Chocolate of the Day:
Michel Cluizel
Plantation Riachuelo (Bresil) Chocolat Lait 51% bar
Good +++ - Very Good
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.46 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 214 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $8.25 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocosphere, online order
Welcome to Day #8 of Single Origin Milk Chocolate Theme Week.
This 51% Milk Chocolate bar from Michel Cluizel (made in Mesnils Sur Iton, France) was a scrumptious, French, dark milk bar, made with cacao grown on Riachuelo Plantation in Brazil.
Was it creamy and smooth? Oui. Flavorful? Oui. The maker's tasting notes read as follows:
"A creamy, tender texture, with sweet notes of milk, cream and caramel, mingling with notes of red fruits and cocoa, with a spicy and fresh lingering flavor."
All true. A hint of Bourbon vanilla bean and spice (a very subtle hint of something like warm ginger) created an uplifting feel and finish to this tasty bar. There seemed to be a faint hint of salt (the entire bar contained 80 g. of sodium*); although no salt was listed in the ingredients.*
Ingredients: "whole milk powder, cocoa from plantation 'Riachuelo' (Brazil), cocoa butter, sugar, Bourbon vanilla pod."
*Most, higher cacao percentage, dark chocolate bars (without added salt) are low in sodium (0-5 mg. in a 1 oz. bar). Milk chocolate bars are higher (25-40 mg. in a 1 oz. bar). Milk naturally contains sodium, and the sodium content is concentrated when milk is dried into a powder to add to chocolate. We like our snacks sweet and salty, which may help explain cravings for milk chocolate.
