JOCELYN GRAGG OF JARDI CHOCOLATES CREATES MINIATURE WORKS OF ART
You’ve probably had Jardi Chocolates before and not realized it. The artful truffles, crafted by pastry chef Jocelyn Gragg, are served at Atlas and frequently appear at special events at places such as Jimmy Choo in the Shops Buckhead Atlanta. With Mother’s Day and graduations on the horizon, it might be time to get acquainted.
Most recently, Gragg was a pastry chef at Restaurant Eugene but couldn’t resist the lure of chocolate. In 2015, she signed the lease for her workshop in Chamblee. It’s hidden in a nondescript office park, and it’s worth seeking out if you want to indulge.
I visited the chocolate wonderland and got a crash course in what makes her confections so special. Gragg, a powerhouse who runs the company on her own and yet seems tirelessly upbeat, took me through the workshop where she makes truffles using molds. To create her works of art she uses preservative free dyes. “They’re not as technicolor, in-your-face vibrant as colors made with food dyes, but I can make them more vibrant now that I’ve started making them in house,” she explains.
She creates more than 12 flavors, plus seasonal ones that rotate throughout the year. One of the standouts is a dark chocolate shell filled with a chocolate and rosemary ganache and pecan and sage shortbread. It’s both sweet and savory with an added textural layer from the crunchy cookie. “I was excited about this and the herbs de Provence flavors, but I wasn’t expecting them to be as popular as they are.” For those seeking more traditional flavors, the hazelnut crunch is one of her originals and features a blend of nuts and milk chocolate inside the dark chocolate shell.
While I usually like to enjoy chocolate truffles by nibbling slowly, I found with Jardi Chocolates, it’s best to pop one in and let the unique flavor combinations hit your palate at once. Good things truly come in small packages.
Jardi Chocolates
3400 W. Hospital Ave. #102
Chamblee 30341
470.240.8353
jardichocolates.com
