Legendary Belgian chocolatier GODIVA announced today the launch of its “Year of the Horse” collection in the U.S. in celebration of Lunar New Year. Building off of the success of the Mid-Autumn Festival Chocolate Mooncakes in 2013, GODIVA is once again offering its Asian-American consumers a limited edition product to celebrate one of the most important holidays for the Chinese, Vietnamese and Korean communities. The year 2014 also marks the 88th anniversary of GODIVA, which began creating chocolate masterpieces in Belgium in 1926.

Many Asian-American consumers practice various traditions during the Lunar New Year to usher in luck and prosperity, including eating sweets to symbolize the beginning of a “sweet” year. Confectionary, such as chocolates in the GODIVA “Year of the Horse” collection, are perfect for sharing during this special holiday. The collection features three exceptionally delectable chocolate pieces that contain ingredients popular with Asian consumers, such as pears, cherries and pineapples. The pieces, which are sold as a part of a selection of Lunar New Year gift boxes, include:

• Dark Caramel Pear – crunchy caramel pear ganache made with a blend of Venezuela milk chocolate and Santo Domingo dark chocolate and a touch of vanilla, enrobed in dark chocolate
• Milk Cherry Almond – crunchy almond praline blended with Vanuatu-origin chocolate, sour cherry and a hint of honey, enrobed in milk chocolate
• White Pineapple Macadamia – sweet Dominican Republic white chocolate ganache blended with nutty macadamia cream and fruity pineapple, enrobed in white chocolate
“The ‘Year of the Horse’ chocolate pieces were developed specifically for the Asian market with the Asian consumer in mind,” said David Funaro, Senior Chef Chocolatier at GODIVA. “We took the time to understand and to learn which flavors our Asian consumers prefer. For Lunar New Year, we wanted to create pieces that are reflective of foods commonly eaten during the holiday and that are symbolic of ‘luck’ and ‘unity’ in the Asian culture.”

The 20-piece Lunar New Year Gift Box is encased in a red cover with an iconic image of Lady Godiva on her galloping horse embossed in gold. The 32-piece Luxury Gift Box is covered in red velvet, offering customers a treasured keepsake beyond the Lunar New Year holiday. With its gold and red-themed design, both gift boxes are perfect for gifting to friends and family during the Lunar New Year.

The “Year of the Horse” collection also holds special significance since the company’s logo is Lady Godiva on horseback, an image replicated in this collection’s pieces.

“At our company, we are referring to 2014 as the ‘Year of GODIVA’,” said Michelle Chin, Vice President of Marketing and Communications for GODIVA North America. “Not only is this year our 88th anniversary, a number considered extremely auspicious in many Asian cultures, but this year’s zodiac sign is essentially our logo. With the popularity of our annual zodiac pieces in Asia, and based on our sales and customer feedback from the Mid-Autumn Festival Chocolate Mooncakes, we know our Asian customers, and all of our other customers, will love our Lunar New Year ‘Year of the Horse’ collection.”

Since 2004, GODIVA has created unique pieces in the PacRim region for Lunar New Year each year to correspond with the Chinese zodiac. Last year, GODIVA tested interest for Lunar New Year pieces in the U.S. Asian-American market by offering “Year of the Snake” chocolates in a few select stores. The chocolates quickly sold out within days, well before the Lunar New Year holiday. GODIVA expects the same results this year with the “Year of the Horse” collection.

The GODIVA “Year of the Horse” collection is available as a $50 gift and a $120 luxury gift box at GODIVA boutiques nationwide. They will be in stores and online for a limited time only until Jan. 31. Visit www.GODIVA.com for more information and for store locations. ‘)}