Kakoa - 82% Cacao Criollo Dark Chocolate, Criollo Pichucalco, Chiapas (bar) - April 2, 2026

Chocolate of the Day

Kakoa
82% Cacao Criollo Dark Chocolate, Criollo Pichucalco, Chiapas (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 2.11 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 327 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $13.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar & Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #17 of Chocolate & Mexico Theme Week(s).

Today's 82% Cacao Criollo Dark Chocolate, Criollo Pichucalco, Chiapas (bar) was made by Kakoa (Rio Chico, Mexico City, Mexico). 

Aroma and flavor notes included: relatively intense dark chocolate with complex fruit (concentrated cacao fruit; cacao fruit pulp syrup); nut (dark, slow-roasted almonds); and faint dark chocolate fudge cake.

Texture: This well-tempered bar broke with a snap. It had a smooth texture and melt with occasional very tiny crunchy (likely cacao nib) fragments--and a faint, fruit astringency in the finish.

This chocolate had a relatively bold aromatic (lightly roasted) cacao--as well as condensed cacao fruit--flavors. However, despite the deep, dark intensity, the bitterness and acidity levels were quite low. All of the taste, without the harshness in the flavor or finish, thanks to the single origin criollo variety cacao in this well-executed bar. 

This bar belongs in a criollo chocolate flight, or a chocolate tasting that features cacao fruit notes. Kakao has captured authentic cacao fruit pulp in their chocolates; and I'm very grateful. Today's 82% cacao bar yielded a deep, dark, whole cacao tasting experience that I found satisfying and inspiring (where was the farm? what did the raw cacao taste like?). No dancing, light, fruity notes; but a more profound, condensed essence of total cacao.

I appreciated the short list of (just two) quality ingredients, including single origin Mexican cacao from Hacienda Napana in Pichucalco in Chiapas, Mexico. 

Of Coatis and Cacao in Chiapas

This bar's packaging was adorned with an illustration of a coati, a small mammal (related to raccoons) that lives in Chiapas in cacao-growing areas. The Aztec name for coatis in the Chiapaneca jungles/forests is Pitzotl. Pitzotlcalco in the nahuatl language means "place of the pitzoltl"...and thus the name Pichucalco--where the cacao for this bar was grown. (And yes, coatis do sometimes eat cacao pulp, melons and other fruits.)

Maker's Tasting Notes: "Nuts and almonds with a touch of fruit"

Ingredients: Cocoa Beans and Sugar

Allergen-related information: (Contains: Milk.) May contain milk and tree nuts. (Manufactured in a facility that also processes milk and tree nuts.)

Kakoa - 60% Cacao Dark Milk Chocolate Arroyo Alcocer, Chiapas (bar) - Apr. 1, 2026

Chocolate of the Day

Kakoa
60% Cacao Dark Milk Chocolate Arroyo Alcocer, Chiapas (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 2.11 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 327 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $13.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar & Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #16 of Chocolate & Mexico Theme Week(s).

Today's 60% Cacao Dark Milk Chocolate Arroyo Alcocer, Chiapas, Mexico (bar), Batch #2318, was made by Kakoa (Rio Chico, Mexico City, Mexico). 

Aroma and flavor notes included: sweet dark chocolate and tropical fruit (authentic, flavorful cacao pulp syrup). 

Cacao fruit, the ivory-colored pulp that surrounds cacao seeds (beans), plays an important role in the fermentation of cacao and the flavor of finished chocolate. 

The cacao fruit flavors will vary depending on the origin, cacao variety, ripeness and other factors. In today's bar, these flavors included: melon, pineapple, mango and sweet citrus (orange) and very faint warm spice (cinnamon).

I found this chocolate to be sweet, fruity and delicious, with minimal bitterness. The fruit flavors reminded me of tasting fresh cacao on a farm, or in a forest. Longer fermentation, drying, processing and roasting times generally mean less fruity or floral flavors in chocolate. So, having an opportunity to try this bar was a treat.

This bar would be a great bar to include in a chocolate tasting to remind people what less processed chocolate might taste like. However, the sheer fruitiness will surprise some who are not used to it.

