Marou Bar - Dark Chocolate 64% Tropical Fruits and Roasted Cashews - Sept. 29, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Marou Faiseurs de Chocolat
Marou Bar - Dark Chocolate 64% Tropical Fruits and Roasted Cashews 
Good ++
Weight: 1.2 oz. (35 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 200 calories in 1 snack bar
Cost: $3.20 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's Dark Chocolate 64% Tropical Fruits and Roasted Cashews Marou Bar was from Marou Faiseurs de Chocolat (Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam), and Imported by A Priori Specialty Food (Salt Lake City, UT) into the U.S. 

Founded in 2011, by Samuel Maruta and Vincent Mourou, team Marou (a name that blends the founders' surnames) sources cacao from several provinces in southern Vietnam.

Aroma notes for this "bite-sized adventure," single origin (Vietnam) chocolate bar included: complex, high-end dark chocolate and fruit (citrus, mango, other diffuse tropical fruit, berry and very faint fruity floral).

The textural blend of smooth, rich dark chocolate was interspersed with chewy, flavorful fruits and small chunks of crunchy nutty pieces was satisfying, as were the flavors.

While the well-sealed package looked like a fancy "snack bar" this was truly a high-end single origin craft chocolate bar (dark, smooth, with a faint, fleeting and balanced earth note) with flavor inclusions: roasted nuts (cashews) and dried fruits (mango, faint passion fruit and citrus (kumquat). The latter contributed bursts of tart sweet flavors that complemented the nuts and chocolate very nicely. 

This 64% cacao chocolate was not too sweet (thank you). The dried tropical fruits provided the touch of bright sweet orange sunshine, just as the orange and gold packaging colors suggested might be the case.

Ingredients: Cacao nibs, cane sugar, cashews, cacao butter, dried mango, dried passion fruit,  dried kumquat.

Allergen-related information: Contains cashews. "Manufactured in a facility that also processes milk, tree nuts, peanuts, eggs."

Zotter - Dark Choco with Coconut and Mango (bar) - Sept. 28, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Zotter
Dark Choco with Coconut and Mango (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 210 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $8.49 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Zotterusa.com

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate and Mango Week, and Day #1 of Chocolate and Coconut Theme Week. 

This Zotter Dark Choco with Coconut and Mango bar ("Sweetened only by Fruit") was made in Austria and distributed by Zotter Chocolates US LLC (Cape Coral, FL).

This uniquely-shaped ("Squaring the Circle") bar was both circle and square (one shape melded in with the other) and was adorned with circles and squares in a grid pattern, with a hole in the middle. 

The chocolate also had a unique, uniform thick, creamy smooth texture. More on that below.

The aroma and flavor notes for this bar were similar, and included: chocolate, various shades of nuanced and unsweetened coconut, faint coconut cookie, and subtle, green fruit (citrus, orange stone fruit).

In addition to the creative, geometric shape(s), I enjoyed two other unique aspects of today's chocolate: 1.) the texture, and 2.) the lack of cane (or other non-fruit) sugar. 

The thick, creamy texture went beyond the usual cocoa buttery (or cocoa butter and coconut milk) smoothness and was enhanced with coconut powder (see ingredients list below). This coconut powder blend contributed texture with thick and creamy heft; and richly nuanced--subtle not sweet--coconut taste. 

Many bars include (overly) sweetened coconut that can mask underlying flavors and textural possibilities. Thankfully this bar did not.

Coconut and mango (and the implied baked good sweetness of the added vanilla) added natural sweetness as well as flavor depth. Yes, added sugar can add brightness. But, I'll take nuanced, more "authentic" flavors any day.

Ingredients: Organic, fair trade cocoa mass; organic, fair trade toasted coconut (21%); organic dried mangos (10%); organic coconut powder 8% (organic coconut paste, organic coconut cream, organic coconut flour); organic vanilla bean powder, salt.

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

Theo and Philo - Mango and Coconut Chocolate Crunch - Sept. 27, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Theo and Philo 

Mango and Coconut Chocolate Crunch 

Good ++

Weight: .848 oz. (24 g.) / 5.3 oz. (150 g.) in total container

Calories: 128 calories in 1 serving (3 pieces)

Cost: $13.00 for 1 container

Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's Mango and Coconut Chocolate Crunch was created by Theo and Philo Chocolate Factory Inc. (San Juan, Metro Manila, Philippines).

Aroma notes for these chocolate confections included: toasted coconut, macaroon, chocolate, fresh sweet green and very faint sweet fruit. 

These two-bite sized, petite chocolate macaroon-like haystack scooped confections were light and crunchy. The small bits of different textures all played nicely together; and the rice crispies added textural interest and an airiness to these treats.

Texturally, this was a complex blend of chewy toasted coconut flakes, crunchy rice crispies, tender dried mango bits, and smooth dark chocolate. 

All these flavors were balanced and harmonized well--offering a pleasant, not too sweet (thank you) treat. These small snacks were not quick cookies, not quite confections. They were a welcome, high-end relative of small coconut macaroons, with a Philippine twist.

Ingredients: 65% dark chocolate (cacao beans, sugar, cocoa butter), desiccated coconut, dried mango, and rice crispies. (Cacao origin: Philippines)

Allergen-related information: "Processed in a facility that also processes peanuts and other tree nuts."

Amano Chocolate - Mango Chili 65% Cocoa Dark Chocolate (bar) - Sept. 26, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Amano Chocolate Company
Mango Chili 65% Cocoa Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good - Good+
Weight: 1.4 oz. (40 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 206 calories in 1 serving of bar
Cost: $10.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's Mango Chili 65% Cocoa Dark Chocolate (bar) was handcrafted by Amano Chocolate Company (Orem, UT).

Aroma notes for this bar included: sweet chocolate and very, very faint, light aromatic tobacco (smokey vanilla).

This bar had a relatively smooth texture. As I bit into a small square--concentrating on detecting any flavor nuances in the smooth, sweet dark chocolate--my taste buds experienced rapid bursts of fresh mango and hot, spicy chili flavors--that may have been complementary flavors to the chocolate, but the somewhat overpowering chili spike made that hard to determine. (The heat also diminished fairly rapidly but it lingered a bit.)

For some reason, I found myself wanting to add a pinch of sea salt. I also wondered if I could stir a few squares of this Aztec-inspired* bar into a savory mole sauce and serve it over a Mexican entree or enchilada.

If you like sweet chocolate spiked with hot spicy chili pepper (tempered by a little mellow, warm vanilla spice), you may enjoy this chocolate.

The cacao was sourced "directly from farmers in the Guayas River Basin in Ecuador."

Maker's description: "Rich chocolate flavor from the Ecuadorian cocoa breaks in waves, followed by the arbol chili's smokey warmth. The calming fruitiness of mango finishes."

Ingredients: Cocoa beans, pure cane sugar, cocoa butter, mango, arbol chilies, whole vanilla beans

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

*As chocolate maker Art Pollard at Amano Chocolate notes, cacao and chili "have been paired together since the time of the Aztecs" (over 700 years ago) "when they were used to create a wonderful drink."

Mexican Chiles de Arbol (Arbol chilis/chiles), used in today's chocolate, may be small (only about 2-3 inches long); but they pack some substantial heat, and have a Scoville Scale "heat" rating above cayenne and below habanero in the realm of common peppers. (Bell peppers are considered mild at the low end of the scale, and ghost peppers are at the top.)

