Chocolate of the Day:

1/2 bar
Madre Chocolate
Very Good - Very Good +
Weight: .75 oz. (21.5 g.) / 1.5 oz. (43 g.) total bar
Calories: 112 calories (estimate)
Cost: $12.00 (estimate)

Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, in Palo Alto, CA


Today was a good day to celebrate life and chocolate. Thank you to friends and family who joined me for a walk around San Francisco Bay (mile 955), lunch, and a celebratory chocolate tasting to mark the fifth year since I've been eating a different chocolate each day. (Thank you Toni for the lovely Vosges Assortment box -- fresh from Chicago no less.)

The Triple Cacao bar from (Hawaii based) Madre Chocolate was a great way to experience cacao, and a perfect choice for a five-year anniversary chocolate. This dark bar contained cocoa solids, toasted cacao nibs (beans), and small pieces of dried cacao fruit (the whiteish pulpy fruit surrounding the seeds).

It's difficult to obtain fresh cacao fruit in the U.S., as it is only grown in Hawaii (and Caribbean and Latin nearby countries); and the slightly slimy, stringy texture of this fruit may not be appealing to everyone. Cacao fruit is also quite perishable, but I highly recommend trying it if you get the chance. It is has lovely, light citrus flavor.

Thank you to all who have been part of this chocolate adventure.  I'm looking forward to another five years of chocolate research.