MIA Ghana Gold - Intense Dark Chocolate 85% Cocoa (bar) - Mar. 31, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

MIA
Ghana Gold - Intense Dark Chocolate 85% Cocoa (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42.5 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 260 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $2.49 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's MIA Ghana Gold - Intense Dark Chocolate 85% Cocoa (bar) was a product of Ghana and distributed by Kuanza Ltd. (London, UK).

MIA produces chocolates (bars) made using cacao grown in Africa; and, more significantly, produces finished chocolate in two African countries (Madagascar and Ghana). Only a small percent of chocolate bars are made from bean to bar in Africa.*

This chocolate was part of the company's "Ghana Gold" series of bars (announced in 2022) made with single origin Ghana cacao.*

This bar had creamy, smooth texture. And aroma and flavor notes for this included: chocolate (rich cocoa, ultra-dark chocolate ganache) and vanilla (faintly aromatic vanilla pipe smoke). Enough vanilla that it conjured notions of chocolate + vanilla desserts. (But, there was no vanilla listed in the ingredients.)

The (Forastero-like deep, dense cacao) flavor was quite smooth, and not too bitter or acidic.

Ingredients: Cocoa mass, cane sugar, cocoa butter, emulsifier (sunflower lecithin), salt. Minimum cocoa solids: 85%.

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

*MIA is a brand of Kuanza Ltd. (I'm guessing that MIA might stand for Made in Africa, but I could be mistaken.) MIA co-founders, Brett Beach and Sarah Lescrauwaet, lived in Africa for seven years. While Africa produces the bulk (approximately 70%) of the world's cacao, only 1% of finished chocolate is produced in Africa. 

Brett and Sarah saw an opportunity to make finished chocolate "in country" where the farmers and producer communities can benefit from proceeds that normally flow out of Africa and into manufacturing centers in other nations.

Divine Chocolate - Smooth Dark Chocolate with Superfruits 60% Cocoa (bar) - Mar. 30, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Divine Chocolate
Smooth Dark Chocolate with Superfruits 60% Cocoa (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 150 calories in 1/3 bar
Cost: $6.50 for 1 bar

Purchased from: The Phoenix Shop, Big Sur, CA

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate and Ghana Theme Week, featuring chocolates made with Ghana-grown cacao.

Today's Smooth Dark Chocolate with Superfruits 60% Cocoa (bar) was made in Germany, using cocoa from the Kuapa Kokoo Farmers Union in Ghana, and distributed by Divine Chocolate Inc. (Washington, D.C.). Divine is co-owned by Ghana cocoa farmers and maintains close ties to Ghana cacao producer communities. 

The aroma notes for this fruit-brightened, ultra-dark 85% cocoa bar included: rich chocolate (chocolate pudding, torte, ganache) and faint tart-sweet fruit (berries).

Flavor notes included: smooth dark chocolate (smooth, roasted cacao, deep dark brownie) with interspersed with well-balanced bits of dried, tart-sweet red fruit (cranberry), dark berries, and faint nut. (There were no nuts listed in the ingredients.)

Berries are high in antioxidants called polyphenols.* And all three (dried) berries in this chocolate are known to contain high amounts of these polyphenols.

Ingredients: Cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter, dried cranberries, dried blackcurrants, dried elderberries, emulsifier (sunflower lecithin). (Cocoa solids 60% minimum.)

Allergen-related information: "May contain: milk, wheat, almonds, hazelnuts, coconut (and) pecans."

*Polyphenols are antioxidants that may relieve cellular oxidative stress in our bodies and lessen inflammation (anti-inflammatory).

Some animal and human studies on polyphenols have reported benefits in the following areas: neurological (degenerative disease slowing/prevention), cancer, bone health, and blood sugar regulation. 

MIA - Ghana Gold - Cashew Milk Chocolate 55% (bar) - Mar. 29, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

MIA
Ghana Gold - Creamy Cashew Milk Chocolate 55% Cocoa (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42.5 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 250 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $2.49 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's MIA Ghana Gold - Creamy Cashew Milk Chocolate 55% Cocoa (bar) was a product of Ghana and distributed by Kuanza Ltd. (London, UK).

MIA produces chocolates (bars) made using cacao grown in Africa; and, more significantly, produces finished chocolate in two African countries (Madagascar and Ghana). Only a small percent of chocolate bars are made from bean to bar in Africa.

This chocolate was part of the company's "Ghana Gold" series of bars (announced in 2022) made with single origin Ghana cacao.*

This bar had creamy, smooth very finely ground nut butter texture. And aroma and flavor notes for this included: cocoa (ganache), sweet green (honeydew melon), faint floral, and nut cookie.

The cashew milk helped moderate the sweetness of this 55% cacao chocolate; and the finish was relatively mild.

Ingredients: Cocoa mass, cane sugar, cashews (12%), cocoa butter, emulsifier (sunflower lecithin), salt. Minimum cocoa solids: 55%.

Allergen-related information: (Contained cashews.) "May contain traces of tree nuts, peanuts and milk."

*MIA is a brand of Kuanza Ltd. MIA co-founders, Brett Beach and Sarah Lescrauwaet, lived in Africa for seven years. While Africa produces the bulk (approximately 70%) of the world's cacao, only 1% of finished chocolate is produced in Africa. 

Brett and Sarah saw an opportunity to make finished chocolate "in country" where the farmers and producer communities can benefit from proceeds that normally flow out of Africa and into manufacturing centers in other nations.

MIA Ghana Gold Ginger Cashew Milk Chocolate 55% Cocoa (bar) - Mar. 28, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

MIA
Ghana Gold - Ginger Cashew Milk Chocolate 55% Cocoa (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42.5 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 250 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $2.49 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate and Ginger Theme Week, and Day #1 of Chocolate and Ghana Theme Week.

Today's MIA Ghana Gold - Ginger Cashew Milk Chocolate 55% Cocoa (bar) was a product of Ghana and distributed by Kuanza Ltd. (London, UK), and part of the company's "Ghana Gold" series of bars (announced in 2022) made with single origin Ghana cacao.*

MIA produces chocolates (bars) made using cacao grown in Africa; and, more significantly, produces finished chocolate in two African countries (Madagascar and Ghana). Only a small percent of chocolate bars are made from bean to bar in Africa.

Aroma notes for this bar included: chocolate sweet green, graham cracker and faint ginger spice and floral spice (similar to vanilla).

This smooth, creamy 55% cashew milk chocolate had pleasing cocoa, "milk" chocolate, mild nut and ginger flavor, and very faint, fleeting earth notes. (The ginger was in the form of added flavoring/"aroma" rather than pieces of candied ginger.)

This smooth "comfort food" chocolate was made using cacao from Ghana. The ginger warmth and milky cocoa flavor made it a great choice for a cold weather treat.

Ingredients: Cocoa mass, cane sugar, cashews (12%), cocoa butter, emulsifier (sunflower lecithin), ginger aroma (<1%), salt. Minimum cocoa solids: 55%.

Allergen-related information: (Contains cashews.) May contain traces of tree nuts, peanuts and milk.

*MIA is a brand of Kuanza Ltd. MIA co-founders, Brett Beach and Sarah Lescrauwaet, lived in Africa for seven years. While Africa produces the bulk (approximately 70%) of the world's cacao, only 1% of finished chocolate is produced in Africa. 

