Wednesday, April 29, 2020

Chapon Chocolatier - Colombie (Colombia) mini bar - April 29, 2020

Chocolate of the Day: 

Chapon Chocolatier
Colombie ( Colombia) bar
Good + - Good ++
Weight: .176 oz. (5 g.) / 6.35 oz. (180 g.) in total box of 36 mini bars
Calories: 27.7 calories in 1 mini bar
Cost: $45.00 for 1 box of 36 mini bars
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate and Colombia Theme Week.

Today's Colombie (Colombia) 70% dark chocolate mini bar was from Chapon Chocolatier (Paris, France).

The artful packaging for this Chapon single origin bar assortment box was suitable for framing with beautiful miniature imagery on the outer wrappers and copper foil inner wrappers).

This collection box brought back childhood memories of going through a jewelry box full of mesmerizing baubles and gems. Each tiny bar was individually wrapped masterpiece carefully stacked its place (sorted by country of origin) in the collection. (Maybe this is the thrill that stamp collectors feel when they're looking at their prize specimens?)

The Colombie 70% bar had a buttery, creamy melt and mouthfeel, and light fruit, floral and nut flavor notes. It was smooth in taste while still retaining some identifiable flavor elements.

Tuesday, April 28, 2020

Crow and Moss - Colombia Aruaca 70% bar - Apr. 28, 2020

Chocolate of the Day:

Crow and Moss
Colombia Aruaca 70% Chocolate
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 300 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $8.75 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocosphere.com, online order

Welcome to Day #2 of Chocolate and Colombia Theme Week.

Today's Colombia Arauca bar was from Crow and Moss and hand-crafted in Northern Michigan (Petoskey, MI).

This bar was complex, well balanced and flavorful; and it lit up multiple areas of the chocolate tasting wheel. The dark chocolate aroma had very faint smoked/umami and green notes. The texuture had a nutty smoothness. The flavor was tart sweet, with strawberry and Meyer lemon yogurt  and rich. with a faint floral note. It was sweet without being too sweet (thank you!). There was a very faint astringency, and a pleasant finish that coasted to a stop with a chocolate brownie note.

I really enjoyed this bar. It was a well-execuated, well-rounded, fun flavor ride that spoke well of the ferment and the makers' abilities to balance and bring out the best in the cacao.

Maker's tasting notes read as follows: honey, cashew and honeysuckle.








Monday, April 27, 2020

Wm. Chocolate - India Anamalai 65% (bar) - Apr. 27, 2020

Chocolate of the Day:

Wm. Chocolate
India Anamalai 65% Dark (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) in total bar
Calories: 152 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $4.95 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocosphere.com (online order)

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate and India Theme Week.

Today's India Anamalai 65% Dark (bar) was from Wm. Chocolate made from bean-to-bar in Madison, Wisconsin, by chocolate maker William Marx.

This (2017 Harvest) single-estate cacao was grown at the Anamalai* Farm, "next to coconut and nutmeg" in Tamil Nadu, in southern India.

The 65% chocolate was sweetened with whole cane sugar. It felt like this form may have given the chocolate more authentic sweet flavor but with less actual sugar; but this could have been my imagination.

The relatively high percent of sugar (the more sugar, the lower % of cacao by definition) can add brightness or can make fruit notes sparkle. (Or it can just make chocolate too sweet. It all depends on the cacao and the maker.) In this case this three-ingredient** 65% bar did not taste too sweet (thank you!), and it did highlight the fruit flavors.

This chocolate had concentrated fruit (jam, raisin, prune) notes and a hint of spice and true chocolate with well balanced fruit acidity/tartness and a very slight nuttiness. This was pretty consistent with the maker's notes below:

Maker's notes: "nutty and jammy"... "with notes of grape jelly, peanut and spiced tea"

*Anamalai is associated with the "Elephant Mountains" area of western Tamil Nadu and shares a border between the states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Cardamom, pepper and coffee are also grown in this area.

**Ingredients: cocoa beans, whole (unrefined) organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter

Sunday, April 26, 2020

Mirzam Chocolate Makers - India 65% Dark Chocolate (bar) - Apr. 26, 2020

Chocolate of the Day: 

Mirzam Chocolate Makers
(Kakaw Manufacturing Co. LLC)
India - 65% Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good +
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.46 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 193 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $10.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: missing information

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

Today's India 65% Dark Chocolate (bar) was made by Mirzam Chocolate Makers (Dubai, United Arab Emirates) from single origin cacao (beans) grown in Tamil Nadu, a state in southern India. Mirzam refers to a constellation that likely was followed by ancient mariners and spice traders who were navigating extensive Arab trade routes that would have included southern India, where cacao is now grown.

India and the geography of cacao
Cacao grows in locations from 0 degrees to approximately 20 degrees north or south (latitude) of the Equator. Most cacao from India is grown in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and/or Kerala--states in southern India, on plantations/farms located between about 8 and 17 degrees north of the Equator. Mumbai (located at 19 degrees North Latitude) would be considered at the outside edge of this zone. Delhi (at 28+ degrees N. Latitude), would be too far north to grow cacao outdoors.

Mirzam maker's notes read: spices, sweet lemon, honey.

My tasting notes were similar: sweet (honey) fruit (light citrus, candied Meyer lemon with honey and apple cider with cinnamon), roasted coffee, very faint hint of biscuit/cookie.

