Chocolate of the Day:
Distributed by Cemoi Inc.
Ecuador 50% cocoa rich milk chocolate (bar)
Good +
Weight: 1.2 oz. (34 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 210 calories in 4 squares (1 serving) of bar
Cost: $1.49 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA
Bonjour (good day) and welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate and Ecuador Theme Week.
Today's Ecuador 50% cocoa bar was produced in France and distributed by Cemoi Inc. (Pittsburgh, PA).
The aroma in this gluten-free and Non-GMO Project Verified chocolate featured earthy, fermented fruit (grapes being made into brandy) notes. The melt and texture were creamy, with a very slight gummy caramel chew.
Flavors included rich milk chocolate, fermented fruit notes present in the aroma, and unfolding caramel overtones, with a chocolate caramel finish.
I applaud the choice of going with the 50% dark milk chocolate. Anything less than 50 percent cocoa would have been too much sugar (for me); and more of the single origin (Ecuador) chocolate flavor notes would have been eclipsed by sugar. (E.g., yesterday's Cemoi 80% Ecuador bar had similar earthy fermented fruit notes. However it also had subtle floral and green notes (more delicate notes often associated with Ecuador cacao) that were absent in today's bar, or at least supplanted by sugar-related (caramel) flavor.
The chocolate maker's tasting notes read: "Caramel, Dried Fruits, Woody Notes"
*Ingredients: whole milk powder, Ecuador unsweetened chocolate, cocoa butter, sugar, vanilla extract