Texture: relatively smooth with a slight fruit astringency. Satisfying melt.

This bar would be a great bar to include in a chocolate tasting to remind people what less processed, quality chocolate might taste like. However, the sheer fruitiness will likely surprise some who are not used to it.

Thank you to the maker for the short list of quality ingredients, and the beautifully fruity single origin Mexican cacao from Arroyo Alcocer, Chiapas in southeastern Mexico.

Maker's Tasting Notes: Fruity with citrus notes with a hint of spice(s).

Ingredients: Cocoa Beans, Sugar, Milk and Cocoa Butter  

Allergen-related information: (Contains: Milk.) May contain milk and tree nuts. (Manufactured in a facility that also processes milk and tree nuts.)

 

Kakoa - 76% Cacao Pichucalco, Chiapas, Mexico (bar) - Mar. 31, 2026

Chocolate of the Day

Kakoa
76% Cacao Pichucalco, Chiapas  (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 2.11 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 327 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $13.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar & Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #15 of Chocolate & Mexico Theme Week(s).

Today's 76% Cacao Pichucalco, Chiapas (bar) was made by Kakoa (Rio Chico, Mexico City, Mexico). 

Aroma and flavor notes included: dark chocolate with a very slight botanical or fruit sharpness and bitterness--think cranberry, pomegranate, some dark berries, black currant--but with green and tropical fruit top notes (red dragon fruit), and barely detectable plant/wood.

The flavors were relatively bold, but well balanced, and resolved into an appealing and unique dark chocolate that was relatively smooth with a satisfying finish.

Texture: smooth with faint astringency (although not as much as I would have thought given the initial aroma).

I enjoyed these unique fruit flavors and the long fruit finish. 

And I appreciated the short list of (just two) quality ingredients, including single origin Mexican cacao from Chiapas--and the information about the cacao farm(ers) who cared for this cacao--the Vila Contreras family. The following is a brief translated description: 

The biodiversity of the hacienda with howler monkeys, ocelots, coatis and other animals plays an important role in supporting the equilibrium of the ecosystem, converting it into the ideal environment for the organic production of cacao.

Rafael and his family have been producing cacao for more than 35 years in Hacienda Napana, located in Pichucalco, Chiapas  (near the border with Tabasco, in southeastern Mexico).

Ingredients: Cocoa Beans and Sugar 

Allergen-related information: May contain milk and tree nuts. (Manufactured in a facility that also processes milk and tree nuts.)

 

Kakoa - 60% Cacao - Comalcalco, Tabasco, Mexico; Dark Milk and Peppermint Caramels (bar)

Chocolate of the Day

Kakoa
60% Cacao Comalcalco, Tabasco Dark Milk Chocolate with Peppermint Caramels (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 2.11 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 327 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $13.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar & Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #14 of Chocolate & Mexico Theme Week(s).

Today's 60% Cacao Comalcalco, Tabasco Dark Milk Chocolate with Peppermint Caramels (bar) was made by Kakoa (Rio Chico, Mexico City, Mexico). 

Aroma and flavor notes included: dark milk chocolate; subtle caramel and mint; and barely detectable lime (sweet key lime pie) and red dragon fruit. 

Texture: smooth, relatively creamy dark chocolate, with tiny crunchy flecks/bits.

I really enjoyed the beautifully balanced blend of the three flavors: dark milk chocolate, caramel and light peppermint flavors in this limited edition bar. For me, the peppermint level was just right (authentic, and not too overpowering).

And I appreciated the short list of quality ingredients, including single origin Mexican cacao from Comalcalco, Tabasco.

Ingredients: Cocoa Beans, Sugar, Milk, Cocoa Butter and Peppermint Caramels

Allergen-related information: (Contains: Milk.) May contain milk and tree nuts. (Manufactured in a facility that also processes milk and tree nuts.)

Levelez - Chocolate Oscuro Mexico 75% Cacao Trinitario Sierra de Tabasco (bar) - Mar. 29, 2026

Chocolate of the Day

Levelez
Chocolate Oscuro Mexico 75% Cacao Trinitario Sierra de Tabasco (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.12 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 180 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $20.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Dispensary, online order

Welcome to Day #13 of Chocolate and Mexico Theme Week.

