Friday, March 31, 2017

Arete - Viet Nam Tien Giang 73% dark bar - Mar. 31, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Arete Fine Chocolate
Viet Nam Tien Giang 73 percent Dark Chocolate bar
Very Good
Weight: 1.15 oz. (32.5 g.) / 2.3 oz. (65 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 172.5 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $15.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate and Vietnam Theme Week.

Today's Viet Nam Tien Giang 73 percent Dark Chocolate bar was artfully made by David and Leslie Senk of Arete Fine Chocolate (Milpitas, CA), a small batch, bean-to-bar maker in the Silicon Valley area.

They named their company Arete, and the definition (excellence, virtue, striving to meet one's fullest potential, reaching for the stars) does seem to be a great fit. The chocolate offerings they have carefully crafted—including today's Vietnam (or Viet Nam) dark bar—are proof of that.

I could eat this bar on a regular basis very easily. The aroma was very pleasing with delicate, naturally sweet citrus, floral and fruit notes. The melt and texture were even and smooth.

The bar had a light green, forest* in spring flavor with mild dried fruit and faint raisin toast notes, with a clean finish.


Note: Arete recently began offering a Viet Nam Lam Dong 73 percent dark chocolate, single origin bar. I look forward to trying this bar in the future.

*It may have been my imagination, but the aroma reminded me of the lovely citrus, floral highlights in Juniper Ridge Douglas Fir tea. New growth, or tips, appear at the end of Douglas Fir branches in the spring and are quite tasty. You might be surprised by their delicate flavor. 

Thursday, March 30, 2017

Humphry Slocombe - Vietnamese Coffee sundae - Mar. 30, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Humphry Slocombe Ice Cream
Vietnamese Coffee Hot Fudge Sundae
Very Good
Weight: unknown
Calories: unknown
Cost: $8.75 for one 2-scoop sundae

Welcome to Day #5 Chocolate and Vietnam Theme Week.

Today's chocolate came in the form of an ice cream sundae. The original plan for today was to make a Vietnamese Coffee-Mocha drink; but a trip to the San Francisco Ferry Building (a food lovers playground) changed all that.

A quick walk by Humphry Slocombe Ice Cream (San Francisco, CA) caused a double take, when I saw "Blue Bottle* Vietnamese Coffee ice cream" on their menu.

Minutes later, I was ordering: "One scoop of Blue Bottle Vietnamese Coffee ice cream sundae + a second scoop of Tahitian V*n!ll@ ice cream + Hot Fudge and Bourbon Caramel toppings, please." All these ingredients added up to one delicious sundae.

This may not have been a traditional Vietnamese coffee drink, but I hope you'll cut me some ice cream slack here.

*Blue Bottle (Oakland, CA) is a Bay Area-based coffee company.


Wednesday, March 29, 2017

Penzeys Hot Chocolate with Vietnamese Cinnamon - Mar. 29, 2017

Chocolate(s) of the Day:

Penzeys Spices
Drinking chocolate with Vietnamese Cinnamon

Natural High Fat Cocoa
Good - Good +
Weight: .5 oz. (14 g.) / 1 oz. (28 g.) in 1 small jar
Calories: 40 calories in 2 TB serving
Cost: $2.95 for 1 jar
Purchased from: Penzeys Spices, Menlo Park, CA

Dutch Process High Fat Cocoa
Good+
Weight: .45 oz. (12.5 g.) / .9 oz. (25 g.) in 1 small jar
Calories: 40 calories in 2 TB serving
Cost: $2.95 for 1 small jar
Purchased from: Penzeys Spices, Menlo Park, CA

Vietnamese Cinnamon Extra Fancy
Good ++ - Very Good
Weight: .001 oz. (estimate) / .7 oz. (1/4 cup) (19 g.) in small jar
Calories: 1 calorie (estimate) in 1 good sprinkle
Cost: $3.95 for 1 small jar
Purchased from: Penzeys Spices, Menlo Park, CA

Welcome to the first day of Chocolate and Vietnam Theme Week.

