Firetree Chocolate - Indonesia Seram Island 72% Cocoa (bar) - Nov. 30, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Firetree Chocolate Limited
Indonesia Seram Island 72% Cocoa (bar) 
Good ++
Weight: 1.145 oz. (32.5 g.) / 2.29 oz. (65 g.) in total bar
Calories: 180.5 calories in 1/2 bar 
Cost: $9.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's Indonesia Seram* Island 72% Cocoa (bar) was from Firetree Chocolate Limited (Peterborough, United Kingdom). 

Firetree produces "Rich Volcanic Chocolate"--sourcing cacao from remote islands, including Indonesia and South Pacific Island nations. The company's name is inspired by the flame-colored hues (yellow, orange, red and even pink and purplish) found in cocoa pods, as well as the volcanic lava(s) that created rich volcanic soils for cacao.

Aroma notes for today's Indonesia bar included: subtle dark chocolate; faint brown sugar toffee; and very faint, fleeting, raisin bread toast.

This chocolate had a smooth texture and creamy mouthfeel.

Flavor notes included: dark chocolate (cocoa, drinking chocolate); diffuse, bright dried fruit and faint honey; and very faint light brown sugar, warm spice (star anise), and nut. 

This was a smooth, almost subtle 72% dark chocolate with natural sweetness and moderate complexity. It was relatively low in bitterness and had low-to-moderate acidity. 

Maker's tasting notes: "Crafted from Indonesian island beans, this chocolate has a pleasing blend of cocoa, toasted walnuts, treacle and floral notes."

Ingredients: Cocoa mass, unrefined sugar, cocoa butter, emulsifier: sunflower lecithin. 

Allergen-related information: "This product is made in a no nut factory." "Dairy free. Halal. Suitable for Vegans."

*Seram is part of the Maluku Island group (Maluku Province of Indonesia), located west of Papua and East of Sulawesi and Bali.

Metiisto - Bali 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) - Nov. 29, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Metiisto Artisan Chocolate
Bali 70% Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.32 oz. (37.5 g.) / 2.65 oz. (75 g.) in total bar
Calories: 217.6 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate and Indonesia Theme Week, including a few chocolates from Bali.

Today's Bali 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) was made by Metiisto Artisan Chocolate "from scratch in Toowoomba (Australia)."

This single origin bar had smooth, almost creamy texture; and aroma and flavor notes that included: bold dark chocolate with subtle, balanced earth (peat, loam); very faint dark molasses; and occasional flickers of brighter, sweet fruit. 

This bar was a bit edgier and less sweet than many 70% chocolates. But it was flavorful and well-executed.

Ingredients: Cocoa beans, Sugar, Cocoa butter.

Allergen-related information: May contain traces milk. Produced in Australia from local and imported ingredients.

Standout Chocolate - Single Origin Bali Indonesia 70% (bar) - Nov. 28, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Standout Chocolate
Single Origin Bali Indonesia 70% (bar)
Good +++
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 146 calories in 1/2 bar 
Cost: $10.25 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Om Suwastiastu (Greetings) and welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate and Indonesia Theme Week.

Today's Single Origin Bali Indonesia 70% (bar) was handcrafted in Sweden, by bean-to-bar maker Fredrik Martinsson, at Standout Chocolate (Kallered, Sweden).

The label contained interesting details about the cacao origin. The cacao used to make this chocolate was from Jembrana (West Bali), and produced by KSS cooperative. This cacao was "intercropped with jackfruit, mangosteen, (and) snakefruit...and after being harvested, it was fermented in 2-tier wooden boxes covered with banana leaves.

Aroma and flavor notes for this unique and pleasing 70% cacao bar included: smooth dark chocolate, warm spiced fruit compote, faint sugar molasses cookie, raisin toast, and fleeting, faint, soft cherry and herbal tea (star anise and clove rooibois tea) notes in what was a longer finish than expected. 

I really enjoyed this well-executed chocolate. The texture was smooth and uniform; and there were no off notes. Lots of well developed (and preserved) flavors from just two ingredients. While there was considerable natural sweetness (spice, fruit notes) present, happily, this chocolate was not overly sweet either. (Thank you!)

Maker's tasting notes: "Cloves, Nutmeg, Toasted Bread' and "Herbal"

Ingredients: Cacao beans*, Cane sugar*. 

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

Puchero - 75% Indonesia Java Criollo Single Origin (bar) - Nov. 27, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Puchero 
75% Indonesia Java Criollo Single Origin (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.4 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 207.5 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $ N/A - gift from a friend
Purchased from: N/A - gift from a friend - Thank you Toni! 

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

Today's Puchero 75% Indonesia Java Criollo Single Origin (bar) was produced by Tostarix S.L. (Vallodolid, Spain). The company offers a variety of small batch, bean-to-bar chocolates.

Aroma notes included: smooth dark chocolate, tropical fruit (ripe, sweet mango), and caramel.

This chocolate had a smooth, almost creamy/milky texture, mouthfeel and flavor.

Flavor notes included: bittersweet chocolate, and sweet fruit (apple, berry, date, mango), faint caramel and very faint gingerbread. What is so special about Criollo cacao varieties? Subtle, sophisticated, complex flavors that also tend to be (depending on the origin and roast) low in acidity and bitterness.*

Puchero maker's notes: "Fermented white cacao from hybrid varieties known as Java Criollo. Complex, creamy and milky. Notes of caramel and tropical fruit."

Ingredients: "cacao beans, organic beet sugar, organic cacao butter."

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

*Single origin chocolates made with heritage/Criollo cacaos are rare. They represent less than 5% of the fine chocolate market. 

Criollo and/or heritage varieties of cacao beans tend to come from smaller cacao pods, and the trees are often more delicate/prone to diseases, which helps explain why they are found/selected less often for planting in large plantations, where the highest yields and lowest risk of diseases are selected over subtler flavor characteristics. 

Similar trade-offs are made with other heritage/heirloom variety crops, ranging from roses to tomatoes. 

Heinde and Verre - Dutch Vegan Mylk 52% Chocolate (Indonesia, DR, Peru) - Nov. 26, 2023

Chocolate of the Day 

Heinde and Verre
Dutch Vegan Mylk 52% Chocolate (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 1.25 oz. (35 g.) / 2.5 oz. (70 g.) in package of 2 bars
Calories: 199 calories in 1 bar (1/2 of a 2-bar package) 
Cost: $9.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order 

Welcome to Day #1 of Chocolate and Indonesia Theme Week, featuring chocolates made with cacao grown across the Republic of Indonesia--that includes 17,000+ islands--and origins such as Java and Bali.

Today's Dutch Vegan Mylk Chocolate (bar) was from Heinde and Verre B.V. (Rotterdam, The Netherlands). Like the company's name (rough translation: near and far), high-quality ingredients were selected from at least three different continents.

The cacao used to make this 52% cacao bar was from Indonesia, the Dominican Republic, and Peru.

Aroma notes for this vegan bar included: complex dark chocolate, dried fruit (banana), sweet green and subtle rice/oat cereal. 

The texture was thick and creamy, with no unpleasant graininess (from oats, rice). All the flavor inclusions were fully incorporated into the mylk chocolate. 

The sealed packaging helped keep this bar smooth, in-temper,* and fresh-tasting. (And it also made it easy to share a bar with someone else.)

Flavor notes included chocolate, fruit - (fully incorporated), authentic banana, and pleasant, very subtle oat and rice "milk" and very faint coconut.