The mango was likely brought to Mexico (via Spanish galleon trade routes, between Manila in the Philippines and Acapulco in Mexico) over 300 years ago.

 

Pie Ranch - Gluten Free Walnut Brownie with Mango Ice Cream - Sept. 25, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Pie Ranch

Gluten Free Walnut Brownie

Good ++ 

Weight: 2 oz. (56.6 g.) (estimate) / 4 oz. (113 g.) (estimate) in 1 brownie

Calories: Unknown

Cost: $4.50 for 1 brownie 

Purchased from: Pie Ranch, Pescadero, CA

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

Today's Gluten Free Walnut Brownie was from Pie Ranch (Pescadero, CA).* This working farm and ranch also operates a small farmstand (retail store) that sells a variety of farm-related produce, preserves, pies, ice cream and other items. (Shout out to friend Don for including a Pie Ranch stop as part of a Pacific Coast day trip.)

Aroma and flavor notes for this brownie included: true chocolate (fudge brownie, dark chocolate cake/torte) with very faint earth and nut (walnut) notes.

The brownie had a soft, dark fudgey texture, and a wafer thin crunchy surface layer. This was a nicely executed classic (dark) chocolate, gluten-free brownie with some bold chocolate flavor depth.

I paired this brownie with a side of Haagen-Dazs Mango Ice Cream that had soft, creamy sweet mango fruit notes and small bits of mango fruit. The fresh, bright, tart-sweet mango flavor of the fresh fruit got lost in the shuffle in the sweet creamy ice cream.

This brownie would have been great just by itself. However, for a fruit + brownie pairing, I think I'd prefer a few fresh mango slices; or better yet, go with fresh red fruit (cherries) or berries. Or, if you want to skip the fruit, enjoy a brownie with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream (a tried and true classic flavor pairing with brownies), and top with nuts if desired.

Ingredients: (No information; single serving sized brownie was wrapped in plastic at farmstand; but there was no label.)

Allergen-related information: Contained nuts (walnuts). Gluten free brownie, but there was no label with an ingredients or allergen list. (I forgot to ask if they could share this information.)

Mirzam - White Chocolate Alphonso Mangoes (bar) + Cacao Nib "Caviar" - Sept. 24, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Mirzam Chocolate Makers
White Chocolate with Organic Indian Alphonso Mangoes (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 158 calories in 2 servings (30 g.) of bar
Cost: $11.25 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's White Chocolate Alphonso Mangoes (bar) was from Mirzam Chocolate Makers* (Dubai, United Arab Emirates). Mirzam is the name of a star that Arab traders used for navigation centuries ago. This mango bar was part of the Emarati company's Monsoon Collection. (January to March are the wetter months in Dubai.)

Most white chocolates are very sweet, and bland. Happily this was not the case with today's offering. The surprisingly complex aroma notes for this golden-colored bar included: very subtle sweet root vegetable (parsnip, yam), faint sweet pumpkin, and bright tropical fruit ice cream fruit (mango).

The texture? It had a relatively slow, even melt and a thick, creamy mouthfeel (at a room temperature of 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21.1 degrees Celsius).

Flavor notes mirrored the fruit and sweet vegetable aroma notes mentioned above. This white chocolate was unique and flavorful and not too sweet. (Thank you!) 

The cocoa butter and milk mellowed the brightness of the bright mango fruit a bit; however,  instead of muting flavors, the overall blend was uniquely flavorful and satisfying. 

I associated the taste and texture with good, homemade cream soups made with a short list of fresh, high-end ingredients. (We're moving into pumpkin and squash soup mode here in late September, so this bar seemed a good fit given we are slouching toward soup season.) 

It's not every white chocolate bar I'd be comparing to a fine soup. This special mango bar is in the top 10% of all white chocolates I've sampled, and it deserves a place in a white chocolate tasting flight.

Cacao Nib "Caviar"
But, wait. You thought I didn't "count" white chocolate on Chocolate Banquet? You are correct. 

I paired today's white chocolate with a small dollop of cacao nib "caviar"--cacao nibs marinated in Meyer Lemon juice, fruits, sea salt and gin. (Note: any alcohol from the gin component had evaporated by the end of the marinating process. Only the faint botanical flavors were left.) 

This salty, fruity side dish was a fun (and surprisingly complementary) pairing with today's bar. But then, again, this Mirzam 4-ingredient bar wasn't your every day white chocolate.  

Ingredients: "Cocoa butter, unrefined cane sugar, skim milk powder, Alphonso mango."

Allergen-related information: Contains milk.

*Mirzam Chocolate is affiliated with Kakow Manufacturing Co. LLC.

Zotter - Mango Tango (bar) - Sept. 23, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Zotter

Mango Tango (bar)

Good ++

Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar 

Calories: 170 calories in 1/2 bar

Cost: $8.49 for 1 bar (plus seasonal warm weather shipping charge)

Purchased from: Zotter, online order

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

Today's Mango Tango bar was made in Austria and distributed by Zotter US LLC (Fort Myers, FL).

Zotter offers a seemingly endless variety of very thinly layered, "hand-scooped" chocolate covered bars (as well as a line of pure chocolate/bean-to-bar offerings). I have the impression the team (Josef Zotter and family, and almost 200 employees worldwide) are having fun.*

The creative bar flavors are matched with colorful, iconic illustrations by artist/designer, Andreas H. Gratze, on the packaging.

Aroma notes for today's Mango Tango filled bar included: dark chocolate, sweet mango candy/confection and freshly squeezed citrus (sweet lime, lemon).

Precisely executed thin layers were/are key to the overall taste. A well-tempered, very thin layer of 70% dark chocolate (shell) broke with a light crunch (at room temperature); and that contrasted with two layers of softer fruit filling that contained a tiny shred or two of citrus (lemon) peel.

The dark, slightly earthy flavored chocolate shell added flavor depth to (and balanced) the lighter and brighter, tart-sweet, authentic-tasting mango and lemon layers. This Mango Tango bar was rich and sweet enough to be a high-end confection, packaged in bar form.

Ingredients: Organic, fair trade cane sugar; organic, fair trade cocoa mass; organic, fair trade cocoa butter; organic glucose syrup; milk; organic mango puree; organic dried mangos; organic lemon juice; dry whole milk; dry skim milk yoghurt; dry skim milk; organic lemon juice concentrate; organic, fair trade cashews; dry sweet whey; organic soy lecithin; organic, fair trade dark brown cane sugar; organic lemon powder [organic lemon juice concentrate, organic corn starch, organic sugar]; organic turmeric; salt; organic vanilla bean powder; organic cinnamon.

Organic [90% organic]; Fair Traded, Fair Trade [content in total: 75%]

Allergen-related information: Contains milk, cashews, soy. Manufactured on equipment that processes other tree nuts, peanuts, eggs and sesame.

*Filled bar flavors include: traditionally inspired "classic" bars such as hazelnut and pistachio praline layered bars or coffee bars; creative fruit blends (Tangerine, Matcha and Coconut and today's Mango Tango); slightly boozy flavors (Whisky, Port Wine and Fig); various winter holiday bars (with and without spirits); and just plain fun layered flavors like Cola and Popcorn.

Theo and Philo - Chocolate Mango - Sept. 22, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Theo and Philo Artisan Chocolates

Chocolate Mango

Good ++ 

Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 3.18 oz. (90 g.) in total package

Calories: 132 calories in 1 serving

Cost: $13.00 for 1 package

Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's attractively packaged Chocolate Mango offering was made by Theo and Philo (Manila, Philippines).