The hunt was on this week for a drinking chocolate seasoned with flavorful Vietnamese cinnamon (Cassia). Having no luck finding this on a local menu, I decided to make my own. To obtain the cinnamon and chocolate, I visited Penzeys Spices in Menlo Park, CA.

Penzeys Spices (Wauwatosa, WI), was founded in 1957, as a coffee and spice company, and has dozens of locations in the U.S. The local shop I visited carried five different cinnamons: four single origin cinnamons from different countries: Ceylon, Vietnam, Indonesia and China—and a fifth special Penzeys cinnamon blend.

The staff allowed customers to enjoy careful sniffing and appreciation of cinnamon samples. And after discussion of natural vs. dutched cocoa powders, two jars of chocolate and one small jar of Vietnamese Cinnamon - Extra Fancy were procured.

In truth, the Vietnamese Cinnamon made the "true" (Ceylon) cinnamon smell mild-mannered by comparison.* (The Vietnamese cinnamon reminded me more of intense red hot cinnamon candies of childhood vs. a blander apple pie.) But, there are those who swear only by the true cinnamon. (Later in the year I'll feature a chocolate and spice week and we can continue this discussion.)

As stated on Penzeys Spices website: "Vietnamese Cinnamon is the strongest, richest, and sweetest cinnamon around."

Now, on to the two cocoa powders—Penzeys Natural and Dutch Process (Alkalinized) High Fat Cocoas are both possible drinking chocolates. Both were heated with milk and spiced with Vietnamese Cinnamon, with a very light touch of coconut palm sugar.

Separately, the Natural Cocoa had a fainter aroma, but a more powerful (slightly richer, more acidic flavor). The Dutch Process Cocoa had a wonderful fudge brownie aroma, and a slightly milder flavor. I blended the two, and split the difference.

The cocoa blend with Vietnamese Cinnamon was heated with milk and a touch of coconut palm syrup with vanilla. The cinnamon added rich spicy warmth without being overpowering.

Nice flavors. However, I might strain this concentrated drinking chocolate in the future (or stir it longer over slightly higher heat), as the leftover residue on the cups was fairly considerable. My fault here.

*I will feature Penzeys hot chocolate cocoa powder with Ceylon cinnamon in the future.




Tuesday, March 28, 2017

The Smooth Chocolator - 70% Vietnam Tien Giang bar - Mar. 28, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

The Smooth Chocolator
70% Cacao Vietnam Tien Giang bar
Good ++
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.12 oz. (60 g.) total bar
Calories: 144.3 calories (604 kJ per label) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $10.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate and Vietnam Theme Week.

What a pleasure to sample chocolate created half-way around the globe. Today's Vietnam Tien Giang 70 percent bar was from small batch, bean-to-bar maker The Smooth Chocolator (Geelong, Australia; SE of Melbourne on Port Phillip Bay).

The cacao beans used to make this bar traveled over 6,437 km (4,000+ miles) from southern Vietnam to Geelong, Australia (to be crafted into chocolate). They then traveled (in finished form) an additional 12,176 km or 7,901 miles to Palo Alto, CA. Amazing.

Tasting chocolates made in other countries can be a wonderful form of virtual travel and education. My appreciation has only grown for the chocolate makers, their craft, and the abundance of good things in the world.

Speaking of people, Yoon Kim, a pastry chef and chocolatier, founded The Smooth Chocolator in 2015, after taking a course in bean-to-bar chocolate making. Her husband, an engineer, provides valuable technical design and support. In 2016, the company won an International Chocolate Award for one of their bars.

Recently, (early 2017) renowned chocolate expert and judge Sunita de Tourreill was impressed with Kim's efforts and began to offer her bars to customers at the exclusive The Chocolate Garage (Palo Alto, CA)—where I bought today's bar.

How did this well-traveled bar in the simple, elegant, black and tan, sealed package taste? The bar, like the packaging, focused on important basics and was well-executed. The three-ingredient bar (cocoa beans, sugar, cocoa butter) had a dried fruit (figs, dark raisins and goji berries) aroma with a faint roasted coffee note; and the chocolate had uniform, bright, sweet and concentrated fruit flavor.

