Hebel & Co. - Double Chocolate Organic Sesame Tahini Halva - April 23, 2024

Chocolate of The Day 

Hebel & Co. 
Double Chocolate - Organic Sesame Tahini Halva
Good ++
Weight: 1.1 oz. (32 g.) / 8 oz. (227 g.) in total container/tub
Calories: 170 calories in 1 serving
Cost: $ (Missing information) for 1 container
Purchased from: The Market at Edgewood, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #11 of Chocolate and Umami* Theme Week. Today 

Today's Organic Double Chocolate Organic Sesame Tahini Halva was from Hebel & Co. (North Hollywood, CA).

Sesame tahini-based halva (derived from the Arabic word halwa (sweet confection)) is a traditional Middle Eastern confection made from ground sesame seeds and honey. Dairy free kosher versions are particularly popular this week when Passover is being celebrated.

Aroma notes for today's relatively modern chocolate and vanilla** version included: sweet, nougat like aroma and appearance; faint sweet sesame seed confection; and subtle chocolate and vanilla.

A slab of halva can look rather humble in appearance. However, the texture and flavors can be divine. The thick slice I tasted had a uniform, softly chewy (micro) crunchy, almost nutty, flaked texture that within 3-4 seconds dissolved into smooth, creamy deliciousness.

Flavor notes included: rich, creamy and sweet, high-end sesame nougat-like flavor infused with chocolate (cocoa) and vanilla. Not too stiff or sticky. Just right.

The sweetness level also felt just right for a confection. It wasn't made with honey; but the tapioca syrup and cane sugar sweeteners didn't obscure more subtle sesame and vanilla flavors.

Ingredients: Organic Sesame Seeds, Organic Tapioca Syrup, Organic Cane Sugar, Organic Chocolate (Organic Cacao Beans, Organic Cane Sugar, Organic Cocoa Butter, Organic Vanilla Beans), Organic Cocoa Powder, Certified Sustainably Sourced Organic Palm Oil, Organic Quillaja Extract, Organic Vanilla Extract, Citric Acid.

Allergen-related information: (Contains sesame.) "Made in a Facility That Processes Tree Nuts, Peanuts, Wheat, Soy, Milk."

* Umami flavors are associated with savory foods with high levels of glutamic acid/glutamate. These amino acids and protein building blocks exist not only in meats and mushrooms, but also in a variety of other foods, including: sea and land vegetables/plants, peanuts, tree nuts (almonds, walnuts), cashews and several seeds (sesame, hemp, pumpkin, chesnut, chia). (Sesame seeds contain a whopping 4000 mg. of glutamic acid in a 100 gram (3.53 oz. portion.)

**Halva-style confections (aka halvah, halawa) made with varying ingredients have been enjoyed in countries like Iran/Persia, Greece, Turkey and Egypt long before new world flavors like chocolate and vanilla were added. (A sunflower seed version can be found in Russia.) That said, the more recent additions of chocolate and vanilla seemed a perfect, natural and complementary fit with this historic sweet.

Sabadi - Il Cioccolato di Agrigento (bar) - April 22, 2024

Chocolate of the The Day

Sabadi 
Il Cioccolato di Agrigento (bar)
Good ++
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 118 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $8.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Caputo's Market, online order

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

Today's Il Cioccolato di Agrigento (bar) 60% (Ecuador cacao) chocolate bar with olive oil and bay leaves was from Sabadi srl (Modica, Sicily, Italy). (Agrigento is a town in southwest Sicily.)

Sabadi (Saturday in English) offers a variety of chocolates, including raw chocolates and Italian herb and fruit infused items, as well as other Italian foodstuffs. I recommend a browse of their website. If I'm able to travel to Sicily in the future, I'll definitely look them up.

Aroma notes included: sweet dark chocolate, savory herb and oil (very faint olive oil potato chips).

The texture of this chocolate was slightly crunchy from (I'm assuming) less refined sugar crystals, similar to some stone-ground chocolate where the cacao was minimally ground, adding a slightly crunchy creamy texture. In this case the sugar was the "rougher" ingredient, and not completely incorporated. I was expecting olive oil and cocoa butter creaminess. But I also enjoyed the added textural interest. (The company does some wonderful things with different sugars.) 

Flavor notes included: sweet, dark chocolate (with very faint fruit-floral); herb (light rosemary-mint, faint tarragon, sweet (Turkish) bay leaf). Note: there are different types of bay leaves. Bay* leaves in California are much stronger, and less "sweet" and nuanced than those found in Southern Europe.

This 60% "cold processed" chocolate was relatively sweet because: 1.) in part because the sugar crystals weren't ground down and fully incorporated, so I could taste the sweetness in a more intense way; 2.) the Ecuadorian cacao was inherently smooth (low in bitter/sour notes that can dampen or counter-balance sweetness); and 3.) 60% is a lower percentage of cacao than many dark bars (by definition there is more sugar).

Flavors were well balanced. The dried bay leaf had a lovely, nuanced/layered herbal flavor. The olive oil was very subtle.

I paired this chocolate with a high-umami, Italian-inspired meal with savory tomato and mushroom sauce. (Tomato is a high-umami fruit from the Americas that has become fully embedded into European--and global--cuisine(s).)**

Ingredients: Cocoa mass** -- origin: Ecuador -- variety: Nacional Fino de Aroma; cane sugar*, extra virgin olive oil (min. 5%), dried bay leaves (min. 1%). Cocoa: 60% minimum.

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

*California bay laurel (Umbellularia californica)--aka California laurel, Oregon myrtle, Pacific myrtle, Myrtlewood, Spice tree, Pepperwood---is native to California and Oregon in the U.S. It has a strong, almost eucalyptus-like/menthol-like strength. A little goes a long way. 

European bay laurel leaves are much more nuanced and pleasant (and less likely to give some people a headache).

** The Americas, for a variety of reasons, became more densely inhabited later than Africa, Europe and parts of Asia. The indigenous peoples of the Americas cultivated many species of plants and domesticated animals early on. 

Subsequent European explorers sped the spread of cacao, tomatoes, potatoes, corn, peppers, vanilla, allspice, many squashes, Brazil nuts, avocados, tobacco, and many other uniquely American tropical fruits, grains and other foods worldwide in a big way. 

According to the Smithsonian Institution, approximately 60% of the world's diet today is based on foods that originated from the Americas.

 

Deux Cranes LLC - Dark Chocolate With Miso Almonds (bar) - April 21, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Deux Cranes LLC
Dark Chocolate With Miso Almonds (bar) 
Good ++
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 190.6 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $15.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Sweet Shop, Los Altos, CA

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

Today's Dark Chocolate with Miso Almonds (bar) was from Deux Cranes LLC (Los Gatos, CA).

Company tagline read: "Handcrafted Chocolates Rooted in Japan, Inspired by France"

Miso is a traditional Japanese, umami-rich paste made from fermented soybeans and rice malt (sometimes barley)--that's used in soups, sauces and spreads. 

Deux Cranes description: "The almonds in this bar are roasted with white miso paste, emphasizing the roasted flavor of the 70% dark chocolate and almonds in this savory, umami-filled bar." 

Aroma notes included: dark roast (cacao, almonds, coffee), dark chocolate, and umami (miso).

Texture: smooth, almost creamy. (The almond and miso flavors and textures were almost fully incorporated.)

Flavor notes included: dark roast cacao/chocolate with savory and slightly sweet notes, including miso and almonds. The darker roast flavor made this chocolate seem slightly darker than 70%. But, it was also sweet enough to feel balanced. The miso contributed an authentic, slightly tangy, savory soy flavor.

Thank you to Deux Cranes for creating this blend. I like trying new and different flavor combinations, so I appreciated tasting this bar. Chocolate is a tremendously versatile medium -- it can be paired successfully with sweet, bitter, sour, salty, or savory/umami flavor inclusions. Some fermented items, like today's miso, are trickier than others. Including the almonds to the mix helped to mellow and meld the roast-y and bold flavors.

(Deux Cranes) Flavor Notes: "Roasted, Rich Cocoa, Umami"

Ingredients: "Dark Chocolate (cocoa beans, sugar, cocoa butter, sunflower lecithin (emulsifier), natural vanilla extract), Almonds (glucose syrup, sugar, water, miso (rice, filtered water, soy beans, sea salt, alcohol))"

Allergen-related information: "Contains: Almonds, Soy" "May contain traces of soy, nuts, milk, fish, and gluten. Produced and packaged in the same facility as soy, peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, sesame, and milk products."

 

Chocolate Naive - Dry-Aged Beef Steak Chocolate (bar) - April 20, 2024

Chocolate of The Day

Chocolate Naive
Dry-Aged Beef Steak Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar
Calories: 162 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $14.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Caputo's Market, online order

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

I love umami flavors--often described as savory, meaty and/or hearty. What better flavor inclusion then to bring to the chocolate + umami party than beef steak?

Once again, Domantas Uzpalis at Chocolate Naive is keeping us on our toes and inviting us to think outside the box when it comes to creative (and successful) flavor pairings with chocolate. 

Today's Dry-Aged Beef Steak Chocolate (bar) was crafted by Chocolate Naive (Produced by: Mulate UAB, Vilnius, Lithuania). This 62% dark milk chocolate with beef and lingonberries could be a complete meal in a bar. I wondered: would this be the perfect, highest of high-end, chocolate protein bar?

Aroma notes for this bar included: very unique and subtle sweet (fruity) + savory/umami (with very faint black pepper) dark milk chocolate.

Texture: smooth, relatively creamy dark milk chocolate. 

Flavor notes included: dark milk chocolate with a hidden umami quality; clean, bright, semi-tart berry (fruit) and almost undetectable black pepper (no texture/grit, just a slightly aromatic, faint ghost flavor); and an occasional, very fleeting, faint taste of steak (beef) and butter in a few bites. 

I really enjoyed tasting this creatively-conceived, well-executed, and very balanced chocolate. I'm curious what a less-sweet version of this bar (with even more umami) would have tasted like. But, this formulation is probably already a stretch for most people. I often opt for/prefer umami over sweet in chocolates; and I am not most people.

Ingredients: "specialty cacao*, cane sugar*, pure cacao butter*, dried grass-fed beef steak*, butter*, grass-fed milk powder*, lingonberries*, sea salt*, black pepper*." (* = "wild or all-natural farming")

Allergen-related information: Contains milk. "May contain traces of peanuts, tree nuts. Cacao min. 62%."

Venice Organics - Brain Boost - Lion's Mane & Cordyceps 70% Chocolate Bar - April 19, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Venice Organics
Brain Boost - Lion's Mane & Cordyceps 70% Chocolate Bar
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 1.325 oz. (37.5 g.) / 2.65 oz. (75 g.) in total bar
Calories: 200 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.99 for 1 bar 
Purchased from: FarmFresh To You (online order)

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

Today's "Brain Boost" - Lion's Mane & Cordyceps 70% Chocolate Bar was manufactured in California for Venice Organics (Los Angeles, CA). 

