Helados La Neta - Chocolate con Canela - Feb. 28, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Helados La Neta

Chocolate con Canela

(Chocolate with Cinnamon Ice Cream)

Good ++ - Good +++

Weight: 2/3 cup (158 mL) / 14 oz. (414 mL) in total container

Calories: 210 calories in 1 serving (2/3 cup)

Cost: $2.49 for 1 container

Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market,  

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

Today's Chocolate Ice Cream with Cinnamon was from Helados La Neta (Marietta, GA). The company, part of the High Road family* offers ice creams with Mexico-inspired flavors (like Horchata, Avocado and Lime, Mexican Vanilla and today's Chocolate with Cinnamon).

Cacao, vanilla, allspice, as well as many chilies and other spices originated in the Americas. But, the Spanish introduced cinnamon to Mexico. Today, imported cinnamon can be found in a variety of savory and sweet dishes across Mexico and the Americas, including hot cocoas, drinking chocolate, postres and helados (desserts and ice creams). 

Today's creamy ice cream had lush, authentic chocolate, cinnamon and vanilla flavors, with rich spiced chocolate notes that lingered into the finish.

Great flavors. I would definitely buy this again. 

Maker's description: "Like the real chocolate beverage you used to drink at abuelita's (grandmother's) house...Think Mexican drinking chocolate -- a dense chocolate ice cream with a spicy cinnamon finish"

Ingredients: Milk, cream, cane sugar, cocoa powder, dextrose, cinnamon, Mexican vanilla extract, sea salt, guar gum, xanthan gum, locust bean gum.

Allergen-related information: "Contains Milk....Made on equipment that also processes soy, wheat, eggs, peanuts and tree nuts."

*The High Road family of brands also includes High Road Ice Cream (and cookies) and Ciao Bella Gelato and Sorbetto. The company (started by chefs) creates craft ice creams "at scale" (i.e. at a higher volume than small batch specialty makers), and they also are engaged in private label business.

Oodaalolly Chocolate - Pumpkin Five-Spice Milk Chocolate bar - Feb. 27, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Oodaalolly Chocolate

Pumpkin Five-Spice Milk Chocolate (bar)

Good + - Good ++

Weight: 0.88 oz. (25 g.) in total bar

Calories: 141 calories (estimate) in 1 bar

Cost: $5.00 in total bar

Purchased from: Oodaalolly, online order

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

Today's Pumpkin Five-Spice Milk Chocolate (bar) was from Oodaalolly Chocolate (El Cerrito, CA). Oodaalolly founder, Hernan Lauber, creates small batch chocolates using Philippine cacao (and Philippines-inspired flavors) and family Swiss chocolate making techniques.

Five-spice blend (also known as Chinese Five Spice powder) is associated with savory and sweet dishes across Asia and some Pacific Islands. The five spices include: star anise, cloves, Chinese (cassia) cinnamon bark, fennel seeds and Sichuan (aka Szechuan) peppercorns. (Regional blends may include other ingredients (e.g. Mandarin orange peel)).

Aroma notes for today's milk chocolate bar included subtle spice (star anise, followed by mild clove, cinnamon, vanilla, and barely there fennel and pepper). This bar had a generous amount of cocoa butter which added to the creamy melt and texture.

The powdered pumpkin added a sweet vegetable note (think pumpkin pie) that was very complementary with the balanced spice blend. As with the aroma (above), the star anise was slightly more prominent. 

Skillfully balanced, compatible flavor elements led to a pleasing (and slightly addictive) chocolate. The pumpkin and spices created depth/interest and helped prevent the milk chocolate from seeming overly sweet. Last but not least, vanilla contributed a baked goods-like warmth (along with raw sugar) and pie-like flavor.

Maker's tasting notes: "Creamy milk chocolate, five-spice powder, and real pumpkin come spectacularly together in this limited-edition release of Oodaalolly's twist on a classic Autumn flavor."

Ingredients: "Cocoa butter, raw cane sugar, whole milk powder, Philippine cacao, pumpkin powder, five-spice (star anise, cloves, cinnamon, fennel seed, sichuan pepper), and vanilla."

Allergen-related information: (Contained milk.) No allergen-related information found on label.

Earth Echo - Cacao Bliss Superfood Elixir Blend - Feb. 26, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Earth Echo LLC
Cacao Bliss Superfood Elixir Blend
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1 level scoop (7.88 g.) / 8.34 oz. (236.4 g.) in total package
Calories: 35 calories in 1 level scoop 
Cost: $59.95* for 1 package (less $8.99 discount) + $9.95 shipping = $60.91
Purchased from: (Earth Echo ad - online order)

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

Today's Cacao Bliss Superfood Elixir Blend was manufactured for Earth Echo LLC (Evergreen, CO).

Marketed online, this organic, dietary supplement powder was designed to be mixed in with cold or hot liquids, including water, alternative milks, and/or hot chocolate or coffee. 

The dry, powdered blend contained "superfoods"** and spices that included cinnamon, black pepper fruit, sea salt and turmeric. (Lucuma and mesquite added mild, mellow sweetness.***)

Aroma notes for this powdered blend (mixed with water) included: chocolate, coconut and faint root/herb.

The texture was smooth and satisfying once thoroughly stirred and incorporated. There were no vegetable gums or other common additives (emulsifiers, stabilizers) often added to similar beverages (thank you!). (Note: If you prepare a cold beverage with this mix, and let it sit for a long period, it's a good idea to re-stir, unless you enjoy more layered flavors.)

Flavor notes included cocoa and salt with faint coconut and subtle root/herb and warm spice. There was a relatively subtle, balanced and fleeting cacao bitterness in the after-taste, but it mellowed quickly. (When I re-tasted this later I also enjoyed a bit more of a mildly spicy, authentic cinnamon flavor.)

This mix was sweetened with coconut sugar and monk fruit extract and it was not too sweet (thank you). This would make a potentially tasty addition to a hot or cold beverage or possible ingredient in homemade cacao treats/confections.****

This blend was made using (raw) "ceremonial grade cacao." This description refers to a "less processed" forms of cacao (e.g. unroasted or lightly roasted cacao, but not heated/fully ground (made into) chocolate). The cacao country of origin was not specified on the package/labeling.

Ingredients: Organic cacao bean powder, organic MCT (medium chain triglyceride) oil powder, organic coconut (flower blossom) nectar powder, organic cocoa (bean) powder, organic turmeric root powder, Himalayan sea salt, organic cinnamon bark powder, organic monk fruit extract, organic lucuma fruit powder, organic mesquite pods powder, organic black pepper fruit powder.

Allergen-related information: (Couldn't find on packaging.) "Gluten Free, Non Dairy, USDA Organic, Soy Free, Non GMO"

*The price per ounce/gram for this all-organic product was much higher than most comparable product on the market that I could find; however, it was also made with relatively expensive ingredients.