The thin bar, with an attractive botanical design, yielded a quick and even melt and allowed ready access to unfolding flavor. There were no off notes; however, there was a very slight graininess in one bite. The finish was pleasant and clean.

The maker's notes printed on the package included: "Tasting Note: Honey, brown dried fruits" (i.e. brown fruits such as sultanas, currants).


Monday, March 27, 2017

Frederic Blondeel - Vietnam 80% bar - Mar. 27, 2017

Chocolate of the Day:

Frederic Blondeel
IX Tablette (Bar) - Vietnam 80% Chocolat Noir (Dark Chocolate)
Good - Good +
Weight: .636 oz. (18 g.) / 1.59 oz. (45 g.) in total bar
Calories: 60 calories (per label) in 2/5 bar
Cost: $6.99 (free shipping on large order) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Stars USA, online order

Bienvenue a (Welcome to) Day #2 of Chocolate and Vietnam Theme Week.

This 80% Vietnam bar was made from bean-to-bar in Belgium by Frederic Blondeel (Veurne, Belgium).

Blondeel, who produces bars and confections,* has created a series of ten different single origin bars. The roman numeral on today's tablette (bar) indicated that today's Vietnam bar was number IX (9) in this series.

This 80 percent bar also had one of the highest percentage of cacao solids in the Frederic Blondeel line.

A high-quality eighty or even ninety percent bar may have as fine an aroma as any seventy percent bar. This bar had a warm spice aroma (like smelling cinnamon raisin toast with melted chocolate from a few rooms away).

As happens with many ultra-dark bars, there was a step down in taste after the first bite, due to the lack of conventional use of sugar to buoy things up. Suddenly I was in deeper, darker territory than I might have expected (after days of eating much sweeter chocolates).

The only minor quibble was with the texture. The bar was mostly smooth, but had a few very tiny hard bits. The melt was a bit slow and very slightly uneven (not enough to be annoying). As each bite melted other flavor notes unfolded. The chocolate and mild spice notes were joined and/or replaced by mild hints of green wood, citrus, and earth.

And this 80% Vietnam chocolate had a unique aftertaste with a trace of espresso-like, roasted bitterness and acidity (good if you like coffee).

*Frederic Blondeel produces chocolate bars, including a series of single origin bars, confections, couvertures and other items—including "Gladiators" small single origin bars with inclusions.

Dick-Taylor - 78% Vietnam Tien Giang bar - Mar. 26, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Dick-Taylor
78 percent Vietnam Tien Giang bar
Very Good
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar
Calories: 150 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #1 of Chocolate and Vietnam Theme Week.

Cacao growing regions in Vietnam lie to the south, in the Meking River Delta area. The cacao beans for today's single origin bar were grown in the Tien Giang Province, just north of the Mekong.

The Limited Release 78 percent Vietnam Tien Giang 78 percent dark bar from Dick Taylor was a 2017 Good Food Awards Finalist; and it contained a well-balanced, delicious mix of flavors.

Adam Dick (Owner and Head Chocolate Maker) described this bar has having a "complex blend of spice and nuts notes. " Tasting Notes printed on the packaging listed: spice cake, apricot and almond butter.

I also smelled and tasted spice cake—the kind of rich buttery spice cake that had been baked until it was caramelized around the edges. There was a mix of bright, tart, sweet-sour fruit (apricots, golden raisins, sour cherry yogurt and orange marmalade). I also noted a very faint hint of well-balanced earthiness and a faint, pleasant green note.

This bar was delightfully complex and very well executed with a pleasing, lingering finish.

With all these flavors, it may surprise some to read that there were only two ingredients in this bar: cacao and organic cane sugar.





