Monday, December 14, 2020

Fazer Confectionery - Nordi Blueberry Spicy Cardamom Dark Chocolate (bar) - Dec. 14, 2020

Chocolate of the Day

Fazer Confectionery
Nordi Blueberry and Spicy Cardamom Naturally Flavored Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good 
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 3.35 oz. (95 g.) in total bar
Calories: 151 calories in 1 oz. (28.3 g.) of bar
Cost: $1.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's Nordi Blueberry and Spicy Cardamom Naturally Flavored Dark Chocolate (bar) was from Fazer Confectionery (Ventaa, Finland). 

The "spice" in this bar was (I'm guessing black) cardamom. There are two main varieties of cardamom: green and black. Most of the Scandinavian bars with cardamom I've tasted seem to use black cardamom.*

This "naturally flavored" bar had an aroma with blueberry, light earthy spice, faint menthol and chocolate notes. "Natural flavors" tend not to be as authentic as the real thing, but can offer reasonable facsimiles. 

Ingredients and flavors like apple, birch, vanilla and plum added a sense of "warmth in the winter" to this dark chocolate bar (The bar's outer packaging was adorned with an aerial shot of someone making a snow angel in a field of white.) 

It's been a bit of a grim December this year (2020) with Covid-19 cases peaking worldwide. And it's good to think back on memories of playing in the snow, while being warm inside. 

You may have noticed that most of the chocolate and spice items featured so far this week have been from northern Europe. They know a thing or two about getting through (and brightening up) a rough winter. Hope you all are enjoying some relaxing time by a cozy fire/heater and maybe enjoying a hot spiced chocolate or a bite or two of chocolate. Simple pleasures.

Ingredients:  Dark Chocolate (unsweetened chocolate, sugar, cocoa butter, reduced fat cocoa powder, natural vanilla flavor), Blueberry Flavored Pieces (concentrated apple puree, blueberry puree, concentrated plum puree, apple juice concentrate, sugar, glycerol, citrus fiber, pectin (citrus), natural blueberry flavor), Natural Cardamom Flavor.

*Re: black and green cardamom varieties: Black cardamom (Amomum subulatum) pods, also known as Bengal cardamom, tend to be grown in Nepal, southern Bhutan, Darjeeling, to be slightly larger in size, to be harvested later, and to have a more down to earth flavor. Black cardamom tends to be a little darker, smokier, earthier, and some say it has a light camphor note. 

By contrast, green or "true" cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum) is native to southern India (think Kerala) and can be found growing wild there. It is also cultivated in Sri Lanka, Guatemala, Indochina, Indonesia/Malayasia and Tanzania. It has green-colored pods, and is more fragrant, with a "sweeter," brighter spice flavor that has an "upbeat feel" -- similar to the aroma/flavor effects of saffron, nutmeg and vanilla. When I think of chai masala tea available in the U.S., I think of green cardamom.
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