**Note: I was not able to (nor did I seek to) confirm claims of "superfoods," or claims related to weight loss that accompanied some of the product's testimonials by users.

***Lucuma is a South American tree fruit often used in powdered form in food supplements. Its flavor is often described as sweet, with butterscotch, sweet potato, maple, or tropical fruit/mango notes. 

Mesquite powder is made from ground seed pods of the mesquite plant/tree and is used as a mild sweetener and/or flour.

**** Product disclaimer printed on the back of this package: "Do not use if you are pregnant, nursing, or are under the age of 18. 

Zotter - Gingerbread - Dark Chocolate with spiced filling (bar) - Feb. 25, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Zotter
Gingerbread - Dark Chocolate with spiced filling (bar)
Good + 
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 170 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $8.25 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order 

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate and Spices Theme Weeks.

Today's Gingerbread - Dark Chocolate with spiced filling (bar) was made in Austria and distributed by Zotter Chocolates US LLC (Cape Coral, FL).

The aroma for this organic bar included slightly boozy, spicy (star anise, gingerbread) and chocolate notes.

A thin, dark chocolate shell gave way to a very flavorful, velvety, jammy center (filling) with some chewy textural elements (that felt like coconut shreds, but in fact were thin tender, citrus peel shreds, and very tiny nut bits).

The concentrated, rich, spice fruitcake layer included fig and orange jam, ginger cake and a whisper of rum.

Yes, this bar was sweet; but the rich dark chocolate (and maybe the touch of alcohol) helped balance the sweetness in this complex spice bar.

Ingredients: Organic, fair trade cocoa mass; organic and fair trade cane sugar; gingerbread: 12% (rye flour, sugar, lemon peels, orange peels, corn syrup, eggs, honey, butter, milk, hazelnuts, walnuts, cinnamon, gingerbread spices, raising agent: sodium bicarbonate, pimento, nutmeg); organic and fair trade cocoa butter; milk; organic and fair trade rum; organic marzipan (organic almonds, organic sugar, organic invert sugar syrup); organic hazelnuts; honey; organic glucose syrup; dry whole milk; organic fair trade toasted coconut; dry skim milk; organic gingerbread spice (0.2%); organic cinnamon; salt; organic soy lecithin; organic, fair trade dark brown cane sugar; organic vanilla bean powder; organic cardamom; organic star anise. 

Allergen-related information: "Contains eggs, milk, hazelnuts, walnuts, almonds, coconut, soy. Manufactured on equipment that processes other tree nuts, peanuts and sesame."

Fruition Chocolate - Cinnamon Maple Bourbon 65% (bar) - Feb. 24, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Fruition Chocolate
Cinnamon Maple Bourbon 65% (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.12 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 172 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $13.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate and Spices Theme Weeks.

Today's Limited Release Cinnamon Maple Bourbon 65% (bar) was made by Fruition Chocolate Works (Shokan, NY).

This tasty bar had rich, layered flavors including rich milk chocolate, caramel and faint echoes of an aged bourbon cask. (Cocoa nibs used to make this bar were aged with cinnamon and "locally distilled" bourbon.)

The choice of (Tree Juice brand) maple sugar made in the Catskill mountains of New York (vs. cane sugar) and cinnamon, added warmth and flavor depth. (And, like many other high-quality dark milk chocolate bars, this one was mildly addictive.)

Ingredients: Cocoa beans, organic maple sugar, whole milk powder, organic cocoa butter, bourbon, cinnamon

Allergen-related information: "Contains milk. May contain traces of peanuts, tree nuts and wheat."

Wildwood Chocolate - Cardamom and Honey Caramel with Sea Salt (bar) - Feb. 23, 2022

Chocolate of the Day 

Wildwood Chocolate

Cardamom and Honey Caramel with Sea Salt (bar)

Good +

Weight: 1.176 oz. (33.3 g.) / 3.53 oz. (100 g.) in total bar

Calories: 182 calories (estimate) in 1/3 bar

Cost: $N/A - gift from a friend ($12.75 on website)

Purchased from: N/A - gift from friend (thank you Wendy!)

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate and Spices Weeks.

Today's Cardamom and Honey Caramel with Sea Salt (bar) was from Wildwood Chocolate (Portland, OR). The company offers chocolates inspired by nature in the Pacific Northwest; e.g. this bar was embossed with an attractive fern pattern.

Instead of spice, the aroma of this honey caramel filled bar had notes of chocolate sandwich cookies and milk and faint caramel. The (cardamom) spice was in the core--part of a thin layer of cardamom seasoned honey caramel--surrounded by 70% dark chocolate.

Breaking off a piece of this bar resulted in a thin gooey sheet and tendrils of caramel (that may be softer on a warm day). I'd advise dividing this bar into bite-sized pieces on a plate, or eating this chocolate with a napkin.

The smooth dark chocolate lacked identifiable cacao flavor notes. The caramel center added a pleasing mild, authentic cardamom spice flavor, and was relatively sweet. Although the salt helped balance this sweetness. 

Ingredients: Chocolate (cocoa liquor, cocoa butter, sugar, soy lecithin, vanilla), cane sugar, cream (milk), honey, rice syrup, butter, vanilla extract (vanilla, alcohol), sea salt, cardamom seeds.

Allergen-related information: "Contains soy and milk. May contain traces of the following if not listed above due to shared equipment: tree nuts, peanuts, wheat and eggs."

Black Mountain Chocolate - Big Winston Ginger with Chilis on Goat Milk Chocolate (bar) - Feb. 22, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Black Mountain Chocolate

Big Winston Ginger with Chilis on Goat Milk Chocolate (bar)

Good +++

Weight: 1.6 oz. (45.25 g.) / 3.2 oz. (90.5 g.) in total bar

Calories: 263 calories in 1/2 bar

Cost: $14.00 for 1 bar (+ $12.55 for shipping)

Purchased from: Black Mountain Chocolate, online order

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

Today's "Big Winston"* Chocolate Bar--Crystallized Ginger with Bold and Spicy Chilis on Goat Milk Chocolate--was created by the team at Black Mountain Chocolate (Winston-Salem, NC).

This large bar had an inviting, rich milk chocolate aroma with faint warm spice notes.

The well-executed bar broke with a snap this cool February morning, and yielded a lush blend of creamy milk chocolate with tiny bits of plump, softly chewy crystallized ginger.

The luxe flavor blend was divine, with spiced toffee, caramel and ginger notes and a judicious chili after-glow (spicy uptick that did not overwhelm). The goat milk seemed to add an extra creamy caramel dimension to this milk chocolate spice bar, and a silken embrace around the potentially brasher chili and spice flavors.

I enjoyed this flavorful, rich milk chocolate made with well-balanced, high-quality ingredients. This chocolate was easy to appreciate and fun to taste, without too much sugar or chili fire. Perfect winter warmer; this bar would be great to share with others anytime. Warning: mildly addictive.

Maker's tasting notes: "...The warmth of crystallized ginger and chilies on this bar is cooled by our goat milk chocolate..." 

