Go Green!

This Valentine’s Day, celebrating couples (or anyone, really) can feed their love of chocolate the ethical way with fair trade and organic chocolate. For the uninitiated, “fair trade” refers to goods that are produced under fair labor standards and with workers receiving fair wages at all stages of the process. Since cacao only grows well in tropical climates, it’s important that standards are in place so that we can trust in the process from afar. “Organic” refers to the lack of harmful chemicals used in the growing process. Both standards are worth considering when selecting the best chocolatey gift for your loved one.

Consider taking your valentine on a tour of a socially responsible chocolate manufacturer. In Seattle, Theo Chocolate makes organic, fair trade treats. Take a tour any day of the week for $6, and learn about where the cacao comes from, the difference between milk chocolate and dark chocolate, how chocolate is tempered, how truffles are made, and more. Then taste test all the varieties of chocolate in the store, and buy your sweetie his or her favorite bar.

Based in San Francisco, TCHO is a socially responsible business dedicated to a “no slavery” policy in sourcing its cacao. This company offers free daily tours of its factory, where you can learn about TCHO’s partnerships with farmers and how the raw beans turn into chocolate bars. Afterwards, visit the factory store for chocolate drinks and samples.

In Boston (Somerville, to be exact), Taza Chocolate makes organic chocolate and is committed to other environmentally sustainable standards. Factory tours are offered five days a week for $5 per person, but note that you will only see chocolate being made during weekday tours. Compare tastes with the free samples in the store, and then buy your date some artisanal treats.

And in Brooklyn, New York, the Mast Brothers Chocolate factory gives tours for about $10. Mast Brothers partners with small, cooperative farms that produce organic cacao. The end result is artfully packaged bars that make beautiful gifts, as well other fresh treats that you can try at the tasting room, open six days a week.

Besides factory tours, you could also attend chocolate tastings in other settings. Look for events that pair beer and chocolate, or wine and chocolate, to bring bliss to your taste buds and minds during your Valentine’s Day date.

During San Francisco Beer Week this year, the schedule includes plenty of chocolate-themed events, especially since the festival overlaps with Valentine’s Day. Sign up for an event where you can make your own chocolates using ingredients brought from home, or pair TCHO chocolate with craft beer and artisanal cheese.

In New York City on February 9, d.b.a. and Mast Brothers are coming together for a craft beer and artisanal chocolate tasting event. The creative mixtures of bitter, sweet, salty, nutty, and fruity flavors on your palates will give you and your sweetheart something deep to discuss.

Or, if you can’t find a chocolate tasting near you, consider hosting your own chocolate tasting to educate yourself and friends about the most ethical ways to produce and buy chocolate. This guide from the Global Cocoa Project includes details on how to pair wine and chocolate and how to engage all of your sense while tasting chocolate.

Joanna Eng is a New York-based writer and editor who covers travel, green living, food, careers, entrepreneurship, and more. Her travel experiences have ranged from hostel hopping in Mexico to staying with distant relatives in China to renting a beach apartment in New Jersey.

Planning a vacation in the Big Apple, you already know all the tourist spots: Times Square, the Statue of Liberty, shopping on 5th Avenue. And these are worth seeing, once or twice. But if you’ve already done all that, or just aren’t interested because you know there are so many other things to do—and other neighborhoods beyond midtown and downtown Manhattan—let these atypical guide books lead the way.

Not For Tourists Guide to New York City: Even though it’s smaller and has a stylish black cover, you might still get pegged as a tourist if you walk around with your nose in this guide book. However, this little black book is more about living in NYC than it is about being a tourist. It covers 35 neighborhoods in detail, with maps and lists of local businesses: coffee shops, movie theaters, grocery stores, farmers markets, bike shops, drug stores. This way, you can get a feel for a variety of neighborhoods where New Yorkers go about their daily lives; plus, you can find out where to buy food to cook and get a bottle of wine to drink at “home,” and generally settle into your rental apartment. If you’re not staying in Manhattan, note that there are Brooklyn and Queens guides too. Beyond that, though, Not For Tourists can’t help you.

Clean Plates: When you want to eat out and avoid the tourist traps or mediocre spots, you’ll need some kind of guide. There are just too many restaurants in the city to know where to start. For those of you who are interested in healthy, local, organic, and simply high-quality food, this book will tell you where to go. The Clean Plates food critics and nutritionist have filtered through the massive restaurant scene to bring you options to meet your dietary restrictions (gluten free, vegetarian), health concerns (avoiding artificial sweeteners), and sustainable lifestyle. Suggested eateries range from fast food to fine dining, and you can choose between the Manhattan and Brooklyn guides (or try to work your way through both).

Forgotten New York: This book by Kevin Walsh is a celebration of the obscure, historical, and way-off-the-beaten-path spots of NYC. The fact that the first section of the book is about the Bronx tells you that it’s not for typical tourists. It’s for savvy, adventurous, curious folks who are intrigued by details that others don’t usually even notice, and who are willing to walk down alleyways and far away from subway stops to learn more about New York’s quirky history. Using this guide book, you can track down colonial cemeteries, bizarre sculptures, rusting ruins, and practically unheard-of museums in all five boroughs.

Zinester’s Guide to NYC: You don’t have to know what a “zine” is to make use of this book by Ayun Halliday and her zine-making friends. You just have to be open to activities that are quirky, DIY, budget, participatory, irreverent, and non-touristy. The most lighthearted of all these alternative guide books, the Zinester’s Guide suggests attending events with names like Nerd Nite, the No Pants Subway Ride, and Elephant Walk; and visiting unusual spots including a troll museum, a ship graveyard, and a room full of soil. It’s also the only guide book that can tell you things like where to spot rats on the subway tracks, where to find black-and-white photo booths, and where to see the best bathroom graffiti. And at the bottom of the pages, you’ll enjoy the handwritten list of books, movies, and songs about NYC, as well a silly Q&A and a scavenger hunt of sorts.

Joanna Eng is a New York-based writer and editor who covers travel, green living, food, careers, entrepreneurship, and more. Her travel experiences have ranged from hostel hopping in Mexico to staying with distant relatives in China to renting a beach apartment in New Jersey.