Aroma and flavor notes included: hearty dark chocolate (single origin Dominican Republic cacao) with subtle, rich and balanced earth; sweet green (botanicals and coconut sugar). I really enjoyed this bar. It had a lot of bold, very well-balanced flavor.

The umami flavor(s) from the edible mushrooms were very subtle. (I'm not sure I could have identified the two mushrooms in this chocolate in a blind taste test.) Rather, evidence of these umami-rich fungi showed up as a subtle, hearty savory and very complementary background flavor that I found very appealing.

I also loved the choice of high-quality, organic ingredients in this gluten-free, vegan chocolate; as well as the lack of emulsifiers/lecithins and refined sugar.

Maker's tasting notes: "...This 70% organic chocolate is rich and creamy with an earthy, bright finish."

Ingredients: "*Chocolate (*Cocoa, *Coconut Sugar, *Cocoa Butter), *Lion's Mane, *Cordyceps (* = Organic)"

Allergen-related information: "Processed in shared equipment with products containing nuts. Box made with recycled material and lead-free ink."

Jeremiah's Pick - Chocatal BBQ Spice Rub with Coffee & Cacao - April 18, 2024

Chocolate of The Day

Jeremiah's Pick 
Chocatal BBQ Spice Rub with Coffee & Cacao
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 0.2 oz. (5.6 g.) / 4 oz. (113 g.) in total container
Calories: 11 calories in 1 serving (0.2 oz.)
Cost: $8.99 for 1 container
Purchased from: Country Sun Natural Foods, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's Chocatal BBQ Spice Rub with Coffee and Cacao (nibs) was from Jeremiah's Pick Coffee Co. (San Francisco, CA). 

This Bay Area based specialty coffee roaster offers a variety of coffees, and a line of spice rubs.

Their Chocatal spice blend included Arabica coffee and cocoa nibs. It would make a nice spice rub for grilled meats; but I incorporated this warm, reddish-hued spiced rub (powder) into a chicken tamale and vegetables and it worked very nicely. I see no reason why you couldn't infuse a little of this into savory brownies or drinking chocolate. (But, then again, I like savory and umami chocolates.)

Aroma and flavor notes included: a rich savory blend of many spices, including: paprika, cumin, chili powder, salt and other spices. The coffee and cacao ingredients were very subtle, and added a bit of pleasing flavor depth/complexity.

I liked the short list of high-quality ingredients, the well-executed and balanced punch of flavor (without being too hot/spicy), and the lack of preservatives. 

Ingredients: "salt, chili powder, chocatal(tm) (coffee and cocoa nibs), spices, hydolyzed soy protein, maltodextrin, dehydrated onion and garlic, oleoresin or paprika, no more than 2% silicon dioxide added as an anticaking agent." 

Allergen-related information: None listed.

J. Street Chocolate - Caramelized Koji Mylk 55% (bar) - April 17, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

J. Street Chocolate 
Caramelized Koji Mylk 55% (bar)

Good ++ 

Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.)/ 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar

Calories: 136.4 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.00 (web site price today) for 1 bar
Purchased from: J. Street Chocolate, online order

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

Today's Caramelized Koji Mylk 55% (bar) was made by J. Street Chocolate (San Francisco, CA). J. Street founder and chocolate maker (Julia Street) explores chocolate "through the world of fermentation, upcycled food, and single origin bars." 

Fermentation enhances umami and other flavors. (Almost all chocolates are made with fermented and roasted cacao.) Pairing chocolate with other fermented foods--and umami flavors including vegetables, meats, sauces, as well as mushrooms and fungi* is very interesting to me; so please forgive the longer, nerdier, review for this bar.

Today's inclusion was koji, a prized fungus that can be cultivated on rice (mold inoculated grain) and used to ferment sugars and alter proteins. The result: flavor development. Koji is used in fermented products ( miso, sake, soy sauce, meju, shochu, mirin, and other foods and beverages). There was koji in yesterday's featured J. Street Chocolate 72% Shoyu Chocolate bar.) And, like chocolate, koji can go sweet or savory.

Aroma notes for this mylk chocolate bar included: chocolate (chocolate-y/dark milk chocolate ganache, lemony green herb (oxalis), caramel, faint and diffuse fruit(s), very faint aromatic rice, and very light savory.

Texture: uniform, relatively smooth texture and melt. There was a very faint graininess/astringency that developed a few seconds in. But by the end it had a clean, less astringent, almost fresh finish -- almost like the koji cleared and I got a clearer taste of fruit in the cacao. There were some fun microscopic interactions going on in this gentle and tasty game of hide-and-seek.

Flavor notes included: dark milk/mylk chocolate with some very faint tropical fruit (Botan) rice candy notes. After the first bite, there was an interesting (in a good way), very subtle taste shift that happened that was hard to explain. 

There was a whisp of menthol-like coolness (without any strong mint or menthol flavor) that felt like a mellowing/settling in the flavor in the first bite. The slightly lemon-green (oxalis) citrusy note fell off a bit, but a pleasant tangy-ness remained. 

Subsequent bites also had slight shape-shifting quality, including recurring, very light flickers of fruit (cacao fruit, fleeting red berry) and caramel in subsequent bites. 

The sweetness level of this 55% mylk chocolate seemed right; i.e., it was not too sweet. (Thank you!) The flavors were nicely balanced, and subtly complex. 

Like the other J. Street Chocolate bars sampled this week, this Koji 55% bar was thoughtfully conceived, well-executed and fun to try. I really appreciated Julia Street's willingness to explore savory chocolate options, choice of fermented flavor inclusions (expertly matched with specific cacao varieties/origins), and her process.**

Ingredients: "cacao beans from Tanzania*, cocoa butter*, cane sugar*, caramelized rice koji (Koda Hills white rice*, aspergillus oryzae)"  * organic

Allergen-related information: (No allergen information printed on packaging; check with J. Street if you have questions.)

*Umami foods are higher in glutamate, a contributor to the savory "fifth" flavor. It's not the same as salty; umami foods have more "meaty" depth--even if there's no meat. (E.g., miso soups, or tomato sauces with parmesan cheese and mushrooms, etc.)

** The following is Street's description of how she made this bar and some tasting notes: 

"...I dry and caramelize the koji rice slowly to bring out the sugars and the Maillard effect. Then I grind it before adding it to the chocolate as the "milk". It lends a caramel sweetness (and I can use less sugar than most bars!) and makes for a really balanced bar."

"Just as important for this bar are the cocoa beans from Kok(o)a Kamili in Tanzania. This origin's fruitiness is a perfect match for the koji's nutty properties I bring out."

"In this bar I taste notes of strawberry, caramel, biscoff cookie, and rye..."

J. Street Chocolate - Shoyu Chocolate 72% Dark Chocolate (bar) - April 16, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

J. Street Chocolate 
Shoyu Chocolate 72% Dark Chocolate (bar)

Good ++ - Good +++

Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.)/ 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar

Calories: 136.4 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.00 (web site price today) for 1 bar
Purchased from: J. Street Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate and Umami Theme Week. And it seemed like a good time to feature bars from J. Street Chocolate (San Francisco, CA). 

Today's Shoyu Chocolate 72% Dark Chocolate (bar) was from Julia Street at J. Street Chocolate (San Francisco, CA). Street is a small-batch, bean-to-bar maker who explores chocolate "through the world of fermentation, upcycled food, and single origin bars." Chocolates with fermented flavor inclusions often have more umami* flavor.

Aroma notes for today's vegan, gluten- and soy-free dark chocolate included: sweet and very slightly savory/umami dark chocolate. The sweetness had a pleasing depth, complexity and substance to it. (It was similar to the first whiff of either less processed sugars: cane and coconut sugars, maple syrup, or honey -- or certain cooked sugars (caramel, toffee). 

Flavor notes included: smooth, almost creamy, rich, chocolate-y, dark chocolate, blended with tiny taste bubbles of umami-like savoriness (fermented shoyu flecks, sea salt). 

This bar was thoughtfully conceived, and well executed--with complementary flavors that were allowed to shine and dance a little together. It was well balanced, not too sweet or salty. 

Maker's description/notes: "Fudgey chocolate blended and topped with shoyu lees**--a...blend of salty and sweet."**

Ingredients: "Organic cacao beans from Camino Verde" (Ecuador), "organic coconut sugar, organic cocoa butter, Shared Cultures shoyu lees (organic lentils, organic quinoa, water, sea salt, koji)"

Allergen-related information: Contains coconut (sugar). 

*Umami foods have a savory quality, and contain higher levels of glutamate.

**More info from the maker: "This bar is carefully crafted with dehydrated gluten and soy free organic shoyu lees (moromi) from Shared Cultures (left over from pressing the sauce) ground into it in addition to sprinkled on the back so you'll get bites where you truly get to enjoy the moromi. Paired with beans from Camino Verde in Ecuador, the fudgey and citrusy backdrop of the beans highlights the moromi and with everything together, tropical explosions happen in the mouth." 

J. Street Chocolate - Olive The Thyme 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) - April 15, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

J. Street Chocolate 
Olive The Thyme 70% Dark Chocolate (bar)

Good ++ - Good +++

Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.)/ 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar

Calories: 136.4 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.00 (web site price today) for 1 bar
Purchased from: J. Street Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate and Umami Theme Week--and time to feature a few chocolate bars from J. Street Chocolate (San Francisco, CA). 

J. Street founder and bean-to-bar chocolate maker (Julia Street) explores chocolate "through the world of fermentation, upcycled food, and single origin bars." 

Today's bar includes one of my favorite fermented and umami foods: olives. There aren't many chocolates with olives (although there are some good ones made with olive oil). So, I was delighted to find this bar -- made less than 35 miles from where I live.

Olives are fermented. And the process of fermentation often enhances umami and other flavors (think miso soup, kimchi, marmite, parmesan cheese, etc.). Almost all chocolates are made with fermented and roasted cacao. I'm fond of umami flavor inclusions in (and pairings with) chocolate.

Aroma notes for today's "Olive The Thyme" 70% dark chocolate (Batch # OTT11) included: dark chocolate, faint lemon-green herb (oxalis) and very faint salt/savory. The olives were harvested in/from Healdsburg (California)--and cured--by the maker.

Texture: smooth dark chocolate with crunchy textural accents from roasted almond bits. (The almonds were roasted just right.)

Flavor notes included: bright, slightly acidic but balanced fruity dark chocolate, and slightly savory (olive) and very faint almond (mostly in the texture, a wee bit in the taste). The toasted almond bits helped balance the fruit/acidity. The olive and the thyme were both very subtle. Soft, complex ripples of flavor--slightly more present in some bites than others--made this a mellow, well-executed, chocolate umami treasure.

A doff of the hat to the maker for her choices, including the complementary cacao origin/variety and  highlighting fermented and umami flavors and ingredients (olives + chocolate + almonds + thyme in this case). I like chocolate and umami flavors (apart and together); and I've also foraged and made olives before. I could imagine and appreciate the process that went into the creation of this bar; and that was fun.