Ingredients: Dark chocolate (Organic cocoa beans, organic cane sugar, whole powdered goat milk (goat milk, Vitamin D3, folic acid), organic cocoa butter, organic non-GMO sunflower lecithin), crystallized ginger (organic ginger, organic sugar), crushed cayenne peppers, ancho chili powder. 

Allergen-related information: (None found on label.) (Contained goat milk.)

*Black Mountain Chocolate notes: "The Big Winston name is a nod to the historic tobacco warehouse that now houses our Chocolate Factory." As of this post (2/22/22), today's ginger and chilies bar was one of four goat milk-based Big Winston bars that were offered on the company's website.

Qantu - Silk Road Dark chocolate and spices (bar) - Feb. 21, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Qantu Cacao et Chocolat
Route de la Soie - 70% Chocolat noir et epices
(Silk Road - Dark chocolate and spices (bar))
Good ++
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 143 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #13 of Chocolate and Peru and  Day #1 of Chocolate and Spices Theme Week.

Today's Silk Road 70% Dark Chocolate and spices (bar) was from Qantu Cacao et Chocolat Inc. (Montreal, QC, Canada). Qantu founders Elfi and Maxime create bean-to-bar chocolates, with an emphasis on direct trade, heirloom cacao(s) from Peru.*

This spice blend dark chocolate bar had a deliciously complex and upbeat aroma, that shifted from saffron, to gentle star anise, to fleeting floral (rose), to sweet cardamom, to gingerbread (ginger and clove), to very faint fennel over the course of a few minutes.

This well executed bar broke with a hard snap in the cool morning air. 

The spices led my brain to think I'd be biting into a sweet spice cookie or a sweeter, dark milk chocolate. However, the first bite of the 70% dark chocolate immediately grounded my taste buds, in the relatively bold, faintly earthy, cacao flavor. 

The shimmering constellation of spices and tiny pink rose petals--pressed into an ebony sky (on the back of the bar)--continued to impart flavor(s) and flickered into the finish, but the deep, dark chocolate dominated. (The pepper(s) in the spice blend added subtle depth, but they were barely-detectable accent flavors in a distant galaxy.)

The ("Amazonian jungle") cacao used to make this Silk Road chocolate seemed fairly intense (more Forastero-like with balanced bitterness, light earth and citrus notes). However, the buoyant perfume and complex alchemy of the spice blend with flower petals and pepper(s) could have, by contrast, made the 70% dark chocolate base seem/taste darker than it really was. It was hard to tell.

Either way, I really enjoyed the authentic, aromatic spice and rose blend. This magic carpet bar was transporting and satisfying. 

If you have some of this chocolate left over (doubtful), you might use it to make a tiny cup of drinking chocolate--gently heated and blended with 4-5 oz. (120 mL) of milk (half and half, or coconut milk, or hazelnut milk perhaps). A great Valentines pick-me-up or warm-up tonic for winter blahs this month (February.)

Ingredients: Cocoa beans, cane sugar, cocoa butter, spices (Rose, ginger, cassia, cardamom, white pepper, fennel, star anise, long pepper, Sichuan pepper, saffron, clove)

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

*The duo met in Peru. Their company name, Qantu, also has Peruvian roots. Derived from a native Quechua term, this South American flower (the national flower of Peru and Bolivia) is also a symbol of unity and hospitality. 

Seahorse Chocolate - Dark Milk 60% Ucayali River (bar) - Feb. 20, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Seahorse Chocolate

Dark Milk 60% Ucayali River (bar)
Good +
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar
Calories: 160 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $13 for 1 bar ($39 for 3 bars, included shipping)
Purchased from: Good Food Awards Marketplace, part of larger online order

Welcome to Day #12 of Chocolate and Peru Theme Week.

Today's Dark Milk 60% Ucayali (Peru) bar was from/crafted by Seahorse Chocolate (Bend, OR). 

Seahorse chocolate makers have "decades" of coffee roasting experience (helpful when determining optimal roast profiles for the different cacao bean origins they work with as well). They hand pour their chocolate bars in their small chocolate factory in Oregon.

Aroma notes for this bar included: dark chocolate, very faint fleeting earth, coconut, and very faint ripe citrus (candied orange) and toffee nut brittle.

Flavor notes included fudge-y dark chocolate, toffee nut brittle, citrus fruit (ripe, sweet orange) and light coconut/coconut milk. The chocolate had a relatively long finish, with some of the above notes tapering off; and an earthy dark chocolate note that lingered a bit longer toward the end.

This was a flavorful 60% dark "milk" (coconut milk) bar with bold dark chocolate flavors and managed complexity. It was a bit sweet for my taste, but the coconut milk and sugar likely added balance to what may have been overly intense citrus (orange, orange peel) and earthy cacao notes.

Maker's tasting notes: "Fudge, candied orange peel"

Ingredients: Cocoa beans, organic sugar, coconut milk, cocoa butter

Allergen-related information: "Vegan, Gluten-free"

LetterPress Chocolate - Private Reserve Ucayali 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) - Feb. 19, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

LetterPress Chocolate LLC
Private Reserve Ucayali 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: $18.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order 

Welcome to Day #11 of Chocolate and Peru Theme Week.

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

Aroma notes included: very faint diffuse green lemon herb (oxalis), rich cocoa with a warm, sweet spice blend, very faint diffuse fruit (red apple).

This dark bar broke with a snap and had a smooth, almost buttery texture. 

Flavor notes included: true, rich chocolate (brownie, dark chocolate cake); fleeting muffled earth; very faint diffuse fruit (red apple, watermelon); and a very, very faint echo of aged, sweet whiskey and tobacco.

LetterPress worked with cacao expert Daniel O'Doherty and used Ucayali River Cacao (Peru) to make today's 70% bar. The pattern on the bar's packaging "was inspired by the textiles of the indigenous Shipibo-Conibo peoples of Ucayali." (The 1,600 km-long Ucayali River begins near Cusco in southern Peru eventually joins the Maranon River to form the beginning of the great Amazon River.)

Maker's tasting notes: "Caramel, mocha, cedar"

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

Allergen-related information: "Produced in a facility that also processes nuts and dairy."

Qantu - Bagua, 70% - Amazonas, Peru (bar) - Feb. 18, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Qantu

Bagua, 70% - Amazonas, Peru (bar)

Good ++ - Good +++

Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar

Calories: 143 calories in 1/2 bar

Cost: $10.00 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #10 of Chocolate and Peru Theme Week.

Today's Bagua, 70% Amazonas, Peru dark chocolate (bar) was from Qantu Cacao et Chocolat Inc. (Montreal, QC, Canada).

Aroma notes for this dark chocolate bar included: warm diffuse chocolate, cream and faint caramel (there was no milk in this three-ingredient bar), fruit, spice, nuts and very faint lemon blossom.