Saturday, March 25, 2017

Julie's - Organic Vanilla Ice Cream, Almonds, Dark Chocolate bar - Mar. 25, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Julie's Organic Ice Cream
(Distributed by Oregon Ice Cream, Eugene, OR)
Organic Vanilla Ice Cream, Almonds and Dark Chocolate
Good
Weight: 3 fl. oz. (89 mL) / 9 fl. oz. (266 mL) in total box of 3 bars
Calories: 250 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $3.99 (estimate) for 1 box of 3 bars
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate and Ice Cream Bar Theme Week.

Today's Julie's Organic Ice Cream bar was made with "Organic Vanilla Ice Cream, Almonds and Dark Chocolate" and distributed by Oregon Ice Cream (Eugene, OR)*.

Happily the ingredients list for these bars was a bit shorter than most other mass produced ice cream bars.

Although the organic vanilla ice cream still contained vegetable gums (organic guar gum and organic locust bean gum), even the additives used to stabilize, thicken or emulsify seemed to be of a higher quality than found elsewhere.

This sweet, light-tasting bar was an organic, high-end take on a a classic, chocolate-covered, vanilla ice cream bar with bits of almonds adding some crunchy texture. The thin chocolate shell was authentic tasting, although a bit gummy after a few chews.

Frozen chocolate, by definition, won't taste like a dark chocolate bar; so it's unfair to expect this. But on a hot day it can be refreshing.

*Oregon Ice Cream brands include Julie's Organic, Alden's Organic and Cascade Glacier. 

Friday, March 24, 2017

Magnum - Double Chocolate ice cream bars - Mar. 24, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Unilever
Magnum Double Chocolate ice cream bars
Good+
Weight: 3.38 fl. oz. (100 mL) / 10.14 fl. oz. (300 mL) total box of 3 bars
Calories: 310 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $3.99 (estimate) for 1 box of 3 bars
Purchased from: Safeway, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate and Ice Cream Bar Theme Week.

Today we're sampling one more ice cream bar flavor from the Magnum ice cream bar line from Unilever (Englewood Cliffs, NJ): The Magnum Double Chocolate ice cream bar.

What is double chocolate? "Answer: Chocolate ice cream dipped in a chocolatey coating, chocolatey sauce and milk chocolate."

I enjoyed this rich chocolate bar, especially its incorporation of chocolate sauce into the bar (a tidy but extravagant layer sandwiched between the chocolate ice cream and the chocolatey coating). It made this bar seem a little decadent.

The bar was made with Belgian chocolate. And, according to the packaging, the cocoa used in these bars came from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms.

Thursday, March 23, 2017

Unilever - Magnum Chocolate Infinity, Double Raspberry ice cream bars - Mar. 23, 2017

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

Unilever

Magnum Chocolate Infinity ice cream bars
Good - Good +
Weight: 3.38 fl. oz. (82 g.) / 10.14 fl. oz. (300 mL) in total box of 3 bars
Calories: 260 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $3.99 (estimate) for 1 box of 3 bars
Purchased from: Safeway, Palo Alto, CA

Magnum Double Raspberry ice cream bars
Good +
Weight: 3.04 fl. oz. (75 g.) / 9.12 fl. oz. (270 mL) in total box of 3 bars
Calories: 260 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $3.00 (sale) for 1 box of 3 bars
Purchased from: Safeway, Mountain View, CA

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate and Ice Cream Bar Theme Week.

Today we have a double feature with two different Magnum ice cream bars from the growing family of Magnum ice cream bars from Unilever.

Yesterday, Magnum's Dark Chocolate ice cream bar, and today the Magnum Chocolate Infinity and Magnum Double Raspberry ice cream bars.

First, thank you to the person who came up with the title "Chocolate Infinity." What a great concept.

At the core of these Infinity bars, was dark chocolate ice cream with a chocolate swirl that was covered in dark chocolate and cocoa bean nibs. It was very satisfying as ice cream bars go; the bar was creamy and smooth, with layers of smooth, rich chocolatey flavors, with a slight crunch from the tiny nib pieces.

The relatively new Magnum Double Raspberry ice cream bars were a bit more brash, in a good way—bursting with sweet, authentic raspberry and milk chocolate flavors from the first bite. Much as I like to avoid too much sugar, I really liked this bar.

