Taitau - 82% Dark Chocolate (bar) - Aug. 31, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Taitau (Tai Tau)
82% Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.41 oz. (40 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 240 calories in 2 servings (6 squares) of bar
Cost: $3.39 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Crossroads Specialty Market, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's 82% Dark Chocolate (bar) from Taitau (Tai Tau) Exclusive Selection (Lietuva, Lithuania) was imported into the U.S. by B&I Overseas Trading Inc. (Van Nuys, CA).

This bar was made using "premium quality Granada, Ghanian and Arriba cocoa beans." 

Aroma notes for this bar included: dark chocolate (rich cocoa, ganache); sweet green/botanical (sugar cane/brown sugar/maple, sweet tart lemon herb - oxalis); caramel macchiato; and very faint (barely detectable) dried fruit.  

Flavor notes were similar to the aroma notes, and included: bold, balanced, deep, dark cacao (Forastero cacao from Ghana); sweet green botanicals, including green floral, light marshmallow (perhaps from Arriba Nacional cacao and a hint of vanillin); caramel; coffee; and very faint, fleeting (and very diffuse) stone fruit and red berry jam (perhaps from Trinitario-related varieties of cacao in Grenada).

The makers have done a great job at balancing and blending cacao varieties from three different cacao growing regions of the world in their chocolate bars. I felt I could almost taste each contribution and cacao variety in their bars featured this week that varied from 46% - 99% cacao content. My favorites were the 72% and 82% cacao chocolates; but it was educational and fun to taste all of them within days of each other. 

The information provided on the packaging was much appreciated and the tasting experiences were much enjoyed. 

Ingredients: "Cocoa mass (made from premium quality Grenada, Ghanian and Arriba cocoa beans), sugar, cocoa butter, emulsifier - rape (canola) lecithin, flavoring vanillin."

Allergen-related information: "This product may contain traces of peanuts, hazelnuts, gluten and milk."

Taitau - 52% Dark Chocolate (bar) - Aug. 30, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Taitau (Tai Tau)
52% Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good +
Weight: .706 oz. (20 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 110 calories in 1 serving of bar
Cost: $3.39 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Crossroads Specialty Market, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's 52% Dark Chocolate (bar) from Taitau (Tai Tau) Exclusive Selection (Lietuva, Lithuania) was imported into the U.S. by B&I Overseas Trading Inc. (Van Nuys, CA).

This bar was "made from premium quality Ghanian cocoa beans." Ghana, in recent years, has been the number two exporter of cocoa beans in the world (right behind Ivory Coast). The top three export markets (in 2020-2021) for Ghana cacaco were: 1.) Netherlands, 2.) Malaysia, and 3.) United States. 

Most of the world's chocolate from Northern Europe (and the Western world) is made using West African cacao--and most cacao trees are Forastero (variety). Forastero cacao beans typically have a deep, dense, chocolate-y flavor.

Aroma notes for today's (Ghana) bar included: sweet dark chocolate; faint, warm nutty spice; subtle caramel macchiato (light coffee).  

The texture was uniformly smooth, with a creamy melt.

Flavor notes were similar to the aroma notes, and included: rich, very sweet dark chocolate. Sugar was the number one ingredient, and it dominated the tasting experience. This 52% chocolate was too sweet for me; but otherwise it had a pleasing aroma, well-executed texture and rich, underlying chocolate-y flavor.

Ingredients: "Sugar, cocoa mass (made from premium quality Ghanian cocoa beans), cocoa butter,  emulsifier - rape (canola) lecithin." 

Allergen-related information: "This product may contain traces of peanuts, hazelnuts, gluten and milk." 

 

Taitau - 62% Dark Chocolate (bar) - Aug. 29, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Taitau (Tai Tau)
62% Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.41 oz. (40 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 220 calories in 2 servings (6 pieces) of bar
Cost: $3.39 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Crossroads Specialty Market, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's 62% Dark Chocolate (bar) from Taitau (Tai Tau) Exclusive Selection (Lietuva, Lithuania*) was imported into the U.S. by B&I Overseas Trading Inc. (Van Nuys, CA).

The company offers a variety of chocolate bars and confections. The packaging for their line of bars includes cacao origin information. This 65% chocolate bar was "made from premium quality Arriba, Ghana and Grenada cocoa beans." Each square of the bar was adorned with an embossed image of a sea-inspired creature: sea shell, sea star, or sea horse.* 

Aroma notes for this bar included: sweet dark chocolate, diffuse, bright fruit (red berry), sweet coffee, faint vanilla marshmallow, and very faint sweet green floral and caramel/butterscotch. The texture was uniform and smooth.

Flavor notes were similar to the aroma notes, and included: sweet dark chocolate (rich, sweet, dark chocolate ganache, chocolate torte); sweet green botanical (faintly smoky maple syrup, vanilla-floral); and caramel.

More sugar and a different cacao blend made this Tai Tau 62% chocolate sweeter, brighter, slightly fruitier and more floral/botanical than the Tai Tau 72% chocolate reviewed a few days ago. 

The 62% version had less Ghana (typically deep, dark Forastero cacao variety flavor) and more Grenada and Arriba (often chocolate-y with some fruit and floral notes--found in Trinitario and Nacional variety cacao(s))--yielded a different tasting experience.

I liked the bolder, smoky vanilla, slightly earthy 72% Tai Tau chocolate a little bit better; but both the 72% bar and it's sunnier 62% sibling would be good options for a chocolate tasting. (For those wanting something with less sugar and more robust flavor, the Tai Tau 90% and 99% options are worth trying as well.)

Ingredients: "Cocoa mass (made from premium quality Grenada, Ghanian and Arriba cocoa beans), sugar, cocoa butter, emulsifier - rape (canola) lecithin.

Allergen-related information: "This product may contain traces of peanuts, hazelnuts, gluten and milk."

*Lithuania is a country about the size of the State of West Virginia in the U.S. During the 14th Century it was one of the largest countries in Europe. (Currently, it is larger than Belgium, Denmark or Latvia, but a fraction of what it once was.) How far is it from the ocean? It borders on the Baltic Sea.

 

Taitau - 99% Extra Dark Chocolate (bar) - Aug. 28, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Taitau (Tai Tau)
99% Extra Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good + - Good ++ 
Weight: 1.75 oz. (50 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 120 calories in 1 serving (3 squares) of bar
Cost: $3.39 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Crossroads Specialty Market, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's 99% Extra Dark Chocolate (bar) from Taitau (Tai Tau) Exclusive Selection (Lietuva, Lithuania) was imported into the U.S. by B&I Overseas Trading Inc. (Van Nuys, CA).

The company produces single origin bars as well as other chocolate confections. This 99% cacao chocolate was made using "premium quality Ghana cocoa beans." And each square of the bar was adorned with a sea shell, sea star or sea horse.

Aroma notes for this bar included: bold, deep dark chocolate (Forastero cacao variety-like), and very faint vanilla.

The texture was thick, smooth and uniform.

Flavor notes were similar to the aroma notes: deep, dark chocolate with balanced bitterness (not as much as some 99% chocolates). It was what I would expect from an ultra-dark, almost unsweetened chocolate made with (medium-dark roast) Forastero cacao beans. It was bold, dense and smooth without any detectable lighter (fruit, floral) notes. 

If you enjoy sipping a small serving of espresso roast coffee with very little sugar, you may enjoy this chocolate. It is all about bold flavor. It is perhaps the opposite of a 32-oz. sweetened and flavored coffee drink with milk and whipped cream.

Chocolates this dark are relatively satisfying, i.e. I don't find myself wanting to eat more than a few squares. They satisfy my cacao craving, and serve as a reminder that sugar (or sugar + salt) are the ingredients behind those "more, more, more" impulses to eat more than one should.

Ingredients: "Cocoa mass (made from premium quality Ghanian and Grenada cocoa beans), cocoa butter, sugar, emulsifier - rape (canola) lecithin, flavoring vanillin."

