Chocolate of the Day

Qantu 
Tresor Cache - Edition Limitee - 80% Chocolat Noir Cacao Sauvage (tablette)
(Hidden Treasure - Limited Edition - 80% Dark Chocolate Wild Cacao (bar))
Good ++
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 135 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $52.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Caputo's, online order 

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

Today's Tresor Cache Limited Edition 80% Dark Chocolate (bar) was from Qantu* Cacao et Chocolat Inc. (Montreal, QC, Canada).

Aroma and flavor notes for this rare bar included: complex, mild dark chocolate (cocoa) with notes that were buttery** and diffuse and included very faint tropical fruit (pineapple, mango, cacao, white grape); spice (barely there ginger, orchid/saffron floral); clean mineral; and very, very faint green botanical and fruity nut.

This relatively pale, warm brown-hued bar had a soft, buttery, fudge-like texture, melt and mouthfeel. 

The soft, subtle buttery and hidden fruit flavors were particularly remarkable for an 80% dark chocolate bar. These milder flavors and traits are associated with Criollo and heritage/"white" cacao beans--but this was very low in acidity, bitterness and bolder/roasted flavors.

I felt very fortunate to taste this rare Peruvian (Selva Central) wild cacao-based chocolate. I hope that high-priced bars like this one ($52.99 (USD)) encourages buyers to take time to enjoy this bar s-l-o-w-l-y. A big part of the enjoyment for me was detecting new, very subtle flavors in almost every bite.

Ingredients: "organic cocoa beans, organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter"

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

*Founders Elfi and Maxime named their chocolate company Qantu (pronounced Kantu) -- also the name for the national flower of Peru and Bolivia. We can thank them for sharing rare, wild cacao from Peru with chocolate fans around the globe.

**There were no butter/dairy ingredients in this bar; but I was reminded of unsalted butter in the aroma, flavor and rich, smooth texture. 

Qantu - Palo Santo 70% Smoked Dark Chocolate (bar) - July 24, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Qantu 
Palo Santo 70% Smoked Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 143 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $17.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Caputo's, online order 

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

Today's Palo Santo 70% Smoked Dark Chocolate (bar) was from Qantu* Cacao et Chocolat Inc. (Montreal, QC, Canada).

Aroma notes included: chocolate, very faint coconut milk, very faint mint/menthol (and even fainter dried citrus peel), smoked wood, and butter.**

This lighter brown-hued bar had a rich buttery texture, melt and mouthfeel.

Flavor notes included: buttery dark chocolate with very faint but complex smoke, wood, coconut butter and green botanicals and spices.

I enjoyed this rich, buttery dark chocolate infused with subtle, Palo Santo wood smoke. Palo Santo wood has a complex aroma and flavor, and the smoked version did as well. There were wisps of the aroma and flavor notes (mentioned above) that undulated through the tasting, and floated into the finish.

Maker's tasting notes: 

• Eye: medium pale brown
• Nose: floral, touch of bergamot
• Mouth: palo santo smoke, orange peel
• Finish: spicy like nutmeg

Ingredients: Cocoa beans, cane sugar, cocoa butter, palo santo smoke

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

*Founders Elfi and Maxime named their chocolate company Qantu (pronounced Kantu) -- the national flower of Peru and Bolivia. Their focus: rare, wild cacao from Peru.

**There were no butter/dairy ingredients in this bar; but I was reminded of unsalted butter in the aroma, flavor and rich, smooth texture.

Cacao Space - Peru Ucayali River 70% w/ Dried Pineapple (bar) - July 23, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Cacao Space
Peru Ucayali River 70% with dried pineapple (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.12 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 164 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar 
Cost: $24.00 for a Peru trio of 3 different bars
Purchased from: Cacao Space, online order

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

Today's Peru Ucayali River 70% with dried pineapple (bar) was made by Cacao Space (Los Altos, CA). This chocolate was part of a trio of Peruvian (Ucayali) cacao-based dark chocolate bars.

Aroma notes for this chocolate included: dark chocolate with very faint fruit (tart-sweet tropical and stone fruit), spice and brown sugar, and faint caramel, sweet coffee and butter.

Flavor notes included: a relatively nuanced (chocolate-y, buttery dark brownie); complex, tart-sweet fruit (sweet lemon, stone fruits (plum), pineapple), very faint botanicals/herbs (mild sweet lemon-green) and even fainter mellow roasted flavors.

Texture: This chocolate was "handcrafted (and) stoneground", but smooth. And the thinly sliced pieces of fresh-tasting, dried pineapple had a mild chew that complemented the relatively buttery dark chocolate very nicely. 

I really liked the complexity and the interplay of the fruit notes in this Peru bar. The dark chocolate was subtly complex; and I loved the pineapple. Each thin piece was tender, tasted sun-ripened and sweet, and it wasn't over-sugared. (thank you!). This pineapple blend with this chocolate hit the Goldilocks fruit zone for me. It was just right.

As with other single origin cacao bars, I recommend savoring this bar (slowly) and sampling more than just one bite to fully appreciate hidden flavor nuances -- that are not present in highly processed bulk chocolates. 

Ingredients: "cacao nibs, organic coconut sugar" + dried pineapples

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

*Ucayali River (and the Department of Ucayali) are located inland, in Peru's Amazon. The department shares a border with Brazil. 

Cacao Space - Peru Ucayali River 70% (bar) - July 22, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Cacao Space
Peru Ucayali River 70% (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.13 oz. (32 g.) / 2.26 oz. (64 g.) in total bar
Calories: 175 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $24.00 for a Peru trio of 3 different bars
Purchased from: Cacao Space, online order

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

Today's Peru Ucayali River 70% (bar) was made by Cacao Space (Los Altos, CA). This chocolate was part of a trio of Peruvian (Ucayali) cacao-based dark chocolate bars.

Aroma notes for this chocolate included: dark chocolate with very faint fruit, spice and brown sugar, and very faint (barely detectable) roasted, sweet coffee and butter.

Flavor notes included: relatively complex dark chocolate (very dark brownie), subtle tart-sweet fruit (sweet lemon, stone fruits (plum)), very faint botanicals, spices/herbs (black licorice, lemongrass, green grass, saffron) and mellow roasted flavors.

This chocolate was "handcrafted (and) stoneground", but smooth. 

I really enjoyed the gentle complexity, including a range of fruit and botanical notes in this Peru bar.

As with many single origin cacao bars, I highly recommend savoring (slowly) more than just one bite (1/2 bar is good in today's case) to detect and appreciate hidden nuances of flavor -- that are not present in highly processed bulk chocolates. Different, faint flavor notes continued to surface even after the first few bites. 

Ingredients: "cacao nibs, organic coconut sugar"

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

*Ucayali River (and the Department of Ucayali) are located inland, in Peru's Amazon. The department shares a border with Brazil.

Goodnow Farms Chocolate - Peru Ucayali 70% (bar) - July 21, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Goodnow Farms Chocolate
Peru Ucayali 70% (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: .97 oz. (27.5 g.) / 1.94 oz. (55 g.) in total bar
Calories: 160 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $16.00 for 1 bar 
Purchased from: Goodnow Farms Chocolate, online order

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

Today's Peru Ucayali 70% (bar) was made by Goodnow Farms Chocolate (Sudbury, MA). 

The company specializes in single origin bars--some with high-end flavor and/or spice inclusions. This 70% dark chocolate was part of the bean-to-bar maker's Signature Line.

Aroma notes for this award-winning chocolate included: dark chocolate with very faint, diffuse stone fruit (peach, plum) and spices notes.

Flavor notes also included: relatively complex dark chocolate (very dark brownie), faint earth/loam,  yogurt, and tart-sweet fruit (sweet lemon, nectarine) in the finish. Subsequent bites revealed hints of sweet green and faint tropical fruit and spices (mangosteen, passion fruit, cardamom). 

This Peru bar seemed to get more interesting with every bite. 

The texture was smooth, with an appealing melt. It did have a very faint and fleeting (fruit) astringency toward the finish in the first bite. But, this feeling of "dryness"/faint graininess diminished as I re-tasted the chocolate. 

Back to flavors...There was also a very slight (barely detectable) bitterness that seemed to be just out of range--providing some delicate oomph, but not interfering with the lighter and brighter sweetness.

I really enjoyed the range of subtly complex fruit notes in this well-executed palette pleaser. 

I highly recommend savoring more than just one bite (1/2 bar is good) to get the full "unfolding" effect(s). I was still tasting slightly different flickers of fruit and other goodness even after several bites.

Ingredients: Single Origin Cacao Beans, Organic Cane Sugar, Single Origin Cocoa Butter,

Allergen-related information: "May contain trace amounts of peanuts and tree nuts." "Soy Free, Vegan, Gluten Free"

*The department of Ucayali is named for the Ucayali River and is located inland in a rainforest area.

Goodnow Farms Chocolate - Dark Chocolate Herbaceous Green Sichuan Pepper Peru 70% Cacao (bar) - July 20, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Goodnow Farms Chocolate
Dark Chocolate Herbaceous Green Sichuan Pepper Peru 70% Cacao (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: .97 oz. (27.5 g.) / 1.94 oz. (55 g.) in total bar
Calories: 165 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $18.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Goodnow Farms Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #11 of Chocolate and Spices Theme Week; and Day #1 of Chocolate and Peru Theme Week.

Today's Dark Chocolate Herbaceous Green Sichuan Pepper Peru 70% Cacao (bar) was made by Goodnow Farms Chocolate (Sudbury, MA), in collaboration with 50Hertz Tingly Foods. 

Aroma notes included: chocolate and uplifting, complex and aromatic spice (aromatic herbal green, very bright citrus-y pepper/spice, mint/menthol, and very faint floral). While it's easy to attribute most of these notes to the green sichuan pepper, the Peruvian cacao used to make this bar also had herbal and flower notes, that may have amplified the overall aroma.

Texture: satisfying smooth, buttery texture, with some bright astringency in the finish.

Flavor notes included: chocolate, and very flavorful spice (peppercorn) and tingling, bright citrus-menthol note(s) that lingered long into the finish. (I can still taste it minutes after tasting; like I just brushed my teeth with a chocolate citrus-pepper and orange mint toothpaste.)

I enjoyed this boldly herbal bar. The green pepper was low on heat, but off the charts in terms of aroma and flavor. (This also speaks to the pepper's quality and freshness.) 

Not many spices (besides ginger and certain hot chili peppers) can stand up to, and even surpass, dark chocolate flavors.

Ingredients: Single Origin Cacao Beans, Organic Cane Sugar, Single Origin Cocoa Butter, Dried Green Sichuan Pepper

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

*These small peppercorns are the berries from a tree that is a member of the citrus family. They have a unique tingling, almost temporary numbing quality (like drinking a carbonated drink). 

Both cacao and this pepper are fairly rich in iron and other minerals, have been prized by nobles, and can work well in both sweet or savory dishes.