The Double Raspberry bar had the concentrated flavor of a darker chocolate confection with raspberry jam, but with some ice cream to cool things down and balance the sugar a bit. If you like raspberries, this is the bar for you.

If you're interested in a combination of today's two different flavors, you might seek out the Magnum Chocolate Infinity and Raspberry ice cream bars featured last year (on March 2, 2016).


Unilever - Magnum Dark Chocolate ice cream bars - Mar. 22, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Unilever
Magnum Dark ice cream bars
Good+
Weight: 3.38 fl. oz. (100 mL) / 10.14 fl. oz. (300 mL) in total box of 3 bars
Calories: 240 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $3.99 (estimate) for 1 box of 3 bars
Purchased from: Safeway, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate and Ice Cream Bar theme week.

This week the focus is on ice cream bars from larger companies. (Smaller production run ice cream bars and paletas from local artisans will have their own week later this year.)

Large or small, companies need to make bars that won't fall apart, and that also taste good. The chocolate coating on an ice cream bar needs to be not too hard or stiff, but not too soft either. Ice cream needs to stay creamy and flavorful and not become granular if temperatures fluctuate.

Unilever (Englewood Cliffs, NJ) now owns several large ice cream brands (including Magnum) in the U.S., and has experience with these challenges. Today's Magnum Dark Chocolate bar was one of the original member of an expanding family of Magnum ice cream bars.

One can almost see and taste the evolution of this line of ice cream bars. For example, at some point several years ago, someone must have been asking: How do you take a plain, standard vanilla ice cream bar vanilla bean ice cream dipped in chocolate and make it more appealing to higher-end consumers?

Today's bar, enveloped in a golden wrapper, uses quality vanilla and chocolate: 60% cacao Belgian Chocolate, and Rainforest Certified cocoa and vanilla—not something you'd see with less expensive bars. The chocolate tasted a bit better than most chocolatey coatings  out there and the vanilla ice cream did as well.

Natural flavors and coloring agents have improved. Now, if there was a way to magically get rid of some of the additives* that seem to be in most ice cream bars, that would be a true leap forward.

*Additives include mono and diglycerides, locust bean gum, guar gum, carrageenan, and PGPR (emulsifiers).




Tuesday, March 21, 2017

Ben and Jerry's - Cherry Garcia ice cream bar - Mar. 21, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Ben and Jerry's Homemade, Inc.
Cherry Garcia ice cream bar
Good
Weight: 3.38 fl. oz. (100 mL) in 1 bar
Calories: 270 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $N/A - gift from family member (Thank you Megan!)
Purchased from: N/A - gift from family member

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate and Ice Cream Bar Theme Week.

Before there was today's Ben and Jerry's Cherry Garcia ice cream bar, there was Cherry Garcia ice cream.

The name Cherry Garcia (a riff on musician Jerry Garcia, of The Grateful Dead) was inspired by a customer suggestion. Ben and Jerry's Cherry Garcia ice cream was first released in February 1987, almost nine years after the company was founded.*

The original Cherry Garcia ice cream had a base of vanilla ice cream (Ben and Jerry's first flavor) with whole Bing cherries and smaller than usual chunks of chocolate, according to a press release.

Over the years* the base ice cream for this popular flavor became cherry ice cream instead of vanilla, and the pieces of cherry became smaller.

Unfortunately, I found myself comparing today's bar—with a sweet, but somewhat bland cherry ice cream with three different vegetable gums** and a dark "chocolatey" coating—with the original ice cream.

It's challenging to create an ice cream bar without modifying some ingredients. However, some changes are more noticeable than others. For example, for the first few bites, I saw no cherry pieces. Later, I did run into a few. (Note: I've not tried Cherry Garcia Ice Cream in many years, and the whole brand and formula has likely changed in the past decade.)

On the positive side, this tasting experience inspired me to make some homemade ice cream with a great vanilla base, whole bing cherries and small high-quality dark chocolate shavings. Back to the future. Thank you to Ben and Jerry for the original inspiration.

