jcoco - 72% Peruvian Dark with Cacao Nibs (bar) - Jan. 30, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Seattle Chocolate Company
jcoco - 72% Peruvian Dark with Cacao Nibs 
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total package of 3 bars
Calories: 155 (estimate) calories in 1 small bar
Cost: $9.99 for 1 package of 3 smaller bars
Purchased from: Seattle Chocolate, online order 

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate and Cacao Nibs, and Day #1 of Chocolate and Peru Theme Week.

Today's jcoco 72% Peruvian Dark with Cacao Nibs (bar) was from Seattle Chocolate Company, Inc. (Seattle, WA) and was one of three identical, individually-wrapped bars contained in a larger package. The packaging was attractively pink, and having these smaller bars made it easier to share this chocolate with others.

The Rupa-Rupa cacao used to make this bar was from a tropical, high mountains/"high jungle" area in Peru. (The Rupa-Rupa district is located in the (Upper) Amazon River basin, east of the Andes mountains.)

Aroma notes for this chocolate included: sweet dark chocolate, and very faint fruit (sweet lime), very fleeting hot cereal (cream of rice), and roasted nut notes.

Texture: This well-tempered bar broke with a hard snap. The texture was creamy smooth (base chocolate) and very crunchy (roasted cacao nibs including some very hard, well-roasted pieces).

Flavor notes included: almost earthy (not quite charcoal-roasted) sweet dark chocolate with heavily roasted, very crunchy cacao nibs; fleeting, very faint sweet tropical fruit (lime, pineapple); faint roasted nut; and a very faint aromatic, almost perfume-y, floral note in the nibs before the roasted nut" flavor kicked in. The roast for the cacao used to make this chocolate was listed as "medium"; however the nibs had such a hard crunch that it tasted like they were roasted for a longer time. 

This was an interesting chocolate, made with ingredients from a remote, mountainous area of tropical Peru. It was flavorful and smooth (and very crunchy) all at the same time. I enjoyed experiencing the complexity in this chocolate.

The finish was light, lingering and clean. 

Ingredients: 72% cacao dark chocolate (cracked cacao beans, cane sugar, cocoa butter, sunflower lecithin), roasted cacao nibs.

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

*Maker's notes: "fermentation: 6 days; drying 6 days; roast: medium"

Ginger Elizabeth Chocolates - Cocoa Nib Brittle - Sea Salt (bar) - Jan. 29, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Ginger Elizabeth Chocolates
Cocoa Nib Brittle - Sea Salt (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 2.6 oz. (75 g.) (per label) in total bar
Calories: 403 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $7.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: FarmFresh, online order

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate and Cacao Nibs Theme Week. 

Today's Cocoa Nib Brittle (with) Sea Salt (bar) was from Ginger Elizabeth Chocolates, Inc. (Sacramento, CA).

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate (ultra-dark/roasted brownie) with faint, fleeting black pepper and very faint roasted mocha brownie notes.

Texture: well-tempered chocolate with a well-executed satisfying crunch (well-distributed pieces of nib brittle surrounded by smooth dark chocolate. (Both nibs and dark couverture chocolate were from Valrhona.)

This 69% bar tasted more like a 75% dark chocolate (in part due to the inclusion of the cocoa nibs). This will really please dark fans. The dark chocolate flavors were very appealing, and well integrated. The nib brittle and overall balance were excellent.  

What I liked about this bar: 1.) satisfying, well-executed dark chocolate with nib brittle that wasn't too sweet; 2.) rich, authentic cacao flavor(s) with great texture, accented with just the right amount of brittle (light toffee) and sea salt--making it slightly addicting; 3.) a talented chocolatier who created a great product using high-quality chocolate and nibs.

Ingredients: Bittersweet Chocolate (Cocoa Beans from Madagascar, Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Soya Lecithin, Natural Vanilla Extract), Cocoa Paste (100% Cocoa Beans from Madagascar), Cane Sugar, Glucose, Roasted Cocoa Beans, Butter, Fleur de Sel Salt, Baking Soda, Vanilla Extract.

Allergen-related information: This product contains milk and soybeans. This product may contain traces of wheat, eggs, peanuts and tree nuts.

Gnosis Chocolate - "Eighty Nibs" Limited Edition 80% Dark Raw Chocolate w/ Raw Cacao Nibs (bar) - Jan. 28, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Gnosis Chocolate
"Eighty Nibs" 80% Dark Raw Chocolate w/ Raw Cacao Nibs (Madagascar) (bar)
Good ++
Weight: .9 oz. (25 g.) / 1.8 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 139 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $10.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Gnosis Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #4 of Cacao Nibs Theme Week. 

Today's "Eighty Nibs" Limited Edition 80% Dark Raw Chocolate with Raw Cacao Nibs (Madagascar) bar was from Gnosis Chocolate (NYC, NY). The company worked with Francois Pralus (chocolaterie in France) to obtain the only raw cacao nibs available from Madagascar.

Aroma notes included: dark smooth chocolate with very faint dried fruit, light brown sugar, and fleeting smooth aromatic tobacco and sweet green.

Texture: a pleasing blend of creamy and crunchy 

Flavor notes included: smooth dark chocolate (chocolate-y, ultra dark fudge brownie) that was relatively mellow (low in acidity and bitterness) for an 80% dark chocolate + cacao nibs--with some of the same nuanced notes as the aroma notes mentioned above. 

Raw chocolate can taste more mellow (less roasted) and less processed--because it is. Some more volatile notes (e.g. easily lost with heat) and some nutrients may be better preserved using raw cacao. 

That said, raw chocolate is the exception in chocolate sales. Some prefer roasting and roasted flavors. Roasting and processing times can vary tremendously in chocolate making; and a maker's choices will depend on a number of factors, including the cacao source, variety, fermentation results, flavors (present and potential/possible), etc. 

What I liked about this bar: 1.) smooth, ultra-dark rich flavor; 2.) thoughtfully made raw chocolate; and 3.) well-balanced blend of cacao flavors and textures.

Ingredients: "80% raw chocolate* (raw cacao beans*, coconut sugar*), raw cacao nibs, Love. *organic"

Allergen-related information: (None found on label.)

Manoa Chocolate - Cacao Nibs - Jan. 27, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Manoa Chocolate
Cacao Nibs
Good ++
Weight: .35 oz. (10 g.) / 8 oz. (226.8 g.) in total package
Calories: 63.3 calories in 1 TB (10 g.) serving
Cost: $9.99 for 1 package
Purchased from: Caputo's, online order

Aloha. Welcome to the last day (#27) of Chocolate and Hawaii Week, and Day #1 of Cacao Nibs Theme Week.