Goodnow Farms Chocolate - Dark Chocolate Black Urfea Chili Dominican Republic 77% Cacao (bar) - July 19, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Goodnow Farms Chocolate
Dark Chocolate Black Urfea Chili Dominican Republic 77% Cacao (bar)
Good ++
Weight: .97 oz. (27.5 g.) / 1.94 oz. (55 g.) in total bar
Calories: 165 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $18.00 for 1 bar (also sold in multi-bar sets/collections)
Purchased from: Goodnow Farms Chocolate, online order

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

Today's Dark Chocolate Black Urfea Chili Dominican Republic 77% Cacao (bar) was from Goodnow Farms Chocolate (Sudbury, MA). 

The company handcrafts a variety of single origin chocolate bars--some with unique flavor inclusions  based on collaborations with other fine food providers. (I enjoyed the company's Good Food Award winning Caramelized Onion bar yesterday.) Today's bar contained Urfa chili* from Burlap & Barrel Single Origin Spices.

Aroma notes for this chili spice-infused bar included: dark chocolate, clean mineral, and very faint chili pepper.

The texture was very smooth, with an appealing melt and mouthfeel. (The makers press their own single origin cocoa butter.)

The relatively bold 77% Dominican Republic (Zorzal) cacao chocolate had a very faint, balanced dark earth and slightly bitter flavor that complemented the mild chili taste. 

I enjoyed trying a new (for me) spice blended with chocolate, even though it was a challenge to pin down the subtly complex chili flavors. There was a barely there spicy heat, and very faint, bright (citrus) and clean top notes (a bit similar to grains of paradise, certain peppercorns, cardamom and maybe saffron).

Ingredients: Single Origin Cacao Beans, Organic Cane Sugar, Single Origin Cocoa Butter, Black Urfa Chili

Allergen-related information: "May contain trace amounts of peanuts and tree nuts." "Soy Free, Vegan, Gluten Free"

*Black Urfa chili hails from Turkey. Sun-cured (and fermented) Urfa chili pepper flakes are typically ground together with salt and sunflower or olive oil. This chili has been described as having slight smoky, earthy, sweet and acidic notes as well as chocolate, coffee and pepper notes.

Goodnow Farms Chocolate - Dark Chocolate Caramelized Onion Nicaragua 77% Cacao (bar) - July 18, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Goodnow Farms Chocolate
Dark Chocolate Caramelized Onion 77% Cacao (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: .97 oz. (27.5 g.) / 1.94 oz. (55 g.) in total bar
Calories: 165 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $18.00 for 1 bar -- also available in multi-bar collections (bundles)
Purchased from: Goodnow Farms Chocolate, online order

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

Today's Dark Chocolate Caramelized Onion 77% Cacao (bar) was from Goodnow Farms Chocolate (Sudbury, MA). 

Extra credit to Goodnow Farms for successfully pulling off an onion flavored chocolate. It takes talent, technical skills and care to successfully blend flavors like this. After enjoying several Goodnow Farms bars, I'm happy to try new flavors from these thoughtful bean-to-bar chocolate makers (who even squeeze their own single origin cocoa butter).

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate, and fresh green, onion.

Texture: smooth and creamy with a very pleasing melt.

Flavor notes included: slightly bitter-sweet 77% dark chocolate and balanced onion (fresh green onion, onion rings). I kept anticipating tasting some salt, but there was none.* 

The "bitter" chocolate (and the fact the onions had been caramelized) made the onion taste relatively sweeter.

Ingredients: Single Origin Cacao Beans, Organic Cane Sugar, Single Origin Cocoa Butter, Safrane Globe Onion (Dried)

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

*Warning, possible science digression: This fill-in the blank phenomenon, influenced by past food memories is fascinating. Another example: the first time I tried a 100% cacao chocolate (with no sugars of any kind). My brain/senses were temporarily stunned--and stumped as to why there was no sugar. Clearly my body was anticipating sugar. I imagined an immediate neuronal re-wiring.

Perhaps unexpected flavors cause our brains to double-check whether there are any suspicious"off" flavors (a possible warning to make sure we avoid potentially rotten or contaminated foods).

In today's case, virtually all onion dishes contain salt; so no wonder I was feeling the absence of salt. (I resisted the urge to add some; and I was happy I did.) I enjoyed the sweeter onion nuances and the clear(er) contrast with the bitter chocolate.

Emerald City Foods - Hot Salted Sriracha 55% Dark Chocolate (bar) - July 17, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Emerald City Foods
Hot Salted Sriracha Chocolate 55% Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.25 oz. (35.5 g.) / 2.5 oz. (71 g.) in total bar
Calories: 186 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $ Missing information

Purchased from: The Market at Edgewood, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's Hot Salted Sriracha 55% Dark Chocolate (bar) was distributed by Emerald City Foods, Seattle, WA.

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate and faint, slightly savory/salty (seaweed soup).

The texture was relatively creamy and was accented by tiny crunchy grains of salt and seasoning.

Flavor notes included: smooth, sweet, dark chocolate; and just the right amount of salt and Sriracha style spices (not too much, not too little) -- at least for my taste.

I loved the savory, umami-like flavors in this bar, and that it wasn't too sweet or flaming hot (thank you!).

Ingredients: Dark Chocolate (Cocoa Liquor, Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Soy Lecithin), Himalayan Sea Salt, Sriracha Seasoning: Maltrin, Sugar, Salt, Garlic, Tocopherols, Paprika Oil (for color), Sriracha Powder (Sriracha Sauce, Sodium Alginate, Carrageenan, Cellulose Gum, Silicon Dioxide, Sunflower Lecithin), Capsicum Oleoresin, Yeast Extract), Vinegar, Citric Acid.

Allergens: Contains Soy, Sulfites. "This product is manufactured at a plant that processes milk, soy, tree nuts and peanuts."

jcoco - 61% Cacao Boharat Spice Peruvian dark chocolate (bar) - July 16, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

jcoco 
61% Cacao Boharat Spice Peruvian dark chocolate bar
Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) in 1 small bar
Calories: 155 calories (estimate) in 1 small bar
Cost: $3.49 (also was part of a larger assortment pack of bars)
Purchased from: jcoco/Seattle Chocolate, online order

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

Today's 61% Cacao Boharat Spice Peruvian dark chocolate (bar) was from jcoco* (Seattle, WA). It was part of an assortment of bars.

The Boharat spice blend originated in Syria; and its history may entwine with Arabic spice traders. (Boharat means "spices" in Arabic; so blends may vary. E.g., some may contain mint, some not.)

Aroma notes for this bar included: warm spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, pepper, paprika) and sweet dark chocolate.

Texture: smooth and creamy texture with barely detectable ground spice particles.

Flavor notes include: dark, sweet chocolate with a lovely, warming middle eastern spice blend that included some that can swing either sweet or savory (cumin, coriander, black peppercorn and paprika). I could say the same for cacao. I love trying "savory" chocolates. 

The 61% dark Peruvian cacao chocolate base was tasty. The sugar level was a bit higher than many dark chocolates; but it seemed like a good level for this bar. There was a very faint, fleeting, yogurt/loamy earth type note toward the end. It was not clear if this was coming from the cacao, the spices or a combination of both. But, mostly, it was the spices that lingered in a subtle, warm finish.

This complex Boharat spice blend was rich in flavor(s) and lacked a spicy burn. I appreciated that. The chocolate bar was well-balanced; and well-executed, and the smaller bar (in an assortment pack) gave me a chance to try a new spice blend. (More virtual travel and education via chocolate. Could this bar be used to make a Middle Eastern mole sauce I wondered?)

Ingredients: 61% cacao dark chocolate (cracked cacao beans, cane sugar, cocoa butter, sunflower lecithin), boharat spice (cardamom, nutmeg, coriander, cinnamon, cloves, cumin, black peppercorn, paprika). 

Allergen-related information: "This product is manufactured in a plant that processes milk, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, egg and wheat products."

*jcoco is part of (a brand that belongs to) Seattle Chocolate Company. 

 

Cacao & Cardamom - Spicy Mayan Hot Chocolate Stick - July 15, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Cacao & Cardamom 
Spicy Mayan Hot Chocolate Stick 
Good ++
Weight: 1.73 oz. (49 g.) in total package
Calories: 268 calories (estimate) in 1 package/serving
Cost: $5.99 for 1 stick
Purchased from: Cacao and Cardamom, online order

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

Today's Spicy Mayan Hot Chocolate Stick (bar) was from Cacao & Cardamom (Houston, TX). This single serving hot beverage (and other bars I ordered) were each elegantly packaged in a black mesh, drawstring bag with gold lettering.

Aroma and flavor notes for this smooth textured and tasting hot chocolate (cube on a wooden spoon that served on a stir stick) included: pleasing dark chocolate, and subtle warm spices (cinnamon, hot pepper/cayenne, vanilla)). A sprinkle of tiny marshmallows that floated to the top.

Ingredients: (No listing on the packaging.)

Allergen-related information: (No listing on the packaging.)

Ranger Chocolate - Adventure Series - Caribbean Chocolate Bar - July 14, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Ranger Chocolate 
Adventure Series - Caribbean Chocolate Bar
Good ++
Weight: 1.25 oz. (32 g.) in total bar
Calories: 193.7 calories (estimate) in 1? bar
Cost: $13.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Caputo's, online order 

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

Today's Caribbean Chocolate Bar from Ranger Chocolate (Portland, OR)--part of the company's Adventure Series of bars--was a collaboration with Kann (Restaurant in Portland, OR). Together they've created a blend Haitian and Pacific Northwest flavors.

Aroma notes included: chocolate, coconut milk, faint vegetable (pepper) and very faint spice, diffuse tropical fruit (mango), and vanilla.

Flavor notes for this smooth and creamy, sweet and subtly spicy, bar included: (coconut) milk chocolate and mango, with very faint spices (warm vanilla, barely detectable ginger, hot pepper), and salted rice.* 

The jalapeno heat was subtle (very slight throat burn -- that didn't show until the finish). And I liked that the authentic island flavors were well balanced and complementary. 

This adventure bar made me want to hunt for Caribbean restaurants (few and far between) in my area. I appreciated the virtual travel today's spicy chocolate made possible.

Ingredients: "organic cacao, organic sugar, mango, coconut, sea salt, vanilla bean, ginger, habanero"

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

*There was salt, but no rice. in this bar. As with all write-ups on Chocolate Banquet, aroma and flavor notes I cite are perceptions, and don't always correspond to the actual ingredients. (For example, you can taste berries when you're sipping a glass of red wine; but that doesn't mean the wine contains berries. The same goes for chocolate with complex flavors.)

Creo Chocolate - Spicy Dark - Dark Chocolate 73% Premium Ecuadorian Cacao (bar) - July 13, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Creo Chocolate
Spicy Dark - Dark Chocolate 73% Ecuadorian Cacao (bar)
Good ++
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 1.75 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 120 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $10.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Creo Chocolate, online order

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

Today's Spicy Dark Chocolate 73% Ecuadorian Cacao (bar) was from Creo Chocolate (Portland, OR).