Flavor notes were similar albeit a bit richer with true chocolate (dark chocolate torte), gentle fruit (faint red fruit, ripe melon, ripe blackberry, and a very brief flicker of sweet watermelon candy), diffuse warm spice, and nut brittle. A barely detectable, balanced earth note in the background (behind the cream/butter notes) helped ground this naturally sweet, softly complex chocolate.

The well-executed 70% dark bar broke with a hard snap (in a 65 degree F (cool) room) and had a smooth, satisfying melt and texture. This polite, sophisticated dark chocolate--made with (what tasted like fine heritage Criollo-like) Peruvian Bagua, Amazonas* cacao--was enjoyable to taste and easy to like from aroma to clean finish. Do savor this bar slowly to appreciate the subtle aroma and flavor(s).

Maker's tasting notes: "caramel/toffee and orange blossom"

Ingredients: Cocoa beans, cane sugar, cocoa butter

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

*Bagua is a province in the Peruvian Amazon/Amazonas region. The word "Bagua" comes from the native Quechua language and the translation (into English that I found online) was close to "unity and hospitality." The Bagua cacao used to make this bar from this has been described as having Criollo-like qualities. I agree with this description. The gentle cream, fruit and other notes in this Qantu Bagua bar were very much what I would associate with the best of Criollo cacao varieties (and chocolates).

Qantu - Chuncho, 70% - Ayachucho, Peru (bar) - Feb.17, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Qantu

Chuncho, 70% - Ayachucho, Peru (bar)

Good +

Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar

Calories: 143 calories in 1/2 bar

Cost: $10.00 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's Chuncho 70% - Ayachucho, Peru cacao dark chocolate (bar) was from Qantu Cacao et Chocolat Inc. (Montreal, QC, Canada). 

Chuncho cacao(s) are associated with the Cusco area of Peru, but may include hybrids and different varieties of complex, rich cacao. (Ayacucho is a city (between Lima and Cusco) in south central Peru on the slopes of the Andean Cordillera (mountain range(s)).)

Aroma notes for this bar included: floral and light maple graham cracker/cookie.

This dark chocolate had a smooth, fudge-y texture with an initial thick creamy melt, ending with a very slight astringency.

The complex flavor notes included: rich dark, chocolate; floral; diffuse red fruit (berry); loamy, slightly bitter earth; honey; and faint nut notes. At least 15 seconds into the finish there was also a unique, very faint fleeting pepper spice cookie (light honey mustard, floral pepper) and (after a subsequent re-tasting) almond cherry notes in the finish.

The chocolates maker(s) must have debated how long to roast the Peruvian cacao used to make this unique, complex 70% chocolate. A lighter roast profile helps preserve more delicate/volatile floral notes. And a longer roast/processing time can mellow out sharper, sometimes less desirable notes.

It's relatively rare for a dark bar to have both light floral and honey cookie notes coexisting with bolder (faintly bitter/loamy earth) notes. 

Choosing roast and grind/conch/refine times would have been like hitting two targets with one arrow. This is conjecture on my part, but a blended roast may have been considered for this reason, to preserve/maintain a range of flavors like those in today's chocolate.

Maker's tasting notes: "floral and nuts"

Ingredients: Cocoa beans, cane sugar, cocoa butter

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

Qantu - Don Maximo's Quest 80% Dark Chocolate (bar) - Feb. 16, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Qantu

La Quete de Don Maximo (Don Maximo's Quest) (bar)

Good +

Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar

Calories: 135 calories in 1/2 bar

Cost: $10.00 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's Qantu La Quete de Don Maximo (Don Maximo's Quest) 80% cacao dark chocolate (bar) was from Qantu Cacao et Chocolat Inc. (Montreal, QC, Canada).

The cacao used to make this bar was (if I read the story correctly) grown, fermented and dried by a farmer named Don Maximo on a 6-hectare plot of sloping forest in Cusco, Peru. The cacao was then transported to the Qantu workshop for respectful and mindful transformation into chocolate.

Coincidentally, I went on a quest/adventure with friend named "Don" to the Pacific coast today that included culinary sampling (and enjoying this bar).

Aroma notes for today's bar included green herb (oxalis, sorrel with tart lemon/acidic note), faint diffuse fruit (berry, currant) floral perfume and very light citrus notes. 

The texture was fudge-y, smooth and creamy. The flavor was full of ultra-dark "true" chocolate (chocolate fudge, pudding and torte) notes, that were joined by a much fainter, fleeting umami note blend (leather saddle, savory/salt, woodsy).

The notes for this ultra-dark 80% bar were bold (but well balanced); and the chocolate had a moderate level of acidity without being too strong or intimidating.

Maker's tasting notes: Eye: dark brown; Nose: palo santo, touch of pepper; Mouth: almond, cedar, pecan; Finish: moderate fruitiness like blackcurrant (cassis).

Ingredients: Cocoa beans, cane sugar, cocoa butter

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

Kaitxo - Dark Milk and Earl Grey Tea Peru (Palo Blanco) 50% Cacao (bar) - Feb. 15, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Kaitxo 

Dark Milk and Earl Grey Tea Peru (Palo Blanco) 50% Cacao (bar)

Good +

Weight: 2.4 oz. (70 g.) in total bar

Calories: 440 calories in 1 bar

Cost: $9.50 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's Limited Edition Dark Milk and Earl Grey Peru (Palo Blanco) 50% Cacao (bar) was from Kaitxo (Balmaseda, Spain). 

The cacao used to make this tea-infused chocolate was from (Cesar Vallejo de) Palo Blanco, Chulucanas, in Piura (department/region in northwestern Peru). 

After a week of 100% cacao bars, this beautifully aromatic (floral, citrus)* 50% cacao milk chocolate tasted like candy--or at the least like a very sweet milk tea. A slightly addictive chocolate "candy." If you like bergamot and Earl Grey/Lady Grey tea, you'll like this flavored bar.

Aroma notes included sweet milk chocolate and fragrant Earl Grey tea notes. Smooth, sophisticated and sweet, this tea-flavored bar had consistent, uplifting lightly perfumed flavor from start to finish. 

Ingredients: Organic cacao beans, powdered milk, organic cane sugar, organic cacao butter, and Earl Grey tea.

Allergen-related information: "May contain traces of peanuts, tree nuts and soy. Contains milk."

*Earl Grey tea is generally flavored with bergamot citrus fruit rind and/or the essential oil made from this rind. The small, wrinkly/bumpy Bergamot (Citrus bergamia, aka bergamot orange) fruit is cultivated extensively in Italy and is known for its perfume-like fragrance with citrus and floral notes. The essential oil is used as a flavoring in teas (and in some preserves and foods) as well as a scent in perfumes and cosmetics. (The fruit itself is not generally eaten.) 

Certain cacaos used to make chocolate have naturally occurring citrus aroma and flavor notes. Bergamot is one of several citrus flavor inclusions that pairs very well with chocolate.