Allergen-related information: "This product may contain traces of peanuts, hazelnuts, gluten and milk." 

 

Taitau - 90% Extra Dark Chocolate (bar) - Aug. 27, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Taitau (Tai Tau) 
90% Extra Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: .706 oz. (20 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 120 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $3.39 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Crossroads Specialty Market, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's 90% Extra Dark Chocolate (bar) from Taitau (Tai Tau) Exclusive Selection (Lietuva, Lithuania) was imported into the U.S. by B&I Overseas Trading Inc. (Van Nuys, CA).

This chocolate was made using "premium quality Arriba and Ghana cocoa beans." And each square of the bar was adorned with an embossed shell, sea star or sea horse shape.

Aroma notes for this bar included: dark chocolate; vanillin; very faint (barely detectable) aromatic (vanilla-infused) tobacco, cappuccino and caramel; and faint sweet, almost floral green.

This ultra-dark chocolate had a thick, smooth texture, with a very faint astringency (sensation of dryness, slight graininess).

Flavor notes were similar to the aroma notes (above), and included: balanced, bold cacao (Forastero cacao from Ghana), dark chocolate and vanillin; very faint, smooth aromatic wood, smoke and caramel; and very faint, fleeting sweet green and floral (Arriba cacao from Ecuador).

Ingredients: "Cocoa mass (made from premium quality Ghanian and Arriba cocoa beans), sugar, cocoa butter, emulsifier - rape (canola) lecithin, flavoring vanillin."

Allergen-related information: "This product may contain traces of peanuts, hazelnuts, gluten and milk."

 

Taitau - 72% Dark Chocolate (bar) - Aug. 26, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Taitau (Tai Tau)
72% Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.75 oz. (50 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 300 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $3.39 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Crossroads Specialty Market, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's 72% Dark Chocolate (bar) from the Taitau (Tai Tau) Exclusive Selection line (Lietuva, Lithuania) was imported into the U.S. by B&I Overseas Trading Inc. (Van Nuys, CA).

The company offers a variety of chocolate confections and bars--made with single origin (or blends of identified) single origin cacaos, e.g. "Ghana, Arriba, and/or Granada." This bar was made using "premium quality Ghana and Granada cocoa beans."

Aroma notes for this bar included: dark chocolate, vanilla, faint aromatic tobacco, roasted coffee, balanced earth, and subtle caramel.

The texture was uniformly fudge-y, smooth and rich.

Flavor notes were similar to the aroma notes, and included: bold, balanced, deep, dark cacao (Forastero cacao from Ghana), dark chocolate and vanillin, very faint, smooth aromatic tobacco, caramel, and very faint, fleeting stone fruit (peach jam -- perhaps a flicker of Trinitario variety cacao from Grenada).

Ingredients: "Cocoa mass (made from premium quality Ghanian and Grenada cocoa beans), sugar, emulsifier - rape (canola) lecithin, flavoring vanillin."

Allergen-related information: "This product may contain traces of peanuts, hazelnuts, gluten and milk."

Taza - Hazelnut Praline 70% Dark (bar) - Aug. 25, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Taza Chocolate
Hazelnut Praline 70% Dark (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.25 oz. (35 g.) / 2.5 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 190 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $ Missing information
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to the last day (Day #12) of Chocolate and Nuts Theme Week. 

Today's Hazelnut Praline 70% Dark (bar) was from Taza Chocolate (Somerville, MA).

Taza is known for their organic, bean-to-bar, less processed and stone-ground chocolates. (Less processing can result in more authentic flavor(s). (Some more volatile, natural aroma and flavor notes may be lost with longer processing times, even if smaller particle sizes can result in a creamier mouthfeel.)

Aroma notes for today's bar included: dark chocolate with balanced earth (peat notes that disappeared after being opened for several minutes), nuts, and brown sugar/toffee.

The texture was relatively smooth. And flavor notes included: deep, dark chocolate, balanced rich forest/earth, bitter and sweet, clean mineral, faint nut, tiny crunchy toffee bits--and a relatively long dark finish.

Ingredients: "Organic Cacao Beans, Organic Cane Sugar, Organic Toffee (Organic Evaporated Cane Juice, Sea Salt, Natural Flavor, Organic Caramel Color), Organic Hazelnuts, Organic Cocoa Butter, Sea Salt, Organic Sunflower Lecithin." 

Allergen-related information: "Contains Hazelnuts. May Contain Traces of Other Tree Nuts and Sesame Seeds."

Ritter Sport - Roasted Peanut (bar) - Aug. 24, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Ritter Sport
Roasted Peanut (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.09 oz. (31 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 180 calories in 5 pieces/squares
Cost: $4.49 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Piazza's, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's Ritter Sport Roasted Peanut (bar) was from Alfred Ritter GmbH and Co. KG (Waldenbuch, Germany) was made in Austria.

Aroma notes for this bar included: sweet dark chocolate, roasted nuts and peanuts. 

The texture of the base chocolate (no cacao percentage listed on the U.S. label) was smooth, thick and creamy, and complemented by a generous dose of crunchy roasted peanuts. 

Flavor notes included: sweet dark chocolate and peanuts. Smaller amounts of almond flour and hazelnut paste were hard to detect directly, but made for a pleasant, even nuttier overall flavor. A small amount of sea salt helped balance the sweetness of the chocolate.

If you like chocolate and peanuts (and I do), you'll enjoy this bar. Also, thank you to Ritter for continuing to advance in cocoa sourcing practices. (On the bar's label: "100% Certified Sustainable Cocoa Sourcing".)

"Sweet chocolate with roasted and salted peanut pieces, almond flour, hazelnut paste and ground vanilla beans."

Ingredients: "sugar, peanuts, cocoa butter, chocolate liquor, almond flour, hazelnut paste, salt, soy lecithin, ground vanilla beans."

Allergen-related information: (Contains: peanuts, almonds, hazelnuts, soy.) "May contain traces of other tree nuts, wheat, milk, egg and sesame seeds."

Venice Organics - Chocolate Joy (Raw Snacks) - Aug. 23, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Venice Organics
Chocolate Joy 
Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total container
Calories: 160 calories in 1/3 container
Cost: $9.00 (estimate) for 1 container
Purchased from: Part of Farm Fresh produce box, online order

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

Today's refrigerated, Organic "Chocolate Joy" raw snack offering was manufactured in California for Venice Organics (Los Angeles, CA). The company (formerly known as Rowe of Venice) offers a line of organic and raw offerings, including cacao nib-based confections and chocolate bars.

Aroma notes for this bar-shaped, raw confection included: dark chocolate/cacao nibs, soft coconut and faint nut. 

This snack had a hearty, moderately chewy texture. Ground cacao nibs, unsweetened coconut and raw almonds were melded together with coconut oil and lightly sweetened with blue agave. All these potentially crumbly elements were held together firmly, because it was refrigerated. (Coconut oil solidifies below 76 degrees F. (24 degrees C.).) Given the hot summer weather today, having a cool treat like this was an extra plus.

Flavor notes for this chilled confection included: rich cacao, fresh coconut, and ground almonds.  

I enjoyed the authentic cacao bean (cacao nibs) flavor--with no added emulsifiers, flavors, or dairy. This organic, vegan offering is also grain-free and gluten free.

Ingredients: *Raw Almonds, *Unsweetened Shredded Coconut, *Raw Blue Agave, *Virgin Coconut Oil, *Cacao Powder, *100% Cacao Chips, Himalayan Pink Salt (* = Organic)

Allergen-related information: "This product contains almonds and coconut and may contain nut shell fragments."