Maker's description/tasting notes: "Bright fruity chocolate paired with locally cured black olives, toasted almonds, and lemon thyme...The fruitiness of the Tanzanian beans pairs...with the bright citrus-y butter-y olives..."

Ingredients: "cacao beans from Kokoa Kamili in Tanzania*, cane sugar*, almonds*, locally cured black olives, cocoa butter*, lemon thyme (*Organic)

Allergen-related information: (Contained almonds.) (No other allergen information was listed on the packaging.)

Megan's Candied Lemon Blossom Dark Milk Chocolate + Lemon Cookies - April 14, 2024

Chocolate of The Day

Megan's Homemade Chocolate
Candied Lemon Petal Dark Milk Chocolate (bar)
Good +++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) (estimate) in total bar
Calories: 155 calories in 1 oz. (28.3 g.) of bar
Cost: N/A - gift from family
Purchased from: N/A - gift from family (Thank you Megan!)

Tate's Bake Shop
Gluten Free Lemon Cookies
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 1.02 oz. (29 g) / 7 oz. (198 g.) total package
Calories: 150 calories in 2 cookies
Cost: $ Missing information
Purchased from: The Market at Edgewood, Palo Alto, CA 

Welcome to Day #5 of Baked Goods with Chocolate Series; and Day #2 of Chocolate and Umami Theme Week.*

Lemon items ruled the day and included: candied lemon blossoms in chocolate; lemon oil and flavoring in lemon cookies; umami-like preserved (salted, fermented)* lemons (with umami vegetable side dishes and chicken and mushrooms); and smoked lemonade. 

Today's beautiful and tasty Candied Lemon Petal Dark Milk Chocolate bar was made especially by Megan, using a hamsa hand-shaped mold. (Thank you Megan!)

Candied Lemon Blossom Dark Milk Chocolate (bar)

Aroma notes included very appealing lemon/citrus floral and dark chocolate.

Texture: creamy smooth dark milk chocolate interspersed with delicately textured candied floral petal bits.

Flavor notes included: smooth dark chocolate and pleasing, lemon floral complexity (undulations of nuanced lemon fruit, lemon blossom, light lemon pulp/rind).

Ingredients: Dark chocolate, candied lemon blossom petals

Allergen-related information: Contained milk.

Gluten Free Lemon Cookies

Today's Gluten Free Lemon Cookies were from Tate's Bake Shop (Southampton, NY).

Aroma notes included: baked, buttery, sweet lemon cookie/cake.

Texture: thin cookie with crispy texture and buttery mouthfeel.

Flavor notes included: sweet, crispy, lemony, buttery cookie and a very faint touch of salt. This is the kind of gluten-free cookie I like. Fresh, flavorful and not bulky, bland and doughy.

Ingredients: "Rice flour, Sugar, Butter, Liquid egg white, Natural flavor, Milk, Lemon oil, Baking powder, Xanthan gum, Salt."

Allergen-related information: "Contains Milk and Eggs. May contain tree nuts and soy."

*Foods high in "umami" flavor include tomatoes, mushrooms, peas, cheeses, certain meats, foods with MSG, and other items that are high in glutamate (or contain MSG) and/or that have savory flavor. Fermented foods (included preserved, salted lemons) also tend to be higher in umami-like flavor.

 

Gnosis Chocolate 80% Dark Turkey + Cardamom Tea Cookies - April 13, 2024

 Chocolate of The Day

Gnosis Chocolate
80% Dark Chocolate Turkey
Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) / 2 oz. (56.6 g.) (estimate) entire piece  
Calories: 155 calories (estimate) in 1 oz. of turkey
Cost: $10.00 for 1 piece/turkey
Purchased from: Gnosis Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #4 of Baked Goods with Chocolate Series, and the first day of Chocolate and Umami Week. In the past, umami and savory chocolates have included ingredients like mushrooms, meats, cheeses and other high-glutamate items.

Today's 80% Dark Chocolate Turkey from Gnosis Chocolate (Astoria, NY) was more metaphorical...it was a chocolate homage to a turkey (meat in likeness only). 

The turkey was the main course. Side dishes for this meal included a mushroom soup and a savory salad; and for dessert a gluten-free baked cardamom tea cookie.* 

Aroma and flavor notes for today's 80% turkey included dark chocolate (true chocolate; very faint, smooth/balanced earth and faint, fleeting sweet-tart/lemon green (oxalis), and a diffuse natural sweetness (warm spice, coconut/brown sugar, cookie). 

I liked that this bar was made with only two ingredients: raw cacao and coconut sugar. The coconut sugar added a tiny, pleasing bit of warmth and flavor depth.

The use of raw cacao (lower temperatures in the processing) meant more of the natural flavors were preserved, and other chocolate flavors weren't as "developed;" i.e., it didn't have a fiery, roasted, ultra-dark personality--which some dark chocolate fans will appreciate. 

Each batch of cacao is treated a bit differently by chocolate makers; fermentation, roasting and conching times may vary. However, if you're starting out with great cacao with great flavors, there's a case to be made against over-heating or over-processing.

Ingredients: Raw Cacao, Coconut Sugar.

*Today's baked good: Gluten Free Vegan Cardamom Tea Cookie from New Bread, a Gluten-Free Lifestyle Company, LLC, based in Alameda. CA. 

New Bread - Double Chocolate Crinkle Cookie - April 12, 2024

Chocolate of The Day

New Bread
Gluten Free Vegan Double Chocolate Crinkle Cookie
Good ++
Weight: 1.41 oz. (40 g) / 2.82 oz. (80 g.) total container
Calories: Unknown calories (not listed) in 2 cookies
Cost: $7.99 for 1 container
Purchased from: Missing information (on store)

Welcome to Day #3 of Baked Goods with Chocolate Series.

Today's Gluten Free Vegan Double Chocolate Crinkle Cookie(s) were from New Bread, a Gluten-Free Lifestyle Company, LLC, based in Alameda. CA. 

Like many gluten-free product companies, the New Bread founders had family members with specific food sensitivities/preferences, and started their own gluten-free baked goods business after finding existing gluten-free offerings wanting in some way (too dry, crumbly, bland, etc.). 

Aroma notes for these petite, soft, chocolate cookies included: chocolate (brownie), cookie; and faint warm spice (vanilla).

Flavor notes for these powdered sugar-coated chocolate included chocolate (cake, brownie), powdered sugar and very faint spice (vanilla, anise). I shook off most of the powdered sugar; the cookies themselves had a pleasing, sweet but rich chocolate (cake-style brownie, cocoa) flavor and had a coherent (non-crumbly), soft texture.

Ingredients: Organic oat flour, brown sugar, chocolate chips (sugar, unsweetened chocolate, cocoa butter, dextrose, sunflower lecithin), cocoa powder, olive oil, egg replacement (potato starch, tapioca flour, baking soda, psyllium husk fiber), vanilla, baking powder (corn starch, sodium bicarbonate, monocalcium phosphate), baking soda, sea salt. Frosting: Powdered sugar, cane sugar.

Allergen-related information: "Processed in facility that uses soy, almonds, tree nuts, milk, eggs and sesame"  

New Bread - Gluten Free 100% Keto Chocolate Chip Cookie - April 11, 2024

Chocolate of The Day

New Bread
Gluten Free 100% Keto Chocolate Chip Cookie
Good + Good ++
Weight: 1.41 oz. (40 g) / 2.82 oz. (80 g.) total container
Calories: 220 calories (estimate) in 2 cookies
Cost: $7.99 for 1 container of 4-5 cookies
Purchased from: Missing market information (Palo Alto, CA)

Welcome to Day #2 of Baked Goods with Chocolate Series.

Today's Gluten Free 100% Keto Chocolate Chip Cookies were from New Bread, a Gluten-Free Lifestyle Company, LLC, based in Alameda. CA. 

Like many gluten-free product companies, the founders had family members with food sensitivities, and started their own operations after finding existing gluten-free baked goods dry, crumbly, or wanting in some regard. 

Aroma notes included: subtle baked good (cookie, cake); very faint chocolate and mild nut notes.

Texture?: soft cookie base that was almost cake-like and that had a non-crumbly (coherent) texture. Very slightly chewy. (what is soft bake?), with a sprinkling of small chocolate chips.

Flavor notes included: soft-baked cookie base with very faint vanilla, eggy cake, and chocolate-y chips. These cookies had a very slight menthol flavor that is sometimes present with artificial sweeteners. (Made my nose run.) 

I liked that they used almond flour and olive oil were the top two ingredients. (I'm not a fan of artificial sweeteners; but it was nice to taste less sugar, and to be reminded just overpowering granulated sugar can be in a baked good. 

Ingredients: Almond flour, olive oil, non-GMO allulose, organic eggs, organic almonds, organic coconut flour, chocolate chips [unsweetened chocolate, chicory root fiber, erythritol, milk fat (rBST free), cocoa butter, sunflower lecithin, stevia extract, vanilla extract], organic almond oil, baking soda, chocolate flavor, sea salt, xanthan gum.

Allergen-related information: Contains: milk, egg, almond, coconut. "Processed in facility that uses soy, almonds, tree nuts, milk, eggs and sesame" 

Good Hope Bakery - Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Chocolate Brownie - Apr. 10, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Good Hope Bakery
Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Chocolate Brownie
Good ++
Weight: 2.89 oz. (82 g.) in 1 brownie
Calories: 330 calories in 1 brownie
Cost: N/A - sample provided. ($4.00 for 1 brownie)*
Purchased from: N/A - sample from Gluten-Free Good Hope Bakery

Welcome to Day #1 of a Baked Goods With Chocolate Series.

Today's Gluten Free and Dairy Free Chocolate Brownie was from Good Hope Bakery (Springvale, UT).

The company specializes in gluten free cookies, brownies and other treats, that are made in a dedicated gluten-free facility. Their offerings can be ordered online and shipped nationwide (anywhere in the U.S.). (The individually-wrapped brownies were well-sealed.)

Aroma notes for today's individually-wrapped chocolate brownie included: chocolate-y (brownie); very faint vanilla; and other delicate wafts of other baked goods (freshly baked chocolate chip cookie; very faint, fig (cookie) and chocolate souffle).

Texture: An appealing blend of a relatively light, cake-like brownie interspersed with firmer, chocolate-y chips/pieces with a rich melt. This hearty brownie landed squarely in the "Goldilocks" zone for me: not too gooey, not too dry. Just right.

Flavor notes included: chocolate-y (brownie), chocolate chips, and faint cocoa with vanilla accented with a pinch of salt that helped balance the sweetness. It was made with oat flour; there was no "oat-y" taste (a good thing in my book when it comes to certain chocolate items.)

Each generously-sized brownie contained 6 grams of protein; and 50 grams of carbohydrates. I ate this brownie with some California walnuts and almonds, and plenty of water, before a hike outdoors; and it provided satisfying taste (and fuel) for the day.

Ingredients: Granulated Sugar, Certified Gluten Free Oat Flour, Dairy Free Chocolate Chips, Eggs, Canola Oil, Cocoa, Water, Vanilla Extract, Salt, Baking Powder.

