Cemoi Chocolatier - Sao Tome 66% Cocoa (bar) - Mar. 6, 2020

Chocolate of the Day: 

Cemoi Chocolatier
Sao Tome 66% Cocoa (bar)
Good - Good +
Weight: 1.2 oz. (34 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 200 calories in 4 squares of bar
Cost: $1.49 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #2 of Chocolate and West Africa Theme Week.

Why focus on West Africa? Because chances are that the bulk of the chocolate you've eaten in your lifetime was made using cacao grown in West Africa (most of it from Ghana and the Ivory Coast). Cacao was brought from the New World to West Africa in the early to mid 1800s, and ramped up from there. But the first country where cacao likely made landfall was the island nation of Sao Tome and Principe (in 1822), that earned the nickname "chocolate islands."

Today's Sao Tome 66 percent Cocoa bar was made in France and distributed by Cemoi Inc. (Pittsburgh, PA). Cemoi cocoa comes from thousands of farmers (an estimated 60,000 worldwide) and "is collected in fair trade conditions." Cocoa for this chocolate was Non GMO Project Verified.

This smooth chocolate bar's aroma and flavor had roasted earthy, loamy notes and a light bitterness, with a touch of honey and faint cinnamon.

Letterpress Chocolate - Ashanti Ghana 100% Dark Chocolate Cacao (bar) - Mar. 5, 2020

Chocolate of the Day: 

LetterPress Chocolate LLC
Ashanti Ghana 100% Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 158 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

Welcome to Day #7 of 100% Chocolate Theme Week; and Day #1 of Chocolate and West Africa Theme Week.

Today's Ashanti Ghana 100 percent Dark Chocolate bar was made by LetterPress Chocolate LLC (Los Angeles, CA).

According to the write-up that accompanied this bar, "Ashanti is a cocoa growing region of Ghana that has been plagued with slave labor and poor prices for farmers." The makers note they paid twice the commodity price for cacao beans used to make this bar to "help farmers make a living wage."

This single ingredient* bar had an even, smooth melt, and consistent and pleasing chocolate brownie and subtle fruit/fruit pie notes in the aroma, flavor and finish. It was also less bitter than many other 100% bars. A very edible 100% chocolate bar indeed.

Letterpress tasting notes read: "brownie crust, graham cracker."

*Ingredients: Cacao Beans

Momotombo Chocolate - Roasted whole cacao beans - Mar. 4, 2020

Chocolate of the Day: 

Momotombo Chocolate
Roasted (whole) cacao beans (seeds)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 15 grams (estimate)/ 8.8 oz. (250 g.) in 1 package
Calories: 15 calories (estimate) in 4 cacao beans
Cost: $ lost information
Purchased from: missing information

Welcome to Day #6 of 100% Chocolate Theme Week.

Today's roasted, whole cacao beans (or seeds) from Nicaragua were from Momotombo Chocolate (Managua, Nicaragua).

Momotombo founder, Carlos Mann, has done a lot for chocolate in Nicaragua. His bars and confections reflect a superior chocolate flavor that has been enriched by the country's rich, native volcanic soil.

These roasted cacao beans (or seeds) were very good. Roasted just to perfection and mellow and rich in flavor without off-flavors or bitterness.

The only challenge may be how to find these beans if you live outside of Nicaragua. You may have to do some careful online searching.