Aroma notes for these pieces included: milk chocolate integrated with fresh, naturally sweet mango* and other fruit accents (red apple, lemon).

Chewy sweet mango strips were surrounded by a thin layer of chocolate. The generously-sized pieces of authentic, bright and sunny, tart-sweet, dried mango were the stars of the show. However, the chocolate added rich, smooth texture and taste to this fruity confection. 

Yes, this was sweet. (I enjoyed eating two pieces. Two was enough to satisfy.) The ingredients were high-quality, and the flavors were appealing, complementary and well executed--saving this chocolate and mango blend from tasting like pure sugar.

Ingredients: Dried yellow mangoes (mangoes, sugar), milk chocolate (sugar, whole milk powder, cocoa butter, cocoa mass).

Allergen-related information: Contains milk ingredients. May contain traces of nuts.

*I don't know if the fruit in today's offering was a strain of Carabao mango--also known as the Philippine mango or Manila mango--or not. These yellow mangos from/grown in the Philippines are internationally known for their sweet flavor and relatively tender texture.

Carabao relatives include some mangos in Mexico, that resulted from Spanish Manila galleon (ship) trade between Mexico (Acapulco) and the Philippines (Manila) centuries ago. This same trade route enabled cacao to arrive in the Philippines in the 1600s. So the foundation for today's mango and chocolate blend was created almost 400 years ago.

Nassau Candy - "Inventive" Milk Chocolate Bar with Popping Candy + Fresh Mango - Sept. 21, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Nassau Candy 
"Inventive" Milk Chocolate Bar with Popping Candy

Good +
Weight .875 oz. (24.5 g.) / 1.75 oz. (49 g.) in total bar

Calories: 130 calories in 1/2 bar

Cost: $4.99 (estimate) for 1 bar

Purchased from: California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, CA

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

Today's "Inventive" Milk Chocolate Bar with Popping Candy was from Amuse Mints, a division of Nassau Candy (Hicksville, NY).

Aroma and flavor notes for this bar included sweet milk chocolate (cocoa, fudge, ganache). Smooth chocolate was punctuated with snaps and amusing crackles from embedded popping candy. 

I paired this sparkling chocolate bar with slices of delicious fresh, sweet Keitt Mango. 

Ingredients: Milk Chocolate: (sugar, cocoa butter, chocolate liquor, whole milk powder, soy lecithin [emulsifier], vanilla extract); Pop Candy: (sugar, lactose [milk], dried corn syrup, process (sic) with carbon dioxide for popping effect). 

Allergen-related information: Contains: milk, soy. May contain: peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, eggs, sesame.

Spinnaker Chocolate - 70% Madagascar with Sea Salt (bar) - Sept. 20, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Spinnaker Chocolate
70% Madagascar with Sea Salt (bar)
Good +-Good++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar
Calories: 120 calories (per label) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Spinnaker Chocolate, online order 

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

Today's 70% Madagascar with Sea Salt (bar) was made from bean-to-bar by Spinnaker Chocolate (Seattle, WA).

Aroma notes for this bar included: faint fruit (mango, tropical fruit, fruitcake), chocolate (dark chocolate ganache); sweet, subtle, honey-ed floral; and diffuse light fruit (dried melon, jackfruit, mild tangerine, dried cacao fruit/pulp). In a re-tasting (several hours later), I experienced peach-mango fruit aroma notes.

This well-tempered chocolate had a smooth, relatively slow melt (at room temperature), allowing bright fruit flavors to unfold. Tiny flakes of sea salt added a bit of texture, and an additional dimension of flavor.

Flavor notes included rich cocoa, followed by a rapid blooming of a bouquet of tart-sweet fruits (sour cherry, jackfruit (pineapple, mango), sweet citrus, tart-sweet red and dark berry, other), and sparkles of sea salt. Fruit flavors played the starring role, and these bright notes leveled off after about 10 seconds and lingered into the finish. 

After about a minute (after swallowing this chocolate) there were two fleeting, barely-there chocolate notes (very faint, balanced earth and warm spice)--revealed after the fruit flavors had receded. (After the bar had been opened for several hours, the tart-sweet fruit notes mellowed a little.)

This well-executed, 70% Madagascar dark chocolate bar--like the Spinnaker 70% Dark Madagascar and 58% Dark Milk Madagascar bars reviewed earlier this week--offered a bright and fruit-forward rocket ride with no off notes. 

The addition of sea salt was interesting. I love trying umami adds and salt(s) with chocolates, especially if there are nuts or nutty notes involved. And this was high-quality sea salt.

However, in today's case, adding salt felt like salting an exotic fruit salad or fruit juice. The delicate sea salt flakes helped balance the naturally tart-sweetness; but I also wanted to taste all the very unique and prominent Madagascar cacao fruit notes in this bar without other elements competing for my attention.

Maker's tasting notes: "The always delicious Madagascar beans paired with Jacobsen Salt Co.'s Pure Flake Finishing Salt. My oh my."

Ingredients: Cacao, Organic cane sugar, sea salt flakes

Allergen-related information: "Processed in a facility that uses milk powder and nuts."

Spinnaker Chocolate - 58% Madagascar Dark Milk (bar) - Sept. 19, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Spinnaker Chocolate
58% Madagascar Dark Milk (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar
Calories: 140 calories (per label) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Spinnaker Chocolate, online order 

"Tonga soa" (welcome) to Day #7 of Chocolate and Madagascar Theme Week.

Today's 58% Madagascar Dark Milk (bar) was made by Spinnaker Chocolate (Seattle, WA).

Aroma notes for this bar included: butterscotch fruit pie; light and bright, fruity caramel; and buttered cocoa.

This chocolate had a smooth, relatively slow, creamy melt (at room temperature), allowing a bevy of bright buttery, fruity chocolate flavors to unfold.

Flavor notes included rich cocoa with a generous pat of butter, followed by a subtle blooming of tart-sweet fruits (red berry (strawberry), red currant, jackfruit (pineapple,mango, and faint sweet banana), sweet citrus (sweet, ripe tangerine), and then a warm uptick with more sweet berries--ripe red to ripe to sweet ripe blackberries--that gradually leveled off and lingered into the finish). The fruit notes were muted a bit by the milk, but were still detectable.

As with yesterday's 70% Madagascar bar (also from Spinnaker Chocolate), there were enjoyable fruit flavors. And, a few minutes later (after swallowing a few bites), there were two fleeting, barely-there chocolate notes (subtle warm spice and faint, balanced earth). And was with its 70% sibling, later in the day, after the bar had been opened for several hours, the bright tart-sweet fruit elements mellowed a little.

This 58% Dark Milk Madagascar release was a lovely rich and flavorful chocolate, offering a blend of creamy, buttery dairy with bright and fruits, and no off notes. This 58%er (along with yesterday's fruity 70% pleasure trip) would be nice adds to a chocolate tasting flight. Both bars illustrate just how much inherent flavor can be expressed with just a few ingredients.

Maker's tasting notes: "...elegant, malted caramel flavor malted milk and caramel flavor"

Ingredients: Cacao, Organic cane sugar, dried milk, cocoa butter. 

Allergen-related information: "Contains milk. Store in a cool, dry place." "Processed in a facility that uses milk powder and nuts."

Spinnaker Chocolate - 70% Madagascar (bar) - Sept. 18, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Spinnaker Chocolate
70% Madagascar (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar
Calories: 120 calories (per label) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $10.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Spinnaker Chocolate, online order 

"Tonga soa" (welcome) to Day #6 of Chocolate and Madagascar Theme Week.

