Paul and Mike - Fine Milk Chocolate with Staphal (Custard Apple) (bar) - Nov. 14, 2026

Chocolate of The Day

Paul and Mike
Fine Milk Chocolate with Staphal (Custard Apple) (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 14.1 oz. (.5 g.) / .954 oz. (27 g.) in total bar
Calories: 75 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: N/A - gift from friends 
Purchased from: N/A - gift from friends

Welcome to Day #26 of Chocolate and Fruits Theme Week.

Today's Paul and Mike Fine Milk Chocolate (Kochi, Kerala) with Staphal (Custard Apple) (bar) was manufactured and marketed by Synthite Industries PVT. LTD., (Kolenchery, Ernakulam, Kerala). 

The brand name was apparently named after two Central American farmers; but the chocolate is made from tree to bar in southern India.

Aroma and flavor notes included: milky, subtle chocolate (light cocoa); faint warm sweetness (muscovado sugar); and authentic fruit (creamy, gently tart-sweet apple). 

This chocolate was, notably, almost completely devoid of bitterness. Yes, it is possible. This is often achieved in bulk chocolate/cocoa by alkalizing the cocoa. But some nutrients and desirable flavors also disappear. However, using a very mild, Criollo cacao variety in a milk chocolate bar--with a lower cacao percentage (percentage wasn't listed)--could also achieve a softer, smoother taste.* 

Today's bar was also low in acidity (with the custard apple contributing a low amount of natural fruit acid). 

While very smooth in overall flavor and texture, there were pleasant upticks in apple flavor from tiny visible bits of (freeze-dried) custard apple.

Texture: smooth, almost soft, with a milky melt, this bar still broke with a well-tempered snap. The staphal (custard apple) contributed some appealing texture that may be easy to miss if you eat this chocolate too quickly. The tiny bits of fruit and their dissolution were almost smooth, creamy and almost gel-like (similar to high-pectin cooked apples).

Ingredients: Brown Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Milk Solids, Fine Flavour Cocoa Beans, Freeze-Dried Staphal (Custard Apple), Emulsifier Sunflower Lecithin (E322)

Allergen-related information: Contains Dairy. Processed at a Facility that Processes Nuts and Milk.

*I'm always happy to dispel myths about how bitter cacao is. Bitterness can result from cacao variety, when it's picked, how it's processed...and from individual sensitivities to bitter flavors. I recently tried freeze-dried cacao pulp and cacao seeds. Delicious; and not bitter. But, I also seem to be able to handle bitter flavors better than most people.

Chocolarder - Again - Rhubarb and Ginger Limited Edition Milk Chocolate Bar - Nov. 13, 2026

Chocolate of The Day

Again by Chocolarder
Rhubarb and Ginger Limited Edition Milk Chocolate Bar
Good ++

Weight: 1.25 oz. (35 g.) / 2.5 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 196 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $15.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar & Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #25 of Chocolate and Fruits Theme Week.

Today's Again Rhubarb and Ginger Limited Edition Milk Chocolate Bar was made in the U.K. by Chocolarder (Falmouth, Cornwall, UK).

Chocolarder's "Again" series of bars highlights creative ways the company is reducing (and upcycling) food waste through their bean to bar process.

Today's bar included surplus breakfast bar ingredients. The ginger and rhubarb (and perhaps the apple fibre) in today's bar were from the Wonki Collective (London, UK). The cocoa hailed from Three Mountains, Ghana. And the ginger was from Seram Island, Indonesia.

This bar was made up of two sides (side by side, together): a 50% dark milk chocolate and ginger side, and a "white" chocolate rhubarb + apple side. (The view looking down on this bar was similar to looking down at the famous confluence of the two great Amazon River tributaries (Rio Negro and Rio Solimoes) in Brazil.*)

The dark milk side was smooth, tasty and chocolate-y with a warm infusion of ginger. Spiced, but not overly so. The white chocolate rhubarb (and apple fibre) side was quite tart and tangy, and fun to try.

Rhubarb is a vegetable, but this bar did contain some apple. (And, I paired this bar with an authentic apple muffin and apple cider, resulting in a delicious Autumn day.)

Texture: This well-tempered bar broke (across both dark and light sides) with an attractive snap. Both sides were relatively smooth and creamy in terms of melt and mouthfeel. The added ginger and rhubarb seemed to be well integrated with the base dark milk and white chocolate, respectively.

I appreciated the company using their "Again" line of bars to highlight a truly massive issue, food waste.** The Chocolarder Again Fig bar (featured yesterday, embodied a great solution -- it made excellent use of rum-soaked figs from a distillery) and was quite good. And I look forward to trying other bars in this line. I also enjoyed the texture and flavors in this bar, and the short list of thoughtful ingredients.

Ingredients: "Ginger Milk Chocolate: Cocoa Beans; Unrefined Sugar, Milk Powder, Crystalised Ginger, Milk Chocolate Contains 50% Min. Cocoa Solids, 14% Min. Milk Solids; Rhubarb: Cocoa Butter, Unrefined Sugar, Rhubarb, Apple Fibre."

