Chocolate Conspiracy blooming in "tiny niche" of artisan crafting.

• Author: Christensen, Lisa
• Position: Around Utah: SALT LAKE AREA

Salt Lake City -- Chocolate made without milk, soy or refined sugar? Sounds like a conspiracy.

The artisan chocolate shop breaks the mold among chocolatiers not only with what it doesn't put into its chocolate, but what it doesn't do to the chocolate to begin with-at CHOCOLATE CONSPIRACY, they don't roast the beans. AJ Wentworth, founder and chocolate maker for the shop, says his approach to chocolate is virtually unheard of among peers both locally and across the nation.

"It's just so traditional to the chocolate-making process that you roast the beans and grind them in a certain way and temper it with sugar," he says. "We don't do that. We're finding our own way to make chocolate."

Wentworth, a Utah native, began his career as a chef, working in various establishments and learning the craft. Later, he studied at the Institute for Intuitive Nutrition in New York City and became a certified live foods instructor. He found he still had a deep interest in making good, healthful food, though, and began tinkering with the most sinful course of all: dessert.

"We can eat really well--you can eat a salad, you can eat fresh, but when It comes to dessert, there's not a lot of options," he says. "That was my goal, to make a healthier dessert."

Wentworth sweetens his chocolate with local raw honey or maple syrup instead of refined sugar. While this helps keep blood sugar from spiking when the chocolate is...