Today's 70% Madagascar (bar) was made by Spinnaker Chocolate (Seattle, WA).

Aroma notes for this bar included: chocolate (ganache); sweet, subtle, honey-ed floral; and diffuse light fruit (dried melon, jackfruit, mild tangerine, dried cacao fruit/pulp). In a re-tasting (several hours later), I experienced peach-mango fruit aroma notes.

This well-tempered chocolate had a smooth, relatively slow melt (at room temperature), allowing a rainbow of bright fruit flavors to unfold.

Flavor notes included rich cocoa, followed by a rapid blooming of a bouquet of tart-sweet fruits (sour cherry, jackfruit (pineapple, mango), sweet citrus, tart-sweet red and dark berry, other), that leveled off after about 10 seconds and lingered into the finish. 

After about a minute (long after swallowing this chocolate) there were two fleeting, barely-there chocolate (very faint, balanced earth and warm spice) notes--revealed after the fruit flavors had receded. (Later in the day, after the bar had been opened for several hours, the fruit "punch" had mellowed just a little.)

This well-executed, 70% Madagascar dark chocolate bar offered a bright and fruit-forward rocket ride with no off notes. This would be fun to add to a chocolate tasting flight to illustrate naturally occurring fruit notes in a two-ingredient chocolate bar.

Maker's tasting notes: "Madagascar beans are famous for being full of bright, cherry notes. This bar packs a fruity punch."

Ingredients: Cacao, Organic cane sugar

Allergen-related information: "Processed in a facility that uses milk powder and nuts."

White Label Chocolate - Madagascar Bejofo Estate 68% (bar) - Sept. 17, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

White Label Chocolate 

Madagascar Bejofo Estate 68% (bar)

Good + - Good ++

Weight: 1.15 oz. (32.5 g.) / 2.3 oz. (65 g.) in total bar

Calories: 178 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar

Cost: $10.00 (estimate) for 1 bar

Purchased from: Mutari Chocolate, Santa Cruz, CA

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

I bought today's Madagascar Bejofo Estate 68% (bar) from bean-to-bar maker Mutari Chocolate shortly before they were forced to close their retail location in Santa Cruz, CA, and to move due to a multi-block urban renovation project. In this shop they offered bars, confections and drinking chocolates. (I am hoping they find a new retail space close-by soon.)

The Akesson Plantation, Bejofo Estate--located in the Sambirano Valley region in northwest Madagascar--produces Trinitario and Criollo varieties of cacao. 

Aroma notes for this bar included: very subtle, caramel, cocoa, and softly tart-sweet fruit (red berry, faint tangerine).

This bar had an even melt and smooth texture.

The flavor notes mirrored the aroma notes mentioned above (relatively smooth but subtly nuanced chocolate (cocoa), red fruit, and mild and sweet citrus). (Later re-tasting also yielded very mild and faint cream and malt notes along with more subdued red fruit.)

Toward the finish, I got a hint of red fruit jam with a dab of cream cheese on a lightly salted cracker among the chocolate notes. I experienced the rich flavor of fruit jam(s), yet, the chocolate was not too sugary sweet. (A welcome experience, particularly for a sub-70% cacao chocolate bar.)

Maker's tasting notes: Cocoa, raspberry, juicy citrus

Ingredients: Cacao bean, organic sugar, organic cocoa butter

Allergen-related information: (None found on packaging.)

Kaitxo - Madagascar Sambirano Valley 89% - Sept. 16, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Kaitxo
Txoko - Madagascar Sambirano Valley 89% Dark (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.2 oz. (35 g.) / 2.4 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 190 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $8.00 (estimate) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order 

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

Today's Txoko Madagascar Valle del Sambirano (Sambirano Valley) 89% dark chocolate (bar) was produced by Kaitxo (Balmaseda, Spain).

The company offers specialty coffees and chocolates. This bar was made from cacao grown in the Sambirano Valley area of the island nation of Madagascar, off the east coast of Africa.

Aroma notes for this bean-to-bar Madagascar chocolate included: dark chocolate (dark deep chocolate), and dark dried fruit (prune, raisin, fig, and faint apricot).

The chocolate had an even melt and texture.

Flavor notes included: dark chocolate (ultra-dark, almost unsweetened, chocolate brownie); slightly muted dried fruits (prune, raisin, faint apricot); faint earthy forest. A bit later: green (tea); very faint accent flavors of fine leather and tobacco; and very faint (partly imagined) warmed by-the-fire, tea with invisible spices.

Cacao varieties used to make this 3-ingredient chocolate included: Trinitario, Forastero and Criollo. Initially I tasted more Trinitario and Forastero varieties than I did Criollo. But, the very faint presence of bright but subtle stone fruit and some of the other lighter, top notes that surfaced later were akin to Criollo variety cacao.

The resulting chocolate flavors were well balanced and blended, and offered a surprising range of bolder chocolate and darker (almost roasted), relatively acidic fruit notes (think the caramelized edge of a well-done fruit cake that wasn't too sweet). 

The initial fruit acidity mellowed considerably after the sealed inner wrapper of this bar had been open for an hour or so to reveal more subtle notes. Do take your time with this bar and enjoy the skillful and subtle layering of flavors. 

One last observation: today's Madagascar bar (and yesterday's lower percentage sibling from the same maker) were judiciously sweetened with beet(root) sugar. This presented a very rare  opportunity to evaluate what beet sugar tasted like with fine chocolate. 

Most chocolate makers use (processed/refined) cane sugar "to avoid adding any flavor" to their chocolates. Less processed sugars (e.g. coconut palm sugar, brown sugar, honey, maple sugar and some beet sugars) retain more of their unique taste/properties, for better or worse.

 The subtle beetroot flavor used in this week's Kaitxo chocolate bars seemed to be a relatively good and interesting match with the single origin Sambirano Valley* cacao varieties. One more tiny overlay of barely detectable flavor in what was already the dance of the seven flavor veils. 

Maker's tasting notes: spices, red fruits and tobacco

Ingredients: Cocoa beans, (beetroot) sugar, cacao butter

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

*Surrounded by water, the large island nation of Madagascar has a warm, relatively moderate climate with rich volcanic soils in several areas. The northern part of the country (closer to the Equator) is well-suited for growing cacao. And the Sambirano Valley, located in northwest Madagascar not far from the coast, is known for its fine cacao.

 

Kaitxo - Txoko Madagascar Valle del Sambirano 67% (bar) - Sept. 15, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Kaitxo
Txoko - Madagascar Sambirano Valley 67% (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 1.2 oz. (35 g.) / 2.4 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 190 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $8.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order 

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

Today's Txoko Madagascar Valle del Sambirano 67% dark chocolate (bar) was produced by Kaitxo (Balmaseda, Spain), a specialty coffee and chocolate maker.

Aroma notes for this bean-to-bar Madagascar chocolate included: dark chocolate (dark chocolate mousse); soft sweet green; very faint marshmallow; subtle caramel; barely detectable fruit (faint, diffuse banana/plantain with mild red berry jelly); almost floral; and very faint, sweetly aromatic tobacco.

The chocolate had even melt and texture with a very slight astringency/graininess--that seemed to disappear after several bites.

Flavor notes included: dark chocolate (dark chocolate mousse, ganache); slightly muted bright red fruit (red currant, cherry); pleasant, very faint earth; and very light tobacco. 