Most of the time cacao beans are shipped to other countries. Brett and Sarah saw an opportunity to make finished chocolate "in country" where the farmers and producer communities can reap more of the financial benefits--proceeds that normally flow out of Africa and into manufacturing centers in other nations.

Hummingbird Chocolate Maker - Candied Ginger Dark Chocolate 70% (bar) - Mar. 27, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Hummingbird Chocolate Maker
Candied Ginger Dark Chocolate 70% Cacao (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.12 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 130 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA 

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

Today's Candied Ginger Dark Chocolate 70% Cacao (bar) was from Hummingbird Chocolate Maker (Almonte, Ontario, Canada).

Aroma notes for this bar included: dark chocolate (rich cocoa, ganache with light fermentation, light fruit acidity), and spice.

Both ingredients in this blend--the smooth dark chocolate and authentic, and the very slightly chewy, candied ginger--were of high quality. 

This bar was blessed with a generous helping of sugared ginger chunks and chips. The ginger flavor was balanced, not too hot and spicy, and didn't overwhelm the nuances of the dark chocolate (shades of Trinitario cacao variety (fruit) and very faint earth. No small feat with two potential flavor powerhouses.

The flavors were well executed and lingered pleasantly in the finish. This was an enjoyable, flavorful, well-crafted 70% (single origin)* chocolate bar, from a small-batch, bean-to-bar chocolate maker self-described as "Industrious, Not Industrial." 

Maker's tasting notes: "Like a warm hug from a sassy friend, candied ginger adds a sweet and spicy zing to our single origin dark chocolate." 

Ingredients: Cacao, organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter, candied ginger (ginger, cane sugar).

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

Monsoon Chocolate - Ginger Covered in Dark Chocolate - Mar. 26, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Monsoon Chocolate
Ginger Covered in Dark Chocolate 
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 2 oz. (57 g.) / 6.18 oz. (175 g.) in total package
Calories: 150 calories (estimate) in 2 oz. serving
Cost: $10.00 for 1 package (plus shipping)
Purchased from: Monsoon Chocolate, online order

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

Today's Ginger Covered in Dark Chocolate pieces were from Monsoon Chocolate (Tucson, AZ)--a chocolate maker and confectioner that "sources cacao from around the globe and draws  inspiration for flavor inclusions from local ingredients."

Aroma notes for these round, pebble-shaped pieces included: dark chocolate (rich cocoa, faint diffuse fruit and fermented cacao, dark chocolate ganache/mousse) and spicy ginger.

Monsoon's generously-sized, round confections were like eating high-quality versions of giant spicy, ginger jellybeans--coated with a thin layer of 69% cacao dark chocolate and an outer-most dusting of (Ecuador) cocoa powder. The sweet ginger firm jelly-like centers packed an authentic, ginger root heat. Kapow. My eyes were almost watering; but I still wanted more.

Ginger lovers will rejoice. The only downside: all that ginger made it more difficult to taste flavor nuances in the chocolate. But, these were still fun to eat.

Ingredients: Organic crystallized ginger, dark chocolate (cocoa beans, organic unrefined cane sugar, organic cocoa butter), organic natural cocoa powder

Allergen-related information: Made in a facility that handles tree nuts, wheat, milk, eggs and peanuts. May not be suitable for people with allergies to these foods.

 

Hu Chocolate - Gingerbread Dark Chocolate Organic 70% Cacao (bar) - Mar. 25, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Hu Chocolate
Gingerbread 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: $2.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's Gingerbread Dark Chocolate Organic 70% Cacao (bar) was from Hu Products LLC (Austin, TX).

Aroma: dark chocolate and toasted (well-done) pieces of buttery gingerbread with warm spices (ginger, star anise, cinnamon, clove, brown sugar and molasses). 

This relatively thick, well-tempered 70% dark chocolate broke with a snap and had a slow, even melt with a very slight dryness and stone-ground granularity. It was rich in appealing flavors. The spice blend recalled gingerbread people, ginger-molasses cookies, and, best of all, hot gingerbread right out of the oven. 

Given the lingering cold and stormy weather in California this year, a week of ginger and chocolate winter warmer chocolate bars like today's has been most welcome.

I enjoyed this bar with dark chocolate-dipped gluten free ginger cookies and hot ginger tea (freshly sliced ginger root and honey).

The only bad news: this chocolate may be sold out by the time you read this post. This Holiday Edition ginger and spices chocolate was purchased in December 2022. One can hope that both the holiday Hu Pumpkin Spice and Gingerbread Dark Chocolate bars will be available again later in 2023.

Ingredients: Organic cacao, organic unrefined coconut sugar, organic cocoa butter, organic cinnamon, organic ginger, organic clove. (The organic cacao and cocoa butter were also Certified Fairtrade ingredients.)

Allergen-related information: Contains coconut. May contain traces of almond, 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.

Srsly Chocolate - Candied Ginger 70% dark (bar) - Mar. 24, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Srsly Chocolate
Candied Ginger 70% dark (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) / 2 oz. (56 g.) in total bar
Calories: 155 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.00 for 1 bar ( plus shipping)
Purchased from: Srsly Chocolate, online order

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

Today's Candied Ginger 70% dark (bar) was made from bean-to-bar by Srsly Chocolate (Austin, TX).

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate (fudge, faint, balanced, slightly acidic earth (peat)); faint green floral, and faint spice. The mild peat note disappeared after leaving this bar open for an hour. And a very faint floral smoke (barely there aromatic vanilla tobacco) took its place.

This well-tempered dark bar had a slight sheen and was made with "low and slow" roasted ("like Texas BBQ"), stone-ground cacao--in a city known for its barbequed (bar-b-qued) meats.

Flavor notes included: hearty, well-balanced dark chocolate with upticks of candied ginger. Ultra-dark chocolate fans will likely appreciate being able to taste the relatively bold dark chocolate base. (It was chocolate forward, rather than candied ginger forward.) 

Ingredients: Organic cacao, organic cane sugar, candied ginger (ginger, sugar)

Allergen-related information: Made in a facility that also processes milk, eggs, tree nuts, peanuts and wheat

The Xocolate Bar - Candied Ginger (bar) - Mar. 23, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

The Xocolate Bar
Candied Ginger (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (56.6 g.) in total bar
Calories: 155 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $14.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Phoenix (shop) under Nepenthe, Big Sur, CA 

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

Today's Candied Ginger (bar) was from The Xocolate Bar (Berkeley, CA).

Aroma and flavor notes included: warm, spicy ginger and dark chocolate.

Thick, smooth and rich 70% cacao dark chocolate surrounded chewy bits of ginger.

Dark chocolate and ginger--both bold flavors--were balanced (not boring) in this bar. And both dark chocolate and ginger were allowed to shine. There was enough harmonious flux (nuances, complexity) to keep the taste interesting and appealing.

The Xocolate Bar tasting notes: "...spicy and sweet with a ginger zing"

Ingredients: Organic, fair trade (70%) dark chocolate (organic cacao, organic sugar, sunflower lecithin), ginger, sugar

Allergen-related information: (Vegan)

 

The Xocolate Bar - Cinnamon Spice (bar) - Mar. 22, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

The Xocolate Bar
Cinnamon Spice (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (56.6 g.) in total bar
Calories: 155 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $14.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Phoenix (shop) under Nepenthe, Big Sur, CA 

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

Today's Cinnamon Spice (bar) was from The Xocolate Bar (Berkeley, CA).

