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.
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