This was one of the most well-crafted and tasty vegan "milk" bars I've tasted. Alternative milk bars often taste/feel a bit starchy; or the oats or rice can muddle the taste of the cacao with duller flavors.

Today's bar was very nicely balanced, not too sweet, with a pleasing complexity. 

Ingredients: "Cacao beans and cacao butter (52%), sugar, oat, cocos, banana, rice, calcium, sunflower lecithin, salt." 

Allergen-related information: (None listed. See ingredients list above.)

*Chocolate is tempered (using precise cycles of heating and cooling). The perfect temper results in chocolate bars that break with a hard snap at room temperature, and well-tempered chocolates have a longer shelf life as well. If chocolate sits in the sun, or is subjected to other extremes, it can lose its firm texture and desirable appearance and become out of temper.

Marana - Chocotejas Guindon (Dry Plum), Lucuma y Nuez (Lucuma & Walnut); Sugar Plums - Nov. 25, 2023

Chocolate(s) of the Day

Marana Craft Chocolate

1.) Chocotejas - Guindon (Dry Plum)
Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) / 17.82 oz. (504 g.) in total box of 18
Calories: 145 calories in 1 piece 
Cost: $52.00 for 1 box of 18 pieces (6 flavors)
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

2.) Chocotejas - Lucuma y Nuez (Lucuma and Walnut)
Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) / 17.82 oz. (504 g.) in total box of 18
Calories: 145 calories in 1 piece
Cost: $52.00 for 1 box of 18 pieces (6 flavors)
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order?

3.) Andy's Orchard 
Sugar Plums
Good ++
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42.45 g.) (estimate) /9 oz. (estimate) for box of 6
Calories: (No information listed)
Cost: $24.00 for 1 box 
Purchased from: Andy's Orchard, Morgan Hill, CA

4.) Brandy cherries with cinnamon, cocoa
(Small batch - homemade)

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate and Cherries Theme Week. Today's four items featured holiday fruit (including cherries) and nut blends with chocolate(s).

Today's bountiful chocolate plate was heaped with two special Peruvian chocotejas confections: (1.) Dry Plum and 2.) Lucuma and Walnut) from Marana Craft Chocolate (Lima, Peru); 3.) "Sugar Plums" (with cherries and walnuts) from Andy's Orchard (Morgan Hill, CA); and 4.) homemade brandied cherries with cinnamon and cocoa.

Marana - Guindon (Dry Plum)
Aroma notes for this large, individually-wrapped, Peruvian bon bon included: dark chocolate and a complex, savory-sweet plum sauce (sweet and lightly salted plum, tomato cream sauce).

This substantial, filled confection's flavor notes included: rich, naturally sweet dark chocolate; and a diffuse blend of very faint salt brown sugar caramel and dried fruit (very lightly salted plum, then a deep dive into moist, delicious prune) that blended with the pieces of melting dark chocolate outer coating.

The moist prunes (dry plums) rocketed me back to childhood memories of Bee Ritchie's chocolate-covered prunes--from the formerly agricultural fruit basket region in the San Francisco Bay Area (South Bay).*  Dark chocolate with dry/dried stone fruit: a robust flavor blend.

Marana - Lucuma y Nuez (Lucuma and Walnut)

Aroma notes for this generously sized confection included: dark chocolate, botanical and rich nut (sweet green walnut, maple-like syrup), and very faint tart green-lemony herb (oxalis, wood sorrel, sour grass).

A creamy, rich, dark chocolate shell surrounded a soft fudge like center with large pieces of soft walnut. Flavor notes included: dark chocolate; brown sugar; faint dried fruit (fig); diffuse, sweet botanical; light caramel; and subtle, authentic walnut.

Andy's Orchard - Sugar Plums

Andy Mariani knows fruit; and his fruit orchard is one of the last of its kind in Santa Clara County. Perhaps best known for their Blenheim Apricots, the company's small orchard-adjacent store also stocks seasonal favorites, like today's wooden box of gold foil-wrapped "Sugar Plums" dried fruit and nut holiday confections.

Moist, tart sweet apricot layered over a plum, was topped with a layer of chopped walnuts and almonds and candied cherry. Sorry cherry, the apricot stole the show.

These Sugar Plums did not contain chocolate but were paired with chocolate(s). 

Homemade Brandied Cherries

Not much to say other than these cherries, soaked in brandy with a pinch of cinnamon and cocoa powder, can be a nice, rich addition to a holiday table or dessert. The alcohol in the brandy evaporates over time and some residual flavor remains.

*In the 1900s, Silicon Valley was known as the Valley of Heart's Delight. Gone are 90%+ of all those apricot, cherry, plum, walnut and almond orchards--replaced by office/technology buildings and homes. Happily Andy's Orchard is one of the few places one can still find chocolate-covered, locally-grown fruits in the South Bay/Santa Clara County.

 

Zotter - Cherry Brandy With Marzipan (bar) - Nov. 24, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Zotter
Cherry Brandy with Marzipan 
Good ++
Weight: 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 380 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $9.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's Cherry Brandy with Marzipan (bar) was made in Austria and distributed by Zotter Chocolates US LLC (Fort Myers, FL).

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate, marzipan, cherry and spirits.

A thin crispy,* dark chocolate shell sheltered a soft, creamy, high-quality marzipan center infused with cherry brandy.

Marzipan can be quite sweet. However, this was a well-balanced and well-executed, flavorful blend. The 70% dark chocolate and authentic cherry flavors balanced out the sweet almond-forward confection layer. And the slightly boozy flavor added flavor depth and richness to this bar that landed squarely in the Goldilocks zone.**

Ingredients: Marzipan+ (25% Almonds+, Sugar+, Invert Sugar Syrup+), Cocoa Mass+*, Cane Sugar+*, Cocoa Butter+*, Glucose Syrup+, Butter (Cream), Cherry Brandy+ (5%), Dry Whole Milk, Sour Cherry Powder+ (2%: Sour Cherry Juice Concentrate+, Corn Starch+), Dry Skim Milk, Skim, Salt, Lecithin (Soy+), Vanilla Bean Powder+*. (+ = Organic; 91% Organic) (* = Fair Traded, Fair Trade Content in Total: 53%)

Allergen-related information: "Contains: Milk, Almonds, Soy. Manufactured on equipment that processes other tree nuts, peanuts, eggs, gluten and sesame."

*Crispy shell in a cool room (64 degrees F./17.7 degrees C.) 

** Something that is not too much, or not too little; it's just right. The likely origin of this reference: an English fairy tale from the 1800s about a girl named Goldilocks (or old woman, depending on the version of the story) who sampled bowls of porridge (and tried out different chairs and beds) in the home of Three Bears. One bowl of porridge was too hot, one was too cold, and the last was just right.

Domori - Chocolate Coated Amarena Cherries - Nov. 23, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Domori 
Chocolate Coated Amarena Cherries
Good ++
Weight: 3.52 oz. (100 g.) / 5.29 oz. (150 g.) in total container
Calories: 363 calories in 1 serving
Cost: $35.00 for 1 tin 
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

And Happy Thanksgiving to those who celebrate this holiday in the U.S. I am grateful for many things, including spending time with friends and family today and enjoying chocolates every day.

Today's Chocolate Coated Amarena Cherries were from Domori S.p.A. (None, Italy). These flavorful rounds were packaged in an attractive, round pink gift tin.

Aroma notes for these Italian "Amarena Ricoperta" (covered black cherries) included: dark chocolate and tart-sweet, fresh cherry/cherry juice.