Aroma notes for this 70% dark chocolate bar with spice inclusions included: warm spice (cinnamon, ginger, very faint (perhaps imagined) allspice and clove) and dark chocolate (relatively bold but smooth with slight sweet herbal and citrus).

Flavor notes included: joyful holiday spiced fruit cake with tiny upticks in authentic-tasting citrus (candied orange peel), candied ginger, and assorted warm spices (cinnamon). The candied inclusion bits added softly chewy texture and sugared up this festive dark bar. 

Dark chocolate minimalists may prefer fewer spices and less sugar; but this was a fun, upbeat bar to try, and brightened up very blustery and stormy weather we were experiencing in California. 

The Xocolate Bar tasting notes: "...a warming blend of sugar and spice"

Ingredients: Organic, fair trade (70%) dark chocolate (organic cacao, organic sugar, sunflower lecithin), ginger, orange, cane sugar, glucose, cinnamon, citric acid, orange oil.

Allergen-related information: (Vegan)

Palato Chocolate - 70% Cacao Dark Chocolate w/ Caramelized Ginger, Honduras (bar) - Mar. 21, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Palato Hand Crafted Chocolate
70% Cacao Dark Chocolate w/ Caramelized Ginger, Honduras (bar)
Good ++
Weight: .9 oz. (25 g.) / 1.8 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 130 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #9 of Chocolate and Honduras Theme Week, and Day #1 of Chocolate and Ginger Theme Week.

Today's 70% Cacao Dark Chocolate w/ Caramelized Ginger, Honduras (bar) was hand-crafted and distributed by Palato S. de R.L. (Tegucigalpa M.DC., Honduras).  

Aroma notes for this bar included: relatively bold, dark chocolate with subtle complexity, with lively spice (ginger) and occasional earth notes.

Flavor notes included: spikes of spicy, authentic, sugared ginger and dark chocolate. There were fleeting bitter and slightly soapy ginger notes (I'm assuming both from the slightly chewy ginger root flecks). 

This was a satisfying dark chocolate spice bar. One small piece provided a good wake-up chocolate breakfast.

Ingredients: Cacao nibs, sugar and caramelized ginger (ginger and sugar)

Allergen-related information: Produced in a facility that processes tree nuts

Mutari White Label Chocolate - Honduras La Masica 74% - Mar. , 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Mutari - White Label Chocolate 
Honduras La Masica 74% (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.15 oz. (32.5 g.) / 2.3 oz. (65 g.) in total bar
Calories: 178 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $ Missing information
Purchased from: Mutari Chocolate, Santa Cruz, CA

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

Today's White Label Chocolate Honduras La Masica 74% (bar) was made and hand-wrapped in Santa Cruz, CA. (The company has since moved its manufacturing space down to Watsonville, CA.)

The cacao (2015 Harvest, La Masica, Honduras) used to make this bar was thoughtfully sourced from producer FHIA by White Label's chief chocolate maker, who "is honored to (support/be able to work with) small family farmers" and co-ops in equatorial regions.

Fundacion Hondurena de Investagacion Agricola (FHIA) is a non-profit that works to support sustainable agriculture and cacao in Honduras.

Aroma notes for this two-ingredient chocolate included: a very gentle, complex and appealing bouquet of fruit (peach, plum, fig jam, very faint cherry), very faint and diffuse molasses and warm spice, very faint and diffuse floral (apricot blossom, orchid, honey).

Flavor notes included: true chocolate (brownie, dark chocolate ganache, cookie), cream**, diffuse fruit (stone fruit), very faint warm spice, and faint (balanced) earth.

Ingredients: Cacao beans, Organic sugar

Allergen-related information: (No allergens listed in ingredients; no additional facility/allergen-related information listed on packaging.)

**There was no cream or dairy ingredients in this chocolate.

Palato Chocolate - Almendras Cubiertos de Chocolate Oscuro - Mar. 19, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Palato Chocolate

Almendras Cubiertos de Chocolate Oscuro

(Almonds Covered in Dark Chocolate) 
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 2 oz. (57 g.) / 6 oz. (170 g.) in total bar
Calories: 310 calories (estimate) in 2 oz. (57 g.) serving
Cost: $15.00 (estimate) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Missing information

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

Today's Palato Hand Crafted Chocolate, Almonds Covered in Dark Chocolate were manufactured and distributed by Palato S. de R.L. (Tegucigalpa, M.DC., Honduras).

Aroma notes for these dark chocolate covered almonds included: subtle fudge brownie batter. (Most glazed chocolate confections have very little aroma that comes through before you bite into them.)

The dark chocolate and almond flavors were rich and satisfying. Authentic tasting cacao flavor included dark chocolate with fruit (soft, tart sweet cherry) and very faint balanced earth notes. The inside was bursting with fresh-tasting, crunchy roasted whole almond flavor.

These dark chocolate covered almonds were much better than most you'll find. They had nuanced and very complementary chocolate and nut flavors. (The almonds almost stole the show.) These were just plain good, and not too sweet. (Thank you!)

Ingredients: Almonds, dark chocolate, sugar and gum arabic (agente de glaseado). Producto 100% artesanal elaborado en Honduras.

Allergen-related information: Contains nuts and could contain traces of milk.

 

 

Palato Chocolate - 80% Cacao Dark Chocolate (Honduras) (bar) - Mar. 18, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Palato Hand Crafted Chocolate
80% Cacao Dark Chocolate, Honduras (bar) 
Good + - Good ++
Weight: .9 oz. (25 g.) / 1.8 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 150 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's Palato Hand Crafted Chocolate 80% Cacao Dark Chocolate, Honduras (bar) was manufactured and distributed by Palato S. de R.L. (Tegucigalpa, M.DC., Honduras).

Aroma notes for this two-ingredient chocolate included: subtle but flavorful dark chocolate; diffuse fruit (dried pear, white wine grape, golden raisin, almost undetectable sweet pineapple and mango); and very faint savory earth and fermentation notes (when the sealed, inner package was first opened).

This 80% chocolate broke with a snap, initially had a smooth melt and texture, and then there was an uptick in fruit astringency. This granular dryness was enough to tickle the throat, although it diminished in the finish.

The relatively fruity ultra-dark chocolate had a very slight, fleeting fermentation funk (wine, cheese)--that dissipated (along with some of the fruit notes) after leaving the freshly opened chocolate on a plate to breathe for a few hours. In its wake a tamer, very faint dark chocolate coconut cookie note joined the fruit notes that remained.

The flavors described above were balanced, and fairly mild for an 80% dark chocolate. Low in bitterness, this bar was generous in its subtle, complex fruit notes, but not too sweet. 

This two-ingredient bar would be interesting to try for dark chocolate fans, and one to include on a dessert (fruit and cheese) plate.

Ingredients: Cacao nibs and sugar

Allergen-related information: Produced in a facility that processes tree nuts.

Palato Chocolate - 65% Cacao Dark Chocolate w/ Bhutlah Pepper, Honduras (bar) - Mar. 17, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Palato Hand Crafted Chocolate

65% Cacao Dark Chocolate w/ Bhutlah Pepper, Honduras (bar) 
Good + - Good ++
Weight: .9 oz. (25 g.) / 1.8 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 140 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's Palato Hand Crafted Chocolate 65% Cacao Dark Chocolate w/ Bhutlah Pepper, Honduras (bar) was manufactured and distributed by Palato S. de R.L. (Tegucigalpa, M.DC., Honduras).