Cacao varieties used to make this chocolate included: Trinitario, Forastero and Criollo. While there are plenty of hybrids of these available, including all three in one chocolate is not necessarily the norm. The resulting chocolate flavors were well balanced and blended and offered an agreeable, complex range of bold and subtle notes.

Chocolates with less than 70% cacao content can taste too sweet. (Too much sugar can mask flavors.) Happily, this was not the case with this bar. There were enough flavors from the above mentioned cacao varieties to shine through.

I admired the well-executed complexity and subtle layers of (aroma and) flavor. And I enjoyed the sweet red fruit and other notes that unfurled in subtle, almost three-dimensional ways in this 67% cacao chocolate. Very enjoyable bar.

Ingredients: Cocoa beans, sugar, cacao butter

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

 

Beyond Good - Madagascar Pure Dark 80% Cocoa (bar) - Sept. 14, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Beyond Good
Madagascar Organic Pure Dark Chocolate 80% Cocoa (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.32 oz. (37.5 g.) / 2.64 oz. (75 g.) in total bar
Calories: 225 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $3.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: New Leaf Community Markets, Half Moon Bay, CA

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

Today's Beyond Good Organic Madagascar Pure Dark 80% Cocoa (bar) was distributed by Madecasse LLC (Brooklyn, NY). 

As with yesterday' 92% single origin Madagascar bar from the same company, the cacao was grown in Madagascar and made into chocolate in Madagascar, allowing more money to stay in the country of origin. 

Aroma and flavor notes for this ultra-dark bar included: green botanical (sweet green, tree sap/syrup) dark, acidic/tart stone and dried fruits (prune, fig, candied citrus), ultra-dark chocolate blender-ized with prune-orange marmalade). Later, into the finish, the acidity mellowed and there were fainter, diffuse fruit (plum, lighter tropical (tart-sweet mango), very faint goji berry), and faint green forest.

Texturally, this chocolate had an even, smooth melt and a very slight granular mouthfeel.

The fruit acidity level was relatively high (higher than the darker, 92% version of this bar featured yesterday), the level of bitterness was balanced and not too high. 

Created from only four ingredients, this dark chocolate captured lots of flavors cultivated and  developed in Madagascar, where cacao was grown, fermented, dried and made into chocolate.

Beyond Good pure dark chocolates illustrate what made "in-country" chocolate can be: complex and interesting chocolate to taste and explore, with a much simplified supply chain, where cacao farmers reap more of the proceeds.

Ingredients: Organic cocoa beans, organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter, organic sunflower lecithin (emulsifier).

Allergen-related information: "May contain traces of milk and tree nuts." Gluten free, soy free, vegan. 

Beyond Good - Madagascar Pure Dark Chocolate 92% Cocoa (bar) - Sept. 13, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Beyond Good
Madagascar Organic Pure Dark Chocolate 92% Cocoa (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 1.32 oz. (37.5 g.) / 2.64 oz. (75 g.) in total bar
Calories: 240 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $3.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: New Leaf Community Markets, Half Moon Bay, CA

Welcome to Day #1 of Chocolate and Madagascar Theme Week. It's with much delight that I return to single origin chocolates this week, including a few made "in country" (in Madagascar), where the cacao was grown.

Today's Beyond Good Organic Madagascar Pure Dark 92% Cocoa (bar) was distributed by Madecasse LLC (Brooklyn, NY). 

The cacao used to make this single origin bar was grown in Madagascar and made into chocolate in Madagascar, allowing more money to stay in the country of origin. This sounds simple, but Madecasse has worked hard over the years to optimize this model--one that is still an exception in the chocolate industry. Typically the supply chain involves more third parties (collectors, exporters, importers, etc.), and less money goes to farmers. 

Aroma notes for this ultra-dark bar included: subtle, rich, sweet root (cooked sweet beet and yam), dark chocolate mousse cake, faint diffuse fruit (light tropical, mango), faint fresh green forest and/or wood, and faint nut and seed.

Texturally, this chocolate had a smooth melt; and it had a very slight granular astringency.

Flavor notes for this wondrously complex, balanced, and slightly acidic dark chocolate included a range of muted dark, dried, and brighter background fruit notes. And it had a relatively low, balanced bitterness level (for a 92%er). 

When I say complex, I mean this chocolate qualifies for a virtual travel experience. A better description for this chocolate might be a tropical-forest-in-a-bar. It evoked green, botanical, dried fruit (mango, North American pawpaws, sapote, fig, very light tangerine), light spicy nut fruit and fig cake, sweet wood, light earth, warm spice, and fresh mineral water spring notes...

...And those are just the notes I was able to put a name to, after tasting and re-tasting small squares of this bar. Other flavor and fruit notes came and went so quickly that I couldn't identify them. All were interesting and well within the enjoyable zone. 

Created from only four ingredients, this dark chocolate seemed to capture so much of the terroir and origin flavors where it was made, in the large island nation of Madagascar, off the East Coast of Africa. 

Today's Beyond Good pure dark chocolate illustrated what made "in-country" chocolate can be: great chocolate to taste and explore, with a much simplified supply chain, where cacao farmers reap more of the proceeds.

Ingredients: Organic cocoa beans, organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter, organic sunflower lecithin (emulsifier).

Allergen-related information: "May contain traces of milk and tree nuts." Gluten free, soy free, vegan. 

Spinnaker Chocolate - Gianduja Chocolate Hazelnut Spread - Sept. 12, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Spinnaker Chocolate

Gianduja Chocolate Hazelnut Spread

Good +

Weight: 1.27 oz. (36 g.) / 9 oz. (255 g.) in total jar

Calories: 210 calories in 2 TB serving

Cost: $16.00 (free shipping as part of larger order) for 1 jar

Purchased from: Spinnaker Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #14 of Chocolate and Nuts Theme Week. 

Today's Gianduja Chocolate Hazelnut Spread was from Spinnaker Chocolate (Seattle, WA). The company also offers a line of single origin (bean to bar) chocolate bars.

Aroma notes included chocolate, nuts and very faint cereal and oat.

Texturally, this spread was similar to thick, nutty chocolate frosting. The creamy paste (that held tiny bits of oat (oat flour) and hazelnut) was made using Spinnaker's dark oat-based milk chocolate. 

I could envision using this oat-hazelnut chocolate spread as frosting between cake layers, atop cupcakes, or between layers of ice cream (or dairy-free equivalent frozen desserts, parfait style). Or, it could be eaten with oatmeal, or plain--perhaps as part of a small vegan dessert plate.

The oat flour component cushioned the sweetness level a bit. It was not too sweet (thank you). But, it also (similar to dairy and other nut milks when blended with chocolate items) muted the chocolate and hazelnut notes. 

I admire chocolate makers who venture into spreadable chocolate. There are always trade-offs to be made with spreads to maintain the desired texture and flavors over time. 

Today's gianduja* was made with a short list of ingredients--without preservatives or artificial ingredients--and provided an opportunity to try an oat milk chocolate version of a classic gianduja chocolate and hazelnut. spread.

Ingredients: Dark oat milk chocolate (cacao bean, organic cane sugar, oat flour, cocoa butter), blanched hazelnuts, organic coconut oil, sunflower lecithin, sea salt flakes.

Allergen-related information: Contains: coconut, hazelnut. Processed in a facility that uses milk powder and nuts. 

Note: the oats (oat flour) used to make this Spinnaker bar may or may not be gluten free.