The thin, almost crispy-crunchy dark chocolate shell melted into smooth dark chocolate that encased a plump, dark cherry.

Flavor notes included: slightly earthy dark chocolate, and sweetened, tart-sweet, dark cherry.

Ingredients: Candied cherries 70% (cherries, glucose-fructose syrup, sugar), dark chocolate couverture 18% (cocoa min. 62%, Cocoa mass, Cane sugar, cocoa butter, Emulsifier: soy lecithin), dextrose, cocoa powder.

Allergen-related information: (Contains soy.)

 

Ranger Chocolate Co. - Dark Chocolate Cherries 70% - Nov. 22, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Ranger Chocolate Co.  
Dark Chocolate Cherries 70% 
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: .95 oz. (27 g.) / 6 oz. (170 g.) in total package
Calories: 170 calories in 1 serving (4 cherries)
Cost: $10.00 for 1 package
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's Dark Chocolate Cherries were from Ranger Chocolate Co. (Portland, OR).

The whole Bing cherries at the center of these confections were from Hood River, Oregon, played a starring role.

Aroma notes included: rich, flavorful dark chocolate (with very faint fermentation and fruity notes); very faint molasses/brown sugar; and dried fruit (cherry, plum).

The texture was very pleasing to bite into. Creamy dark chocolate gently collapsed into a soft, chewy (whole) cherry center.

Flavor notes included: dark chocolate (fudge brownie), very faint, fleeting stone fruit (cherry) and fermentation notes (after the package was first opened); and cherries with sweet, authentic fruit flavor that had its own gentle, undulating arc.

The high-quality ingredients were complementary and delicious. The cherries were not too chewy or hard. Quite the opposite. The 70% dark chocolate helped modulate the sugar in the (sweetened) cherries.

Ingredients: Dried fruit (cherry, sugar, citric acid, sunflower oil), chocolate (organic cacao, cacao butter, organic sugar), cacao powder

Allergen-related ingredients: "Manufactured in a facility that uses gluten, egg, milk, tree nuts" 

 

Moka Origins - Cherry, Dark Chocolate Tanzania 72% Cacao (bar) - Nov. 21, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Moka Origins
Cherry - Dark Chocolate Tanzania 72% Cacao (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.2 oz. (34 g.) / 2.4 oz. (68 g.) in total bar
Calories: 200 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $10.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's Cherry - Dark Chocolate Tanzania 72% Cacao (bar) was from Moka Origins (Honesdale, PA).

Moka Origins began its operations (Moka Farm) in Cameroon (the 4th largest cacao producer, in West Africa) in 2015. The founders gained experience working with cacao farmers, setting up a training center to encourage sustainable farming practices, and planting thousands of cacao trees.  

The "Trinitario, Neo-Nacional" cacao used to make the chocolate was grown in Tanzania, produced by Kokoa Kamili*, and obtained from sourcing partner Meridian Cacao.

Aroma notes included: subtle, bittersweet dark chocolate; dried tart-sweet red fruit (dark, sweet cherries, fleeting fig,); and faint spice and tart-green (oxalis, wood sorrel, citrus).

Texture: smooth dark chocolate with plump, chewy dried cherries.

Flavor notes included: dark chocolate with a balanced bitterness; faint woodsy-earth; very faint brown sugar; and authentic dark, sweet, concentrated, complex, and authentic cherry flavors that lasted into the finish. 

The blend of bold 72% dark chocolate and dried cherries made for a flavorful match.

Maker's tasting notes: cherry, raspberry, citrus

Ingredients: Organic cocoa beans, organic dried cherries (organic cherries, organic cane sugar, organic sunflower oil), organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter

Allergen-related information: "Made in a facility that handles milk, eggs, wheat, soy, almonds, and other tree nuts."

*Kokoa Kamili is located in the Mbingu Village in the Kilombero Valley (Morogoro Region) in Tanzania. This centrally located fermentation facility buys wet (freshly harvested) cacao beans at a premium price (the "highest price paid in Tanzania") from "more than 4,000 smallholder farmers in this region." Kokoa Kamili also offers training on how to "increase quality and yield rates" and distributes cacao seedlings to farmers. 

 

Natural Delights - Truffles Chocolate Cherry Flavored with Medjool dates - Nov. 20, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Natural Delights
Truffles - Chocolate Cherry Flavored with Medjool date centers
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 5 oz. (142 g.) in total package
Calories: 140 calories in 1 serving (10 pieces) 
Cost: $N/A - gift from family member
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Los Banos, CA

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

Today's Natural Delights Truffles Chocolate Cherry Flavored rounds (with Medjool date centers), were distributed by Bard Valley Date Growers (Yuma, AZ). 

Aroma notes included: cherry (cherry soda, cherry juice), milk chocolate, and very faint vanilla.

Texture: creamy outer shell (cherry and milk chocolate colored outer layers), with a natural, slightly chewy, date texture (fiber) at the center.

Flavor notes included: sweet cherry, milk chocolate, and subtle dried fruit (date)--yielding little bursts of sweet, authentic date flavor and texture. There were no whole or dried cherries in these confections, but the natural and added cherry flavor was convincing and appealing.

Ingredients: Milk Chocolate (Cane Sugar, Whole Milk, Cocoa Butter, Cocoa Mass, Sunflower Lecithin, Vanilla Extract, Milk), Medjool Dates, Color Added (Fruit and Vegetable Extracts), Coconut Flour, Natural Flavors, Citric Acid.

Allergen-related information: "Contains coconut and milk. May contain wheat, peanuts and other tree nuts."

Fjak Chocolate - Black Forest Cherry Cake Milk Chocolate (bar) - Nov. 19, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Fjak Chocolate AS
Black Forest Cherry Cake Milk Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: ~1.055 oz. (30 g.) / ~2.11 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 176 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's Limited Edition Black Forest Cherry Cake Milk Chocolate (bar) was from Fjak Chocolate AS (Eidfjord, Norway). The woman-owned, small-batch, bean-to-bar maker offers a variety of single origin bars and confections. Many include local, Hardangerfjord-inspired fruit and flavor inclusions.*

This Limited Edition 50% cacao, gluten free, Black Forest Cake-inspired bar (part of Fjak's "The Cake Series") harnessed the power of locally grown sour cherries to spark memories of this German cake. 

Aroma notes included: dark milk chocolate, tart lemon-green herb (oxalis), and tart fruit (sour cherry).

Texture: smooth, relatively creamy dark milk chocolate. (The cherries were fully incorporated into the chocolate.)

Flavor notes included: dark milk chocolate; authentic, tart-sweet sour cherry; and very faint, tart lemon-green herb (sour grass, oxalis). The vibrant sour cherry animated this sweet, and flavorful chocolate, creating a slight, pleasing, undulation in the taste.

Ingredients: Cocoa Beans*, Cocoa Butter*, Cane Sugar*, Milk Powder*, Sour Cherry*, Vanilla* (Min. 50% cocoa) * = Organic

Allergen-related information: (Contains: milk.) "Certified Organic; Gluten free"

*Hardangerfjord is a large, scenic fjord in southwestern Norway. In the warmer months, apples, cherries and other crops grow here in/on strips of green land between mountains and water. Waterfalls drip off the mountains.

Ranger Chocolate - Thai Chocolate Bar - Nov. 18, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Ranger Chocolate
Thai Chocolate Bar
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.125 oz. (32 g.) / 2.25 oz. (64 g.) in total bar
Calories: 175 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $10.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's Thai Chocolate Bar (Batch 13) was from Ranger Chocolate Co. (Portland, OR). This Thai-inspired blend of sweet and savory flavor inclusions was part of the company's Adventure Series chocolate bar series. 