Ingredients: Cocoa Beans, Sugar, Cocoa Butter

Pascati Artisan Chocolate - Sea Salt Dark 60% Cocoa Organic Chocolate (bar) - Apr. 25, 2020

Chocolate of the Day: 

Pascati Artisan Chocolate
(Pascati Foods India LLP)
Sea Salt Dark 60% Cocoa Organic Chocolate (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 2.65 oz. (75 g.) total bar
Calories: 380 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $8.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocosphere.com, online order

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate and  India Theme Week.

Today's Sea Salt Dark Chocolate 60% Cocoa bar was from Pascati Artisan Chocolate / Pascati Foods India LLP (Maharashtra, India).

This Sea Salt Dark bar had a great balance between flavorful dark chocolate and sweet and salt levels. It was not too sweet or salty; it was just right. For the past four days I've enjoyed Pascati bars with fruit and other flavor inclusions. Today with just salt as a flavor inclusion* I felt I could taste more of the flavor nuances of the underlying chocolate--made using Forastero (variety) cacao beans that yielded a bold, dense dark (but also smooth) chocolate flavor experience (relatively low in bitterness) with faint, well balanced earth and slight fruit notes

The organic cacao (traded in compliance with Fairtrade Standards) was sourced from Kerala, a state on the southwestern Malabar coast in southern India; and the chocolate was made more than 750 miles further north in Palghar in the state of Maharashtra (north of Mumbai).

Cacao terroir
The maker noted that the cacao was grown as an intercrop among/between/under coconut and arecanut (betel nut) palm trees and near tropical fruit trees as well. Neighboring fruit trees that are part of the local soil (terroir) may not influence cacao fruit/seed/bean flavor, but just having more attention paid to soil pH and nutrient/mineral and water uptake in a well-tended plantation environment could be a plus.

Single origin cocoa butter 
Roughly half, depending on the variety and origin, of a cacao bean, is fat in the form of cocoa or cacao butter. This naturally high fat content is what contributes the rich, creamy smoothness to finished chocolate. Pascati also presses their own cocoa butter from Kerala cacao beans. Not every chocolate maker takes this extra step, to use single origin cacao butter, or butter from the same origin and to press/"make" this component themselves.)

*Ingredients: Organic cocoa beans, organic sugar, organic cocoa butter, sea salt.


Friday, April 24, 2020

Pascati Artisan Chocolate - Saffron Pistachio Dark 60% (bar) - Apr. 24, 2020

Chocolate of the Day: 

Pascati Artisan Chocolate
(Pascati Foods India LLP)
Saffron Pistachio Dark 60% Cocoa Organic Chocolate (bar)
Good - Good +
Weight: 2.65 oz. (75 g.) total bar
Calories: 396 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $8.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocosphere.com, online order

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate and  India Theme Week.

Today's Saffron Pistachio Dark 60% Cocoa Organic Chocolate (bar) was from Pascati Artisan Chocolate / Pascati Foods India LLP (Maharashtra, India). The company sources organic cacao from farmers in the state of Kerala in southern India and became one of the first bean-to-bar organic and fair trade chocolate makers in India less than five years ago.

More than 33 million people live in Kerala, a tropical, coastal state, including many farmers. Coconut, pepper, cashews and cassava are frequently seen crops. The number of cacao trees in India has been gradually increasing, but cocoa is still largely an imported commodity. Cacao grows from 0 to 20 degrees latitude (covering much of southern India). In India and many equatorial countries, cacao trees are a secondary or "intercrop" grown under the shade of coconut or palm oil trees.

Today's smooth, dark chocolate was not too sweet (thank you), with light floral (saffron flavor) and nut (pistachio) notes. Small bits of pistachio added occasional nutty texture as well. Like previous Pascati bars with flavor inclusions featured this past week, the 60% organic chocolate used (presumably the same in all these bars and made from the same cacao beans grown in southern India) tasted more like a 75% cacao chocolate. (I prefer a "surprise" in this direction, over a 75% bar that tastes like an ultra-sweet 60% bar, which is the case. most of the time.) If a 75% bar tastes like an 85% of the bar it's usually because of some strong or bitter note. And this definitely not the case today. So, again, thank you to the makers at Pascati.

Ingredients: Organic cocoa beans, organic sugar, organic cocoa butter, organic pistachios, natural saffron flavor.

Note: Saffron is very expensive. While I'd prefer the real thing over natural flavor substitutes, the only other saffron chocolate bars I've tasted, made with actual saffron, were made by a company that found it hard to stay financially viable. Tough choices for makers if you want to sell bars that are under $15 USD.


Thursday, April 23, 2020

Pascati Artisan Chocolate - Orange Cinnamon Hazelnut 60% organic (bar) - Apr. 23, 2020

Chocolate of the Day: 

Pascati Artisan Chocolate
(Pascati Foods India LLP)
Orange Cinnamon Hazelnut Dark 60% Cocoa Organic Chocolate (bar)
Weight: 2.65 oz. (75 g.) total bar
Calories: 398 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $8.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocosphere.com, online order

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

Today's Orange Cinnamon Hazelnut Dark 60% Cocoa Organic Chocolate bar was from Pascati Artisan Chocolate / Pascati Foods India LLP (Maharashtra, India).