Aroma notes for this two-ingredient chocolate included: sweet, relatively subtle dark chocolate with slight fermentation and faint vegetable (lightly smoked chili pepper) notes.

Flavor notes included: warm chocolate, lightly sweetened iced tea, and hot pepper. About halfway through tasting a piece, there was an uptick in heat (from the spicy Bhutlah pepper).

This chocolate had interesting, subtle complexity, and the balanced spiciness added interest. The hot pepper flavor was rich and nicely balanced; it tickled the throat but didn't overwhelm the other, more subtle, flavors.

Ingredients: Cacao nibs, sugar, cacao fat and dehydrated bhutlah pepper

Allergen-related information: Produced in a facility that processes tree nuts

 

Palato Chocolate - White Chocolate with Cacao Nibs (bar) - Mar. 16, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Palato Chocolate
White Chocolate with Cacao Nibs (bar)
Good + - Good ++ 
Weight: .9 oz. (25 g.) / 1.8 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 150 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's Palato Hand Crafted Chocolate White Chocolate with Cacao Nibs (bar) was manufactured and distributed by Palato S. de R.L. (Tegucigalpa, M.DC., Honduras).

Founded in 2017 by Chef Monica Pedemonte, Palato Chocolate creates high-end cuisine, baked goods and bean-to-bar chocolate. The Honduran cacao used to make their chocolates comes from several regions, including some very remote locations.

The initial aroma notes (immediately after opening the sealed inner packaging) included: fruit (melon candy, red grape), very faint salad with white cheese (goat roquefort), and barely detectable cacao nibs. 

After being opened for 12 hours, the fermentation (cheese)* notes had all but disappeared; the ripe fruit notes had receded; and sweet, Boston brown bread and honey notes revealed themselves.

Flavor notes for this white chocolate with cocoa nibs bar echoed the (initial and subsequent) aroma notes described above, first with a bit of cheese salad, subtle sweet fruit (melon, pear, peach) and faint caramel; and occasional crunchy cacao nibs. The crunchy dark nibs and the savory notes helped balance out the sweetness of the white chocolate.

The finish was mellow, almost mild: soft and sweet (more like wine grapes than cheese salad).

*I thought if I re-tasted this chocolate later, the fermentation notes might dissipate. They did. These notes did fade, but some of the unique fruit fermentation fun may have also diminished a bit.

I appreciated the daring complexity of this chocolate. (Full disclosure: I love complex umami flavors.) It was difficult to know how to "rate" this chocolate. Not everyone will appreciate it's uniqueness. I recommend inhaling the aroma when you open this chocolate, but then let it sit open for a few hours before eating it.

Ingredients: Cacao nibs, sugar and cacao fat

Allergen-related information: Produced in a facility that processes tree nuts.  

Palato Chocolate - 60% Cacao Dark Milk Chocolate (Honduras) (bar) - Mar. 15, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Palato Hand Crafted Chocolate
60% Cacao Dark Milk Chocolate (bar)
Good + - Good ++ 
Weight: .9 oz. (25 g.) / 1.8 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 150 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $8.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's Palato Hand Crafted Chocolate 60% Cacao Dark Milk Chocolate (bar) was manufactured and distributed by Palato S. de R.L. (Tegucigalpa, M.DC., Honduras).

The company was established by (Chef) Monica Pedemonte in 2007. She specializes in Honduran cacao, and the cacao beans/nibs used to make their chocolates come from several areas of the country.

Subtle, complex aroma notes for today's bar included: dark milk chocolate, muted fruit, very faint vegetable (potato, sweet chili), faint molasses and date, and faint caramel.

The texture of this well-tempered bar was relatively creamy and smooth with a rapidly dissolving melt. 

Given the complex aroma (above), this dark milk chocolate had more muted flavors than expected. Flavor notes included some initial cocoa (with very faint molasses and diffuse fruit), milk (an actual glass of milk), and a milky chocolate (ganache -- only with less sugar). 

The chocolate was not too sweet (thank you!). Too much sugar can overwhelm flavors. Although, the milk (while authentic and wonderful) seemed to dilute what may have been a subtle, more nuanced cacao.

Those wanting a milder, yet sophisticated (less strong, less sugary) milk chocolate will like this subtle bar. It had an interesting aroma and was low in acidity and very low in bitterness.

Ingredients: Cacao nibs, sugar, milk powder and cacao fat

Allergen-related information: Produced in a facility that processes tree nuts. 

Palato Chocolate - 65% Cacao Dark Chocolate (Honduras) (bar) - Mar. 14, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Palato Chocolate
65% Cacao 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: $9.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #2 of Chocolate and Honduras Theme Week. Happily, I found enough chocolates from Honduras (or made with cacao from Honduras) for a complete week.

The history of cacao cultivation in Central America is long. Archeological evidence points to humans enjoying cacao 1,000s of years ago (2,000 BCE) in Honduras. However, it has been challenging to find bars made with Honduran cacao in the U.S.  

Today's Palato Hand Crafted Chocolate 65% Cacao Dark Chocolate (bar) was manufactured and distributed by Palato S. de R.L. (Tegucigalpa, M.DC., Honduras).

Palato Chocolate is a high-end cuisine/baked goods (and subsequently bean-to-bar chocolate) brand established by (Chef) Monica Pedemonte in 2007. The Honduran cacao used to make their chocolates comes from several regions, including remote locations such as Wampusurpi, Gracias a Dios.

Aroma notes included: hearty, nuanced and fruity dark chocolate with faint fruit (soft, sweet white wine grape), green floral, earthy (slightly savory, clay) brownie.

This dark chocolate had skillfully balanced, true cacao (dark chocolate torte) flavor with a very faint dried golden fruit (dried pear, white grape, very faint, fleeting pomegranate) note. It had a balanced fruit (and very faint roasted coffee) acidity and was not too sweet. 

The finish was also chocolate-y with very faint fruit (sweet white grape) and fleeting sweet warm spice (cinnamon) notes. These was a faint, fleeting fruit astringency (very slight dryness, graininess), but only in one bite; otherwise both texture and taste were quite smooth.

Ingredients: Cacao nibs, sugar and cacao fat

Allergen-related information: Produced in a facility that processes tree nuts. 

Palato - 65% Cacao Dark Chocolate with Orange and Almonds (bar) - Mar. 13, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Palato Chocolate
65% Cacao Dark Chocolate with Orange and Almonds (bar)
Good ++
Weight: .9 oz. (25 g.) / 1.8 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 130 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #11 of Chocolate and Fruits Week, and Day #1 of Chocolate and Honduras Theme Week. 

I am excited to feature a full week of Honduras chocolates, including a variety of bars and confections from Palato Hand Crafted Chocolate located in Honduras.

Today's Palato Hand Crafted Chocolate 65% Cacao Dark Chocolate with Orange and Almonds (bar) was manufactured and distributed by Palato S. de R.L. (Tegucigalpa, M.DC., Honduras).

The citrus (sophisticated candied orange peel) aroma for this dark chocolate bar was worth calling out. I felt was enjoying a slice of chocolate orange peel almond cake or a cocktail (Old Fashioned, Manhattan with orange peel and bitters), with all the rich flavor, but without the alcohol. 