Zotter - Labooko Maya Cacao 100% dark chocolate (bar) - Feb. 14, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Zotter
Labooko Maya Cacao 100% dark chocolate (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.145 oz. (32.5 g.) / 2.29 oz. (65 g.) in total package of 2 bars
Calories: 200 calories in 1 bar 
Cost: $8.25 (estimate) for 1 package of 2 bars
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #11 of 100% Cacao Theme Week, and Day #6 of Chocolate and Peru Theme Week. (And Happy Valentines Day to all who celebrate.)

Today's Labooko Maya Cacao 100% dark chocolate (bar) was made in Austria (where Zotter is based) and distributed by Zotter Chocolates US LLC (Cape Coral, FL). 

This ultra-dark chocolate was made with cacao from Central America (Belize, Guatemala) and "cocoa beans from Peru" according to the back label. These areas combined are at the heart of the cacao epicenter, where humans and animals first tasted and enjoyed cacao fruit and the beans (seeds) inside the fruit that grew on cacao trees thousands of years ago.

Aroma notes for this bar included: subtle dark chocolate, green citrus (oxalis, sorrel), diffuse fruit (cherry and apple compote with warm spice, and light tropical fruit (pineapple guava, cherimoya), and very faint, fleeting earthy root (potato).

This chocolate had a smooth, buttery texture. The pleasant aroma was followed by a much more intense flavor--that mellowed and became more approachable after about 20 seconds.

Initial bitterness evolved into acidity/sour (tannins, grapefruit/lemon) flavor, that mellowed into bold, roasted cacao (passing through a faintly earthy dark espresso roast coffee with cacao notes phase), followed by a very brief, faint red berries/fruit note, that then tailed off into a lingering ultra-dark, balanced bitter, chocolate finish. 

Once I recovered from the initial ride, I found I rather liked it. This 100%er was a great morning wake up chocolate. It felt like I'd experienced a satisfying sip of fragrant and full-bodied espresso. 

When I re-tasted this bar a minute or two later, I also picked up pleasing ultra dark chocolate torte and nutty, woody (cocoa bean) notes that rounded out/further mellowed this ultra-dark chocolate. Despite its initial intensity, I found this bar complex, interesting and oddly addictive.

Maker's tasting notes: "Fragrance notes: berries, cherries, mildly tropical accents. Taste notes: spicy-nutty. An initial acidity, with notes of red fruit, spice and nuts, with a sub-finish of tannins similar to black tea."

Ingredients: Organic, fair traded cocoa mass 

Allergen-related information: "Manufactured on equipment that processes tree nuts, peanuts, milk, sesame and soy."

Goodnow Farms - Special Reserve Dark 100% Cacao (Peru) bar - Feb. 13, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Goodnow Farms
Special Reserve Dark Chocolate 100% Cacao (bar)
Good +++ - Very Good
Weight: .97 oz. (27.5 g.) / 1.94 oz. (55 g.) in total bar
Calories: 150 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $15.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #10 of Chocolate and 100% Cacao Theme Week, and Day #5 of Chocolate and Peru Theme Week. 

Why are there so many 100% Cacao bars made with Peruvian cacao this week? Peru produces a range of cacao varieties with flavors ranging from the bolder Forastero/Amelonado cacaos to milder, Criollo-like cacaos (with cream and soft fruit notes). Today's subtle and sophisticated bar tasted closer to the latter. 

Today's Special Reserve Dark Chocolate 100% Cacao (bar) was from Goodnow Farms (Sudbury, MA). 

Aroma notes for this bar included: soft citrus (lemon), soft ultra-dark chocolate, and soft green notes. I rarely use the adjective "soft" to describe 100% cacao bars. The notes were present and nicely balanced, but gentler than expected, based on 100% cacao ultra-dark chocolates featured earlier this week. 

This bar broke with a hard snap, and had a uniform, sophisticated buttery melt and mouthfeel.

The flavor was smooth with a balanced bitterness (like a creamy ale), diffuse fruit (citrus, stone fruit) in cream, and very faint roasted mocha cream notes. 

Note: I re-tasted this bar 30 minutes later, and also detected some very, very faint, fleeting earth and umami (sauteed mushrooms in butter with a pinch of alderwood/hickory smoked salt) and very faint creamy green tea latte notes.) Creamy complexity. All good. Those who really slow down and pay attention may enjoy a four-course, five star meal in a bar.

The use of ("fresh-pressed") single origin cocoa butter likely contributed to this chocolate's unified, polished flavor profile. 

The clean, elegant flavor extended into a light, lingering finish that also recalled cream and dairy notes/mouthfeel.

Was this 100% cacao chocolate bar worth $15.00? Yes, it was.

Goodnow Farms maker's tasting notes: "Lemongrass, green grapes and peach"..."The smooth flavor of this award-winning bar will change the way you think about 100% cacao."

Ingredients: Single origin cacao beans, single origin cacao butter (Soy Free, Vegan, Gluten Free)

Allergen-related information: "May contain trace amounts of peanuts and tree nuts."

 

Original Beans - Cusco 100% Sacred Cusco Valley, Peru (bar) - Feb. 12, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Original Beans
Cusco 100% - "Mighty" Sacred Cusco Valley, Peru (bar)
Good +
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.46 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 183 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $7.50 (estimate) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Buenos tardes (good afternoon) and welcome to Day #9 of 100% Cacao Theme Week, and Day #4 of Chocolate and Peru Theme Week.

Today's Organic Cusco 100% - "Mighty" Sacred Cusco Valley, Peru bar (made in Switzerland) was from Original Beans (Amsterdam, NL). The Chuncho cacao used to make this ultra-dark bar hailed from an area not far from the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu.* 

Aroma notes for this 100% cacao chocolate included: green, and slightly tart/astringent ripe fruit (pink grapefruit), fermented (almost vinegary, sweet-sour) stone fruit (cherry, plum).

This chocolate had a deep, dense roasted cacao dark chocolate flavor with a thick (nut butter) consistency and relatively slow buttery melt (on a cool day). 

There were also classic bittersweet chocolate chip and sustained faint tart, diffused acidic, slightly sour fruit notes in the background that lingered a bit into the finish.

Maker's tasting notes: "Tastes of dried flowers and grass mark the absolute altitude of this rarest of rare Chunco cacao..."

Ingredients: 100% cacao mass

Allergen-related information: (No information found on package.) 

* Original Beans founder and chief grower, Philipp Kauffmann, embraces regenerative (e.g. one tree is planted in the rainforest for every bar sold) and fair trade practices. Since founding the company in 2008, Kauffmann has worked with growers and sought out the "rarest and fairest" cacaos in select regions in South America (Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia), Mexico and Africa (Tanzania, Congo DR).

Cacaosuyo - Rupa Rupa Peru 100% (bar) - Feb. 11, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Cacaosuyo 
Discover 100% Cacao Rupa Rupa Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 224 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #8 of 100% Cacao Theme Week, and Day #3 of Chocolate and Peru Theme Week.