This package of roasted cacao nibs ("Direct Trade; Grade A Cacao") were from Manoa Chocolate (Kailua, HI). Manoa, a bean-to-bar maker, created these nibs from cacao beans grown in Ecuador. 

Cacao nibs represent an important step in chocolate making. Cacao beans become cacao nibs and, after many more steps, nibs become chocolate. 

However, nibs are also tasty by themselves; baked into brownies; ground into milkshakes and smoothies; soaked in whiskey (or spirit of your choice); and/or folded into ice cream or cookies for a decadent dessert option. (Manoa also suggests including these nibs in oatmeal, yogurt, salads, cereals, pastas and baked goods.)

Aroma notes for today's nibs included: cacao (dark chocolate with slightly acidic earth (forest loam),woody and woodsy, chocolate-y, and a trace of brownie at the end.

These roasted cacao nibs had a pleasing, uniform roast and crunchy texture. There were no "off" notes.

Flavor notes included: deep dark chocolate-y flavor with no sweeteners and plenty of cacao flavors including the slightly woodsy notes mentioned above, and faint sweet, green nut (young walnuts).

Ingredients: Cacao Nibs (Ecuador) 

Allergen-related information: "Our facility processes milk and nuts." 

Lonohana Estate Chocolate - 67% Dark with Nibs and Sea Salt (bar) - Jan. 26, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Lonohana Estate Chocolate
67% Dark with Nibs & Sea Salt (bar)
Very Good 
Weight: 1.15 oz. (32.5 g.) / 2.3 oz. (65 g.) in total bar
Calories: 178 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: Part of a $45.00 USD Island Flavors bundle (four different bars)
Purchased from: Lonohana website, online order

Aloha; and welcome to Day #26 of Chocolate and Hawaii Theme Week(s).

Today's 67% Dark with Nibs & Sea Salt (bar) was made by Lonohana Estate Chocolate, LLC (Honolulu, HI). 

Aroma notes included: rich, dark and seductive single origin chocolate (ultra dark chocolate brownie cookie and sweet green botanical aspects (cane syrup, green fig, rainforest with a waterfall, sweet green nut)), and very faint fleeting mocha.

Texture: This was a very well-executed blend of opposites: smooth and crunchy, sweet and salty, and smooth yet divinely intense.

The cacao nibs on the back side were uniform, and relatively small in size ensuring a pleasurable and delicious crunchy chocolate experience (with zero "off" flavors or funky nibs). The salt was also perfectly deployed, allowing for small, very gentle waves of sea salt. (It brought back memories of an ocean swim in Hawaii.)

The base chocolate had a smooth, uniform melt and texture, with a fleeting, very mild, very well balanced cacao bean/nib flavor (very delicate cacao bitter/nutty astringency) in the finish. 

Flavor notes included: delicious, well-executed, full cacao (nibs and chocolate) tasting experience in one bar, with some green, botanical notes (mentioned in aroma notes, above). High-quality, perfectly balanced flavors, in harmonious gentle flux.

Lonohana maker's description:

"From the fertile soils of the Big Island, the cacao for this bar grows a full three degrees further south towards the equator than our estate on Oahu. The soil and weather differences between the two islands give each their own unique characteristics. We sprinkle Alaea sea salt from Moloka'i and gently roasted chopped cacao nibs on the back of our 67% dark chocolate. It is a crunchy, salty, creamy and perfectly instense chocolate bar."

What I loved about this bar: 1.) rich dark chocolate and cocoa nib flavors and maker's roast (gently roasted nibs) and other choices; 2.) well executed crunchy nib size, taste and texture; 3.) perfect amount of sea salt that harmonized perfectly with the chocolate and make this bar slightly addicting; and 4.) the overwhelming joy and "transportation" (to an island rainforest/cacao plantation) that only a few of the very best (single origin) chocolates provide.

Ingredients: "Big Island cacao, organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter, Moloka'i Alaea sea salt (and) roasted cocoa nibs"

Allergen-related information: "Soy and gluten free. Made in a peanut-free environment by Lonohana Estate Chocolate, LLC...") 

Puna Chocolate Company - Kona Coffee and Puna Nibs 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) - Jan. 25, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Puna Chocolate Company
Kona Coffee and Puna Nibs 70% Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 1.23 oz. (35 g.) in total bar
Calories: 137 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $5.95 total bar + shipping
Purchased from: Puna Chocolate, online order

Aloha! Welcome to Day #25 of Chocolate and Hawaii Theme Week(s), and Day #1 of Chocolate and Cocoa Nibs Theme Week.

Today's Kona Coffee and Puna Nibs 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) was made by Puna Chocolate Company (Kailua-Kona, Big Island, HI). The company incorporates Hawaii-grown coffee and cacao into their bars and beverages. 

Aroma notes included: rich dark chocolate and roasted coffee. 

Texture: smooth chocolate and crunchy nibs texture. 

Flavor notes included: rich, hearty dark chocolate and cocoa nibs with medium (tropical fruit) acidity; and smooth Kona coffee; roasted almost nutty flavors (from nibs, and possibly coffee). 

Cacao and coffee make for a bold, often delicious partnership. 

Often the coffee is more acidic and overwhelms what are more muted cacao flavor notes. Today's chosen blend of relatively balanced bold and complex chocolate (with medium fruit acidity) and relatively smooth Kona coffee, was enjoyable, and teetered on the reverse effect, i.e. the bolder/more acidic cacao interacted with/seemed to dominate the smoother coffee.

What I liked about this bar: 1.) the thoughtful blend of Hawaii chocolate (and 100% Puna nibs) and Kona coffee; 2.) interesting, complex flavors present (that come with fresh, local and/or less processed ingredients; and 3.) the active balance achieved between two very flavor-full ingredients.

Ingredients: Hawaiian Cacao Beans, Organic Cane Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Hawaiian Cacao Nibs, Kona Coffee

Allergen-related information:  Manufactured in a facility that also processes milk, peanuts, tree nuts

Puna Chocolate Company - Hamakua 70% Dark Chocolate, Single District (bar) - Jan. 24, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Puna Chocolate Company
Hamakua 70% Dark Chocolate, Single District (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 160 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $12.50 total bar + shipping
Purchased from: Puna Chocolate, online order

Aloha, and welcome to Day #24 of Chocolate and Hawaii Theme Week(s).

Today's Hamakua Kona Regional 70% Kona Chocolate (bar) was crafted by the makers at Puna Chocolate Company (Kailua-Kona, HI).

Aroma notes included: balanced, complex, rich dark chocolate with brownie, faint fruit (diffuse tropical - sweet tangerine, pineapple, cacao fruit) and and very faint, fleeting vegetable (sweet potato).