Golden Gobi - Chocolate with Seaberry and Milk Chocolate Yurts - Aug. 22, 2023

Chocolate(s) of the Day

Golden Gobi 

Chocolate with Seaberry
Good - Good ++
Weight: .182 oz. (5.16 g.) / 2.19 oz. (62 g.) in total box of 12 pieces
Calories: 49.2 calories (per label) in 1 piece 
Cost: $ N/A - gift from a friend
Purchased from: N/A - gift from a friend

Yurt-shaped milk chocolates
Good +
Weight: .495 oz. (14 g.) / 4.95 oz. (140 g.) in total box of 10 pieces
Calories: 49 calories (per label) in 1 piece
Cost: $ N/A - gift from a friend
Purchased from: N/A - gift from a friend

Welcome to Day #9 of Chocolate and Nuts Theme Week, featuring chocolates with a variety of nuts. 

Today's "Chocolate with Seaberry" and yurt-shaped milk chocolates from Golden Gobi were made in Mongolia. I was able to taste chocolates from one of the more remote regions of the globe, thanks to a friend who recently visited Mongolia and brought these back. Thank you Toni!

I ate today's two milk chocolates with toasted pine nuts, because I'd read that Mongolians are fond of pine nuts. (Pine "nuts" are technically seeds--as are cacao "beans"; but pine nuts are often classified as tree nuts.) 

Chocolate with Seaberry chocolates

This oval-shaped filled sweet milk chocolate confection had aroma notes that included sweet milk chocolate and very faint fruit (citrus, berry). The milk chocolate was relatively creamy and smooth, and the caramel-like (Seabuckthorn flavored with Vitamin C) filling had a tart sweet fruit (citrus) note.

Ingredients: Sugar, milk powder, vegetable fat, cacao (powder, butter), whey powder, skimmed milk powder, Emulsifier: lecithin E322, E476, flavour, vanillin.

Allergen-related information. Contains milk, possibly soy (lecithin)

Yurt-shaped chocolates

I loved the yurt shape of these chocolates--a shout out to traditional steppe dwellings.* The sweet milk chocolate was filled with a very sweet, creamy milk chocolate ganache.

Ingredients: Sugar, Cacao Butter, Full Cream Milk Powder, Cacao Mass, Skimmed Milk Powder, Whey powder, Emulsifier: Lecithin (E322), Natural Bourbon Vanilla.

Allergen-related information: milk, possibly soy (lecithin). May contain traces of other nuts or gluten.

*Yurt-style structures are home to at least half of Mongolia's residents, especially those who live in more rural areas.

Laderach Chocolatier Suisse - Assorted Pralines (Dark) - Aug. 21, 2023

Chocolate(s) of the Day

Laderach Chocolatier Suisse
Assorted Pralines Dark
1.) Pistachio - Good ++
2.) Hazelnut - Good ++
Weight: .766 oz. (21.6 g.) / 4.6 oz. (130 g.) in total box of 12 pieces 
Calories: 120 calories in 2 pralines 
Cost: N/A - gift from friends  (Thank you Milo and family!)
Purchased from: N/A - gift from friends

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

Today's Assorted Pralines Dark was manufactured by Laderach (Schweiz) AG (Ennenda (in the canton of Glarus), Switzerland). The Swiss chocolatier and confectionery maker was founded by Rudolf Laderach in 1962. 

This very attractive 12-piece assortment (2 each of 6 flavors) was elegantly designed and packaged. Each piece had appealing details. Since this is a week featuring chocolate and nuts, I focused on the two "nuttiest" praline flavors: pistachio and hazelnut.

Pistachio 

Aroma notes for this Pistachio praline included: chocolate, cream/butter, faint lemon-herb (oxalis), and very faint nut.

It was topped with a perfect, green, lightly sugared, whole pistachio nut; and inside this confection had a pretty, bi-colored (green and caramel brown colored, layered interior).

A smooth dark chocolate shell enveloped a dual center: a nutty creamy-crunchy layer atop a green pistachio marzipan-style layer. In the finish there was a brief flavor glimmer of green tea chocolate.

Hazelnut

The hazelnut praline had very similar aroma notes: chocolate, cream/butter, faint lemon-herb (oxalis), and very faint nut.

An open cup of creamy chocolate was brimming with an artful piped-in buttery swirl of sweet, creamy chocolate ganache. Further down in the chocolate cup were more layers: creamy chocolate and crunchy bits of hazelnut, and sweet creamy chocolate with vanilla and caramel notes. 

I am a sucker for layered flavors like this, even if they are a bit on the sweeter side for me. The nuts helped balance the sweetness.

Both these well-executed confections had great texture and flavors, and exemplified sophisticated chocolate architectural design and style.

Ingredients: Sugar, Cocoa Paste, Cocoa Butter, Glucose, Butter (Milk), Hazelnuts, Sorbitol, Cream (Milk), Almonds, Pistachios, Vegetable Oils (Palm Kernel, Palm, Coconut), Clarified Butter (Milk), Soy Lecithin, Fructose, Invert Sugar Syrup, Caramel, Natural Flavors, Salt (Fleur de Sel), Skimmed Milk Powder, Ground Vanilla, Sunflower Lecithin, Gum Arabic, Maltodextrin, Vegetable Fats (Palm Kernel, Palm, Coconut), Coloring (Turmeric Oleoresin, Carmine, Annatto Extract)

Allergen-related information: "Contains: Milk, Nuts, Soy. May Contain Egg, Other Gluten (Inclu. Wheat), Other Nuts."

Orchard Valley Harvest - Dipped Almonds, 64% Cacao Dark Chocolate - Aug. 20, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Orchard Valley Harvest
Dipped Almonds - Almonds Coated in 64% Cacao Dark Chocolate
Good + 
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 8 oz. (226 g.) in total package of 8 packs
Calories: 160 calories in 1 pack

Cost: $5.00 for 1 package of 8 individually-wrapped packs
Purchased from: Safeway, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's Orchard Valley Harvest Dipped Almonds --Almonds Coated in 64% Cacao Dark Chocolate--were distributed by John B. Sanfilippo & Son, Inc. (Elgin, IL).

One percent of the sales of this product goes "towards tackling child hunger across America."

Aroma notes for these glossy, dark chocolate covered almonds included: chocolate (dark ganache), nut (almond, peanut), faint vanilla and faint, fleeting fruit (pear). (Note: there were no peanut ingredients listed in this product.)

The whole almond centers had a crunchy, roasted texture; a smooth, fudge-y 64% dark chocolate covering (and a shiny coat); and a smooth, dark chocolate finish that was balanced and not too sweet (thank you!).

Ingredients: Dark Chocolate (Chocolate Liquor, Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Vanilla Extract), Almonds, Gum Acacia, Sugar, Confectioner's Glaze.

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

Blue Stripes - Chocolate Covered Whole Cacao Beans Hazelnut Butter - Aug. 19, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Blue Stripes Urban Cacao
Chocolate Covered Whole Cacao Beans Hazelnut Butter
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 4 oz. (113 g.) in total package
Calories: 150 calories in 1 serving
Cost: $ N/A - part of a multi-item ($31.99) gift box order
Purchased from: Blue Stripes, online order (part of a larger gift box order)

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

Today's Chocolate Covered Whole Cacao Beans Hazelnut Butter offering was distributed by Blue Stripes LLC (New York, NY). The company offers a variety of products that use the whole cacao pod ("shell + fruit + beans").

Aroma notes for this whole cacao confection included: subtle chocolate and dried fruit (raisin, mango, citrus), gently roasted cacao and faint nuts/nut butter.

These generously sized rounds offered a high-contrast creamy (chocolate and hazelnut butter) and crunchy (whole cacao beans) experience--as I enjoyed tasting the "whole" cacao pod: cacao shell, cacao fruit and cacao bean, in layered form.

Flavor notes for the sweeter outer layer(s) included relatively subtle chocolate, very faint fruit, and hazelnut butter. This relatively thick, creamy outer layer(s) melted away fairly quickly.

Soon I was biting into the crunchy whole, unsweetened cacao bean center. It was slightly fibrous (cacao nib-like texture), nutty and seedy, with subtle (balanced) bitter flavor notes. If you like cacao nibs, you'll appreciate the opportunity to taste the whole, cacao bean.