Allergen-related information:  Contains Egg. Gluten Free (Made in a dedicated gluten-free facility.) Dairy Free. 

*Pricing for multi-packs is also available. Five-brownie packs are currently $18.50 and packages of 10 are $35.00. Check with Good Hope Bakery/website for most up-to-date information. At the time of this writing, the company provided both online order and pickup options.

Anarchy Chocolate - 100% Dark Chocolate (bar) - April 9, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Anarchy Chocolate
100% Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 1.41 oz. (40 g.) / 2.82 oz. (80 g.) in total bar
Calories: 220 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $5.55 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Anarchy Chocolate, online order 

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

Today's 100% Dark Chocolate (bar) was made by Anarchy Chocolate (at Anarchy (Cocoa) Farm in Trat, Thailand). 

The family-owned, small-batch chocolate maker sells a variety of Thai cacao-based offerings (chocolate bars, cacao nibs, cacao husk tea).

Aroma notes for today's 100% cacao chocolate included: ultra-dark chocolate with rich, balanced earth tones (peat) and authentic, deep chocolate-y cacao; and very faint (almost undetectable), diffuse fruit, spice, and mild tart-green (lemony herb, oxalis).

Texture: appealing, creamy, smooth texture with a slight astringency in the finish (consistent with, and less than, most 100% chocolates).

Flavor notes included: bold, well-balanced 100% dark chocolate, with rich creamy smooth texture, medium acidity, and relatively low level of bitterness (for a 100%er). Subtle earth and other aroma notes (listed above) were also present in the background.

Ingredients: No information listed on packaging. (Likely just cacao and cocoa butter)

Allergen-related information: No information.

 

Anarchy Chocolate - 85% Dark Chocolate (bar) - April 8, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Anarchy Chocolate
85% Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good + - Good ++ 
Weight: 1.41 oz. (40 g.) / 2.82 oz. (80 g.) in total bar
Calories: 219 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $5.55 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Anarchy Chocolate, online order 

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

Today's 85% Dark Chocolate (bar) was made by Anarchy Chocolate (at Anarchy (Cocoa) Farm in Trat, Thailand). 

The family-owned, small-batch chocolate maker operates on their own farm, and sells a variety of Thai cacao bean-based offerings (chocolate bars, cacao nibs, cacao husk tea).

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate (dark chocolate ganache, lemony green (oxalis)); and very faint floral spice and fruit (diffuse fig, tropical fruit).

Texture: dark chocolate with a slightly uneven melt (out-of-temper) and a slight graininess/astringency (throat tickle).*

Flavor notes included: dark chocolate; natural sweetness (honeyed rice, fruit); and very faint tart lemony herb (oxalis) and spice. 

This was a fun chocolate to try; and I enjoyed the relatively gentle flavor complexity. It was relatively low in bitterness for an 85% ultra-dark (high-percentage cacao) bar, and it wasn't too sweet--allowing the subtler flavors to shine through.

I'm a huge supporter of small businesses making bean-to-bar chocolate. For Anarchy Chocolate, and a handful of others, the difficulty level goes up as they're making chocolate from tree-to-bar in a cacao growing zone. They operate a farm; may be doing their own fermenting; and are making chocolate in warm and humid climates; and shipping to other countries without being able to completely control the end-to-end shipping process.*

Ingredients: Not listed.

Allergen-related information: None found.

*Note: The textural attributes mentioned were likely from a long transit time from Thailand to the U.S. (A few months elapsed between when the order was placed and when it was delivered.) I'm guessing that the package, containing three different bars, may have been held up in customs for some time, and that this time did not include storage at an ideal temperature range.

 

Anarchy Chocolate - 33% Milk Chocolate (bar) - April 7, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Anarchy Chocolate
33% Milk 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: $5.55 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Anarchy Chocolate, online order 

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

Today's 33% Milk Chocolate (bar) was made by Anarchy Chocolate (at Anarchy (Cocoa) Farm in Trat, Thailand). 

The family-owned, small-batch chocolate maker sells a variety of Thai cacao bean-based offerings (chocolate bars, cacao nibs, cacao husk tea).

Aroma and flavor notes for this bean-to-bar chocolate included: very subtle/gentle dark milk chocolate and very faint, diffuse fruit (subtle tamarind with rice).

I really liked that this 33% milk chocolate wasn't too sweet (thank you!), and that it had a subtle, unique rich flavor. I'm so used to 33% chocolate being ultra-sweet I flinch a little before tasting it; and I expect that the sugar will overwhelm any flavor notes that might have been present. Not this time.

Note: Unfortunately, the package took a few months to arrive from Thailand (likely held up by customs and/or it sat in a mailing room or two). So the chocolate had bloomed (it had a whiteish appearance in all but one spot). Being out of temper* also affected the texture (slightly more crumbly). Thankfully, the aroma and flavor did not seem affected. 

The good news, it arrived yesterday right as I was about to give up and move on to a new chocolate origin (Haiti) theme week. Perfect timing!

Ingredients: (No ingredients label.)

Allergen-related information: Milk I am assuming. (None listed.)

*When chocolate is precisely heated and cooled in a process known as tempering, the chocolate will break with a hard snap. However, if the chocolate is later exposed to excessive heat (warm room, sun) or cold (refrigerated space) it can go "out of temper." The crystalline structure (of the cocoa butter) can change--or recrystallize to a less stable/desirable crystalline structure/form. These exposure(s) can affect the chocolate's appearance (mottled, white look), texture (less snap, more crumble), taste, and shelf-life (shorter shelf life).

Fossa Chocolate - 54% Dark Milk Lychee Rose (bar) - April 6, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Fossa Chocolate
54% Dark Milk Lychee Rose (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 275 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $12.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Caputo's, online order

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate and Thailand Theme Week--focused on cacao/chocolates from Thailand and chocolates containing Thai-grown and Thai-inspired flavor inclusions.

Today's 54% Dark Milk Lychee Rose (bar) was from Fossa Chocolate (Singapore).

The company's description of this bar read: "Creamy and fruity rose infused Tanzania 54% Dark Milk Chocolate topped with chewy dehydrated lychee from Chiang Rai, Thailand, and crunchy cacao nibs."

Aroma notes included: fruit (floral, sweet, lychee), and cocoa/cacao.

Texture: creamy smooth chocolate base and clusters of small, slightly crunchy, cacao nibs.

Flavor notes included: a base of mild dark chocolate (made even creamier and more subtle by added cocoa butter); cacao nibs; delicious pieces of sweet, refreshing, authentic lychee fruit; and floral (rose).

I loved the authentic and balanced flavors and gentle complexity. This was a sweet chocolate bar, but the sugar didn't overwhelm the natural fruit and floral notes. (Thank you.)

Maker's tasting notes: "Delicate rose infused milk chocolate with the sweet aroma of lychee"

Ingredients: Cacao, cane sugar, cocoa butter, milk powder, lychee, rose absolute 

Allergen-related information: "Contains dairy. Produced in a facility that processes nuts."

KanVela Chocolate - Chiang Mai Origin Dark 70% (bar) - Apr. 5, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

KanVela Chocolate
Chiang Mai Origin Dark 70% dark chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.12 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 240 calories in 1/2 bar (per package)
Cost: $9.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order 

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

Today's Chiang Mai Origin 70% dark chocolate (bar) was from KanVela Chocolate (Thailand). The company has been making bean-to-bar and tree-to-bar chocolate since 2018. 

The cacao used to make this bar was grown in Chiang Mai Province in northern Thailand, north of Bangkok.

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate (smooth, complex), faint fruit, nut, sweet green, warm spice, and very faint, balanced earth.

Flavor notes for this well-tempered bar included: dark chocolate (brownie, ganache) with faint (diffuse) fruit; nut; sweet green; warm spice; and very faint, well balanced earth. Flavor notes were very similar to the aroma, just more chocolate-y and delicious.

I appreciated the well-balanced, well-executed, complex aroma and flavor notes in this bar.

Ingredients: Cacao Nib 65%, Sugar 30%, Cocoa butter 5% 

Allergen-related information:  "Made in a facility that processes milk, wheat, sesame, soy and tree nuts." 

KanVela Chocolate - 70% Dark Chocolate Thailand Origin (bar) - Apr. 4, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

KanVela Chocolate
70% Dark Chocolate Thailand Origin (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.12 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 240 calories (per label) in 1/2 bar 
Cost: $9.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order 

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

Today's 70% Dark Chocolate Thailand Origin (bar) was from KanVela Chocolate (Thailand).

Aroma notes included: chocolate (dark cocoa, red fruits; balanced earth/peat/very faint tannin).

Texture: well-tempered, smooth chocolate with an even texture and melt.

Flavor notes included: bold yet smooth dark chocolate with diffuse red fruit (red apple, ripe red berry, faint mango and even fainter honey); and subtle, complementary earth.

Ingredients: Cacao nib 65%, Sugar 30%, Cocoa butter 5% 

Allergen-related information: "Made in a facility that processes milk, wheat, sesame, soy and tree nuts."

KanVela Craft Chocolate - 72% Dark Chocolate Klong Loi Origin (bar) - Apr. 3, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

KanVela Craft Chocolate
72% Dark Chocolate Klong Loi Origin (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.12 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 240 calories in 1/2 bar (per package)*
Cost: $7.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order 

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

Today's 72% Dark Chocolate Klong Loi Origin (bar) was from KanVela Chocolate (Thailand).

Intriguing, subtle aroma notes included: soft and gentle cacao; very faint (diffuse, light tropical) fruit; and very faint (imagined) coffee and spice.

Texture: smooth, creamy texture; almost undetectable, friendly astringency.

Flavor notes included: mild but flavorful dark chocolate (low in acidity and bitterness); with a gentle bouquet of diffuse fruit(s); very subtle warm spices (cinnamon); very faint sweet green, fresh coconut; and unrefined sugar. 

I really enjoyed the heritage criollo-like** flavors in this bar. It was quite gentle for a 72% dark chocolate. It was subtle enough that I found myself leaning in and paying careful attention to what I was tasting, for fear that I might miss something that was gently unfolding. 

I recommend including today's Thai bar in a chocolate tasting flight. Try tasting this 72% cacao Klong Loi Origin chocolate side-by-side with a few other 72% cacao bars, just to enjoy the contrast.

Maker's tasting notes: "Indulge...in the softness of KanVela Klong Loi Origin and bite into a symphony of cinnamon, toasted coconut, caramel and red fruits."

Ingredients: "Cacao nib 67%, Sugar 28%, Cocoa butter 5%"

Allergen-related information: "Made in a facility that processes milk, wheat, sesame, soy and tree nuts."

*This kcal number sounds high, even accounting for the possibility that it contained more added cocoa butter. It may be an error on the packaging.

**A reference to heritage criollo cacao varieties that originated in the Amazon Basin regions of South America. The fruits (pods) are slightly smaller and more delicate--and the flavors are subtle and often gently complex with notes of stone fruits and caramel. Criollo-based chocolates are rare, representing 5 percent or less of what you'll typically find for sale. Definitely worth tasting if you haven't already.