The melt was uniform and smooth with a slightly creamy finish. There were no flavor inclusions in this two-ingredient, single region (Hamakua, Big Island, HI) dark chocolate bar to add texture(s).

Flavor notes included: rich dark chocolate (hearty dark chocolate ganache, brownie; faint, balanced, fleeting earth; medium, balanced acidity (diffuse fruit (sweet tangerine, pineapple, cacao fruit; fruit punch); and very faint vegetable (candied yam, sweet potato).

What I liked about this bar: 1.) balanced, hearty dark chocolate flavors including possible traces of tropical/cacao fruit*; and 2.) tasting dark chocolate from different cacao growing districts/regions on the Big Island of Hawaii from this maker. (Seeing online that a visit Puna Chocolate (store, tour) might be possible in the future.)

Ingredients: Hawaiian Cacao, Organic Sugar 

Allergen-related information: Prepared in a facility that handles milk, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, and wheat

Puna Chocolate Company - Captain Cook Kona Regional 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) - Jan. 23, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Puna Chocolate Company
Captain Cook Kona Regional 70% Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good +++
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 160 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $12.50 total bar + shipping
Purchased from: Puna Chocolate, online order

Aloha. Welcome to Day #23 of Chocolate and Hawaii Theme Week(s).

Today's Captain Cook Kona Regional 70% Kona Chocolate (bar) was crafted by the makers at Puna Chocolate Company (Kailua-Kona, HI).

Complex and somehow uniquely Hawaiian, the aroma notes for this single district, Big Island 70% bar included: rich, chocolate-y dark chocolate (dark chocolate brownie/torte with very faint, balanced earth, faint fruit (pineapple), very faint sweet botanical (sweet green (sweet tea, banana), very faint floral), and very faint brown sugar and coffee. 

Texture: enjoyable smooth, creamy, fudgey melt and texture with a few almost undetectable, very tiny (presumably cacao or sugar) particles toward the finish of one bite.

What I liked about this bar:  1.) complex, transporting Big Island aroma notes; 2.) dark brownie chocolate-y cacao aroma, texture and flavor carried through to the finished chocolate; 3.) 

Flavor notes included: rich, dark chocolate brownie, and very faint fruit (sweet citrus, pineapple) 

What I liked about this bar:  1.) complex, transporting Big Island aroma notes; 2.) dark brownie chocolate-y cacao aroma, texture and flavor from start-to-finish; 3.) maker choices made for this bar; 4.) Hawaiian Regional Chocolate map printed on the packaging (back side).

Ingredients: Hawaiian Cacao, Organic Sugar

Allergen-related information: Prepared in a facility that handles milk, soy, peanuts

 

Puna Chocolate Company - Cashew and Sea Salt 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) - Jan. 22, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Puna Chocolate Company
Cashew and Sea Salt 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) 
Good ++ - Good +++ 
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) in total bar
Calories: 170 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $5.95 for 1 bar + shipping
Purchased from Puna Chocolate, online order

Aloha, welcome to Day #22 of Chocolate and Hawaii Theme Week(s). 

Today's Cashew and Sea Salt 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) was from Puna Chocolate Company (Kailua-Kona, HI). The family-owned company uses Hawaiian chocolate and coffee to craft their bars and beverages.

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate (brownie with balanced, very faint earth, bread/salted cracker, green and oxalis); and gentle sweet nut (cashew).

Texture: hearty dark chocolate and softly crunchy cashew pieces

Flavor notes included: rich chocolate-y flavor (dark brownie) and salted cashew nut pieces. 

What I liked about this bar: 1.) the choice of this particular Hawaiian cacao/dark chocolate; 2.) the delicious, rich (slightly addicting) blend of dark chocolate and salted cashews; and 3.) the fact that this bar was not overly sweet.

Ingredients: Hawaiian Cacao Beans, Organic Cane Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Roasted Cashews, Alaea Hawaiian Sea Salt

Allergen-related information: Contains cashews. "Manufactured in a Facility That Also Processes Milk, Peanuts, Tree Nuts"  

Puna Chocolate Company - Honey Wine Berry 70% Dark Chocolate Bar - Jan. 21, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Puna Chocolate Company
Honey Wine Berry 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) 
Good ++ 
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) in total bar
Calories: 170 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $5.95 for 1 bar + shipping
Purchased from Puna Chocolate, online order

Aloha, and welcome to Day #21 of Chocolate and Hawaii Theme Week(s). 

Today's Honey Wine Berry 70% Dark Chocolate Bar was created by Puna Chocolate Company (Kailua-Kona, HI). The company uses Hawaiian chocolate and coffee to craft their bars and beverages.

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate; and sweet berry jam (red raspberry, strawberry and light goji berry).

Texture: well-tempered dark chocolate broke with a snap; red raspberry pieces (including tiny crunchy seeds) added texture as well as bright fruit flavor. There was a slight fruit/wine astringency in the finish.

Flavor notes included: relatively bold, but smooth, dark chocolate; fruity (red wine grape); tart sweet red raspberry fruit jam; and brief flickers of red grape juice and red floral (hibiscus tea with honey). I did not detect any residual alcohol from the wine. 

What I liked about this bar: the blend of satisfying, authentic and harmonious Hawaiian chocolate, fruit and wine flavors; bold but balanced, tart sweet berry and dark earthy fudge brownie flavors.

Maker's Tasting Notes/Description: "...berries are soaked and marinated in the legendary Volcano Winery's fine wine and then dried and pressed into rich Puna-grown Chocolate..." (Hawaii Wine and Chocolate.)..."Together at last!"

Ingredients: Hawaiian Cacao Beans, Organic Cane Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Raspberries, Honey, "Red Wine. Wine Alcohol and Sulfates...Removed by Evaporation."

Allergen-related information:  Manufactured in a Facility That Also Processes Milk, Peanuts, Tree Nuts

Puna Chocolate Company - Horchata 50% Rich Milk Chocolate Bar - Jan. 20, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Puna Chocolate Company
Horchata 50% Rich Milk Chocolate Bar 
Good + - Good ++  
Weight: .53 oz. (15 g.) / 1.06 oz. (30 g.) total bar
Calories: 80 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $5.95 for 1 bar + shipping
Purchased from Puna Chocolate, online order

Aloha, and welcome to Day #20 of Chocolate and Hawaii Theme Week(s). 

Today's Horchata 50% Rich Milk Chocolate Bar was from Puna Chocolate Company (Kailua-Kona, HI). The family-owned company uses Hawaiian chocolate and coffee to craft their bars and beverages.