Aroma and flavor notes detected in this smooth dark chocolate included: dark chocolate, warm spices (cinnamon, ginger, allspice); very faint chili powder (hot peppers, faint paprika and chipotle); and very faint mellow nut.

Chili(s) gave this bar a a bit of spicy heat; but the overall warmth was from a blend of gingerbread/pumpkin-pie type spices. I enjoyed the flavors in this balanced, well-executed bar; and the fact that it wasn't too sweet. (The warm spices--and the smooth variety of Ecuadorian cacao chosen--seemed to make this flavorful bar a little sweeter than 73% cacao chocolate.)

Ingredients: "cacao beans, organic cane sugar, cocoa butter, chilies, and our blend of Creo spices"

Allergen-related information: "Manufactured on shared equipment with products containing eggs, wheat, sesame seeds, soy, peanuts & tree nuts" 

Chocolate Naive - Cola Carbonated Dark Chocolate 65% (bar) - July 12, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Chocolate Naive 
Cola Carbonated Dark Chocolate 65% (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar
Calories: 313.5 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $12.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Caputo's, online order

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

Today's Cola Carbonated Dark Chocolate 65% (bar) was from Chocolate Naive (Vilnius, Lithuania).

Aroma notes for this Limited Edition bar included: chocolate with warm spices (cinnamon, cola); high-end, cola-flavored chocolate cake/torte.

Texture: rich and very creamy with a light smattering of tiny, crunchy flecks (probably popping candy to give the chocolate a carbonated taste and mouthfeel). A texture this creamy normally contains whole milk powder/butter. (It did not.)

This rich chocolate was infused with the essence of a cinnamon-forward, sweet and spicy satisfying cola soft drink with faint caramel, vanilla and citrus/lemon notes. It was a refreshing bar that perfectly evoked childhood memories--of sipping an iced cold cola on a hot day.

Warning: mildly addictive. I wanted to share this unique chocolate with others. However, when I looked down, I'd already eaten the whole bar. 

Ingredients: "specialty cacao*, caramelized cane sugar*, pure cacao butter*, cola nut*, lemon*, cinnamon*, spices blend*, lactose, malt extract, vanilla*. " "Cacao minimum: 65%"

Allergen-related information: "May contain traces of treenuts, peanuts."

 

Goodnow Farms - Zanzibar Black Pepper Chocolate 77% (bar) - July 11, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Goodnow Farms Chocolate
Zanzibar Black Pepper Chocolate 77% (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.94 oz. (55 g.) in total bar
Calories: 330 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $17.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Caputo's, online order

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

Today's Zanzibar Black Pepper Chocolate 77% (bar) was from Goodnow Farms Chocolate (Sudbury, MA). This dark chocolate bar was made using Nicaragua El Carmen cacao and Burlap & Barrel's Zanzibar Black Peppercorns.

Aroma notes for this Limited Release dark bar included: hearty, deep, dark chocolate and authentic black pepper.

Texture: Very smooth and creamy texture (the makers made (pressed) and used their own single origin cocoa butter). There were no detectable pepper pieces ("ground peppercorn grit")--only flavor(s).

Flavor notes included: relatively bold, smooth chocolate-y dark chocolate with faint, diffuse, acidic fruit (ripe earthy berry, plum, persimmon); faint tart-green lemon (oxalis); very faint nut; and authentic black pepper.

I enjoyed the complex aroma and flavor notes in this bar, and the use of 77% single origin Nicaragua cacao (and single origin cocoa butter) as well as the Zanzibar pepper.

Maker's tasting notes: "...an exotic flavor journey: sharp, lemony-pepper tang, mild heat and smooth, earthy dark chocolate."

Ingredients: Single Origin Cacao Beans, Organic Cane Sugar, Single Origin Cocoa Butter, Zanzibar Black Pepper

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

Antidote Chocolate - Ginger bits and Grains of Paradise 77% Dark (bar) - July 10, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Antidote Chocolate 
Ginger bits + Grains of Paradise 77% Dark (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 2.3 oz. (65 g.) in total bar
Calories: 380 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $ Missing information 
Purchased from: Country Sun Natural Foods, Palo Alto, CA 

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

Today's Ginger bits + Grains of Paradise 77% Dark (bar) from Antidote Chocolate (Antidote, FL) was made in Ecuador with Arriba Nacional cacao. 

The creative presence behind Antidote has been Red Thalhammer (who has Austrian roots); this  brand chief, creative designer--and now chocolatier--spends time in both New York and Miami. 

Aroma notes for this bar included: spicy-sweet ginger and dark chocolate.

Tiny bursts of aromatic ginger and grains of paradise were integrated with smooth dark chocolate.

Flavor notes included: dark chocolate, small pieces of candied ginger and a sweet bright cardamom-like spice (Grains of Paradise) that reminded me of fruit punch bubble gum, sweet resin and cotton candy when it surfaced from underneath the two stronger flavors -- rich, 77% dark chocolate and candied ginger. Bravo for breaking through these two fairly dominant flavors, and adding sophisticated and complex spice flavors.

I really enjoyed this complex and well-balanced bar bursting with satisfying taste. If you like ginger and warm and exotic spice flavors, I recommend giving this bar a try.

Ingredients: cacao beans, whole cane sugar, cacao butter, ginger, grains or paradise, sunflower lecithin. 

Allergen-related information: Made in a facility that handles milk, soy (and) nuts. 

Bonus entry: Matcha white chocolate bars from 3 chocolate makers - July 9, 2024

Chocolate(s) of the Day

Rozsavolgyi Csokolade
Green herbs and Matcha tea in White Chocolate with Lemon oil (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 164 calories in 1 oz. (28.3 g.) serving
Cost: $15.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar & Cocoa, online order

Deux Cranes
Sakura + Matcha Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: .5 oz. (14.1 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 177.5 calories (estimate) in .5 oz. of  bar
Cost: $16.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Sweet Shop, Los Altos, CA 

Fjak Chocolate
Limited Edition - Sea Buckthorn & Matcha White Chocolate (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2.11 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 161 calories (estimate) in 1 oz. of bar
Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate and Japan Theme Week. My Chocolate of the Day was a Hojicha Hot Chocolate from Dandelion Chocolate (San Francisco, CA). 

This bonus post includes three white chocolates (made with cocoa butter, but no cocoa solids*) that all contain Matcha green tea. These Japan-inspired flavor fusions of east and west were fun to try.

Green Herbs, Matcha, Lemon (bar)

This pretty bar was created in Budapest (Hungary), using Matcha green tea from Japan. But, that was just the starting point.

This creamy, jade-hued bar was a blend of bright lemon citrus, mint, green tea and green herb (tarragon). This beautifully patterned green bar was a refreshingly sweet summer white chocolate; and it offered perhaps the freshest spring-summer botanical bouquet of the three.

Sakura + Matcha (bar)

Deux Cranes (Los Gatos, CA) uses flavors from Japan and French (Valrhona) chocolate to make their bars and creations. 

Aroma and flavor notes for this jade green and pink bar included: sweet green tea and very faint floral cheesecake, vanilla and cherry. (It contained both Sakura (cherry blossom) leaf powder and flower petals.) (Extra points for authentic Japanese ingredients.)

The slightly astringent, authentic green tea lingered into the finish. And the faint cherry blossom note gave this bar some extra floral polish.

Sea Buckthorn & Matcha (bar)

Fjak Chocolate is based in Eidfjord, Norway; and many of their most memorable bean-to-bar offerings include local Norwegian flavors (like apple cider; berries; reindeer moss; brown cheese). 

This Limited Edition bar was part of Fjak's "World Flavours" collection. Matcha was paired with a local orange "sea berry" (that grows on tall bushes in Northern Europe, Mongoloia, Russia--and Canada).

This elegant bar was beautifully constructed using two (fused) layers: a sea green matcha green tea layer on the bottom was topped with a golden colored (sea buckthorn) layer. The tea and fruit additions were wholly incorporated into the smooth two-toned chocolate.

The green layer was initially fairly green tea forward. Then the top layer kicked in. It was infused with tart-sweet fruit flavor (sea buckthorn, cape gooseberry, very faint tamarind). The two layers harmonized nicely and gave me a chance to better enjoy each of these two complementary flavors even as they melted into one.

The tart-sweet Sea Buckthorn fruit livened the tea up a bit -- like squeezing sweet, fresh lemon to a cup of black tea.

Summary

I loved that all three gently complex and balanced bars were not overly sweet (thank you!); and all were visually appealing, thoughtfully designed and well-executed white chocolates--blended with authentic-tasting green (Matcha) tea and fresh fruit/floral/herbal flavor inclusions.

*I don't "count" white chocolates as a formal Chocolate of the Day; but they can be fun extra entries in theme weeks.

Dandelion Chocolate - Hojicha Hot Chocolate Mix - July 9, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Dandelion Chocolate
Hojicha Hot Chocolate Mix 
Good ++ 
Weight: 1.4 oz. (40 g.) / 5.6 oz. (160 g.) in total glass container
Calories: 217 calories (estimate) in 1 serving (1/4 container)  

Cost: $18.00 for 1 container
Purchased from: Dandelion Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate and Japan Theme Week, with a few chocolates featuring Japanese green teas. Hojicha is a roasted green tea from Japan.

Today's Hojicha Hot Chocolate Mix* was from San Francisco-based Dandelion Chocolate. (The company also has a location in Tokyo, Japan).

Dandelion is most well-known for their bean-to-bar chocolate (bars). This Japanese-inspired, hot beverage blend was made with single origin 70% Camino Verde, Ecuador cacao/chocolate and was attractively packaged in a smoke-colored glass container with a cork stopper. Was this 4-serving container expensive? At $4.50 per serving, yes. But, I felt I was paying for the whole experience (being in Japan without the plane flight--or having to find parking in the Mission District of San Francisco). And I'll definitely use the glass container for other things.**

Aroma notes (after removing the stopper) included: dark chocolate (oxalis, tannic botanicals, very faint diffuse fruit (persimmon and brown sugar)), roasted and slightly acidic tea. After taking out a few spoonfuls, there were more fragrant, almost floral green tea notes below the surface.

As I prepared this into hot chocolate, the tiny granules of chocolate-y, single origin dark chocolate dissolved into a fragrant, crisp green tea background. (Tip: Try to heat this blend and whisk just enough to melt the chocolate, but not so much that you lose the more delicate (volatile) green tea notes.)

The green tea flavor was very refreshing, especially when I drank this beverage cold. (We're having a heat wave in California.) I enjoyed the opportunity to try this blend of bold and delicate, nuanced flavors; and the fact that it was very lightly sweetened (thank you!). Other tasting notes included: faint roasted, balanced earth and very slight astringency (likely from the tea).

Maker's notes: "Japanese green tea + 70% fudge-y Ecuador chocolate...that whisks up rich and creamy, drinks with subtle smoky notes and a smooth finish..." 