Aroma notes for this exotic bar included: chocolate, coconut milk, and very faint rice, diffuse fruit and warm spice.

The texture was creamy (coconut milk, cocoa butter) and crunchy (tiny bits of rice). The crispy-crunchy texture of the crushed rice was just right--not too firm and chewy, not too soft.

Flavor notes included: sweet coconut milk chocolate, rice (identified more by its texture than mild (almost salted buttery) flavor), and very faint warm spice (very mild galangal (aka Thai ginger)). The coconut milk muted stronger flavors (cacao, spices) that might have been present in this creamy homage to sweet and savory Thai cuisine. The flavors were well executed; and there weren't too many elements competing for attention, which made this chocolate taste more like Thai comfort food than a spicy, sizzling entree.

Maker's notes: "Our Adventure Series explores our desire to always try something new. This bar is influenced by our love for Thai cuisine--blending savory and sweet..."

Ingredients: "Organic cacao, coconut milk, organic sugar, cacao butter, rice, sea salt, galangal, white pepper"

Allergen-related information: "Contains: tree nuts (coconut)" "Manufactured in a facility that uses gluten, milk, egg...tree nuts ingredients" 

Kad Kokoa - Chiang Mai 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) - Nov. 17, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Kad Kokoa 
Chiang Mai 70% Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: .97 oz. (27.5 g.) / 1.94 oz. (55 g.) in total bar
Calories: 155 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $13.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

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

Today's Chiang Mai 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) was from bean-to-bar chocolate maker Kad Kokoa (Bangkok, Thailand). The company offers chocolate bars made with Thai cacao beans grown in different regions (terroirs) of Thailand. 

The organic cacao beans used to make this Chiang Mai dark chocolate were grown on a privately contracted farm in Pa Pae, Mae Tang, Chiang Mai, in northern Thailand.

Aroma notes for this bar included: rich chocolate (fudge brownie, smooth, flavorful drinking chocolate) with very faint, diffuse fruit, brown sugar (molasses), spice and nut notes.

Texture: Smooth dark chocolate with an almost buttery melt--with a very faint (barely noticeable) fruit astringency in the finish. 

Flavor notes included: rich dark chocolate (freshly baked fudge brownie, with warm dark chocolate sauce). This dark chocolate was relatively sweet, and had a pleasing, dark chocolate-y flavor--with a slight undulating quality (that I liked). It also had very faint stone fruit (plum, nectarine), brown sugar and earth notes; but it was primarily in the rich "chocolate-y" taste category.

Today's Chiang Mai chocolate was slightly less complex than its regional 70% dark chocolate siblings featured this week (not quite as many delicate floral and fruit notes); but like the other single region, dark chocolate bars from Kad Kokoa, I experienced an abundance of well-balanced, well-executed, chocolate flavor(s)--all emanating from just two ingredients.

Maker's tasting notes: "...slight floral notes and a delicate exotic fruitiness in the background of a strong earthy body."

Ingredients: "70% Cocoa Beans (and) 30% Organic Sugar"

Allergen-related information: (No allergy-related information listed on packaging.)

Kad Kokoa - Chumphon 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) - Nov. 16, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Kad Kokoa 
Chumphon 70% Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good +++
Weight: .97 oz. (27.5 g.) / 1.94 oz. (55 g.) in total bar
Calories: 155 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $13.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

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

Today's Chumphon* 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) was from Kad Kokoa (Bangkok, Thailand). The company is dedicated to making premium, bean-to-bar chocolate made with locally grown cacao beans--"to introduce our wonderful Thai terroirs and their unique flavors to the world."

Intriguing and complex aroma notes for this bar included: dark chocolate (chocolate brownie); fruit (very faint, pleasing, savory tomato and red bell pepper sauce (that faded quickly); even fainter, fleeting cooked plum and berry); and faint sweet green, almost floral, botanical; very faint sweet tea (green, oolong); fleeting woodsy.

This well-tempered bar broke with a snap and had a relatively smooth, almost buttery melt.

Flavor notes for this unique and special chameleon-like bar included: chocolate (brownie, dark chocolate torte) and a unique, warming, blooming sensation that included, warm sweet molasses, very faint ginger snap cookies; faint vanilla-like green/floral; and...a luscious dive into rich, tasty chocolate.

This well-executed, balanced, complex, Thai-cacao based dark chocolate was sweet, but not overly so (thank you). And even the sweetness had some ice depth and complexity to it. I am a sucker for high-quality chocolate that has a sense of movement and depth to it. 

My favorite chocolates are transporting; and I feel like I took a wonderful, sensory field trip today. This rare travel experience is possible thanks to dedicated makers of single origin/single region chocolates.

Ingredients: "70% Cocoa Beans (and) 30% Organic Sugar"

Allergen-related information: (No allergy-related information listed on packaging.)

*Kad Kokoa provided the following background for this local cacao origin: "Chumphon, the gateway to the south of Thailand, accommodates the Horticultural Research Centre responsible for the R&D of national robusta coffee, coconuts, and cacao beans. We work with the Centre in exchanging the post-harvesting know-how so the farmers in the region can learn from the Centre to improve their production and thus, their quality of life. Strong cacao body with notes of ripe grapes and red berries."

Kad Kokoa - Andaman Blue (bar) - Nov. 15, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Kad Kokoa 
Andaman Blue (bar)
Good +
Weight: .97 oz. (27.5 g.) / 1.94 oz. (55 g.) in total bar
Calories: 165 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $13.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

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

Kad Kokoa - Andaman Blue

Today's Andaman Blue (bar) was from Kad Kokoa (Bangkok, Thailand). This bean-to-bar maker is dedicated to offering chocolates made with local (Thai grown) cacao beans, including some bars with Thai-inspired flavor inclusions.

This blue-gray hued (white) chocolate was a tribute to the beautiful, blue Andaman Sea--located west of Thailand.

Aroma notes for this bar included: sweet white chocolate, seed/grain (rice, very faint sesame*), faint coconut milk, and very faint botanical (green). 

The relatively smooth bar had a slightly grainy texture (finely ground toasted rice).

Flavor notes included: white chocolate, subtle coconut milk, rice (mostly textural), and a very faint green note (perhaps the blue spirulina, used for coloration). Overall it had a relatively gentle, sweet flavor, in part due to the absence of cocoa solids.

Nature's Organic Ice Cream - Chocolate Chocolate Chip 

Later, to ensure I had a daily dose of cocoa solids, I enjoyed a scoop of Chocolate Chocolate Chip ice cream from Nature's Organic Ice Cream (Fremont, CA), and a small handful of Thai spiced peanuts.

This local northern California, San Francisco Bay Area-based ice cream maker offers a few exotic southeast Asian and floral flavors as well. They offer high-quality ice cream flavors (dairy and non-dairy options) that don't contain extra additives (e.g. gums or carrageenan). (Thank you!) They also use organic ingredients in this chocolate flavor.

Ingredients: Cocoa Butter, Coconut Milk Powder, White Sugar, Toasted Rice, Blue Spirulina

Allergen-related information: "Made in a facility that handles nuts, dairy, and gluten."

*There was no sesame in this chocolate. Like many tasters (think wine, coffee, craft beer tasting), I may smell or taste things that may activate sense memories, or detect substances that are similar to, but don't reflect exact/literal ingredients. People have different memories and abilities in what they taste, so your experience may differ from mine.