This dark chocolate had a smooth texture, fairly dark chocolate flavor for 60%, and very subtle citrus and spice aroma and flavor. Small pieces of hazelnut added some nutty crunch. About every third bite you got a bit of identifiable hazelnut and/or orange flavor. Otherwise these organic flavor inclusions were very unobtrusive.

About 58% of the ingredients (cocoa and cinnamon) were fair trade.

Ingredients: organic cocoa beans, organic sugar, organic cocoa butter, organic hazelnuts, organic orange flavour, organic cinnamon powder.


Pascati Artisan Chocolate - Mango Dark 60% Organic Chocolate (bar) - Apr. 22, 2020

Chocolate of the Day: 

Pascati Artisan Chocolate
(Pascati Foods India LLP)
Mango Dark - 60% Cocoa Organic Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 2.65 oz. (75 g.) total bar
Calories: 384 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $8.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocosphere.com, online order

Welcome to Day #2 of Chocolate and  India Theme Week.

Today's Mango Dark Chocolate 60% Cocoa Organic Chocolate (bar) was made by Pascati Artisan Chocolate / Pascati Foods India LLP (Maharashtra, India).

The company, founded in 2015, was the first bean-to-bar, USDA organic and fair trade chocolate company in India. Pascati sources organic cacao grown in Kerala, in southern India.

This organic chocolate had visible "Bijou pieces of freeze-dried mango tucked into dark chocolate." The 60% dark chocolate had a smooth, uniform texture and dark, dense (forastero*-like) flavor with a faint earth note.

India, is known for their mangoes. And the mango pieces included in this bar were delicious. Authentic mango fruit perfume and flavor elevated this chocolate to the next level.

*Forastero is the most commonly grown variety of cacao (representing approximately 80% of the world's supply). It is associated with a relatively bold, robust dark flavor. It's cultivated in Africa, Brazil and many other cacao-growing regions and is valued over more delicate, heritage varieties (e.g. Criollo) for its ability to resist disease and rot.


Tuesday, April 21, 2020

Pascati Chocolate - Rose Almond 60% Organic Chocolate (bar) - Apr. 21, 2020

Chocolate of the Day: 

Pascati Artisan Chocolate
(Pascati Foods India LLP)
Rose Almond Dark - Organic Dark Chocolate 60% Cocoa (bar)
Weight: 2.65 oz. (75 g.) total bar
Calories: 396 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $8.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocosphere.com, online order

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

Today's Rose Almond Dark - Organic Dark Chocolate 60% Cocoa (bar) was from Pascati Artisan Chocolate / Pascati Foods India LLP (Maharashtra, India)--India's first USDA organic and fair trade bean-to-bar chocolate company.*

I expected I might smell a more floral rose scent, but this organic dark chocolate had a very subtle "organic natural flavor" rose aroma and flavor.

The dark chocolate had a smooth, even dark taste and wasn't overly sweet (thank you). In fact, it tasted more like a 70% bar. Organic almond pieces added an occasional bit of satisfying crunchy nut texture and flavor.

This chocolate was made from bean to bar in India (Product of India) using cacao "sourced from select plantations." It was not clear if all of the cacao had been grown in India or not; however, Pascati has said before they use cacao from Kerala's Indukki and Malabar regions in southern India. It's exciting enough that more Indian-made chocolates have become more available, to more chocolate lovers around the globe.

Previously, when I asked friends from India about chocolate there they would frequently mention Cadbury chocolate candy/bars and other British and European brands, often adding that Indians had their own rich history of desserts and confections that didn't usually include chocolate.

Times have changed. This year I'm happy to again have seven "new" Indian chocolates to feature as part of a 2020 Chocolate and India Theme Week. This was not possible when I started Chocolate Banquet 13+ years ago in 2006.

*Pascati was founded in 2015 by Devansh Ashar (who had a background in the hospitality industry and trained as a chocolate maker at Ecole Chocolat). The company name comes from the Sanskrit phrase "pascat parivasya" that means a "sweet meal."

Ingredients: Organic cocoa beans, organic sugar, organic cocoa butter, organic almonds, organic rose flavour







Monday, April 20, 2020

Eclat Chocolate + Fruition Chocolate - 80% Noe Peru (bar) - Apr. 20, 2020

Chocolate of the Day: 

Fruition Chocolate + Eclat Chocolate 
80% Noe Peru (bar)
Good +++
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.12 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 180 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $17.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: missing information

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate and Peru Theme Week.

Today's 80% Noe Peru (bar) was a collaboration between Eclat Chocolate (West Chester, PA) and Fruition Chocolate (Shokan, NY). 

This (Batch #1) bar was named for a Peruvian farmer (Noe Vasquez) who produced the Nacional - Criollo variety of cacao used to make this bar. These beans were described as the "perfect cross between Nacional and Criollo varieties" of cacao, yielding a "light, yet sophisticated flavor."

There were just two ingredients: cacao beans and cane sugar; but oh, what flavor and texture. Savor this slowly, or you'll miss the ride.

The aroma and flavor were similar; both with relatively uniform complexity...and creamy, nutty, earthy and muted fruit (cherry) and faint biscuit notes. The texture was creamy. And the ready melt and access to flavor were aided by the relative thinness of the bar.