You also may feel a theobromine buzz if you eat too many pieces. Theobromine, a close cousin to caffeine, is the stimulant present in cacao beans--and to lesser extent in other plants like tea and kola nuts.*

Ingredients: Whole Cacao Blend (70% Chocolate [Cacao Mass, Coconut Sugar, Cacao Butter], Cacao Shell Fiber, Cacao Fruit Sugar), Hazelnut Butter, Whole Cacao Beans, Sea Salt.

Allergen-related information: Contains Hazelnut, Coconut.

*Theobromine is a naturally-occurring plant alkaloid and stimulant. (Bitter tasting plant alkaloids evolved as a defense mechanism for plants, to help to deter would be "predators"/consumers in the wild.)

Just as some people have a lower tolerance for caffeine-containing plants (coffee, guarana), be aware that some people may be more affected by theobromine than others. And for 9-10% of humans (and many other species) who may have problems processing this alkaloid, too much theobromine may not feel so great. 

Blue Stripes Cacao - Whole Cacao Chocolate Bar - Hazelnut Butter 70% Cacao - Aug. 18, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Blue Stripes Urban Cacao
Whole Cacao Chocolate Bar Hazelnut Butter 70% Cacao
Good ++
Weight: 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories; 380 calories in 1 bar
Cost: (Part of $31.99 multiple item gift box order)
Purchased from: Blue Stripes, online order 

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

Today's Whole Cacao Chocolate Bar - Hazelnut Butter (bar) was distributed by Blue Stripes Cacao LLC (New York, NY). 

Aroma notes included: light chocolate, diffuse fruit (light mango, sweet citrus, berry jam), nuts (hazelnuts, roasted peanuts, hazelnut paste).

This chocolate bar had two layers. The base 70% dark chocolate layer was smooth in texture and taste, with mild to moderate chocolate-y (ganache), nut and faint faint flavor. It was not too sweet or acidic, and it was low in bitterness. 

The other layer was softer and nut-buttery (hazelnut butter, gianduja-like) and with a generous amount of hazelnut pieces adding enjoyable crunchy and ultra-creamy textural contrast.

This was a satisfying blend of very creamy chocolate and crunchy hazelnut pieces--and, I'm imagining, tiny bits of cocoa pod/fruit, as this was "100% upcycled chocolate" made with not only cacao (beans), but also cacao shell flour and cacao fruit sugar.

The sweetness level seemed about right. And it tasted authentically (fruit/coconut) sweet, rather than processed sugar sweetened.

Ingredients: Whole Cacao Blend (100% Chocolate*, Cacao Shell Flour, Cacao Butter*, Cacao Sugar), Hazelnut Butter*, Hazelnuts*, Coconut Sugar*, Sea Salt. (*Organic)

Allergen-related information: Contains Hazelnuts, Coconut. "...product is produced in a facility that also processes tree nuts, soy, peanuts, and wheat."

Blue Stripes Cacao - Whole Cacao Chocolate Bar 70% Cacao Almond Butter (bar) - Aug. 17, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Blue Stripes Urban Cacao
Whole Cacao Chocolate Bar 70% Cacao - Almond Butter
Good++ - Good +++
Weight: 1.05 oz. (30 g.) / 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories; 360 calories in 1 bar
Cost: (Part of a larger $31.99 assortment box order)
Purchased from: Blue Stripes, online order 

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

Today's Whole Cacao Chocolate Bar - Almond Butter (bar) was distributed by Blue Stripes Cacao LLC (New York, NY). 

Aroma notes included: light chocolate; sweet, green botanical; diffuse fruit; and nut (almond, almond butter).

I loved the texture. It was a satisfying blend of very creamy chocolate and crunchy almonds--and, presumably, tiny bits of cocoa pod/fruit, as this was "100% upcycled chocolate" made with not only cacao (beans), but also cacao shell flour and cacao fruit sugar.

This very creamy, smooth (luxe melt-in-your-mouth) 70% chocolate and nut butter bar was like enjoying an almond gianduja* chocolate--comparable to some of the best hazelnut gianduja chocolates from Italy, with some additional pleasant and gentle cacao flavor complexity.

Ingredients: Whole Cacao Blend (70% Dark Chocolate* [Cacao Mass*, Coconut Sugar*, Cacao Butter*], Cacao Shell Flour, Cacao Fruit Sugar), Almond Butter, Almonds, Cacao Butter*, Coconut Sugar*, Almond Oil, Sea Salt. (*Organic)

Allergen-related information: Contains Almonds, Coconut. "...product is produced in a facility that also processes tree nuts, soy, peanuts, and wheat." 

*Gianduja is a smooth blend of chocolate and 30% hazelnut paste, that first appeared in northwestern Italy (Turin) during Napoleon's reign (1796-1814). This Piedmont region of Italy is known for these chocolates made with special, high-quality hazelnuts as well as white truffles and various other nuts and fruits.

Ethel's Baking Co. - Turtle Dandy - Aug. 16, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Ethel's Baking Co.
Turtle Dandy 
Good +
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42.45 g.) / 10 oz. (283 g.) in total container
Calories: 235 calories in 1/2 of 1 bar
Cost: $6.59 for 1 container (3 bars)
Purchased from: The Market at Edgewood, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate and Nuts Week.

Today's Turtle Dandy confections were from Ethel's Baking Co. (Shelby Township, MI).

These gluten-free bars were a stacked blend of rich shortbread cookie and chocolate "turtle" confection (thick, oval-ish shaped caramel and nut filled chocolates--often with pecans sticking out that resemble turtle limbs). Now imagine that concept translated into a rich cookie-pie hybrid.

Aroma notes include chocolate, shortbread cookies, nuts and fruit (very faint brown sugar and peach jam), and very faint vanilla. (These did not contain any peach, fruit or jam.)

These very generously-sized Turtle Dandy cookie bars had a thick, pie pastry-like butter cookie bottom, and were topped with layers of caramelized brown sugar chocolate and pecan nut pieces.

These were incredibly rich and buttery. (Butter was the number one ingredient.) I'd advise sharing a bar with someone (and eating these over a plate or napkin to avoid getting crumbs on your lap).

It's nice to see gluten-free confection and cookie/pie-like bar options like this; even if they're quite rich. That same rich, buttery quality could provide an interesting crumble over cooked fruit (plums, apples, peaches).

Ingredients: Butter (sweet cream, salt), brown cane sugar, Ethel's gluten-free flour blend (brown rice flour, modified tapioca starch, potato starch, corn starch, corn flour, white rice flour, xanthan gum), semi-sweet chocolate chips (sugar, unsweetened chocolate, cocoa butter, soy lecithin or sunflower lecithin, vanilla), pecans, cane sugar, honey, eggs, water, vanilla extract (water, ethyl alcohol, extractives of vanilla beans), leavening agent (sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium bicarbonate, corn starch, monocalcium phosphate).

Allergen-related information: "Contains: eggs, milk, soy, pecans. Made in a facility with other tree nuts, may contain pit or shell."

Chuao Chocolatier - Milk Chocolate Nut Bark - Aug. 15, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Chuao Chocolatier 
Milk Chocolate Bark - Almond and Hazelnut

Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 5.12 oz. (144.8 g.) in total 
Calories: 155 calories (estimate) in 1 oz. serving
Cost: $7.04 total package of 3 large pieces
Purchased from: N/A - Received as a gift from a friend

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

Today's Milk Chocolate Almonds and Hazelnut Bark was with chocolate from Chuao Chocolatier (Carlsbad, CA). Today's package of three generously-sized pieces of chocolate nut-topped bark were sold (by weight) by Whole Foods Market in Cupertino, California. 

Aroma notes included: sweet, smooth dark milk chocolate and faint nut and spice.

Flavor notes for these thick 41% cacao slabs included: rich, creamy smooth, chocolate (fudge, creamy ganache); authentic whole almonds and hazelnuts; occasional bites of of sweet(er) white chocolate drizzle; and overall sweet mellow vanilla.