All this aroma and flavor was packed into a smooth, well-tempered 65% dark chocolate. This chocolate was not too sweet. (That aromatic sweet orange peel perfume (orange oil) provided plenty of sweet fruit essence.) The uniform, flavorful dark chocolate, and the almond bits, contained all this sweet citrus taste in the most delightful, complementary way.

Ingredients: Cacao nibs, sugar, cacao fat, almonds and orange oil

Allergen-related information: Contains tree nuts (almonds). Produced in a facility that processes tree nuts. 

Chocolove - Filled Passion Fruit Ruby Chocolate 34% (bar) - Mar. 12, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Chocolove
Filled Passion Fruit Ruby Chocolate 34% Cocoa (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 3.2 oz. (90 g.) in total bar
Calories: 160 calories in 1/3 bar
Cost: $N/A - gift (Thank you Megan!)
Purchased from: N/A gift from family member 

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

Today's Passion Fruit Filled Ruby Chocolate 34% Cocoa (bar) was from Chocolove (Boulder, CO).

Aroma notes for this bar: sweet fruits (passion fruit, red berry lemonade), and berry candy.

The creamy ruby chocolate exterior had red raspberry milk tea and sweet berry white chocolate flavor notes, punctuated by pockets of soft, golden, tart-sweet, passion fruit filling.

Yes, it may a bit too sweet for dark chocolate lovers. But, what was enjoyable was the complementary candy-like blend of ruby (berry) + white (vanilla) chocolate and passion fruit filling. The two flavors and textures worked well together. 

And speaking of sweet, Chocolove has continued their tradition of including a love poem on the inside of its chocolate bar wrappers. This one was from "Astrophil and Stella" by Sir Philip Sidney. The last line includes a reference to chocolate.

Ingredients: Ruby chocolate (sugar, cocoa butter, milk, cocoa liquor, soy lecithin, citric acid, vanilla), white chocolate (sugar, cocoa butter, milk, soy lecithin, vanilla), cane sugar, passion fruit concentrate, passion fruit puree (passion fruit, sugar), organic cream (milk, gellan gum), organic glycerin, tapioca syrup, organic palm fruit oil, invert sugar.

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

Tru Fru - Dark Chocolate Nature's Blueberries (frozen) - Mar. 11, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Tru Fru
Dark Chocolate Nature's Blueberries (frozen)
Good +
Weight: 2.5 oz. (70.7 g.) / 5 oz. (141.5 g.) in total container
Calories: 225 calories in 1/2 container
Cost: $2.99 for 1 container
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's Dark Chocolate Nature's Blueberries were from Tru Fru (Salt Lake City, UT). The company specializes in chilled and dried "fresh fruit in chocolate" snacks.

These frozen blueberries were immersed in both white and dark chocolate. As with most frozen items, the aroma was subtle. The blueberry centers had authentic frozen berry texture and the outer chocolate layers were smooth, with a nice melt.

Flavor notes included: slightly earthy bold dark chocolate (dark chocolate frosting, ganache) as well as sweet white chocolate surrounding a frozen blueberry fruit center, with a faint, earthy finish.

These chocolate covered blueberries were flavorful and felt less filling than heavier chocolate and fruit confections.

Ingredients: Blueberries, dark chocolate (cane sugar, chocolate liquor (processed with alkali), cocoa butter, milkfat, soy lecithin (an emulsifier), vanilla), white chocolate (cane sugar, cocoa butter, whole milk powder, soy lecithin (an emulsifier), natural vanilla flavor).

Allergen-related information: Contains milk and soy.

Bitchin' Inc. - Chocolate Sweet Sauce & Kasama Chocolate - Blackberry White Chocolate (bar) - Mar. 10, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Bitchin' Inc.
Chocolate Sweet Sauce
Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 8 oz. (227 g.) in total container
Calories: 110 calories in 1 serving (2 TB) 
Cost: $3.99 for 1 container
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Kasama Chocolate
Blackberry White Chocolate (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: .97 oz. (27.5 g.) / 1.94 oz. (55 g.) in total bar

Calories: 164.5 calories in 1/2 bar

Cost: $14.00 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate and Fruits Theme Week, featuring fruits ranging from Apple to Yuzu--and chocolate and fruit pairings like today's chocolate sauce and blackberry white chocolate duo.

I don't count white chocolates (even when they're made with 100% real cocoa butter); but a few times a year, I made an exception and pair dark or milk chocolate with a white chocolate (with a flavor inclusion). Today's double feature is one of those days.

Bitchin' Inc. - Chocolate Sweet Sauce

This was not your grandparents' chocolate sauce. This refrigerated, lightly malty, nutty chocolate sauce was less sweet and more flavorful than traditional jarred chocolate sauces (made with sugar(s) and corn syrup). 

Most chocolate sauces found in a glass jar also don't contain things like finely ground almonds, coconut aminos, or nutritional yeast. 

Family owned and operated Bitchin' Inc. (based in Carlsbad, CA) is best known for their variety of gluten free and vegan savory and sweet sauces, made with a short list of high-quality ingredients. (My favorite savory sauce is their artichoke and spinach dip/sauce.) 

Today's relatively thick, and very faintly granular (almonds) chocolate sauce had a satisfying sweet chocolate and malty almond flavor and complemented pieces of fresh fruits, including: apples, stone fruits, bananas, berries (and today's blackberry white chocolate bar) very nicely.

Ingredients: Organic cane sugar, water, organic sunflower oil, almonds, cocoa, organic coconut aminos, nutritional yeast, vanilla, sea salt.

Allergen-related information: "Contains almonds, coconut (tree nuts)."

Kasama Chocolate 

In a few days the 95th Academy Awards ceremony will honor the best performances in numerous categories. If there was a category called Best imitation of a dark chocolate bar by a white chocolate bar, Kasama Chocolate's Blackberry White Chocolate bar would surely win a statuette.

When I opened up the silver inner wrapper. I thought I was looking at a dark chocolate bar. This white chocolate was that berry-dark in appearance. It was bursting with an estimated 20 blackberries (fully incorporated) in each bar.

The aroma for this bar was cocoa butter and berry forward and there was a small explosion of fresh, tart sweet blackberry flavor in every bite. The sweetness was balanced a bit by dipping squares of this bar into the Sweet Chocolate Sauce (which was not as sweet as the blackberry white chocolate).

Ingredients: Organic cacao butter, organic unrefined cane sugar, organic BC (British Columbia) Blackberries

Allergen-related information: "Made in a facility that contains nuts."

Chocolate Naive - Durian Fruit Chocolate 61% (bar) - Mar. 9, 2023

 Chocolate of the Day

Chocolate Naive
Durian Fruit Chocolate 61% (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar
Calories: 158.48 calories in 1/2 bar 
Cost: $15.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order 

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

Today's Durian Fruit Chocolate 61% (bar) was made by Chocolate Naive (Vilnius, Lithuania).

The aroma aspects of this chocolate included: fruit (yellow-orange tropical fruits, very slightly earthy pineapple custard); chocolate; lemon-herb (oxalis); very faint nut (Brazil, hickory, pine); and faint wine grape and cheese fermentation notes.

This well-tempered bar broke with a snap and had a smooth, creamy, appealing texture and melt. It was a dark milk chocolate bar, but the fruit flavor was clear and bright, and seemed un-dulled by the judicious amount of grass-fed milk powder added.