Today's CacaoSuyo 100% Cacao Rupa Rupa Dark Chocolate (bar) was produced by Theobroma Inversiones (Lima, Peru). 

The company makes chocolate with cacao from the Peruvian Amazon. Cacaosuyo's tagline "The best kept secret of the Incas" underscored the long history of cacao in Peru and South America. 

Rupa Rupa (aka Tingo Maria) cacao refers to a growing region in central Peru (east of the Andes).

This single ingredient 100% cacao bar was hearty, yeasty (fresh baked bread) and earthy, with balanced bitterness (like a deep, rich ale with a citrus note).

Ingredients: Cocoa paste (Theobroma cacao)

Allergen-related information: "This product was produced in a facility that also processes milk, nuts and/or peanuts."

Pascha - 100% Cacao Dark Chocolate with Organic Cocoa Nibs (bar) - Feb. 10, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Pascha

100% Cacao Dark Chocolate with Organic Cocoa Nibs (bar)

Good +

Weight: 1.41 oz. (40 g.) / 2.82 oz. (80 g.) in total bar
Calories: 252 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $ Missing information
Purchased from: Missing information

Welcome to Day #7 of 100% Cacao Theme Week--featuring 100% (unsweetened) cacao chocolate and 100% cocoa nibs together, in one bar--and Day #2 of Chocolate and Peru Theme Week.

Today's Organic 100% Cacao Dark Chocolate with Cocoa Nibs (bar) was a product of Peru and was distributed by Pascha Chocolate Company (Toronto, Ontario, Canada).

Aroma notes for this bar included: dark chocolate, green, maple, faint molasses, diffuse warm (almost floral) spice and faint roasted wood and nut.

Flavor notes included, intense, rich dark chocolate that was well integrated with roasted, nutty cocoa bean/nib flavors. 

The blend (and roast) profiles of a smoother chocolate with more intact pieces of cocoa bean (seed) pieces (nibs) created a hearty, softly crunchy texture and added depth to the overall bold, fresh cacao taste.

This concentrated, balanced blend of authentic cacao flavors will appeal to those who you enjoy more intense, ultra-dark chocolates. I would add this bold bar to a 100% Cacao tasting flight to let people experience its pure cocoa bean and nutty nib flavors.

Ingredients: Organic chocolate liquor, Organic cacao nibs

Allergen-related information: "Made in a dedicated allergen free facility"..."Completely free from the 8 major allergens" (including peanuts, nuts, gluten, wheat, egg, soy, dairy). "Zero sugar. Keto-friendly"

Rawmio - 100% Cacao Unsweetened bar - Feb. 9, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Rawmio

100% Cacao Unsweetened (bar)

Good + - Good ++

Weight: .55 oz. (15 g.) / 1.1 oz. (30 g.) in total bar

Calories: 190 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $2.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Country Sun Natural Foods, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #6 of 100% Cacao Theme Week; and Day #1 of Chocolate and Peru Week.

Today's Organic Raw Chocolate Rawmio 100% Cacao Unsweetened (bar) was from Windy City Organics, LLC (Northbrook, IL).

Aroma notes for this chocolate included light, sweet green herb, very faint marshmallow, molasses and cocoa nib notes.

The flavor: chocolate that tasted like smooth, un-roasted cocoa nibs--pieces of fresh, dried cacao seeds (beans)--with nutty and barely detectable tobacco, light wood, and cherry kirsch notes.

This chocolate truly mirrored the taste of pure cocoa nibs. And that was good. (The company uses organic and fairly traded cacao, from native communities in Peru.)

Rawmio maker's notes: "...Rich in antioxidants with a dark, complex, and fruity flavor, our 100% cacao bar is the perfect way to experience the magic of raw, heirloom cacao without any added sugar..." (Fairly traded, Vegan)

Ingredients: Certified Organic raw cacao nibs, Certified Organic raw cacao butter

Allergen-related information: "Produced in a facility which also processes tree nuts and seeds, but no peanuts, soy, gluten or dairy."

Lindt - 99% Cacao Noir Absolu (bar) - Feb. 8, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Lindt
99% Cacao Noir Absolu (bar)
Good +
Weight: .9 oz. (25 g.) / 1.8 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 120 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: missing information 
Purchased from: missing information

Welcome to Day #5 of 100% Cacao Theme Week. 

Today's 99% Cacao Dark Chocolate (bar) was made in France, available via Lindt and Sprungli USA Inc. (Stratham, NH). 

This almost 100% bar had a subtle aroma and smooth dark chocolate aroma and flavor with consistent chocolate cake/cocoa (and very faint roasted and mocha) notes. The relatively thin bar had a relatively thick buttery melt and texture. 

Another no (or almost no) sugar added, ultra-dark bar now, that is fairly widely available in stores in the U.S. Something to celebrate for pure cacao fans.

Ingredients: Cocoa paste, fat-reduced cocoa, cocoa butter, demerara sugar.

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

Islands Chocolate - Rhythm of the Night 100% Cocoa (bar) - Feb. 7, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Islands Chocolate Limited
Rhythm of the Night Extra Dark 100% Cocoa (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.46 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 205.4 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.50 (estimate) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Missing information

Welcome to Day #4 of 100% Cacao Chocolate Theme Week.

Today's "Rhythm of the Night" Extra Dark 100% Cacao (bar) was from Islands Chocolate Limited (London, England). 

The company creates "seed to bar" (tree to bar) chocolates (bars, drinking chocolate, chocolate buttons), made with cacao from their family-run farms in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines in the Caribbean (the island nation located in the eastern Caribbean Sea, between Grenada and Saint Lucia).

The aroma notes for today's 100% cacao ultra-dark bar included a pleasingly bold, morphing blend of bittersweet dark chocolate, light green-floral, molasses/brown sugar, very faint nut/seed/tuber, bread, and almost undetectable spice.

The melt was even and the texture was smooth and relatively thick.

The flavor was relatively intense with a balanced bitterness, and balanced sourness (tart citrus, tart plain yogurt). The latter sourness mellowed in the finish (milder, fresh strawberry yogurt).

Five minutes later I was drawn back to wanting to re-taste it again. The second time around the flavor had more of a balanced deep dark ale with chocolate notes and freshly baked, soft sourdough bread quality to it. A third tasting yielded "merely" a smooth, sophisticated, bold, dark chocolate.

I loved the dynamic aroma and flavor complexity over time. (Psst. To reveal potentially hidden levels of flavor for this bar (and others): slow down, enjoy the aroma, and keep re-tasting with 3-8 minutes in between bites.) 

Speaking of pleasure over time...Music. One of my favorite questions to ask chocolate makers: "Would piece of music would you pair this chocolate with?" So, it made me smile to see a scan-able bar code on the back of the bar's packaging, inviting customers to listen to sounds of the Rhythm of the Night.*

Maker's tasting notes: "Rich and intense cocoa notes."

