilla -
Arizona (AZ)
Mesquite -
Alaska (AK)
Wild Red Berry -
Hawaii (HI)
Caramelized Pineapple
Sounds delicious!
Photo| iStock