ChocolateBet: November 28, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:
1 bar
Kraft
Daim
1.0 oz. (28g)
Very Good; these are very similar to a Heath bar
Calories: 2270 kjoules (~ calories) per 100 grams; 545 kcals (this is high for calorie # because it's not per bar, but rather a per 100 grams #. The calories in this 28 gram bar = approx. 152.6; unfortunately, that is not listed on wrapper, so you have to do some math.)
$1.69
Purchased at: Powell's Sweet Shoppe, in Los Gatos, CA

Chocolate Math:
Here's the secret decoder ring for those of us stuck in the old non-metric world...kilojoules (kj) are the metric equivalent of calories. One (1) calorie = 4.184-4.187 kjoules; or take the kj number and divide it by ~4.2 to get the rough # of calories. (1 joule = .2388 calorie?). Most chocolate bars run between 150 and 170 calories per 1 oz. So, in some countries you may see kcal figures (such as the above) that sound high, or different than this general rule. That is because they are listing the number of calories per 100 grams. (Not as helpful if all you are looking for is the number of calories or kcals in the specific bar you're eating.) So, if you only see a kcal number per 100 g (and not kcals per bar on the label), just multiply the 100g # by .28 (there is about 28 grams in 1 oz.).

For example: 545 kcal x .28 = 152.6 calories for 1 oz. Daim bar.

I could blather on about other types of less serious chocolate math (e.g. some formulas having to do with weight gain or loss and chocolate consumption and stress eating), but I'll wait until another day/evening to do this.

ChocolateBet: November 27, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:

1 bar
Owyhee (Idaho Candy Co.)
Old Faithful Peanut Cluster ("Original Creme Center")
Good - Very Good
Net Wt.: 1 1/2 oz. (43g) in 1 bar
Calories: 220 calories
Cost: $ 1.19
Purchased at: Powell's Sweet Shoppe, Los Gatos, CA

Powell's Sweet Shoppe has proven to be a great place to buy "vintage" candy bars, like today's Owyhee Old Faithful Peanut Cluster, and new chocolates I haven't tried yet.

ChocolateBet: November 26, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:

1 bite
Cadbury
Starbar ("Milk Chocolate with Caramel and Peanut Centre")
Good - Very Good
Weight: 53 grams for whole bar
Calories: approx. 40 calories in one bite / (1085 kJ, 260 kcals/total bar)
Cost: $1.89
Purchased at: Powell's Sweet Shoppe, in Los Gatos, CA

This Cadbury Starbar with caramel and peanut butter looked good. However, I realized, as I was about to take a second bite, that this bar contained wheat gluten. As soon as I read this in the ingredients list, I had to stop. I really can't have gluten. From what I was able to gather from one bite, it tasted fine otherwise.

I found this Powell's Sweet Shoppe last Saturday while walking through Old Town Los Gatos, on a cold (at least by California standards) night with nice holiday lights; after having dinner. I bought several items. They had some older/vintage candy brands that I'd heard about, but had not seen before. Fun stuff.

ChocolateBet: November 25, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:

1 bar
Owyhee (Idaho Candy Co.)
Idaho Spud
Very Good - Yum
Weight: 1.5 oz. (43 g.)
Calories: 180 calories
Cost: $ 0.99
Purchased at: Powell's Sweet Shoppe, in Los Gatos, CA

The Owyhee Idaho Spud candy bar from Idaho Candy Co. may not be everyone's favorite bar; after all it was inspired by a potato. (I love potatoes.) And agar isn't everyone's favorite textural element, but I liked this bar (and the (gel-like) agar's contribution) much more than I thought I would.

This Idaho Spud bar was just like Steve Almond described in his 2004 book, Candyfreak. They have a slightly weird gel center; but they are very good. I also liked the fact that they were not too sweet.

ChocolateBet: November 24, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:
1 piece
The Xocolate Bar
Cherry Hibiscus (bonbon)
Good - Very Good; I found it was hard to taste the flavors in this one. It may be that they are very subtle, or maybe they lose something by being packaged in the same container with 4 other flavors? (e.g. the Peppermint might bleed over into the florals a bit or neutralize some of their smells/flavors?)
Wt: 62 grams total/pkg of 5 bonbons
Calories: ?
Cost: $12.99/pkg,box or 5 different flavors
Purchased from: Z. Cioccolatos, North Beach, San Francisco, CA

ChocolateBet: November 23, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:

1 bite
Goetze's
Chocolate Cow Tales
Good
Weight: (1 bite of) 1 oz./28 gram sized Cow Tale
Calories: Approx. 15 calories for 1 bite
Cost: $ 0.39 (a bargain)
Purchased from: Surf Super (market) in Gualala, CA

This Chocolate Cow Tale was a very sweet, taffy-like, long rope (or tail) shape. The chewy chocolate caramel from Goetze's Candy Company (made in Baltimore, MD) was a bit sticky to unwrap, but it was something fun and different -- with a chocolate caramel "tail" wrapped around a white creamy center (bone?).

Note: This contained wheat flour and was not gluten-free.

Dagoba - ChocolateBet: November 22, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:

1/2 bar
Dagoba
Conacado 73%
Very Good - Yum
Weight: 1 oz. (of 2 oz./56.7 grams total)
Calories: 154 calories for 1 oz.
Cost: $3.29 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Surf Super (market), Gualala, CA

 Organic, forest-grown cacao from the Conacado Cooperative in the Dominican Republic; very rich flavor - almost smoky; very good.

ChocolateBet: November 21, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:
1/3 bar
Sweet Earth Chocolates
Chocolate Peanut Crunch
1 oz. of 3 oz. (85 grams) total
Good - Very Good; fair trade certified, organic; cocoa content is 32%
151 calories for 1/3 bar; 452 calories total
$3.69
Purchased from: Surf Super (market) in Gualala, CA