Thursday, September 30, 2021

Fresco Chocolate - Ghana 68% Recipe 260 - Light Roast, Subtle Conche dark chocolate (bar) - Sept. 30, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Fresco Artisan Chocolate
Ghana 68% Recipe 260 - Light Roast, Subtle Conche dark chocolate (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: .9 oz. (25 g.) / 1.8 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 136.5 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.00 (+ summer shipping) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate and Ghana Week.

Today'a Ghana 68% (Recipe 260) Light Roast, Subtle Conche (bar) was made by Fresco Chocolate (Lynden, WA).

Fresco offers single origin bars with different roast (light to dark) and conche* (subtle to long) profiles that can be tasted side-by-side. There's no better way to learn what you really like, and to better understand what choices support your preferences.

This approach makes it easier for customers to create chocolate flights and tastings--for a group of friends, or just for one. (These bars are created using recipe numbers, that are also included on the labeling.)

The subtle aroma notes for today's 68% Ghana (light roast) bar included (in order of appearance) dark chocolate with subtle tangy, sweet acidic green and fruit (dried persimmon), very faint vegetable (potato bread), faint brown sugar and very faint warm spiced fruit (peaches and pears heated with cinnamon and other spices).

The texture was smooth and relatively buttery.

Flavor notes for this single-ingredient bar included: rich, "warm," sweet dark chocolate, bread and butter, and a sustained current of true chocolate (fudge, dark chocolate torte and frosting). This dark chocolate had a mild fruit acidity (sweet, tart red berry (lingonberry** jam with a hint of sweet persimmon) that lingered/sparkled a bit into the finish. The chocolate was very low in bitterness.

This bar had a relatively subtle aroma, but was filled with bright, full, sweet and true chocolate notes. The light roast and subtle conche likely helped to preserve or highlight some of these bright, light, sweet flavors.

Ingredients: Cocoa beans, cane sugar, cocoa butter

Allergen-related information: "Free from: gluten, dairy, nuts, soy"

*Conching follows the initial grinding of cacao. Fresco describes conching as "heat, motion, aeration and time producing chocolate's final flavor." And "adjusting these variables can produce dramatically different flavors." 

**Lingonberries, also known as mountain cranberries and cowberries, are popular in Scandinavia and have a sweet, tart, red berry flavor. Lingonberry jam is generally just a bit mellower (naturally a bit sweeter and less acidic) than our cranberry jam/sauce.

Fresco Chocolate - Ghana 100% dark chocolate (bar) - Sept. 29, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Fresco Artisan Chocolate
Ghana 100% light roast, subtle conche dark chocolate (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: .9 oz. (25 g.) / 1.8 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 127.5 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $13.00 (+ summer shipping) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate and Ghana Week.

Today'a Ghana 100% (Recipe 235) Light Roast, Subtle Conche (bar) was made by Fresco Artisan Chocolate (Lynden, WA).

The company's single origin, bean-to-bar chocolate bars demonstrate precisely why and how choices made in chocolate making process matter. You can taste what different roasting and conching* choices/profiles taste like in finished form.

It's easy to assemble "flights" of Fresco bars (e.g. with the same cacao origin(s) but different roast and conche choices), and taste them side-by-side to compare the differences between light or dark roast, and subtle vs. long conching. (Today's bar is the first of three Fresco Ghana bars featured this week.)

The aroma notes for this 100% bar included (in order of appearance) dark chocolate with subtle tangy, sweet acidic green and fruit (dried persimmon), yeast bread and dark chocolate with a faint bitterness.

The melt and mouthfeel were buttery smooth.

Flavor notes for this single-ingredient bar were lovely, and included: beer (porter, stout), bread and butter, and rich, buttery (there's that word again), luscious fudge-y, dark chocolate with relatively mild acidity and relatively low bitterness** for an ultra-dark bar.

While I didn't have a comparable Fresco 100% Ghana bar with another roasting choice, I did really like this "light roast" choice with this particular cacao. A heavier roast might have resulted in the loss of some more delicate notes.

The taste of this wonderful 100% cacao bar was very satisfying; so make sure to savor it slowly.

Ingredients: Cocoa beans

Allergen-related information: "Free from: gluten, dairy, nuts, soy"

*Conching follows the initial grinding of cacao. Fresco describes conching as "heat, motion, aeration and time producing chocolate's final flavor." As with roasting (and most other steps in chocolate making), conching requires great attention to detail. And "adjusting these variables can produce dramatically different flavors."

**Bitterness is a result of several factors including the variety of cacao used (even the soil where the cacao was grown at times), fermentation, and roasting. Over-roasting cacao can lead to a bitter taste-- especially if more volatile fruity, nutty, green and floral notes that might have helped keep the flavor more balanced are "burned" off in the roasting process.



Tuesday, September 28, 2021

LetterPress Chocolate - Amaranth Crunch - Ashanti Ghana 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) - Sept. 28, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

LetterPress Chocolate LLC
Amaranth Crunch - Ashanti Ghana 70% Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar
Calories: 155 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $10.00 (+ summer shipping) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's Amaranth Crunch 70% Dark Chocolate (bar)--made with Ashanti Ghana 70% Dark Chocolate, Puffed Amaranth + Sea Salt--was crafted by LetterPress Chocolate LLC (Los Angeles, CA).

The aroma notes for this bar were subtle and sweet including (in order of appearance) faint fruit (berry jam), dark chocolate cereal, very faint fleeting oxalis (tart lemony greens, sour grass, wood sorrel), dark chocolate again with faint, fleeting brown sugar/molasses.

Flavor notes included: sweet, dark chocolate, light cereal grain with a roasted, balanced bitterness, and brownie--especially in the second half of tasting.

Maker's tasting notes: toasty chocolatey crunch

Ingredients: Cacao beans, organic unrefined cane sugar, organic cocoa butter, organic puffed amaranth, sea salt.

Allergen-related information: Processed in a facility that also processes nuts and dairy. Pareve. 

LetterPress Chocolate - Ashanti Ghana 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) - Sept. 27, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

LetterPress Chocolate LLC
Ashanti Ghana 70% Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar
Calories: 160 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $10.00 (+ summer shipping) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's Ashanti Ghana 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) was made from bean-to-bar by LetterPress Chocolate LLC (Los Angeles, CA).

The company describes the Ghana cacao origin and sourcing process as follows: "Ashanti is a (cacao) growing region of Ghana that has been plagued with slave labor and poor prices for farmers. Thanks to the organization at COCOBOD (government-controlled cocoa board) in Ghana, we have secured cacao which we paid 2x the commodity price to help farmers make a living wage."

This bar had a pleasing aroma with notes that included (in order of appearance) freshly baked bread with honey, chocolate with warm spice (root beer, cinnamon), back to fresh bread again. A few minutes later I also picked up very faint, fleeting notes of green (oxalis), sweet red fruit (cranberry sauce) and ripe blackberry soda/jam, and chocolate cake.

This well-executed bar had a smooth melt and texture.

The taste of this 70% dark bar quickly and quietly bloomed into an imaginary pan of freshly baked brownies in my mouth. A true "brownie" bar. And it had a bright, almost fruity sweetness and acidity and very little bitterness. 

Maker's tasting notes: "brownie crust, graham cracker" 

Ingredients: Cacao beans, organic unrefined cane sugar, organic cocoa butter.

Allergen-related information: Processed in a facility that also processes nuts and dairy. Kosher (Parve).