Eating this on a slightly warmer day made the thick milk chocolate just right, i.e. not too hard, but not too soft either. (It can be hard to take a bite of a very thick piece of chocolate on a cold day.)

Ingredients: "Premium milk chocolate (41% Cacao, Cacao Butter, Sugar, Dehydrated Milk, Soy Lecithin (as an emulsifier), Natural Vanilla), Almonds, Hazelnuts, Premium White Chocolate (Pure Cane Sugar, 31% Cacao Butter, Cream Lactose, Soy Lecithin (as an emulsifier), Vanilla Bean. 

Allergen-related information: Contains tree nuts (almonds), hazelnuts; dairy (milk, lactose); soy.

Cappello's - Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough - Aug. 14, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Cappello's
Gluten Free Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
Good +++
Weight: 3 oz. (85 g.) / 12 oz. (340 g.) in total package
Calories: 420 calories in 3 cookies 
Cost: $16.99 for 1 package
Purchased from: The Market at Edgewood, Palo Alto, CA

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

This week includes variety of chocolate bars and confections that contain a range of "true" nuts (pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts) and tree nuts/"drupes" (almonds, cashews and pistachios). 

Today's refrigerated Gluten Free Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough was from Cappello's LLC (Denver, CO). The company offers a line of gluten free, almond flour-based baked goods that are very tasty.

There's nothing like the smell of freshly baked cookies. Aroma notes for these right-out-of-the-oven cookies included: aromatic, slightly nutty, chocolate chip cookies, facilitated by warm chocolate chips, and a touch of warm vanilla and coconut. 

These cookies had a satisfying "buttery" crunchy texture accented with rich, melted chocolate chips.

I found these to be delicious, easy to prepare (slice and cook) cookies. They were good by themselves, and crumbled over a gelato sundae with amaretto, vanilla and mocha gelato flavors--topped with dark chocolate sauce, roasted almonds and a tiny sprinkle of sea salt. And they paired nicely with fresh fruit. (Cappello's has other recipe ideas on their website.)

Ingredients: Almond flour, organic maple syrup, semi-sweet chocolate morsels (unsweetened chocolate, organic cane sugar, cocoa butter), arrowroot flour, organic coconut oil, organic vanilla extract, sea salt, baking soda

Allergen-related information: Contains tree nuts (almonds), coconut (oil). "Made in a facility that also produces products with peanuts, soy, milk, and egg." Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Soy Free, Grain Free, Paleo, Vegan"

Sweet Nothings - Nut Butter Bites - Chocolate Peanut Butter (2 bites) - Aug. 13, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Sweet Nothings
Nut Butter Bites - Chocolate Peanut Butter
Good +
Weight: 1.4 oz. (40 g.) in total package of 2 bites
Calories: 150 calories in 2 bites
Cost: $2.99 for 1 package of 2 bites
Purchased from: The Market at Edgewood, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #10 of Chocolate and Surprise Theme Week, including several chocolates with unique ingredients and interesting stories.

Today's Organic Nut Butter Bites - Chocolate Peanut Butter, were manufactured for Sweet Nothings, Inc. (Menlo Park, CA). The company has worked to "reimagine" snack foods. Their organic, plant-based offerings have no added sugar; they are sweetened with dried fruit (dates, raisins) instead.

Chocolate and Nut Week starts tomorrow. Why not today? Some are surprised to find out: peanuts are legumes and not nuts. 

Aroma notes for these (1.5 in. (4 cm.)) peanut-butter filled round bites included: oats/oatmeal, nutty chocolate and dried fruit (date).

Texture: The outer chocolate-y layer had a soft, nutty, slightly seedy/fibrous (flax) chew with a creamier peanut butter center. 

Flavor notes for these small but hearty snack bites included: chewy chocolate oatmeal cookie with peanut butter, dates and seeds. These were surprisingly filling, and not overly sweet (thank you!).

Ingredients: "Just (Organic) Dates, (Organic) Peanut Butter (Peanuts), Organic Oats, Organic Cacao, (Organic Ground) Flax, Sea Salt"

Allergen-related information: Contains peanuts. ("Filled with Peanut Butter")

Hogarth Chocolate Makers - Kumara Milk Chocolate with Sweet Potato Flavour 46% Cacao (bar) - Aug. 12, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Hogarth Chocolate Makers
Kumara Milk Chocolate with Sweet Potato Flavour 46% Cacao (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.46 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 204 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #9 of Chocolate and Surprise Theme Week--a week that includes several chocolates with unique ingredients and surprising blends.

Today's Kumara Milk Chocolate with Sweet Potato Flavour 46% Cacao (bar) was made from bean-to-bar by Hogarth Chocolate Company Ltd. (Nelson, New Zealand).

I was surprised to find a second sweet potato-related (Kumara) chocolate to feature today. This is only the 4th time (in almost 17 years and 6,000+ different chocolates) that I've found a blend of these two ingredients. 

Days ago, I featured a Batata (sweet potato) chocolate bar from Arcelia Gallardo (Mission Chocolate, Sao Paolo, Brazil). (Both the cacao and the Batata in Arcelia's chocolate were from South/Latin America.*) 

Today's chocolate included not one but three varieties* of Kumara, in the form of crisps (aka chips in the U.S.) from Proper Crisps (Nelson, New Zealand). 

Aroma notes included: light chocolate, clean mineral, and pleasant botanical green tea and sweet straw.

The texture and melt were smooth and creamy. (All Kumara crisps seemed to be thoroughly incorporated into the chocolate).

Flavor notes included: smooth, flavorful milk chocolate; light sweet potato; light caramel; and very faint botanical: oolong and green teas, sweet cereal, and soft/diffuse fruit.

This was a surprisingly light, and likable, chocolate, in part due to the choice of a criollo cacao variety. The maker (Karl Hogarth) notes that "...our Peruvian criollo cacao...highlights the caramelisation of the crisps, adding caramel and fruit notes..." 

Criollo (heritage) variety cacao(s) are subtle, nuanced and flavorful, and are known for soft stone fruit (think peaches and cream), light caramel, clean mineral, and very faint floral notes. Criollo cacao is lower in bitterness as well. Great choice for this Kumara crisp-flavored chocolate.

Ingredients: Cocoa solids 46% (Cocoa Beans*^, Cocoa Butter*^), Sugar*^, Proper Kumara Crisps, Skim Milk Powder (*Organic, ^ Fair Trade)

Allergen-related information: Contains dairy (milk powder). "Gluten Free, Soy Free"

*Batatas, Kumara and Sweet Potatoes...Many varieties and cultivars, many stories, and at least two different origin stories.

White and red potatoes are part of the nightshade family and developed in South America. Sweet potatoes (part of the morning glory, not the nightshade family), were also thought to originate in South America. Recent research has suggested the morning glory clan (including sweet potatoes) may have originated in Asia, based on 50-60 million year old plant fossils. (Stay tuned for more origin stories from the paleo-botanists.)

More recently, there has been considerable botanical moving and mixing (some by earth changes, some by humans).

We do know that Kumara has long been cultivated in the South Pacific. Some sources say the Kumara is slightly sweeter than our (American) sweet potato; but I can't be sure as I've never done a side-by-side tasting; and I think that would depend on variety/cultivar. (We grow mostly Beauregard variety of sweet potato in the U.S.)

Getting back to today's bar...Crisp maker, Proper Crisps, "make their crisps using seasonally selected (Kumara) varieties, mostly Red Kumara (Owairaka), Gold Kumara (Toka Toka) and Orange Kumara (Beauregard)."

Sweetduet - Mango - Organic 83% Dark Chocolate Enrobed Mangos - Aug. 11, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Sweetduet
Mango - Organic 83% Dark Chocolate Enrobed Mangos
Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total package
Calories: 110 calories in 1 serving 
Cost: $9.00 for 1 package
Purchased from: Provision, San Francisco, CA

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate Surprise Theme Week. Today's chocolate was a pleasant surprise, because of where I found them--in the middle of downtown San Francisco in a relatively new retail store.