*According to a Wikipedia entry from several years ago, the word gianduja that has ties to the Piedmont region of northern Italy (where some of the best hazelnuts in the world are grown).

Gianduja, is a "carnival and marionette (puppet) character who represents the archtypical Piedmontese, a native of the Italian region where hazelnut confectionery is common." Gianduja is also represented as one of the masks in the Italian commedia dell'arte.

Endangered Species Chocolate - Fudgy Peanut Butter + Milk Chocolate 48% Cocoa (bar) - Sept. 11, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Endangered Species Chocolate, LLC

Fudgy Peanut Butter + Milk Chocolate 48% Cocoa (bar)

Good ++

Weight: 1.5 oz. (42.5 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar

Calories: 255 calories in 1/2 bar

Cost: $3.99 for 1 bar

Purchased from: New Leaf Community Markets, Half Moon Bay, CA

Welcome to Day #13 of Chocolate and Nuts Theme Week, featuring a variety of chocolate and nut blends. Today's milk chocolate was paired with peanut butter.* 

Today also marks the 16th anniversary of Chocolate Banquet, where I've written about eating a different chocolate every day, for 16 years now. Thank you all for being along for the ride.

And speaking of worthy occasions, today's Fudgy Peanut Butter + Milk Chocolate 48% Cocoa (bar) was from Endangered Species Chocolate, LLC (Indianapolis, IN). 

Aroma notes for this filled bar included: rich, authentic dark chocolate fudge brownie and peanut butter.

Soft, silky and fudgey chocolate squares--fused together to form the bar--held pockets of smooth, substantial peanut butter + white chocolate filling. 

These naturally complementary chocolate and peanut flavors blended nicely. The choice of darker cacao and a focus on concentrated, authentic peanut flavors (vs. what could have been more sugar), resulted in a filled bar that was flavorful, satisfying and not too sugary sweet (thank you!)

Last, but not least, the caribou was the animal of concern featured on the packaging of today's bar. Endangered Species Chocolate has a long tradition of highlighting animals that are endangered or threatened on their chocolate bars; and the company has donated part of their net profits (currently 10%) to non-profit and conservation organizations involved in saving and protecting wildlife. 

Among the facts shared about this amazing, large deer: "Caribou migrate over 3,000 miles per year--more than any other land mammal." That's a long way to travel around in arctic weather for one's daily 10 pounds of lichen (the caribou food of choice). If I'm fortunate, I may get to see some caribou later this year along with some Northern Lights (and chocolates).

Ingredients: Milk chocolate (chocolate liquor, milk, cane sugar, cocoa butter, soy lecithin, vanilla), white chocolate (organic cane sugar, fair trade certified organic cocoa butter, organic whole milk powder), dry roasted blanched peanuts, organic peanut flour, sea salt.

Allergen-related information: Contains: Milk, peanut, soy. Produced on equipment that also processes products containing tree nuts.

*Yes, I realize peanuts are legumes and not true nuts. (For that matter cacao "beans" are really seeds; almonds, pistachios and cashews are drupes; and I'm not a true nut, even though I've been accused of leaning that direction.) 

Oregon Orchard - Marionberry Chocolate Hazelnuts - Sept. 10, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Oregon Orchard

Marionberry Chocolate Hazelnuts

OK+ - Good 

Weight: 1 oz. (30 g.) / 6 oz. (170 g.) in total package

Calories: 180 calories in 1 serving 

Cost: $3.49 for 1 package

Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

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

As is often the case, chocolate weeks that feature popular ingredient partners--such as nuts, coffee, vanilla or fruit--often result in a theme week that spills over into a multi-week-long journey. Chocolate time.

Today's Oregon Orchard Marionberry Chocolate Hazelnuts were distributed by Hazelnut Growers of Oregon (Donald, OR). The company works with local hazelnut farmers to help develop and get products that include hazelnuts to market.*

The aroma notes for these glossy, generously-sized rounds included: sweet berry candy and/or confectioners glazed berry doughnuts.

The thick, soft purple milk chocolate coating fell softly away from its core when bitten into--revealing a whole hazelnut inside. But, try as I might, I found it hard to pick up the delicate flavor of these naturally subtle, sweet nuts.

The blend of flavors sounded promising. However, these sweet, lilac purple-hued confections fell a bit short of my hopes. The dominant flavors: sugar, fat/oil, and manufactured berry, made it difficult to taste the (milk) chocolate or hazelnut. A missed opportunity I think, given the food memories I have of being in Oregon and tasting hazelnuts, fresh berries, dairy and craft chocolate.

Ingredients: Hazelnuts, milk chocolate [(sugar, unsweetened chocolate, milk, cocoa butter), sunflower lecithin, vanillin, gum arabic], coating (sugar, palm kernel and palm oil and cocoa butter, whey, nonfat milk, cream, sunflower lecithin, natural flavor, vanilla), marionberry flavor [(soybean oil, benzyl alcohol and natural flavors), purple color (triacetin, medium chain triglycerides, FD&C Blue 1 Lake, Red 40 Lake, Red 3 and TBHQ), gum arabic, confectioners glaze]. 

Allergen-related information: Contains: tree nuts. Processed in a facility that uses milk, soy, wheat and other tree nuts.

*Co-ops that work with farmers can be very beneficial. E.g., Tillamook Creamery in Oregon has brought delicious ice cream flavors, cheese and other dairy offerings to local markets in California where I live. And co-ops in cacao growing countries help add value and international market reach, resulting in many fine chocolates in the US, Europe, and elsewhere. My hope is that Hazelnut Growers of Oregon might explore updated and/or higher end consumer offerings (without artificial colors or ingredients if possible). 

SkinnyDipped - Almond Sea Salt Dark Chocolate (bar) - Sept. 9, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

SkinnyDipped
Almond Sea Salt Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.8 oz. (79 g.) in total bar
Calories: 140 calories in 1 serving  
Cost: $1.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's SkinnyDipped Almond Sea Salt Dark Chocolate (bar) was distributed by Wild Things Snacks, Inc. (Seattle, WA).

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate, almond butter, and very faint light woody nut notes.

I liked the variably sized almond pieces (flecks to small hunks). They added textural interest and allowed more almond flavor to shine through the smooth dark chocolate.

This bar was sweetened with a combination of cane sugar and allulose. The maker offered this description: "Allulose is a sugar found in raisins and figs. It tastes like sugar but doesn't metabolize like it in your body."* (I did not detect anything off or different about the sweetness, other than it was not too sweet. Thank you!)

A judicious dose of sea salt added an appealing saline sparkle, and to keep things interesting.

Ingredients: Unsweetened chocolate, almonds, cane sugar, allulose, cocoa butter, milk fat, sea salt, sunflower lecithin, soy lecithin, vanilla.

Allergen-related information: Contains: almond, milk, soy. "Produced on equipment that processes peanuts, wheat, and other tree nuts."

*Allulose helped lower the carbohydrate and sugar count in this chocolate. "Total Sugars" in 1 serving was listed as 3 grams. "Total Carbs (12 g.) - Dietary Fiber (4 g.) - Allulose (exact number not listed) = 5.5 Net Carbs Per Serving."

Sjaak's - Roasted Almond Dark Chocolate (bar) - Sept. 8, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Sjaak's Organic Chocolates

Roasted Almond Dark Chocolate (bar)

Good + 

Weight: 2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar

Calories: 320 calories in 1 bar

Cost: $4.25 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Presidio Visitors Center, San Francisco, CA

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

Today's Roasted Almond Dark Chocolate 60% cacao (bar) was from Sjaak's Organic Chocolates (Petaluma, CA). 