KanVela - 58% Dark Milk Mocha with Crispy Rice (bar) - April 2, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

KanVela Chocolate
58% Dark Milk Mocha with Crispy Rice (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.12 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 240 calories (per label) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order 

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

Today's 58% Dark Milk Mocha with Crispy Rice (bar) was from KanVela Chocolate (Thailand).

Aroma notes included: smooth, dark milk chocolate, vegetal (tart green herb (oxalis) and faint chopped green (jalapeno) peppers); faint coffee; even fainter floral (honey, jasmine rice), and very faint (likely imagined) warm spices (faint spiced latte).

Texture: creamy dark milk chocolate interspersed with whole grains of light, crispy rice. (These Thai Jasmine Rice Puffs were visible from the back of the bar.)

Flavor notes included: dark milk chocolate, faint almost fruit-floral, spice and coffee. The rice added subtle flavor depth. The coffee was very subtle and a bit more gently complex than what is often the case in other coffee/mocha bars. 

Ingredients: "Cacao nib 40%, Sugar 21%, Cocoa butter 18%, Milk powder 14%, Crispy rice 5%, Ground coffee 2%" 

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

KanVela Chocolate - Honey Milk Chocolate with Riceberry Cracker (bar) - April 1, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

KanVela Chocolate
Honey Milk Chocolate with Riceberry Cracker (Thai) (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.12 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 180 calories in 1/2 bar 
Cost: $9.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order 

Welcome to two overlapping theme weeks. Today was Day #6 of Chocolate, Flowers and Honey Week, Day #2? of Chocolate and Thailand Theme Week.

Today's Honey Milk Chocolate with Riceberry Cracker (bar) was from KanVela Chocolate (Thailand).

Organic riceberry crackers (made with a unique purple Thai rice) from Chang Rai--a famous rice-producing city in Northern Thailand-- and Chiang Mai Longan* flower honey provided wonderful, subtle and very complementary aromas and flavors.

Aroma notes included: chocolate; faint aromatic rice/cracker; and faint floral (honey) and spice (similar to white pepper).

Flavor notes included: mellow, yet subtly flavorful 50% cacao dark milk chocolate infused with honeyed, crispy/crunchy rice cracker spirit. The Chang Mai Longan flower honey yielded some very pleasing honey-ed sweet notes. There were also very faint cracker and white pepper notes. (Think white pepper taste, without the heat).

Yes, this chocolate was sweet, but the honey, rice cracker and a faint almost fruit-floral note, managed to balance the sugar sweetness and add flavor depth. This was the best use of rice in chocolate I've tasted in a very long while.

Ingredients: Cacao nib 50%, Milk powder 18%, Sugar 18%, Honey 8%, Riceberry cracker 6% 

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

*Longan are small oval shaped, pleasing, almost delicate, sweet fruits with light-colored, almost tranlucent, flesh (similar to a lichee) with a dark-colored pit at the middle. These fruits are covered with a thin beige-to-brown skin/shell that can be peeled off. The fruit is pleasant to eat, and it is also used to flavor teas. Native to Southern China and near Myanmar, longan fruits are widely cultivated in Southeast Asia (including northern Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam). You can also find them in markets in Hawaii as well as in Chinatown districts and small Asian markets in the U.S., e.g. in San Francisco and elsewhere in the SF Bay Area near where I live).

 

Dude, Sweet Chocolate - "A Holiday In Cambodia Bar" + Elements Truffles - Rose Cardamom Dark 70% bar - Mar. 31, 2024

Chocolate(s) of the Day

Dude, Sweet Chocolate 
"A Holiday in Cambodia Bar"
Good ++
Weight: .775 oz. (22 g.) /1.55 oz. (44 g.) in total bar
Calories: 120 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $7.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Dude, Sweet Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate, Flowers and Honey Week, and Day #1 of Chocolate and Thailand Week. 

There are two Thai-related chocolates today. 

The Rose Cardamom bar with ingredients from Thailand from Elements Truffles I tasted five years ago, but wanted to enjoy the lovely rose smell and taste again. The primary chocolate involved crossing the Thai border to try this "Holiday in Cambodia" chocolate bar. Not Thailand; but the two neighboring countries share a 500-mile border(s) and many culinary and cultural traditions.*

Today's unique "A Holiday in Cambodia Bar" from Dude, Sweet Chocolate (Dallas, TX) contains SE Asian inspired flavors (Palm Sugar, Cambodian Black Pepper)--and Pop Rocks (popping candy) that relate to holidays celebrated with fireworks in Cambodia (Independence Day in Nov.) and Thailand. (New Year's Day in Thailand (Songkran) is April 13th.) 

A Holiday in Cambodia Bar

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate (roasted cacao), pleasant sweetness (coconut or unrefined sugar) and very faint spice.

Texture: The Pop Rocks created little crunchy, sweet candy explosions in my mouth. About the closest thing one could get to culinary fireworks (other than chili peppers perhaps). 

Flavor notes included: dark chocolate; unrefined/coconut palm sugar; and faint warm spice and coconut. (The palm sugar was nice; not quite as buzzy and dominant as refined (white) cane sugar.) Overall, a fun bar to try, and well-executed and creative take on a southeast Asian international experience. 

Pairing suggestions: Tea, wine, or blue butterfly pea flower tea** with coconut milk and honey or palm sugar, if you can make or find it (or ingredients) in your area. Think Thai iced tea...in a lovely shade of blue.

Rose Cardamom Dark Chocolate 70% (bar)

Elements Truffles
Rose Cardamom Dark 70% (bar)
Good ++
Weight: .9 oz. (25 g.) / 1.8 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 140 calories in 1/2 bar 
Cost: $9.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order 

Today's second chocolate: a Rose Cardamom Dark 70% (bar) was from Elements Truffles (Union City, NJ) and contained Thai-inspired rose elements. (As indicated above, I had tasted this bar before, in 2018.)

Aroma notes included: smooth dark chocolate; fragrant rose/rosewater; and faint cardamom.

Flavor notes for this gentle (cocoa butter prominent) but flavorful 70% bar included: smooth dark chocolate; rose, rose, and more authentic rose; and a trace of cardamom spice. If you enjoy floral and honey flavors, you'll love the sweet, soft authentic rose aroma and flavor.

This bar was well balanced and relatively low in bitterness/acidity--in part due to cocoa butter (#1 ingredient).

Ingredients: "Organic Cacao Butter, Raw Honey, Organic Cacao Powder, Rose Essential Oil, Cardamom Essential Oil."

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

* Cambodia and Thailand are two of the oldest kingdoms in Southeast Asia. Both were once part of the Khmer civilization (when the empire included all of Cambodia, and parts of Thailand and Laos). The two countries have many similar cultural and culinary traditions, some language overlaps. In recent centuries, the relationship between the two countries has been influenced by French colonization in SE Asia, cultural influences from India and China, and many other factors. (It's complicated.) 

Both countries are worth visiting and are in a climactic zone where cacao, palm sugar, flowers and spices (ginger, lemongrass, peppers) grow. Both have lovely cuisines, traditions, and at least one holiday involving fireworks. A Thai version of this Holiday in Cambodia bar might have a little more (spicy) heat; both countries offer complementary flavors that can be (continue to be) successfully blended with cacao.

Dude, Sweet Chocolate - Loco for Coco Chocolate Bar - Mar. 30, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Dude, Sweet Chocolate
Loco for Coco Chocolate Bar
Good ++
Weight: .775 oz. (22 g.) / 1.55 oz. (44 g.) in total bar
Calories: 120 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar 
Cost: $7.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Dude, Sweet Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate, Flowers and Honey Theme Week.

Today's "Loco for Coco" Chocolate Bar ("toasted coconut, honey crystal made where there are nuts") offering was from Dude, Sweet Chocolate (Dallas, TX).

Aroma notes included: roasted cacao (dark chocolate) with nutty, subtle honey-floral and very faint vanilla notes. 

Texture: This relatively thick bar had a hearty, almost stone-ground yet smooth, rich chocolate texture and mouthfeel, with a generous helping of tiny crunchy flecks.

Flavor notes included: hearty dark chocolate, with alluring, complex flavor inclusions. The light-colored flecks yielded flickers of buttery, coconut, honey, and barely detectable sea salt sparkles. 

I enjoy and appreciate well-executed layered and/or progressively unfolding flavor notes; and almost always find this approach more enjoyable than fully blended (or overly homogenized) flavors. 

If you prefer nutty peanut butter vs. smooth peanut butter; layered cakes or parfaits; complex flavor pairings; or the occasional chocolate with intact cacao nibs, you might like this flavorful bar.

Ingredients: Republica del cacao 68% Nutty chocolate (cacao beans, cane sugar, cocoa butter, vanilla beans), coconut, honey, sea salt.

Allergen-related information: None listed on package. 

Gnosis Chocolate - "Immunity" chocolate heart + Persian Love Cake - March 29, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Gnosis Chocolate 
"Immunity" chocolate heart 
Good ++
Weight: .5 oz. (14.1 g.) (estimate) in total piece/heart
Calories: 77 calories (estimate) in 1 piece
Cost: N/A - included with larger shipment
Purchased from: Gnosis Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate, Flowers and Honey.

Today's "Immunity" (solid chocolate) heart was from Gnosis Chocolate (Astoria, NY).

Aroma notes included: chocolate, warm spice, and very faint herbs and mushroom.

This heart-shaped (individually-wrapped) chocolate had a pleasing aroma, flavor and texture/melt.

Flavor notes included: chocolate, warm spices (cinnamon, ginger, clove), and very faint herbs and mushroom. The warm spices extended into the finish.

Persian Love Cake
I paired this chocolate with a slice of gluten free, Persian Love Cake--made with almond flour, warm spices (cinnamon, cardamom) and rose water, and beautifully adorned with rose petals and chopped, green pistachio nuts.

Jcoco - 61% Orange Blossom Espresso in Peruvian dark chocolate - Mar. 28, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Jcoco
61% Orange Blossom Espresso in Peruvian dark chocolate 
Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) in total bar
Calories: 155 calories (estimate) in 1 small bar
Cost: $3.49 (estimate) for 1 small bar
Purchased from: jcoco/Seattle Chocolate, online order 

Welcome to Day #3 of a Chocolate and Floral Series, including bars and confections with floral/flower-related ingredients.

Today's jcoco 61% Orange Blossom Espresso in Peruvian dark chocolate (bar) was made in Seattle, WA. (The jcoco brand is part of Seattle Chocolate Company, Seattle, WA.)

Aroma notes included: chocolate, orange blossom and ground coffee.

Texture: smooth chocolate with a very slight coffee grit.

Flavor notes included: relatively sweet, smooth dark chocolate (ganache); floral (orange blossom), warm spice, and coffee. 

This small bar was colorfully wrapped and is also available in a 3-bar pack.