Sunday, September 26, 2021

Chocolate Story - Ghana 100% Cocoa (bar) - Sept. 26, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Manufaktura Czekolody
(Chocolate Story)
Ghana 100% Cocoa (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: .9 oz. (25 g.) / 1.8 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 170.25 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.50 (+ summer shipping) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's Ghana 100% Cocoa (bar) was by Manufaktura Czekology (Chocolate Story) in Poland.

The aroma notes for this bar included (in order of appearance): green/flower stalks, true chocolate (brownie), very faint, fleeting sweet red fruit/berry, molasses, and vegetable (potato/potato chip).

Flavor notes included: well-done, ultra-dark chocolate brownie batter and fire-roasted nut butter, with a balanced bitterness with a light astringency, and a mild-to-moderate sour acidity (grapefruit) in the finish. Charcoal-roasted brownie was what stuck in my mind.

Having tried both 70% and 100% Ghana bars from Chocolate Story, I'm curious what an 85% to cocoa bar, made with this same cacao, might taste like. The 70% was sweet, fruity and lively with layered chocolate depth, and quite pleasing. I'm wondering if an 85% might result in a happy medium, that might be just right. Perhaps the makers did try this and decided to go with this fiery 100%er instead.

Maker's tasting notes: "roasted wood, caramel, nuts."

Ingredients: 100% cocoa beans from Ghana.

Allergen-related information: This product may contain milk, nuts.





 

Chocolate Story - Ghana 70% Cocoa Grand Cru (bar) - Sept. 25, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Manufaktura Czekolody
(Chocolate Story)
Ghana 70% Cocoa Grand Cru (bar)
Good ++ -  Good+++
Weight: .9 oz. (25 g.) / 1.8 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 149.25 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $8.50 (+ summer shipping) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

The Republic of Ghana is a West African country bordering the Atlantic Ocean, about the size of Oregon or Wyoming in the U.S. Ghana is currently the second largest cacao producing country in the world. 

Today's Ghana 70% Cocoa Grand Cru (bar) was created by Manufaktura Czekology (Chocolate Story) in Poland.

The aroma notes for this bar included (in order of appearance): fudge brownie, molasses, faint green (stalks), vegetable (potato chip), faint sweet mixed fruit + grape jelly, and very faint warm spice (brown sugar caramel and cinnamon)...and a few minutes later, faint, mineral (calcium) and green floral (orchid).

Flavor notes included: dark chocolate cake, brown sugar, very subtle fruit (fresh, ripe wine grapes), dried fruit (prune). 

This fudge-y, chocolate-y bar with touches of fruit and other flavors will likely appeal across the board to dark chocolate aficionados. It was smooth and naturally sweet, but with enough complexity and style to go beyond a mere confection. And it was bold without being too acidic or bitter.

Maker's tasting notes: "a delicate dried grape flavor at first with the taste of caramel, nougat and roasted nuts."

Ingredients: Roasted cocoa beans from Ghana (70%), sugar. (Cocoa solids 70% min.)

Allergen-related information: May contain milk, nuts.





Saturday, September 25, 2021

Askinosie Chocolate - Dark Chocolate + Intelligentsia Coffee (bar) - Sept. 24, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Askinosie Chocolate
Dark Chocolate + Intelligentsia Coffee (bar)
Good +++ - Very Good 
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 153.3 calories in 1/3 bar
Cost: $9.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Missing information

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate Breakfast Theme Week.

Today's Dark Chocolate + Coffee (bar) was from Askinosie Chocolate (Springfield, MO). Askinosie crafts single origin and "CollaBARation"* bars with flavor inclusions, such as today's blend of 72% Mababu, Tanzania dark chocolate and in-season, single origin, Colombian coffee from roaster and retailer, Intelligentsia Coffee and Tea (Chicago, IL).

The smell of this freshly opened bar was one beautiful, deep, dark complex layer cake. Aroma notes included (in order of appearance) rich roasted coffee and dark chocolate, bright, fruity notes including sweet honey tangerine, sweet herbal (root beer), followed by a few faint flickers of berry jam and green-lemon oxalis (sour grass, sorrel). 

The texture was smooth with a pleasing, even melt.

As for the flavor, this Askinosie-Intelligentsia bar delivered the experience of a great cup of coffee and delicious 72% dark chocolate, simultaneously, with every bite. Each maker supplied an incredibly well-balanced and flavorful, high-quality product; and the combination was extremely satisfying. I savored every morsel of this bar. It was one of my favorite chocolate breakfasts this month.

Maker's tasting notes: "honey, tangerine, cola"

Ingredients: Mababu, Tanzania cocoa beans (Trinitario); organic cane sugar; direct trade, in-season, single origin coffee; cocoa butter ("made in our factory with Mababu (cacao) beans").

Allergen-related information: "Processed in a facility that processes milk, peanuts, tree nuts, and wheat."

*Note: The current version of this (Askinosie) Dark Chocolate + (Intelligentsia) Coffee CollaBARation bar (available as of this writing on the Askinosie website) looks very similar, but it may have a very slightly different formulation, and/or origin/plantation back-story and a higher price.


Thursday, September 23, 2021

Remedy Organics - Cacao Essentials 14 g. Protein (beverage) - Sept. 23, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Remedy Organics
Cacao Essentials 14 G. Protein (beverage)
Good - Good +
Weight: 12 fl. oz. (355 mL) in 1 bottle
Calories: 200 calories in 1 bottle
Cost: $4.32 for 1 bottle
Purchased from: CVS Pharmacy, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate Breakfast Theme Week.

Today's Cacao Essentials "protein-based wellness shake" was from Remedy Organics (Englewood Cliffs, NJ); and it was a great way to start the day. It was relatively light but with a rich natural taste. And it contained enough protein to stave off hunger until lunch.

Aroma notes for this vegan beverage with 14 grams of protein included plant (nut and seed, fresh green peas) and chocolate (pudding, custard).

The texture was relatively smooth (almost velvety) for a high-protein beverage. Protein drinks often have a grainy taste or mouthfeel. There was a very slight granular, astringency in the finish, but it was not bothersome.

The flavors tasted fresh and authentic, and similar to the aroma, with plant (nut and seed) and chocolate pudding notes. 

This offering (and other Remedy shakes and shots), developed by holistic nutritionist Cindy Kasindorf,  exemplify changes in public preferences and how protein "health" bars and beverages have evolved in the last few decades. 

Today's organic protein drink was made without refined sugar, gluten, dairy or artificial colors or ingredients. It was 100% plant-based (vegan). (It did contain vegetable gums, which are used as thickeners and stabilizers.) And it wasn't too sweet (thank you).

Ingredients: Organic almond milk (water, organic almonds), organic pea protein, organic coconut sugar, organic cocoa powder, organic hemp seeds, organic dates, organic natural flavor, organic acacia fiber, organic cinnamon, organic sunflower lecithin, vitamin blend (calcium derived from seaweed, vitamin A, vitamin D2), gellan gum, organic maca, organic ashwagandha, guar gum, sea salt, organic stevia powder, organic prebiotic fiber (derived from tapioca).

Allergen-related information: "Contains tree nuts." (Made without gluten or dairy ingredients.)

Wednesday, September 22, 2021

Flying Bird Botanicals - Cacao Vanilla Rose Drinking Chocolate - Sept. 22, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Flying Bird Botanicals
Cacao - Vanilla Rose Drinking Chocolate
Good +
Weight: 1 TB (7 g.) / 3.5 oz. (99.05 g.) in total container
Calories: 30 calories in 1 serving (of dry mix)
Cost: $9.95 for 1 container (steel cylindrical tin)
Purchased from: Land's End gift shop, San Francisco, CA

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate Breakfast Theme Week. And happy first day of Fall.