The packaging of this bar was adorned with a Hawaiian-Latin fusion style tiki head (statue) wearing a dark, embroidered, sombrero, tilted at a rakish angle--a doff of the hat to horchata's interesting heritage.*

Aroma notes included: sweet chocolate, sweet warm spices (cinnamon, vanilla), and sweet rice cereal.

Texture: crunchy crisp rice added texture to the smooth, rich creamy milk chocolate.

Flavor notes included: sweet (and as promised rich) milk chocolate, enhanced with sweet, warm spices (vanilla, cinnamon).

I'm a dark chocolate fan; and this was too sweet for me. Other Puna Chocolate bars I've sampled this week have had really delightful chocolate brownie notes. (I could not taste the cacao in this bar.) However, this 50% bar will likely appeal to those who enjoy sweeter chocolates. 

Ingredients: Whole Hawaiian Cacao Beans, Milk, Cane Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Rice, Ceylon Cinnamon, Vanilla 

Allergen-related information: Contains Milk. "Manufactured in a Facility That Also Processes Peanuts, Tree Nuts" 

*Horchata is a popular, rice-based, spiced (vanilla, cinnamon) sweet beverage, typically made with soaked white rice and water (rice "milk")--found in Mexican restaurants or Hispanic markets here in California where I live. 

But, horchata's history and evolution go far beyond this. 

Wild rice plants were domesticated independently in Asia (China) and Africa (e.g. Oryza glaberrima). The first inhabitants of the Americas also cultivated wild rice.

Horchata's European origins likely trace back to North Africa with a "nut" (e.g. chufa) or rice-milk based beverage more than 1,000 years ago. 

The Moors brought it to Spain. The Spanish later brought Horchata to Mexico and Latin America. And while Spanish galleon ships from Mexico passed near Hawaii on their way to/from the Philippines in as early as the 1500s, Horchata appeared on Hawaiian menus much later (likely via Mexico, the Philippines and California.

No surprise, there are Asian versions of horchata and possible fore-runners to horchata as well. Similar rice-based beverages have been enjoyed in Asia (hing-jin-te in Taiwan, khao mak-style drinks in Thailand, and xingrencha and laozao in China). 

And, bringing things full circle, there are horchata boba milk tea flavor(s) (sometimes with ube root or almond milk) now popular in SE Asia and California.

Puna Chocolate Company - Rose Cardamom Pistachio (bar) - Jan. 19, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Puna Chocolate Company
Rose Cardamom Pistachio 70% Dark Chocolate Bar 
Good ++ 
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) total bar
Calories: 180 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $5.95 for 1 bar + shipping
Purchased from Puna Chocolate, online order

Aloha, and welcome to Day #19 of Chocolate and Hawaii Theme Week(s). 

Today's Rose Cardamom Pistachio 70% Dark Chocolate Bar was from Puna Chocolate Company (Kailua-Kona, HI). The family-owned company uses Hawaiian chocolate and coffee to craft their bars and beverages.

Aroma notes included: nut (pistachio), floral (red rose), faint strawberry jam cookie, and subtle chocolate (chocolate torte). 

The well-tempered dark chocolate broke with a snap and had a smooth dark texture. The green pistachio bits and magenta rose petals on the back side created a very pretty field of (chocolate) dreams; and the nut bits added light crunchy texture.  

Flavor notes included: rich dark chocolate (chocolate torte, brownie) and light warm spice (cardamom), followed by light pistachio nut. The rose petal flavor was fleeting and very subtle.

Ingredients: Whole Hawaiian Cacao Beans, Cane Sugar, Pistachio, Rose Petals, Ground Cardamom 

Allergen-related information: Contains Pistachios. Manufactured in a facility that also processes milk, peanuts, tree nuts

Puna Chocolate Company - Seasonal Peppermint Paradise Dark (bar) - Jan. 18, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Puna Chocolate Company
(Seasonal) Peppermint Paradise 70% Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.12 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 170 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $10.95 for 1 bar + shipping
Purchased from Puna Chocolate, online order

Aloha, and welcome to Day #18 of Chocolate and Hawaii Theme Week(s). 

Today's Seasonal Peppermint Paradise Dark Chocolate (bar) was from Puna Chocolate Company (Kailua-Kona, HI), a family-owned, tree-to-bar company on the Big Island.

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate (dark chocolate-y brownie) and balanced, authentic peppermint (oil).

Smooth texture and melt interlaced with small flecks of crushed peppermint candy cane(s) on one side.

Flavor notes included: rich dark chocolate (rich fudge brownie, very faint, balanced earth) and peppermint.

What I liked about this bar: 1.) single origin Hawaii cacao and chocolate story; 2.) choice of a rich, dark 70% chocolate for this bar that was smoother (less acidic) than expected, and had dark brownie-like flavor; 3.) peppermint that added authentic tasting sweet mint uplift, but didn't overwhelm the chocolate; and 4.) illustration of the nene (Hawaiian goose) on the outer packaging.

Ingredients: Hawaiian cacao beans, organic cane sugar, peppermint

Allergen-related information: Manufactured in a facility that also processes milk, peanuts, tree nuts

Hawiian Wildflower Honey Dessert #4 - Mango, Pineapple, Salted Mac Nuts & Pretzel Chocolate - Jan. 17, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Hawaiian Wildflower Honey Dessert #4
Mango, Pineapple, Mac Nuts, pretzel chocolate & Hawaii honey

Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker
"Breaks" Gluten Free Pretzel + Sea Salt Bark 
Good ++
Weight: 1.2 oz. (34 g.) / 4.5 oz. (128 g.) in total package
Calories: 170 calories (275 calories with other ingredients in this dessert)
Cost: $ N/A - many sources
Purchased from: N/A - many sources

Aloha and welcome to Day #17 of Chocolate and Hawaii Theme Week(s). 

This entry represents the fourth in a series of 2 oz. chocolate desserts using Hawaiian Wildflower Honey and other Hawaii-related ingredients. The goal: fit big island flavors into a tiny, layered dessert.

Today's small dessert was made with five Hawaii-inspired items: 1.) fresh mango slices, 2.) fresh pineapple pieces; 3.) salted macadamia nuts; 4.) Scharffen Berger "Breaks" Gluten Free Pretzel + Sea Salt Bark (43% cocoa oat milk chocolate); and 5.) Hawaiian Wildflower Honey from Chico Honey* (Chico, CA). 

Results: All together, the flavors for today's blend were a little too big for each other. They each wanted their own spotlight. However, eaten sequentially (as items on a snack plate), they were a nice tribute to Hawaii vacation memories. Below is more on the chocolate.