The subtleties of this well-crafted bar became more apparent with each bite. On the one hand, the bar's flavor didn't seem to change, and left a clean finish that was an extension of the initial flavor range. On the other hand, the full flavor seemed to mysteriously expand and unfold in a way that made it taste better and better. The subtle fruit and balanced sweetness came more to the front and the light earthiness/fermented milk/cream notes seemed to recede. (I am a sucker for balanced layered flavor like this.)

This tasting experience (and perceived unfolding) was due in part to the higher percentage of cocoa solids (80%) in this bar -- and the cocoa itself. Other cacao beans would have tasted much bolder and less nuanced. Less sugar meant the more delicate but rich nuances weren't overwhelmed by sweetness.

Eclat Chocolate's chief chocolatier and pastry chef (Christopher Curtin) brings high product standards, artful packaging and presentation to this collaboration; and Fruition's chocolate maker (Bryan Graham) has mad maker skills. Judging from the results, this was the right combination of talent to bring this fine Peruvian cacao to market.



Sunday, April 19, 2020

Sol Cacao Craft Chocolate - 70% Peru (bar) - Apr. 19, 2020

Chocolate of the Day: 

Sol Cacao Craft Chocolate
70% Peru (bar)
Good +
Weight: 1.86 oz. (52.7 g.) in total bar
Calories: 279 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $7.75 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocosphere.com, online order

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

Today's 70% Peru (bar) was from bean-to-bar maker Sol Cacao Craft Chocolate (Bronx, New York).

This bar had bolder flavors than some others made with Peruvian cacao this week. The dark, complex chocolate flavors spanned fruity (citrus, red berry) tart bitterness with balanced fermented milk, earth, and slightly green nut astringency notes and a very faint whisp of star anise. The bar had a lingering finish as well.

Maker's tasting notes for this bar (Batch #7A) read as follows: Sweet floral notes, almonds and walnut.

I find complex, balanced flavor profiles in chocolate interesting and satisfying. A small square is worth eating slowly, contemplating and enjoying. Thank you Maloney Brothers.

Ingredients: All this flavor came from just two ingredients: cacao (from Oro Verde, Peru) and cane sugar.

Saturday, April 18, 2020

Chapon Chocolatier - Perou Gran Blanco mini bar - Apr. 18, 2020

Chocolate of the Day:

Chapon Chocolatier
Perou Gran Blanco mini bar
Good +
Weight: .176 oz. (5 g.) in 1 mini bar / 6.35 oz. (180 g.) in box of 36 mini bars
Calories: 27.7 calories for 1 mini bar
Cost: $45.00 for 1 box of 36 mini bars
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate and Peru Theme Week.

Today's Perou Gran Blanco* 70% dark miniature bar was from Chapon Chocolatier (Paris, France). This smooth, chocolate morsel had fruit, balanced earth and true chocolate flavor notes. (*"Blanco" likely refers to ivory or white-colored Criollo variety cacao beans used to make this bar.)

As usual, Chapon packaging--and every illustrations in miniature, printed on tiny individual wrappers--was exquisite. These colorful, nature-oriented and lushly exotic scenes are the best kind of escape in today's world. On today's Perou (Peru) bar wrapper, indigenous people on horses become almost invisible against towering tropical foliage.


Marana Craft Chocolate - Cusco, Peru 50% Milk Chocolate (bar) - Apr. 17, 2020

Chocolate of the Day: 

Marana Craft Chocolate
Cusco, Peru Single Origin - 50% Milk Chocolate (bar)
Good +++
Weight: 1.25 oz. (35 g.) / 2.5 oz. (70 g.) total bar
Calories: 200 calories (per packaging) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $7.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocosphere.com, online order

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate and Peru Theme Week.

Today's Cusco, Peru Single Origin 50% Cacao Milk Chocolate (bar) was made in Peru by Cacao Valley E.I.R.L./Marana Craft Chocolate (Lima, Peru).

This four-ingredient* bar had delicious peanut/nut butter and fruit notes, melded into rich, flavorful dark milk chocolate.

The maker's description read as follows: "Our Cusco collection is made from the finest "Chuncho" variety of cacao beans., grown in the fertile valleys of Quillabamba. With this chocolate, we offer an intense, nutty flavor that will transport you to the magical land of the Incas."

*Ingredients: cocoa mass, sugar, skim milk and cocoa butter


Thursday, April 16, 2020

Chocolat Bonnat - Madre de Dios 75% Cacao "Perou" (bar) - Apr. 16, 2020

Chocolate of the Day: 

Chocolat Bonnat
Madre de Dios - Chocolat noir 75% de cacao "Perou" (bar)
Good +++
Weight: 1.75 oz. (50 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 301.5 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $18.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocosphere.com, online order

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

Today's Madre de Dios Chocolat noir 75% de cacao "Perou" (bar) was from Chocolat Bonnat (Voiron, Isere, France).

Subtly complex and silky smooth, this bar had a creamy melt, with muted earth, jungle nut, and delicate fruit flavor notes.

Added cocoa butter gave this bar its classic Bonnat buttery texture and softly veiled fine cacao flavor. What came through was a subtle, complex Criollo-like variety cacao, dressed up in a fabulous, French silk evening gown that was easy on the eyes and palette.

This bar was also rather dear; at $18.50 (USD), I'm hoping that some of the proceeds went to help save the ancient, heritage cacao trees in this area--the Madre de Dios region in southeastern Peru that borders on Brazil and Bolivia, and that has a terrain described as low-lying Amazon rainforest.