Flavor notes included: mild, sweet yellow/orange tropical fruit (with very little of the fabled durian funk).* The fruit flavor carried on into the finish -- where there was one, very brief, mildly earthy cheese note.* 

This unique fruit infused chocolate was not too sweet and had nicely balanced tropical fruit flavor(s). The maker succeeded in capturing the sunnier side of this slightly tart-sweet fruit--a friendly mango-pineapple-cacao fruit rather than a scary monster (like the demon-style mask featured on the bar's packaging).

Ingredients: Specialty cacao*, cane sugar*, pure cacao butter*, grass-fed milk powder*, durian* (6%). *Wild or all natural farming

Allergen-related information: (Contains milk.) May contain traces of treenuts, peanuts and wheat

* I once bought durian ice cream, to go. I drove away intending to eat it at a nearby park. But, soon the odor inside the car was overwhelming. I had to pull over and discard this new treasure into an outdoor trash can.

What's the technical explanation for the smell?

Durian fruit produces ethanethiol--a chemical compound credited for causing "the smell." In large quantities this compound can be toxic. And as the fruit ripens, the level of ethionine (the ethyl analog to the amino acid methionine, and a precursor to ethanethiol) increases and so does the offending odor. 

The sometimes smelly (especially if overly ripe) durian fruit is banned in some public spaces in Malaysia and Singapore. However, if you're able to enjoy the mild (rather than the wild) side of this fruit, it's quite good.

Puchero - Chocolate with Pistachios & Strawberries 50% (bar) - Mar. 8, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Puchero
Chocolate with Pistachios and Strawberries 50% (bar)
Good + - Good ++ 
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 177 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's Chocolate with Pistachios and Strawberries 50% (bar) was from Puchero (Valladolid, Spain), and made with local ingredients from Spain: "Pistacyl" pistachios from Valladolid and strawberries from Segovia.

The subtle aroma notes included: sweet red berry (strawberry), milk chocolate, and caramel.

This bar had a unique texture. It had a thick (in a cold room), high-fat, creamy melt and mouthfeel. There was no dairy or dairy fat in this bar. The relatively high fat content muted the chocolate and other flavors a little, and provided a buttery tasting experience.

The rich texture was accomplished via (I'm guessing) cocoa butter and very finely ground pistachio nuts (as I did not detect any pistachio nut pieces, just subtle nut flavor). 

The flavors were mild and balanced. The cacao flavors were extremely subtle, with no detectable acidity, bitterness or dark chocolate flavors one typically finds with the presence "darker" half of the cocoa bean (solids). 

This chocolate belongs on a 50% cacao bar tasting flight, to show what is possible using a lower percentage of cacao solids.* (It would also be a nice addition to a dessert plate.)

Almost all 50% cacao chocolates are very sweet. It was a happy surprise to discover this one  (refreshingly) was not. Sugar was the third ingredient listed. 

There was no "more-ish" sugar craving (to wolf down more of this chocolate) in this quieter bar. I enjoyed savoring each bite slowly, and was content with less.

Ingredients: "Cacao beans, pistachio (25%), organic cane sugar, organic cacao butter, dehydrate strawberry (4%), salt."

Allergen-related information: May contain traces of nuts, milk and gluten.

*Percentages may surprise you, tasting both darker and milder than one might expect. Some "lower" percentage chocolates may taste higher than indicated, and vice versa. The origin and variety of cacao (not always identified on the packaging) makes a difference. And, in today's case, a lower percentage bar doesn't have to mean more sugar.

 

Pure Boost - Cocoa Banana Bounty Superfood Blend - Mar. 7, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Pure Boost Superfood Blends
Cocoa Banana Bounty Superfood Blend
Good +
Weight: 1/3 cup (27 g.) / 8 oz. (227 g.) in total package
Calories: 70 calories in 1 serving
Cost: $5.99 for 1 package
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's Pure Boost Cocoa Banana Bounty Superfood Blend was distributed by IMS (Shelton, CT).

Aroma and flavor notes included: slightly tangy sweetened fruit (berry and banana) with smooth, subtle cocoa -- a cocoa flavor that became richer and closer to chocolate milk once mixed with milk. 

The powder mixed and incorporated fairly readily with the milk of choice and a bit of water. There was no grainy or sedimentary texture once blended.

No added sugar, non-dairy, gluten free, plant based, allergen free

The flavors were attenuated a little--often the case when foods are processed to create a powdered form. But, the flavors of real banana and faint cocoa did come through.

 The sweetness tasted a little too enhanced initially; but then it calmed down to something more natural. The pros of alternative sweeteners (like erythritol and stevia blends) included the absence of a processed sugar buzz or sugar-coated teeth afterwards. The plant/seed-based protein powder also helped balance the sweetness and any fruit acidity.

Today's blend was described as a "...boost to juices, smoothies and baking" and I tried sampling this powdered mix by itself and with (dairy) milk. 

On the back of the package was a smoothie recipe, calling for blending 1/3 cup of this Cocoa Banana Bounty blend with one cup of a milk of choice, 1 fresh banana and two tablespoons of nut butter. I agree this would be quite good.

Ingredients: Plant-based protein blend (pumpkin seed protein, sunflower flour, hemp seed protein, flax meal), banana powder, Pyure organic sweetener blend (organic erythritol, organic soluble tapioca fiber, organic stevia leaf extract, organic natural flavor), natural cocoa powder, natural flavor.

Allergen-related information: "Non dairy, gluten free, allergen free"

Honeymoon Chocolate - Strawberry Milk Chocolate (bar) - Mar. 6, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Honeymoon Chocolate
Strawberry Milk Chocolate (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 2.2 oz. (62 g.) in total bar
Calories: 280 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar 
Purchased from: Z. Cioccolato, San Francisco, CA

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

Today's Strawberry Milk Chocolate (bar) from Honeymoon Chocolates (Clayton, MO). was created using a short list of thoughtfully sourced cacao (Belize), cacao butter (Peru), raw honey (local farms), and organic ingredients (cacao, milk, strawberries).*

I usually prefer dark chocolates. And I admit my first reaction when I read "strawberry milk chocolate" was a small sigh. Milk and sugar can dull fresh, sweet-tart fruit flavors. (This can happen with some strawberry ice creams.) However, this skillfully made and nuanced bar (that I suggest savoring slowly) proved otherwise.

Aroma notes included: fermented cacao and tart-sweet red fruit. (Just as some bottles of wine are best left to breathe after opening, some well-sealed chocolates improve with being aired out for a few minutes after opening.)

The initial fermentation notes dissipated in less than 10 minutes leaving room for richer, more attractive, nuanced chocolate and caramel and delicate floral (pollen/honey) notes.

This bar had an interesting texture with a melt that started slow (in a cold tasting room) with an almost gentley waxy creamy mouthfeel that accelerated into a rapid, natural melt. I am assuming this was in part due to the use of raw honey instead of cane sugar.

The attractive bar had a hexonal honeycomb pattern on the front side and an authentic rosey,  duo-toned, naturally red pink strawberry pieces adhered to the back of the bar.

What about the chocolate? The milk chocolate had more of a clear, well-balanced bittersweet chocolate (rather than a muted milk chocolate) flavor, that I liked. 

Raw honey and strawberry fruit bits provided subtle sweetness, without the same sugar buzz** that one often find in milk chocolates. (Thank you!)

*Ingredients: Organic cacao, raw honey, organic cacao butter, organic milk powder, organic strawberry.

Allergen-related information: "Free of refined sugar, soy, or gluten."

