The Organic House - Kumquat Dark Madagascar 70% Cacao (bar) - Nov. 10, 2026

Chocolate of The Day

The Organic House
Kumquat Dark Madagascar 70% Cacao dark chocolate (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 1.94 oz. (55 g.) in total bar
Calories: 170 calories in 1 serving (30 g.) of bar
Cost: $13.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar & Cocoa, online order 

Welcome to Day #22 of Chocolate and Fruits Theme Week.

Today's "Kumquat Dark Madagascar 70% Cacao Akesson's Organic Sambirano Valley Bean to Bar Dark Craft Chocolate" (bar) was made by The Organic House (Burlington, ON, Canada). 

Aroma notes for this single origin + citrus chocolate included: smooth, dark chocolate; maple/brown sugar; and faint citrus.

Flavor notes included: maple-sweetened dark chocolate and bright, tart-sweet, authentic citrus (kumquat) with a medium, balanced acidity. The Madagascar cacao likely also contributed some citrus or citrus + tart berry/cherry notes. The maple sugar added warmth and flavor depth.

Texture: This bar was smooth and well executed. I'm guessing the kumquats were freeze-dried and then fully incorporated into the chocolate (no fruit or peel detected), while still maintaining their natural flavor.

I enoyed the fresh-tasting and authentic flavors and the use of single origin cacao. I also appreciated the short list of quality and organic ingredients.

Maker's Tasting Notes: "Kumquats, cherry and raisins. Very milky"

Ingredients: Organic cacao beans*, Ontario maple sugar*, Organic cacao butter*, Kumquats. (*Organic)

Allergen-related information: "Made in a facility that uses tree nuts." "May contain: Almonds, Cashews, Hazelnuts, Oats, Pecans, Pistachios."

 

The Organic House - Nature's Candy: Soursop 70% Cacao Nicaragua O'Payo dark chocolate (bar) - Nov. 9, 2026

Chocolate of The Day

The Organic House
Nature's Candy: Soursop 70% Cacao Nicaragua O'Payo dark chocolate (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 1.94 oz. (55 g.) in total bar
Calories: 160 calories in 1 serving (30 g.) of bar
Cost: $13.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar & Cocoa, online order 

Welcome to Day #21 of Chocolate and Fruits Theme Week.

Today's Nature's Candy: Soursop 70% Cacao Nicaragua O'Payo dark chocolate (bar) was made by The Organic House (Burlington, ON, Canada). 

Aroma and flavor notes for this exotic fruit flavored chocolate included: bold, smooth dark chocolate; warm spice (brown sugar); and glimmers of fruits (the refreshing aspect of a cucumber + the tart sweetness of a blend of mango, orange and a pineapple with sweet banana and cacao fruit pulp toward the end). "Nature's Candy" indeed.

Texture: This bar was well-executed, smooth-textured chocolate. I'm not sure how the makers infused the soursop fruit into the cacao (use of freeze-dried fruit, or nibs/cocoa butter infused in macerated fruit, etc.); but there were no detectable fruit bits in the chocolate--just fresh-tasting fruit flavor(s).

I appreciated the soursop and the single origin Nicaragua cacao flavors -- conjured from a short list of just four ingredients--all organic, except for the soursops.

Maker's Tasting Notes: "Tart and tangy, with passion fruit and citrus notes."

Ingredients: "Organic cacao beans*, Organic coconut flower nectar*, Organic cacao butter*, Soursops (*Organic)"

Allergen-related information: "May contain: Almonds, Cashews, Hazelnuts, Oats, Pecans"

* Soursop (Annona muricata) and cacao (Theobroma cacao) have several things in common. Both fruits grow on trees and are native to Central and South America. And both were brought to (and are being cultivated in) Africa and in many other tropical countries. Soursop fruit is known for having a mix of tropical fruit notes including banana, mango and pineapple; and exact flavors may vary by cultivar.

Somerville Chocolate - Smoked Chocolate 65% Ecuadorian Cacao Smoked Over Apple Wood (bar) - Nov. 8, 2026

Chocolate of The Day

Somerville Chocolate
Smoked Chocolate 65% Ecuadorian Cacao Smoked Over Apple Wood (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.5 oz. (70 g.) total bar
Calories: 191 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Somerville Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #20 of Chocolate and Fruits Theme Week. This is the second apple-related dark chocolate bar featured today as part of a fruit-themed week. (See previous post about a Hardanger Cider bar from Fjak Chocolate in Norway.)