Today's Levelez Chocolate Oscuro Mexico 75% Cacao Trinitario Sierra de Tabasco (bar) was produced by Silvia Guedez Chocolatier (Villahermosa, Tabasco, Mexico). 

This 75% dark chocolate was crafted "with Trinitario cacao from the community of Carro Blanco in Tacotalpa,...in the mountains of Tabasco."

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate gentle fruit (melon) and very faint warm spice.

Texture: relatively smooth, with a very faint fruit astringency.

Flavor notes included: sweet and smooth-tasting dark chocolate with lots of fruit(s) (melons, ripe tropical fruit (mango, cacao fruit pulp), and mild, almost apple. A few hours later, I tasted tangy, sweet fruit that included sweet, slightly more tangy mango, berry, and very faint dried fruit (almost date, and almost dried plum). It was a bit of chocolate magic how these fruit flavors evolved over just a few hours.

This dark chocolate tasted slightly sweeter than expected. (It tasted more like a 62% cacao bar vs. a 75% cacao chocolate--in part due to the naturally sweet fruit notes).

Maker's Tasting Notes: "This mountain grown cacao offers a flavor profile with delicate fruity notes and subtle woody undertones, capturing the unique essence of its origin..."

I enjoyed the balanced, complex range of fruit flavors that made this a fun chocolate to taste.

Ingredients: Organic premium cacao, organic cane sugar, cocoa butter.

Allergen-related information: Manufactured in a facility that also processes nuts and dairy.

   

Levelez - Spicy Dried Mango with Chocolate - Mar. 28, 2026

Chocolate of the Day

Levelez
Spicy Dried Mango with Chocolate  
Good ++
Weight: 1.0 oz. (28.3 g.) / 3.52 oz. (100 g.) in total package
Calories: 120 calories in 1 oz. serving
Cost: $22.00 for 1 package
Purchased from: Chocolate Dispensary, online order

Welcome to Day #12 of Chocolate and Mexico Theme Week.

Today's Levelez Spicy Dried Mango with 75% Chocolate pieces were produced by Silvia Guedez Chocolatier (Villahermosa, Tabasco, Mexico). 

Aroma and flavor notes included: chocolate (smooth, dark, sweet), sweet mango with a light, spicy kick.

Texture: relatively moist/pump, chewy mango strips were sprinkled with seasoning and were almost fully dipped in/coated with smooth, dark chocolate (made with Mexican cacao from Tabasco).

These mango and dark chocolate confections were also fairly addicting. 

Description: "Sweet, sour, slightly spicy...Chili-coated dried mangoes, covered with 75% origin chocolate from Cerro Blanco, Tabasco. An unexpected contrast that awakens the senses and celebrates the tropical richness of Mexico."

Ingredients: "Spicy dried mango, chili mix, iodized salt, citric acid, red 40 dye, yellow 6 dye, sulfur dioxide, chocolate"

Allergen-related information: Manufactured in a facility that also processes nuts and dairy. 

Levelez - Chocolate Oscuro y Frambuesas - Mar. 27, 2026

Chocolate of the Day

Levelez
Chocolate Oscuro y Frambuesas 58% (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.12 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 170 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $20.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Dispensary, online order

Welcome to Day #11 of Chocolate and Mexico Theme Week.

Today's Levelez Chocolate Oscuro y Frambuesas 58% (bar) was produced by Silvia Guedez Chocolatier (Villahermosa, Tabasco, Mexico). 

Aroma and flavor notes included: smooth, sweet dark chocolate and aromatic, sweet red raspberry.

Texture: relatively smooth 

I enjoyed trying this bar from Mexico. The high sugar level made it difficult to detect chocolate/cacao flavor nuances; but those with a sweet tooth or who like tart-sweet fruit flavors may enjoy this bright, red raspberry chocolate confection.

Ingredients: Premium cacao, organic sugar, cocoa butter and raspberry powder.

Allergen-related information: Manufactured in a facility that also processes nuts and dairy.