Sunday, July 25, 2021

Simon Coll - 70% Cacao with Almonds (bar) - July 25, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Simon Coll Xocolaters 
(Chocolates Simon Coll S.A.)
70% Cacao Con Almendras (Almonds) bar
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.76 oz. (50 g.) / 3.52 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 298.5 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $5.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Nugget Markets, Tiburon, CA

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

Today's "70% Cacao Con Almendras" dark chocolate bar was made in Spain by Chocolates Simon Coll S.A. (Sant Sadurni d'Anoia, Barcelona, Spain). The company's chocolate-making roots stretch back several generations to 1840. (The company also acquired the historic Spanish Chocolate Amatller brand in 1972.)

The aroma and flavor notes in today's dark, gluten-free chocolate bar included: chocolatey notes (chocolate cake, freshly baked brownies with nuts), vanilla, nut (almond, walnut), faint fresh ripe banana and light molasses/brown sugar spice (banana licuado); and a balanced, bittersweet dark chocolate (earthy fudge brownie).

Almonds, vanilla and the addition of cocoa powder (that may or may not have been alkalized*) would have helped mellow the overall chocolate taste (and send one to fresh brownies-right-out-of-the-oven territory). These three additions can also soften bold, bitter or acidic notes. Regardless, today's chocolate had best-of-brownie flavor without being too sweet. (Thank you.)

This chocolate had a hearty, uniform texture and fudgy chocolate flavor, with some satisfying secondary flavors, and a light dark chocolate brownie finish.

Ingredients: "Cocoa mass, sugar, almonds (20%), cocoa butter, fat reduced cocoa powder, emulsifier (soya lecithin) and flavouring (vanilla). Cocoa solids: 70% minimum."

Allergen-related information: Contains almonds, soy. "May contain milk and other nut traces."

*On the 14-point pH scale that measures how acidic or basic (alkaline) substances are, the middle of the scale (7) is considered neutral. 

Cocoa powder often has a pH of around 5 (making it acidic). Alkalized cocoa powder, treated with an alkaline substance, can bring the pH back to a more neutral level (pH of around 7 or 8). The resulting cocoa powder (sometimes also referred to as "dutched" cocoa) is milder and has a slightly darker appearance than non-alkalized cocoa powder. 

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