Ingredients: 61% cacao dark chocolate (cracked cacao beans, cane sugar, cocoa butter, sunflower lecithin), coconut oil, decaffeinated espresso, orange oil, black tea powder, cloves, sea salt."

Allergen-related information: "Contains coconut. This product is manufactured in a plant that processes milk, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, egg and wheat products." (Vegan, Gluten free, Kosher dairy)

Dude, Sweet Chocolate - Flower Child Truffles - March 27, 2024

Chocolate of The Day

Dude, Sweet Chocolate
Flower Child Truffles
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: .6 oz. (17 g.) / 3.6 oz. (103 g.) in total cylinder
Calories: 93 calories (estimate) for 1 truffle
Cost: $12.00 for 1 container of 6 truffles
Purchased from: Dude, Sweet Chocolate (online order)

Welcome to Day #1 of Floral Chocolate Series.

Today's Flower Child Truffles were from Dude, Sweet Chocolate (Dallas, TX). I love Chef Katherine Clapner's exploration of flavors -- from roasty and nutty to floral, and everything in between--with product names like "Crack in a Box" (chocolate bark squares) that will make you smile, because their descriptions are funny, and mostly true.

Aroma for these Flower Child truffles included: orange blossom, chocolate (brownie), jasmine, bergamot and very faint vanilla.

Tasting notes included: dark chocolate, and a floral explosion of orange blossoms (neroli), jasmine blossoms (think jasmine infused tea), and bergamot (think Earl Grey Tea) -- everywhere, all at once.

If you like floral flavors like I do, you'll appreciate this dose of floral gunpowder (embedded in a high-end chocolate) experience. 

Floral flavors (often more volatile and easily lost during processing) are often shunted to the back room, to be seen (read about) but not heard (or tasted). Not so today! 

Suggested wine and cheese pairings from the maker: "...Sauvignon Blanc, goat cheese and great brie (cheese)"

Ingredients: (Made with 55% Equatoriale chocolate from Valrhona, French butter and cane syrup...) and floral flavorings.

Allergen-related information: Contains dairy (butter).

Pacific Resources International - Ginger Dark Chocolate Patties Manuka Honey - Mar. 26, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Pacific Resources International

Ginger - Dark Chocolate Patties Manuka Honey 

Good + - Good ++

Weight: 1.16 oz. (33 g.) / 5 oz. (141.5 g.) in total package

Calories: 120 calories in 3 pieces

Cost: $9.99 for 1 package

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

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate and New Zealand Theme Week; and Day #1 of Chocolate, Flowers and Honey Week.

Today's Ginger Dark Chocolate Patties with Manuka Honey were distributed by Pacific Resources International (Carpinteria, CA).

Aroma notes for these chocolates included: ultra-dark chocolate, honey, and very faint pollen, floral and warm spice.

The 99% cacao dark chocolate shell was thin and almost crunchy in a cool room. (Well-tempered chocolate breaks with a snap.) This outer, ebony-colored coating delivered satisfying ultra-dark flavor--and was thin enough to still showcase the generous, sticky-smooth and creamy, manuka honey center. 

Layered flavor notes included: ultra-dark chocolate; thick, authentic honey (with floral, pollen), and subtle, warm ginger.

What I liked. These chocolate patties had: 1.) a short list of (three) ingredients; 2.) a 99% ultra-dark chocolate coating that was refreshingly un-sugared and satisfying; a treat for dark fans; 3.) New Zealand Manuka Honey with an MGO rating* (MGO 60+); 4.) thoughtful layered flavors; and 5.) gluten free and dairy free ingredients.

Ingredients: "Manuka/Honey, 99% cocoa dark chocolate, ground ginger"

Allergen-related information: None listed. (gluten free, dairy free, Kosher Certified)

*"MGO" refers to the level of methylglyoxal (MGO), a naturally occurring compound found in manuka honey. A higher level (rating number) is often associated with stronger antibacterial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties. An MGO rating of "60" means that the honey has at least 60 mg. of methylglyoxal per kilogram.

Today's rating of 60 is above what you might find in some honey's, but it's not at the upper echelon of manuka honey offerings from this company/distributor. They also sell jars of New Zealand manuka honey with MGO 200+-500 ratings. 

Whittaker's - Nelson Pear and Manuka Honey in Milk Chocolate 33% - Mar. 25, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Whittaker's
Nelson Pear and Manuka Honey in Milk Chocolate 33%
Good ++
Weight: .37 oz. (10.5 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 57.5 calories (estimate) in 1 square
Cost: $N/A - gift
Purchased from: N/A - gift (Thank you Penny!)

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate and New Zealand Week.

Today's Nelson Pear and Manuka Honey in 33% Milk Chocolate bar was from Whittaker and Sons LTD (Porirua, New Zealand). 

This chocolate was part of NZ Artisan Collection--highlighting ingredients from different regions of New Zealand. The Nelson region is known for sunny beaches, locally grown produce, local seafood, and Manuka Honey.

Aroma notes included: milk chocolate, sweet vanilla and fruit (pear).

Texture: creamy milk chocolate and very small chewy fruit bits.

Flavor notes included: milk chocolate, sweet vanilla and honeyed pear.

Ingredients: Milk Chocolate [Sugar, Cocoa Solids 33%* (Pure Cocoa Butter & Cocoa Mass), NZ Milk Powder 30%*, Emulsifier (Soy Lecithin), Vanilla Flavour, Natural Flavour], Pear & Honey Pieces 10% [Pear Puree 33%, Concentrated Apple Puree, Invert Sugar, Sugar, Humectant (Glycerol), Manuka Honey 2.5%, Wheat Fibre, Gelling Agent (Pectin), Flavour, Acidity Regulator (Citric Acid)] *Minimum Percentage.

Allergen-related information: Contains Milk, Soy, Wheat. "May be present: Peanuts, Tree Nuts."

Whittaker's - Sea Salt And Caramel Brittle in 33% Milk Chocolate - March 24, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Whittaker's 
Marlborough Sea Salt and Caramel Brittle In Milk Chocolate 
Good + - Good ++
Weight: .37 oz. (10.5 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 57.5 calories (estimate) in 1 square
Cost: $ N/A - gift
Purchased from: N/A - gift (Thank you Penny!)

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate and New Zealand Series.

Today's Marlborough Sea Salt and Caramel Brittle in 33% Milk Chocolate square was from Whittaker and Sons LTD (Porirua, New Zealand).

This chocolate was part of the NZ Artisan Collection that highlighted flavor inclusions from different parts of New Zealand. Marlborough (on the northern end of the South Island, and one of 16 different regions/districts in New Zealand) produces wine grapes, sea salt, dairy, honey, and other products.

Aroma flavor notes included: sweet chocolate, vanilla and caramel.

Texture: smooth, creamy milk chocolate with crunchy micro bits of brittle.

Flavor notes included: rich, sweet 33% milk chocolate with vanilla; tiny bursts of crispy, toffee-like, brittle; and a subtle hint of sea salt.

Ingredients: Milk Chocolate [Sugar, Cocoa Solids 33%* (Pure Cocoa Butter & Cocoa Mass), NZ Milk Powder 30%*, Emulsifier (Soy Lecithin), Vanilla Flavour], Salted Caramel Pieces 10% [Sugar, Glucose, Salt, Clarified Butter (From Milk), Water, Emulsifier (Soy Lecithin), Natural Flavour, Natural Color (150A)]. *Minimum Percentage.

Allergen-related information: Contains milk, soy. May Be Present: Peanuts, Tree Nuts, Gluten.

Whittaker's - Sea Salt and Caramel Brittle with Saffron in Dark Chocolate - March 23, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Whittaker's
Marlborough Sea Salt and Caramel Brittle with Saffron in Dark Chocolate
Good ++
Weight: .37 oz. (10.5 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 57.5 calories (estimate) in 1 square
Cost: $N/A - gift
Purchased from: N/A - gift (Thank you Penny!)

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate and New Zealand Series.

Today's Marlborough 62% Dark Chocolate bar was from Whittaker and Sons LTD (Porirua, New Zealand).

Aroma flavor notes included: chocolate (ganache), caramel/toffee, and faint floral spice (vanilla, very faint saffron/botanical/marigold), and barely detectable earth.

Flavor notes included: creamy, sweet dark chocolate filled with tiny, crunchy, sugar-sparkly bits of caramel/toffee. There was also a faint chorus of floral (vanilla), backed up by a few barely detectable upticks of: sweet citrus (orange), sea salt, balanced earth and buttery floral spice (which I'm assuming was saffron) in the finish. 

I enjoyed the well-executed complexity of aromas and flavors that harmonized well together.

Ingredients: Dark Chocolate [Cocoa Solids 62%* (Cocoa Mass & Pure Cocoa Butter), Sugar, Emulsifier (Soy Lecithin), Vanilla Flavour]; Saffron Salted Caramel Pieces 12% [Sugar, Glucose, Saffron Infused Salt, Clarified Butter (From Milk), Water, Natural Colour (160A), Emulsifier (Soy Lecithin), Flavour]. (*Minimum Percentage.)

Allergen-related information: Contains milk, soy. "May Be Present: Peanuts, Tree Nuts, Gluten." 

Whittaker's - Wellington Roasted Supreme Coffee - Mar. 22, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Whittaker's
Roasted Supreme Coffee in Dark Chocolate
Good +
Weight: .37 oz. (10.5 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 57.5 calories (estimate) in 1 individually-wrapped square
Cost: $N/A gift
Purchased from: N/A - gift (Thank you Penny!)

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate and New Zealand Series.

Today's individually-wrapped square: Roasted Supreme Coffee in 50% Dark Chocolate was from Whittaker and Sons LTD (Porirua, New Zealand).

This dark chocolate was part of the company's New Zealand Artisan Collection, making good use of local ingredients. Today's flavor included roasted coffee from Wellington.

Aroma flavor notes included: sweet dark chocolate, coffee and very faint vanilla.

Texture: smooth texture and melt melt. (No detectable coffee grounds.)

Flavor notes included: smooth dark chocolate, coffee, and baked goods (chocolate and vanilla cake).

Ingredients: Dark Chocolate [Cocoa Solids 50%* (Cocoa Mass & Pure Cocoa Butter), Sugar, Emulsifier (Soy Lecithin), Vanilla Flavour]; Supreme Coffee 8%; Pure Cocoa Butter. *Minimum Percentage.

Allergen-related information: "May Be Present: Milk, Peanuts, Tree Nuts, Gluten." 

Whittaker's - Hawke's Bay Plum and Roasted Almonds in Dark Chocolate - March 21, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Whittaker's
Hawke's Bay Plum and Roasted Almonds in Dark Chocolate
Good ++
Weight: .37 oz. (10.5 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 57.5 calories (estimate) in 1 individually-wrapped square 
Cost: $N/A gift 
Purchased from: N/A - gift (Thank you Penny!)

Welcome to Day #2 of Chocolate and New Zealand Series.

