Chef Unveils New Chocolate Line Just In Time For Valentine's Day

CUTCHOGUE, NY — A chef who has traveled the world has set down roots on the North Fork and is debuting her new chocolate line, Disset Chocolate, just in time for Valentine's Day.

Ursula Sala-illa, whose professional name is Chef Ursula XVII, is debuting two collections of hand-crafted, small-batch chocolates.

A Michelin-trained pastry chef and chocolatier, Ursula is a New York native with roots in Catalonia. She trained with world-renowned pastry chefs and worked at several Michelin-starred restaurants in Europe and the United States, including Ai Fiori, Albert Adria, Oriol Balaguer, and Jodi Ferrer, she said.

Ursual said while the chocolates are currently only available online, plans could be coming for a shop.

“Having a brick-and-mortar is not something we originally thought would work with our business model," she said. "However, like most ventures, flexibility is key. We’ve been hearing from our customers that they want us to have a storefront. So now, we’re looking at shifting our model to ideally have one in the near future. It all depends on the economy and the turning the corner on the pandemic.”

Ursula said the North Fork epitomized the perfect place to launch her line. "I live on the North Fork, putting down roots here after over a decade of moving around the world. There is nothing like the North Fork. Being from the suburbs of Barcelona, the beaches, farms, and vineyards here are as close as it gets."

After moving to the North Fork, Ursula said she worked for Claudia Fleming at The North Fork Table & Inn.

"With a push from her, I was inspired to branch out and pursue my passion of creating artisan handcrafted chocolate with the finest ingredients," she said.

Ursula integrates the bounty of the North Fork into the chocolates.

“We source all local herbs and edible flowers, like the mint for the Disset Signature Winter 2021 collection, or the white chocolate mendicant in the Valentine’s Day 12-piece assortment. Any wine or sparkling wine we use is from the North Fork; the sparkling pop rock pate de fruit in the Valentine’s Day 2021 is from Sparkling Pointe."

Any ingredients that do not grow in the North Fork, including chocolate, are sourced from "responsibly traceable farms and makers," she said.

The North Fork has inspired her creative process, Ursula said.

“The North Fork is a place of collaboration and growth in the true spirit of 'farm to table,'" she said. "At Disset, we wish to incorporate this into our business model — to work with farms, makers, growers, and artists and to create something unique in every bite.”

During the pandemic and Valentine's Day like no other, Ursula said there is still a hankering for chocolate, perhaps more than ever.

“In a year where we cannot spend time together, sending chocolates to your loved ones, or socially distanced co-workers, is a beautiful way to remind your friends and family that you are with them, no matter how far," she said.

Disset Chocolate offers an array of options, including Valentine's Day bonbons, homemade s'mores for two, and paint your own chocolate bars, she said.

Discussing the name of her new business, Ursula said the name "Disset" means “seventeen” in Catalan, Ursula’s native language, and XVII is her second, or middle, name.

The Disset Signature Collection is crafted from natural ingredients and Valhrona chocolate and available in four, nine, or 17-piece assortments.

Bonbons are available in flavors including banana walnut bread, lemon meringue, raspberry black sesame, mint, hazelnut, coconut almond, and apple cider cookie.

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, Disset's 12-piece bonbon assortment features salted caramel, raspberry rose, coconut, strawberry black pepper, white chocolate, and edible flower Mendicant, and a sparkling rose pate de fruit dipped in dark chocolate with golden pop rocks, she said.

Changing seasonal collections will be offered, with new lines of chocolates unveiled twice a year, Ursula said.

"I’m proud and excited to share my passion for chocolate with these new collections,” she said. "They represent everything I’m passionate about and are inspired by my travels, food memories, and favorite ingredients."

Ursula also offered tips on how to enjoy Disset Chocolate. “Just like a wine tasting, there’s an art to tasting and appreciating good chocolate. It’s an experience that should be savored slowly. I suggest taking a bite and allowing the chocolate to sit on your tongue and melt for a few minutes, which opens up the flavors onto your taste buds," she said.

In addition to a possible storefront, future plans also include pop-ups at wineries and other locations on the North Fork and beyond, she said.