Today's Cacao - Vanilla Rose Drinking Chocolate was made by Flying Bird Botanicals (Bellingham, WA). The company offers a line of teas and cacao drinking chocolate blends. 

The aroma of this drinking chocolate yielded a bouquet of floral magic. The authentic "rose-y" notes evoked memories of flowers, chocolate, friends and sharing food together. The uplifting aroma of cacao, rose and vanilla flavors was a great way to start the morning.

The cacao powder was finely ground and dissolved easily and completely with relatively minimal stirring in hot water. The authentic cacao/chocolate flavor was pleasant and not too sharp or bitter. (There was a faint trace of plant astringency (back of the throat tickle), but I am guessing that was from the rose powder.)

I mixed this powdered cacao blend with hot water and coconut milk. Almond milk might be a good/better dairy alternative choice with this vanilla rose blend. (Almonds are a distant relative of roses, so there might even be some natural affinity between the two.) Coconut partners nicely with vanilla, but can eclipse other, milder floral notes.

The flavor and sweetness levels were well balanced in this blend. And, even though organic raw cane sugar was the first of five ingredients, this drinking chocolate was not too sweet. (Add less water for a more concentrated sweetness and flavor and thicker texture.) The ground vanilla bean added faint, natural warmth.

If you love floral flavors and botanical flavor inclusions, give this high-quality cacao blend a try.

Ingredients: Organic raw cane (sugar) crystals, organic raw cacao powder, organic rose powder, organic vanilla bean, organic rose essential oil.

Allergen-related information: (None listed on container that I could see.)

Tuesday, September 21, 2021

Flying Bird Botanicals - Cocao Especial and OmNom Chocolate Lakkris + Sea Salt (bar) - Sept. 21, 2021

Chocolate(s) of the Day

Flying Bird Botanicals
Cacao Especial Drinking Chocolate
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.5 Tablespoons (12 g.) / 3.5 oz. (99.05 g.) in total container
Calories: 45 calories in 1 serving (1.5 Tablespoons)
Cost: $9.95 for 1 container
Purchased from: Land's End gift shop, San Francisco, CA

OmNom Chocolate
Lakkris + Sea Salt (bar)
Good - Good +
Weight: 1.05 oz. (30 g.) / 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 180 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $10.95 for 1 bar
Purchased from: ZombieRunner, Palo Alto, CA 

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate Breakfast Theme Week.

Fall begins this week; and I'd hoped to find a (pre-made) licorice hot chocolate--difficult to find for a gluten-free me as most licorice offerings contain wheat flour. Happily, I did find a pair of cacao-based items that added up to something similar.

Flying Bird Botanicals - Cacao Especial

The first item in today's chocolate duo was a cup of Cacao Especial Drinking Chocolate from Flying Bird Botanicals LLC (Bellingham, WA). The company offers a variety of teas and cacao drinking chocolates.

Raw cacao powder can be quite strong. The first raw drinking chocolate mixes I remember tasting were sometimes acidic, bitter and gritty. (Big brand hot chocolate powdered mixes are generally made with finely ground, alkalized cocoa--using a process that reduces acidity and sharper cacao flavor notes.) 

However, today's raw and organic (three-ingredient) powdered cacao mix had rich, smooth cacao (light brownie) flavor--perhaps due to the choice of (presumably milder) "heirloom" cacao and a hint of vanilla bean. The powder also blended nicely with warm liquids with some minimal stirring, including the coconut milk and water I used to make this drinking chocolate. (There was no grittiness; and this was accomplished without any added emulsifiers or vegetable gums. Thank you!)

I look forward to enjoying this mix on cold weather mornings to come. It would be great for drinking and dipping. I plan to dip my (gluten-free) breakfast bread or toast into this drinking chocolate. (For those who can handle gluten, try a buttery, flaky croissant.)

Also appreciated was the mindful packaging that Flying Bird uses for their teas and cacao blends (e.g. use of recycled papers and sealed, recycled steel tins made in the U.S.).

Ingredients: "Organic raw cacao powder, organic raw cane crystals, organic ground vanilla bean."

Allergen-related information: (None listed that I could find.)

OmNom Lakkris + Sea Salt (bar)

Today's second chocolate was a Lakkris (Licorice) + Sea Salt (bar) made by OmNom Chocolate (Reykjavik, Iceland). 

Licorice root is naturally sweet (due to glycyrrhizic acid), and gluten free. However, most licorice candies contain wheat flour; and wheat gluten enables licorice's characteristic chewy, stretchy texture. Licorice root flavor can also be imparted to foods and chocolate in other ways, including using alternative starches or licorice liqueurs, teas and other infusions.

Because I can't tolerate gluten, I really appreciate, high-quality, new and novel chocolates/foods that I can eat. And to find this creatively crafted licorice and salt bar, with no wheat ingredients, was a real treat.

What do I mean by creative? Similar to coffee "chocolate" bars made with very finely ground coffee beans and cocoa butter (the 40-50% of fat from the cacao bean), this licorice bar was crafted using cocoa butter, but not the "darker" part of the cocoa bean that I've often referred to in the past as cocoa solids.

The deep, golden brown color of this bar gave it a milk chocolate appearance. But the "chocolate" color came from caramelized sugar and licorice. 

The bar had a caramel licorice aroma. Bold flavor notes included something for almost every quadrant of the palette: a rich, browned sugar milk caramel sweetness was balanced by a sustained bitter herb note (authentic licorice) note, and a sparkle or two of Icelandic sea salt (that OmNom makers obtained) from a local saltworks facility.

If you love licorice/liquorice, do give this bar a try.

Ingredients: Organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter, Icelandic whole milk powder, liquorice powder, Icelandic sea salt from Saltverk salmiak, emulsifier (sunflower lecithin). Contains a minimum of 38% cocoa solids.

Allergen-related information: (Contains milk.) "Designed and made in Iceland, in a facility that handles nuts, dairy and gluten."

*Wheat flour is used to bind ingredients together in the making of licorice, presumably (initially) ground bits of licorice root or a licorice extract and sugars (glucose, syrups) to yield a slightly gummy, stretchy texture associated with commercial licorice sticks, disks, nuggets and other shapes/forms.

Monday, September 20, 2021

Next by Nature - Dark Chocolate Quinoa - Sept. 20, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Tropical Valley Foods
Next by Nature - Dark Chocolate Quinoa 
Good - Good + 
Weight: 1.4 oz. (40 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total package
Calories: 210 calories in 1 serving (6 pieces)
Cost: $6.00 for 1 package 
Purchased from: Land's End gift shop, San Francisco, CA

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate Breakfast Theme Week. 

Today's Next by Nature Dark Chocolate Quinoa pieces were produced by Tropical Valley Foods (Plattsburgh, NY). The company offers a line of chocolate covered fruit and nuts, some organic, some not, but generally without any additives or preservatives.

Today's chocolate offering served as a quick, pre-work morning snack. The resealable package contained two servings (six pieces per serving). 

The aroma notes of these crunchy snack nuggets included light grain, sourdough bread, and  chocolate notes. And each sweet* dark chocolate (with milk) piece was chock full of tiny, very crunchy, puffed quinoa orbs. 

Quinoa, a seed (usually referred to as a grain) is native to South America. (Countries of origin for the quinoa used for this offering included: Ecuador, Colombia and Peru.) It's become popular in the U.S. as a gluten-free grain option in recent decades in part due to its relatively high level of plant protein. (It contains some amount of all nine essential amino acids.)

*Ingredients: Dark chocolate (sugar, chocolate liquor, cocoa butter, anhydrous milk fat, soy lecithin (emulsifier), vanilla), puffed quinoa.