Ingredients: 70% Camino Verde, Ecuador chocolate (cocoa beans, organic cane sugar), light brown sugar, roasted green tea

Allergen-related information: "Packed in a facility that also processes peanuts, milk, tree nuts (almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, pecans, pistachios, walnuts, and coconuts), sesame, wheat, and soy."

*Other hot chocolate mixes currently offered by the company: a classic House Hot Chocolate, a spicy Mission Hot Chocolate, and a House Mocha blend.

**2023-2024 will go down as a period when chocolate prices rose significantly. And, due to inflation and climate changes (e.g. hotter weather, stronger storms, failed crops), prices will likely stay high.  

Wildwood Chocolate - Yuzu with Roasted Brown Rice (bar) - July 8, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Wildwood Chocolate
Yuzu with Roasted Brown Rice (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42.5 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 225 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $17.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Health Spa and Healing Center and Spa, Cavallo Point, Sausalito, CA

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate and Japan Theme Week. This week features chocolates made: in Japan; by Japanese chefs and chocolatiers; and/or with flavor inclusions inspired by Japanese cuisine.

Today's Yuzu with Roasted Brown Rice (bar) was from Wildwood Chocolate (Portland, OR). 

If you like botanically-themed chocolates, you'll appreciate the beautiful fern and floral patterns on Wildwood bars. (The company name was inspired by a favorite local trail in the Portland area.)*

Aroma notes included a complex, aromatic blend of balanced, very slightly acidic/smokey (peaty), sweet green dark chocolate, citrus and rice.

This attractive bar was a textural feast that included: thick dark and creamy; candied-fruit chewy; and light and crunchy elements.

Flavor notes included: dark chocolate (fudge-y, very slightly acidic/peaty but otherwise very smooth); candied yuzu fruit with sweet citrus and faint floral notes; and evenly toasted rice with faint roasted, nutty and malty notes.

I enjoyed the choice of rich, complex, darker (70%) chocolate--that was flavorful, yet did not overwhelm the yuzu fruit and roasted rice.

Maker's tasting notes: "Delicate floral candied yuzu pairs beautifully with subtle nutty crunchy roasted brown rice, blending beautiful flavors and textures over rich 70% dark chocolate. Enjoy a cup of genmaicha or your favorite cheese."

Ingredients: Bittersweet Chocolate (cocoa liquor, cocoa butter, sugar, sunflower lecithin, vanilla), Candied Yuzu (yuzu, beet sugar, millet jelly (tapioca starch), ascorbic acid), Roasted Brown Rice.

Allergen-related information: May contain traces of the following if not listed above due to shared equipment: soy, milk, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat and eggs.

*This may sound a little fanciful. But, Portland is also a city with a high chocolate IQ, with some serious chocolate makers and chocolatiers. 

Deux Cranes - Hojicha Caramel Milk Chocolate (bar) - July 7, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Deux Cranes
Hojicha Caramel Milk Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 191 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar

Cost: $15.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Deux Cranes, online order

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

Today's Hojicha Caramel Milk Chocolate (bar) was created by Deux Cranes LLC (Los Gatos, CA). The company's handcrafted chocolates are "rooted in Japan (and) inspired by France." (I previously featured the Deux Cranes Miso Almonds chocolate bar.)

French-trained chocolatier, Michiko Marron-Kibbey, draws on her Japanese heritage and uses Valrhona chocolate(s) from France in their bars and confections.

Aroma and flavor notes for his Hojicha bar included: smooth and creamy dark milk chocolate; lovely, very slightly floral (jasmine/jasmine rice like) green tea; and very faint caramel/brown sugar. 

The milk helped balance the sugar, and buffered any tannic acidity that might have been present in the tea without subduing the chocolate and green tea flavors. The chocolate had a smooth, rich chocolate milk flavor and finish.

I loved the light, refreshing, green tea aroma, and appreciated the well-executed balance between the various ingredients. Yes, it was sweet...and slightly addictive.

Ingredients: Caramelized Milk Chocolate (Sugar, Cocoa butter, Caramel (skimmed milk, whey (milk), sugar, butter (milk), flavoring), Whole milk powder, Cocoa beans) sunflower lecithin (Emulsifier), Hojicha Ground Tea, Sea Salt.

Allergen-related information: Contains: Milk. (This product may contain traces of nuts, milk, and gluten. Produced and packaged in the same facility as peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, soy, and milk products.

Deux Cranes - Dark Chocolate with Black Sesame + Ginger (bar) - July 6, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Deux Cranes
Dark Chocolate with Black Sesame + Ginger (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 191 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar

Cost: $16.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Deux Cranes, online order

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

Today's Dark Chocolate with Black Sesame + Ginger (bar) was created by Deux Cranes LLC (Los Gatos, CA). The company's handcrafted chocolates are "rooted in Japan and inspired by France." (I previously featured their Miso Almonds chocolate bar.)

Aroma notes included: slightly earthy and fudge-y dark chocolate; faint Umami (sesame); warm spices (maple, caramel, vanilla, ginger); and very faint fresh bread.

Texture: smooth chocolate with crunchy caramelized sesame seeds and candied/crystallized ginger bits.

Flavor notes included: dark chocolate (ultra-dark fudge brownie); faint sesame and caramel/brown sugar; and warm hints of ginger.

Maker's tasting/flavor notes: "Earthy, Sweet Spices, Balanced Bitterness"

I enjoyed the nicely balanced and complex flavors in this well-executed bar. There was a lot going on; but it worked. Sweet dark chocolate and spices and a little salty and umami. (Disclaimer: I like less sweet and Umami chocolates.)

Ingredients: Caramelized Milk Chocolate (Sugar, Cocoa butter, Caramel (skimmed milk, whey (milk), sugar, butter (milk), flavoring), Whole milk powder, Cocoa beans) sunflower lecithin (Emulsifier), Hojicha Ground Tea, Sea Salt.

Allergen-related information: Contains: Sesame, Soy. May contain traces of nuts, milk, and gluten. Packaged and processed in the same facility as peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, soy, and milk products.

Amano Artisan Chocolate - Citrus Melange A Trois 63% dark chocolate (bar) - July 5, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Amano Artisan Chocolate
Citrus Melange A Trois 63% dark chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.4 oz. (40 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 205 calories in 1 serving (approximately 1/2 bar)
Cost: $10.25 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar & Cocoa, online order 

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate and Japan Theme Week. Common flavor inclusions this week include Yuzu citrus, sesame seeds, green tea and other umami flavors.

Today's Citrus Melange A Trois 63% cocoa dark chocolate (bar) was made by Amano Chocolate Company (Orem, UT).

Aroma notes for this bar included: chocolate torte with citrus (orange, tangerine, other tart-sweet orange and citrus fruit); and very faint, fleeting botanicals/spices (green pepper/peppery greens, oxalis, citrus-pine, vanilla).

Texture: smooth dark chocolate with citrus flavors and an occasional, tiny trophy bit of citrus.

I really enjoyed the blend of dark chocolate and complex (and complementary) micro-bursts of authentic, tart-sweet citrus--including Yuzu fruit from Japan.*

Note: Amano also offers a Japanese Sea Salt and Cocoa Nibs bar.

Maker's tasting notes: "Haunting flavor notes of Yuzu, tangerine, and grapefruit enrich the deep chocolate flavor. Orange pieces provide a layer of juiciness."

Ingredients: Chocolate: Cocoa Beans, Pure Cane Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Whole Vanilla Beans, Yuzu, Tangerine, and Grapefruit, Orange Pieces: Apple Puree, Apple Juice, Orange Juice, Fiber, Pectin, Paprika.

Allergen-related information: "May Contain Traces of Peanuts, Tree Nuts, Soy, Wheat and Milk Products"

*Citrus fruits originated in Asia; but there are a few hybrid citrus varieties, like Yuzu (aka Japanese citron), that are associated with Japan.

Dandelion Chocolate - Tokyo Gateau chocolate cake - July 4, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Dandelion Chocolate
Tokyo Gateau chocolate cake
Good ++ - Good +++  
Weight: 4.85 oz. (113.3 g.) / 9.7 oz. (275 g.) in total cake
Calories: (Unknown)
Cost: $55.00 for 1 cake

Purchased from: Dandelion Chocolate, online order

Kon'nichiwa, yokoso (hello and welcome) to Day #3 of Chocolate and Japan Theme Week.

Today's Tokyo Gateau (chocolate cake)--ensconced in a reusable, wooden box was made by the Tokyo Pastry team in the Japan kitchen of Dandelion Chocolate (San Francisco, CA).

Aroma notes for this French-style chocolate cake included: rich, buttery smooth dark chocolate (ganache, buttery torte). 

I think of a French gateau as a buttery, velvety, cake (often with an incorporated filling or frosting layer). 

The texture for this one was indeed thick, buttery soft, velvety, and chocolate-y; and, yes, it was similar to a French Gateau au Chocolat. And it was very rich. 

It was described as having a texture of thick, creamy cheese. A chocolate version of creamy brie--but with dairy butter and silken eggs rather than cheese flavors. One slice of this chocolate cake with the texture of chocolate butter was enough to satisfy me. 

Flavor notes included: rich chocolate, caramel and very faint, diffuse buttery fruit (Anamalai cacao is somewhat fruity).

I loved that this rich chocolate cake was gluten-free, full of chocolate flavor, and made with four, "carefully sourced" ingredients. 

Reflecting the large jump in chocolate prices in the past year*, this cake was quite pricey; however, it was cheaper than hopping on a plane to Tokyo. (I also am enjoying reusing the wooden box for art supplies.) It was a deceptively simple cake, but probably one I wouldn't have had the patience to make. (Getting the eggs to behave can be harder than some think.)

Ingredients: Dandelion 70% chocolate (cocoa beans from Anamalai, India, organic cane sugar), butter, organic cane sugar, eggs. 

Allergen-related information: Contains milk (butter) and eggs. Made in a facility that also processes milk, wheat, eggs, peanuts, soy, sesame, tree nuts (almonds, hazelnuts).

Maker's description: "Developed to highlight the distinctive tasting notes of two complementary origins--(one being) Dandelion Japan 70% Anamalai, India, 2019 Harvest chocolate...These fudgy, almost cheesecake-like confections are crafted from single-origin chocolate, organic cane sugar, orange-yolked eggs, and unsalted butter. They contain no flour, and their silky texture is achieved by precise mixing and careful monitoring of ingredient temperature.

*The jump in cacao prices are due to many global factors, ranging from bad weather/storms hitting several key cacao growing nations (ruining crops) to inflation all through the supply chain. In today's case international shipping of a perishable pastry/cake from Japan to San Francisco (and then to my house during the summer) added to the price as well.

Cacao & Cardamom Chocolatier - Triple Citrus Crunch 68% (bar) - July 3, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Cacao & Cardamom
Triple Citrus Crunch 68% (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++ 
Weight: 1.75 oz. (50 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 271 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Cacao & Cardamom, online order

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

Today's Triple Citrus Crunch 68% (bar) was from Cacao & Cardamom Chocolatier (Houston, TX).