These Organic 83% Dark Chocolate Enrobed Mangos were manufactured in a designated gluten and nut free facility, packed by Earth Source, Inc. (Vista, CA), and distributed by Sweetduet, LLC (Los Angeles,  CA). 

Aroma notes included: fermented cacao/sweet dark chocolate, dried fruit (mango), molasses fig/date cookie and very faint sweet, green floral-banana. (These did not contain any banana.)

The dark chocolate tasted surprisingly dark with a creamy texture and balanced bitterness. (I'd forgotten it was 83% cacao chocolate when I took the first bite.)

This ultra-dark chocolate offered a strong, but complementary, contrast to the pieces of fruit it covered. Inside the chocolate coating were chewy, tart-sweet dried strips of mango with bright tropical fruit and green tea flavor notes.

This bold and flavorful blend had lingering mango fruit and dark chocolate finish notes.

Ingredients: "Organic Mango, Organic Cacao, Organic Cacao Butter, Organic Date Nectar."

Allergen-related information: "Manufactured in a designated gluten and nut free facility."

Chimes Herbal Chews - Calmer Cacao - Aug. 10, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Chimes Herbal Chews
Adaptogenic Chews - Calmer Cacao Ashwagandha Reishi + Dark Cacao, Ginger
Good + - Good ++
Weight: .282 oz. (8 g.) / 2.5 oz. (72 g.) in total package
Calories: 30 calories in 2 chews
Cost: $3.99 for 1 package
Purchased from: The Market at Edgewood, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate Surprise Theme Week.

This "Surprise" week includes chocolates with unique ingredients, insights about food, farmers and/or culture, and/or found in interesting places. 

Today's Calmer Cacao Ashwagandha Reishi + Dark Cacao, Ginger Chimes Herbal Chews were a product of Indonesia, and manufactured for Roxy Trading, Inc. (Pomona, CA).

The creators indicated on the packaging that they were influenced by "Ayurvedic wisdom."    

Subtle aroma notes for these small, chewy, individually-wrapped bites included: rich, spiced cafe mocha; chai tea blend (ginger, very faint, fleeting black pepper); and very faint herbal-mushroom (reishi) hot chocolate.

Spicy ginger bloomed when I took a bite, and tickled the back of my throat on the way down. I liked the surprisingly strong ginger. (The heat subsided fairly quickly.) The cocoa was subtle and helped balance the spiciness.

I also was pleasantly surprised by the information provided about the approximate amount of theobromine: 4 mcg of theobromine (from cacao) in each chew. (Each chew also contained 80 mg. of KSM-66 Ashwagandha, and 120 mg. of Reishi mushroom/extract.) Not everyone will care about these details; but I appreciate them.

Ingredients: Cane sugar, tapioca starch, ginger, cacao powder, reishi, ashwagandha root.

Allergen-related information: "Made on equipment that processes peanuts." "Gluten Free" "Vegan"

Breyers - CarbSmart Vanilla Bars - Aug. 9, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Breyers 
CarbSmart Vanilla Bars 
Good +
Weight: 3.96 fl. oz. (56 g.) / 18 fl. oz. (532 mL) in total box of 6 bars
Calories: 140 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $5.99 for 1 box of 6 bars
Purchased from: The Market at Edgewood, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate Surprise Theme Week.

Today's CarbSmart Vanilla Frozen Dairy Dessert (bars) were from Breyers* (Englewood Cliffs, NJ). The company's frozen "CarbSmart (tm)" line has relatively low net carbs (5 grams) and added fiber.

As with most frozen treats, the aroma for this frozen treat was very faint: a barely detectable whiff of chocolate. 

The bar's thin dark chocolate shell broke with a slight crackle and had an even, creamy melt. It was made with dutched (alkalized) cocoa--resulting in a smooth, uniform chocolate that was lower in acidity and bitterness.

The frozen dairy center had a light ice cream texture and a pleasant, sweet vanilla flavor. It was sweet, but not overly so.

I appreciated the smooth chocolate and vanilla textures and flavors. I didn't care for the long ingredient list with additives and sucralose (artificial) sweetener. But, for others who need to limit sugars and carbs, this might be a good-tasting, relatively low carbohydrate option.

Ingredients: Milk, coconut oil, water, maltitol syrup, sugar, polydextrose, less than 2% of: soybean oil, dutched cocoa (processed with alkali), sodium caseinate, whey, glycerin, calcium carbonate, cream, soluble corn fiber, natural flavor, vegetable gums (guar, carob bean), salt, soy lecithin, sucralose, mono and diglycerides, acesulfame potassium.

Allergen-related information: Contains dairy, soy. "Contains a bioengineered food ingredient." 

*Breyers ice cream was started by William A. Breyer in Philadelphia, PA, in 1866. In 1993, Unilever (Englewood Cliffs, NJ) bought Breyers Ice Cream from Kraft.

 

Sesame Plus - Dark Chocolate Sesame Plus (bar) - Aug. 8, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Sesame Plus Inc.
Sesame Plus Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good +
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) in total bar
Calories: 160 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $1.49 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Market at Edgewood, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate Surprise Theme Week.

Today's Crunchy with Dark Chocolate Sesame Plus bar(s) were made in Greece and imported into the U.S. by Sesame Plus Inc. (Burlingame, CA). 

Aroma notes for these gluten free bars included: subtle sesame seed candy, (faint roasted, sweet, nutty, seedy, malty) and faint chocolate (cocoa).

The package contained two thin corrugated bars ("slices") that had a delicate crunch. After I opened the package, I was surprised to see that the small amount of dark chocolate (about 10% of total content) was not coating the reverse side, but rather was thoroughly incorporated into these sesame seed bars--all but invisible except for a slight golden brown hue (and a very faint chocolate flavor) compared with the plain and honey Sesame Plus bars the company offers.

These thin bars ("slices") tasted light and crunchy. They were also very lightly sweetened with glucose syrup and honey (thank you!)--especially when compared with other, heavily-sweetened, thicker (teeth-grabbing) sesame candies I've tasted in the past.

Ingredients: Sesame seeds, glucose syrup, sugar, 10% dark chocolate (cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter, soya lecithin - as emulsifier), honey.

Allergen-related information: "Contains soya. May Contain peanut and other tree nuts." "Non-GMO, Dairy Free, Gluten Free"

Mission Chocolate - Dark Batata 58% Dark Mylk Chocolate (bar) - Aug. 7, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Mission Chocolate 
Dark Batata 58% Dark Mylk Chocolate (bar) 
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.05 oz. (30 g.) / 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 164 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate Surprise Theme Week. 

Today's Dark Batata 58% Dark Mylk Chocolate (bar) from Mission Chocolate (Sao Paolo, Brazil) was created by chocolate maker Arcelia Gallardo.

The word batata (in several South American countries, including Brazil) means sweet potato. Aroma notes for this dark "mylk" chocolate batata bar included: chocolate (rich, creamy cocoa; very faint fermented cacao; and slightly bitter/earthy-sweet vegetable (sweet potato).

This surprisingly unique alternative "mylk" chocolate had a smooth texture with a creamy, uniform melt. (The batata, a native of Latin America, serves as a substitute for dairy milk.)

Balanced flavor notes included dark chocolate (relatively intense but smooth cocoa) flavored with slightly earthy-sweet vegetable (cooked sweet potato, with skin), and very faint warm spice.

Ingredients: "Organic cacao, organic sugar, cocoa butter, sweet potato."

Allergen-related information: "May contain wheat, oats, milk, almonds, hazelnuts, cashew nut, Brazil nut, nuts, macadamia, pecan, pistaches, pinoli, and natural latex. May contain traces of gluten."