Aroma notes included: subtle dark chocolate and nuts, and faint honey cookie.

This relatively thick bar had smooth dark chocolate texture with small flecks of almonds.

Flavor notes included: dark chocolate (brownie), fleeting earth, mild and mellow nutty and faint wood notes.

This bar had bold, yet smooth dense dark flavor (walk through an old-growth forest) mellowed by subtle almond. 

And speaking of forests...today's bar (packaging) was adorned with illustrations of a person near in a redwood tree forest, and was being sold at the Presidio (National Park) in San Francisco. A suitable tribute to an iconic Northern California legacy.

Ingredients: Organic 60% chocolate (organic cane sugar; organic, Rainforest Alliance Certified cocoa liquor; Rainforest Alliance Certified cocoa butter), organic almonds, organic sunflower lecithin.

Allergen-related information: Contains nuts (almonds). "Vegan, Kosher and Non-GMO"

 

Hu - Almond Crunch Dark Chocolate Organic 70% (bar) - Sept. 7, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Hu Products LLC

Almond Crunch Dark Chocolate Organic 70% Cacao (bar)

Good + - Good ++

Weight: 1.05 oz. (30 g.) / 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total bar

Calories: 180 calories in 1/2 bar

Cost: $6.59 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Country Sun Natural Foods, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's Almond Crunch Dark Chocolate Organic 70% Cacao (bar) was distributed by Hu Products LLC (Austin, TX). The company got its start with Hu Kitchen in New York City; and they now offer a variety of chocolates and snacks (gems, hunks, grain-free cookies, other) made with organic and paleo-friendly ingredients.

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate (dark ganache) and subtle nut (almond) notes. 

This Organic, Fairtrade 70% cacao dark bar had rich, relatively well-preserved smooth cacao, nut (almond bits) and sea salt flavors with slightly crunchy texture (from almonds and sea salt) and a very faint, fleeting earth note. 

The company uses its organic, house-ground cacao as a base for its bars. Coconut palm sugar added a little flavor warmth and (being lower on the glycemic index) slowed down the sugar rush. This was a simple, five-ingredient bar with enough flavor complexity to extend a bit beyond the basics.

Ingredients: Organic and fairtrade certified cacao, organic unrefined coconut sugar, organic fairtrade cocoa butter, organic almonds, sea salt. 

Allergen-related information: "Contains almond and coconut. May contain traces of cashew and hazelnut. Allergen cleans made prior to production, but beware that product is produced using equipment that also processes tree nuts, soy, peanuts, milk, and wheat."

Hu Kitchen - Hazelnut Coffee Dark Chocolate (bar) - Sept. 6, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Hu Kitchen

Hazelnut Coffee Dark Chocolate (bar)

Good ++

Weight: 1.05 oz. (30 g.) / 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total bar

Calories: 180 calories in 1/2 bar

Cost: $6.59 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Country Sun Natural Foods, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's Hazelnut Coffee Dark Chocolate (bar) was distributed by Hu Products LLC (Austin, TX). The company got its start with Hu Kitchen in New York City; and they now offer a variety of chocolates and snacks (gems, hunks, grain-free cookies, other) made with organic and paleo-friendly ingredients.

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate (dark ganache with tart green citrus (oxalis/oxalic acid)); nut cookie (hazelnut, coconut sugar and vanilla); and coffee (slightly tart fruit (berry, citrus) with a balanced acidity and the sharp (wake-up) fresh aroma that coffee provides.

This Organic, Fairtrade 70% cacao dark bar had a slightly stoneground texture with rich, relatively well-preserved cacao, coffee and nut flavors that included notes of fruit (berry, citrus), vanilla nut, and coffee, with fleeting faint earth.

The tiny bits of hazelnut contributed crunchy texture and diffuse nutty flavor. 

The only potential down-side for nut lovers, the sweet nuances of the hazelnut were a bit overwhelmed by its (bolder) fellow ingredients. But, if you like flavor layering--and want an organic, lightly infused hazelnut and vanilla coffee blended with smooth, 70% dark drinking chocolate--you may enjoy this relatively complex bar.

Ingredients: Organic cacao, organic unrefined coconut sugar, organic cocoa butter, organic hazelnuts, organic coffee, organic vanilla bean. (Fairtrade cocoa and cocoa butter and coffee: mass balance is used to match Fairtrade sourcing, total 65%.) Visit info.fairtrade.net/sourcing

Allergen-related information: Contains hazelnut and coconut. "May contain traces of almond and cashew. Allergen cleans made prior to production, but beware that product is produced using equipment that also processes tree nuts, soy, peanuts, milk and wheat."

Ritter Sport - Marhaba - Yogurt Honey Hazelnuts bar - Sept. 5, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Ritter Sport
Marhaba - Yogurt Honey Hazelnuts bar
Good +
Weight: 1.75 oz. (50 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 288 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $ missing information
Purchased from: missing store information

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

Today's Ritter Sport Marhaba Yogurt Honey Hazelnuts Bar was from Alfred Ritter GmbH and Co. KG (Waldenbuch, Germany).

Aroma notes for this fun confection of a bar included sweet hazelnut nougat and milk chocolate. 

Flavor notes included: upticks of milk chocolate, honey sweetened plain yogurt and hazelnut. I really enjoyed the well-orchestrated complexity of this filled bar. Texturally, it was also a multi-layered blend of creamy milk chocolate "shell" with a light, sweet creamy yogurt filling that incorporated small, crunchy, honey-ed and hazelnut bits.

Ritter's product description: "Milk chocolate with a lowfat yogurt filling, hazelnut pieces and honey-crisp."

Ingredients: Sugar, (certified sustainable) palm fat, cocoa butter, hazelnuts, chocolate liquor, milk, lowfat yogurt powder (milk), lactose (milk), honey, skim milk, maltodextrin, butterfat (milk), cream (milk), soy lecithin, sodium alginate. 

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

 

Oregon Orchard - Milk Chocolate Hazelnuts - Sept. 4, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Oregon Orchard
Premium Milk Chocolate Hazelnuts
Good - Good +
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 6 oz. (170 g.) in total package
Calories: 170 calories in 1 serving
Cost: $3.49 for 1 package
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's Oregon Orchard Premium Milk Chocolate Hazelnuts Theme Week were distributed by Hazelnut Growers of Oregon (HGO) (Donald, OR). HGO is an agricultural co-operative that offers "value-added products" using hazelnuts from 200+ local (Oregon) farmers, including chocolate covered and seasoned nuts. 

The aroma for these glossy rounds included sweet, nutty and milk chocolate notes

The texture: a blend of sweet, creamy (emulsified) and mild milk chocolate coating and softly crunchy hazelnuts at the center.

The sweetness level for these confections was a bit high for me. The flavors felt somewhat eclipsed by sugar. (I love complex cacao flavors and have an admitted bias for bean-to-bar dark chocolates.) Both the milk chocolate and the hazelnut flavor were very subtle with fleeting authentic hazelnut, as well as warm vanilla cocoa, notes. 

These chocolate covered, dry roasted hazelnuts were well executed and there were no off flavors; but I would have loved to have seen a bit more authentic cacao and hazelnut complexity shining through.

Ingredients: Milk Chocolate [(sugar, unsweetened chocolate, milk, cocoa butter), sunflower lecithin, vanillin], dry roasted hazelnuts, gum arabic, confectioners glaze.