** Honey tends to be sweeter than sugar, by weight, which means that a 70% cacao chocolate bar sweetened with honey, might taste different than a 70% chocolate bar sweetened with cane sugar.

Coracao - Cacao Nectar 81% Dark Chocolate & Cacao Fruit (bar) - Mar. 5, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Coracao Chocolate
Cacao Nectar 81% Dark Chocolate and Cacao Fruit (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 2 oz. (57 g.) total bar
Calories: 320 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $9.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Z. Cioccolato, San Francisco, CA

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

Today's Cacao Nectar 81% Dark Chocolate and Cacao Fruit (bar) was created by Coracao Chocolate (Richmond, CA).

Aroma and flavor notes for this Organic chocolate bar included: diffuse, mildy tart sweet fruit (cacao fruit, peach, subtle ripe pineapple and soursop), dark chocolate (with faint, fleeting, balanced earth notes), faint caramel and very faint coconut cookie (vanilla) notes.

Sweetened with a judicious amount of coconut sugar, cacao fruit/juice provided satisfying and nuanced natural sweetness. 

Cacao fruit is often described as a blend of several more fruits including a range of melon (e.g. watermelon candy), citrus, and a variety of other tropical fruits (mango, pineapple, banana, soursop, etc.), and sometimes includes more delicate pear, apple and floral notes. (Flavors can vary slightly depending on the cacao fruit variety and processing methods.)

Ingredients: Organic heirloom cacao, organic coconut sugar, organic cacao butter, evaporated cacao fruit juice, Himalayan salt and organic vanilla bean.

Allergen-related information: "Made in a facility that processes almonds, cashews & other tree nuts

Thomas Keller K+M Chocolate - Dark Chocolate Yuzu 70% Cacao (bar) - Mar. 4, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Thomas Keller, K+M Chocolate
Dark Chocolate Yuzu 70% Cacao (bar)
Good ++
Weight: .95 oz. (27.5 g.) / 1.9 oz. (55 g.) in total bar
Calories:  calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $18.25 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Napa Farms Market, SFO, San Francisco, CA

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

Today's Dark Chocolate Yuzu 70% Cacao "bean-to-bar" chocolate was from K+M Chocolate* and made in Napa, CA.

Yuzu, the highlighted fruit today, originated in Asia/SE Asia, as did virtually all citrus. California (and other "warm" states) in the U.S. (as well as many other countries with a Mediterranean climate) have cultivated citrus for centuries. 

When citrus reached countries with access to cacao from the Americas, centuries ago, it was perhaps inevitable that citrus and citrus peel flavored chocolates should follow. (Earl Grey flavored chocolate anyone?)

Today's chocolate maker(s) reside in Napa, at the heart of wine and food country in Northern California--home of great chefs, and specialty wine and food providers, and where one expects to find great chocolate desserts and confections. Sure enough, we find today's skillfully executed bar (and others) from K+ M Chocolate. 

The peel of "Japanese Yuzu fruit" was infused into the cocoa butter (the "fat" portion of chocolate) before being fully incorporated into the cocoa mass/dark chocolate bar. The result: a very smooth and completely incorporated flavor (vs. trying to mix in whole/dried fruit inclusions later in the process).

Aroma notes included: subtle dark chocolate and faint, aromatic citrus aroma.

This 70% cacao dark chocolate (made with Arriba Nacional cacao from Hacienda Victoria estate in Ecuador) was smooth and uniform texture and mouthfeel. (There was no olive oil in this bar as has been in other K+M bars. Olive oil can create a silky texture, but added fats can also partially obscure flavors.)

Flavor notes included: dark, bold but smooth, chocolate; light, tangy citrus (yuzu, sweet tangerine); and very faint spice (white and black pepper). There was a very faint fruit astringency in the finish. 

Overall, this was an enjoyable and sophisticated, special occasion chocolate. Was it worth $18.25 (USD)? You'll have to be the judge.

Ingredients: Cacao, organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter, freeze dried yuzu, organic sunflower lecithin

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

*K+M Chocolate is a collaboration between well-known Chef Thomas Keller (chef-owner of the French Laundry restaurant) and Thomas Manni, producer of extra virgin olive oils.

Sigona's Farmers Market - Pineapple Macadamia Milk Chocolate (bar) - Mar. 3, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Sigona's Farmers Market
Pineapple Macadamia Milk Chocolate (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42 g.) / 3 oz. (84 g.) in total bar
Calories: 225 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $6.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Sigona's Farmers Market, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate and Seeds Theme Week, and Day #1 of Chocolate and Fruits Theme Week.

Today's Pineapple Macadamia Milk Chocolate (bar) was a collaboration between Sigona's Farmers Market (Stanford Shopping Center, in Palo Alto, CA) and local chocolatier, Javier Confectionery (Burlingame, CA).

Aroma notes for this bar included: fresh, sweet, fruity chocolate with tropical fruit (sweet pineapple) notes.

My favorite aspect of this bar was the chewy, authentic (dried) pineapple pieces (from Sigona's) that were swimming in smooth, thick, creamy milk chocolate--that had light, sweet, caramel overtones. 

This pineapple (that Sigona's market sourced from a family farm in Costa Rica), even though it was dried, somehow still tasted very fresh. It was not overly sweet and it maintained its natural tropical, pineapple fruit flavor, texture and mouthfeel. 

Crunchy, roasted macadamia nuts* rounded out this trio and helped to balance the sweetness. A hint of vanilla added a trace of warm baked goods aroma.

Overall, this was a well executed collaboration, and a great use of ripe, flavorful dried fruit. 

Cacao seeds* (what most people call cacao beans) used to make chocolate offer very rich and versatile flavor (sometimes a little bitter and seedy). The inner core of cacao seeds also picks up flavor from a surrounding layer of cacao fruit pulp.** 

The cacao fruit pulp sugars fuel the fermentation and cacao flavor development process. This ivory-colored cacao fruit pulp dissolves and drains away during the fermentation process, leaving the cacao seeds (aka cacao "beans") behind. 

In today's case, the added pineapple evoked some of that native tropical fruit flavor I associate with making chocolate from the whole cacao fruit, close to the Equator. And the mac nuts and vanilla also reminded me of tropical vacations visiting cacao farms. These warm memories were appreciated, in the middle of a cold winter, looking outside at snow in the hills.

Ingredients: Milk chocolate (cane sugar, cocoa butter, full cream milk, cocoa beans, vanilla beans), dried pineapple, macadamia nuts.

Allergen-related information: (Contains dairy/milk.) "Made in a facility that also makes products containing milk, soy, egg, peanuts, tree nuts and wheat."

* Yes, cacao beans are really seeds. And macadamia nuts can be considered seeds as well.

** Cacao fruit pulp has a flavor that can be difficult to pin down. Generally it is sweet and a little tart. Depending on the cacao variety (there are many), the fruit tastes like citrus, melon, and/or even a little like mixed tropical fruits, including pineapple or mango.

Marinka Dobnik - 70% Dark Chocolate with Caramelized Pumpkin Seeds (bar) - Mar. 2, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Cokoladni Atelje Dobnik (Marinka Dobnik, s.p. - EY)
Blejski otok, Slovenija (Bled Island, Slovenia)
70% Dark Chocolate with Caramelized Pumpkin Seeds
Good +
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) in 1 small bar
Calories: 168 calories in 1 small bar
Cost: N/A - gift from a friend (Thank you Toni!)*
Purchased from: N/A - gift from a friend

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate and Seeds Series. 