Allergen-related information: "Contains milk, soy. Made in a facility that processes peanuts, tree nuts, soy and dairy products."


The Yes Bar Co. - Dark Chocolate Chip Yes Bar - Sept. 19, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

The Yes Bar Co.
Dark Chocolate Chip Yes Bar
Good +
Weight: 1.4 oz. (40 g.) in 1 bar 
Calories: 220 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $2.49 for 1 bar 
Purchased from: Farm Fresh To You (add in to CSA box delivery service), online order 

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate and Breakfast Surprise Theme Week.

Today's Dark Chocolate Chip Yes Bar was from The Yes Bar Co. (Oakland, CA). The company makes a line of "gourmet soft-baked nut bar(s)" with high-quality ingredients.

The Yes Bar messaging reminded the reader that it's possible to say yes..."to everything you want (and no to the things you don't)." You had me at certified gluten free, and "half the sugar of an apple."

This vegan (round cookie-shaped) bar had aroma notes (in order of appearance) with light cocoa, coconut, maple, slightly savory, mild nut and seed.

The bar had a soft, chewy texture and a hearty, satisfying feel. (This snack bar contained 5 grams of plant protein, and 17 grams of fat.)

Flavor notes included dark chocolate, coconut, nut, seed, and faint savory flavor notes.

Ingredients: "Organic almonds, organic maple syrup, organic dark chocolate (cocoa mass, coconut blossom sugar, cocoa butter), organic sunflower seeds, organic pumpkin seeds, cashews, organic coconut butter, macadamia nuts, organic coconut nectar, pecans, sesame seed butter, white chia seeds, organic ground flax seeds, Celtic sea salt, organic cinnamon, organic vanilla extract."

Allergen-related information: Contains almond, cashew, pecan, macadamia, coconut (and sesame seeds). "Made in a gluten free certified facility that handles eggs, milk, peanuts, soy, and tree nuts. May contain shell or pit fragments."

Saturday, September 18, 2021

Red Plate Foods - Dark Chocolate Granola - Sept. 18, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Red Plate Foods
Dark Chocolate Granola
Good +
Weight: 1/4 cup (28 g.) / 11 oz (311 g.) in total package
Calories: 110 calories in 1 serving
Cost: $4.99 for 1 package
Purchased from: Sprouts Farmers Market, Mountain View, CA 

Welcome to Day #2 of Chocolate and Breakfast Surprise Theme Week. 

Today's Dark Chocolate Granola was made by Red Plate Foods (Bend, OR). 

The company creates foods free of common allergens (gluten, dairy, peanut, tree nuts, soy, egg), and vegan offerings.

This granola had a satisfying, authentic chocolate and oaty aroma, taste and chew with a mild crunch in the texture, punctuated by bites of creamy dark chocolate chips. 

This breakfast (or anytime) cereal and snack was not overly sugared (thank you!). It was sweetened with a judicious amount of molasses, maple syrup and monk fruit. And a faint hint of vanilla added a bit of baked goods warmth often associated with chocolate cake or cookies.

Ingredients: "gluten-free oats, applesauce, Non-GMO canola oil, cane sugar (vegan), organic cocoa, chocolate chips (cane sugar (vegan), cocoa liquor, cocoa butter, vanilla), molasses, pure maple syrup, sea salt, monk fruit.

Allergen-related information: "Gluten free." "Manufactured in a facility free of gluten/wheat, dairy, egg, soy, tree nut, peanuts, fish, shellfish, sesame, celery and mustard."



Friday, September 17, 2021

TCHO - Organic Toasted Cornflake 47% cacao milk chocolate (bar) - Sept. 17, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

TCHO
Organic Toasted Cornflake 47% cacao (bar)
Good +
Weight: 1.25 oz. (35 g.) / 2.5 oz. (70 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 190 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $1.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, San Francisco, CA

Welcome to Day #1 of Chocolate Breakfast Surprise Week, featuring chocolates from the Chocolate Banquet vault*--some with breakfast-themed flavor inclusions, and some that are wild card breakfast picks.

Today's Organic Toasted Cornflake milk chocolate (bar) was from TCHO Ventures, Inc. (Berkeley, CA).

The aroma notes in today's bar (in order of appearance) included a fleeting, slightly sharp chocolate note (when the inner foil wrapper was first opened) that quickly softened to include sugar, milk, cereal and very faint oxalis (bright green, citrus) and barely there sweet fruit notes.

This blend of creamy, almost fudgey, dark milk chocolate and crunchy corn flake pieces created a nicely-balanced textural experience.

The flavor notes included true chocolate (brownie), milk and cereal, very subtle tart-sweet (oxalis, faint sweet lemonade with berry jam) as well as fleeting floral and warm spice (vanilla), bittersweet chocolate, very light toasted corn, and a slight, highly muffled, balanced earth note.

Ingredients: Organic cacao beans, organic cane sugar, organic whole milk, organic and fair trade certified cocoa butter, organic cornflakes (organic corn meal and/or organic yellow corn flour, organic cane sugar, organic honey, sea salt), non-fat milk, soy lecithin, vanilla

Allergen-related information: (Contains milk.) "May contain traces of tree nuts. Cornflakes used in this product may contain traces of peanuts."

*The Chocolate Banquet vault consists of a small storage area with a wine refrigerator (turned up to the "warmest" setting) and insulated storage containers.

Note: I sample daily chocolates in the morning. Technically every morning I have a chocolate breakfast. But, some chocolates are more compatible with the idea of a typical American breakfast than others.

Rozsavolgyi Csokolade - Trincheras (Venezuela) 95% (bar) - Sept. 16, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Rozsavolgyi Csokolade 
Trincheras (Venezuela) 95% (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) in total bar
Calories: 154.2 calories (per label) in 1 bar
Cost: $ missing information
Purchased from: The Village Market, SF Ferry Building, San Francisco, CA

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate and Venezuela Theme Week.

Today's Trincheras (Venezuela) 95% (bar) was from Rozsavolgyi Csokolade (Budapest, Hungary).* 

Trincheras is a cacao growing region in the Carabobo State in (northwest) Venezuela that borders on the Caribbean Sea.

The rich and appealing aroma of this bar included notes of chocolate, molasses, fruit-floral (very, very faint muffled red berry, rose geranium, vanilla and other exotic florals I couldn't quite catch) and very faint freshly baked bread.

The flavor was surprisingly mild for a 95% ultra-dark bar, with a very little bitterness, and barely detectable floral and earth notes. 

Ingredients: Trincheras cocoa beans, organic cocoa butter, organic cane sugar; cacao content minimum 95%.

Allergen-related information: 

*Rozsavolgyi Csokolade produces a variety of beautifully designed and packaged bars, confections and drinking chocolates. 

Chocolate shops in the U.S. may carry their line (usually bars/tablets); and online orders may be an option, depending on your location. Happily, I found this bar in a specialty market that carries several bean-to-bar chocolate makers' bars in San Francisco.

Wednesday, September 15, 2021

D. Barbero - Fondente Origine Unica Venezuela 72% Cacao (bar) - Sept. 15, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

D. Barbero 
Fondente Origine Unica Venezuela Cacao 72% (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.41 oz. (40 g.) / 2.82 oz. (80 g.) in total bar
Calories: 226.4 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $3.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Mollie Stone's, Sausalito, CA

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

Today's D. Barbero Fondente Origine Unica (Dark Chocolate Single Origin) Venezuela Cacao 72% (bar), made in Italy, was from Barbero Davide S.r.l. (Asti, Italy). The company is known for its torrone nougat and chocolate. 

This bar had a "true chocolate" (chocolate cake, brownie) aroma with light fruit (bright, red berry jam) notes. The melt and texture were smooth and even.

