Leave it to us at Village Candy to come up with a tasting event to top them all. We've done (and will continue to do) pop tastings of every color, a chocolate showcase, a Tootsie Pop licking, a 20lb chocolate bunny giveaway and a sipping chocolate slurpdown. But we've come up with something completely new and perfect for the tween month of March.

On Saturday, March 21, between 5:30pm and 6:30pm, we're going to blow you away with an around-the-world chocolate tour (that is, if you RSVP first). Wouldn't it would be fun to compare, side-by-side, chocolates of similar darkness from the world community (though we've limited them to Europe and right here in the good ol' U.S. of A). In no particular order, you'll be able to taste chocolate representing:

Spain: Chocovic Kendari Dark (60%)
Chocovic originated in the Barcelona city of Vic, where a small family business, Chocolates Arumi, started in 1872.

France: Valrhona Caraibe Dark (66%)
Valrhona is based in the small town of Tain L'Hermitage in Hermitage, a wine-growing district near Lyon, and was founded in 1922 by French pastry chef Monsieur Guironnet.

Italy: Perugina Dark
Perugina was formed in 1907 by Giovanni Buitoni and Luisa Spagnoli in the ancient Umbrian hill town of Perugia in central Italy, and is now a division of Nestlé.

Germany: Hachez Cocoa D'Arriba Dark (77%)
Hachez is based in Bremen, northern Germany, and was founded by Joseph Emile Hachez in 1890.

Switzerland: Lindt Excellence Intense Dark (70%)
Lindt & Sprüngli dates back to the brothers Sprüngli in 1845. They have factories in Switzerland, Germany, France, Italy, Austria, and New Hampshire in the U.S., where they produce Ghiradelli. We specifically chose this Excellence bar due to its Swiss pedigree.

United Kingdom: Green & Black's Dark (70%)
Green & Black's is a UK-based organic chocolate manufacturer founded in 1991 by Craig Sams and his wife, Josephine Fairley. It is now owned by Cadbury.

USA: Scharffen Berger Bittersweet (70%)
Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker is a Berkeley, California-based chocolate maker, founded in 1996 by sparkling wine maker John Scharffenberger and physician Robert Steinberg. They were the first American company founded in the past 50 years to make chocolate from "bean to bar".

OK, honestly, how cool are these? New BaBa Bottles, which come with pink or blue tops, measure almost 14 inches tall and contain 16 mini BaBa Candy Baby Bottles in an assortment of bright colors. Each mini BaBa measures about 4 inches high. Give one to an expectant mother to share with everyone at her shower, or just send one to the big baby in your life.

"For all you alphabetographers out there, here's Village Candy's latest installment of its fun Candy Alphabet! This episode should be pretty easy. Though there were several to choose from, we always try to stay away from the obvious. Remember, if you're the first to send us the correct guess, you'll win a very special prize.

Last Month's Clue
Last issue's winners were the Cagliusos. They each won a pooping candy dispenser. I kid you not - some company actually came to the conclusion that people would  want to eat, well, you know.

Jujyfruits are firm, chewy, gumdrop-like candies manufactured in a variety of shapes in the US by Heide Candy Company, a subsidiary of Farley & Sathers Candy Company. Fruity flavors include raspberry, licorice, lime, orange, and lemon. In January 1999, Hershey (parent at the time) changed the flavor lineup in response to a customer survey that found mint was not a popular flavor -  they dropped it for lime.

The Henry Heide Candy Company was founded in 1869 by Henry Heide, a German immigrant. Jujyfruits began production in 1920, and were very popular in movie houses, along with Heide's other gummy candy, Jujubes. Henry's grandson Philip sold Henry Heide, Inc., to Hershey Foods Corp. in 1995, who in turn sold it to Farley & Sathers Candy Co. in 2002.

Maybe it won't help the economy, but it should stimulate your sweet tooth!

The Jelly Belly Candy Company, in their infinite wisdom, has decided to increase their prices in the midst of this economic downturn (for the third time this year, btw). So, the smart people at Village Candy are lowering their price to you, our loyal customers. But only for a limited time! Until the end of March, you'll get 15% off your total Jelly Belly purchase.