Ingredients: Cocoa, sunflower lecithin

Allergen-related information: "May contain traces of nuts" ("Vegan, Single Origin, Ethical, Sustainable."

*"Rhythm Of The Night" was a big hit in the late 1980s. The song was written by Diane Warren and released by DeBarge in earlier 1985. Other artists (Corona, Valeria Andrews) have also picked up/covered this celebratory dance-pop song with hints of calypso and Rhythm and Blues. This upbeat song has continued to appear in movie/show soundtracks.

A. Morin - Cote d'Ivoire Guemon Noir 100% (bar) - Feb. 6, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

A. Morin
Cote d'Ivoire Guemon Noir 100% (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.17 oz. (3.3 g.) / 3.52 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 202.3 calories in 1/3 bar
Cost: $9.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order 

Welcome to Day #3 of 100% Cacao Theme Week.

Today's Cote d'Ivoire Guemon Noir 100% (bar) was from SAS Chocolaterie A. Morin (Donzere, France).

The aroma notes for this bar included: deep, dark bittersweet chocolate, faint green and molasses, a very faint fruit (red/purple grape, blueberry) and almost invisible impression of incense.

This 100% cacao chocolate (made with cocoa nibs) broke with a well-tempered snap, and had a buttery mouthfeel, melt and texture.

Flavor notes: fudgey, buttery, relatively uniform, roasty, mild* ultra-dark chocolate, and a small pop of berry (raspberry) toward the end/finish.

Ingredients: Cocoa nibs

Allergen-related information: "May contain traces of milk, nuts and sesame"

*Mild meaning a relatively (for a 100% chocolate) balanced bitterness and acidity level and a lack of sharp or scary notes. 

A "milder" 100% cacao chocolate is sometimes achieved by starting with a milder variety of cacao, longer roast and grind/conche times, and/or the addition of cocoa butter. (Cacao beans are about 1/2 cocoa solids and 1/2 cocoa butter, but the proportions can vary with climate/growing latitude and cocoa variety. Cacao beans grown at the Equator might be leaner than others growing 20 degrees above or below the Equator.)

Those new to consuming any 100% chocolates may miss the sugar initially. I often see people tasting 100% chocolates with a facial expression that says: momentarily confused brain expected something sweet that wasn't there, and is trying to re-calibrate. For those already used to unsweetened cacao chocolate, a piece of today's bar might be a good addition to a 100% cacao bar tasting flight. The aroma was quite nice, and the little pop of raspberry at the end was fun.

 

Amazonas - Whole Cocoa Beans - Feb. 5, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Amazonas Imports, Inc.
Whole Cocoa Beans
Good ++
Weight: .5 oz. (14.1 g.) / 6.5 oz. (184 g.) in total package
Calories: 36 calories (per label) in 1/2 oz. serving
Cost: $4.99 for 1 package
Purchased from: (small grocery store)

Welcome to Day #2 of 100% Cacao Theme Week. The purest form of 100% cacao is a cocoa bean--the essence of chocolate.

Today's Whole Cocoa Beans were from El Salvador and distributed by Amazonas Imports, Inc. (Sun Valley, CA).

This package was sold at a small grocery store, for making drinking chocolate. (The directions called for toasting, peeling, then grinding the beans with cinnamon and sugar; and then adding the ground cocoa mass to hot milk/water.)

Aroma and flavor notes for these whole cocoa beans included faint green, olive, wood and nut notes. These easy to snack on dried beans (cacao seeds) had a soft crunchy, slightly fibrous nut-like, texture. They were relatively mild--neither too bitter nor very acidic. 

I really enjoyed these unroasted cacao beans, and would eat them again. And I also plan to follow the recipe to make drinking chocolate (perhaps one batch with roasted bay nuts).*

Ingredients: "whole cocoa beans"

Allergen-related information: "The product is packed in a facility where nuts are stored."

*Bay tree nuts were roasted and eaten by indigenous peoples in California (where I live). Some people use ground bay nuts as a cacao-like substitute (or flavor) to make a hot chocolate-like beverage. 

Momotombo Chocolate - Dark Chocolate 100% Cacao (bar) - Feb. 4, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Momotombo Chocolate Factory
Dark Chocolate 100% Cacao (bar)
Good +++
Weight: .94 oz. (26.6 g.) / 2.82 oz. (80 g.) in total bar 
Calories: 200 calories in 1/3 bar (8 squares)
Cost: $9.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #1 of 100% Chocolate Theme Week. 

Today's Dark Chocolate 100% Cacao (bar) was from Momotombo Chocolate Factory (Managua, Nicaragua). 

In 2004, Momotombo Chocolate founder, Carlos Mann, began producing "fresh chocolate" with basic tools (pots, spoons, stove) in Nicaragua that could be easily produced by local women in their own kitchens. He helped train women to make chocolate, in their own kitchens, reclaiming, in some ways, a centuries old cacao tradition in Nicaragua.

The Momotombo Chocolate Factory today offers bonbons, bars, drinking chocolate, nibs and other chocolate treats made from fine cacao grown in Nicaragua. Today's 100% bar was made from a single ingredient: "cacao."

Aroma notes for this sophisticated 100% bar included: cacao, green, molasses, and dried fruit (date), and very faint spice (black licorice, sarsaparilla).

The well-tempered chocolate broke with a robust snap; and it had a smooth, thick buttery melt and buttery, fudgey texture.

The taste? The flavor was an incorporation of all the aroma notes (above), into a powerful dark river of deep, unsweetened chocolate. After a few bites, the subtle, clean finish grew to include a faint flicker of bright berry (fresh raspberry) accompanied by dark chocolate with faint licorice herb. 

This 100% bar had lovely, complex flavors with well-balanced bitterness--all from pure 100% cacao. No sugar. Nothing else added.

Ingredients: "Cacao"

Allergen-related information: (None were listed on bar's packaging/label.)

*Momotombo is the name of a volcanic mountain in Nicaragua. Volcanic soils impart minerals (soil nutrients) that can add ("terroir") flavor into cacao, coffee and other crops.

Lumineux Chocolate - Ghana 80% Dark Chocolate (bar) - Feb. 3, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Lumineux Chocolate

Ghana 80% Dark Chocolate (bar)

Good ++

Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 1.8 oz. (50 g.) in total bar

Calories: 130 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $40 for 5 bars ($8 for 1 bar)
Purchased from: Good Food Awards Marketplace, online order

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

Today's Ghana 80% Dark Chocolate (Batch #258) bar was made by Lumineux Chocolate (Greenville, SC). The company "offers small batch, European-style chocolate," frequently showcasing African cacao.

Aroma notes included dark chocolate (brownie) with a natural/implied vanilla-like sweetness, and very faint sweet-tart green (oxalis, sorrel) and spice notes.

The texture was, uniform, smooth, thick and substantial (almost fudgey) that matched the flavor notes of pure, dark fudge brownie. This satisfying bar had deep, dense and rich chocolate flavor and relatively light acidity. 