Aroma notes for this elegant-looking bar included: dark chocolate, sweet and aromatic citrus (orange cookie), and faint warm spice (ginger).

Texture: smooth, hearty dark chocolate, slightly chewy bits of ginger and various nuanced citrus flavors/pieces, and lightly crispy-crunchy puffed rice.

Flavor notes included: dark chocolate and very nicely nuanced citrus flavors ranging from a peel that was "yellower" than orange and mellow and warm in flavor; another piece that had more of a sweet orange-kumquat-like citrus zing, and a third citrus that was quite rounded/mellow and nice orange.

I really enjoyed this beguiling flavor and visual feast of a bar. I very much appreciated being able to taste the nuanced citrus flavors. (The peels and dried fruit weren't overly sugared or candied.) I also liked the well-executed balance between the flavors and textures: the dark chocolate, three types of Japanese citrus, ginger and puffed rice.

Ingredients: 68% Bolivia (Cacao Kernel, Sugar, Cacao Butter), Dried Amantsu (amantsu, beet sugar, millet jelly, ascorbic acid), Dried Iyokan (iyokan, beet sugar, millet jelly, ascorbic acid), Dried Yuzu (Yuzu, beet sugar, millet jelly, ascorbic acid), Rice Puff (rice flour, sugar, barley malt extract salt, rice extract), Dehydrated Orange

Allergen-related information: "Made in a Facility that handles tree nuts"

Creo Chocolate - Black Sesame Seed Brittle - July 2, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Creo Chocolate
Black Sesame Seed Brittle 
Good +++
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42.5 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total package
Calories: 233 calories (estimate) in 1/2 package
Cost: $12.75 for 1 package
Purchased from: Creo Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #9 of Chocolate and Ecuador Theme Week, and Day #1 of Chocolate and Japan Week.

Sesame seeds (goma) may be native to Africa/Indus Valley/India; but the seeds, oil and flavoring have been used in classical Japanese entrees, rice dishes, desserts and snacks for centuries.

Today's Black Sesame Seed Brittle was from Creo Chocolate (Portland, OR).

Aroma notes for this Good Food Awards winning brittle included: sweet sesame and nut* butter; clean sweet green; faint toffee/caramel; faint dark chocolate; and barely there umami.

Complex texture notes for this impossibly thin (how did they do it?) toffee brittle included: two levels of crunch and chew: the toffee and the sesame seeds. Each piece was fully coated with dark chocolate--providing a thin, smooth and creamy dark layer that complemented the crunchy seed garnish and the brittle interior.

Flavor notes for this addictive, buttery, creamy and crunchy chocolate included: toffee; faint sesame and nut*; dark chocolate; faint sea salt, and umami. And there was a satisfying, subtle seed butter + dairy butter note in the finish. 

This scored well on my preferences for sweetness level (it was not overly sweet); complexity (well-executed, layered flavors; and balance (well-balanced). Extra points for a bit of sesame umami. (Disclaimer: I like savory chocolates.)

Ingredients: Chocolate (Cacao, Organic Sugar, Cocoa Butter), Organic Butter, Organic Cane Sugar, Black and White Sesame Seeds, Sea Salt. 

Allergen-related information: "Contains Milk and Sesame Seeds...Processed in a Facility that Processes Milk, Peanuts, Tree Nuts, Sesame Seeds, and Wheat."

*Nut-like "notes" were detected/experienced while tasting; but there were no nut ingredients.

Cacao Space - Ecuador Hacienda Victoria 75% (bar) - July 1, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Cacao Space
Ecuador Hacienda Victoria 75% (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 1.18 oz. (33.5 g.) / 2.37 oz. (67 g.) in total bar
Calories: 183 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Cacao Space, online order (with local pick-up)

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

Today's Ecuador Hacienda Victoria 75% (bar) was from Cacao Space (Los Altos (pick-up location), CA). Chocolate maker, Ksenia Arapova, specializes in a variety of single origin cacao-based bars, including some with flavor inclusions.

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate, spice(s); very faint sweet-tart green; faint roasted/wood; black licorice; and very faint, fleeting coconut biscuit/cookie.

Texture: thick, buttery, smooth.

Flavor notes included: dark chocolate (dark cocoa, dark fudge), botanicals (roasted greens/wood/nut); black licorice; and faint coconut cookie.

I enjoyed the complexity (rich and unique aroma and flavor notes) in this chocolate bar.

Ingredients: cacao nibs, organic coconut sugar

Maker's notes: "Handcrafted, stone ground, refined sugar free, plant based"

Allergen-related information: None listed.  

Creo Chocolate - Purely Dark 85% Dark Chocolate, Ecuador (bar) - June 30, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Creo Chocolate
Purely Dark 85% Dark Chocolate, Ecuador (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 1.75 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 125 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $10.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Creo Chocolate, online order

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

Today's Purely Dark 85% Dark Chocolate from Creo Chocolate (Portland, OR)

Aroma notes for this attractively packaged bar included: dark chocolate (cocoa, dates, very faint tart-sweet green (oxalis)); faint nut butter, seed/nut; and very faint peanut butter and honey sandwich and sweet green (coconut).

Flavor notes included: dark, bittersweet chocolate (rich cocoa), green herb(s), sweet aromatic wood, nut; diffuse fruit (berry, date, and very faint (almost undetectable) floral banana), coconut-leaning fruits (ice apple, coconut mango, soursop); and brown sugar.

The texture was relatively smoother and creaming especially as I was expecting a bit of astringency from the slightly tangy-bitter flavors from the aroma (and because it was 85% cacao).

I really enjoyed the complexity of aromas and flavors in this bar. It had a little something for everyone. Dark chocolate with plenty of rich cocoa flavor. Balanced bitter and sweet; sweet and faintly sour fruit; and nut and green elements. There was even a trace of green floral. 

It must have been enjoyable--and challenging--for the maker(s) to choose roast and conch profiles that would preserve all the subtle/delicate flavors, and develop/manage other flavors in this fine cacao. 

Ingredients: cacao beans, organic cane sugar, cocoa butter

Allergen-related information: "Manufactured on shared equipment with products containing eggs, wheat, sesame seeds, soy, peanuts (and) tree nuts"

To'ak Chocolate - 75% Cacao 2019 Tasmanian Whisky Cask Ex-Tawny Aged - June 29, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

To'ak Chocolate
75% Cacao 2019 Tasmanian Whisky Cask Ex-Tawny Aged
Good +++ - Very Good
Weight: .106 oz. (3 g.) for 1 square / 1.9 oz. (54 g.) in total bar/package of 18
Calories: 21 calories in 1 square
Cost: N/A - holiday gift from family
Purchased from: N/A - holiday gift from family (thank you Megan and Tony!)

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

Today's 75% (Ecuador) Cacao 2019 Tasmanian Whisky Cask Ex-Tawny individually-wrapped square was part of a six-flavor, tasting square assortment of chocolates--all made from tree-to-bar in Ecuador by To'ak Chocolate (Quito, Ecuador). 

To'ak specializes in Ecuadorian Nacional cacao. This rare cacao variety was almost lost in the 1900s due to disease and other factors.*

Aroma and flavor notes for today's 75% dark chocolate included: dark chocolate and slightly boozy: slightly sweet whisky, and complex and attractive white wine grape/raisin, honey, very faint wood; faint nut; and faint, diffuse fruit (cacao pulp, red fruit). 

The texture of this tasting square was well tempered, uniformly smooth, thick (in a cool room) and relatively creamy. There was a very faint astringency (dryness) toward the second half/finish.

What a delicious ride this was! The dark chocolate was flavorful but not so strong that it muted the wonderful barrel aged flavors. In case you want to look this one up on the To'ak website, you'll find that full-sized (whisky and spirits) bars are either sold out and/or are priced at more than $200 USD.

The makers have become skilled at cask-aging cacao, adding complexity and enhancing already nuanced flavors of heirloom cacao. You're enjoying a two-ingredient chocolate, but it tastes like there are other flavor inclusions. Their tagline says it all:

"Made like a vintage wine, aged like a whisky, and packaged like a work of art. We work closely with local farmers and artists to make truly unique and unforgettable chocolate." 

Ingredients: "Organic Heirloom Cacao Beans, Organic Sugar"

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

*Witches Broom, a plant gall disease (caused by fungus and other contributing causes) disfigures plants. (It also significantly affected cacao harvests in Brazil in the 1980s.) 

In the maker's words: "As of 2009, pure Nacional cacao was believed to be extinct. Our journey led us to the secluded valley of Piedra de Plata, where we found some of the last surviving trees..."

 

To'ak Chocolate - Palo Santo Aged 75% (2019 Harvest) - June 28, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

To'ak Chocolate
Palo Santo Aged 75% (2019 Harvest) 
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: .106 oz. (3 g.) for 1 square / 1.9 oz. (54 g.) in total bar/package of 18
Calories: 21 calories in 1 square
Cost: N/A - holiday gift from family
Purchased from: N/A - holiday gift from family (thank you Megan and Tony!)

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

Today's "Palo Santo Aged" (2019 Harvest) 75% Ecuador cacao individually-wrapped square was part of a six-flavor, tasting square assortment--made from tree-to-bar in Ecuador by To'ak Chocolate (Quito, Ecuador). To'ak specializes in high-end, Ecuadorian cacao-based chocolates.

The makers use Ecuador's famed "Nacional" cacao variety, an historically prized cacao that was almost lost in the 1900s due to disease and other factors.*

Aroma and flavor notes for today's 75% dark chocolate included: subtle dark chocolate; herbal/menthol (green mint), coconut; faint nut/seed; and very faint clean, refreshing mineral(s), citrus and aromatic wood.

The texture of this tasting square was well tempered, uniformly smooth, thick (in a cool room) and relatively creamy. 

This unique 75% dark chocolate was bittersweet (with a lot of natural, almost dried fruit (date) sweetness). It tasted sweeter than 75% cacao chocolate in the beginning, and ended with some bitter and earthy notes in the finish. In between we enjoyed a wonderful, balanced and complex flavor ride. 

Maker's tasting notes: "Coconut, mint, citrusy pine, dates"

Ingredients: Organic Heirloom Cacao Beans, Organic Sugar

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

*The disease was Witches Broom, a plant gall disease (caused by fungus and other contributing causes) that disfigures plants. It also significantly affected cacao harvests in Brazil in the 1980s. 

In the maker's words: "As of 2009, pure Nacional cacao was believed to be extinct. Our journey led us to the secluded valley of Piedra de Plata, where we found some of the last surviving trees..."

  

To'ak Chocolate - Kampot Pepper Aged 75% Nacional Ecuador (square) - June 27, 2024

Chocolate(s) of the Day

To'ak Chocolate
Kampot Pepper chocolate square
Good +++
Weight: .106 oz. (3 g.) for 1 square / 1.9 oz. (54 g.) in total bar/package of 18
Calories: 21 calories in 1 square
Cost: N/A - holiday gift from family
Purchased from: N/A - holiday gift from family (thank you Megan and Tony!)

