{cocoa} dark bar with nibs - March 2, 2014

Chocolate of the Day: 

{cocoa}
everyday chocolate
"Noir" Dark Chocolate with Nibs bar
Good + - Very Good
Weight: .96 oz. (28 g.) / 2.9 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 144 calories (estimate) in 1/3 bar
Cost: $9.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Heath Ceramics (Mission District location), San Francisco, CA

Today was Day #4 of Chocolate and Nibs Theme Week.

This dark chocolate bar with nibs*, from pastry chef Jewel Zimmer, was certainly chocolate that I could enjoy "everyday." The dark chocolate (66% cacao, mixed origins) had a smooth, simmering chocolatey taste -- think hot cocoa and brownies. It was very pleasant, without being boring.

*Nibs are roasted cacao beans ground up into pieces, one of the first steps of the chocolate-making process. They are typically unsweetened, and crunchy, almost nut-like in texture.

Endangered Species - Dark Nibs bar - March 1, 2014

Chocolate of the Day: 

Endangered Species Chocolate
Dark Chocolate with Cacao Nibs bar
Good
Weight: .5 oz. (14.15) / 3 oz. (85 g.) total bar
Calories: 75 calories (estimate) in .5 oz. piece of bar
Cost: $2.00 (sale price) for 1 bar
Purchased from: New Leaf Community Markets, Santa Cruz, CA

Today was Day #3 of Chocolate and Nibs Theme Week.

This "Natural Dark Chocolate with Cacao Nibs" bar from Endangered Species Chocolate (Indianapolis, IN) was adorned with a picture of an upside down fruit bat. Why? Because this company donates ten percent of their proceeds to species and habitat conservation.

I felt particularly supportive of this mission statement when I visited the local zoo today. While it was wonderful to look at fruit bats and exotic birds (like this Ross's Turaco at right) at the zoo, my hope is that there are still plenty of these bats and birds out there in the wild for years to come.

Back to the chocolate...The dark chocolate (72% cocoa)* broke with a hard snap, and it was cold enough that I tried to hold a bite of this bar in my mouth for a few seconds to soften up, to taste more flavors. The nibs offered bits of textural crunch.

*This Endangered Species bar was made with Rainforest Alliance Certified, Non-GMO Verified Cocoa that was Certified gluten-free and kosher.