Flavor notes mirrored the aroma and included true chocolate (chocolate cake, brownie), sweet red berry (faint strawberry) and cocoa (hot chocolate with vanilla) that lightly lingered into the finish as part of an overall, well-balanced, bittersweet (dark chocolate chip) taste. 

There were no strong bitter or off notes; and this smoothness of flavor--coupled with a natural sweetness (enhanced by sugar and a touch of vanilla)--will appeal to a broad audience.

Ingredients: "Venezuela cocoa paste, sugar, cocoa butter, natural vanilla flavor."

Allergen-related information: "Gluten free" (made without gluten ingredients)

Tuesday, September 14, 2021

Domori - Trinitario 70% Sur Del Lago Dark Chocolate (bar) - Sept. 14, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Domori 
Trinitario 70% Sur Del Lago Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++ Good +++ 
Weight: 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 282.75 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $9.00 (+ summer shipping) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's Trinitario 70% Sur Del Lago Dark Chocolate (bar) was from Domori (None, Italy).

Subtle aroma notes (in order of appearance) included very faint green herb (oxalis) and latex/rubber in the first 30 seconds. These notes dissipated after the chocolate was removed from the inner wrapper and allowed to sit for a few minutes. Then molasses, green, true chocolate, and later, very faint fruit jam aroma notes appeared.

This well-tempered bar broke with a snap, and had a smooth, even texture.

The overall flavor was bold but mellow. (This apparent contradiction is possible with Trinitario, a variety of cacao that can embody aspects of bolder Forastero and milder, fruitier Criollo varieties.) 

Do let this bar melt in your mouth and chew each piece very slowly or you'll miss the subtle flavors blossoming on your tongue. Flavor notes (in order of appearance) included green, and true chocolate and molasses notes; but then these shape-shifted to include lovely buttery nut, strawberry + raspberry jam flavors, and faint, fleeting angel food cake, faint ginger molasses cookie, and faint floral (vanilla cream cheese) notes over a period of 10-20 seconds.

This was a well balanced and executed bar with a gradual unfolding of tiny flavors (think of a male peacock spreading out its tail) for those patient enough to wait.

Ingredients: Cocoa mass, cane sugar. 

Allergen-related information: "May contain traces of nuts, milk and soy." No gluten ingredients


Monday, September 13, 2021

Domori - 90% Fondente Dark Chocolate Criollo (bar) - Sept. 13, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Domori 
90% Fondente Dark Chocolate Criollo (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 301.5 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $8.00 (+ summer shipping) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's 90% Fondente Dark Chocolate Criollo (bar) was from Domori (None, Italy).

The aroma of this bar softened a bit after the inner, sealed wrapper was opened. Aroma notes (in order of appearance) included: unsweetened dark chocolate, roasted peanut butter with a hint of fruit jam, green (forest vegetation, green stalks, seed, roasted artichoke), dried fruit (prune, banana peel), faint maple syrup, s'more (fire-roasted marshmallow, graham cracker and chocolate treat)...and much later, a trace of molasses.

The first bite yielded a very satisfying, smooth, even, thick nut butter melt and texture.

The ultra-dark 90% chocolate had just a flicker of sweetness and a light balanced bitter-sour taste throughout. (Not quite pink grapefruit level, but a muffled notch below that on the same scale.) Flavor included relatively bold (for Criollo variety cacao beans) nutty, roasted and cocoa notes that lingered into the finish. 

What a difference a day (and 10%) makes. Today's Domori 90% Criollo bar was quite a switch from its sweeter, fruitier 80% Criollo bar sibling (enjoyed and reviewed yesterday, 9/12/2021). These differences were a testament to the variables and choices that exist when making each batch of chocolate. While there were some similar notes between the two chocolates, this 90% bar will appeal more to ultra-dark fans who appreciate bolder and roasted flavors.

Tasting notes: "Exciting notes of dried fruit with extraordinary persistence. Excellent balance."

Ingredients: Cocoa mass, cane sugar. 

Allergen-related information: "May contain traces of nuts, milk and soy." No gluten ingredients

Sunday, September 12, 2021

Domori - 80% Fondente Dark Chocolate Criollo (bar) - Sept. 12, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Domori
80% Fondente Dark Chocolate Criollo (bar)
Good +++
Weight: 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 288.5 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $8.00 (+ summer shipping) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's 80% Fondente Dark Chocolate Criollo (bar) was made by Domori (None, Italy). 

Criollo cacao is known for its mild, round flavor, with little or no bitterness or astringency (tannins). The Criollo cacao used to make this bar was grown in Venezuela. 

Christopher Colombus first visited Venezuela in 1498 on his third voyage to the New World. But, it was an Italian navigator the following year who gave the country its present-day name. In 1499, Italian navigator, Amerigo Vespucci (part of the Alonso de Ojeda-led Spanish expedition), is said to have dubbed the land Veneziola (little Venice) after seeing houses on stilts by the shores of Lake Maracaibo (near the Caribbean coast) that reminded Vespucci of Venice, Italy.

More than 500 years later, Italian bean-to-bar maker Domori shares a wonderful heritage variety of Venezuelan cacao with us in the form of beautiful, two-ingredient,* dark chocolate.

The aroma notes (in order of appearance) included: true chocolate (brownie), bold green (fruit, stalks, floral), fruit (dried plum (prune), dried apricot), light warm spice cake, vanilla, molasses, light cherry, Thompson grapes, and very faint plant latex.

The flavor had a lovely, complex chocolate cake flavor with warm stone fruit compote, very faint spice, chocolate pudding and chocolate milk, and an ice cream sundae (cherry and fig chocolate ice cream with nuts) notes that lingered softly into the finish.

This well-balanced and well-executed 80% Criollo bar lacked the bitter, tannic (acidic), sour and/or heavy roasted notes that can cause some people to shy away from bolder, high-cacao percentage chocolates. Though more subtle, this 80% bar had plenty of flavor, while offering the smoothness and natural sweetness of a 65% to 70% cacao bar.

Tasting notes: "...offers notes of dried figs, dates and raisins...the result is a unique bar, with excellent sweetness and roundness."

*Ingredients: Criollo cocoa mass and cane sugar. 

Allergen-related information: "May contain traces of soy, milk, and nuts." No gluten ingredients.


Saturday, September 11, 2021

L'Amourette Chocolat - Gold Trinitario Venezuela Sur Del Lago 80% (bar) - Sept. 11, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

L'Amourette Chocolat LLC
Gold Trinitario Venezuela Sur Del Lago 80% (bar)
Good +++
Weight: 1.13 oz. (33.3 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 160 calories (per label) in 1/3 bar
Cost: $9.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: All About The Chocolate, Monterey, CA

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate and Venezuela Theme Week, and the 15th birthday (Day #5,476) of Chocolate Banquet.

Today's Gold Trinitario Venezuela Sur Del Lago 80% (bar) was made and distributed by L'Amourette Chocolat LLC (San Francisco, CA). The company has offered a line of single origin bars (including several from Colombia and Venezuela) and some with flavor inclusions.

This L'Amourette Sur de Lago 80% bar was the the perfect guest of honor at today's pirate-themed 15th birthday celebration for Chocolate Banquet. Fifteen years of enjoying a new/different chocolate item every day (plus two other birthdays) were great reasons to celebrate.

Chief chocolate maker Andre V. at L'Amourette crafted today's Venezuela chocolate from bean-to-bar in San Francisco, using difficult to obtain Trinitario variety cacao from a fascinating region. 

