Mint Condition

Zoë Tsoukatos is carrying on the candy legacy of her Greek ancestors, who immigrated to Baltimore in the early 1900s and sold chocolate from a pushcart. Today, Zoë, 28, and her brothers, Pantelis, 31, and Petros, 21, are third-generation chocolatiers with stores in Frederick and Waynesboro, PA. Their father, George, is also involved in Zoë’s Chocolate Co. and continues to hand-roll candy canes from scratch. “It’s a family tradition,” Zoë says. “It brings us all together.” The Tsoukatoses start making the iconic holiday treat in November, flavoring the sticks with peppermint, cinnamon, and anise. A six-pack is $16.50; a 12-pack, $32, and can be purchased at zoeschocolate.com. Zoë, a former consultant, is proud of her candy heritage. “I really enjoy doing this,” she says. “I can’t think of anything else I’d like to do.”