 Scharffen Berger -"Breaks" Gluten Free Pretzel + Sea Salt Bark

These Gluten Free Pretzel + Sea Salt Bark 43% Cocoa oat milk dark chocolate pieces were manufactured by Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker (Ashland, OR).

Aroma notes included: chocolate, faint oat and honey graham cracker.

Texture: well-tempered, crunchy thin pieces of chocolate were studded with crunchy salted pretzel bits.

Flavor notes included: sweet, relatively mellow, dark chocolate; brown/coconut sugar; salty pretzel bits; oat cracker/cookie and faint oat straw.

What's the tie to Hawaii? These mildly addictive, gluten-free, pretzel chocolate bark pieces reminded me of a visit to a pretzel "shack" during a Hawaii vacation years ago. And they provided crunchy texture and salt--that helped balance the sweetness in the fruits, oat milk chocolate and honey.

Ingredients: Cacao Beans, Oat Powder (Oat Flour), Coconut Sugar, Pretzels (Cassava Flour, Potato Starch, Palm Oil, Tapioca Starch, Faba Bean Protein, Starch Syrup [Corn, Brown Rice, and/or Tapioca], Salt, Milled Flax, Sunflower Lecithin), Cocoa Butter, Sea Salt, Sunflower Lecithin, Vanilla Bean. 

Allergen-related information: Contains Coconut. Processed in a Facility that Processes Tree Nuts and Dairy.

*Chico Honey sources honey from their own hives in California, Hawaii and Montana.   

Hawaiian Wildflower Honey Dessert #3 - Papaya, Banana, Mac Nuts, Blood Orange Dark Chocolate - Jan. 16, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Hawaiian Wildflower Honey Dessert #3
Papaya, Banana, Salted Mac Nuts + Ghirardelli Blood Orange Chocolate dessert
Good ++
Weight: 2 oz. (56.6 g.) in total dessert 
Calories: 250 calories (estimate)
Cost: $ N/A - many sources
Purchased from: N/A - many sources

Aloha and welcome to Day #16 of Chocolate and Hawaii Theme Week(s). 

This is the third in a series of small chocolate desserts using Hawaiian wildflower honey and other Hawaii-themed ingredients. The goal of this series: construct and enjoy a series* of tiny blend of beautiful, layered island/tropical flavors in January.

Today's small dessert contained Hawaii papaya, banana, salted macadamia nuts--and 1 square of Blood Orange Dark Chocolate from Ghirardelli Chocolate Company (San Leandro, CA). 

This fruit and chocolate tropical treat was topped with salted macadamia nuts and drizzled with delicious Hawaiian Wildflower Honey from Chico Honey (Chico, CA).** 

The pure tropical fruit, wildflower honey and nut flavors were unadulterated, authentic and refreshing. The sea salted macadamia nut pieces added some additional texture and the salt helped balance the sweetness.

In what was certainly an unfair comparison, the Blood Orange Dark Chocolate was fairly uniform, dense (dark roast, Forastero-like variety cacao), almost flat in flavor, when tasted with fresh and flavorful whole fruit and honey, and nuts. 

There was little bright fruit/flavor, and no green or other complex aroma or flavor notes--beyond what one would expect from a reasonably priced, bulk dark chocolate bar with natural flavors and a bit of vanilla. Not bad, and interesting to try. But, it suffered when compared to the single origin Hawaii chocolates tasted so far this month.

Ingredients: Blood Orange Dark Chocolate: Cane sugar, unsweetened chocolate, cocoa butter, milk fat, rice syrup, blood orange bits, orange peel, natural flavor, coconut oil, soy lecithin, citric acid, vanilla extract, annatto (color), beet juice (color).

Allergen-related information: Contains soy. May contain milk and tree nuts.

* This week's 6-day Hawaiian Honey series was designed to perk up cold and gray winter days, and falls in the middle of a Chocolate and Hawaii Theme Week(s) -- a "week" that grew until it devoured the month of January. Chocolate virtual travel has a way of doing that, especially if that v-travel is to Hawaii.

**The company sources honey from their own hives in California, Hawaii and Montana. 

Hawaiian Wildflower Honey Dessert #2 - Macadamia, Sea Salt, Ginger Dark Chocolate - Jan. 15, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Hawaiian Wildflower Honey Dessert #2
Macadamia, Sea Salt, Ginger, Dark Chocolate dessert
Good +++
Weight: 2 oz. (56.6 g.) in total dessert 
Calories: 240 calories (estimate)
Cost: $ N/A - many sources
Purchased from: N/A - many sources

Aloha and welcome to Day #15 of Chocolate and Hawaii Theme Week(s). This is the second in a series of 2 oz. chocolate desserts using at least one ingredient from Hawaii.

Today's Macadamia, Sea Salt, Ginger Dark Chocolate small dessert was made with Kona and Ginger chocolates, Hawaiian Macadamia Nuts with sea salt, and Hawaiian Wildflower Honey from Chico Honey* (Chico, CA). 

Pieces of Kona-grown cacao dark chocolate and Ginger dark chocolate were covered with chopped whole, sea salted macadamia nuts) -- and drizzled with amber-colored Hawaiian Wildflower Honey. 

These four ingredients were full of complementary flavors. Two ounces of pure chocolate decadence--the goal of this small dessert series.

The Big Island chocolate had sweet green and rich dark chocolate notes; the ginger spice chocolate had dark chocolate spicy gingerbread notes, the mac nuts provided salty, softly crunchy, buttery nut texture, and the honey was rich and satisfying with far more flavor depth than most sweet toppings/sauces.

*The company sources honey from their own hives in California, Hawaii and Montana.

 

Hawaiian Wildflower Honey Chocolate Dessert Series - #1 - 80% Dark, Coconut, Sweet Lemon, Mangosteen - Jan. 14, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Hawaiian Wildflower Honey Chocolate Dessert #1
80% Dark Chocolate, Sweet Lemon, Mangosteen
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 2 oz. (56.6 g.) in total small dessert
Calories: 245 calories (estimate) for 1 dessert
Cost: N/A - many sources
Purchased from: N/A - multiple sources

Welcome to Day #14 of Chocolate and Hawaii Theme Week--into which I'm inserting a series of small (homemade) chocolate desserts floating in Hawaiian Wildflower Honey.*

Today's Hawaii Honey dessert #1: An 80% dark chocolate square with toasted coconut was set in a small pool of Hawaii Honey flavored with sweet lemon (Citrus limetta) rind and mangosteen** fruit (freeze-dried powder).

The Hawaii honey and sweet lemon rind were particularly bright and wonderful flavors, and both complemented the 80% dark chocolate very nicely. The coconut flakes were very subtle, as was the mangosteen powder. (Bits of fresh mangosteen would have been more flavorful, but they're hard to find where I live.)