It's easy to be smug about what needs to be done in a rainforest when you're eating chocolate in some far off, relatively prosperous northern city (that, sadly, was clear cut of its own native trees centuries ago). Kudos and best wishes to those working to preserve native strains of cacao and other rare and valuable trees and botanicals in the Amazon basin. Muchas gracias, merci and thank you to all who worked hard to produce today's great chocolate.


Untamed Confections - Midnight Gold Salted Dark Chocolate bar - Apr. 15, 2020

Chocolate of the Day: 

Untamed Confections
Midnight Gold Salted Dark Chocolate Bar - Organic Peruvian 72% Dark (bar)
Good - Good +
Weight: 1.2 oz. (34 g.) in total bar
Calories: 180 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $ missing information
Purchased from: Untamed Confections (small shop), Tubac, AZ

Welcome to Day #2 of Chocolate and Peru Theme Week.

Today's Midnight Gold Salted Dark Chocolate Bar - Organic Peruvian 72% Dark (bar) was from Untamed Confections (Tubac, AZ).

The dark chocolate had a uniform, rich, smooth dark flavor. And, this bar was sweetened with Sonoran Desert Wildflower Honey, giving it a subtle, natural sweetness. The chocolate was not sugary sweet. (Thank you!).

Tuesday, April 14, 2020

Loving Earth - Chocolate 72% Raw bar + Nina Coconut bar - Apr. 14, 2020

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

Loving Earth
Dark Organic Chocolate with 72% Raw Ashaninka Cacao with Coconut Sugar, Amazon (bar)
Good
Weight: 1.25 oz. (35 g.) / 2.5 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 200 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $2.99 (estimate) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #11 of Chocolate and Coconut Theme Week, and Day #1 of Chocolate and Peru Theme Week. We celebrated this day with two chocolate bars with ties to Amazonian and Peruvian cacao culture, and unique origin stories.

Peru is one of the Central and South American countries were cacao was first cultivated by indigenous people thousands of years ago.

Today's Dark Organic Chocolate with 72% Raw Ashaninka Cacao (Peruvian Amazon) bar with coconut sugar (bar) was from Loving Earth Inc., Upper St. Clair, PA (and was made in Australia).

This relatively light bar had a light coconut and nutty flavor. The chocolate was made with raw cacao (that tends to have a milder flavor due to low temperature constraints (no roasting)). There was no added cacao butter. Rather, there was an interesting melt and nutty smoothness from finely ground nuts/nut butter ingredients: cashews, hazelnuts and almonds.

The cacao beans used to make this vegan bean-to-bar chocolate "traveled 100 miles by canoe to get to the nearest road. From the remote Rio Ene, one of the main sources of the Amazon River, they are an indigenous wild variety of criollo cacao, harvested from the Amazon jungle by the Ashaninko people of the Kemito Ene Cooperative."

Maker's tasting notes for this chocolate printed on the package read as follows: (notes of) aniseed and fennel (and...) toffee notes (from the) coconut sugar...to create a unique flavor with hints of coffee."

Nina* Fine Chocolate Macambo + Coconut bar
I also enjoyed (re-tasted) a bit of a Nina* Chocolates 45% Cacao Macambo (Majambo) + Coconut (bar) (originally featured here on Chocolate Banquet last year).

This bar was made, from tree to bar, in Peru, using single origin cacao from Chazuta (a village and district, in the San Martin province/region, in north central Peru at the edge of the Amazon basin). Majambo (Theobroma bicolor) is a cacao (Theobroma cacao) relative.

*"Nina is a Qoya, the Amazon Princess, wife of the Inca, who was instructed to meet the world invisible to our eyes. Her name in Quechua translates as fire and in the Peruvian Amazon symbolizes: initiation, transformation and purification. She knows the hidden secret of the cacao seed, its spirit and also its great nutritional power. And by just impregnating the seed with the breath of her sacred fire on full moon nights, it is transformed into chocolate, releasing a myriad of delicate tastes." 



Monday, April 13, 2020

Libeert - Organic Milk Chocolate - Coconut and Yoghurt (bar) - Apr. 13, 2020

Chocolate of the Day:

Libeert
Organic Milk Chocolate - Coconut and Yoghurt (bar)
Good
Weight: 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 540 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $2.99 (estimate) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #10 of Chocolate and Coconut Theme Week.

Today's Coconut and Yoghurt Organic Milk Chocolate (bar) was manufactured by Libeert s.a. (Comines, Belgium).

This creamy milk chocolate with crunchy flecks of coconut had a coconut aroma; sweet milk chocolate and coconut flavor with a slight nuttiness; and a light, lingering coconut finish. Yogurt flavoring added a very subtle sweet tartness that helped balance out a relatively high sugar content.

Leaving aside the coconut for a moment...Not only do many milk chocolate bars have a lower percent of cocoa in them, but they also, by definition, have a higher percentage of milk and sugar. Milk and sugar often introduce caramel or candy notes and can mute or mask cacao flavor constituents, such as: fruit, nut, earth, spice, green or dark brownie/fudge notes. These flavor notes often correspond to cacao species, geological origin, soil and fermentation characteristics. (Adding milk and sugar might improve poor quality or bitter cacao, but as a rule fine cacao will be less adulterated.)