Today's individually-wrapped square: Hawke's Bay Black Doris Plum and Roasted Almonds In 50% Dark Chocolate was from Whittaker and Sons LTD (Porirua, New Zealand).

This dark chocolate--part of the company's NZ Artisan Collection--was made with Black Doris Plum(s) from Hawke's Bay* (one of 16 regions of New Zealand, located on country's North Island), and roasted almonds.

Aroma flavor notes included: sweet dark chocolate (dark ganache; chocolate and vanilla cake); fruit (red grape, ripe plum); and vanilla flavoring.

Texture: smooth dark chocolate with flecks of crunchy roasted almond and barely detectable fruit particles (easier to identify by flavor than by texture).

Flavor notes included: dark chocolate (with a touch of vanilla) with uniformly dispersed sweet refreshing red fruit (red grape, sweet plum and berry jam) and tiny hits of roasted nut (almond flecks).

Ingredients: Dark Chocolate [Cocoa Solids 50%* (Cocoa Mass & Pure Cocoa Butter), Sugar, Emulsifier (Soy Lecithin), Natural Flavour, Vanilla Flavour]; Roasted Almonds 5%; Freeze Dried Plum Pieces 1.5%. *Minimum Percentage.

Allergen-related information:  Contains: Almonds, Soy. "May Be Present: Milk, Peanuts, Other Tree Nuts, Gluten."

*Hawke's Bay is known for apples, stone fruits (including peaches, plums, apricots and nectarines), wine grapes--and almonds. This region is sometimes referred to as "The Fruit Bowl of New Zealand".

Hogarth Chocolate Makers - Gianduia Dark Hazelnut (bar) - Mar. 20, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Hogarth Chocolate Makers
Gianduia Dark Hazelnut (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 206.62 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #12 of Chocolate and Hazelnuts Theme Week, and Day #1 of Chocolate and New Zealand Series.

Today's Gianduia Dark Hazelnut 45% Cacao (bar)--made with New Zealand hazelnuts--was from Hogarth Chocolate Makers (Nelson, New Zealand). 

Founded by Karl (a former fisherman and sailor) and Marina Hogarth, the eponymous small-batch, bean-to-bar company offers a wide range of bean-to-bar chocolate bars with interesting and thoughtful flavor inclusions, and some single origin bars.

This "Kiwi style Gianduia" chocolate was made with toasted and ground New Zealand hazelnuts.

Aroma notes included: mild dark milk* chocolate with peach green tea and very faint nut and butter.

Texture: soft, smooth and relatively creamy/buttery. 

Flavor notes: lightly roasted, fragrant dark chocolate with green tea, stone fruit (peach, very faint sweet red berry jam), nut butter, very faint green tea and dairy milk.* 

The ground hazelnuts (30% of bar) had become one with the chocolate, creating an almost seamless fusion between relatively mild and nuanced cacao (think Criollo variety) and hazelnut chocolate (gianduia) flavors. The 45% cacao chocolate was also low in bitterness and acidity.

Ingredients: Cocoa Solids 45% (Cocoa Beans, Cocoa Butter**), Cane Sugar*, Hazelnuts (30%).

Allergen-related information: Contains Nuts. May Contain Traces of Milk. 

*Aroma or flavor notes do not necessarily track with actual ingredients. For example in this case, there are no milk ingredients, but there were like dairy-like/buttermilk-like notes.

Dude, Sweet Chocolate - "Crack in a Box" Chocolate Bark - Mar. 19, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Dude, Sweet Chocolate
Crack in a Box Chocolate Bark
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 2.75 oz. (78 g.) / 5.5 oz. (156 g.) in total box
Calories: 426 calories (estimate) in 1/2 box/serving
Cost: $14.75 for 1 box
Purchased from: Dude, Sweet Chocolate (online order)

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

Today's Crack in a Box Chocolate Bark was from Dude, Sweet Chocolate (Dallas, TX). Thank you to Chef Katherine Clapner for producing so many delicious and fun chocolates to try.*

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate and roasted nuts (hazelnuts) and seeds. (There were no seeds, except for the cacao seeds (cocoa mass and nibs), aka cocoa beans.**

A neat stack of bark-squares fit nicely inside a simple, small box. But this offering had big texture and taste experience. Roasty, toasty hearty crunchy texture and rich yet smooth dark chocolate flavor.

The well-executed treatment of the candied, salted nuts (and the addition of Valrhona cocoa nibs) created texture and flavor depth. Roasted hazelnuts were joined by almonds and macadamia nuts. And a touch of vanilla and sea salt rounded out these square slabs very nicely.

Warning: addictive

Ingredients: Republica 70% guittard 72% (cocoa mass from Peru and Ecuador, sugar, cocoa butter, natural vanilla), candied nuts (hazelnuts, almonds, macadamia nuts, powdered sugar, egg whites, sea salt), Valrhona cocoa nibs.

Allergen-related information: "Contains: Eggs, Tree Nuts (Hazelnut, Almond, Macadamia)."

*Chocolate salami anyone? (It does look like a salami, but it's all chocolate.)

**Yep, that's right. We keep calling cacao seeds..."beans". Just like we call some foods "nuts" when they're really drupes (macadamia nuts), legumes (peanuts), seeds (pistachio nuts), or something else. You'll be happy to know that the hazelnuts that have appeared in all the chocolates this past week are considered true nuts. 

We call coffee seeds (coffee cherry pits) "beans" too, because they sort of look like beans. By that logic, I could come up with lots of creative names for items (and animals/people)--if I wasn't already busy hunting for new chocolates, and becoming fully theobromine-ated 365 days a year.

Dude, Sweet Chocolate - Praline Chocolate Bar crunchy hazelnut caramel - March 18, 2027

Chocolate of the Day 

Dude, Sweet Chocolate
Praline Chocolate Bar crunchy hazelnut caramel
Good ++
Weight: .78 oz. (22 g.) / 1.55 oz. (44 g.) in total bar
Calories: 121 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $7.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Dude, Sweet Chocolate, online order

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

Today's Praline Chocolate Bar crunchy hazelnut caramel was created by Dude, Sweet Chocolate (Dallas, TX).

Prominent aroma notes included: bold, dark, roasted (not quite smoky, almost coffee) cacao and toasted nuts.

Texture: This relatively thick dark bar had layered textures: smooth, bold dark chocolate and an embedded riot of crunchy toffee-like sugar and hazelnut bits.

Flavor notes included: bold, roasty dark chocolate (tasted more like 70%-72% than 62% cacao) with a uniform field of sugared hazelnut sparkly bits.

I loved the bolder dark chocolate flavors and the well-executed layered textures. Not too sweet (thank you!) and not too bitter either (at least for my taste). Not too moreish.* (One ounce (28 g.) was hearty and very satisfying.) This praline dark bar scored well into the Goldilocks zone for this dark fan.

Ingredients: Republica 62% chocolate (sugar, cocoa butter, whole milk powder, cocoa liquor from Peru, natural vanilla extract).

Allergen-related information: Tree Nuts, (Hazelnut); dairy. (According to chief chocolatier Katherine: the milk powder in the ingredients list (above) is a small amount used in the caramelization process. I could not taste the milk myself.)

*Moreish is an informal adjective used to describe foods (typically with a certain balance of sugar, fat and salt) that may trigger the desire to to eat more and more of something; even if it's not the best thing you ever have tasted. (I'm looking at you potato chips, certain ice creams, and some salted milk chocolates.) 

Beekman 1802 - Roasted Hazelnut chocolates - Mar. 17, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Beekman 1802
"Goat Poop" Roasted Hazelnuts chocolate
Good +
Weight: 1.6 oz. (45 g.) / 16 oz. (454 g.) in total container
Calories: 230 calories in 1 serving 
Cost: $28.00 for 1 container with assorted flavors
Purchased from: Beekman 1802 site, online order

Welcome to Day #9 of Chocolate and Hazelnuts.

Today's Belgian chocolate covered Roasted Hazelnuts chocolates (part of a Goat Poop assortment of chocolate covered rounds/ovals) were from Beekman 1802 (tm) (Sharon Springs, NY).

Where did the goat poop name come from? (Short answer: There are goats on Beekman 1802 Farm. The company also sells a variety of goat milk skin care products.)

Aroma notes included: sweet milk chocolate, faint caramel and nut. (Note: these hazelnut pieces were packed in with other dark and milk chocolate covered rounds, so all the sweet smells were co-mingling.

Flavor notes included: smooth creamy, sweet milk chocolate and crunchy whole hazelnuts.

Ingredients: Chocolate (Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Belgian Unsweetened Chocolate, Whole Milk Powder, Skim Milk Powder, Butterfat, Soya Lecithin, Vanilla Extract), Roasted Hazelnuts.

Allergen-related information: Contains: Milk, Soy, Wheat, Tree Nuts (Almonds, Hazelnuts), Tartrazine. May Contain: Sulphites, Eggs, Peanuts.

 

Zotter - Hazelnut Kiss (bar) - Mar. 16, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Zotter
Zotter Classic - Hazelnut Kiss (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 200 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $8.99 for 1 bar 
Purchased from: zotterusa, online order

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

Today's Zotter Classic Hazelnut Kiss bar was made by Zotter in Austria and distributed by Zotter Chocolates US, LLC (Fort Myers, FL).

Aroma notes included: rich roasted nut butter and subtle dark or dark milk chocolate.

This bar had a very appealing smooth, creamy melt and texture. The hazelnuts were completely incorporated into the dark milk chocolate (no nut bits).

Flavor notes included: sweet dark milk chocolate and faint chocolate nut (hazelnut) spread.

I enjoyed the rich, roasted hazelnut nut butter aroma; and the ground hazelnuts also balanced the relatively sweet chocolate.

Ingredients: Cane Sugar**, Cocoa Butter**, Cocoa Mass**, Hazelnuts**(13%), Dry Whole Milk, Dry Skim Milk, Dark Brown Cane Sugar**, Lecithin (Soy)*, Vanilla Bean Powder*, Salt, Cinnamon**, (*Organic - 87% Organic) (** = Organic, and Fair Trade/Fair Traded)

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

Holm Made Toffee Co. - Oregon Hazelnut Toffee - Cardamom & Vanilla - Mar. 15, 2024

 Chocolate of the Day

Holm Made Toffee Co.
Oregon Hazelnut Toffee - Cardamom + Vanilla
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 4 oz. (114 g.) in total package
Calories: 620 calories (estimate) in 1 package
Cost: $10.99 for 1 package
Purchased from: FarmFresh, online order 

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

Today's Hazelnut Toffee was from Holm Made Toffee Co. LLC (Bend, OR).

Aroma notes included: buttery toffee, nuts, and faint chocolate and warm spices (vanilla).

The texture for the toffee was perfect, i.e. in the Goldilocks* zone. It was crunchy toffee that wasn't too hard or too soft. It was just right.

Flavor notes included: rich buttery toffee, smooth dark chocolate, wonderful cardamom and warm vanilla.