This Smoked Chocolate 65% Ecuadorian Cacao Smoked Over Apple Wood (bar) was handcrafted by Somerville Chocolate (Somerville, MA) -- a small batch bean-to-bar maker and chocolate CSA*. 

The bar was wrapped in paper printed with a reproduction of an historic street map.

Aroma notes included: rich dark chocolate with very faint wood/smoke and very faint herb (sage). 

The flavor notes added to the above aroma notes with a deeper dive into the very pleasant, smooth  chocolate-y dark chocolate--that had very light fruit brightness and a trace of warm nut notes. 

The extremely light touch of smoke and the sunny Ecuador cacao balanced each other nicely and there is enough here to please a variety of dark chocolate fans.

I appreciated the thoughtful and gentle infusion of apple wood smoke into a single origin, naturally sweet Ecuadorian cacao dark chocolate (with trace fruit, floral and sweet green notes)--and the very short list of (three) quality ingredients.

Ingredients: Cacao, Cane Sugar, Wood Smoke

Allergen-related information: None found listed on label. Check with the maker if you have questions.

*Consumer Supported Agriculture - marketing and distribution model for farm produce/products.

Fjak Chocolate - Hardanger Cider 70% Dark Chocolate Limited Edition (bar) - Nov. 8, 2026

Chocolate of The Day

Fjak Chocolate AS
Hardanger Cider 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) Limited Edition
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.11 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 176 calories in 1/2 bar 
Cost: $19.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar & Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #20 of Chocolate and Fruits Theme Week. 

Today's Hardanger Cider 70% Dark Chocolate Limited Edition (bar) was handcrafted in small batches by Fjak Chocolate AS in Norway, using local apples that grow on the hillsides/valleys above the fjords.

Aroma notes included: a gently complex and pleasing blend of chocolate, fruit (apple) and warm roasted (nuts, spirits, wood). (There were no nut ingredients in this bar.) 

Flavor notes: Billed as "bold and boozy" this bar was rich, layered, subdued and elegant. Imagine the best of two spirits with authentic apple fruit essence: 1.) the crisp, tart-sweet apple freshness of a fermented hard apple cider and 2.) the rich, smooth wood barrel flavor notes of small-batch apple brandy...together, incorporated into a rich, smooth, single origin (Tanzania) cacao.

The chocolate (cacao), apple/fruit (and perhaps some wood that surrounded the fermenting apples) complemented each other very nicely. Bold flavors, artfully blended, to create a rich, smooth dark chocolate bar, with a tasty, lingering, bold finish. (The balanced apple acidity wasn't apparent until later for me.)

Texture: smooth texture with a fairly creamy melt, and a light to medium fruit/yogurt/earth astringency in the finish.

I appreciated the authentic single origin flavors (local Norwegian apples, Tanzanian cacao); the balanced complexity in both aroma and flavor; and the short list of quality and certified organic ingredients.

Maker's Tasting Notes: "clean, crisp and aromatic"..."We infuse Tanzania cocoa nibs with cider, resulting in a bar with a fine balance between acidity and fruitiness."

Note: Today's Fjak cider bar was similar to a Fjak cider bar featured on Chocolate Banquet in June 2023. Small batch, single origin ingredients vary slightly from year-to-year and can cause tiny differences in flavors. You don't step into the same river twice. But, even though cacao harvest or apple cider batch may evolve slightly with different temperatures, terroir/orchard, or even fruit genetics...Chocolate Banquet is all about eating a new chocolate (and avoiding duplicates. 

So, see next post (a second apple-related dark chocolate bar featured today)--a Somerville Chocolate chocolate bar infused with applewood smoke. 

Ingredients: Cocoa Beans*, Cane Sugar*, Cocoa Butter*, Cider*, Dried apple*, Apple aroma* Min. 70% cocoa (*Organic)

Allergen-related information: Contains Milk. Processed in a facility that handles nuts, dairy and gluten

 

Fjak - Cloudberry Milk Chocolate (bar) Limited Edition Nordic Special - Nov. 7, 2026

Chocolate of The Day

Fjak Chocolate AS
Cloudberry Milk Chocolate (bar) Limited Edition Nordic Special 
Good ++
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.11 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 176 calories in 1/2 bar 
Cost: $16.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar & Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #19 of Chocolate and Fruits Theme Week.

Today's Cloudberry* Milk Chocolate (bar) Limited Edition Nordic Special was handcrafted in small batches by Fjak Chocolate AS in Norway.

Aroma notes included: chocolate and fruit (tart-sweet, very slightly earthy, red-orange berry) with milk/cream and vanilla.

