It's the Bomb!

Inspired by the chocolate masters of Italy, Eric Torres-Garcia left the world of finance behind to create his own delicious confections—Cocoa Bombs.

- CHRIS MANN

In the spring of 2019, two years into pursuing his master’s degree in finance in Turin, Italy, Eric TorresGarcia found himself increasingly drawn to a more creative, sweeter calling. “Turin is very passionate about its confection industry,” says Torres-Garcia, 25. “I saw and experienced a lot during my time there—and the chocolate made a big impression on me.” Months into an unfulfilling accounting job he took when returning to the U.S. that fall, lingering visions of a popular European Easter egg treat inspired Torres to transform hot cocoa—and his life.

“One December morning, I got up and felt a great urge to start playing around with this idea,” he recalls. “I bought around $15 worth of ingredients, came home, and started attempting a prototype. After many failed attempts, I finally ended up getting a good version.”

Torres-Garcia’s video of the results, featuring a hollow chocolate orb suddenly bursting forth with hidden mini marshmallows and hot cocoa under a cascade of steamed milk, received over 2.5 million views on Tik-Tok. The video’s title: “Would anyone buy these?” The world’s answer: “By the boatloads.”