Lake Maracaibo, Pirates, Lightning and Cacao

Sur del Lago ("south of the lake") is the area where the cacao used to craft today's chocolate was grown. And not just any lake...Today's cacoa was grown within walking distance of Lake Maracaibo.

This large, almost mythical "lake" (a large, brackish bay that is open at the upper end to the Caribbean Sea) is linked to pirate* legends, epic lightning storms, and cacao. 

Tasting Sur De Lago

The rich aroma of this ultra-dark 80% bar had notes that included (in order of appearance) deep, dark chocolate, raspberry jam, green (stalk, floral), ripe tropical fruit (mango, sapote, cacao pulp), balanced iron-rich, tropical forest/loamy soil, and green herb (very, very faint licorice).

This chocolate had an abundance of rich flavor and natural, jammy fruit and mineral sweetness. The raspberry (red and black) preserve notes in the aroma carried over to taste, as did some of the bold, but balanced green, molasses, floral and earth notes. There were a few flashes of nut butter as well.

Taster's notes: Made with using 48 hour conching process

Ingredients: "Venezuelan cocoa beans (Sur Del Lago), cocoa butter, organic cane sugar"

Allergen-related information: "Soy and gluten free product. Vegan...Manufactured in a facility that also processes nuts."

*Numerous raids, skirmishes and attacks involving pirates in the (distant and recent) past have occurred in Lake Maracaibo. (Europeans first discovered this bay in 1499 and Spanish settlers moved in later.) 

In 1669, famous pirate and Welsh buccaneer Captain Henry Morgan raided Spanish settlements on the shores of Lake Maracaibo, and is said to have wreaked havoc on an advancing Spanish Fleet, evading capture in the process. In the 1820s, a battle for independence from the Spanish also occurred on this Lake.

In the fictional adventures of Captain Blood (in the book Captain Blood published in 1922, written by R. Sabatini), a similar pirate eluded capture by his nemesis Don Miguel de Espinosa in Lake Maracaibo.

Many present-day pirate attacks have been associated with the oil operations there. 

As for the lightning storms, I recommend doing a Google search on "pictures of lightning and Lake Maracaibo." It is a fabulous spot for lightning (specifically the natural phenomenon known as catatumbo lightning where hundreds of strikes can occur in a relatively small area during a nighttime storm).

 

Friday, September 10, 2021

Chocolate Story - Venezuela 70% cocoa Grand Cru (bar) - Sept. 10, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Manufaktura Czekolady Sp.
(Chocolate Story)
Venezuela 70% cocoa Grand Cru (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 149.25 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $8.50 (plus summer shipping) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's Venezuela 70% cocoa Grand Cru (bar) was made by the team at Manufaktura Czekolody Sp. (Chocolate Story) in Poland. 

Two friends and chocolate lovers, Krzysziek Stypulkowski and Tomek Sienkiewicz, left the Information Technology (IT) industry to follow their passion and catch the craft chocolate wave; and they were the first to offer single origin, bean-to-bar chocolate(s) in Poland in 2009.

The scent(s) (a large part of taste) in this bar mellowed--after the inner foil (sealed) package had been open awhile. Aroma notes included (in order of appearance) started with slightly bitter, well-roasted nuts (a mix of peanut, walnut, pecan, almond) and dried fruits (faint dried black fig, date, dark berry). 

Two minutes later the aroma softened a bit into honey fig and red berry; and, after another minute, cherry. (In this sense today's Venezuela chocolate was similar to a bold, complex, tannin-rich, red wine that needs to breathe a bit after opening.)

The melt was even, thick, slow and satisfying, with a stiff, very smooth slab of nut butter, mouthfeel. (I enjoyed this texture.)

Flavor notes included red grapes, fleeting cherry, ultra-dark (well done) brownie, and balanced bitter, fire-roasted nut notes. 

Chocolate Story tasting notes: walnuts, cherry, chokeberry and redcurrant.

Ingredients: "Roasted cocoa beans from Venezuela (70%), sugar, cocoa solids; 70% minimum."

Allergen-related information: "May contain milk, nuts."


Thursday, September 9, 2021

Duffy's Chocolate - Venezuela Ocumare 55% (bar) - Sept. 9, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Duffy's 
Venezuela Ocumare 55% (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.05 oz. (30 g.) / 2.11 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 181.2 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.50 (+ summer shipping) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order 

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

Today's Venezuela Ocumare 55% (bar) was made by Duffy's* Chocolate (in Cleethorpes, England). 

The man behind the company name is Gerald "Duffy" Sheardown (a former motorsport(s) engineer/mechanic and team manager who shifted to making bean-to-bar chocolate and engaging in direct trade with cacao farmers in far-off lands closer to the Equator).

This bar was made with fine (Criollo variety) cacao from the Ocumare region (valley) in Venezuela. (U.S.-based Bar and Cocoa notes: "Ocumare refers to a village, a region and a cacao blend.")

The aroma for this Venezuela cacao bar leaned toward dessert notes and included (in order of appearance) creamy milk chocolate, sweet caramel and chocolate ice cream.

The chocolate's texture was smooth and creamy, with a very slight (fruit) astringency.
The flavor was sweet milk chocolate--with caramel and cake notes extending into the finish. 

Duffy's tasting notes: "A velvet-smooth mix of almonds, bananas and raspberry jam."

Ingredients: Cocoa beans, organic cane sugar, cocoa butter and whole milk powder.

Allergy-related information: Contains milk powder; soya free; gluten free.

*Duffy's is also known as Red Star Chocolate Ltd

Wednesday, September 8, 2021

Tosier Chocolatemaker - 70% Tumaco, Colombia (bar) - Sept. 8, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Tosier Chocolatemaker
Tumaco, Colombia 70% (cacao) (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 329.4 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $10.00 (+ summer shipping) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #9 of Chocolate and Colombia Theme Week.

Today's Tumaco, Colombia 70% dark chocolate (bar) was from Tosier Chocolatemaker, a bean-to-bar, small batch maker located in Gipping Valley, Suffolk, UK.

The company makes vegan, microbatch, craft chocolate bars using "single origin cocoa."

Tumaco is on the west/Pacific coast side of Colombia. Crops grown in this area (many by subsistence farmers) include coconuts, plaintains, palm oil and cacao. The "indigenous variety" cacao used to make this bar was "intercropped (in a biodiverse setting) with timber, fruit trees, corn and beans."

Colombia also produces a large amount of coffee for export. Tosier also offers a stoneground 70% dark bar with single estate Colombian coffee.

Today's bar was similar to some other Colombia bars this week. It had a very subtle aroma with sweet dark chocolate, faint tart green (oxalis) and citrus notes and had a smooth texture with a slight astringency.

The flavor notes (in order of appearance) included tart green herb (wood sorrel, sour grass, oxalis), citrus (light, tart, acidic sweet lemon, green apple), refreshing green (light green tea with a very faint green floral) sweet molasses and toffee, fleeting earth, and barely there pleasant savory and coffee.

Tosier flavour and production notes read: "Caramel, nuts and molasses" and "light roast, 60 hours grinding in stone melanger with refiner."

Ingredients: "Cocoa beans, organic unrefined cane sugar, ethically sourced cocoa butter"

Allergen-related information: "May contain traces of nuts." (Plant-based with no added gluten, dairy, additives or palm oil.)

Arete - Colombia Tumaco 56% dark milk chocolate - Sept. 8, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Arete Fine Chocolate
Colombia Tumaco 56% Dark Milk Chocolate (bar)
Good +++
Weight: 1.15 oz. (32.5 g.) / 2.3 oz. (65 g.) in total bar
Calories: 178 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar 
Cost: $ missing information
Purchased from: missing information

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

Today's Colombia Tumaco 56% Dark Milk Chocolate (bar) was made by David and Leslie Senk of Arete Fine Chocolate.
 