*Ben and Jerry's co-founders, Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, opened their business in May 1978 in a renovated gas station in Vermont. In April 2000, Ben and Jerry's was acquired by the Anglo-Dutch food giant, Unilever (London, UK), the company that also owns Breyer's and Good Humor ice cream brands.

**Today's Cherry Garcia Ice Cream bar contained locust bean gum, xanthan gum and guar gum.






Monday, March 20, 2017

Haagen-Dazs - White Chocolate Raspberry Ice Cream Bars - Mar. 20, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Haagen-Dazs
White Chocolate Raspberry Ice Cream Bars
Good - Good +
Weight: 3 fl. oz. (88.6 mL) / 9 fl. oz. (266 mL) in total box of 3 bars
Calories: 280 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $3.99 for 1 box of 3 bars
Purchased from: Safeway, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #2 of Chocolate and Ice Cream Bar Week.

Today I tried a relatively new Haagen-Dazs ice cream bar. The (box of 3) White Chocolate Raspberry Ice Cream Bars was distributed by Nestle Dreyer's Ice Cream Company (Oakland, CA).

A core of white chocolate ice cream (with embedded raspberry swirls) was dipped in milk chocolate then drizzled in dark chocolate. You experience the chocolate tri-fecta, in a well-designed ice cream bar that also offers layers of flavor.

The first mouthful of this bar revealed what looked like plain ice cream; however, successive bites uncovered the raspberry swirls.

The attractive milk and dark chocolate coating was smooth and natural tasting, with relatively mild chocolate flavor.







Sunday, March 19, 2017

Lucerne - Toffee Brittle Ice Cream Bars - Mar. 19, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Lucerne
Toffee Brittle Ice Cream Bars
OK++
Weight: 2.5 fl. oz. (74 mL) / 15 fl. oz. (443 mL) in total box of 6 bars
Calories: 170 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $2.49 in 1 box of 6 bars
Purchased from: Safeway, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #1 of Ice Cream Bar Theme Week. Yes, it's only March, but it's never too early, or too cold outside, for ice cream here at Chocolate Banquet.

Today's bars were a quick pick from a local Safeway grocery store frozen case: Lucerne Dairy Farms Vanilla Flavored Ice Cream Bars with Almond Toffee Candy Pieces and a Chocolatey Coating (artificial flavor added).

The vanilla ice cream filling was soft, cold and creamy, and the caramel-colored toffee pieces had sort of melted into the ice cream. The "chocolatey" coating served it's purpose as a smooth covering, but I'd call it chocolate "lite" in terms of flavor. (Not everyone is looking for serious dark chocolate, and these were relatively inexpensive.)

The long ingredient list for these bars included milk, cream, sugar, almond toffee candy, coconut oil and chocolate liquor. It also included mono and diglycerides, guar gum, locust bean gum, polysorbate 80, carrageenan, etc.—additives that I'd just as soon leave out of my chocolate items, but these may be OK for some.




Saturday, March 18, 2017

Cocoa Parlor - Garden of Eden 100 bar with Zante Currants - Mar. 18, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Cocoa Parlor
Garden of Eden 100 with Zante Currants bar
Good
Weight: 1.41 oz. (40 g.) / 2.82 oz. (80 g.) in total bar
Calories: 232.6 calories (per label) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $4.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Country Sun Natural Foods, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to the last day (Day #8) of Chocolate and STUVWXYZ Theme Week, where we'll finish our chocolate alphabet series.

Very few chocolate-related or inclusion items begin with the letter "z." However, there will be no zebra bacon or zozzle fruit or Zimbabwe cacao to commemorate the last day of the alphabet.

Instead, the featured chocolate is both ordinary and sublime. The Garden of Eden 100 with Zante Currants bar from Cocoa Parlor (Laguna Niguel, CA) offered a unique blend of 100 percent cacao chocolate with tiny bits of concentrated dark fruit sweetness.

Zante currants are not like other currants. They come from small Black Corinth grapes, grown primarily in Greece (country of origin), California, South Africa and Australia. And the occasional sparkles of dried fruit (raisin/currant) sweetness brightened up and helped balance today's 100 percent-er.

