Sacred Sweetness

AhHome Chocolate Builds Community in Weaverville…

Om” (pronounced “aum”) is the sacred syllable in Hinduism and other ancient religions which symbolizes the connection with the world. And “A ho” is a greeting, which several groups of Indigenous people in Omaha, Neb., use to say “hello.”

AhHome Chocolate founder Evergreen Love combined these words to brand her delectable superfood, binding together a sense of community and nourishment.

“The name ‘AhHome’ came in the surrounding days of the first cacao ceremony I served chocolate at. It just popped into my head while lying there. AhHome! Like, ahh…home, the feeling I get when I feel at home. Chocolate brings us together, makes us feel warm and welcome,” Love says.

Love first got into chocolate when she was 3 years old, inviting her dad and grandma to join her exclusive Chocolate Team. “They were the only serious-enough dark chocolate lovers to be members, until I began sharing with the world,” says Love.

Love dabbled in chocolate when she was young but began seriously making it again when she was 18. “I had a friend who couldn’t eat dairy, another who couldn’t have processed sugars, and I couldn’t afford the habit of eating dark chocolate all the time. So, I made some chocolate and gave it to my friends, and they kept asking me for more,” she recalls. Love made experimental batches and hit the road in an Apollo RV with friends, ending up at the Indy Pride Festival in Indianapolis in June 2018.

“I brought chocolate to that event and accepted donations only for my CBD Chocolate Starfish, what my hand-drawn picket sign said, and people loved it. This was the day that creating chocolate for the world became my long-term goal. The joy, the support and the excitement brought my vision to life,” Love remembers. She came home and immediately got to work, learning the tempering process and alchemy of chocolate, playing with cacao, honey, maple syrup, cocoa butter and how certain ingredients affected temperature, taste and smoothness.

“I finally figured out my recipe, and there opened the world for me, the science of chocolate,” says Love. AhHome’s simple ingredients make Love’s chocolate more of a superfood than a candy (she refuses to call her chocolate that) and continues to experiment – folding berries and nuts into the mix, and using alternative dairy options like cashew, hazelnut, and coconut milks. There’s no palm oil or genetically modified ingredients in her chocolate – it’s all organic and sourced as locally as possible.

Originally from Washington State, Love worked as a barista at a coffee shop in Redmond, and a couple of times a month she would make chocolate out of the café after it closed. It was then where she found hardcore chocolate lovers like herself who believed in the same values of enjoying wholesome food that’s sustainable for our planet and ourselves.

Amongst her travels, Love made friends from Weaverville who invited her to come down and make chocolate out of Mountain Market Place. She moved there in November 2022.

“I have to admit, it wasn’t the chocolate opportunity that brought me here, it’s the people I couldn’t stay away from. There’s no place like Trinity County,” Love says. She started making AhHome Chocolate out of
The Water Bar at night, spending her days going to the farmers market and networking with the community.

Then in May 2023, another opportunity presented itself when Susie’s Bakery closed and the building came up for lease. Wanting to expand the AhHome Chocolate factory, Love found out who the landlord was and started leasing the space. Between October 2023 and August 2024, Love and local community members put in close to 1,000 hours remodeling the space. They replaced the flooring; repainted the walls; replaced all fans and light fixtures; installed handwashing sinks; bought locally milled cedar trim; stained, sanded, stained again; bought kitchen equipment; leveled the parking lot; acquired the chocolate display case from the historic Weaverville Hotel Emporium; and more. AhHome Chocolate held a soft opening at the end of August and the community came out with local artists, vendors, sponsors and live music adding to the warm and welcoming chocolate vibe.

To match AhHome Chocolate’s mission of uplifting the community by offering nourishing chocolate and a friendly place to meet, Love has recently launched the Chocolate Lounge.

“I see myself motivated to do what I love when I’m feeling good from the food I eat and the people I’m around. I see the lounge space offering that opportunity to folks, to be inspired by food, by chocolate and who we share our time with. Maybe some people will pursue their dream. Or meet new friends. If anything, the chocolate brings good feelings around, and we could always use more of that,” says Love.

Along with the recently opened AhHome Chocolate Lounge at 1260 Main St. in Weaverville, AhHome Chocolate bars can be found at Mountain Market Place, Moon House and the farmers market in Weaverville; Strawhouse and Junction City Store in Junction City; Northtown Coffee in Arcata; Orchard Nutrition Center in Redding; and The Xocolatl Garden in Carmel-by-the-Sea. A variety of truffles, drinking cacao, chocolate bars and more are also available to purchase at www.ahhomechocolate.com. •