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

Today's "Kampot Pepper" (2019 Harvest) Ecuadorian Dark Chocolate small square was part of a six-flavor, tasting square assortment--made from tree-to-bar in Ecuador by To'ak Chocolate (Quito, Ecuador). To'ak specializes in high-end, Ecuadorian cacao-based chocolates.

The makers use Ecuador's famed "Nacional" cacao variety, an historically prized cacao. (In the 1900s, disease diminished cacao harvests for decades. Happily, this rare variety still exists.*) And today's chocolate was blended with Kampot Pepper (a black peppercorn cultivar from Cambodia).

Aroma and flavor notes for today's 75% dark chocolate included: subtle dark chocolate; faint spice and aromatic black/green peppercorn; aromatic wood; clean mineral; and very faint nut; and faint, diffuse sweet citrus fruit (orange). The nuanced, aged pepper flavors were fantastic with this chocolate. There was no fiery heat, just lots of wonderful flavor.

The texture of this tasting square was well tempered, uniformly smooth, thick (in a cool room) and relatively creamy. 

Sugar was used judiciously; that is less sugar allowed these truly unique and wonderful aged pepper and cacao flavors to really shine. (Thank you!) 

Maker's tasting notes: "Black pepper, woody, citrus, brown fruits"

Ingredients: Organic Heirloom Cacao Beans, Organic Sugar

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

*The disease in this case was Witches Broom, a plant gall disease (caused by fungus and other contributing causes) that disfigures plants. It also significantly affected cacao harvests in Brazil in the 1980s. 

In the maker's words: "As of 2009, pure Nacional cacao was believed to be extinct. Our journey led us to the secluded valley of Piedra de Plata, where we found some of the last surviving trees..."

 

To'ak Chocolate - Rain Harvest Ecuadorian Cacao series (2018, 2019, 2021 Harvests) - June 26, 2024

Chocolate(s) of the Day

To'ak Chocolate
1.) Rain Harvest 2018 Ecuadorian Dark Chocolate 74% Cacao (square) - Good ++
2.) Rain Harvest 2019 Ecuadorian Dark Chocolate 75% Cacao (square) - Good ++
3.) Rain Harvest 2021 (18 Hrs.) Ecuadorian Dark Chocolate 75.5% Cacao (square) - Good ++ - Good +++

Weight: .318 oz. (9 g.) for 3 squares / 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar/package
Calories: 63 calories in 3 squares
Cost: N/A - holiday gift from family
Purchased from: N/A - holiday gift from family (thank you Megan and Tony!)

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

Today's series of three "Rain Harvest" Ecuadorian Dark Chocolate small squares were from different cacao harvests (years). All three were made from tree-to-bar in Ecuador by To'ak Chocolate (Quito, Ecuador). The company specializes in high-end, Ecuadorian cacao-based chocolates.

The makers work with Ecuador's famed "Nacional" cacao variety, a popular cacao dating back to the 1800s.* (In the 1900s, disease adversely impacted cacao harvests for decades.**) Today's three chocolates presented a great opportunity for a side-by-side, tiny chocolate tasting flight.

Aroma and flavor notes for Rain Harvest 2018 (74%) attractively packaged bar included: relatively subtle dark chocolate, very faint molasses, fruit (peach jam and and very, very faint cake/soda cracker); and it was the earthiest of the three. 

The 2019 Rain Harvest (75%) chocolate had similar notes but it also had some nuanced sweet green and mellow nut notes; the stone fruit note was a little less peach and a little more plum; there was a faint, fleeting soda cracker note; and a slight decrease in earth.

Lastly, the 2021 Rain Harvest (75.5%) was a tiny bit less sweet, and had more green (oxalis) and mellow, sweet nut, and slightly less fruit (more sweet green banana and less stone fruit). It also had a faint, clean mineral flavor that was nice/refreshing; and had "18 hours" (of what I assume was conching*** time). I'm not sure how this compared with the times selected for the first two chocolates.

The texture for all three was similar: well tempered, uniformly smooth, thick (in a cool room) and relatively creamy. 

I really enjoyed tasting all three side-by-side. I felt like I could taste the maker's choices as they were making skilled and subtle adjustments with each batch. 

I liked the third (2021 harvest) just a bit better. I tend to like green, floral and fruit flavors, and slightly less earth. I appreciated the complexity and coaxing out of natural cacao flavors; and that the restrained sugar levels that allowed the flavors to really shine. (Thank you!) 

Ingredients: Organic Heirloom Cacao Beans, Organic Sugar

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

*In the maker's words: "As of 2009, pure Nacional cacao was believed to be extinct. Our journey led us to the secluded valley of Piedra de Plata, where we found some of the last surviving trees..."

** The disease in this case was Witches Broom, a plant gall disease (caused by fungus and other contributing causes) that disfigures plants. It also significantly affected cacao harvests in Brazil in the 1980s. 

***It should be noted that conching time for cacao being made into chocolate may vary a lot, from a few hours to almost 90 hours. For a very fine-flavored cacao a long conch time might cause loss of volatile (e.g. floral) and prized flavors even though the texture might be very smooth and creamy with longer heating/processing times. On the other hand, a more acidic or less fine cacao may benefit from longer conch times (to lose less desirable flavors). There are often trade-offs to be made between taste and texture.

 

To'ak Chocolates - Utah Gin Cask Aged Ecuadorian Dark Chocolate 75.5% Cacao (bar) - June 25, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

To'ak Chocolate
Utah Gin Cask Aged Ecuadorian Dark Chocolate 75.5% Cacao (bar)
Good +++
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar/package
Calories: 150 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: N/A - holiday gift from family
Purchased from: N/A - holiday gift from family (thank you Megan and Tony!)

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

Today's Utah Gin Cask Aged Ecuadorian Dark Chocolate 75.5% Cacao (bar) was made from tree-to-bar in Ecuador, by To'ak Chocolate  (Quito, Ecuador). The company specializes in high-end, Ecuadorian cacao-based chocolates.

The makers work with Ecuador's famed "Nacional" cacao variety, a popular cacao dating back to the 1800s.* In the 1900s, disease (Witches Broom) adversely impacted cacao harvests for decades.** (I feel grateful that when I started Chocolate Banquet almost 18 years ago, many South American cacao farms were on the rebound.)

Aroma and flavor notes for this attractively packaged bar included: relatively subtle dark chocolate, faint molasses, sweet green (botanical, oxalis), and very faint, well-balanced: earth/forest, diffuse tart-sweet fruit (peach, cacao), and then light cream in a gentle, lingering finish.

Texture: well tempered, uniformly smooth, thick (in a cool room) and relatively creamy. (And, as a delightful bonus, there was a crunchy, whole, cacao bean at the center that had a slight charcoal roast flavor to it.)

This was a skillfully and thoughtfully executed dark chocolate -- smooth, sophisticated and subtly complex and flavorful. Well balanced, and it was not too sweet (thank you!).

Ingredients: 75.5% Organic Heirloom Cacao Beans, 24.5% Organic Cane Sugar

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

*In the maker's words: "As of 2009, pure Nacional cacao was believed to be extinct. Our journey led us to the secluded valley of Piedra de Plata, where we found some of the last surviving trees..."

** This plant gall disease (caused by fungal and other contributing causes) disfigures plants; and it has also caused the collapse of cacao harvests in Brazil.

Fjak - Hacienda Limon, Ecuador 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) - June 24, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Fjak Chocolate  
Hacienda Limon, Ecuador 70% Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good +++ - Very Good
Weight: 1.055 oz. (30 g.) / 2.11 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 167.7 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $13.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order 

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

Today's Limited Edition Hacienda Limon, Ecuador 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) from Fjak Chocolate AS (Eidfjord (Hardangerfjord), Norway).

This bar was part of Fjak's Limited Edition "Cocoa Explorers'" series--that are made using high-quality, unique and often award-winning single origin/region cacaos. The cacao used to make this bar came from 12 Tree, Hacienda Limon, Quevado Cotopaxi, Ecuador.*

The intriguingly complex aroma notes included: dark chocolate, botanical spice (green pepper); complex and rich floral/honey; aromatic wood; and faint nut, mineral water and molasses.

Texture: smooth dark chocolate with a very faint astringency ("dryness") toward the finish.

Flavor notes included: rich dark chocolate with complex green botanicals (including freshly cut greens) and spices (including green bell pepper, green peppercorn); molasses, honey and panela; and very faint aromatic wood, earth and nut (green walnuts in sweet syrup, sweet green hazelnut, pine nuts).

I loved the maker's choice of cacao and their skilled and thoughtful execution that led to this aromatic and flavorful chocolate bar. So much delicious and complex flavor, coaxed from just three ingredients.

Maker's tasting notes: Floral Honey, Hazelnut.

*Fjak's description: "...Using the excellent "Heirloom Cacao Preservation' accredited cocoa beans from Samuel von Rutte's Hacienda Limon farm, we have created a classic 70% dark bar..."  

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

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

Honeymoon Chocolates - 70% Raspberry Dark Chocolate Tanzania with raw honey, Tanzania cacao (bar) - June 23, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Honeymoon Chocolates
70% Raspberry Dark Chocolate with Raw Honey, Tanzania (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 1.1 oz. (31 g.) / 2.2 oz. (62 g.) in total bar
Calories: 171 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $7.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Honeymoon Chocolates, online order

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

Today's 70% Raspberry Dark Chocolate with Raw Honey, Tanzania (bar) was from Honeymoon Chocolates (St. Louis, MO). 

This dark bar was created using Kokoa Kamili*, Tanzania cacao, Missouri Wildflower and Clover honey and raspberry. This follows a very similar Dark Raspberry bar, featured yesterday, by the same maker, that used Belize cacao. The Belize cacao might have been a bit smoother, but I enjoyed the bolder contrast in today's bar.

Aroma and flavor notes included: tart, sweet, ripe red raspberry and dark chocolate.

Texture: soft, very smooth, buttery, ultra-dark chocolate interspersed with rosy, red raspberry bits (with crunchy seeds) pressed into the back of this bar. 

Flavor notes included: ultra-dark (rich, very slightly earthy, bittersweet) chocolate; and authentically tart-sweet red raspberry bits. The slightly bitter chocolate and the bright, ripe berry were nicely balanced and very complementary. The more delicate sweet, floral honey showed up at the end of the finish, after the more dominant cacao and berry flavors subsided.

I appreciated that this chocolate was made with just four high-quality ingredients, and that it wasn't too sweet (thank you) -- allowing each ingredient to shine on its own.

Maker's Tasting Notes: Molasses, Cheesecake, and Raspberries

Ingredients: Raw Honey, Organic Cacao, Organic Cacao Butter, Organic Raspberry

Allergen-related information: Manufactured in a facility that prepares Dairy and Gluten products. 

*Kokoa Kamili is a central (cacao) fermentary and cacao processing facility located in Mbingu Village in Tanzania that works with farmers. They buy "wet" cacao from thousands of small farmers, process and export cacao. This social enterprise was founded in 2013 by Brian LoBue and Simran Bindra.