Looking for subtle chocolate flavor characteristics in bars with less than 40% cocoa solids becomes quite challenging. Today's milk chocolate contained 38.5% cocoa solids. The chocolate flavor that did poke through seemed rich and mild. (No cacao origin was specified on the packaging for this bar.)

Ingredients: milk chocolate (organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter, organic dry whole milk, organic chocolate liquor; organic coconut flakes; coconut and yogurt flavor.


Sunday, April 12, 2020

Venchi - Coconut in Black Cube - Apr. 12, 2020

Chocolate of the Day: 

Venchi
Coconut in Black Cube
Good
Weight: .353 oz. (10 g.) in 1 cube/piece
Calories: 53 calories (estimate) in 1 cube
Cost: $1.60 for 1 cube
Purchased from: Chocosphere.com, online order

Buona Pasqua (Happy Easter) and welcome to Day #9 of Chocolate and Coconut Theme Week.

Today's Coconut in Black Cube (Cubotti* Coco) was from Venchi (Piedmont, Italy).
The company was founded by chocolatier Silvano Venchi, and was established in Turin, Italy, in 1878.

Early on Venchi became known for their dark chocolate covered nougatine (made with caramelized hazelnuts). They now produce a variety of chocolate offerings, including bars, confections...and cubotti* (small "abundances" or cubes of extra dark chocolate with flavored cream fillings).

This coconut-filled dark chocolate cube was simple and elegant, and might be found in a high-end Easter basket, or a Venchi spring chocolate gift box.

*Cubotti (according to my online dictionary) translates to "abundance(s)." It also seems to be a name for small cube-shaped dessert items. (Cubo is the Italian word for cube (singular), and cubi (or occasionally cubetti) in Italian means cubes (plural).) 


Domori - Cocco recoperto di cioccolato al latte - Apr. 11, 2020

Chocolate of the Day: 

Domori
Cocco recoperto di cioccolato al latte 
(Coconut (pieces) covered with milk chocolate)
Good  
Weight: 1.41 oz. (40 g.) in total package
Calories: 224 calories in 1 pkg.  
Cost: $3.75 for 1 package
Purchased from: Chocosphere.com, online order 

Welcome to Day #7? of Chocolate and Coconut Theme Week.

Today's gluten-free Coconut (pieces) Covered in 50% Milk Chocolate was from Domori srl (None, Italy).

These sweet little milk chocolate and coconut confectionery orbs made for a pleasing snack.

Ingredients: milk chocolate (50% cocoa min.) cane sugar, cocoa butter, cocoa mass, milk powder, emulsifier, soy lecithin, natural vanilla extract), dehydrated coconut (sugar, coconut, sulfur dioxide), sugar syrup (water, sugar, glucose syrup, thickening agent - arabic gum).


Friday, April 10, 2020

Only Child Chocolate - Best Fronds Forever Milk Chocolate Bar - Apr. 10, 2020

Chocolate of the Day: 

Only Child Chocolate
Best Fronds Forever - Milk Chocolate with Peanuts, Coconut, Fennel and Cayenne bar
Good +
Weight: 1.7 oz. (48 g.) in total bar
Calories: 256 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $8.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocosphere.com, online order

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate and Coconut Theme Week.

This thick, sweet, creamy milk chocolate bar was redolent with botanical aromas; and I wondered how were all these flavor inclusions going to mesh? The answer: surprisingly well.

Relatively whole chunks of ingredients* visible on the back of the bar gave this chocolate an attractive look; and, more important, allowed flavors to take turns in the spotlight. (A finely ground, homogeneous blend of all these ingredients would not have worked as well.)

One bite featured crunchy peanuts with milk chocolate, another bite coconut and milk chocolate, the next bite a hint of fennel, and the final bite a polite but firm sizzle of cayenne, which was harmonizing with the nuts, chocolate and coconut. All the ingredients* tasted fresh. A hint of salt (from the peanuts) tied up this sweet and savory package with a bow.

*Ingredients: 38% milk chocolate (cane sugar, whole milk, cocoa butter, cacao beans, sunflower lecithin, vanilla beans), peanuts (peanuts, vegetable oil, salt), coconut oil, dried coconut pieces, fennel seed, cayenne pepper.

Thursday, April 9, 2020

Cafe-Tasse - Lait Noix de Coco 35% mini bars - April 9, 2020

Chocolate of the Day: 

Cafe-Tasse
Lait Noix de Coco 35% Cacao mini bar
Good +
Weight: .31 oz. (9 g.) in 1 mini bar x 2 bars
Calories: 100 calories (estimate) in 2 mini bars
Cost: $1.90 for 2 mini bars
Purchased from: Chocosphere.com, online order

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

Today's Lait Noix de Coco mini bars were from Cafe-Tasse (Belgium).

These creamy, sweet (35% cacao) milk chocolate confections were perfumed with coconut aroma and flavor. The miniature coconut milk bars provided a few small, sweet bites--just the right dose. A larger size bar this sweet would have been too much.

Flax4Life - Toasted Coconut Brownies - Apr. 8, 2020

Chocolate of the Day: 

Flax4Life
Toasted Coconut Brownie(s)
Good +
Weight: 2.33 oz. (66 g.) / 14 oz. (396 g.) in total container
Calories: 280 calories in 2 mini muffin brownies (1 serving)
Cost: $5.49 for 1 container of 12 brownies
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate and Coconut Theme Week.