Today's 70% Dark Chocolate Caramelized Pumpkin Seeds (bar) hailed from Marinka Dobnik, a large chocolate supplier in Slovenia (Blejski Otok, Slovenija (Bled Island, Slovenia)). 

Thank you to traveling friend, Toni Deser, for bringing this chocolate back from a trip to Europe.

Aroma and flavor notes included dark, dense chocolate (with Forastero cacao variety-like cacao flavor + very faint vanilla) that tasted slightly darker than 70% cacao. 

This bar had uniform dark chocolate taste and texture. My only quibble: the relatively bold dark chocolate made it difficult to detect the caramelized pumpkin seeds.

Ingredients: Cacao mass (blend), sugar (26.4%), soy lecithin (emulsifier), natural vanilla aroma, pumpkin seeds (7%).

Allergen-related information: May contain: eggs, dairy, lactose, nuts, soy and peanuts. 

*Thank you to traveling friend, Toni Deser, for bringing this chocolate (and others) back from a trip to Europe, and for sharing chocolates from around the globe with Chocolate Banquet.

**Note: the Ingredient and allergen-related information above was translated from Slovenian into English by me, a non-Slavic language speaker. So my apologies in advance for any translation errors.)

Munk Pack - Keto Nut and Seed - Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate (bar) - Mar. 1, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Munk Pack
Keto Nut and Seed - Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 150 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $2.79 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Market at Edgewood, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's Keto Nut and Seed Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate (bar) was manufactured for Munk Pack (Greenwich, CT). The company offers a variety of low/no sugar granolas and snack bars.

Aroma notes for this bar included: peanuts, chocolate, vanilla cookie and faint seed(s).

This gluten free bar had a satisfying texture, with crunchy peanuts, crispy (rice), softly chewy seeds, and smooth rich dark chocolate and peanut butter elements.

The balanced flavors for this plant-based, gluten-free bar included: subtle pumpkin and sunflower seed. But it was the blend of peanut butter and dark chocolate--a classic flavor duo--took center stage.

This snack bar was sweetened with allulose and monk fruit.

Ingredients: Peanuts, allulose, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, soluable tapioca fiber and/or Non-GMO corn fiber, peanut butter, palm kernel oil ("responsibly sourced"), rice flour, alkalized cocoa powder, sea salt, unsweetened chocolate, natural flavor, sunflower lecithin, mixed tocopherols (Vitamin E) for freshness, coconut oil, monk fruit extract

Allergen-related information: Contains peanuts, almonds, coconut, macadamia, traces of milk and other tree nuts. Made on equipment that processes soy, egg, sesame. May contain nut shell fragments.

*Note from Munk Pack: "Allulose is a sweetener found naturally in small amounts in maple syrup, figs and raisins. Our source is produced from non-bioengineered corn. Allulose has virtually no impact on blood sugar and insulin."

 

Zego LLC - Chocolate Chip Mix-Ins (Nut Free Trail Mix) - Feb. 28, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Zego LLC
Chocolate Chip Mix-Ins (Nut Free Trail Mix)
Good + 
Weight: 2 oz. (57 g.) / 7 oz. (196 g.) in total package
Calories: 280 calories in 2 servings
Cost: $11.09 for 1 package
Purchased from: The Market at Edgewood, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate and Seeds Series.

Today's Chocolate Chip Mix-Ins (Nut Free Trail Mix) were distributed by Zego Foods (Zego LLC), based in San Francisco, CA.

Aroma and flavor notes for this Organic, Certified Gluten Free trail mix with a soft, seedy crunch included: faint oatmeal cookie, dates, and even fainter seed, chocolate and vanilla. 

Tiny chocolate chips provided subtle, dark chocolate flavor depth. Dates provided natural sweetness. 

This trail mix was a good "mix in" with yogurt and fruit; and would be a nice addition in cereals and/or baking mixes. 

Zego also offered a "purity verified" designation -- verified for "Glyphosate and over 400 other toxins, allergens and gluten...with traceable test results." (Ingredients were sourced from "glyphosate free farms.")

Ingredients: Organic pumpkin seeds, organic dates (organic dates, gluten free oat flour), chocolate chips 

Allergen-related information: "Our facility is free from gluten and the top 14 allergens. No peanuts, no tree nuts, no soy, no milk, no eggs, no sulfites, no sea creatures, no lupin, no sesame, no mustard. Corn free equipment and packaging." "Purity Verified for Glyphosate and over 400 other toxins, allergens and gluten." 

 

Love + Chew - The Superfood Cookie - Chocolate Chia - Feb. 27, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Love + Chew 
The Superfood Cookie - Chocolate Chia
Good +
Weight: 2 oz. (57 g.) in total cookie
Calories: 270 calories in 1 cookie
Cost: Missing information
Purchased from: Country Sun Natural Foods, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate and Seeds Series.

Today's Love + Chew "The Superfood Cookie" Chocolate Chia treat was created by Lauren Chew at CompletEats, LLC, San Francisco, CA. (The company offers a family of plant-based protein cookies.)

Aroma notes included: faint date fruitcake, seed, melon, and pumpkin.

This low-sugar cookie was designed with health in mind. It had a satisfying soft chew and cohesive texture (no crumbs in lap), thanks in part to dates and almond butter.

Flavor notes included: mild dried fruit (date), cocoa and vanilla spice cake with a very faint Omega 3 (seed) finish. The flavors were balanced, the cookie was not overly sweet (thank you!). I enjoyed the subtle complexity, and the lack of a sugar rush.

Ingredients: Blanched almonds, date paste, almond butter, dark chocolate chips (organic cane sugar, organic cocoa liquor, organic cocoa butter), water, chia seeds, vegetable glycerin, baking soda (sodium bicarbonate), pure vanilla extract, sea salt.

Allergen-related information: "Contains Almonds. Manufactured in a facility that also processes tree nuts, peanuts, soy, milk, eggs, wheat, sesame seeds." (May contain date pit fragments.)

Lula's Chocolates - Dark Macadamia Turtles - Feb. 26, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Lula Lund's Chocolates, LLC
Dark Macadamia Turtles 
Good ++
Weight: 3 oz. (85 g.) in total package
Calories: 445 calories (estimate) in 1 turtle
Cost: $7.95 (estimate) for 1 package/turtle
Purchased from: Lula's, The Crossroads (shopping center), Carmel, CA

Today's Dark Macadamia Turtle was from Lula Lund's Chocolates, LLC (Monterey, CA).

Aroma notes for his luxurious take on a milk chocolate, caramel and pecan classic confection included: buttery caramel, sea salt, roasted nuts (macadamia), and dark chocolate.

This turtle offered a thick textural feast and satisfying flavor with softly crunchy jumbo mac nuts; soft, thick and chewy caramel; and smooth dark chocolate. Occasional sparkles of sea salt.

Warning: the sweet-salt and creamy caramel, nuts and chocolate combination can be addictive.

Ingredients: Dark chocolate (cocoa mass (chocolate liquor processed with alkali, cocoa butter), sugar, milk fat, soy lecithin, natural flavors); macadamia; caramel (non-GMO corn syrup, pure cane sugar, heavy cream, butter, soy lecithin, salt, vanilla); sea salt. 

Allergen-related information: Made in a facility that processes peanuts and other nuts. Contains milk, soy and tree nuts. "Always gluten free."