Nina Fine Chocolate - Macambo and Coconut bar - Jan. 21, 2019

Chocolate of the Day:

Nina Fine Chocolate
45% Cacao - Majambo Coco (Macambo and Coconut) bar
Good
Weight: .4 oz. (12.5 g.) / .8 oz. (25 g.) in total bar
Calories: 152.6 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $17.50 for 1 package of 4 bars
Purchased from: Chocosphere.com (online order)

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

Today's 45% Cacao Macambo and Coconut (Majambo y Coco) bar from Nina Fine Chocolate (Chazuta, San Martin, Peru), was part of a 4-bar assortment pack.

This was a lighter bar than expected, due to a somewhat unique texture: slightly soft and gummy, light mousse-like. The flavor was light, and not too sweet, with only a hint of coconut.

The "lighter" flavor was due to the lower percent of cacao (45%), and from Macambo—a relative of the cacao plant (Theobroma family) from South America, that was blended with cacao in this bar.*

Macambo seeds are generally eaten roasted and are said to have a slightly savory flavor. (I didn't pick up the latter, but the macambo seemed to have less of the fruity and acidic flavor than cacao often has, judging by the absence of these cacao-related flavors.)

*Ingredients: cacao, macambo, sugar, cocoa butter, coconut 

Chocolat Bonnat - Piura Blanco Perou 75% Cacao Dark Chocolate bar - Jan. 20, 2019

Chocolate of the Day:

Chocolat Bonnat
Piura Blanco Perou 75% Cacao Dark Chocolate bar
Good +++
Weight: 1.16 oz. (33.3 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 200 calories in 1/3 bar
Cost: $12.25 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocosphere.com (online order)

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

Today's Chocolat Bonnat Piura Blanco Perou 75% Cacao Chocolat Noir (Dark Chocolate) bar was made with Criollo cacao ("white beans") from the Piura cacao-growing region in northwest Peru.

This bar had a smooth, creamy melt and texture, notes of complex fruit (including citrus, tart stone fruit, berries) and a hint of coffee.*

*Chocolate maker's tasting notes read: "lightly acidulated and fruity flavors"

Chocolat Bonnat - Cacao Cusco Perou 75% Dark bar - Jan. 19, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Chocolat Bonnat
Cacao Cusco Perou 75% Cacao Chocolat Noir bar
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.16 oz. (33.3 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 200 calories in 1/3 bar
Cost: $12.25 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocosphere.com (online order)

Welcome to Day #16 of Chocolate and Peru Theme Week.

Today's Chocolat Bonnat Cacao Cusco Perou 75% Cacao Chocolat Noir bar was made with cacao grown in the Amazon region of  Peru.

This bar had a clean aroma and flavor with fruit and green coconut notes*, and
a creamy melt and texture—characteristic of many Bonnat chocolate bars.

*The maker's notes also listed notes of sugar cane.

Marana Craft Chocolate - San Martin Peru 70% Dark Chocolate bar - Jan. 18, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Marana Craft Chocolate
San Martin Peru 70% Dark Chocolate bar
Good - Good +
Weight: 1.25 oz. (35 g.) / 2.5 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 213.15 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $7.60 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Chocosphere.com (online order)

Welcome to Day #15 of Chocolate and Peru Theme Week.

Today's organic Marana Craft Chocolate San Martin Peru 70% Dark Chocolate bar was manufactured by Cacao Valley E.I.R.L.

This bar had a slightly green and fruity aroma, complex fruit flavor with a tiny hint of black pepper in one bite, a slight uptick in (balanced) fruit sour notes about 2/3 way through, followed by a smooth, fruitiness and a very slight astringent finish. Fun ride.

Marana Craft Chocolate - San Martin Peru 80% Dark Chocolate bar - Jan. 17, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Marana Craft Chocolate
San Martin Peru 80% Dark Chocolate bar
Good
Weight: 1.25 oz. (35 g.) / 2.5 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 225 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $6.70 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocosphere.com (online order)

Welcome to Day #14 of Chocolate and Peru Theme Week.

Today's Marana Craft Chocolate San Martin Peru 80% Dark Chocolate bar was made "in country" by Cacao Valley E.I.R.L. (Lima, Peru).

San Martin, located in north central Peru is one of 10 major cacao-growing regions in the country. This chocolate was made using the "Amazonica" variety of cacao beans from Tarapoto.

The bar had a pleasant aroma with green and fruit notes. The first bite yielded a bloom of flavor with more fruit acidity—and a slightly astringent (drying, almost granular) mouthfeel. The flavor was complex, fruity with faint green, sour milk and coconut notes.

Marana Craft Chocolate - 70% Piura Peru bar - Jan. 16, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Marana Craft Chocolate
70% Piura Peru bar
Good
Weight: 1.25 oz. (35 g.) / 2.5 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 213.15 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $6.70 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocosphere.com (online order)

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

Today's organic, Marana Craft Chocolate 70% Piura Peru bar was produced by Cacao Valley E.R.L. in Lima, Peru.

The company's Piura "collection is made from the finest variety of "blanco" cacao beans, grown in the fertile valleys of Alta Piura." These beans yielded a great fruity tasting 80% Piura Peru bar yesterday, and a similar, slightly sweeter 70% Piura Peru sibling today with balanced red fruit (cherry) and citrus (tangelo-to-tangerine) notes.

Tasting notes on the package read: "This chocolate boasts a huge personality, offering an...experience dominated by fruity citrus notes."

Ingredients: Organic cacao mass, organic sugar and organic cacao butter

Marana Craft Chocolate - 80% Piura Peru bar - Jan. 15, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Marana Craft Chocolate
80% Piura Peru bar
Good +
Weight: 1.25 oz. (35 g.) / 2.5 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 225.4 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $7.85 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocosphere.com (online order)

Welcome to Day #12 of Chocolate and Peru Theme Week(s).

Today's attractively packaged, 80% Piura Peru bar from Marana Craft Chocolate was made in Peru (produced by Cacao Valley E.I.R.L.).

Bars labeled as 80% cacao or over are generally more bold and deep dark in flavor. However, today's 80% Piura Peru bar was relatively cheerful for an 80%-er. This chocolate was fruit-sweet (red fruit, cherry), with a very faint (balanced) red fruit-acetic acid (vinegar) note.

*Piura is a city, region and province in northwestern Peru, approximately 5 degrees south of the Equator. Piura is also one of of the top 10 cacao growing regions in this South American country. 

Marana Craft Chocolate offers bars made with Cusco from at least three of these ten regions: Cusco, Piura and San Martin.