Allergen-related information: Made in a factory that also handles Milk and Tree Nuts

*These two rivers are so large that they flow almost side by side for six kilometers before their colors mix together. Rio Negro is dark brown in color, and Rio Solimoes is a lighter cafe latte color. This dual-hued phenomenon is known in South America as "The Meeting of (the) Waters." 

And, yes, cacao and cupuacu (a Theobroma relative) grow near the banks of the Amazon River in this province of Brazil.

**Food waste stats printed on the inside of the (recyclable) Chocolarder bar wrapper included the following info:

"1.4 Billion hectares of land, 28% of the world's agricultural area, is used annually to produce food that is lost or wasted."

"If 25% of the food currently being lost or wasted globally was saved, it would be enough to feed 870 million people around the world"

"Almost 2 million tonnes of food waste in the UK comes from the food industry, and currently less than 1% is recycled for human consumption."

""40% of food produced never makes it to a supermarket"

Chocolarder - Again - Fig Limited Edition Milk Chocolate Bar - Nov. 12, 2026

Chocolate of The Day

Again by Chocolarder
Fig - Limited Edition Milk Chocolate Bar
Good ++

Weight: 1.25 oz. (35 g.) / 2.5 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 188 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $15.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar & Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #24 of Chocolate and Fruits Theme Week.

Today's Again Fig Limited Edition Milk Chocolate Bar was made in the U.K. by Chocolarder (Falmouth, Cornwall, UK).

Oak-smoked figs from Loveday Distillery (Falmouth, Cornwall, UK) used to flavor rum have been given a second life in this "Again" Fig chocolate bar.

Chocolarder describes how they gently remove the alcohol, dry the figs and break them into pieces ("with just the right texture"). The concept of re-use of high-quality ingredients made us happy to be a part of them "helping prevent waste through our bean to bar process." 

The cacao beans used were from Oko Caribe in the Dominican Republic--a cocoa producer and exporter that buys ("wet") beans from local, smallholder farmers and provides centralized post-harvest processing, fermentation and drying. Their beans have been described as having a variety of subtle fruit notes, including bright fruit flavor notes (berry, mango cherry), and red and brown (dried) fruit notes, and even banana.

Aroma and flavor notes for this 50% milk chocolate fig bar included: smooth, dark milk chocolate, milk, warm, dried fruit (fig), and a faint warmth that I associated with spirits like rum that might have spent some time in a wood barrel and picked up some lovely flavors.

Texture: This well-tempered bar broke with a satisfying snap. The base chocolate was smooth and satisfying and was studded with small pieces/bits of soft, chewy fig.

I enjoyed the authentic flavors of the single origin cacao and formerly rum-soaked figs--a blend that was softened (but not completely muted) by milk. I also appreciated the short list of quality ingredients. 

Ingredients: Cocoa Beans, Unrefined Sugar, Milk Powder, Dried Figs (8%). Milk Chocolate contains min. 50% cocoa and min. 14% milk solids.

Allergen-related information: Made in a factory that also handles Milk and Tree Nuts

 

Fruition Chocolate Works - Banana Flambe Milk (bar) - Nov. 11, 2026

Chocolate of The Day

Fruition Chocolate Works
Banana Flambe Milk (bar) 
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.12 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 164 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $20.00 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Bar & Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #23 of Chocolate and Fruits Theme Week. And even though this series has, once again, lingered much longer than the standard seven-day week, I couldn't leave this chocolate and banana bar behind.

Today's Banana Flambe Milk (bar) was handcrafted by Fruition Chocolate Works (Shokan, New York).

The cacao used to make today's bar was a Nacional (variety) from the Dominican Republic. (Sourcing Partner: Kahkow). Using a single origin cacao really does make a difference. The bars this week using them have been more flavorful, complex and enjoyable.

Aroma and flavor notes for this small batch bar included: smooth dark chocolate; browned butter and sauteed banana; subtle warm spices; and very faint spirits (rum). 

Texture: This well-tempered milk chocolate bar broke with a decent snap and had a relatively creamy, smooth melt and mouthfeel, with a balanced, authentic banana fruit finish.

I appreciated the short list of ingredients, and the execution of this bar that led to the very tasty results.

I loved the way the makers used freeze-dried ripe banana and milk chocolate infused with spiced rum. This was a tasty, well-executed small batch blend bar. Banana is not always an easy flavor. (I've been thankful this week for newer freeze-dried* processes for fruits--enabling some great craft chocolate and fruit bars in the last decade.)

Ingredients: "Sugar*, Cocoa Butter*, Cocoa Beans, Whole Milk Powder, Banana, Rum, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Salt"

Allergen-related information: Contains Milk. May Contain Traces of Peanuts, Tree Nuts, Eggs, Soy, Sesame

*Freeze dried foods date back to the Incas in the Andes mountains of South America. It makes me wonder if they could have been incorporating freeze-dried items in cacao.

In the U.S. freeze drying became popular in World War II, on space flights, and for campers and backpackers. In the 2020s their popularity expanded. And the market is still growing (at the time of this post), at both high-end (large commercial operations) and at the low-end, i.e. smaller/specialty kitchens and consumers.

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.