Just a few bites of this 80% cacao "brownie" bar silenced a chocolate craving. It was a sophisticated and approachable ultra-dark bar with no funky/earthy notes. It was not ultra-bitter; and it was not too sweet (thank you).

Maker's tasting notes: "Brownie batter, molasses, vanilla"

Ingredients: Cocoa nibs, cane sugar, cocoa butter

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

 

Dr. Bronner's - Salted Dark Chocolate 70% Cocoa (bar) - Feb. 2, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Dr. Bronner's

Salted Dark Chocolate 70% Cocoa (bar)

Good ++

Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar

Calories: 170 calories in 1/3 bar
Cost: $3.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Sprouts, Mountain View, CA

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

Today's Salted Dark Chocolate 70% Cocoa (bar) was made in Switzerland, and distributed by Dr. Bronner's (Vista, CA). Dr. Bronner's Magic All-One Chocolate line of 70% dark chocolate bars are made using organic, fair trade cocoa grown in Ghana and Ivory Coast.

Aroma notes for today's Salted Dark Chocolate included: true chocolate (brownie), faint green tart herb (oxalis, sorrel), spice, floral, fruit (cherry) and vanilla. This thick, hearty dark chocolate bar had smooth texture.

The dark chocolate flavor notes mirrored the aroma notes (above), with a deeper immersion into true, rich chocolate--interspersed with tiny sparkles of sea salt. 

This well-balanced, rich bar was sweetened with just the right amount of (coconut) sugar, for my taste; that is, it wasn't too sweet (thank you). Today's bar was full of well-executed, balanced, intense chocolate flavor--enough to pass for a darker, 75% cacao (vs. 70%) dark chocolate. 

Ingredients: Fair Trade Organic cocoa beans, Fair Trade Organic coconut sugar, Fair Trade Organic cocoa butter, sea salt, Fair Trade Organic Bourbon vanilla bean.

Allergen-related information: "Made on equipment that also processes almonds, hazelnuts, milk, coconut and soy."

Dr. Bronner's - Smooth Coconut Praline Dark Chocolate 70% Cocoa (bar) - Feb. 1, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Dr. Bronner's

Smooth Coconut Praline Dark Chocolate 70% Cocoa (bar)

Good + - Good ++

Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) / 2.93 oz. (83 g.) in total bar

Calories: 160 calories in 1/3 bar
Cost: $3.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Sprouts, Mountain View, CA

Happy Lunar New Year (year of the Tiger), and welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate and Ghana Theme Week. 

Today's Smooth Coconut Praline Dark Chocolate 70% Cocoa (bar)--sweetened with coconut sugar--was made in Switzerland, and distributed by Dr. Bronner's (Vista, CA). 

Today's bar was a testament to international partnerships and mindful sourcing of organic and fairly traded ingredients, that included organic, fair trade cocoa from Ghana (Serendipalm project) and Ivory Coast (KANY co-op of women farmers); organic, fair trade vanilla from Madagascar; and organic, fair trade coconut sugar from Indonesia.

Closer to home, the aroma of this international dark chocolate evoked childhood memories of German chocolate cake: layers of rich, moist dark chocolate cake "glued" together with a thick frosting made of caramelized sugar, butter, shredded coconut and chopped nuts (pecans and almonds), and a hint of vanilla. The cake was delicious. 

This coconut praline filled dark chocolate bar captured the aroma and flavor magic of this childhood favorite. It was a sleek and sophisticated, adult embodiment of this dessert, with a fraction of the sugar, and with richer, dark chocolate flavor. Perfect! 

A final note: All the Bronner's bars I've tasted this week have been sweetened with coconut sugar. This golden-hued sugar tends to lend a very mild, pleasant caramel flavor to chocolate(s). Coconut sugar scores lower on the glycemic index*/scale than refined white sugar--an added plus. 

Coconut blossom sugar is harvested (carefully), often by hand, high up in coconut palm trees where coconut blossoms/flowers are located--using small buckets to gather sap. It's very similar to, and is sometimes referred to as the same thing as, palm sugar or jaggery. (The latter is a "brown sugar" that can be made from a blend of palm, cane or and/or date sugar.)

Ingredients: Fair Trade Organic cocoa beans, Fair Trade Organic coconut sugar, Fair Trade Organic coconut, Fair Trade Organic cocoa butter, Fair Trade Organic coconut milk powder, sea salt, Organic sunflower oil, Fair Trade Organic Bourbon vanilla bean.

Allergen-related information: "Made on equipment that also processes almonds, hazelnuts, milk, coconut and soy."

*The glycemic index (GI) measures how rapidly blood glucose levels rise after different foods are ingested. The index also offers a ranking of foods as to which results in a faster/higher rise in glucose. More refined, processed high-carbohydrate foods typically result in more rapid rises in blood sugar.

Dr. Bronner's - Salted Almond Butter 70% Cocoa (bar) - Jan. 31, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Dr. Bronner's

Salted Almond Butter Dark Chocolate 70% Cocoa (bar)

Good +

Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) / 2.93 oz. (83 g.) in total bar

Calories: 170 calories in 1/3 bar
Cost: $3.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Sprouts, Mountain View, CA

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

Today's Salted Almond Butter Dark Chocolate 70% Cocoa (bar) sweetened with coconut sugar was made in Switzerland, and distributed by Dr. Bronner's (Vista, CA). 

Printed on each of the six segments were the words: "For, We, Are, All-One, Or None!, All-One!" A heart-felt sentiment--from the original Dr. Bronner's company founder, Emanual Bronner--that still appears on product packaging. Family members still run this business that was founded in 1948.

Yesterday's Dr. Bronner's 70% dark bar with almonds was similar to today's 70% dark bar with almond butter; but it featured roasted whole almonds in a solid, salted dark chocolate base vs. today's filled Salted Almond Butter bar (where the subtle dash of salt was in the Almond Butter filling). 

I enjoyed experiencing the similarities (in aroma and chocolate flavors), and the differences (the texture of the whole nuts and more separate layering of flavors that whole ingredients create, vs. a more uniformly blended ground nut and chocolate flavored filling).

The aroma notes of today's (and yesterday's) bar(s) included: pleasant dark chocolate, spice, green citrus herb, vanilla and faint nut. Both bars were made using organic and fairly traded West African cacao grown in Ghana and Ivory Coast.

Flavor notes for today's bar included rich, but smooth dark chocolate, with a light green citrus (oxalis) and faint floral spice (vanilla, marshmallow), and subtle, nutty notes and textures from ground almonds and hazelnuts.

Ingredients: Fair Trade Organic cocoa beans, Fair Trade Organic coconut sugar, organic almonds, Fair Trade Organic cocoa butter, sea salt, Organic hazelnuts, Fair Trade Organic Bourbon vanilla bean.

Allergen-related information: "Made on equipment that also processes almonds, hazelnuts, milk, coconut and soy."