*In past years I created a series of small, "shot glass" chocolate desserts. Each of them was designed to have memorable, layered flavors and to fit into a (1.5 - 2 oz.) shot glass. 

This week's series highlights small desserts with big flavors, made with Hawaiian Wildflower Honey from Chico Honey (Chico, CA). The company sources honey from their hives in California, Hawaii and Montana. Chocolate and flavor inclusions were layered atop a tiny pool of this delicious Hawaiian honey.

**Mangosteen has been called the "Queen of Fruits." First cultivated in Southeast Asia, this purple hued small fruit with an ivory-colored center tastes like a blend of fruits: lychee, strawberry, peach, mango. Like cacao fruit pulp, it can evoke memories of other tropical fruits while still maintaining its own essence.

Manoa Chocolate - Hawaii Island Ninole 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) - Jan. 13, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Manoa Chocolate
Hawaii Island Ninole 70% Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++ 
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 180 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Manoa website, online order

Aloha, and welcome to Day #13 of Chocolate and Hawaii Theme Week.

Today's Hawaii Island Ninole 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) was made by Manoa Chocolate (Kailua, HI).

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate with intriguing, dark chocolate; sweet green (green figs and young walnuts in honey, oxalis, tree/cane syrup); very faint, light molasses/brown sugar; and pleasing, faint fruit-floral. 

This smooth-textured, almost creamy, dark chocolate was full of smooth, complex flavor, including: dark chocolate (satisfying chocolate-y dark ganache); sweet green (maple/tree sugar, honey, fresh botanical); and faint fruit (banana and young walnut bread with honey, fig and orange). It was relatively low in bitterness and acidity, especially considering the range of flavors here. (Sometimes fruit notes can be more acidic.)

I found this bar with so much natural sweetness a little addicting. The use of less processed, oganic cane sugar doesn't explain this complex sweetness. This chocolate also evoked fond memories of the sights and smells of tasting cacao and fruits close to where they were grown in Hawaii and in temperate rainforests in Latin America. 

And as I've mentioned many times before, I like chocolates that transport me back to cacao growing areas (plantations, forests and fermentation facilities). 

Well-made single origin chocolates are not overly processed and often preserve tasty traces of their unique and specific origins. Cacao variety (-ies) are considered in the processing, and are skillfully and carefully fermented, dried and roasted; and makers thoughtfully decide whether beans would benefit from a light roast or darker roast. (Coffee roasters do the same to come up with a different end product(s).)

Thank you to Manoa for making this intentional and delicious Hawaii single origin bar with balanced, complex flavors. 

Maker's description of Cacao

"The Hawiian cacao in this single origin chocolate bar comes from Ninole Cacao, located on the lush Hamakua Coast of Hawai'i Island. This seven acre orchard was established in 2019 and hosts about 2000 cacao trees. The first harvests began in the summer of 2022."

Ingredients: cacao, organic cane sugar, cocoa butter

Allergen-related information: Manufactured by Manoa Chocolate (Kailua, HI). Single Origin Vegan chocolate. "This facility also processes: milk, wheat, peanut, walnut, cashew, pecan, coconut, macadamia, hazelnut, pistachio, almond." "Single Origin Vegan Chocolate"

  

Kope Coffee 60% Dark Milk Chocolate (bar) - Jan. 12, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Manoa Chocolate
Kope Coffee 60% Dark Milk Chocolate (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 180 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Manoa website, online order

Aloha, and welcome to Day #10 of Chocolate and Hawaii Theme Week.

Today's 60% Dark Milk Chocolate (bar) was made by Manoa Chocolate (Kailua, HI). It was part of the small-batch chocolate maker's Flavors of Hawaii (bars) series. The packaging in this series included colorful island-themed illustrations* and Manoa bars this week were all adorned with an attractive patterned image.

Aroma notes included: smooth, rich mocha latte with coffee, rich dark chocolate (cocoa, drinking chocolate; sweet green botanical; very faint earth).

Today's flavorful dark chocolate was an enjoyable, smooth yet flavorful Hawaii mocha with rich, complex and balanced chocolate (chocolate-y hot cocoa, sweet green, fresh botanical; and gentle, fleeting earth). 

This bar offered all the well-executed flavors, without the harshness that can sometimes accompany coffee and/or cacao. (This was very low bitterness and acidity; and the judicious addition of milk helped mellow the taste a bit further.) Thank you to the maker for adding enough milk and sugar to be pleasant, but not so much that it muffled subtle flavors. Perfect.

Manoa description: 

"Coffee plantations first emerged in Hawai'i in the 1800s. From then the crop has thrived, with over 8,200 acres planted across the state. Here in Hawai'i more farms grow coffee than any other crop, and we are proud to be able to source locally grown coffee (kope) for this bar."

Maker-suggested beverage pairings - "Wine: Petite Sirah, Beer: Porters, Liquor: Coffee Liqueur"

Ingredients: cacao, organic cane sugar, organic whole milk powder, cocoa butter, Hawaiian coffee

Allergen-related information: Contains milk. Manufactured by Manoa in Kailua, HI. "This facility also processes milk, wheat, peanut, walnut, cashew, pecan, coconut, macadamia, hazelnut, almond pistachio"

*Artwork by Shar Tuiasoa, Punky Aloha (Kailua, Oahu)

  

Manoa Chocolate - Ko Hana Rum Chocolate Macadamias 75% Hawaii Cacao - Jan. 11, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Manoa Chocolate
Ko Hana Rum Chocolate Macadamias 75% Hawaii Cacao 
Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) / 6.7 oz. (189 g.) in total bar
Calories: 190 calories in 1 serving
Cost: $22.00 for 1 container
Purchased from: Manoa website, online order

Aloha, and welcome to Day #11 of Chocolate and Hawaii Theme Week.

Today's Ko Hana Rum Chocolate Macadamias 75% Hawaii Cacao were made in Hawaii by Manoa Chocolate (Kailua, HI). This small-batch maker offers a variety of chocolate bars made in Hawaii, and a few select confections.

Aroma notes: very subtle cocoa, dark chocolate and nut.

Flavor notes: a subtle, almost velvety dark chocolate coating (dusted with cocoa powder) covered softly crunchy macadamia nuts. There was a faint oak rum/whiskey barrel note in these chocolates, but it did not have an alcohol taste. (There was no detectable alcohol, just subtle flavor from having soaked nibs in rum.). These were coated with Hawai'i-made chocolate and lightly tumbled in cocoa powder.

These mac nuts had a sophisticated rich appearance and flavor; and the faint touch of rum made them even more grown up. The 75% dark chocolate will please dark fans; the mellow flavors make them approachable to all shades of chocolate lovers.