Honeymoon Chocolates - 70% Raspberry Dark Chocolate with Raw Honey, Belize (bar) - June 22, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Honeymoon Chocolates
70% Raspberry Dark Chocolate with Raw Honey, Belize (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.1 oz. (31 g.) / 2.2 oz. (62 g.) in total bar
Calories: 171 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Missing information

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

Today's 70% Raspberry Dark Chocolate with Raw Honey, Belize (bar) was from Honeymoon Chocolates (St. Louis, MO). The company was "founded in a dorm room in 2016," and, happily for us, has produced a variety of (single origin cacao) chocolates sweetened with honey.

This dark bar was created using bean-to-bar Maya Mountain Belize cacao; Missouri Wildflower and Clover honey; and raspberries.

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate (deep dark chocolate fudge; berry fruit; very faint, fleeting warm spice, fruit vinegar); raspberry fruit pieces; and very faint floral (honey).

Texture - somewhat soft dark chocolate, with a rich, slow melt; and occasional bits of raspberry and crunchy whole raspberry seeds.

Tasting notes included: pleasing, single origin (Belize) dark chocolate flavor, interspersed with authentic, bright, tart-sweet raspberry fruit bits.

I liked that this chocolate was not too sweet (thank you!) and I appreciated it was made with just four high-quality ingredients--allowing each ingredient to shine.

Ingredients: Cacao, Raw Honey, Cacao Butter, Raspberry

Allergen-related information: Made in a facility that prepares Dairy products. "Free of refined sugar, soy, and gluten."

  

Honeymoon Chocolates - Switchgrass Spirits 75% Dark Chocolate Rye Whiskey (bar) - June 21, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Honeymoon Chocolates
Switchgrass Spirits 75% Dark Chocolate Rye Whiskey (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.1 oz. (31 g.) / 2.2 oz. (62 g.) in total bar
Calories: 171 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Honeymoon Chocolates, online order

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

Today's Switchgrass Spirits 75% Dark Chocolate Rye Whiskey (bar) was from Honeymoon Chocolates (St. Louis, MO).

This dark bar was created using organic Kokoa Kamili, Tanzania cacao, raw Missouri wildflower and clover honey, and (alcohol-removed) Switchgrass Rye whiskey.

The complex bouquet of aroma notes included: dark chocolate (fudge-y, very slightly earthy), sweet green, molasses/brown sugar, and very faint sweet herbal and barely detectable fermented fruit/whiskey.

This bar had a smooth, cocoa buttery, almost creamy texture and melt.

Flavor notes included: dark chocolate (very slightly earthy, roasted (coffee latte with molasses)); very faint sweet tart green (oxalis); very faint nuanced (floral, herbal) honey-like sweetness and naturally sweet/aged whiskey.

I enjoyed the rich, complex, and balanced aroma and flavor notes in this dark chocolate. And I appreciated that this bar was made with just four high-quality ingredients. (I also liked the hexagon (honeycomb) pattern on the back and the (compostable) packaging design.) A portion of the proceeds from this numbered bar were "automatically donated to support honeybee research."

Ingredients: Cacao, Raw Honey, Cacao Butter, Rye Whiskey 

Allergen-related information: Made in a facility that processes Dairy products. "Free of refined sugar, soy, and gluten."

 

Honeymoon Chocolates - Chocolate Covered Raw Honeycomb - June 20, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Chocolate Covered Raw Honeycomb
Organic Tanzanian Cacao + Raw Honeycomb
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42.5 g.) / 3.0 oz. (85 g.) in total package
Calories: 150 calories in 1/2 package
Cost: $14.99 for 1 package
Purchased from: Honeymoon Chocolates, online order

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

Today's Chocolate Covered Raw Honeycomb made with Organic Tanzanian Cacao + Raw Honeycomb was from Honeymoon Chocolates (St. Louis, MO).

Aroma and flavor notes included: dark chocolate (balanced earth, fruit) and faintly floral honey.

Special preparation for this especially decadent treat included having water and wet and dry towels on hand, and enjoying this dark chocolate covered thick, chewy, waxy, honeycomb--flowing with liquid honey--leaning over a sink. That helped make cleanup a snap. 

I enjoyed the fact that this substantial confection was made with just two, high-quality ingredients (raw honeycomb and organic Tanzanian cacao)

The bulk of this sweet confection was a honeycomb full of honey and should be enjoyed as such. Thankfully I could still taste the dark Tanzanian cacao/chocolate, which broke into shards around the edges when I cut this piece in half. It was a good counterpoint to all that 'comb.

Ingredients: Honeycomb, Organic Tanzanian Cacao

Allergen-related information: (No additional information found on container.)

Pacific Resources International - Raspberry Dark Chocolate Patties with Manuka Honey - June 19, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Pacific Resources International (PRI)
Raspberry Dark Chocolate Patties with Manuka Honey
Good ++
Weight: 1.16 oz. (33 g.) / 5 oz. (141.5 g.) in total package
Calories: 120 calories in 1 serving (3 pieces)
Cost: $9.99 for 1 package
Purchased from: PRI, online order 

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate & Honey Theme Week.

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

Aroma notes for these individually-wrapped (in pink foil) patties included: faintly earthy dark chocolate and bright, sweet red berry (raspberry, strawberry), and very faint fig and nut cookie. 

Textures: slightly crunchy (in a cool room) the outer dark chocolate shell had a thick fudge-y, creamy melt and mouthfeel; and a soft, almost velvety honey filling.

I liked the contrast between the 99% cacao ultra-dark chocolate coating and the bright, very sweet, red-berry (raspberry)-infused honey filling. If it weren't for the earth-tethered cacao to ground the honey-fueled, sweet berry filling, it might have lifted off into the candysphere. 

The only downside: the chocolate and raspberry flavors were so commanding that it was harder to taste the floral and other honey notes (as I'd been able to do in PRI's Orange dark chocolate patties, featured yesterday).

Ingredients: "Manuka/Honey, 99% cocoa dark chocolate, natural raspberry flavoring"

Allergen-related information: (None I could find on the packaging.) 

*Manuka honey comes from the nectar of flowers that grow on the Manuka (Leptospermum scoparium) shrub-like tree. It is native to New Zealand and parts of (coastal) Australia, but is also cultivated in other areas of the world. 

Pacific Resources International (PRI) - Orange Dark Chocolate Patties with Manuka Honey - June 18, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Pacific Resources International (PRI)
Orange Dark Chocolate Patties with Manuka Honey
Good ++
Weight: 1.16 oz. (33 g.) / 5 oz. (141.5 g.) in total package
Calories: 120 calories in 1 serving (3 pieces)
Cost: $9.99 for 1 package
Purchased from: PRI, online order 

Welcome to Day #2 of Chocolate & Honey Theme Week.

Today's Orange Dark Chocolate Patties with Manuka Honey were distributed by Pacific Resources International (Carpinteria, CA). The company imports Manuka honey from New Zealand and Australia--to enjoy a la carte, or as inclusions in chocolates and other offerings.

Aroma notes for these orange foil-wrapped patties included: faintly earthy dark chocolate and slightly spicy orange. 

The 99% cacao dark chocolate shell had a slightly crunchy (in a cool room) texture and a thick, creamy melt and mouthfeel. Inside was a soft, almost velvety honey filling.

I enjoyed the contrast between the ultra-dark, very slightly earthy and roasted flavors of the 99% cacao chocolate coating and the bright, sweet, complex (slightly floral/herbal) orange-infused honey filling. The well-executed and layered flavors (vs. a homogeneous blend found in a bar or ganache) made this more interesting and enjoyable.  

Made with only three ingredients, all three had their turn to shine. The spotlight on center stage belonged to the very slightly spicy orange and complex honey (floral, spice, herbal, etc.) flavors. And that filling was surrounded by 99% cacao dark chocolate around the edges. The more down to earth dark chocolate was the first taste, and then came back again to linger in the finish. 

Ingredients: "Manuka/Honey, 99% cocoa Dark chocolate, Orange Oil"

Allergen-related information: None listed. (Certified Kosher)

*Manuka honey comes from the nectar of flowers that grow on the Manuka (Leptospermum scoparium) shrub-like tree. It is native to New Zealand and parts of (coastal) Australia, but is also cultivated in other areas of the world.

Lindt - Almond with Honey Dark Chocolate 47% (bar) - June 17, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Lindt
Almond with Honey Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.75 oz. (50 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 266.6 calories for 1/2 bar
Cost: $1.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #1 of Chocolate and Honey Theme Week, including chocolates with honey as well as a few chocolates with honey-like tasting notes.

Today's Almond Honey Dark Chocolate (bar) was manufactured by Lindt & Sprungli USA) Inc. (Stratham, NH). 

Aroma notes for this Swiss-inspired chocolate were true to the description and included: floral honey, dark chocolate and faint nut.

Texture: smooth dark chocolate with crunchy bits of almond.

Taste: relatively bold, yet smooth, dark chocolate, honey, very faint floral (mostly in the aroma), and subtle almond.

What I liked: flavorful, honey notes; no off notes; dark, without being too acidic or bitter. 

While it tasted darker than 47% cocoa (more like 60%--which I liked), it was also fairly sweet (sugar was the number one ingredient). The sugar gave this a dark chocolate and honey candy-like flavor.

Ingredients: Sugar, Chocolate, Caramelized Almonds (Almonds, Sugar, Honey, Cocoa Butter), Cocoa Butter, Milk fat, Soy Lecithin (Emulsifier), Natural Flavor.

Allergen-related information: Contains Almonds, Milk, Soy. May Contain Other Tree Nuts. 

American Heritage Chocolate - Dark Chocolate with vanilla, orange & cinnamon (bar) - June 16, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

American Heritage Chocolate
Dark Chocolate with a hint of vanilla, orange & cinnamon (bar)
Good: ++
Weight:  1.27 oz. (36 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 190 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $2.99 for 1 bar (+tax and shipping)
Purchased from: (Online Shop at Colonial Williamsburg, Online order)

Welcome to the last day of Chocolate and Mexico Week.

Today's American Heritage Chocolate Dark Chocolate with a hint of vanilla, orange and cinnamon 57% Cacao (bar) was made in Henderson, Nevada, and distributed by Mars Wrigley Confectionery US, LLC (Hackettstown, NJ). 

I found this historically-inspired chocolate on the Colonial Williamsburg website. Cacao was ground and consumed in the U.S. by newly arrived Europeans as far back as the 1700s. Williamsburg, Virginia, was using recipes that had their roots in Mexico/Central America. 

Chocolate houses (similar to today's coffee houses) were also in vogue in parts of Europe in the 1600s-1700s; and would have been known to some of the early colonists. These early, water-based, chocolate beverages contained exotic spices and were typically sweetened with sugar.

This bar was full of rich aroma and flavors that reminded me a lot of Mexican chocolate (especially drinking chocolates). This chocolate contained a subtle warm cinnamon and spice blend, and a subtle spicy, kick--consistent with chocolate(s) with chili peppers in Mexico--and possibly in some early chocolate recipes/beverages adopted/adapted by Europeans.