Kad Kokoa - Salted Tamarind (bar) - Nov. 14, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Kad Kokoa 
Salted Tamarind (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.45 oz. (41.25 g.) / 1.94 oz. (55 g.) in total bar
Calories: 255 calories in 3/4 bar
Cost: $13.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

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

Today's Salted Tamarind (bar) was from Kad Kokoa (Bangkok, Thailand).

Aroma notes for this bar included: smooth dark chocolate; faint tart-sweet fruit; iced tea with lemon/citrus; and very faint light green, almost floral (sweet vanilla tobacco).

Texture: Smooth dark chocolate, interspersed with small chewy salted tamarind fruit bits, and the occasional tiny fragment of chili pepper (seed, membrane).

Flavor notes included: smooth, almost delicate bittersweet chocolate (faint, light green floral/sweet botanical notes); tart-sweet chewy sweet-sour fruit with very faint salt, and chili. The dried chili contributed a strong spicy kick toward the end (especially in the bites of chocolate that contained multiple bits of chili-spiced, tamarind fruit).

I liked the incorporation of authentic Thai flavors in this chocolate and how the chocolate and the tamarind bits interacted with each other. 

Warning: The dried chili flakes in this bar packed some serious chili heat. This will warm your palette and tickle your throat on the way down.

Ingredients: "Cocoa Nibs, Organic Sugar, Salt, Cocoa Butter, Dried Tamarind, Dried Chili Flakes"

Allergen-related information: "Made in a facility that handles nuts, dairy, and gluten."

Fjak - Thailand Dark Chocolate 85% Cocoa (bar) - Nov. 13, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Fjak Chocolate
Thailand Dark Chocolate 85% Cocoa (bar)
Good +++
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.11 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 164 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's Thailand Dark Chocolate 85% Cocoa (bar) was made by Fjak Chocolate AS (Hardangerfjord, Norway).

The cacao beans used to make this chocolate were from the province of Chanthaburi, in eastern Thailand, in a region known for gems, tropical fruits, and pepper.

Aroma and flavor notes for this aromatic and unique dark chocolate included: bold, dark chocolate; sharp, peppery fruit (blueberry, fig, pineapple); sweet red bell pepper; distilled spirits; and very faint tart-sweet tropical fruit (mango, passion fruit, mangosteen) vinegar.

Texture: This well-tempered bar broke with a hard snap (at room temperature (68 degrees F. / 20 degrees C.); and the chocolate had a relatively rapid, yet light buttery, melt and mouthfeel. I braced myself for some fruit astringency (puckery/dry like in some red wines), but the level was relatively low (and/or well-managed).

This, three ingredient, ultra-dark 85% single origin (single region) bar was a transporting, exotic ride. I felt grateful to be able to taste all these vibrant, complex cacao flavors that could have been lost in a more processed, over-roasted blend or a very sweet chocolate. Thank you to the makers at Fjak for a well-executed Thai chocolate, that I enjoyed more with every bite. It's rare when I'm tempted to eat an entire 85% bar; but, this was one of those times.

Fjak tasting notes: "Tropical vibes in a bar: with tasting notes of pineapple, passionfruit and rum, this might be the fruitiest 85% dark chocolate you have ever had."

Ingredients: Cacao beans, Cane Sugar*, Cocoa Butter* (*Organic)

Allergen-related information: "Processed in a facility that handles nuts, dairy and gluten." Vegan.

Siamaya Chocolate - Coconut Milk Dark Chocolate (bar) - Nov. 12, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Siamaya Chocolate
Coconut Milk Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good + 
Weight: 1.32 oz. (37.5 g.) / 2.65 oz. (75 g.) in total bar
Calories: 185 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

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

Today's Siamaya Chocolate Coconut Milk Dark Chocolate (bar) was hand-crafted in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Aroma notes for this gluten free and vegan bar included: chocolate and pleasing, warm, toasted coconut.

Texture: smooth dark chocolate, creamy coconut milk chocolate, and integrated bits of coconut.

Flavor notes included naturally sweet dark chocolate (dark chocolate torte, dark ganache) and (tiny bits of) authentic coconut. This 65% dark coconut milk chocolate was slightly acidic, and was not overly sweet (thank you).

Ingredients: Cacao nibs, organic cane sugar, coconut, coconut milk, and cacao butter.

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

Pinwheel Craft Chocolate - 62% Coconut "Milk" Kokoa Kamili, Tanzania (bar) - Nov. 11, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Pinwheel Craft Chocolate
62% Coconut "Milk" - Kokoa Kamili, Tanzania (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.05 oz. (30 g.) / 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 163 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Pinwheel Craft Chocolate, online order

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

Today's 62% Coconut "Milk" Kokoa Kamili, Tanzania (bar) was from Pinwheel Chocolate LLC (Eagle Mountain, UT). This bean-to-bar chocolate maker "started as a mother/daughter hobby..." Happily for us, this hobby morphed into a small business.

Aroma notes for this bar included: smooth dark chocolate; faint, butter-diffused, warm, woodsy spice; faint red berry; and very faint coconut milk/coconut milk chocolate.

This 62% chocolate had a smooth melt, and a creamy, almost silken mouthfeel and texture. The coconut was fully incorporated into the chocolate. (Not one small chewy coconut shred was detected.)

Flavor notes included: flavorful, sweet then bittersweet dark chocolate; red berry; and very faint authentic coconut. This chocolate had a very satisfying, ("single origin-y"* chocolate-y) finish.

I loved the well-balanced complexity (and harmony of flavors) in this bar, and the fact that it wasn't overly sweet. Most 62% cacao chocolates taste quite a bit sweeter. Unfortunately, that often means that sugar (or sugar and milk(s)) eclipse cacao flavor nuances that may be present. Today's coconut milk bar was neither too sugary, nor overly coconut-y; and it embraced the red berry and rich notes of the Tanzania cacao. It tasted like a naturally sweetened chocolate with much to share.

Maker's tasting notes ("What we taste"): "ripe red raspberries, coconut water, (sometimes cinnamon)" "This bar is also a chameleon -- after certain foods, it has the unmistakable flavor of sweet cinnamon."**

Ingredients: Cacao beans*, cane sugar*, cocoa butter*, coconut* (*Organic ingredients)

Allergen-related information: "Made on shared equipment that processes nuts and dairy."

*Single origin chocolates tend to have richer, more unadulterated flavors. And small batch single origin chocolate makers are more likely to want to preserve (and highlight) unique, multi-layered varietal flavors. A big thank you to these makers.

**I later re-tasted this bar with bourbon pecan ice cream and that muted spice note detected in the aroma came into greater focus; and sure enough it was cinnamon.

KOS - Organic Plant Protein - Chocolate Peanut Butter - Nov. 10, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

KOS 
Organic Plant Protein - Chocolate Peanut Butter Flavored  
Good +
Weight: 1.37 oz. (39 g.) / 19 oz. (1.2 lbs.) (546 g.) in total package
Calories: 165 calories in 1 serving of 2 scoops
Cost: $21.99 for 1 package
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's "Organic Plant Protein Chocolate Peanut Butter Flavored" powdered blend was distributed by KOS Inc. (Santa Barbara, CA). It contained both coconut milk and coconut sugar.

Aroma notes included: cocoa, faint fruit (berry, citrus), and roasted nuts and coffee. The coconut was barely detectable in the mix, with so many other ingredients (peas, peanuts, fruits, vegetables, etc.).

