Photos by Pam Dobbs
The journey to the land of sublime starts with a black box. Open it to reveal a collection of bite-sized, rainbow-hued mounds. Lift one to your mouth and bite into it. The explosion of flavour—apple pie, blackberry port, key lime cheesecake (to name a few)—transports you to a place of heavenly decadence.
These are Kinsu Chocolates—handmade in Nanaimo—and they are out of this world.
The creative forces behind these little bits of heaven are Breanna and Yuji Maika, and their story begins in 2019, when they first got together and started making chocolates for each other.
“Those first batches of chocolates we made were rough, inaccurately tempered and limited in flavour,” Breanna recalls. “But they were made with love.”
Over the years of their relationship, the chocolates improved. They added colours to make them more beautiful and developed techniques to incorporate more intense flavours.
They exchanged chocolates for Valentine’s Day and White Day (a Japanese holiday when men return Valentine’s Day gifts three-fold). One year, their tradition yielded 100 hand-crafted pieces—far more than they could eat. They shared them with friends and coworkers, whose enthusiasm gave them the confidence to start a business.
Breanna and Yuji spent two years selling their delectable wares at farmers markets before eventually opening their storefront in Nanaimo. The first chocolate flavour Breanna created—Lavender London Fog—remains on the menu.
And how did they choose the name Kinsu?
Even before they made chocolates, the two explain, they practiced the art form of Kintsugi —repairing broken pottery with gold.
“Kintsugi is a very slow, intentional and precise practice,” Breanna says. “When we repair our broken pottery, we use traditional kintsugi methods by brushing resin and applying gold. The process of small batch chocolate is similar and takes time, tempering, crystallizing and hand-painting.”
The name, Kinsu, derives itself from this but with a twist. “Kin” in Japanese means gold, and “suru” means “to do.”
“As such, our name, Kinsu Chocolates, means that we are making golden chocolates!” Yuji says.
“Kintsugi is all about beauty in imperfections,” Breanna adds. “No two of our bonbons are the same. Natural variation in cacao origin becomes character as opposed to being a flaw. We use single origin chocolates, which means that the cacao beans may…have natural variation over time. We like to use gold splatters to mimic fracture lines.”
Before diving into the world of chocolate-making, Breanna worked as a veterinary technician, while also testing COVID samples in a lab with her BSc (in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems). Her background in chemistry and microbiology proved invaluable as her chocolate journey began. She’s also a life-long baker, preparing gourmet cakes and pastries for friends and family since she was a child.
Yuji, who has a BA in studio art and English, as well as an education degree, complements Breanna’s scientific sensibilities with his creative eye. He also has a background in woodworking, and this talent shines throughout their shop, which he designed and built.
Inside the store, the shelves are lined with bonbons that reflect an eclectic range of flavours—from crème brûlée to cherry, raspberry and pistachio—each conjuring the distinct flavour of its namesake. All chocolates are hand-painted with organic cocoa butter and crafted over a three-day process.
Breanna’s favourite is the peanut butter pretzel, while Yuji’s is the apple pie or pistachio.
“It’s hard to choose one when they are like your children!” Breanna laughs.
The two start the process by working with local producers to secure the best ingredients they can.
“Seasonality can play a big role,” Yuji explains, “as access to some ingredients are not available all year round. However, flavours are mainly developed through our own experimentation. We may have an idea or stumble upon an ingredient we think is fun. We will try it out with all our different chocolates to find the best flavour pairing and begin incorporating the ingredient into a chocolate….the combinations are endless, and we are only limited by what we can dream up!”
Customers can choose from assorted boxes in a variety of sizes or create their own custom selection.
“The biggest thing that makes us different is that everything is fresh, and it’s made here on site by the two people behind the counter.”
The two say their role in the community is to “bring happiness to all those we interact with and who enjoy our product.”
“Good chocolates bring everyone together and uplift people in the darkest of times,” says Yuji.
Outside of chocolate-making, the couple enjoys making meals, playing board games with friends, tending to their growing orchid and spending time with Fuyu, their Samoyed. They also paddle board and scuba dive.
And do they still love eating their bonbons?
“Yes, of course, we still really appreciate chocolates—we never crave them, but when the opportunity arises with a damaged chocolate, we enjoy eating them every time!”
It’s all part of the journey to the land of sublime that, for the rest of us, starts with a little black box.