Fu Wan Chocolate - Taiwan #9 Ping Tung Double Ferment Rough Ground Chocolate (bar) - Aug. 6, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Fu Wan Chocolate
Taiwan #9 Double Ferment Rough Ground Chocolate (bar)
Good + - Good++
Weight: .795 oz. (22.5 g.) / 1.59 oz. (45 g.) in total bar
Calories: 143 calories (per label) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $13.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate Surprise Week, including chocolates with unique ingredients, surprising back stories and some that are just plain fun.

Today's Taiwan #9 Ping Tung Double Ferment Rough Ground Chocolate (bar) was made by Fu Wan Chocolate using (2019 Harvest) cacao from the Ping Tung area. Fu Wan Chocolate makes "tree to bar" chocolate and is based in Donggang Township, Pingtung County, Taiwan (Republic of China).

Fermentation of freshly harvested "wet" cacao is a very important step in making chocolate and helps develop flavor(s). A "double ferment" initiates a second fermentation and creates additional flavors.

Aroma notes for this 70% dark chocolate included: dark chocolate; carbonated beverage (beer with fermented fruit (mango, watermelon, stone fruit (peach, nectarine), cacaco fruit pulp); and strawberry-apple balsamic vinegar)).

The "rough ground" chocolate was a bit granular, not quite gritty, in texture. It was also rich in chocolate and fruit flavor.

Flavor notes for this aromatic chocolate included: chocolate and fruit (stone fruit (nectarine, dried peach, tart-sweet cherry), tart-sweet mango, cacao fruit, tart-sweet watermelon, and banana.). The authentic fruit and acidity (yeast used) created an almost fizzy sweet and sour chocolate, with a relatively long fruity finish.

It had more of an intense fruity sweetness than a cane sugar sweetness.

Both the Fu Wan beer yeast 70% bar featured yesterday (8/5/2023) and today's Fu Wan double ferment 70% bar were very interesting bars to taste, and would be interesting to include in a side-by-side tasting with other Ping Tung cacao chocolates--where the same cacao was fermented with different yeasts under different conditions and durations. 

Maker's tasting notes: "Strawberry, Apple, Balsamico, Champagne, Nuts"

Ingredients: Cacao Bean, Sugar, Cacao Butter

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

 

Fu Wan Chocolate - Beer Yeast #1 "Armstrong" Ale Style Rough Ground Chocolate (bar) - Aug. 5, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Fu Wan Chocolate
Beer Yeast #1 "Armstrong" Ale Style Rough Ground Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: .62 oz. (17.5 g.) / 1.24 oz. (35 g.) in total bar
Calories: 107 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $16.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #2 of Chocolate Surprise Week, including chocolates with unique ingredients, surprising back stories, and some that are just plain fun.

Today's Beer Yeast #1 "Armstrong" Ale Style Rough Ground Chocolate (bar) was made from "tree to bar"  by Fu Wan Chocolate in Donggang Township, Pingtung County, Taiwan (Republic of China).

Aroma notes for this 70% dark chocolate included sweet fermenting fruit (tart-sweet red berry, sweet citrus, cacao fruit/pulp) and chocolate.

The texture and mouthfeel was slightly rough with a rapid (light cocoa butter) melt and mild fruit astringency.

Flavor notes included: chocolate (mild cocoa, cocoa butter); subtle, almost fizzy sweet fruit soda/fruit beer note that tailed off--leaving lightly roasted, slightly woody and nutty cocoa nib, and buckwheat pancake/grain/malt notes in the finish.

This was a surprisingly aromatic and light, almost effervescent, 70% dark chocolate. It was fun and well-executed. The flavorful beer yeast bar was also relatively low in bitterness; and was not too sweet (thank you!).

It was also very interesting to taste the effects of yeast* (perhaps added during in the initial fermentation process, or as part of a second/double ferment). 

Note: Fu Wan Chocolate is crafting tree-to-bar chocolate "in country", allowing the chocolate maker(s) to be more directly involved with the fermentation process that quickly follows cacao harvesting. 

Most chocolate makers are remote from where cacao is grown, harvested, fermented* and dried. They can work/communicate closely with co-ops, fermenteries and those performing these first chocolate-making steps; but the options for tinkering/experimenting might be more limited.

Maker's tasting notes: "Tangerine, Fig, Beer, Almond

Ingredients: Ping Tung Cacao Liquor, Sugar, Cacao Butter, Beer Yeast

Allergen-related information: "May contain traces of nuts and peanuts." (Contains yeast)

*Yeast(s) play a valuable and complex role during the days-long process of fermentation of freshly harvested "wet cacao." 

Yeasts (some natural, some lab-based) help convert the freshly harvested cacao beans and residual "wet" fruit pulp from sugar to ethanol (and CO2) in a process where flavor compounds are also developed. 

How cacao is fermented and what yeasts were involved will affect aroma and flavor notes present in the subsequent finished chocolate.

Zotter - "My name is Bunny, Easter Bunny" - 72% Peru Chuncho + 75% Guatemala dark chocolate bars - Aug. 4, 2023

Chocolate(s) of the Day

Zotter Chocolates US LLC
"My Name is Bunny, Easter Bunny"
(Set of 2 different dark chocolate bars)

1.) 72% Peru Chuncho
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: .615 oz. (17.5 g.) / 1.23 oz. (35 g.) in 1 bar

2.) 75% Guatemala 
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: .615 oz. (17.5 g.) / 1.23 oz. (35 g.) in 1 bar

Calories: 205 calories in 1/2 of each bar (1/2 package)
Cost: $8.49 (estimate) for 1 set of 2 bars
Purchased from: Zotter US, online order

Welcome to Day #1 of Chocolate Surprise Theme Week, including chocolates with some exotic or surprising element(s), and/or chocolates that were/are just plain fun.

Today's 72% Peru Chuncho and 75% Guatemala dark chocolate bars were made in Austria and distributed by Zotter Chocolates US LLC (Fort Myers/Cape Coral, FL).

These two dark chocolates were packaged together as a set of 2 bars, providing an opportunity for a side-by-side tasting experience. Both were part of the company's "Labooko" line of pure chocolate bars. (The company also produces a variety of interesting hand-scooped, filled bars and other unique and delightfully surprising confections.) 

Zotter packaging design and illustrations are colorful and fun. Today's James Bond-like, bow-tie clad bunny (leaning on a bar and holding a martini-like cocktail) was no exception.

Below are my tasting notes, followed by Zotter's tasting notes for their two bars.

72% Peru Chuncho (bar)

Aroma notes included: smooth, sweet dark chocolate (chocolate cookie, ganache); faint cracker or savory snack; and faint diffuse fruit (sweet tropical fruit (mango) and sweet, almost floral (vanilla, rose), red berry jam on freshly baked bread).

The texture was smooth and creamy; and flavor notes included: smooth chocolate-y (dark chocolate torte, frosting/fudge), diffuse fruit (tropical (mango), sweet, slightly tart red berry, cherry plum, and watermelon), and barely detectable, spice, clean mineral, floral and salted cracker notes. 

This 72% dark Peru bar with gentle, nuanced complexity had balanced, bright fruit acidity, and was low in bitterness--consistent with Peru Chuncho cacao's reputation.*

Zotter fragrance notes: "fruity and floral, tropical fruit mix, caramelized nuts, salty pretzels"

Zotter taste notes: "sweet and mild, lightly salted crackers, nutty notes, cream, exotic fruit (echoes of mango, banana and watermelon), nutty cracker finish"

75% Guatemala (bar)

Aroma notes for this 75% bar included: bold dark chocolate; tart-sweet, dried fruit (peach, plum, berry, banana); very light bitter/acidic earth (peat); and very faint leather.

Flavor notes for this creamy 75% dark chocolate included: bold, yet balanced and smooth, cacao notes; deep chocolate (Forastero/Trinitario cacao); diffuse dried fruit (berries, banana, stone fruits); fleeting nut (peanut); fleeting warm spice; very faint, fleeting, balanced earth; and very faint, fleeting savory. 