Like most powdered protein blends, when mixed well into water/liquid, it was mostly smooth. It had a little bit of a starchy, powdery taste that tickled the back of my throat; but no objectionable grit.

Flavor notes included: sweet cocoa, faint peanut and pea, and very faint fruit(s). There was a sense of sweetness that often comes with sugar replacements. In this case, coconut sugar, stevia and monk fruit extract served as sweeteners.

The overall taste was good. Extra points for using Organic ingredients. The company suggests "if you're feeling frisky, add a frozen banana."

Ingredients: Organic Pea Protein, Organic Peanut Flour, Organic Alkalized Cocoa, Organic Coconut Milk, Organic Flax Seed, Organic Coconut Sugar, Organic Inulin, Organic Acacia Gum, Himalayan Salt, Organic Quinoa, Natural Chocolate Flavor, Organic Stevia Extract, Organic Fruit and Veggie Blend (Organic Apple, Organic Carrot, Organic Cranberry, Organic Orange, Organic Broccoli, Organic Shitake Mushroom Extract, and Organic Tomato), Organic Pumpkin Seed Protein, Organic Monk Fruit Extract, Organic Chia Seed Seed, Digestive Enzyme Blend (Amylases, Lactase, Preteases, Lipase, Cellulase), KOS Vitamins and Minerals Blend (DL-Alpha Tocopherol, Manganese Amino Acid Chelate, Potassium Iodide, Zinc Oxide, Selenium Amino Acid Chelate, Molybdenum Amino Acid Chelate, Copper Oxide, Riboflavin, Niacinamide, Phylloquinone, Chromium Picolinate, Folic Acid, Cyanocobalamin).

Allergen-related information: "Contains Peanuts and Tree Nuts (Coconuts). Made in a facility that may also process eggs, dairy, soy, tree nuts, sesame, peanuts, fish, crustaceans, shellfish, and wheat products."

Marana Craft Chocolate - Passion Fruit and Coconut Chocotejas - Nov. 9, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Marana Craft Chocolate
Chocotejas - Passion Fruit and Coconut Chocolate 
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: .99 oz. (28 g.) / 17.82 oz. (504 g.) in total box of 18 pieces
Calories: 130 calories in 1 piece
Cost: $52.00 for 1 box of 18 pieces
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's Passion Fruit and Coconut Chocolate was part of an 18-piece chocolate confection box from Marana Craft Chocolate (Lima, Peru).

Aroma notes for today's traditional Peruvian-style chocolate confection (chocotejas) included: subtle chocolate (rich, dark chocolate with very faint earth and fig); bright, aromatic tropical fruit (passion fruit); and faint, authentic coconut.

This small bar sized confection was covered with a smooth, dark chocolate shell and the generous center  full of authentic coconut shreds and fruit (passion fruit caramel) offered flavor and chewy texture from start to finish.

Flavor notes were amplified versions of the aroma notes and included rich, bold 70% dark chocolate (that seemed more like 75-80% cacao); bright, tart-sweet, fresh passion fruit (infused into a light milk caramel) and authentic coconut--the subtlest of the three flavors in this chocolate.

I also "heard"* a festive Latin American street music ensemble while I was enjoying this chocolate. (A few celebratory brass instruments, a woman dancing in a bright passion fruit colored dress, percussion (dark chocolate) and a flute/wind or light stringed instrument (coconut palms perhaps)).

I loved the range of layered, authentic flavors in this chocolate.

Ingredients: Passion fruit milk caramel [milk caramel (whole milk, sugar, agar, disodium phosphate, sodium bicarbonate), passion fruit pulp (passion fruit, ascorbic acid - E300)], 70% dark chocolate (cacao mass, sugar and cocoa butter) and coconut.

Allergen-related information: Contains: milk, coconut.

*Sometimes one of our senses will activate another sense in our body. For most people this may be due to activated memories--that include a certain combination of sight, smell and/or touch. In more vivid examples a person might experience something called synesthesia.

A person with synesthesia (an estimated 1% of the population) experiences one sense with, or through, another sense. They may see certain images when they see certain sounds. They may hear music and see shapes or colors. Not surprisingly, there are artists who perceive senses together like this, and this extra ability might even be an asset. 

About 10% of small batch, single origin craft chocolates I eat are "transporting" in some way for me. They conjure up combined sense memories: the feeling of being in a specific type of forest or jungle or climate); the smell and taste of fresh cacao fruit pulp or other fruit or plant; images (the sights of trees, fruits, people, wildlife) and sounds (usually stillness and or wildlife in a forest); and rarely (like today) music and movement/dancing. Combined sensations sometimes feel implied or imagined. 

I might have a mild case of chocolate synesthesia. Or some less processed chocolates may just have magical transporting properties. Maybe after a few thousand more chocolates I'll find out.

Lovo - CoconutMilk Chocolate (bar) - Nov. 8, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

LOVO
CoconutMilk Chocolate (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.41 oz. (40 g.) / 2.82 oz. (80 g.) in total bar
Calories: 180 calories in 1 serving (9 pieces) of bar
Cost: $5.79 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Country Sun Natural Foods, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's LOVO CoconutMilk Chocolate (bar) was made in Switzerland and manufactured for Radically Good Food Co. (Toronto, ON, Canada). 

Aroma notes included: chocolate (flavorful milk* chocolate, warm rich cocoa), coconut milk and very faint sweet green and faint sweet dried palm fruit (dates).*

The texture was creamy, then velvety, with a light, almost airy, mouthfeel.

Flavor notes included the aroma notes above but with more rich chocolate and coconut milk.

I liked the well balanced and complementary flavors, but this chocolate was a bit too sweet for me. (Sugar was the number one ingredient.)

Ingredients: Sugar, cocoa mass*, cocoa butter*, organic coconut milk powder (organic coconut milk, maltodextrin), organic coconut flakes. (* Rainforest Alliance Certified)

Allergen-related information: "Contains: Coconut. Produced on equipment that also processes products containing milk, almonds, hazelnuts and peanuts."

*This plant-based and coconut milk-based chocolate did not contain milk or dates.

Simply - Coconut Almond Chocolate Date Bar - Nov. 7, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Simply Gum, Inc.
Coconut Almond Chocolate Date Bar
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 220 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $3.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Country Sun Natural Foods, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's Coconut Almond Chocolate Date Bar was distributed by Simply Gum, Inc. (Brooklyn, NY).

Made with a relatively short list of ingredients

Subtle aroma notes for this bar with a pleasant, substantial chewy texture included: chocolate, coconut, and dried fruit (date).

Flavor notes included: light chocolate (thin surrounding layer); and at the core of this bar: coconut, mild nut (almond) and sweet date. There was a very faint coconut cookie/macaroon quality--made better by the addition of almonds and chocolate--and (an imagined) vanilla flavor.

Another plus: it wasn't overly sweet (thank you).

Ingredients: Organic Deglet Noor Dates, Organic Dessicated Coconut, Roasted Almonds, Organic Dark Chocolate (Organic Chocolate Liquor, Organic Coconut Sugar, Organic Cacao Butter), Sea Salt

Allergen-related information: "Contains Coconut. Made in a facility that also processes wheat, peanut, almond, cashew, and pecan. May contain pits and/or fragments of shells."

Bulletproof - Double Chocolate Collagen Bar - Nov. 6, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Bulletproof
"Double Chocolate" Chocolate Dipped Collagen Bar
Good ++
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 14.82 oz. (420 g.) in box of 12 bars
Calories: 150 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $9.99 (estimate) for 1 box of 12 bars
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's "Double Chocolate" chocolate dipped collagen (bar) that contained MCT (coconut) oil was from Bulletproof 360, Inc. (Seattle, WA).