Arete closed their doors of their factory/shop in Tennessee in March 2020. I am hoping they might re-open one day and/or at least return to chocolate making in the future. The couple (formerly located in California) have earned a well-deserved reputation for great chocolate  

I have been hanging on to this Arete (full disclosure, now-expired) Colombia Tumaco bar for a special occasion like this week (Colombia Theme Week and my birthday week).

This was a delicious dark milk chocolate bar, from the luxurious melt and smooth, creamy texture to the complex and subtle flavors.

It had very subtle and balanced flavor notes that included faint fruit (muffled apricot, plum jams), green herb (very light licorice infused green tea), very light earth, chocolate gingerbread molasses, freshly baked sourdough bread with butter and peach jam.

Was it still good? Yes, it was! Well executed and well-tempered chocolate like this tends to hold up (if stored properly in a cool, dark place). Thank you Arete!

Ingredients: Cocoa beans (Colombia, Tumaco), organic whole milk powder, organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter.

Allergen-related information: "May contain traces of peanuts, tree nuts, dairy, wheat, soy due to the use of shared equipment."

Monday, September 6, 2021

Disidente - Don Miqueas 75% Colombian Craft Chocolate (bar) - Sept. 6, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Disidente 
Colombian Cacao Taxonomy (Manufactured by El Colaboratorio)
Don Miqueas 75% Colombian dark chocolate (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 1.41 oz. (40 g.) in total bar
Calories: 191 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $6.50 for 1 bar (+ summer shipping)
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's (Cacao) Disidente Don Miqueas 75% cacao Colombian craft chocolate (bar) was manufactured by El Colaboratorio (Bogota, Colombia). 

Disidente creates bean-to-bar chocolates that help spotlight the agricultural biodiversity of Colombia. They use Colombian-grown cacao(s)--sourced from cacao co-operatives and organizations in different regions of Colombia.

The cacao used to craft today's bar was from Arauca (in northeastern Colombia in the Orinoco River basin), in a cacao growing area with a "great farming tradition pioneered by (a gentleman named) Don Miqueas."

The banquet of aroma notes (in order they appeared) included: chocolate, green tea, goji berry, faint tart (almost citrusy) sweet pineapple, candied orange in brown sugar, chocolate (light brownie, chocolate cookie), more fruit (fruit salad with apple, tropical fruits and maybe an orchid or two). very faint graham cracker with warm spice and floral (vanilla). Later (after tasting and going back to smell again) there was also a faint, light, buttery seed oil note.

The texture of this bar was uniform and relatively smooth and had a very faint astringency (feeling of very slight tart dryness on the palette (what you might experience with a cocktail of oxalis + hibiscus + pink grapefruit + lemon).

The flavor was balanced, relatively subtle and, like the aroma, enjoyably complex. It sounds like I'm describing Criollo variety cacao, but this week's Disidente bars had a bit more tart green, light citrusy aspect to them; and the fruit notes were not as soft subtle as the stone fruit (think peach) that are often associated with Criollo. This week's chocolates were more like a blend of Trinitario and Criollo. 

Flavor notes included chocolate and sweet, acidic and very slightly savory fruit (fresh ripe tomato, tomato soup); cream/milk; faint cookie (dark chocolate with brown sugar and molasses), and fleeting, very faint earth (loam, mushroom). A trace of the tart green fruit and floral (oxalis* with a whisp of green apricot) lingered a bit in the finish.

Once again, as with other similar bars this week, this Don Miqueas had a lot of subtle complexity and flavor(s). A 75% cacao choice (rather than 70% cacao) seemed like a good choice as there was still plenty of natural sweetness.

Disidente tasting notes: "Distinguished by its complex nose full of white flowers. The palette is brimming with tension with a citric acidity, and hints of kumquat and grapefruit. Light and delicate, and ending in a mineral and balanced residual."

Ingredients: "Cocoa beans, organic cane sugar, cocoa butter."

Allergen-related information: (No information listed on label.)

*Oxalis is a plant that contains oxalic acid--a naturally occurring compound found in many plants, including greens (notably: spinach, rhubarb and beet greens), cacao (and other seeds), and nuts. Edible forms of "wild" plants like wood sorrels,"sour grass" and other forms of oxalis have a tart, almost lemony green flavor. This flavor can sometimes be detected in some dark chocolates and may be observed/described as a combination of green and/or citrus note(s) in chocolate tastings. 

The acid levels (acetic acid, citric acid, lactic acid, (possibly malic acid), oxalic acid and tannins (tannic acid)) were just enough to keep things interesting, and not so high that only a few would appreciate the result. But, as in wines and other foods and beverages, this aspect is subject to personal preference. (This is similar to drinking a red wine that has picked up a lot of tannin in oak barrels. Some will love it, but too much oak and not enough fruit may narrow your fan base.)

  

Sunday, September 5, 2021

Disidente, Colombian Craft Chocolate - Mango (bar) - Sept. 5, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

(Cacao) Disidente 
Colombian Cacao Taxonomy (Manufactured by El Colaboratorio)
Mango 70% Colombian dark chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.41 oz. (40 g.) in total bar
Calories: 191 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $6.50 for 1 bar (+ summer shipping)
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's Disidente 70% cacao Colombian craft chocolate Mango (bar) was manufactured by El Colaboratorio (Bogota, Colombia). 

(Cacao) Disidente creates bean-to-bar chocolates that highlight the agricultural biodiversity of Colombia. They use Colombian-grown cacao(s)--sourced from cacao co-operatives and organizations in different regions of Colombia. And some bars, like today's, include regional fruits and other inclusions.

This chocolate delivered a skillfully executed, complementary blend of dark chocolate and dried, sweet mango pieces. 

The underlying dark chocolate (from what I could tell over the fruit) had very light green and oxalis,* nut and seed, and dark chocolate notes. This base chocolate was just dark and bold enough to be the perfect foil for the sweet mango--that had notes of ripe peach, sweet orange, sweet lime, and maybe a touch of ripe pineapple and cacao pulp (and a fleeting, slightly resinous note). A good mango can steal the show.

Ingredients: "Cocoa beans, organic cane sugar, cocoa butter" (and mango).

Allergen-related information: (No information listed on label.)

*Oxalis is a plant that contains oxalic acid--a naturally occurring compound found in many plants, including greens (notably: spinach, rhubarb and beet greens), cacao (and other seeds), and nuts. Edible forms of "wild" plants like wood sorrels,"sour grass" and other forms of oxalis have a tart, almost lemony green flavor. This flavor can sometimes be detected in some dark chocolates and may be observed/described as a combination of green and/or citrus note(s) in chocolate tastings.

  

Saturday, September 4, 2021

Tabal Chocolate - Ka Colombia 80% Cacao (bar) - Sept. 4, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Tabal Chocolate
Ka Two-Ingredient Chocolate (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42.5 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 241.5 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

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

Today's Ka Two-Ingredient, 80% Cacao bar was made from directly traded cacao, from bean-to-bar by Tabal Chocolate (Wauwatosa, Wisconsin).

Aroma notes for this Colombian single source bar were subtle and complex and included (in order of appearance): true chocolate, oxalis (light green, citrus), green floral (geranium), very faint fleeting latex, roasted cacao, seed butter muffin, cocoa, barely detectable savory (leather, smoke) and fresh green (green tea).