The cacao itself, judiciously added cocoa butter by the maker, and sophisticated techniques (like fine-mist roasting) yielded creamy texture; balanced, sophisticated layered flavors that were bold but without the "rough edges" that might be more/too intense for some.

Zotter fragrance notes: "intense fruity notes of berries, cherries, banana and peach"

Zotter taste notes: "mild notes of lightly salted lye (sic) roll, sweet spice mix, intense mix of fruit: notes of exotic fruit, berries, cherries, peach, watermelon, mild peppery, fruity finish"

Thank you to Zotter for all that they continue to offer. Today's 3-ingredient, single origin dark chocolate bars (made with organic and fair trade cacao) were well-balanced and smooth, yet had surprisingly subtle complexity. This set would be an enjoyable after meal dessert; well-suited for a high-end chocolate tasting; and appropriate for a sophisticated, James Bond-like, bunny.

---------------

*Peruvian cacao notes:

Many varieties of cacao can be found growing in different cacao-growing regions of Peru, including Criollo, Trinitario, Forastero and Nacional.

Chuncho cacao is prized by chocolate makers for its aroma and flavor characteristics. Bar & Cocoa (an online specialty/high-end chocolate retailer in the U.S.) offers this description:

"Chuncho cacao encompasses around a dozen related cultivars of the Upper Amazon Forastero group, now considered to be native to the Quillabamba Valley of central Peru. They're believed to have been domesticated by the Matchiguenga people, whose members were ancestral inhabitants of the Valley."

 

Fjak Sjokolade - Sour Cherry Milk Chocolate; 50% Milk Orange & Almonds (bars) - Aug. 3, 2023

Chocolate(s) of the Day

Fjak Sjokolade
Sour Cherry Milk Chocolate (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: .935 oz. (26.5 g.) / 1.87 oz. (53 g.) in total bar
Calories: 155 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar & Cocoa, online order

Fjak Sjokolade
Mountain Trip - 50% Milk Chocolate Orange and Almonds (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: .935 oz. (26.5 g.) / 1.87 oz. (53 g.) in total bar
Calories: 96.5 calories (per label) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar & Cocoa, online order

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

Today's Organic Sour Cherry Milk Chocolate and Mountain Trip 50% Milk Chocolate with Orange and Almonds (bars) were both from small-batch chocolate maker Fjak Sjokolade (Hardangerfjord, Norway).

Sour Cherry Milk Chocolate

The Sour Cherry Milk Chocolate was a seasonal bar--part of Fjak's Nordic Collection. It was made with cacao grown in Tanzania (Kokoa Kamili in the Kilombero Valley). 

Aroma and flavor notes for this bar: sweet floral (vanilla, berry candy), fruit (subtle sweet cherry), and faint milk chocolate and caramel.

Note: There were cocoa beans/solids (or cacao %) listed in the ingredients--just cacao butter, sugar, milk, sour cherry and vanilla. This could have been an omission on the label; or sour cherry fruit provided the look of a darker (milk) chocolate.

I've tasted berry and coffee bars with a high concentration of dark berry mass (or ground coffee) that looked like milk/dark chocolates. They contained cacao butter, but no cocoa solids. A neat visual trick that requires knowledge and skill to pull off.

Those with a sweet tooth will likely enjoy this bar. I confess, I like cocoa solids, and this was a bit too sweet for me.

Ingredients: Cocoa butter*, cane sugar*, milk powder*, sour cherry*, vanilla* (*Organic)

Allergen-related information: (Contains milk)

Mountain Trip

The 50% Mountain Trip Limited Edition bar was also a Fjak milk chocolate bar (with more cocoa bean solids) as well as orange and almonds flavor inclusions.

This "100% Organic" milk chocolate was made using cacao from Hispaniola, Dominican Republic.

Aroma notes included: dark milk chocolate, subtle sweet citrus (orange) and nut.

The base milk chocolate had a delicious, creamy sweet texture interspersed with softly crunchy almond bits and small chewy candied orange pieces.

The flavors were very complementary and well balanced. This delicious chocolate fueled a version of a mountain trip -- a hike along the San Francisco Bay Trail, complete with views of the mountains that ring the edges of this large estuary on the West Coast of California. 

Ingredients: Organic cocoa beans, organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter, powder milk, organic almonds, organic candied orange peel, salt and organic orange oil (less than 1%).

Allergen-related information: (Contains milk and almonds.)

*Kokoa Kamili buys "wet" (freshly harvested) cacao (beans, still with some surrounding fresh cacao fruit pulp) from cocoa farmers. They ferment and dry the cacao (beans)--critical first steps in flavor development, and in the journey that eventually results in chocolate.

Fortunato Chocolate - Dark Chocolate Dates with Sea Salt - Aug. 2, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Fortunato Chocolate
Dark Chocolate Dates with Sea Salt 
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 1.02 oz. (29 g.) / 8 oz. (226 g.) in total package
Calories: 120 calories in 1 serving (2 dates)
Cost: $9.99 for 1 package
Purchased from: Fortunato Chocoalate, online order

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

Today's Dark Chocolate Dates with Sea Salt were from Fortunato Chocolate (Issaquah, WA).

The company is a family-owned business that specializes in rare Fortunato* Pure Nacional cacao from Peru. 

Aroma notes for these dark chocolate dates included: nuanced, dark chocolate with very faint cacao fermentation, fruit, and spice. 

A relatively thin layer of subtly flavorful 68% dark chocolate surrounded large, plump, almost fluffy,  medjool date fruit. Extra points on the fruit inside the chocolate today. For a moment, I thought this exceptional fruit (date) might eclipse the high-end Fortunato dark chocolate. Fortunately the chocolate flavor experienced during the first bite returned in the finish.

I did not taste any sea salt. (The salt grains may have settled to the bottom of the package.) But I'm sure a few judicious sparkles of salt would have been a good fit, helping to balance the sweetness just a bit.

Ingredients: "68% Fortunato Dark Chocolate (organically grown cacao and cocoa butter 68%, cane sugar 32%), medjool dates, sea salt."

Allergen-related information: "May contain traces of hazelnut and almonds."

*These rare Fortunato Nacional cacao beans contain a relatively high percentage (40%) of "white" cacao beans (If you cut open the seeds (aka beans), they look white inside.) 

Fortunato is the name of the farmer in Peru who is growing these trees. The company "discovered" these beans in 2008. 

Nacional is a type of "heritage" cacao that is subtle but certainly not dull. The 68% Fortunato dark chocolate was relatively sweet. More important, it lacked the bitterness and stronger, acidic or earth flavors one might find in other cacaos.

Leith Chocolate - Passionfruit Dark Chocolate (bar) - Aug. 1, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Leith Chocolate
Passionfruit Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good +
Weight: 1.41 oz. (40 g.) / 2.82 oz. (80 g.) in total bar
Calories: 219 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: Missing information 
Purchased from: World Market, Mountain View, CA

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

Today's Passionfruit Dark Chocolate (bar), a product of Scotland, was from Leith Chocolate (South Queensferry and Dublin). 

Aroma notes included: smooth dark chocolate and aromatic wafts of fruit (peach, mango, passion fruit).

Leith sources chocolate from South America; and the dark chocolate in this bar was uniform and smooth with subtle roasted dark cocoa flavor.

The fruit flavor notes were very similar to the aroma notes (mentioned above) and included the same blend of stone fruit (peach, mild apricot) and tropical fruits (mango, faint passion fruit). 

My experience with passion fruit is that this flavorful and seedy sweet and sour fruit has rich sweet citrus, floral--and occasionally cacao fruit pulp, other tropical fruits, and fruit punch--notes. 

Ingredients: "Cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter, emulsifier: Non GMO soy lecithin, vanilla extract, natural passion fruit flavour."

Allergen-related information: "Allergens: soya" "Made in a facility that handles dairy, peanuts, soy and tree nuts." "No gluten containing ingredients"