Allergen-related information: Contains: Milk, tree nuts. "Processed in a facility that uses milk, soy, wheat and other tree nuts."

Creative Snacks Co. - Dark Chocolate Cashews - Sept. 3, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Creative Snacks Co.
Dark Chocolate Cashews
Good 
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 9.5 oz. (269 g.) in total container
Calories: 160 calories in 1 serving (5 pieces)
Cost: $5.99 for 1 container
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA 

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

Today's Dark Chocolate Cashews were packed by Creative Snacks Co. (High Point, NC).

The aroma for these dark chocolate covered nuts included: very subtle, sweet, slightly earthy, and dark berry jam notes.

The texture was a blend of a generously thick layer of smooth dark chocolate covering and softly crunchy cashew nut centers.

Flavor notes included: smooth, sweet and relatively mild dark chocolate; fruity (dark berry jam); light vanilla; nut; and faint, fleeting earth.

Ingredients: Dark chocolate coating (sugar, chocolate liquor processed with alkali, cocoa butter, butterfat [milk], soy lecithin, and vanilla), cashews (cashews, canola oil), corn syrup, modified starch (tapioca), confectioner's glaze. 

Allergen-related information: Contains tree nuts, (cashews), milk and soy. "May contain peanuts, tree nuts, milk, soy, egg, wheat and sesame seeds."

Russell Stover - Joy Bites Roasted Almonds in Dark Chocolate - Sept. 2, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Russell Stover 

Joy Bites Roasted Almonds in Dark Chocolate

Good + - Good ++

Weight: 1.16 oz. (33 g.) / 2.8 oz. (79 g.) in total bar

Calories: 140 calories in 5 pieces of bar

Cost: $4.99 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Safeway, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate and Nuts Theme Week, featuring "new" and varied nut + chocolate items I've been able to collect.

Today's Joy Bites Roasted Almonds in Dark Chocolate (bar) was from Russell Stover Chocolates, LLC (Kansas City, MO). The Joy Bites no sugar added line (that also includes peanut butter and sea salt caramel flavors) are sweetened with stevia and are made using fair trade* cocoa.

Aroma notes for this bar included soft chocolate and nutty (sweet almond butter), sweet aromatic wood, and very, very faint sweet citrus green (oxalis, wood sorrel). 

This thin (53% cocoa) dark bar had creamy texture accented with crunchy almond bits, and smooth dark chocolate flavor.

The chocolate was sweetened with erythritol and stevia leaf extract.** It was less sweet than other comparable 53% cacao chocolate bars. (Thank you!) Nuts (almonds in this case) do help balance out sugars; but the less sweet flavor was largely due to the choice of sweetener(s).

A nice choice for those on sugar-restricted diets and who may not appreciate the less sweet realms of bolder, ultra-dark (80%+ cacao) chocolates.

Ingredients: Chocolate, Non-GMO erythritol, chicory root fiber, roasted almonds, cocoa butter, milk fat, Organic soy lecithin, natural flavor and stevia extract. 

Allergen-related information: Contains nuts (almonds) and milk. "May contain peanuts, tree nuts, eggs and wheat."

*Fairtrade cocoa and vanilla: mass balance is used to match fairtrade sourcing. Total 50%.  

**The leaves from the Stevia rebaudiana plant provide a less caloric alternative to cane and beet sugars. (Beet sugar is used less often in fine/artisan chocolate.) Native to South America, stevia (in the form of stevia extract) offers more concentrated sweetness than traditional sugars with very few calories.

Bhu Keto - Double Dark Chocolate Cookie Dough Keto Bites - Sept. 1, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Bhu Keto
Double Dark Chocolate Cookie Dough Keto Bites
Good - Good +
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 5.29 oz. (150 g.) in total package of 6 bites 
Calories: 140 calories in 1 bite/piece
Cost: $10.99 for 1 package of 6 bites
Purchased from: Oceana Market, Pacifica, CA

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

Today's Organic Double Dark Chocolate Cookie Dough Keto Bites were made by Bhu Foods (San Diego, CA).

True to its name, the aroma and flavor notes for these individually-wrapped squares were consistent with a chocolate (chip) cookie dough.

The texture was smooth, rich (buttery) and pillowy while having a very faint powdery mouthfeel--what you might experience with well-beaten butter and a little flour in some short cookie or pastry doughs. (In this case it may have been tapioca and pea protein powder rather than flour.)

The whipped chocolate chip cookie and very mild (cashew) nut butter flavors were relatively pleasant. Chocolate chips and cocoa powder added flavor depth. The fat content and added pea protein extinguished cravings. 

 And, refreshingly, these bites weren't overly sweet (thank you!)--unlike some cookie doughs or artificially sweetened "sugar free" confections can be. The very subtle sweetness came from organic cherries, monk fruit, the relatively "sweet" roasted cashew nuts, and vanilla extract.

Ingredients: Organic roasted cashews, Organic red palm oil (Certified Sustainable), Organic soluble tapioca fiber, Organic chocolate chips [Organic cacao, Organic prebiotic tapioca, Organic "cocao" butter, Organic soluble tapioca fiber, Organic cherries, sunflower lecithin], Organic pea protein, Organic cocoa powder, pure water, Organic baobab, Organic sunflower lecithin, sea salt, Organic monk fruit, Organic vanilla extract.

Allergen-related information: Contains cashews. "May contain an occasional shell fragment. Manufactured in a facility that processes peanuts, tree nuts, and eggs."

Mondelez International - Mirabell Mozartkugeln Chocolates - Aug. 31, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Mirabell (Mondelez International)

Mozartkugeln Chocolates

Good + - Good ++

Weight: 1.81 oz. (51.3 g.) / 9.6 oz. (273 g.) in total package of 16 pieces

Calories: 282 calories in 3 pieces

Cost: $N/A - shared gift

Purchased from: N/A - shared gift (Thank you Erin!)

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

Today's Mozartkugeln (Pistachio) Chocolates were from Mirabell (Salzburg, Austria).* 

These round, filled confections (named for Austrian composer Mozart) were first created in 1890 by confectioner Paul Furst in Salzburg (the city where Mozart was born). Mirabell is one of the companies carrying on the tradition of making one of Austria's favorite chocolates.

Aroma and flavor notes included: nutty, very faint floral (vanilla), and cookie (cashew or mild nut shortbread) and smooth creamy, sweet chocolate.

A cross-section of this round, filled confection ("Mozart ball") revealed a few different layers. Inside a creamy, milky dark(er) chocolate outer shell were two thick strata of light nutty (pistachio marzipan and nougat)--and a ring of darker beige-brown in between these two lighter layers.

Ingredients:

Chocolates with light (28%) and dark (17%) praline fillings and Marzipan (6.5%). Ingredients: Sugar, cocoa mass, vegetable fat (palm), hazelnuts (9.5%), cocoa butter, whey powder (from milk), almonds (2.5%), invert sugar syrup, milk fat, lactose (from milk), fat-reduced cocoa powder, humectant (sorbitols), emulsifier (soya lecithin), pistachios, flavourings, stabilizer (invertase), whole milk powder. Chocolate contains cocoa solids: 46% minimum.

Allergen-related information: Contains nuts (hazelnut, almond, pistachio) and dairy. "May contain other nuts, peanuts and wheat."

*Mirabell is part of Mondelez International/Mondelez Osterreich GmbH.