Manoa Maker's tasting notes/description 

Manoa used directly traded cacao, teamed up with local (O'ahu) rum distiller, Ko Hana Distillers, and "source(d) 100% Hawaiian grown macadamia nuts from Hawai'i Island's Kona Coast."  

Ko Hana soaked Manoa nibs in rum for one month. "The nibs are then dried and turned into chocolate that maintains the rum flavor with no alcohol present."  

Ingredients: rum dark chocolate (cacao infused with Ko Hana Rum, organic cane sugar, cocoa butter), dry roasted Hawaiian macadamia nuts, cocoa powder

Allergen-related information: Contains macadamia nuts. "Vegan. Gluten Free. Soy Free."

  

Manoa Chocolate - O'ahu Island Mililani 70% Dark (bar) - Jan. 10, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Manoa Chocolate
O'ahu Island Mililani 70% Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good +++ 
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 180 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Manoa website, online order

Aloha, and welcome to Day #10 of Chocolate and Hawaii Theme Week.

Today's O'ahu Island Mililani 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) was made by Manoa Chocolate (Kailua, HI).

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate with intriguing, balanced sweet-sour fruit, sweet green (fig, oxalis, tree/cane syrup), and pleasing fruity beer. The ferment notes diminished a bit after the sealed inner wrapper was opened for 30 minutes.

Is it possible for dark chocolate to be both smooth and flavorful? Yes, indeed it is. Think of some of the best Kona coffees--from the Big Island of Hawaii (bold, smooth, complex, and occasionally fruity).

Back to single origin cacao from O'ahu island...Today's flavorful dark chocolate was alive with fruit (bright, citrusy cacao fruit pulp); forest (sweet green, fresh botanical); and gentle earth (tropical fruit forest floor); and it also had smooth texture and attractive, complex (and overall smooth) flavor.

As I've noted before, I love chocolate transportation. And by that I mean that chocolates that transport me back to cacao growing areas (plantations, forests and fermentation facilities). Great chocolates pulsate with fine traces of their origins, due to a series of very fortunate events. Great cacaos are skillfully and carefully fermented, dried and roasted, and thoughtful chocolate making decisions are made.

Thank you to the maker for this Hawaii single origin bar - with balanced, complex flavors.

Manoa Maker's tasting notes/description 

"Mililani is located in central O'ahu. This diverse 97 acre farm hosts crops of breadfruit, banana, avocado, taro and 10 acres of cacao. Their first ever cacao harvest occurred in late 2019 as the trees turned 3 years old. The chocolate produced from this Mililani farm is some of the most bright and fruity chocolate we've ever made."

Maker-suggested beverage pairings - "Wine: Zinfandel, Beer: California IPA, Liquor: Irish Whiskey"

Ingredients: cacao, organic cane sugar, cocoa butter

Allergen-related information: Manufactured by Manoa Chocolate (Kailua, HI). "This facility also processes: milk, wheat, peanut, walnut, cashew, pecan, coconut, macadamia, hazelnut, pistachio, almond." Single origin; Vegan chocolate.

 

Lonohana Estate Chocolate - Hawaiian Coffee 50% (bar) - Jan. 9, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Lonohana Estate Chocolate
Hawaiian Coffee 50% Dark Milk (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.15 oz. (32.5 g.) / 2.3 oz. (65 g.) in total bar
Calories: 178 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: Part of a $45.00 USD Island Flavors bundle (four different bars)
Purchased from: Lonohana website, online order

Aloha; and welcome to Day #9 of Chocolate and Hawaii Theme Week.

Today's Hawaiian Coffee 50% Dark Milk (bar) was made by Lonohana Estate Chocolate, LLC (Honolulu, HI). It was cold and rainy in California; but this Hawaii island mocha blend brightened up today's January mood considerably.

Made with estate grown Hawaii cacao and Ka'u coffee--a specialty coffee grown in the Ka'u district of Hawaii's Big Island known for its smooth rich flavor, this 50% dark milk chocolate had a very pleasing aroma with freshly ground coffee, dark mocha latte, and coffee toffee notes.

The coffee in this well-tempered bar was fully ground into the chocolate, making for a smooth, uniform melt and texture, with a fleeting, very mild astringency in the finish. 

Flavor notes included: tasty and smooth, flavorful dark chocolate, dark mocha coffee and whole milk.

I would have been happy with even less sugar; but the 50% dark milk and coffee blend will please a wider audience. There was just enough milk and sugar to lower (what seemed to be already low levels of) bitterness and acidity, but not enough to overwhelm the underlying cacao and coffee flavors. 

Lonohana maker's description:

"This bar celebrates coffee grown in the rich volcanic soils of the Ka'u district on the Big Island of Hawai'i. We stone-grind coffee beans for several days into 50% dark milk chocolate to craft this delicious, rich, creamy and eye-opening bar."

"A gentle roast of the cacao beans ensures that our chocolate is a perfect accompaniment to the coffee from our favorite region in the islands..."

Ingredients: "Hawaii-grown cacao, organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter, organic whole milk powder and Ka'u coffee"

Allergen-related information: Contains milk. "Soy and gluten free. Made in a peanut-free environment by Lonohana Estate Chocolate, LLC...")

Lonohana Estate Chocolate - Orange and Vanilla 70% (bar) - Jan. 8, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Lonohana Estate Chocolate
Orange and Vanilla dark 70% (bar)
Good +++
Weight: 1.15 oz. (32.5 g.) / 2.3 oz. (65 g.) in total bar
Calories: 178 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: Part of $45.00 USD Island Flavors bundle (set of 4 different bars)
Purchased from: Lonohana website, online order

Aloha; and welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate and Hawaii Theme Week.

This Orange and Vanilla dark 70% (bar) was made by Lonohana Estate Chocolate, LLC (Honolulu, HI). 

Aroma notes included: smooth, rich dark chocolate; vanilla; orange; and faint butter.

This well-tempered dark bar had a smooth, creamy texture and melt. (I checked the package again to see if it contained milk. It did not. See maker's notes below.)

Flavor notes included: rich, smooth dark chocolate, authentic, sweet orange oil and warm, creamy vanilla.

I loved that the maker chose to make a 70% dark chocolate version (vs. a sweet milk chocolate) version of this flavor blend. 

Lonohana Maker's Notes                           

"This addictive 70% dark chocolate (combines) "floral island cacao and sweet orange essential oil....reminds us of good times eating a creamsicle* with friends, however there is no dairy!

The creaminess is a result of a gentle roast and careful, extended stone grinding."

Ingredients: Hawaii-grown cacao, organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter, and sweet orange oil.