I really enjoyed this flavorful confection. The green cardamom, hazelnut and brown sugar toffee flavors were especially good. (I love fresh cardamom.) I felt I was enjoying the best possible blend of authentic warm chai tea with smooth dark chocolate (a touch of rich cocoa) and high-quality hazelnuts. 

Warning: addictive. Don't eat when you're very hungry.

Ingredients: "Butter [cream (milk) & salt], pure cane sugar, Oregon hazelnuts, dark chocolate [unsweetened chocolate, sugar, sunflower lecithin and vanilla], green cardamom, pure vanilla extract"

Allergy-related information: Contains hazelnuts, dairy (cream/milk)

*Goldilocks zone refers to a character in a European fairy tale. In the modern version I grew up with (Goldilocks and the Three Bears) a girl named Goldilocks enters a bear family home and, finding them out, samples their three bowls of porridge, chairs and beds. She finds the porridge(s), in sequence, too hot, then too cold, and finally--just right! (Same sequence with the chairs and beds.) Today the term "Goldilocks zone" pops up in several contexts (including food, ecology and various sciences).

 

Zotter - Praline Variation - Dark Milk Chocolate 60% filled (almond, hazelnut praline) bar - Mar. 14, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Zotter
Praline Variation - Dark Milk Chocolate 60% filled with almond, hazelnut praline (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 400 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $4.49 for 1 bar
Purchased from: zotterusa.com, online order

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

Today's "Praline Variation" (bar)--Dark Milk Chocolate 60% filled with almond and hazelnut praline-- was made in Austria, and distributed by Zotter Chocolates US LLC (Fort Myers, FL).

Aroma notes included: sweet chocolate and nut butter (almonds, hazelnuts).

I liked the slim, flavorful layers in this "hand-scooped," filled bar. Melt-away, creamy dark milk chocolate encased a sweet almond and hazelnut praline center with occasional crunchy sweet crystals.

Flavor notes included: smooth dark milk chocolate and authentic nut praline (almond and hazelnut), with very faint warm spice, green, floral and citrus notes. 

The subtle notes were very thoughtfully cultivated by the maker. Very small quantities of vanilla, cinnamon, rose petal and lemon were added, and enhanced/mirrored naturally occurring cacao notes. Dark brown sugar (vs. refined cane sugar) also added some subtle flavor depth. 

Warning this bar might be slightly addictive. 

Ingredients: Cane Sugar**, Cocoa Mass**, Cocoa Butter**, Almonds (13%), Hazelnuts (12%), Dry Whole Milk, Butter (Cream), Dry Sweet Whey, Dry Skim Milk, Dark Brown Cane Sugar**, Lecithin (Soy)*, Salt, Vanilla Bean Powder**, Cinnamon**, Rose Petals*, Lemon Powder* (Lemon Juice Concentrate*, Corn Starch*, Sugar*) (* = Organic; 90% Organic) (**Organic, Fair Trade)

Allergen-related information: Contains: Almonds, Hazelnuts, Milk, Soy. Manufactured on Equipment That Processes Other Tree Nuts, Peanuts, Eggs, Sesame and Gluten.

TCHO - "Hazel Nuts!"- Oat Milk Chocolate - Mar. 13, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

TCHO
"Hazel Nuts!" Oat Milk Chocolate (bars)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: .83 oz. (23 g.) / 2.5 oz. (70 g.) in total package of 3 bars
Calories: 130 calories in 1 bar (1/3 package)
Cost: $5.99+ (estimate) for 1 bar 
Purchased from: Piazza's, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's "Hazel Nuts!" Oat Milk Chocolate bar was from TCHO (Berkeley, CA).

Aroma notes included: relatively sweet, milk chocolate and hazelnuts.

Texture: skillfully executed creamy oat milk, studded with crunchy nut bits. 

Flavor notes included: complex/flavorful "milk" chocolate, and authentic, nuanced and fresh hazelnut.

Both taste and textures were well balanced; and the sweetness was offset by high-quality hazelnuts and chocolate and a bit of sea salt. This chocolate had more pleasing complexity than other comparable oat and other alternative milk bars; and it was slightly addictive.

What I loved about this bar: 1.) expert blend of creamy and crunchy; 2.) high-quality hazelnut bits and flavor; 3.) sweet, but not overwhelmingly so--balanced by just the right amount of sea salt; 4.) a fairly tasty oat milk chocolate; and 5.) individually-wrapped small bars, making sharing easier.

Ingredients: Cane Sugar*, Cacao Beans**, Cacao Butter**, Gluten Free Oat Flour* (Oat Flour, Natural Vitamin E, Hazelnut Butter*, Dried Hazelnuts*, Sea Salt, Sunflower Lecithin*, Vanilla Beans* (*Organic, **Fair Trade Certified by Fair Trade USA)

Allergen-related information: Contains hazelnuts. May contain other tree nuts. Certified Kosher DE by Earth Kosher.

LOVO - Hazelnut Milk Chocolate (bar) - Mar. 12, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

LOVO
Hazelnut Milk Chocolate (bar)
Good - Good +
Weight: 1.41 oz. (40 g.) / 2.82 oz. (80 g.) in total bar
Calories: 220 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $5.79 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Country Sun Natural Foods, Palo Alto, CA

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

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

Aroma notes included: very subtle chocolate (cocoa), and almost undetectable nut/oat sweet cereal.

This oat milk chocolate was relatively smooth and creamy. (Zero oat particles/grit detected.) I liked the almost silken mouthfeel--not always easy to achieve with plant milks. (The Swiss know a thing or two about how to achieve smooth chocolates.) 

Flavor notes included: uniform, very sweet plant-milk chocolate, faint vanilla frosting, and very faint nut and oat. 

There were no "off" (or bold) flavors that stood out. However, the almost overwhelming sweetness of this chocolate also eclipsed subtle flavors. There was too much sugar for me; but candy fans and those looking for a non-dairy (alternative milk) chocolate confection with a nice smooth texture might like this.

Ingredients: Sugar, cocoa mass*, hazelnuts, cocoa butter*, sunflower lecithin, organic vanilla extract. (*Rainforest Alliance Certified. "Find out more at ra.org.") 

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

Monsoon Chocolate - Hazelnuts Covered in Dark Chocolate - Mar. 11, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Monsoon Chocolate
Hazelnuts Covered in Dark Chocolate
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42.5 g.) / 6 oz. (170 g.) in total package
Calories: 233 calories (estimate) in 1/4 package
Cost: $12.50 for 1 package
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's Hazelnuts Covered in Dark Chocolate were hand-crafted by Monsoon Chocolate, LLC (Tucson, AZ), using hazelnuts from Oregon--the state that produces up to 99% of hazelnuts in the U.S.

Aroma notes included: sweet dark chocolate and authentic hazelnuts.

Texture: a generous coating of ebony-hued dark chocolate encased roasted hazelnuts--at the heart of each round piece.

Flavor notes included: sweet dark chocolate (chocolate-y, faint green (oxalis) and nut), and hazelnuts.

What I enjoyed about these dark chocolate and hazelnut confections: 1.) a generous coating of rich dark chocolate; 2.) the hazelnuts (flavor and texture); 3.) a relatively short list of ingredients and the lack of confectioners glaze(s).

Ingredients: Roasted Oregon Hazelnuts*, Gianduja (Dark Chocolate [Cocoa Beans, Cane Sugar*, Cocoa Butter*), Hazelnuts*, Cane Sugar*], Dark Chocolate (Cocoa Beans, Cane Sugar*, Cocoa Butter*), Maldon Salt, Maltodextrin, Acacia Gum. (* = Organic)

Allergen-related information: Contains tree nuts (hazelnuts).

Amedei - Milk Chocolate with Hazelnuts (chocolate block) - Mar. 10, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Amedei 
Prendime - Cioccolato Al Latte Con Nocciole
(Milk Chocolate with Hazelnuts)
Good ++
Weight: 2.65 oz. (75 g.) / 5.3 oz. (150 g.) in total chocolate block (bar)
Calories: 435 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $16.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's Milk Chocolate with Hazelnuts bar was from Amedei* S.R.L. (Pontedera, Pisa, Italy). 

Aroma notes for this Tuscan chocolate included: roasted nuts (hazelnuts, peanuts) and subtle milk chocolate. (Note: this bar did not contain peanuts.)

The large bar was packed with whole, crunchy, toasted Piedmont (IGP**) hazelnuts. There was just enough sweet, buttery milk chocolate to bind these round nuts together. 

Flavor notes included: authentic, high-quality hazelnuts with complex nutty notes; and sweet, smooth milk chocolate.

Ingredients: Cane Sugar, Piedmont Hazelnut (30%), Cocoa Butter, Whole Milk Powder, Cocoa Mass. (Cocoa min. 32%.)

Allergen-related information: Contains hazelnuts, milk. "May contain traces of almond, pistachio, walnut."

*The Amedei Tuscany "Italian chocolate brand was founded by Cecilia Tessieri," the "first female master chocolatier" in Europe.

***Indicazione Geografica Protetta (IGP) or "Indication of Geographic Protection" for Piedmont hazelnuts (nocciola Piemonte). A variety of foods (cheeses, meats, hazelnuts), wines, and other agricultural products from Italy carry this IGP designation.

Chocolove - "Bites" - Hazelnut Truffle in 33% Milk Chocolate - Mar. 9, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Chocolove 
Bites - Hazelnut Truffle in 33% Milk Chocolate 
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 7.05 oz. (200 g.) in total package of 20  
Calories: 170 calories in 3 pieces 
Cost: $9.99 for 1 package
Purchased from: FarmFresh, online order 

Welcome to Day #12 of Chocolate and Outdoors Theme Week; and Day #1 of Chocolate and Hazelnut Theme Week.

Today's Bites - Hazelnut Truffle(s) in 33% Milk Chocolate were from Chocolove (Boulder, CO).

Aroma notes for these individually-wrapped, tree-shaped, filled bites included: rich milk chocolate, (warm cocoa with faint vanilla), and subtle nut butter (hazelnut).

A thick, creamy milk chocolate "tree" shell surrounded a ground hazelnut (nut butter) center, creating a layered gianduja confection-like tasting experience.

These will appeal to those with a sweet tooth who like milk chocolate and nut butter treats. (Think peanut butter cup offerings -- only with hazelnut butter.)

What I liked: 1.) the blend of chocolate and hazelnuts; 2.) these were made without gluten-containing ingredients and no artificial preservatives; 3.) individually wrapped chocolates that were easy to share with others and enjoy on a hike or other cool weather outdoor activity this month.

Ingredients: Milk Chocolate (Sugar, Cocoa Butter**, Milk, Cocoa Liquor**, Soy Lecithin and/or Sunflower Lecithin, Vanilla), Hazelnut Butter, Cocoa Butter**, Organic Butter Oil, Sea Salt, Vitamin E (Mixed Tocopherols, Sunflower Oil). (** = Rainforest Alliance Certified. Find out more at ra.org.)

Allergen-related information: Contains: Hazelnuts, Milk, Soy. Made in a Facility That Also Processes Eggs, Peanuts, and Other Tree Nuts.