This organic, vegan, dark chocolate bar—listed just two ingredients: Organic cacao* and Organic zante currants, that was it. The finished chocolate bar had a delightful aroma, with light floral, light tropical fruit (banana), spice, green jungle notes.

One bite transported us deep into ultra-dark territory, with earthy, nutty, very slightly bitter (due to lack of any sugar) flavors, encased in a thick, almost chewy bar. (The cool morning in my house further firmed up the cocoa solids and cocoa butter.)

*100% Cacao from Fairly Traded Cocoa Beans from the Dominican Republic. (Note: More recent or future bars may be made from cacao from another origin.)



Friday, March 17, 2017

Raaka - Yacon Root Dominican Republic bar - Mar. 17, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Raaka Virgin Chocolate
Yacon Root Dominican Republic bar
Good
Weight: .9 oz. (25.4 g.) / 1.8 oz. (50.9 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 146 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $7.95 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Raaka Virgin Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate and STUVWXYZ Theme Week. Today the focus is on the letter "y," as in yacon root.

What is yacon? It's a South American/Peruvian root that's naturally sweet and can serve as a refined sugar replacement. (It's available in powdered or syrup form if you're interested in experimenting with it in your own chocolate kitchen or lab.)

Today's Yacon Root Dominican Republic bar was crafted by Raaka Virgin Chocolate (Brooklyn, NY). I'd previously enjoyed another, similar Yacon Root bar from the same company; however, that 79 percent bar was made from cacao grown in Belize, and today's bar was made of cacao from the Dominican Republic.*

The team at Raaka makes bean-to-bar, mostly single origin and organic, chocolates from un-roasted cacao. The company offers a variety of bars with interesting flavor inclusions, such as today's featured yacon root. (I recently featured another Raaka bar with ghost chili pepper.)

This bar had even flavor throughout the bar, with some tart, sour cherry fruit, and slight bitter notes. The tasting notes on the package suggested: "beet, oat, raisin."

It was refreshing to try a bar with a touch of natural plant-based sweetness, rather than an avalanche of sugar.

*I consider these two different chocolate bars, just as one might consider wines made from merlot and cabernet grapes to be different wines.




Thursday, March 16, 2017

Phi Kind - Cherry Almond Butter truffles - Mar. 16, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Phi Kind
Cherry Almond Butter
Good - Good +
Weight: .565 oz. (16 g.) / 1.13 oz. (32 g.) in 1 box
Calories: 80 calories (estimate) in 2 pieces
Cost: $7.95 for 1 box of 4 pieces
Purchased from: Seed Bank, Petaluma, CA


Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate and STUVWXYZ Theme Week. Today, "x" is for xylitol, specifically birch xylitol, a sweetener for that serves as a sugar substitute.

Xylitol is naturally occurring "sugar" alcohol found in most plants, fruits and vegetables. Commercially available xylitol is typically made from corn cobs or birch bark.

This box of lightly-sweetened Cherry Almond Butter truffles from Phi Kind (Santa Rosa, CA) was sweetened with a blend of birch xylitol, sunchoke syrup and stevia (from the stevia plant).

Phi Kind founder Jonathan (Jon) Pantalis is committed to making organic, zero-glycemic index sweetened chocolates that are dairy, gluten and sugar free, vegan, paleo and raw. (To accomplish the latter, a low-heat stone-grinding process is used.)

These Phi Kind truffles had authentic, mild cherry flavor, and a slightly crunchy texture (likely from cacao nib and almond bits), without health concerns that arise from some chocolate truffles.

Ingredients: Cocoa nibs, Non-GMO birch xylitol, almonds, dried cherries, sunchoke syrup, coconut, vanilla, sea salt, stevia

Note: I bought these at the Seed Bank in downtown Petaluma, CA. What a great concept. A seed company took over an older bank building with a beautiful interior. Worth a stop if you're in the area, even if you're not a gardener. Small, but nice selection of chocolates there too.
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