Flavor notes included (in order of appearance): chocolate, green floral (orchid), graham cracker, very faint dried fruit (green mango), barely detectable, fleeting light earth (light, loamy soil) and nut (green walnut), and marshmallow (mallow, malva plant). The bar had a subtle, balanced bitterness and mild oxalic acidity.*

The texture was uniform (generally smooth) with a slight astringency (a light, grainy dry feeling in the mouth similar to what one might experience with newly ripened persimmon (fruit) and red wine aged in oak barrels (likely to contain astringent tannic acid(s)), followed by a very calcium-rich, mineral water chaser.

Ingredients: Single origin cacao, organic cane sugar

Allergen-related information: "Made in a facility that also processes tree nuts and dairy." "Gluten free, vegan, soy free...Kosher parve."

*Note: I've mentioned oxalic acid in describing several bars this week (and this year). The more chocolate I've tasted, the easier to recognize the often subtle, slightly green, tart and citrusy/lemony aroma and flavor as the naturally occurring substance/acid present in many greens (notably spinach, rhubarb and beet greens), cacao, nuts and seeds. 

If you've tasted purslane, wood sorrel or sour grass, you may remember a green, slight lemony-tart flavor that is often associated with higher oxalate content. The oxalate level varies (even for the same plant and variety) and can be affected by growing conditions; and it's not always detectable by taste.

More about the different oxalates (soluble and insoluble, and why you might care) may be covered in future posts. 


Friday, September 3, 2021

Cacao Hunters - Colombia 82% Tumaco Dark Chocolate (bar) - Sept. 3, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Cacao Hunters
Colombia 82% Tumaco Chocolate Oscuro (Dark Chocolate) (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) / 2 oz. (56 g.) in total package of 2 bars
Calories: 180 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $7.25 for 1 package of 2 bars
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's Colombia 82% Tumaco Dark Chocolate (packaged set of 2 individually-wrapped bars) was from Cacao Hunters and made in Colombia by Cacao de Colombia (Popayan, Cauca, Colombia).* 

Aroma notes (in order of appearance) included peanut butter on whole grain toast with fruit jelly, sweet-tart green oxalis, chocolate cookie, maple/brown sugar, nutty (almond), faint green floral, and (much later) milk/cream and earth (forest, jungle).

The ultra-dark bar had a range of relatively complex, bright (especially in the aroma) and dark (especially in the taste) notes. The chocolate was well tempered (made) with a smooth texture, with just one or two very tiny flecks of cacao bean in the first bite. 

And speaking of bites, this bar was a great example of why it's important to relax and savor bites of fine chocolate, slowly, up to a minute or two apart. You're more likely to catch and experience some small, intriguing flavor shifts if you slow down your tasting experience.

This first bite of this bar had a deep, dark chocolate flavor, with medium acidity and bitterness, and roasted notes (cacao, nuts, coffee, very faint charcoal). The second bite had brighter fruit jelly/jam (red berry, red apple, strawberry) and roasted nut notes. The third bite shifted back to roasted cacao and nut notes with a tiny uptick of peanut butter and jelly at the end. All this flavor with just two ingredients: cacao beans and sugar.

Maker's tasting notes: "A deep and rich chocolate from the Pacific Jungle"

Ingredients: "Cocoa beans, cane sugar."

Allergen-related information: "May contain traces of milk."

*The company's chocolate bars are made using cacao from several different regions of Colombia (Arhaucos, Sierra Nevada, Magdalena, Bayaca, Arauca, Tumaco).


Thursday, September 2, 2021

Disidente, Colombian Craft Chocolate - Nibs (bar) - Sept. 2, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

(Cacao) Disidente 
Colombian Cacao Taxonomy (Manufactured by El Colaboratorio)
Nibs dark chocolate (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.41 oz. (40 g.) in total bar
Calories: 191 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $6.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's Disidente Nibs Colombian craft chocolate (bar) was manufactured by El Colaboratorio (Bogota, Colombia). 

(Cacao) Disidente creates bean-to-bar chocolates that celebrate the agricultural biodiversity of Colombia. They use Colombian-grown cacao(s)--sourced from cacao co-operatives and organizations/fermenteries in different regions of Colombia. 

Aroma notes for this Nibs bar (in order of appearance) included: faint fruit (berry, apple), herbal citrus (tart lemony green, found in sorrel, sour grass, oxalis*), dark chocolate cookie, and maple/brown sugar. 

Cacao nibs (pieces of cacao seed or bean) added a soft crunchy element and this bar a boost of authentic cacao flavor (unsweetened, true chocolate with brownie, nutty, mild earth, faint green and leather notes). All this flavor in a bar made using just three ingredients: cacao beans, sugar and cocoa butter. This chocolate and nibs blend offered true chocolate notes that lingered into the finish.

Ingredients: "Cocoa beans, organic cane sugar, cocoa butter."

Allergen-related information: (No information listed on label.)

*Oxalic acid is a naturally occurring compound found in many plants, including greens (notably: spinach, rhubarb and beet greens), cacao (and other seeds), and nuts. Edible forms of wood sorrels,"sour grass" and other forms of oxalis have a tart, almost lemony green flavor--similar to what can be detected in some dark chocolates.

  

Disidente, Colombian Craft Chocolate - Maranot (bar) - Sept. 1, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

(Cacao) Disidente 
Colombian Cacao Taxonomy (Manufactured by El Colaboratorio)
Maranot (cashew) (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.41 oz. (40 g.) in total bar
Calories: 206 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $5.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's Disidente Maranot* (Cashew) (bar) was manufactured by El Colaboratorio in Bogota, Colombia. 

(Cacao) Disidente creates bean-to-bar, craft chocolate(s) that celebrate the agricultural biodiversity of Colombia. They use Colombian-grown cacao(s)--sourced from cacao co-operatives and organizations/fermenteries in different regions of Colombia. Many bars also contain fruit and/or nut flavor inclusions. 

My favorite quote on the company's website read:

"The best certification is taste. It means that behind, there are people working together, there are relationships, there is collaboration and respect for the environment." 

This Disidente "Maranot" (cashew) bar offered a great bouquet of of scents. Aroma notes (in order of appearance) included: fruity (apple jelly mixed with fig and red berry jam), nutty (peanuts** and cashews), fresh cut flowers (faint marigold, poppy, dressed with sweet greens) and chocolate (brownie, dark chocolate cookie with lightly smoked sea salt, and a barely there whisp of faint leather). 

The texture was incredibly buttery, with a luxurious melt and velvety ganache-like mouthfeel. (It really felt like eating light, freshly churned butter.)

The flavor was relatively mild and a bit more uniform than the aroma--conveying the essence of cashew and cacao in hushed, creamy tones. Faint, fleeting muffled notes of cream/milk/yogurt and light earth came and went.

U.S. distributor, Bar and Cocoa, offered this description: "If the great master chocolatiers of the old world had the idea of combining chocolate and hazelnut to conceive the famous Gianduja, Disidente has developed their own tropical version that brings together cocoa and cashew from the Orinoquia in a harmonious creation."

Ingredients: "Cashews, cacao beans, organic cane sugar"

Allergen-related information: "May contain traces of milk or nuts."

 **While searching for the origin of the bar's name "Marinot" (which I did not find), I did enjoy reading about the different meanings of the word maranon. 

The Spanish word for cashew is maranon--a word that can also refer to the poppy/paprika red color of the cashew "fruit/apple" from which the nut hangs. 

On a related note, one of the most significant rivers (Amazon tributaries) in South America is the Maranon River. The Maranon River joins the Uyacali River to form the Amazon that continues its journey east through Brazil and toward the Atlantic Ocean.

And it is a name associated with a variety of cacao in Peru (including the Maranon River Valley) and surrounding areas. 

**Note: There were no peanut ingredients in this bar. 

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