Flavor notes were similar to the aroma notes above, and, as expected, included clearer and stronger milk chocolate (milky, chocolate-y) and cloudberry (relatively bright, tart-sweet fruit/berry with faint earthiness (vegetable/potato)). Both chocolate and berry notes lingered in a light, extended finish.

Texture: Smooth, well-executed bar that broke with a snap (in a cool room). This was a milky chocolate with a light fruit (cloudberry) astringency in the finish.

I enjoyed tasting the cloudberry--not a fruit easily found where I live in California, and appreciated Fjak makers use of a short list of quality and organic ingredients. Flavors were balanced. The cloudberry and sugar sweetness was enhanced a bit by the milk and vanilla in this 50% cacao bar, but it didn't seem overly sweet.

Ingredients: Cocoa Beans*, Cane Sugar*, Milk Powder*, Cocoa Butter*, Cloudberry*, Vanilla* Min. 50% cocoa (*Organic)

Allergen-related information: Contains Milk. Processed in a facility that handles nuts, dairy and gluten

*Cloudberries (Rubus chamaemorus) grow in Scandinavia, Alaska, Russia, Canada, and other arctic and subarctic regions in the Northern Hemisphere. They have a unique flavor that is tart sweet and can be very slightly earthy. They're an important food source--that are typically foraged (picked by hand)--in colder climates and may be used in desserts, ice creams, jams and preserves, in liqueurs, and occasionally in cereals/porridges and teas.

Marou Chocolate - Pineapple Bites with Craft Dark Chocolate - Nov. 6, 2026

Chocolate of The Day

Marou Faiseurs De Chocolat
(Marou Chocolate Makers)
Pineapple Bites with Craft Dark Chocolate
Good ++
Weight: 1.76 oz. (50 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total package
Calories: 215 calories in 1/2 package
Cost: $18.00 for 1 package
Purchased from: Chocolate Dispensary, online order

Welcome to Day #18 of Chocolate and Fruits Theme Week.

Today's Pineapple Bites with Craft Dark Chocolate offering, from Marou Faiseurs De Chocolat (Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam), was imported to the U.S. by A Priori Specialty Food, Salt Lake City, UT.

Aroma and flavor notes included: subtly sweet, smooth dark chocolate with tropical/sweet tart fruit (delicate, authentic and sweet pineapple aroma and taste).

Texture: softly chewy pieces of dried pineapple, covered with soft, smooth dark chocolate.

I enjoyed the blend of naturally sweet (not overly candied) dried, softly chewy pineapple pieces and smooth dark chocolate. Marou makes chocolate using cacao grown in the six southernmost provinces of Vietnam. 

Marou is one of the small percentage of chocolate makers featured on Chocolate Banquet (and in the world) that makes chocolate "in-country". (Chocolates are made in the same country where the cacao is grown.)

Ingredients: Dried Pineapple (Pineapple, Cane Sugar, Acid Citric, Preservatives (E223)), Dark Chocolate (Cacao Nibs, Cane Sugar, Cacao Butter).

Allergen-related information: "May Contain Milk, Eggs, Cashews, Peanuts Sulphites."

Meurisse Chocolate - Dark Orange - Dark Chocolate Bar (Papua New Guinea) - Nov. 5, 2026

Chocolate of The Day

Meurisse Chocolate
Dark Orange Dark Chocolate Bar 
Good ++ 
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 3.52 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 140 calories in 1/4 bar
Cost: $14.95 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Il Parco Cafe (in the Presidio), San Francisco, CA

Welcome to Day #17 of Chocolate and Fruits Theme Week.

Today's Dark Orange Dark Chocolate Bar was made by Muerisse Chocolate NV (Antwerp, Belgium), using single origin cocoa from Papua New Guinea.

Aroma and flavor notes for this attractively packaged bar included: smooth dark chocolate (chocolate-y, fudge brownie); light, balanced orange; and barely detectable vanilla.

Texture: The base dark chocolate had a smooth texture that was peppered with tiny, crunchy bits of (possibly freeze-dried) orange peel.

I enjoyed the smooth, authentic flavors that weren't too sweet. And I appreciated that the orange was not overly sweet (candied) and was used as a chewy textural element as well as a lighter citrus flavor. The same was true with the restrained use of vanilla. The relatively short list of ingredients, use of single origin cocoa, balanced flavors and overall taste, and packaging all left an impression of natural elegance.

Ingredients: Cocoa mass*, cane sugar*, cocoa butter*, orange* (5%), natural vanilla powder*, orange essential oil* (* from organic agriculture) 73% minimum cocoa

Allergen-related information: "May contain traces of milk, soy, pistachio, almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts."