Thursday, March 31, 2022

Shekoh - Le Noir and Burnt Caramel filled chocolates - Mar. 31, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Shekoh Confections
Le Noir filled chocolate - Good ++ - Good +++
Burnt Caramel filled chocolate - Good ++ - Good +++ 
Weight: .8 oz. (22.64 g.) (estimate) for two pieces
Calories: 124 calories (estimate) for two pieces
Cost: $8.90 (estimate) for 2 pieces (part of a 5-piece box)
Purchased from: Shekoh Confections, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate Snacks Theme Week.

Today's Le Noir and Burnt Caramel filled chocolate confections were created by accomplished Chef Shekoh Moossavi, who recently opened Shekoh Confections (Palo Alto, CA).

To call these high-end chocolates a "snack" sells them short. At over $4.00 (USD) each, these skillfully-made and attractive filled chocolate confections were a luxury item, fit for any special occasion. (OK, yes, a very special, satisfying snack.) 

Le Noir

This piece smelled like sweet, smooth dark chocolate; and then started to dazzle after the first bite, over-delivering on texture and taste. 

A thin dark shell covered a very smooth, dark and velvety ganache (filling). This chocolate was loaded with authentic cacao flavor notes that included: true chocolate (fresh-baked brownie) and rich caramel--and a very slight earthy forest note toward the finish.

Burnt Caramel

Today's Burnt Caramel domed, filled chocolate confection was "painted" with the same sunny yellow as the classy signature color and decor featured in Shekoh Confections (retail shop).

Aroma notes for this Burnt Caramel piece: subtle, almost fruity, chocolate, and nutty caramel notes.

The textures were just right. The freshly made, soft flowing caramel interior had a faint buttery taste (vs. a corn syrup flavor and/or overly stiff or overly liquid texture in less expensive chocolate covered caramels). 

The sweet caramel interior was complemented by the earthy dark chocolate, an earthiness (loamy, forest) that lingered a bit into the finish. It was a pleasure to experience authentic cacao flavors like this in a confection. Sadly, the dark chocolate in bulk confections can be bland and over-processed. Not the case here. 

Shekoh does not use preservatives, so enjoy while fresh and store these chocolates in a cool, dark place.

Ingredients: (None listed on small box)

Allergen-related information: (None listed on small box)


Wednesday, March 30, 2022

Andy's Orchard - Chocolate Baby Crawford Peach, Apricot-Rum Butter Sandwich - Mar. 30, 2022

Chocolate(s) of the Day

Andy's Orchard

Chocolate Baby Crawford Peach
Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (56.6 g.) (estimate) in total package
Calories: Unknown
Cost: $2.75 for 1 package
Purchased from: Andy's Orchard, Morgan Hill, CA

Apricot Rum-Butter Sandwich
Good +
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (56.6 g.) (estimate) in total package
Calories: Unknown
Cost: $2.50 for 1 package
Purchased from: Andy's Orchard, Morgan Hill, CA

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate Snacks Theme Week.

Today's Chocolate Baby Crawford Peach and Apricot-Rum Butter Sandwich chocolates were from Andy's Orchard (Morgan Hill, CA).

Chocolate Baby Crawford Peach

Sweet milk chocolate surrounding a wonderfully flavorful, moist, dried peach (think excellent, slightly tart, sweet peach jam). 

Many heritage varieties of fruit (including cacao) have more nuanced and delicate layers of flavors. You can almost pick out a faint/delicate floral, citrus or even tropical (mango) fruit notes in certain varieties of apricots and peaches.

The peach was the star of the show in this confection, and rightly so.

Ingredients: Not listed on label (includes dried Baby Crawford peach prepared with sulphur dioxide and chocolate)

Allergen-related information: None listed on small (1-piece) package label

Apricot-Rum Butter Sandwich

Slice this confection open and it looked similar to the above milk chocolate covered peach with a plump, golden-orange fruit center. However, this "sandwich" also had a caramel-colored layer. And it had a rich, caramel cookie aroma. 

The combined sweetness and chew of this generously-sized tart apricot fruit and caramel, stimulated the senses and jolted me awake.

I enjoy complexity within a single origin chocolate or a single heritage fruit, but too many multi-faceted flavors (and too much sugar) can make it difficult to enjoy higher quality ingredients with layered flavors, like today's tart-sweet Blenheim apricot. 

There was a slight rum-butter flavoring in this sandwiched confection, but I preferred to enjoying the pure, special flavors in the apricot, when I could enjoy that separately in one bite.

Again, the locally grown fruit (apricot)** stole the show today.

Ingredients: Dried Blenheim apricot prepared with sulphur dioxide, glace apricot, chocolate, caramel, and rum-butter flavor.

Allergen-related information: None listed on small (1-piece) package label

*Baby Crawford (freestone) peaches are relatively small peaches with fine-grained texture and fairly intense (heirloom) peach flavor.

**Apricots hail from Asia originally, but were spread west via trade routes, and eventually reached California in the 1800s. 

Plums, apricots and cherries were widely cultivated in the San Francisco (South Bay) Area in the 1900s, but eventually prime agricultural land and fruit tree orchards were paved over to make way for houses and technology companies--that would become Silicon Valley. 

Special thanks to Andy's Orchard in Morgan Hill, one of the few remaining operating orchards within an hour's drive (from where I live). Andy Mariani and team operate a small store on-site, where one can find wonderful varieties of fruits. Fresh fruits (including cacao fruit/pulp) are my favorite snacks, other than a well-executed, single origin/heritage variety chocolate.


 

Tuesday, March 29, 2022

B&R Farms - Dark Chocolate Apricot Bites - Mar. 29, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

B and R Farms 
Dark Chocolate Apricot Bites
Good ++
Weight: 1.41 oz. (40 g.) / 3.5 oz. (99 g.) in total package
Calories: 170 calories in 40 g. serving (per label)
Cost: $4.50 (estimate) total package
Purchased from: (farm store) in Santa Clara County, CA  

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate Snacks Theme Week.

Today's Dark Chocolate Apricot Bites were from B+R Farms (Hollister, CA).

Take locally-grown Blenheim* apricot pieces and cover with Guittard dark chocolate. The results: a flavorful, tart-sweet wake up snack--with chocolate chip cookie and apricot jam aroma notes.  

The chocolate surrounding the fruit pieces had dark and smooth flavor and complemented the sweet fruit. The inner sun-dried apricot pieces looked and tasted naturally moist, plump and fresh (not sad and rubbery which can sometimes be the case with some store-bought dried apricots). These snack pieces had a uniquely apricot fruit flavor with vibrant, sweet, acidic notes.

Ingredients: Dark chocolate (cane sugar, cocoa mass (processed with alkali), cocoa butter, butter oil, sunflower lecithin, vanilla), dried apricots (processed with sulfur dioxide), tapioca syrup, tapioca dextrin, confectioner's glaze.

Allergen-related information: "This product contains sulfites and milk and may contain wheat, peanuts and other tree nuts."

*Blenheim apricots have a sweet, aromatic flavor. They arrived in California in the 1800s. They were widely cultivated in the San Francisco (South Bay area, where I grew up) in the 1900s, until land values and development pressures increased and eventually led to orchards being replaced by homes and businesses--including a host of technology companies that became Silicon Valley.



Monday, March 28, 2022

Oregon Bark - Lou Whistle Molasses Pecan Chew in Chocolate - Mar. 28, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Oregon Bark 
Lou Whistle Molasses Pecan Chew in Chocolate 
Good ++
Weight: 1.1 oz. (32 g.) in total bar
Calories: 169 calories (estimate) in 1 package of two small bars
Cost: $3.75 for 1 package of 2 small bars
Purchased from: East West Bookstore, Mountain View, CA

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate Snacks Theme Week.

Today's Lou Whistle Molasses Pecan Chew in Chocolate was from Oregon Bark (Portland, OR) in collaboration with/made with Ranger Chocolate Co. (Portland, OR).

These adult candy bars (two individually wrapped small bars in 1 package) was not your grandparents' chocolate covered caramel nut bar. The aroma and flavor notes conjured up a picnic in the forest, with molasses, brown sugar with hints of tree sugar sap (sugar maple tree); green lemon-herb (oxalis--tart, lemony sour grass, wood sorrel growing under redwoods); and woodsy, sweet nut (light wood bark, pecan) notes. 

A thin layer of dark chocolate enveloped a sweet, very flavorful interior--a chewy (dairy free) caramel-y nut center with an end-of-the-rainbow pot of of sweet, woodsy, green and gold flavors mentioned above, warmed by mild notes of roasted wood and vanilla.

Ingredients: Organic sugar, organic rice syrup, organic coconut oil, pecans, organic molasses, salt, vanilla, organic chocolate (organic cacao beans, organic sugar, organic cacao butter, vanilla)

Allergen-related information: "Contains pecans, coconut. Made on equipment that processes peanuts and tree nuts." 

Chocola - Cashew Nuts Covered in Fine Dark Chocolate - Mar. 27, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Chocola
Semillas de Maranon Cubierta de Chocolate Oscuro Fino
(Cashew Nuts Covered in Fine Dark Chocolate)
Good ++
Weight: 2.03 oz. (57.5 g.) / 4.06 oz. (115 g.) in total package
Calories: 278 calories in 1/2 package 
Cost: $4.99 for 1 package
Purchased from: Piazza's, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate Snacks Theme Week.

Today's Chocola chocolate covered snack offering hailed from Guatemala, and was imported to the U.S. by Global Support, LLC.

Many chocolate covered snacks (including covered fruit bits or nuts) often lack an aroma (due to confectioners glazes and glosses* used in the outer chocolate coating to help maintain shelf life and appearance).* And the chocolate is often smooth but relatively flat in aroma and flavor.

However, today's dark chocolate covered cashews had subtle dark chocolate aroma, including faint, subtle and balanced notes I associate with fine cacao bean fermentation. 

The outer layer of smooth, almost creamy dark flavorful chocolate surrounded a heart of softly crunchy nut centers.

These chocolate and nut snack pieces not only retained an authentic, mild cashew shape but authentic, cacao and cashew nut notes with a darker than 50% cacao flavor profile: a pleasing balanced bitterness (bittersweet, not too much sugar), with a very slight earthiness, and fleeting, very faint sweet floral and warm spice notes from added vanilla.

Ingredients: Dark chocolate 50% (sugar, cocoa butter, cacao liquor, soy lecithin (emulsifier), natural vanilla), cashew nuts, acacia (glazing agent)

Allergen-related information: Contained tree nuts (cashews) and soy (lecithin), and "may contain traces of peanuts."

* At least some confectioners glazes (shellac or purified lac resin; or in today's case: acacia (also known as arabic gum or gum arabic), made from the acacia tree, and waxes (carnauba (palm wax), beeswax, other) are used in many chocolate covered snacks. These can add shine and durability (e.g. preventing chocolates from looking scuffed up as pieces bump against and tumble around each other inside packaging).

Confectioners glazes using shellac (derived from purified insect plant sap secretions) can also be found on other (non-chocolate) shiny candies and fruits. Versions of these same glazes (known as pharmaceutical glazes) are used as coatings for pills/pharmaceuticals and some cosmetics.


Sunday, March 27, 2022

Food Creation Nation - No Bake Protein Bar Mix - Mar. 25, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Made for Food Creation Nation
No Bake Protein Bar Mix
Good +
Weight: 2 oz. (56.6 g.) / 10.5 oz. (297 g.) in total package of mix
Calories: 200 calories in 4 prepared protein balls
Cost: $4.99 for 1 package 
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #1 of Chocolate Snacks Theme Week, featuring chocolate in many forms including bars, bites, balls, squares, pieces and truffles. Sometimes these snacks are both sweet and savory/salty. Sometimes they're not as sweet, and may be part of a high-protein snack.

Today's No Bake Protein Bar Mix was made for Food Creation Nation (Calabasas, CA). This starter mix, helped me easily and quickly create my own snacks (with instructions on adding more or less of various fats and liquids/sweeteners to taste). 

This offering provided a great base for many different recipes. I made two different flavors (batches) of protein balls today: 1.) Nutmeg, Cinnamon and Banana, and 2.) Cacao Nibs, Cinnamon and Chili.  (Later I made other shapes and tried different spice, nut and fruit flavors.)

The base mix had an aroma with chocolate and subtle coconut and nut notes and had the appearance of a thick brown sugar with tiny bits of coconut.

Pea protein added satisfying heft--allowing me to eat a few balls without feeling a sugar high or cravings later. Unlike the first protein dry mixes, there was no overly gritty, grainy or powdery/dry texture. The mix was finely ground enough to provide a relatively smooth, substantial base. It had enough base flavor to be a compelling foundation for protein balls, bars or bites.

The flavor: nutty, substantial, coconut bit texture and flavor, true chocolate (like a brownie without being overly sweet, with a relatively clean finish.

The protein balls I made were fast and easy to make. It was easy to customize the flavors I wanted with this base. I chilled them in the refrigerator for a few minutes and really enjoyed them. For those on the go, this is a great way to get started making protein snacks (and children can help too).

sweetness level - totally adjustable, depending on option level you choose. Like Asian tea places you opt for the sweetness level that fits your taste. Great idea. Semisweet chocolate chips and monk fruit as well as the dried coconut in the mix provided the right level of sweetness for me. Others are invited to add agave, honey or maple syrup (with suggested quantity listed).

Ingredients: 

Allergen-related information: Contained Brazil nuts, coconuts. Certified GlutenFree; Non-GMO Project Verified; Certified Vegan; Keto Certified. 

Claude's Chocolate - Chocolate Candy Sea Shells - Mar. 26, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Claude's Chocolate
Chocolate Candy Sea Shells 
Good +
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) / 5 oz. (141 g.) in total container
Calories: 155 calories (estimate) in 1 oz. serving
Cost: $N/A - gift from a friend; thank you Toni!
Purchased from: Gift from a friend

Welcome to Day #2 of Chocolate Snacks Theme Week.

Today's Chocolate Candy Sea Shells were from Claude's Chocolate (St. Augustine, FL).

These novelty chocolates were a trip souvenir, courtesy of my friend Toni. Once again I am a beneficiary of her travels and kindness.

In appearance, these chocolate candies looked like slightly worn shells from a sandy beach. Milk chocolate centers were first covered with a light (white-ish) coat, then shades of candy shell (artificial and natural) colors. The end result was: weathered sea shells adorned with festive beach vacation, sunset/golden hour hues.

Because of the candy shell coating(s), there was no detectable aroma. The texture was a mix of crunchy outer shell and creamier chocolate inside.

Yes, these were sweet. The milk chocolate inside was sweeter than the "shell" on the outside. But, they were a fun trip souvenir and tasted better than some chocolate candy "rocks" I've sampled in previous years.

Ingredients: Milk chocolate (sugar, cocoa butter, milk, cocoa mass, soy lecithin (an emulsifier), vanilla), sugar, maltodextrin, titanium dioxide, artificial colors (includes FD+C Blue No. 1, Blue No. 2, Red No. 45, Yellow No. 5, Yellow No. 6), natural colors (includes beet juice, caramel), confectioner's glaze, carnuba wax.

Allergen-related information: Contains milk, soybeans.

Thursday, March 24, 2022

Trader Joe's - Dark Chocolate Coffee Buzz Bar - Mar. 24, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Trader Joe's
Dark Chocolate Coffee Buzz Bar
Good +
Weight: .44 oz. (12.5 g.) / .88 oz. (25 g.) in total bar
Calories: 65 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: (gift from friend) - was part of $1.99 package of 4 small bars
Purchased from: Trader Joe's (missing location information)

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

Today's Dark Chocolate Coffee Buzz Bar from Trader Joe's (Monrovia, CA) was a "Product of Colombia."

This small bar was shared with me by a friend and had been part of a larger package of four, individually-wrapped bars. 

This bar had a powerful, roasted coffee aroma with chocolate and very faint kola nut notes. Note: this small bar contained 70 mg. of caffeine* per bar; and I felt energized just inhaling the aroma. 

The taste of this bar was relatively smooth and satisfying with coffee, true chocolate and faint, fleeting fruit/floral notes. There was a very slight granular or powdery feel (very faint astringency) in the texture, but it was not off-putting.

This small bar made with "Colombian Cocoa Nibs and Coffee Beans" offered robust flavors and was a great breakfast bar.

Ingredients: "Colombian cocoa nibs and coffee beans" - Cocoa mass, sugar, ground roasted coffee, cocoa butter, soy lecithin (emulsifier), natural vanilla flavor (Note: ingredients list was copied from website. I was not have access to the original packaging.)

Allergen-related information: Contains soy. May contain milk.

*One ounce (28 g.) of dark chocolate typically contains closer to 10 - 12 mg. of caffeine. This same amount of dark chocolate also includes the naturally-occurring stimulant, theobromine, found in cacao and other plants. Some people are more sensitive to caffeine; others may feel the effects of theobromine. Both are plant alkaloids with similar chemical structure.

Wednesday, March 23, 2022

Exquisito Chocolates - Tumaco Milk - 55% Colombia Caramelized Milk and Brown Butter (bar) - Mar. 23, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Exquisito Chocolates
Tumaco Milk - 55% Colombia Caramelized Milk and Brown Butter (bar)
Good + 
Weight: 1.1 oz. (31 g.) / 2.2 oz. (62 g.) in total bar
Calories: 178 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $10.00 (estimate) for 1 bar (part of larger $39 order (3 items + shipping)
Purchased from: Good Food Awards Marketplace, online order

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

Today's Tumaco Milk - 55% Colombia Caramelized Milk and Brown Butter (bar) was handcrafted by the maker(s) at Exquisito Chocolates in Little Havana (Miami, FL). 

The company makes bean-to-bar chocolate(s) and offers a range of bars and confections. I appreciated the definition of a "chocolate maker" printed on the packaging of this bar: "Masochistic chocolatier who also self-produces chocolate from cocoa beans." 

True to its name, this sweet, dark milk bar had rich caramel tones in the aroma and flavor. Because this bar was crafted in Miami and the cacao was grown in Colombia, it's also worth pointing out there are myriad manifestations of caramel*(ized sugar and milk) celebrated in Central and South American desserts/cuisine (looking at you dulce de leche)...all with their own rich histories. 

As it usually the case with milk chocolate, underlying cacao flavors are somewhat muted/obscured.** The cacao notes that did filter through were appreciated and harmonized with the stars of the show: the brown butter and caramelized milk. The melt and texture were smooth and rich as expected.

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

Allergen-related information: Contained dairy (milk, butter). ("no preservatives or additives")

*The English word "caramel" has origins that stretch back to the 1700s Spanish and Portuguese "caramelo" (with earlier Arabic origins, and I'm guessing SE Asia origins (home of sugar cane) before that). Culinary caramel picked up steam in France, England and in other regions of Europe--and eventually the Americas were filled with children with memories of caramel (in liquid and more solid crunchy, chewy, gooey forms). 

Those who first discovered caramel by over-cooking some sugar (and later incorporated milk or butter), must have been delighted.

**Unfortunately, there were overriding "perfume" notes were likely accidentally introduced somewhere in the making, shipping or storage process. It's possible to get a range of (generally soft) floral notes in dark/single origin chocolates, but, this seemed to lean more toward faint perfume. Sadly, I live 3,000 miles away from Miami, FL, but I will try to re-taste this bar in the future.

Tuesday, March 22, 2022

Disidente - 100% Colombian Craft Chocolate (bar) - Mar. 22, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Disidente
("Colombian Cacao Taxonomy")
100% Colombian Craft Chocolate (bar)
Good - Good +
Weight: .525 oz. (15 g.) / 1.05 oz. (30 g.) in total bar
Calories: 101 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $6.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's Cacao Disidente 100% Colombian Craft Chocolate (bar) was manufactured by El Colaboratorio (Bogota, Colombia).

One might think that 100% cacao (all cacao, no sugar) chocolate would have a powerful, bitter, dark aroma. However, 100% bars vary tremendously in this regard. 

Today's single-ingredient (cacao beans) bar had a relatively subtle, complex bouquet that included: light cooked fruit (goji berry, red grape, lychee, faint salted/dried plum), faint green tea,  cooked rice and floral aroma notes. 

Tasting notes included many of the same cooked fruit and rice, faint floral notes noted in the aroma, plus subtle, fleeting caramel coffee candy and mild (heritage cacao, Criollo variety) chocolate flavor with mild, balanced bitterness.

The texture was a bit starchy/grainy (as if cooked rice liquid had been run through in the final refining). It had a relatively even texture and melt that was not objectionable. Just different.

I would definitely put this on a 100% bar tasting flight for its unique, subtle and mild profile.

Ingredients: Cacao beans

Allergen-related information: "May contain traces of milk and nuts"..."Store in a cool, dry place, do not refrigerate."


 

Monday, March 21, 2022

Cacao Hunters - 71% Cacao Elizabeth (bar) - Mar. 21, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Cacao Hunters
71% Cacao Elizabeth Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) / 2 oz. (56 g.) in total bar
Calories: 170 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $7.50 (estimate) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's Cacao Hunters 71% Cacao Elizabeth Dark Chocolate (bar) was produced by Cacao de Colombia (Popayan, Cauca, Colombia).

For (yesterday's and) today's Cacao Hunters' Colombia bars, I found it best to distinguish between the aroma notes present when first opened, and the aroma notes after the bar was allowed to sit (in an open package) for a few minutes. (Both bars were enclosed in an air-tight "foil" pouch, which helps explain this phenomenon.)

The initial aroma notes for this bar (like yesterday's) included notes I associate with fermentation and anaerobic digestion (slight vinegar and wood mulch notes). However, when allowed to breathe for a few minutes, these notes dissipated, and more pleasant notes came to the fore: chocolate (cookie), green tea, honey, maple sugar, and faint and diffuse red fruit and tropical fruit (fleeting guava) jelly notes.

This well-tempered, 71% dark, single origin chocolate had a buttery texture and melt. The flavor notes were pleasing and echoed the aroma notes above--only with richer, deeper cocoa flavor, with a faint flicker of muted forest/earthy cacao, and small upticks of authentic sweet, diffuse fruit(s), and plant sugars (sugar cane, maple sugar) and fruit-floral honey. 

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

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

Cacao Hunters - 70% Arauca Colombia Dark Chocolate (bar) - Mar. 20, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Cacao Hunters
70% Arauca Colombia Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) / 2 oz. (56 g.) in total bar
Calories: 170 calories in 1 bar (part of a package of 2)
Cost: $7.50 (estimate) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's Cacao Hunters 70% Aruaca Colombia Dark Chocolate (bar) was produced by Cacao de Colombia (Popayan, Cauca, Colombia).

The aroma of this bar upon being opened: a slightly vinegary chocolate. (This dissipated after the package had been opened for a few minutes.) Other than notes that seemed to echo the fermentation process (after first opening this bar), this 70% chocolate had smooth cocoa, nutty, slightly fruity and faint savory (smoked) notes.

The flavor contained true chocolate, faint red fruit jelly/honey, green tea and nut butter notes-- collectively providing an interesting and complex flavor experience.

Maker's tasting notes: "A smooth and fragrant chocolate from the banks of Colombia's golden rivers."

Ingredients: "Cocoa beans, cane sugar, cocoa butter, soy lecithin."

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

Chocolate Story - Kolumbia 70% kakao Grand Cru (bar) - Mar. 19, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

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

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

Today's Kolombia 70% kakao Grand Cru (bar) was made by Chocolate Story (Manufaktura Czekolady) Poland, using cacao beans from Colombia.

The complex and interesting aroma notes for this bar included: molasses, green, maple syrup, chocolate pudding, light wax and floral. Retasting later (after the sealed, foil, inner packaging had been opened for a minute) there was also fruit (cherry and dried stone fruit) notes and a very faint, fleeting incense note. 

This smooth, dark, complex shape-shifter of a bar was full of flavor(s) and had a long, lilting finish. Floral (green floral, vanilla), wood mulch, faint marshmallow, and maple/brown sugar notes were intermingled with steady, dark chocolate dessert notes (cake, pudding, torte). Dried fruit (prune) notes that shifted to green, molasses and then back again (to prune and true chocolate) added flavor depth.

Ingredients: Roasted cocoa beans, sugar. Cocoa solids 70% min. 

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

Friday, March 18, 2022

Moku Chocolate - Goat Milk, Sierra Nevada, Colombia, Dark Milk 60% (bar) - Mar. 18, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Moku Chocolate
Goat Milk, Sierra Nevada, Colombia, 60% Dark Milk Chocolate (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: .88 oz. (22.5 g.) / 1.6 oz. (45 g.) in total bar
Calories: 130 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $8.75 (estimate) for 1 bar (3 bars for $24?)
Purchased from: Good Food Awards Marketplace, online order

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

Today's Goat Milk - Sierra Nevada, Colombia, 60% Dark Milk Chocolate (bar) was made by Moku Chocolate (Philomath, OR).

The bar had a sweet aroma with warm milk chocolate with rich caramel tones. In the texture department, the creamy melt and chewy caramel mouthfeel also mirrored a flavorful, high-end milk chocolate caramel.

And last, but not least, the taste offered a deeper dive into a classic chocolate caramel confection flavor and texture experience.

Fine goat milk caramel and single origin chocolate (Sierra Nevada, Colombia cacao in this case) were made for each other. The words "confection" and "candy" sell this well-executed bar made with high-quality ingredients short. I find most 60% chocolates too sweet; however, there were enough flavor(s) in the chocolate to prevent it from becoming a sugar-fest.

The maker's described this 60% bar best:

Maker's tasting notes: "...the addition of goat milk creates a delicious caramel flavor with a slight tang and a lovely smooth and velvety mouthfeel."

Ingredients: Cocoa beans, organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter, organic goat milk powder (whole goat milk, vitamin D3, folic acid)

Allergen-related information: Contained dairy (goat milk); "Non-GMO, gluten free" 

Madhu Chocolate - Masala Peanut 55% Cacao (bar) - Mar. 17, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Madhu Chocolate 
Masala Peanut 55% Cacao (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.3 oz. (37 g.) / 2.6 oz. (74 g.) in total bar
Calories: 212.5 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.29 (approx.) for 1 bar (part of larger order $65 for 7 bars)
Purchased from: Good Food Awards Marketplace, online order

Welcome to Day #12 of Chocolate and India Theme Week, and Day #5 of Chocolate and Colombia Theme Week.

Today's Masala Peanut 55% Cacao (bar) was from Madhu Chocolate (Austin, TX). The company offers a variety of small-batch, bean-to-bar chocolates, with India-inspired flavors--made using cacao sourced from the Tumaco region of Colombia (and cacao from India). The masala chili spice in today's bar: Guntur Sannam Chillis, from Diaspora Co.

The aroma notes for this vibrant spice bar included: sweet savory spices (cumin), sweet chocolate and nut(s).

A generous helping of peanuts and chili spices created textural range (softly crunchy nuts in a smooth dark sea) and flavor depth.

This Masala Peanut bar was a lively fusion of Old World (particularly Asia) and New World (particularly Central America) flavors--and exemplified long inter-twined food cultures.*

The chili, salt and peanut flavors in this rich, layered, spicy chocolate made me feel like I was enjoying an Indian-version of a Mexican mole** sauce. The two makers at Madhu Chocolate captured the essence of mole with a doff of hats to India-inspired flavors.

Dark rich mole sauce--often served over chicken, rice and enchiladas--contains chilies and a variety of warm spices (e.g. cinnamon, anise, black pepper, cumin, salt) as well as ground chocolate/cacao and sometimes nuts/peanuts and sesame seeds.

The cumin and chili heat levels in this dark milk bar stopped short of a hot curry dish or three-alarm chili, but the spices warmed the palette and politely cleared the sinuses. (Warning: this savory chocolate triggered the salty-sweet snack response, and I found myself wanting to go back to enjoy more and more. A judicious amount of milk (powder) may have also made this chocolate more addictive.)

Ingredients: Cacao solids, organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter, whole milk powder, peanuts, chili powder, cumin, salt, sesame oil

Allergen-related information: "Vegan. Gluten-free." "Contains peanuts (and milk). Prepared in a facility that also processes nuts and dairy."

*Ingredients like cacao, peanuts and many chilies originated in the Americas, but as trade routes expanded were spread far and wide. 

Peanuts were one of the first "New World" foods to be adopted across the globe in the 1500s. Spicy peanut dishes and snacks have long been popular in China, India, Africa (especially Nigeria), and can be found in many other countries.

Meanwhile, spices like cumin, black pepper and cinnamon traveled across Asia and the middle east, and eventually arrived in the Americas, often via European traders, conquistadors and settlers. (In some cases, native spices (like allspice) were replaced by imported cinnamon.)

Many modern versions of Mexican mole (and drinking chocolate(s)) are blends of indigenous and "Old World" and "New World" spices and ingredients.

**Both India and Mexico have long spice traditions. "Masala" refers to spice blends (e.g. garam masala) where spices have been dry-roasted and ground together in India (or fried and blended back into dry or wet spice blends). 

"Mole" has a similar meaning. Spices and ingredients are ground together (often with a stone mortar and pestle) to make a sauce or blend. The results of both: multi-layered, spicy flavors and deliciousness.


 

Thursday, March 17, 2022

Madhu Chocolate - Coconut Milk Cashew 54% Cacao (bar) - Mar. 16, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Madhu Chocolate 
Coconut Milk Cashew 54% Cacao (bar)
Good +
Weight: 1.3 oz. (37 g.) / 2.6 oz. (74 g.) in total bar
Calories: 200 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.29 (approx.) for 1 bar (part of larger order $65 for 7 bars)
Purchased from: Good Food Awards Marketplace, online order

Welcome to Day #11 of Chocolate and India Theme Week, and Day #4 of Chocolate and Colombia Theme Week.

Today's Coconut Milk Cashew 54% Cacao (bar) was from Madhu Chocolate (Austin, TX). The company offers a variety of small-batch, bean-to-bar chocolates, with India-inspired flavors--made using cacao sourced from the Tumaco region of Colombia (and cacao from India).

True to expectations, the aroma notes for this bar included sweet "milk" chocolate, authenric fragrant coconut and nut. Cashew pieces adorned the back of the bar.

This well-tempered bar was a complementary blend of velvety coconut milk chocolate and the soft crunch of cashew nut pieces. The nuts helped balance the sweetness and provided a pleasant textural element.

The well-executed, sweet, creamy bar was an upbeat celebration of coconut and chocolate. While it was difficult to pick out individual cacao flavor nuances, the 54% chocolate provided enough cacao flavor to help ground the sugar. (There was a very faint earth note could have come from cacao or coconut.)

Ingredients: Organic cane sugar, cacao mass, organic cocoa butter, coconut milk powder (dehydrated coconut milk, tapioca maltodextrin, acacia gum), cashews

Allergen-related information: "Vegan. Gluten-free." "Contains coconut and tree nuts (cashews). Prepared in a facility that also processes nuts and dairy."


Tuesday, March 15, 2022

Madhu Chocolate - Saffron Milk 45% Cacao (bar) - Mar. 15, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Madhu Chocolate
Saffron Milk 45% Cacao (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.3 oz. (37 g.) / 2.6 oz. (74 g.) in total bar
Calories: 188 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.29 (estimate) for 1 bar (Paid $65.00 for a 7-bar order)
Purchased from: Good Food Awards Marketplace, online order

Welcome to Day #10 of India Theme Week, and Day #3 of Chocolate and Colombia Theme Week.

Today's Saffron Milk 45% Cacao (bar) was from Madhu Chocolate (Austin, TX). Madhu co-owners and chocolate makers (Elliott and Harshit) blend India-inspired flavors with small batch, bean-to-bar chocolate. 

The cacao for this milk chocolate bar was sourced from the Tumaco region of Colombia. (The company also sources cacao from India.)

Aroma notes for this bar included: subtle chocolate with warm, upbeat spice.

The rich milk chocolate had a pleasing and smooth texture and melt.

Tasting notes included: sweet saffron* (and inferred, imaginary vanilla) blended with flavorful milk chocolate. The Colombian chocolate stood up to being muffled a bit by milk powder--that in turn created a comforting bed for saffron spice. 

This was a sweet chocolate; however, thankfully, cacao and spice notes still were able to shine through. It was delightful to experience the saffron in this bar. Like vanilla, saffron has delicate, complex, floral-related notes. Both saffron and vanilla have always felt like "happy" spices to me.

Ingredients: Milk chocolate (cacao, organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter, whole milk solids), saffron

Allergen-related information: (Gluten-free.) "Prepared in a facility that also processes nuts and dairy."

* Saffron threads--the orange-yellow stamen(s) from purple saffron crocus flowers--are used in small quantities to flavor and color beverages, rice and savory dishes, confections...and, occasionally, if we're lucky, chocolate. Long cultivated in Mediterranean climates (e.g., Iran and Kashmir), saffron is a highly valued and expensive spice, largely due to the manual labor required. 

In re-tasting this bar a day later, the saffron's floral notes seem to have dissipated a bit, and there was a faint buttery, grassy earth note in the finish, from the saffron. While these notes are not uncommon with saffron, I advise eating this bar when it's first opened, as the more volatile floral flavor associated with this spice is shouldn't be missed. Oxidized saffron (what a waste!) can taste duller, almost bitter (weedy) in comparison. 

  

Madhu Chocolate - Dark Masala Chai 60% Cacao (bar) - Mar. 14, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Madhu Chocolate
Dark Masala Chai 60% Cacao (bar)
Good +++
Weight: 1.3 oz. (37 g.) / 2.6 oz. (74 g.) in total bar
Calories: 175 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.29 (estimate) for 1 bar (part of a larger order, 7 bars for $65.00)
Purchased from: Good Food Awards Marketplace, 

Welcome to Day #9 of Chocolate and India Theme Week, and Day #2 of Chocolate and Colombia Theme Week.

Today's Dark Masala Chai 60% Cacao (bar) was from Madhu Chocolate (Austin, TX).

The aroma and flavors of this bar converged on a single description: dark, moist chocolate gingerbread cake with molasses and warm spices, with a rich, creamy dark chocolate chai tea latte.

The well-tempered 60% bar broke with a snap and had smooth, creamy texture. 

This highly appealing (and somewhat addictive) blend of chocolate, milk tea and spice was very flavorful and satisfying. If you like dark chocolate, gingerbread molasses cake and chai spiced (milk) tea, you'll feel like you hit the trifecta* with this bar.

Ingredients: Dark chocolate (cacao, organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter), whole milk solids, black tea, spices.

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

*The word "trifecta" refers to a bet where you correctly predict the first (win), second (place) and third (show) results. A triple win.

 

Monday, March 14, 2022

Madhu Chocolate - Vanilla Fennel 76% Cacao (bar) - Mar. 13, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Madhu Chocolate
Vanilla Fennel 76% Cacao (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.3 oz. (37 g.) / 2.6 oz. (74 g.) in total bar
Calories: 169 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.29 (estimate) for 1 bar (Paid $65.00 for a 7-bar order)
Purchased from: Good Food Awards Marketplace, online order

Welcome to Day #8 of India Theme Week, and Day #1 of Chocolate and Colombia Theme Week.

Today's Vanilla Fennel 76% Cacao Chocolate (bar) was from Madhu Chocolate (Austin, TX). The flavors in this small batch, bean-to-bar dark chocolate were India-inspired. And the cacao was sourced by the owners (Elliott and Harshit) from the Tumaco region of Colombia. (The company also sources cacao from India.)

Aroma notes for this bar included: dark chocolate, vanilla and licorice spice.

The well-tempered bar broke with a snap, and the texture and melt were pleasing and smooth.

Flavor notes included undulating waves of sweet vanilla and licorice that tapered down to expose a smooth dark chocolate stretch, followed by a clean finish. 

The dark chocolate was bold and fruity enough to be interesting and to stand up and sing with the flavor additions. (It was not obscured by sugar and spices.) However, there was enough harmonizing going on that it was difficult to pick out which notes belonged to the underlying cacao.

There were some fainter, more delicate green and floral notes in the background. It was difficult to know if these flavors were part of the Colombian cacao or the Madagascar vanilla, or both.

The maker's choice of 76% cacao for the dark chocolate base seemed just right to me. Anything less than 70% would have seemed too sweet I think, given the natural sweetness of the vanilla and fennel.* And this choice allowed the chocolate to really come through.

This flavorful, complex blend of flavors helped wake me up this morning. Ready to start the day now! 

Ingredients: Dark chocolate (cacao, organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter), organic fennel seed, organic Madagascar vanilla

Allergen-related information: (Vegan. Gluten free.) "Prepared in a facility that also processes nuts and dairy."

*Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) a much loved plant in other cultures, is considered an invasive weed where I live in California. It loves the Mediterranean climate here. But it's invasive with benefits...Every part of this naturally sweet, licorice-flavored plant is edible: seeds, pollen, fronds (feathery "leaves"), stems and roots (bulb). Candy-coated fennel seeds are used as a digestive or as a flavor addition to cookies/sweets as well as savory dishes. Birds, ladybugs and swallowtail butterflies love it too. Unlike other aggressively spreading plants, like ivy or bamboo, I can also enjoy this plant in a variety of foods, beverages...and chocolate.

 

Saturday, March 12, 2022

AshaPops - Dark Chocolate Popped Water Lily Seeds - Mar. 12, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

AshaPops
Dark Chocolate Popped Water Lily Seeds
Good +
Weight: 1.5 oz. (43 g.) in total package
Calories: 135 calories in 1 package
Cost: $6.99 for 1 package
Purchased from: Sigona's Farmers Market, Stanford Shopping Center, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's AshaPops - Dark Chocolate Popped Water Lily Seeds were from Asha Foods LLC (Los Angeles, CA). Asha founders are a mother and son team (Asha and Jai), and are behind these "pearls of nature." (They also intend to contribute 5% of net proceeds to their growers.)

This Ayurveda*-inspired snack had an aroma with light chocolate, warm spice (spiced chai tea, nutmeg), faint coconut, and very faint green notes.

These airy puffed seeds were light as popped popcorn, with a pleasantly crunchy texture. 

The underlying seed flavor seemed neutral; and the added flavors formed a harmonious blend of cocoa, coconut sugar and spices (cinnamon, nutmeg) that created a very appealing snack. In addition to cocoa, warm spices and faint coconut, there was also a very faint slightly musty green nut/green seed note.

Ingredients: Water lily seeds, organic coconut sugar, water, cocoa powder (processed with alkali), organic coconut oil, cinnamon, nutmeg.

Allergen-related information: "Contains coconut. Made in a facility that processes dairy, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, wheat, peanuts and soybeans. If you have nut and/or seed allergies, please check with a medical professional before eating AshaPops. Some seeds may have part of a shell on them, so chew carefully."

*Popped water lily seeds (Euryale ferox, also known as makhana) have been enjoyed in India for centuries and are a popular snack. They are grain-free and gluten-free and have more protein than popcorn. In Ayurveda (translation:"life science/knowledge")--a system of natural/holistic medicine that originated in India 3,000+ years ago--water lily seeds are considered beneficial for all body types.

Friday, March 11, 2022

Lumineux Chocolate - India 72% Dark Chocolate (bar) - Mar. 11, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Lumineux Chocolate
India 72% Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: .9 oz. (25 g.) / 1.8 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 130 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $8.00 (estimate) for 1 bar ($40 for 5 bars)
Purchased from: Good Food Awards Marketplace, online order 

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

Today's India 72% Dark Chocolate (bar) was made by Lumineux Chocolate (Greenville, SC). 

The subtle aroma notes for this bar included: chocolate (dark chocolate cake) with light, diffuse fruit (yellow stone fruit, loquat, mango), very faint spice, and (almost invisible) very mild green/vegetable.

The texture was smooth, and flavor notes were relatively polished and subdued.

Flavor notes included: fruit (blend of yellow/orange stone fruit (loquat) and red fruit/berry, mild sweet-tart citrus) and smooth chocolate (dark chocolate cake). 

Very late in the finish was a very faint astringent fruit/mild black pepper throat tickle. Nothing objectionable. More like what you'd experience with some well-rounded red wines.

This was a pleasant bar with subtle, well managed flavors and light, balanced fruit acidity.

Maker's tasting notes: "dried mango, black pepper, citrus"

Ingredients: Cocoa nibs, cane sugar, cocoa butter

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

 

White Label Chocolate - India Anamalai 74% (bar) - Mar. 10, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

White Label Chocolate
India Anamalai 74% (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.15 oz. (32.5 g.) / 2.3 oz. (65 g.) in total bar
Calories: 189 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $13.00 (guesstimate) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Mutari Chocolate, Santa Cruz, CA

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

Today's India Anamalai 74% (bar) was from White Label Chocolate (Santa Cruz, CA).

Aroma observations included: bold, acidic fruit (plums, red fruit, dates), chocolate-y, and nutty/nuts.

This well-tempered broke with a snap, and it had a smooth texture with buttery melt and flavor. There was, initially, a very slight fruit astringency toward the finish--a throat tickle that disappeared with subsequent bites.

Flavor notes overlapped closely with the (above) aroma and texture descriptions. The base (single farm, Anamalai, Tamil Nadu, India* cacao) chocolate was relatively bold and full with a notable, balanced red fruit-acidity (think red wine grapes and faint tart cherry notes in a fine red wine), tempered by a faint buttery quality/taste, and faint, fleeting nutty and tart green notes. 

Also present was a barely there, natural, caramel warm spice sweetness (ginger cookie, brown sugar). The maker's choice to bump up the cacao percentage in this bar from 70%, to 74% cacao (i.e. more cacao, less sugar) seemed wise. A 70% cacao version might have seemed too sweet for some dark fans. The choice to add cocoa butter may have muted some of the stronger notes, making it more palatable for those who prefer less intense flavor(s). 

The end result was a satisfying, flavorful and balanced, bold dark chocolate. 

Ingredients: Cacao beans, organic sugar, organic cocoa butter

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

*Maker's notes included a cornucopia of information about the (Forastero and Criollo) cacao used to craft today's bar. Like the previous two 70% Anamalai Estate bars this week, the cacao was grown in the Anamalai hills (aka Elephant Mountains) of southern India. However, this expansive hilly range spans two Indian states. The cacao in today's bar was from a farm in Tamil Nadu (rather than Kerala).

Wednesday, March 9, 2022

Crow and Moss - India Anamalai Chocolate 70% (bar) - Mar. 9, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Crow and Moss
India Anamalai Chocolate 70% (bar) 
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 150 calories (per label) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.25 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order 

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

Aroma notes for this two-ingredient chocolate included: dried fruit (plum/apricot/light tropical fruit (mango)), fleeting fermentation (acids breaking down), green herb with faint citrus (oxalis, sorrel), molasses, faint clean ash/clean mineral, brown sugar/caramel, and very faint roasted coffee.

This 70% India bar had smooth, creamy texture and deep, satisfying fudge brownie and red fruit (cherry, dried plum) flavor notes. 

Ingredients: Anamalai Estate cacao beans, organic cane sugar.

Allergen-related information: "Processed in a facility that also handles nuts and dairy"


Seahorse Chocolate - India 70% Anamalai (bar) - Mar. 8, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Seahorse Chocolate
India 70% Anamalai (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) / 2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar
Calories: 155 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $13.00 for 1 bar ($39 for 3 bars, included shipping)
Purchased from: Good Food Awards Marketplace, online order

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

Today's India 70% Anamalai (bar) was from Seahorse Chocolate (Bend, OR). The company drum roasts small batches of cacao beans and crafts single origin bars in their chocolate roastery and studio.

The complex aroma notes for this bar included: fruit (dried plum, peach/yellow stone fruit), true chocolate (fudge), faint green herb with faint lemon (oxalis, sorrel), graham cracker/brown sugar, very faint, fleeting vegetable (baked potato/mild squash) and, later, a delicate wisp of pleasant, fleeting clean mineral.

This well-tempered bar broke with a hard snap (in a cool room).

The flavor was rich and enjoyable, like a glass of fine red wine. Bold, sophisticated and balanced flavor notes included: fudge brownie, faint roasted coffee and fruit (tart-sweet, dried cherry plum). This may be one of my favorite India cacao bars I've tasted. 

Maker's tasting notes: "Caramel, Tropical Fruit"

Ingredients: Cocoa beans and organic cane sugar

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

Tuesday, March 8, 2022

Madhu Chocolate - Idukki Black Pepper 68% Cacao (bar) - Mar. 7, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Madhu Chocolate
Idukki Black Pepper 68% Cacao (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 1.3 oz. (37 g.) / 2.6 oz. (74 g.) in total bar
Calories: 195 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.29 for 1 bar (part of a larger order - 7 bars for $65.00 USD)
Purchased from: Good Food Awards Marketplace, online order

Welcome to Day #15 of Chocolate and Spices and Day #2 of India Theme Week.

Today's Idukki Black Pepper 68% Cacao (bar) was from Madhu Chocolate* (Austin, TX). 

The company offers bean-to-bar chocolates with India-inspired flavors. Several bars include spices or spice blends. Packaging is inspired by Indian textiles. They source cacao from Tumaco, Colombia and the Idukki region of India.

This Good Food Awards 2022 winner was made using Idukki cacao and Aranya single origin black pepper (sourced by Diaspora Co.) from the state of Kerala in southwestern coastal India.

The complex aroma notes for this bar unfolded to reveal: spiced fruit (ginger, cardamom, berry, stone fruit), faint citrus and pepper.

This well-tempered chocolate had a smooth texture and mouthfeel. The black pepper used for this bar was ground and fully incorporated into the chocolate. 

Flavor notes were similar to the aroma notes, and included: complex spiced fruit (diffuse red berry, blackberry, citrus, red apple, red wine grapes) and sweet, rich dark chocolate melded with balanced, complex black pepper flavors (with some pepper heat). The finish had faint, fleeting notes that included: dairy butter, implied umami (grilled black pepper steak) and earth. 

This Idukki Black Pepper 68% cacao chocolate tasted like a satisfying, four-course meal in a bar. It also exemplified just how complex and wonderful high-quality, single origin black pepper and cacao can be. 

The "Malabar Coast" (spice gardens) in SW India (with latitudes that overlap with cacao growing regions in Kerala and Karnataka) have been famous for world-famous Tellicherry pepper and spices for thousands of years, for good reason.)

Ingredients: Cacao, organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter, black pepper

Allergen-related information: (Vegan. Gluten free.) "Prepared in a facility that also processes nuts and dairy."

*The word Madhu translates as honey or sweet. It is also the name of co-founder Harshit Gupta's mother. (English "mead" (aka honey wine) may be from the same root.)

  

Sunday, March 6, 2022

Chocolarder - Gingerbread 55% Milk Chocolate India (bar) - Mar. 6, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Chocolarder
Gingerbread 55% Milk Chocolate India (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 200 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $10.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #14 of Chocolate and Spices Theme Weeks, and Day #1 of Chocolate and India Theme Week. 

When I first started Chocolate Banquet in 2006 I could not find Indian cacao; and even Indian-inspired flavor additions (usually chai blends) to chocolates were rare. Happily, that's changed. 

Today's well-tempered bar was made with ginger from the Kamthana Village in the State of Karnataka--located on the (south)western coast of India. Spices and India are forever linked in my mind. And what little flour this chocolate contained was gram (chickpea) flour--a possible nod to Indian cuisine.*

Today's Gingerbread 55% Milk Chocolate India (bar) was made by Chocolarder (Falmouth, Cornwall, UK). 

This milk chocolate bar had an aroma with chocolate (cake) and authentic gingerbread spice (star anise, ginger, cinnamon, clove) notes. 

The texture and flavor notes were also a thoughtful homage** to favorite ginger-spiced "breads" (more accurately, cookies/biscuits and cakes). Tiny grains of sugar and sea salt added interest to this smooth, spiced chocolate--reminding me of large, soft-ish, gingerbread people (cookies). Smelling of ginger and molasses right out of the oven, they were sprinkled with granulated sugar. If they lasted that long, sugar icing smiles and buttons were later applied. 

Maker's tasting notes: "Flavours of fudge and brasil nuts with pockets of fiery ginger and dark molasses."

Ingredients: Cocoa beans, unrefined raw sugar, whole milk powder, gingerbread (oats, gram flour, butter(milk), ginger, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, sea salt).

Allergen-related information: (Contains milk/dairy.) "Made in a factory that also handles tree nuts."

* India produces the most chickpeas (garbanzo beans). Although they may have originated closer to the Mediterranean Sea. There are two main types of this legume (desi and kabuli). Gram flour (besan) is often made with the smaller, browner desi chickpeas. (We see primarily the larger, lighter-colored kabuli type in the US--unless you're enjoying some authentic Indian chana dal perhaps.)

**The inside (plastic-free) packaging for this bar contained the following gingerbread history and description of today's chocolate:

"It is believed that the first gingerbread recipe originated in Greece in around 2400 BC. From there, Chinese recipes were developed in the 10th century and by the late middle ages, Europeans had their own version of the biscuit.

The hard cookies, sometimes gilded with gold leaf and shaped like animals, kings and queens, were a staple at Medieval fairs in England, France, Holland and Germany. 

Now in the 21st century, here is our own grown up take on Gingerbread, made exclusively in house, using exceptional ginger sourced from Kamthana village, India."

Raaka Chocolate - Pumpkin Swirl Unroasted Dark Chocolate 60% Cacao (bar) - Mar. 5, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Raaka Chocolate
Pumpkin Swirl Unroasted Dark Chocolate 60% Cacao (bar)
Good +
Weight: .9 oz. (25.5 g.) / 1.8 oz. (50 g.) in total bar 
Calories: 134 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $8.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Raaka, online order

Welcome to Day #13 of Chocolate and Spices Theme Weeks.

Today's Pumpkin Swirl Unroasted Dark Chocolate 60% cacao bar was made by Raaka Chocolate (Brooklyn, NY), and included Oat Haus (maple-sweetened) Granola Butter. 

Today's Pumpkin Swirl had a very subtle cacao aroma* with warm spice (maple, cinnamon, pumpkin pie and oatmeal) notes.

The dark chocolate was fully blended with the warm spice blend that was blended with a swirl white chocolate and pumpkin powder, adding even further flavor depth and complexity.

The spice-infused chocolate was sweet but the pumpkin powder, dark chocolate and perhaps some of the "butter" and spices helped balance the sweetness in the well-executed, overall blend. The pumpkin, spice and granola flavors played well together in this, and there were no off notes in this dairy-free and gluten-free bar. 

Ingredients: Organic cacao beans, organic cane sugar, organic cacao butter, organic coconut, organic Oat Haus Granola Butter** (organic, gluten-free oats; organic flaxseed, organic olive oil, organic maple syrup, organic coconut oil, organic cinnamon, salt, organic allspice, organic cardamom, organic ginger); organic pumpkin powder; organic sunflower lecithin; organic cinnamon; organic ginger; organic allspice; organic cardamom; organic nutmeg.

Allergen-related information: (Contained coconut.) Certified Organic and Kosher. Vegan, Gluten free. Soy free.

*Un-roasted cacao beans can be milder/smoother than roasted cacao(s). However, there were a lot of other flavors in today's Pumpkin Swirl chocolate, making it more difficult to discern the cacao notes from the Zoral Cacao, Dominican Republic cacao used to make this bar. The dark chocolate clearly helped anchor the sweet and spice flavors though.

Bixby and Co. - 20 Karat Primo Bar - 70% DR Dark Chocolate Spiced Primo Almonds - Mar. 4, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Bixby and Co.
20 Karat Primo Bar
70% Dominican Republic Dark Chocolate Spiced Primo Almonds 
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) / 2 oz. (56 g.) in total bar
Calories: 155 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.50 for 1 bar ($46 for 4-bar assortment)
Purchased from: Good Food Awards Marketplace, online order

Welcome to Day #12 of Chocolate and Spices Theme Weeks.

Today's "20 Karat Primo Bar"--70% Dominican Republic Dark Chocolate with Spiced Primo Almonds (bar)--was created by Bixby and Co. (Rockland, ME) to celebrate Rockland neighbor Primo Restaurant's 20th anniversary. 

The aroma for this bar encompassed bold, flavorful dark chocolate, salt/savory snack, roasted nut, and raw sugar notes--and the scent of a potentially addictive, high-end, savory-sweet snack mixes with spices and herbs (rosemary) as well.
 
The flavors did deliver on the promise of a seductive and satisfying, salty-sweet nut mix. This 70% dark chocolate bar was a balanced blend of bold flavors and smooth and crunchy textures. 

The spices (salt, red and black peppers and rosemary) were a great match with (and elevated) the roasted nuts and chocolate. I detected to a very faint tingle of ginger spice; however, there was no mention of ginger in the ingredients list. Probably the pepper and sugar. It was hard to tell if there might have been a warm spice note also in the single origin DR chocolate.

Bixby notes for the spicy almond pieces adhered to the back: "...Primo's iconic recipe for roasted rosemary almonds, a snack that's typically served with drinks and cocktails." The Mediterranean-themed, almond blend helped balance the sweetness and added sassy savory depth.

Ingredients: Organic cacao beans, organic cane sugar, almonds, rosemary, crushed red pepper, salt, black pepper.

Allergen-related information: "(Contains) Tree Nuts. Manufactured in a facility that also processes Peanut and Milk products."

Thursday, March 3, 2022

Pump Street Chocolate - 60% Grenada Milk and Nutmeg (bar) - Mar. 3, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Pump Street Chocolate
60% Limited Edition Grenada Milk and Nutmeg (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 195 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $10.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #11 of Chocolate and Spices Theme Weeks.

Today's 60% Limited Edition Grenada Milk and Nutmeg (bar) was from Pump Street Chocolate (Suffolk, UK). The founders built an award-winning bakery and expanded their (naturally-leavened) bread making skills into chocolate making. They make chocolate from cacao beans they import from single estates and cooperatives.

Aroma notes for this dark milk chocolate bar first evoked memories of savory dishes with spices (nutmeg), such as certain curries, creamed spinach, brown sauces. This note morphed to include spiced, creamy hot chocolate.  

The whole milk powder influenced the aroma, texture and flavor of today's limited edition bar. The texture was creamy and milky; and the overall flavor was less sweet than expected (thank you). The taste also evoked a savory cream bechamel sauce (even though there was no added salt or salty flavor--due to shared spice (nutmeg) ingredients in both foods). 

Pleasant, true chocolate/cacao notes (very faint or diffuse nut and fruit) were relatively muffled (cushioned by milk (milk hugged) and cocoa butter). The cacao was from Crayfish Bay Organic Estate (Saint Mark), Grenada ("2019 Crop").

The authentic (Grenada) nutmeg was complex, subtle and wonderful. It was in the background (peeking out from behind the curtains), but it still managed to steal the show. (Nutmeg, the product of an evergreen tree, like cinnamon, came to the Americas from south/SE Asia (e.g. Indonesia (Spice Islands)--and Sri Lanka/India, Myanmar in the case of cinnamon), often via spice traders/merchants interested in growing these valuable crops elsewhere. Nutmeg grows well in Grenada (a large exporter of nutmeg), and in other humid, tropical nations/islands with sandy soil.

Maker's tasting notes: "A high cocoa (60%) milk chocolate, offering subtle undertones of the fruit flavours characteristic of the Crayfish Bay (cacao) beans and gently scented with the warmth of Grenadian nutmeg."

Ingredients: Organic cocoa beans, cane sugar, organic cocoa butter, milk powder and nutmeg.

Allergen-related information: (Contained milk.) "We also handle dairy, gluten, nuts and seeds on the premises."

Ingredients: Organic cocoa beans, cane sugar, organic cocoa butter, milk powder and nutmeg

Crow and Moss - Vanilla Smoke Chocolate 69% (bar) - Mar. 2, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Crow and Moss
Vanilla Smoke Chocolate 69% (bar)
Good +++
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 150 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.25 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #10 of Chocolate and Spices Theme Weeks.

Today's Vanilla Smoke Chocolate 69% small batch (bar) was from Crow and Moss (Petoskey, MI).

This dark chocolate bar had a prominent vanilla aroma, and true to it's name, it had a balanced, subtle smokey fragrance and faint green floral notes.*

This well-tempered, bean-to-bar chocolate had smooth texture, an thick buttery melt, and a complex flavor bouquet that included dark chocolate, green, floral (white flowers), spice and faint, very slightly astringent tropical fruit and green notes (persimmon and green mango meet jasmine and orchid). 

Re-tasting this bar yielded even more subtley complex green notes (green tea, green-lemon herb (sorrel) and very faint and fleeting vegetable (Miner's Lettuce (Claytonia perfoliata) + baked potato). 

The faint (or perhaps implied) fruit note was difficult to nail down. Can a flavor come to life and refuse to be captured and fully analyzed? I was happy to chase this white (vanilla) rabbit through the hickory forest. 

I applaud the skills that went into melding the hickory-smoked cacao and vanilla bean together. Both these flavors stood proud and tall on their own; and the lovely nuances of each were highlighted and celebrated. There was also a barely detectable quantity of salt in this bar, that seemed just right.

Together, this pied piper of a partnership seemed to take flight. A sense of motion--an elegant flavor flux--created a highly satisfying ride, and kept me coming back for just one more piece. Nicely balanced, not too sweet. Highly complementary chocolate and vanilla flavors sparked a winter fire, while invisible grains of salt nodded in grounded approval, and floral notes looked at cherry trees blooming and whispered that spring is here.*

Maker's tasting notes: "We've taken whole vanilla beans and paired them with a hint of hickory smoked cacao and salt to create a fruity, floral twist with a nostalgic campfire finish."

Ingredients: "Cacao blend, organic cane sugar, vanilla beans, salt, hickory smoke."

Allergen-related information: "Processed in a facility that also handles nuts and dairy"

*I like floral, balanced umami and subtlely smokey and savory flavors in single origin chocolate. It's hard to find these flavors, and even harder to discover all these skillfully blended in one bar. Hats off that Cross and Moss makers for even attempting this bar when there are some critics who view umami, smokey (and, surprisingly, even floral) notes as possible "flaws" in cacao processing. Apologies: Happiness over this bar did lead to some wordy poetic celebration.

Tuesday, March 1, 2022

Endorfin Foods - Vanilla Bean Dark Chocolate Coconut Cream 70% Cacao (bar) - Mar. 1, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Endorfin Foods
Vanilla Bean Dark Chocolate Coconut Cream 70% Cacao (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.4 oz. (40 g.) in total bar
Calories: 210 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $6.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's Organic Vanilla Bean Dark Chocolate Coconut Cream 70% Cacao (bar) was distributed by Endorfin Foods (San Francisco, CA). 

Aroma notes for this (70% cacao 30% coconut) bar rich blend of dark chocolate (deep dark chocolate cake/torte) and warm, authentic vanilla bean blended with caramel overtones and very faint coffee and coconut cookie. 

The chocolate had a smooth, even texture, facilitated by cocoa "coconut mylk" and cocoa butter.

Flavor notes were similar to the aroma notes (above). Rich dark chocolate, caramelized coconut milk and lovely pure and pulsing vanilla all harmonized to create a great blend of flavors. Just the right amount of sweetness (not too much), and well-executed flavor depth and complexity.

Note: This Limited Edition Vanilla Bean bar was sold out at the time of this post (3/1/22).

Ingredients: Cacao, coconut sugar, caramelized coconut, cacao butter, single origin Madagascar Bourbon vanilla

Allergen-related information: (Contained coconut.) "No dairy, soy, refined sugar, gluten, GMO, or sugar alcohols


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