This "keto friendly" bar contained 7 grams of protein and only 1 gram of sugar. 

Aroma notes included: chocolate (sweet cocoa, with a faint trace of green/botanical (vanilla, oxalic acid, sweet green nut)).

A creamy chocolate-y outer layer surrounded a denser, chewy-almost crunchy core filling.

Flavor notes included chocolate...double chocolate, as there was chocolate-y flavor in both layers. This bar did contain coconut oil as part of an MCT blend; but there was no real detectable coconut flavor from this highly refined coconut oil. The cashew butter (#1 ingredient) added extra protein and a very mild, naturally sweet nut flavor.

This bar was not too sweet (thank you!). The stevia sweetener used didn't have an artificial taste and supplied just the right amount of sweetness to this bar. 

Ingredients: Cashew butter, chocolate coating (unsweetened chocolate, inulin, erythritol, cocoa butter, vanilla extract, stevia leaf extract), inulin, hydrolyzed collagen, MCT oil powder (caprylic and capric acid triglycerides from highly refined coconut oil, tapioca dextrin), cocoa processed with alkali. Less than 2% of: safflower or sunflower oil, sunflower lecithin, sea salt, organic stevia leaf extract, natural flavors, vanilla extract.  

Allergen-related information: "Contains: Cashews, milk."

Stone Grindz Chocolate - Crystallized Ginger Coconut Milk Chocolate 55% Cacao (bar) - Nov. 5, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Stone Grindz Chocolate
Crystallized Ginger Coconut Milk Chocolate 55% Cacao (bar)

Good + - Good ++

Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar
Calories: 127 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.00 (+ shipping) for 1 bar 

Purchased from: Stone Grindz, online order

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

Today's Crystallized Ginger Coconut Milk Chocolate 55% Cacao (bar) was made from bean to bar by Stone Grindz Chocolate (Scottsdale, AZ). Chocolate makers Kasey McCaslin and Steven Shipler craft small batch single origin chocolate bars, and several chocolates with flavor inclusions.

The award-winning coconut milk-based chocolate was made using cacao beans grown in Peru.

Aroma notes for this 55% cacao exotic chocolate included: relatively faint but rich, smooth chocolate; ginger; tart green-lemon herb; and very faint coconut milk and vanilla.

The base chocolate had a creamy, almost silky melt and texture. And a generous array of chewy candied ginger pieces added texture as well as flavor.

Flavor notes included: smooth chocolate, sweet spikes of candied ginger, lemongrass (oil) and a barely detectable dash of sea salt. There was a lot going on with this bar, but the flavors were balanced. 

Stone Grindz Makers' Tasting Notes: "Notes of candied ginger, coconut cream, lemongrass"

Ingredients: "Cacao*, Cacao Butter*, Cane Sugar*, Coconut*, Ginger*, Vanilla Bean, Ginger Oil, Lemongrass Oil, Sea Salt (* = Organically Farmed)

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

 

Mutari Chocolate - Tranquilidad, Heirloom, Wild Bolivia 72% (bar) - Nov. 4, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Mutari Craft Chocolate
(White Label/Single Origin Chocolate)
Tranquilidad, Heirloom, Wild Bolivia 72% (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 #9 of Chocolate and Bolivia Theme Week.

Today's White Label Tranquilidad, Heirloom, Wild Bolivia 72% (bar) was from Mutari Craft Chocolate (Santa Cruz, CA). 

The Beniano cacao used to make this bar was from the Tranquilidad Forest Estate, managed by Volker Lehmann, in the Beni Department of northern Bolivia.*

Aroma notes for this chocolate included: naturally sweet, pleasing cocoa, very faint molasses, very faint dried fruit (raisin, peach), and ultra faint graham cracker.

This well-tempered bar had a smooth texture and a creamy melt and mouthfeel.

Flavor notes included: dark chocolate (smooth, rich chocolatey, (warm cocoa, brownie)) with naturally sweet notes (very faint honey, sweet molasses, very faint sweet nut); and very faint dried, iron-rich fruit (raisin, dried plum). 

This chocolate had a very pleasing, nuanced, chocolate-y flavor. It possessed a rich aroma and flavor complexity, while also being relatively low in bitterness. The choice of 72% cacao seemed just right.

Today's Tranquilidad Heirloom Wild Bolivia chocolate (made with rare Beniano beans**) reminded me of other Criollo/heritage cacao-based chocolate bars: subtle, rich, layered flavors that were gentle, but transporting. 

Chocolates made with heirloom and heritage cacao beans make up a small fraction of the world's bars. Many thanks to all those who were part of growing the cacao, bringing the cacao to market, and making and distributing this special, small batch, bean-to-bar chocolate.

Maker's Tasting Notes: "Raisin, Tabacco, Nutty, Chocolate Base"

Ingredients: Cacao Beans, Organic Sugar, Organic Cocoa Butter

Allergen-related information: 

*Bolivia is about the size of Texas and California combined, and cacao growing regions are often in very remote areas. The Beni Department alone (in northern Bolivia) is close to the size of the Western U.S. State of Idaho.

** Beniano cacao is grown in the Beni Department of northern Bolivia, adjacent to wild forests of cacao that date back thousands of years. Evidence to date (2015 study) has suggested that wild cacao trees first evolved in present day South America approximately 10 million years ago--long before the first humans arrived. 

Solstice Chocolate - 70% Tranquilidad Dark Chocolate (bar) - Nov. 3, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Solstice Chocolate
70% Tranquilidad Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.15 oz. (32.5 g.) / 2.3 oz. (65 g.) in total bar
Calories: 160 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $13.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Solstice Chocolate, online order

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

Today's 70% Tranquilidad Dark Chocolate (bar) was made by Solstice Chocolate, Inc. (Salt Lake City, UT). 

The cacao used to make this bar was grown in northern Bolivia, and likely from Hacienda Tranquilidad. Some very wonderful wild heirloom and/or single estate cacaos grow in this area.

Aroma and notes included: smooth dark chocolate; diffuse fruits (very faint honeyed mango, raisin); and faint brown sugar/molasses.

The texture was smooth with a creamy melt and mouthfeel.

Flavor notes for this naturally sweet 70% dark chocolate included: smooth dark chocolate, faint cream and very faint brown sugar/molasses. There was a small uptick in bright, diffuse fruitiness (subtle fruit acidity) in the middle, followed by a creamy, chocolate-y finish.

Maker's Tasting Notes: "Honey, Cream, Molasses"

Ingredients: Cacao Beans, Organic Cane Sugar, Cocoa Butter

Allergen-related information: "Processed in a tree nut, gluten, dairy and soybean free facility."

Solstice Chocolate - 56% Bolivia Dark Milk Chocolate (bar) - Nov. 2, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Solstice Chocolate
56% Bolivia Dark Milk Chocolate (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.15 oz. (32.5 g.) / 2.3 oz. (65 g.) in total bar
Calories: 160 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Solstice Chocolate, online order

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

Today's 56% Bolivia Dark Milk Chocolate (bar) was made by Solstice Chocolate, Inc. (Salt Lake City, UT).

Aroma notes included: chocolate (fragrant, sweet warm cocoa with milk); and very faint, diffuse green mango/citrus.*

This 56% chocolate has a thick, creamy texture and mouthfeel.

Flavor notes included: rich, flavorful milk chocolate; sweet caramel and toffee; and very faint sweet green botanicals (stalks, oxalis) in the finish.