The smooth, thick and creamy-textured dark chocolate had prominent cinnamon and spice (red pepper) notes that were rounded out with orange and vanilla. It had a pleasing, warm quality to it.

I enjoyed this chocolate with some (gluten free) Cinnamon Churro chips from Get Mindright Inc. (Beverly Hills, CA). I felt I'd been transported to Mexico/Latin America.

Ingredients: Chocolate, sugar, cocoa butter, cinnamon, anise, nutmeg, salt, natural flavors, red pepper.

Allergen-related information: "May contain milk, peanuts, tree nuts, egg and soy."

Oaxacan Chocolate 100% Cacao (pieces) - June 15, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

(Vendor unknown)
Oaxacan chocolate 100% cacao (pieces)
Good ++
Weight: .6 oz. (15 + 2 g.)/ 2.4 oz. (69 g.) total bag of 2 pieces
Calories: 93 calories (estimate) in 1/2 of 1 piece
Cost: N/A - gift from neighbor
Purchased from: N/A - gift from neighbor (Thank you Nallely and Gomez family)

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate and Mexico Theme Week, featuring two chocolates.

The first chocolate, from Oaxaca, was very special; it was part of a Mexican chocolate gift bag from my neighbors. 

Aroma notes for this single-ingredient, full-strength (100%) cacao included: deep, rich, authentic cacao (beans, nibs), faint olive, dark brownie, and diffuse wine/fermentation and acidity. 

I was expecting a strong taste; but this cacao was very well-behaved for a 100% cacao item (no sugar). This was not a shiny tempered chocolate that broke with a hard snap, but rather it was easy to break off pieces--making it well-suited for making hot chocolate or adding to other dishes/beverages/desserts.

Full of authentic cacao flavors, it created a relatively smooth drinking chocolate; and I enjoyed it sprinkled over nuts and fruit for breakfast. 

It also would be a great addition to a blander, sweeter hot chocolate, to punch up the taste a bit. 

Javier Confectionery
Velvet Dark Drinking Chocolate with marshmallows
Good ++
Weight: 2 oz. (56.6 g.) / 15.75 oz. (444 g.) in total package
Calories: 375 calories (estimate) in 1 serving 
Cost: N/A - gift from neighbors
Purchased from: N/A - gift from neighbors (Thank you Nallely and Gomez family)

Today's Velvet Dark Drinking Chocolate Mix (with Marshmallows) was from Javier Confectionery* (Burlingame, CA).

This mix had a pleasing drinking chocolate (cocoa) aroma and flavor. Cocoa butter and butter oil gave this mix a creamy flavor and texture. The marshmallows added some sweet and light, lofty texture.

I also tried this chocolate with milk and a pinch of 100% cacao to make this blend slightly richer on the cacao bean side, and to make it taste a little less sweet.

Ingredients: Semi-Sweet Chocolate (chocolate liquor, sugar, cocoa butter, butter oil, soya lecithin, emulsifier, pure vanilla). Marshmallow (sugar, corn syrup, invert sugar gelatin).

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

*Javier Confectionery is located in/co-located with the Preston's Candy and Ice Cream store in Burlingame, CA

Chocolate Mayordomo - Drinking Chocolate - June 13, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Chocolate Mayordomo 
Premium Drinking Chocolate (Tabletas)
Good+++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) (part of a larger package)
Calories: 155 calories (estimate) for 1 oz. piece
Cost: N/A - gift from neighbor
Purchased from: N/A - gift from neighbor (gracias a Nallely y la familia Gomez)

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

Today's Drinking Chocolate/Hot Chocolate (en tabletas - bar form) was from Chocolate Mayordomo  (Oaxaca, Mexico). This was generously shared with me by my neighbors.*

Mayordomo is known for its mole sauces and "table chocolate" (drinking chocolate in scored tablet form and other chocolates).

Aroma notes included: rich chocolate and cinnamon, and very faint, fleeting stone fruit (ripe peach).

This chocolate was very tasty. It produced the kind of warm beverage that makes you want to sit back and relax and savor each sip with a good friend or a book.

I also found it to be great, all by itself -- to eat out of hand; as a chilled drinking chocolate with milk (or at temperature); and grated over desserts or ice cream. 

If you do taste a square or two of a tablet by itself, the initial texture will seem a bit crumbly/grainy (like the first cut of stone-ground cacao with sugar and cinnamon). This is an opportunity/reminder to savor (this and other) chocolate slowly, as you let it dissolve in your mouth.

This was a less processed, flavorful authentic cacao that was low in bitterness. I found this much more tasty than the alkali-processed cocoa we normally find when we're served hot chocolate here in the U.S.--which is also lower in bitterness, but in flavor as well as it has been processed to remove all potential bitter and sour notes that might be present. This process also takes away some of the better flavors as well.

I loved the authentic cacao flavors, and the short list of ingredients. The warm, spicy-sweet cinnamon flavor was almost intoxicating.

Ingredients: Roasted cacao beans, almonds and cinnamon, sugar

Allergen-related information: None listed on gold foil packaging (part of a larger package).

* I live in the San Francisco Bay Area and the brands of hot chocolate we see from Mexico most often in specialty stores are Ibarra and Abuelita. So this Oaxacan chocolate gift was a real treat. (For those that live in the U.S., you may be able to find Mayordomo chocolate on Etsy.)

 

Gnosis Chocolate - The Golden Brick; and Chocolate Mayordomo - Hot Chocolate/Drinking Chocolate disc - June 14, 2024

Chocolate(s) of the Day

Gnosis Chocolate
The Golden Brick (small filled bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.02 oz. (29 g.) in total bar
Calories: 160 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $6.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Gnosis Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate and Mexico Theme Week -- featuring two chocolates.

The first chocolate was: "The Golden Brick" (inside a shiny gold bar box) from Gnosis Chocolate (Astoria, New York). This bar was listed as having a "vanilla turmeric creme filling."

Aroma and flavor notes for this filled bar included: chocolate cookie, and faint sweet botanicals and spices--with a soft, very slightly more substantial light caramel-y, chocolate-y coconut-vanilla spice filling. Both the almost velvety 70% raw chocolate covering and the sweet flavorful filling were very tasty.

The Spanish were looking for gold in the New World. But, arguably, some of the most valuable items found in Mexico were cacao, vanilla and blue agave. This Golden Brick (bar) contained all three--as well lucuma, maca and cashews--also from the Americas (Peru).

Ingredients: "70% raw chocolate (raw cacao beans*, coconut sugar*), raw cashews*, virgin coconut oil*, raw blue agave*, lucuma*, fleur de sel salt, turmeric*, eleuthero*, maca*, burdock*, Love (*organic)"

Allergen-related information: (Contains cashews, coconut)

Chocolate Mayordomo 
Hot Chocolate/Drinking Chocolate (disc)
Good++ - Good +++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) (part of a larger package)
Calories: 155 calories (estimate) for 1 oz. piece
Cost: N/A - gift from neighbor
Purchased from: N/A - gift from neighbor (Muchas gracias a Nallely y la familia Gomez.)

Today's Drinking Chocolate/Hot Chocolate (disc) was from Chocolate Mayordomo (Oaxaca, Mexico). This was generously shared with me by my neighbors.

Mayordomo is known for its mole sauces and "table chocolate" (drinking chocolate in scored tablet and disc form and other chocolates).

Aroma notes included: rich chocolate and cinnamon, and very faint diffuse fruit (raisin, peach).

This chocolate was very tasty. And like yesterday's tablets from the same company, this chocolate was good for eating (by itself) and grating over desserts and lattes--as well as producing a warm beverage (with either water or milk of choice) that makes you want to sit back and relax and savor each sip with a good friend or a book.

The initial "grainy" texture (think sugar crystals ground with roasted cacao beans and cinnamon) gave way to a rich chocolate-y texture as it dissolves in my mouth. It reminded me to slow down and savor chocolates to enjoy them fully.

This less processed cacao was full of authentic flavors; and it was low in bitterness. I found this much more tasty than the alkali-processed hot cocoa mixes that are the rule in the U.S. The hot cocoa in the U.S is also lower in bitterness (and in natural cacao flavors as well) as it has been processed to remove bitter and acidic/sour elements that might be present. Unfortunately this process neutralizes objectionable as well as prized flavors.

I liked the smaller sized discs and tablets -- making it easier to make 1-2 person servings. And I loved the authentic cacao flavors, and the short list of ingredients.* The warm, spicy-sweet cinnamon flavor was lovely.

Ingredients: Roasted cacao beans, almonds and cinnamon, sugar (*Note this list of ingredients was obtained online and may not be 100% correct.)

Allergen-related information: May contain almonds. I gratefully received these discs without packaging (They were part of a larger package that had this information that I did not see.)

Mamma Chia - Dark Chocolate Chia Pudding - June 12, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Mamma Chia
Dark Chocolate Chia Pudding
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1/3 cup (49 g.) / 5.3 oz. (150 g.) in total package
Calories: 240 calories in 1/3 cup (dry serving); approx. 1/3 package
Cost: Missing information (Online prices range from $5.99 to $8.99)
Purchased from: Missing information

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate and Mexico Week. 

Today's Dark Chocolate Chia* Pudding from Mamma Chia (Carlsbad, CA) wasn't made in Mexico, although the company is located in the San Diego area, very near the U.S.-Mexico border.

I'm including this chocolate item in a Mexico themed week because chia seeds originated in Mexico (and Guatemala) and have become relatively popular in the U.S.**

Aroma notes for this organic, easy-to-prepare (just add water/milk) chocolate chia pudding included: cocoa powder, coconut, and very faint grain/seed.

The texture was smooth, and relatively creamy (coconut cream), with tiny bits of crunchy chia seeds surrounded by a gel-like substance.

The directions to make this pudding called for adding water, whisking and waiting -- about 90 minutes. (I waited for 2+ hours before eating.) Although letting this pudding sit overnight in the fridge might yield even smoother results.

Flavor notes included: coconut cream, cocoa powder, chia seeds and very faint oats.

Ingredients: Organic Chia Seeds, Organic Coconut Cream, Organic Oat, Organic Cocoa Powder, Organic Tapioca Maltodextrin, Organic Tapioca Starch, Organic Natural Flavor, Organic Guar Gum, Organic Monk Fruit, Sea Salt.

Allergen-related information: Contains Coconut. 

*Chia seeds (Salvia hispanica) are part of the mint family. Nutritional properties of note in 1 serving: 6 grams of plant protein; 5 grams of ALA Omega-3 fatty acids; and 10 grams of prebiotic fiber. They are best eaten/digested after being soaked for at least a few hours (or overnight).

**Both Maya and Aztec peoples ate chia seeds. They were/are also sometimes ground into a flour. They started to become more popular in the U.S. in the early 2000s, and today you'll find them in crackers, beverages and desserts. The word "chia" means strength in the Maya language; and these seeds were used for energy and stamina by warriors and those traveling longer distances.