Today's mini muffin shaped Toasted Coconut Brownies were from Flax4Life (Bellingham, WA).
Flax4Life offers a line of gluten free flax muffins, granola, buns and brownies.

These moist and flavorful gluten free toasted coconut chocolate brownies were quite good, especially for gluten-free baked goods. They had a soft, loft to them that were lacking in early versions of gluten-free cakes and muffins. Fortunately, brownies don't seem to suffer much from lack of gluten.

And, yes, these Flax4Life brownies did contain flaxseeds...that added fiber, anti-oxidants and alpha linolenic acid (ALA), Omega 3 fatty acids and protein.


Tuesday, April 7, 2020

Sejoyia Foods - Coco-Roons, Chocolate Chip - Apr. 7, 2020

Chocolate of the Day: 

Sejoyia Foods
Coco-Roons Chewy Cookie Bites
Chocolate Chip
Good
Weight: 3 oz. (85 g.) in 1 package
Calories: 455 calories in 1 package
Cost: $1.99 for 1 package
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate and Coconut Theme Week.

Today's Chocolate Chip Coco-Roons (Chewy Cookie Bites) were from Sejoyia Foods (Louisville, CO).

Certified Gluten-Free, Organic, Paleo, Kosher and Non-GMO Project Verified, these chewy vegan coconut bites were studded with chocolate chips and had a certain freshness and buttery fruitiness about them. The fresh taste was aided by sturdy, sealed (and re-sealable) packaging.

Ground cashews provided a bit of light nuttiness and protein balance to the blend. And small doses of maple syrup, vanilla and sea salt rounded out these bites, making them satisfying and not too sweet (thank you!).

Coconut was the featured flavor (these bites contained coconut, coconut sugar and extra virgin coconut oil); however, the natural coconut flavors were not overwhelming.

Ingredients: Organic Coconut, Organic Cashews, Organic Coconut Sugar, Organic Maple Syrup, Organic Unsweetened Chocolate, Organic Natural Vanilla Flavor, Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, Sea Salt.



Untamed Confections - Dark Chocolate Coconut Cup - Apr. 6, 2020

Chocolate of the Day:

Untamed Confections
Dark Chocolate Coconut Cup
Good
Weight: 1.8 oz. (51 g.) in total cup
Calories: 270 calories (estimate) in 1 cup
Cost: $ missing information
Purchased from: Untamed Confections (shop), Tubac, AZ

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

This substantial Dark Chocolate Coconut Cup was from Untamed Confections (Tubac, AZ).

The company's gluten-free chocolate confections, including today's chocolate cup, that I purchased were all very lightly sweetened with Sonoran Desert Wildflower Honey.* This made this cup a rare and delightful find: a coconut chocolate that wasn't gooey sweet with sugar and/or corn syrup. Hallelujah.

The thick, smooth dark chocolate cup was rich tasting and bittersweet. A toasted coconut and honey filling, shredded coconut topping and a faint flutter of vanilla provided lots of natural (subtle), balanced authentic coconut flavor.

*Ingredients: "Dark Fair Trade Organic Chocolate, Sonoran Desert Wildflower Honey, Organic Toasted Coconut, Organic Vanilla"

Note: In fairness to the vendor, I'm not showing a photo of this chocolate cup as it was stored for quite awhile in the chocolate vault (wine fridge), and did not look the same as it did when it was newly minted. (Traveling through a hot desert area with chocolates had its challenges.)


Sunday, April 5, 2020

Akbal Chocolate Mexicano - 70% Dark Chocolate with Leche de Coco (bar) - Apr. 5, 2020

Chocolate of the Day: 

Akbal Chocolate Mexicano
70% Cacao Chocolate with Leche de Coco Sin Azucar (bar)
Good - Good +
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 110 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $ N/A - gift from a friend
Purchased from: N/A - gift from a friend (thank you Julie!)

Welcome to Day #2 of Chocolate and Coconut Theme Week.

Today's 70% Cacao Chocolate with Leche de Coco Sin Azucar (bar) was from Akbal Chocolate Mexicano aka Akbal Chocolates (Playas de Roasarito, Baja California, Mexico). This dark coconut milk bar was sweetened with xylitol rather than sugar.

The bar had a natural coconut aroma. And the relatively sweet, mild 70% cacao chocolate was suffused with authentic coconut flavor.

This tasted quite sweet, but there was no sugar. Nor was there any "off" flavor from the xylitol used as an alternative sweetener. The chocolate did taste a little sweeter than normal (like some sugarless gums). And I might have preferred a wee bit less xylitol/sweetness. But, it still worked as a chocolate bar.

*Xylitol, an alternative sweetener, is lower in calories and does not cause the increases or spikes in blood sugar that can happen when you eat items with cane or beet sugar. Xylitol was first discovered by French and German chemists in the late 1890s. After further research and development in Turku, Finland, Finnish company Jennki introduced a gum sweetened with xylitol (originally derived from birch trees) in 1975. Xylitol-sweetened gums, toothpastes, mouthwashes--and eventually candies, baked goods and chocolates--followed.

Note: Like chocolate, you should not feed xylitol-sweetened items to dogs. Bath can be toxic.