Maker's Tasting Notes: "Toffee, Salted Caramel, Mocha"

Ingredients: "Cacao Bean, Organic Cane Sugar, Whole Milk, Cocoa Butter, Pure Vanilla Extract, Non-GMO Lecithin Powder"

Allergen-related information: (Contains milk.) "May contain coconut."

*Descriptions of chocolate aroma and flavor notes may not reflect actual ingredients. (E.g. in this case, there are no mango or citrus ingredients, although cacao fruit/pulp surrounding the seeds (beans) may have these flavors.) Different cacao varieties and origins also have different flavors.

Fruition - Bolivia Beniano Dark Tranquilidad 66% (bar) - Nov. 1, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Fruition Chocolate Works
Bolivia Beniano Dark Tranquilidad 66% (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.12 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 165 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $14.00 (estimate) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

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

Today's Limited Release Bolivia Beniano Dark Tranquilidad 66% (bar) (Batch #1) was from Fruition Chocolate Works (Shokan, New York).

The company sourced the wild Beniano Bolivian cacao beans used to make this chocolate from Volker Lehmann via Uncommon Cacao. Lehmann operates Hacienda Tranquilidad, in northern Bolivia. And their cacao is designated as a special heritage cacao by the Heirloom Cacao Preservation Fund.

Aroma notes included: subtle, complex dark chocolate that started with a slightly more intense dark chocolate and ended with a more delicate, almost floral, sweet botanical dark chocolate.

This well-tempered 66% dark chocolate bar broke with a hard snap, and had a smooth, even texture and melt.

Flavor notes included: sweet dark chocolate; very faint coffee; molasses brown bread; honey; and sweet nut(s). This Bolivia Beniano dark chocolate had a gentle, pleasing finish with slight roasted cacao/coffee and faint, fleeting forest notes.

I've tasted and featured several bars from different makers who used Tranquilidad, Bolivia, (Beniano) cacao grown in the Beni Department of northeastern Bolivia. 

While the resulting chocolates vary slightly (based on harvest year, selected roasting and conching/grinding times, etc.) all have had gentle, appealingly complex aroma and/or flavor aspects to them. 

Love live these wonderful islands of heirloom cacao trees and those that protect them. 

Ingredients: Cocoa Beans, Cane Sugar*, Cocoa Butter* (* = Organic)

Allergen-related information: "Allergen Warning: Our facility contains tree nuts, peanuts, milk, wheat, eggs, soy, and sesame. Trace amounts possible."

 

Chuao Chocolatier - Potato Chip Milk Chocolate (bar) - Oct. 31, 2023

Chocolate(s) of the Day

Chuao Chocolatier
Potato Chip Milk Chocolate (bar)
Good + 
Weight: 2.8 oz. (80 g.) in total bar
Calories: 420 calories in 1 bar
Cost: N/A - birthday present
Purchased from: N/A - birthday present (Thank you Megan!)

Happy Halloween--one of the biggest chocolate consumption days of the year in the U.S. 

This Potato Chip Milk Chocolate (bar) is the last of 4 bonus Halloween chocolate entries sandwiched in between a week of Bolivian Chocolates. Two of these Halloween chocolates contained potato (crisps and chips).

What's the connection between potatoes, chocolate and Bolivia? 

1.) My two favorite foods are: chocolate and potatoes.
2.) Both cacao and potatoes originated (and are still cultivated in) Bolivia* (and Peru).
3.) It's Halloween! I can eat any chocolate that I want. I like savory chocolates.

This evening's Potato Chip Milk Chocolate bar was from Chuao Chocolatier (Carlsbad, CA).

Aroma notes for included: sweet milk chocolate; very faint salted potato (potato chip); and very faint vanilla.

The texture was both creamy (milk chocolate, cocoa butter) and crunchy (embedded potato chip bits).

Flavor notes included: sweet (41% cacao) milk chocolate, salty potato chip bits, and very faint vanilla. The sugar and salt levels landed this bar into the addictive snack zone. 

Neither chocolate nor potato (chip) flavors were very strong. The sugar (and vanilla) and the fat (cocoa butter and oil from the potato chips) were more prominent. I like flavorful dark chocolates (including those with salt/umami flavor inclusions); but that didn't stop me from eating this entire milk chocolate bar. Scary. 

Ingredients: Premium 41% milk chocolate (cane sugar*, cacao butter*, milk, cacao*, sunflower and soy lecithin [as an emulsifier], natural vanilla*), potato chips (potatoes, vegetable oil [sunflower, corn and/or canola oil]), sea salt. 

Allergen-related information: "Contains: Milk, Soy" "Manufactured in a facility that uses tree nuts and wheat on shared equipment."

*There are thousands of varieties of potatoes in South America. The potato may have been first cultivated/domesticated in Bolivia as far back as 9,000+ years ago.

Sjaak's - 1.) Extra Dark 72% Cocoa Dark Chocolate Bar, 2.) Chipotle & Cinnamon Dark Chocolate Bar - Oct. 31, 2023

Chocolate(s) of the Day 

Sjaak's Organic Chocolates

Extra Dark 72% Cocoa Dark Chocolate Bar
Good ++
Weight: .5 oz. (14.1 g.) / 1 oz. (28 g.) in total bar
Calories: 85 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $2.49 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Country Sun Natural Foods, Palo Alto, CA

Chipotle & Cinnamon 60% Dark Chocolate Bar
Good ++
Weight: .5 oz. (14.1 g.) / 1 oz. (28 g.) in total bar
Calories: 80 calories for 1/2 bar
Cost: $2.49 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Country Sun Natural Foods, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome and Happy Halloween to all who celebrate. We interrupt Chocolate and Bolivia Theme Week to insert four spooky "bonus" Halloween chocolates on this night of tiny ghosts and goblins. 

This small bar duo: 1.) Extra Dark 72% Cocoa Dark Chocolate and Chipotle and 2.) Cinnamon 60% Dark Chocolate Bars were from Sjaak's Organic Chocolates (Petaluma, CA). 

Extra Dark 72% Cocoa Dark Chocolate Bar

Aroma notes included: robust dark chocolate aroma with balanced earth (loam, faint peat) and very faint chocolate torte and faint vanilla.

Texture: smooth, uniform dark chocolate with a buttery, easy melt and mouthfeel.

Flavor notes included: rich, dark chocolate with balanced earth (faint peat, loam); silky chocolate ganache; and very faint vanilla.

Ingredients: 72% Dark Chocolate* (Cocoa Liquor*, Cane Sugar*, Cocoa Butter*, Vanilla Bean Powder*) (*=Organic)

Allergen-related information: Produced in a facility that processes peanuts, tree nuts, and coconut.

Chipotle & Cinnamon Dark Chocolate Bar

Aroma notes included: robust dark chocolate (very similar to the 72% dark chocolate above only diluted with a pinch more sugar, and spices); balanced, subtle earth notes (faint peat, loam); and very light warm spices (cinnamon); and faint chili pepper.

Texture: smooth, uniform with a buttery melt and mouthfeel.

Flavor notes were the same as the aroma notes, only with more dark chocolate-y taste--and heat from the chipotle pepper.

Ingredients: 60% Chocolate* (Cane Sugar*, Cocoa Liquor*, Cocoa Butter*, Ground Vanilla Beans*), Ground Chipotle Pepper*, Cinnamon*. (* = Organic)

Allergen-related information: Produced in a facility that processes peanuts, tree nuts, and coconut.