Dogs, cats and other animals (including ferrets, horses and bears) lack our ability to process theobromine, a naturally-occurring stimulant in cacao/chocolate; and ingestion can cause nausea, vomiting, nervous systems problems--and in rare cases, death. Whereas, most humans, rodents and certain birds are able to break down caffeine, theobromine and other plant alkaloids, more effectively. (From an evolutionary perspective, plants may have developed these bitter-tasting alkaloids, in part, as a defense mechanism to prevent animals and insects from eating them.)

Xylitol can trigger a release of insulin in dogs that cause them to become severely hypoglycemic. While xylitol can trigger milder, digestive side effects in humans, it is generally considered to be safe for us; and it may have certain desirable anti-bacterial properties (thus the inclusion in dental hygiene products). As with many new foods, try eating a small amount initially if you're unsure.



Saturday, April 4, 2020

MIA Chocolate - 65% Almond and Coconut (bar) - Apr. 4, 2020

Chocolate of the Day: 

MIA Chocolate
65% Almond and Coconut (bar)
Good +
Weight: 2.65 oz. (75 g.) in total bar
Calories: 420 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $6.95 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocosphere.com, online order

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate and Nuts Theme Week, and Day #1 of Chocolate and Coconut Theme Week.

Today's Almond and Coconut (bar) was from MIA Chocolate (London, UK), a social concern that sources cacao grown in Madagascar and works to produce bean-to-bar chocolate in Africa.

The bar's description read: "flakes of salted almond and crunchy coconut have been sprinkled liberally over 65% dark chocolate..." The dark chocolate base had a slight tart, bright fruit note often associated with cacao grown in Madagascar.

The bits of almond and coconut pressed into the back of the bar were quite small and so did not overwhelm, but rather added subtle flavor and texture. And the sweet and salt balance was very deft. There was not too much of either, allowing the rich chocolate flavor to shine through.

Sjaak's Organic Chocolates - Golden Gate Bridge Dark Chocolate (bar) - April 3, 2020

Chocolate of the Day: 

Sjaak's Organic Chocolates
Golden Gate San Francisco Organic Dark Chocolate (bar with) Almonds
Good +
Weight: 2 oz. (56 g.) in total bar
Calories: 280 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $ missing information
Purchased from: SweetE Organic, Mill Valley, CA

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

Today's Golden Gate San Francisco Organic Dark Chocolate (bar with) Almonds was from Sjaak's Organic Chocolates (Petaluma, CA).

The packaging bore the image of the iconic Golden Gate Bridge, located about 39 miles from Sjaak's.

This bar had a nice, smooth texture, slightly slow melt and creamy mouthfeel. The dark chocolate flavor was smooth without being boring, with a fleeting hint of upbeat spice (cinnamon) and vanilla.* Almond bits added some nutty texture.

*Note: This bar contained vanilla, but no cinnamon.

Thursday, April 2, 2020

MIA Chocolate - Cranberry and Hazelnut Dark Chocolate (bar) - Apr. 2, 2020

Chocolate of the Day: 

MIA Chocolate
Cranberry and Hazelnut Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good +
Weight: 1.325 oz. (37.5 g.) / 2.65 oz. (75 g.) in total bar
Calories: 400 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $6.95 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocosphere.com, online order

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate and Nuts Theme Week.

Today's Cranberry and Hazelnut Dark Chocolate (bar) was from MIA Chocolate (London, UK), and was "Made in Africa (MIA)" in Madagascar using cacao grown in Madagascar.

This 65% cacao smooth, rich and flavorful dark chocolate contained a balanced tart red fruit and nut flavor and texture blend, with dried, ruby red cranberries and roasted hazelnut bits. The sweetness level seemed just right; and a hint of cinnamon added a bit of sweet warmth.

Tasting notes for this bar read: "...its flavour (sic) roams between sweet and sour with a nutty crunch and notes of woodsy spice."



Wednesday, April 1, 2020

Baraboo Candy Company, LLC - Peanut Butter Cow Pie! - April 1, 2020

Chocolate of the Day: 

Baraboo Candy Company, LLC
Peanut Butter Cow Pie!
Good
Weight: 1.4 oz. (39.5 g.) / 2.8 oz. (79 g.) in total package
Calories: 95 calories in 1/2 package
Cost: $ missing information
Purchased from: Bed Bath and Beyond, Mountain View, CA

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate and Nuts Theme Week.

Happy April Fools Day! We're taking a break from fancy single origin, artisan chocolate bars to enjoy a sweet bite of fun from America's Heartland. Today's milk chocolate, candy bar-like "Peanut Butter Cow Pie!" was from Baraboo Candy Company, LLC (Baraboo, WI).

Baraboo has been making bovine-themed chocolate confections since 1981. Their offerings include: The Original Cow Pie! (with pecans instead of peanuts), a dark chocolate cow pie, mini cow pies and other cow-themed candies and chocolate confections.

The company's red building with white trim in Wisconsin appears on their website, with a friendly human dressed in a cow suit out front. If Baraboo Candy were not located approximately 2,129.6 miles away from where I live, I would have happily paid them a visit. Udderfingers anyone?

How did today's cow pie taste?

This cow pie was a successful blend of sweet, creamy (it contained real butter), penut-ty, crunchy and chocolatey flavors and textures. All the right ingredients to satisfy a sweet tooth.







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