Allergen-related information: Vegan. 

*A frozen orange juice/drink and vanilla ice cream treat on a stick said to be invented in 1905 in the U.S. by a young (11-year old) ice cream truck driver, Frank Epperson--who called it an epsicle. Versions of this popular frozen offering were later sold as popsicles and/or creamsicles. These brands are currently owned by Unilever.

 

Lonohana Estate Chocolate - Big Island Dark 73% (bar) - Jan. 7, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Lonohana Estate Chocolate
Big Island Dark 73% (bar)
Good ++ - +++
Weight: 1.15 oz. (32.5 g.) / 2.3 oz. (65 g.) in total bar
Calories: 178 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $16.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Lonohana website, online order

Aloha, and welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate and Hawaii Theme Week.

Today's Big Island Dark 73% (bar) was made by Lonohana Estate Chocolate, LLC (Honolulu, HI) using cacao grown on the Big Island of Hawai'i. (Cacao source: Hawaiian Crown, Hilo, Hawai'i).

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate (ultra-dark chocolate fudge brownie), faint fresh baked bread, and sweet green walnuts in honey syrup.* 

This well-tempered chocolate broke with a hard snap in a cool room. The texture was smooth with a gentle (balanced) tannic astringency.

Flavor notes included: dark chocolate (ultra-dark fudge walnut brownie), sweet green botanical and very faint red berry in the finish.

I liked the complexity and rich dark chocolate flavor(s) coaxed from just two ingredients.

Maker's tasting notes/description 

"At Lonohana we are dedicated to exploring the concept of terroir. How might different soils and climate influence the cacao and the resulting chocolate?

This 73% two-ingredient dark comes from meticulously farmed and fermented beans grown just outside of Hilo, a full three degrees from the equator than our estate (on O'ahu). The resulting chocolate has hints of brownie and raspberry, and just a touch more tannin than our estate-grown 73% dark."

Ingredients: Big Island cacao, organic cane sugar

Allergen-related information: "Soy and Gluten free. Made in a peanut-free environment. Vegan."

*In Southern Europe (e.g. Greece, Turkey, Romania, Armenia, Azerbaijan) and in a few U.S. locations, you can find young/green walnut preserves, aka young walnut jam. These walnuts (picked before they are ripe) can also be "pickled" in honey, and used to make liqueurs (e.g. Nocino in Italy). The sweet young nut products are surprisingly tasty. 

 

Lonohana Estate Chocolate - Kanahiku 70% Dark (bar) - Jan. 6, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Lonohana Estate Chocolate
Kanahiku 70% Dark (bar)
Good +++
Weight: 1.15 oz. (32.5 g.) / 2.3 oz. (65 g.) in total bar
Calories: 178 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $16.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Lonohana website, online order

Aloha, and welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate and Hawaii Theme Week.

This Hawaii Kanahiku 70% Dark (bar) was made by Lonohana Estate Chocolate, LLC (Honolulu, HI). (Kanahiku, Lonohana's signature 70% bar, is the Hawaiian word for seventy.)

Balanced and complex aroma and flavor notes for this included: rich, flavorful dark chocolate, sweet green, faint molasses, dried fruits (fig, date, berry), honey, and very faint (barely detectable) slightly over-ripe pineapple.

I really liked the authentic and rich, chocolate, fruit and botanical flavors and the long, complex and almost undulating fruity and sweet "green" finish that included (but was not limited to): very faint honey-banana, green tea, honey-ed tropical berry). All this from just two ingredients: cacao and sugar.

Savor this bar slowly to appreciate the chameleon-like fruit shimmers; and enjoy a bit of virtual travel to a Hawaiian cacao orchard that was transformed from a nutrient-depleted sugar plantation to a rich productive orchard almost 15 years ago.

Maker's tasting notes/description 

"This was the first bar we ever made at Lonohana, back in 2014, and it has only become more complex with the orchard's additional years of maturity."

"Our careful roast ensures that this chocolate holds its balance of flavors, with deep cocoa undertones and bright berry fruit, and an almost everlasting finish--a trademark of our beans from our cacao farm on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii." 

Ingredients: (Lonohana) Estate cacao and organic cane sugar

Allergen-related information: (Vegan) Made with just two ingredients (cacao and organic can sugar). No other information listed on wrapper.

*Senaca Klassen, Lonohana founder and chocolate maker, planted cacao trees in what had been"nutrient-deprived" soil (previously abandoned sugar cane land). He improved this soil into using regenerative agroforestry and sustainable farming practices. 

The cacao tree planting began back in 2009. After crafting chocolate from tree to bar, it must be gratifying to taste the fruits of one's labor over the years. Thank you!

Lonohana Estate Chocolate - Lucky 7 77% Dark (bar) - Jan. 5, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Lonohana Estate Chocolate
Lucky 7 77% Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good +++ - Very Good
Weight: 1.15 oz. (32.5 g.) / 2.3 oz. (65 g.) in total bar
Calories: 178 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $20 (+ shipping)
Purchased from: Lonohana website, online order

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

Today's Lucky 7 77% Dark Chocolate (bar) was made by Lonohana Estate Chocolate, LLC (Honolulu, HI) was made in Hawaii from Hawaii-grown cacao.

Aroma notes included: aromatic dark chocolate; molasses; faint fermented cacao fruit and sugar cane (sweet beer and sweet green cane/green fig cookie notes).

This well-tempered 77% dark bar broke with a satisfying hard snap in a cool room, and had a smooth texture.

My favorite chocolates offer a form of magical transportation. They're made with just one or two ingredients, and they have well-executed and complex flavor nuances. They transport me back to cacao growing regions, where cacao is being harvested, fermented and painstakingly converted into chocolate. They, dare I say it, restoreth my soul. Today's chocolate was one of those chocolates.

Flavor notes included: dark chocolate fudge brownie, sweet green, and very faint molasses and fermentated cacao fruit. These fresh and authentic flavors were well balanced, very compatible and delicious to me.

Ingredients: "Estate cacao and organic cane sugar"

Allergen-related information: "Soy and gluten free." "Made in a peanut-free environment by Lonohana Estate Chocolate, LLC..."

Lonahana Estate Chocolate - Hibiscus Dark Milk Chocolate (bar) - Jan. 4, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Lonohana Estate Chocolate
Hibiscus Dark Milk Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.15 oz. (32.5 g.) / 2.3 oz. (65 g.) in total bar
Calories: 178 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $ (Part of 4-bar $45.00 Island Flavors bundle)
Purchased from: Lonohana website, online order

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

Today's Hibiscus Dark Milk Chocolate (bar) was made by Lonohana Estate Chocolate, LLC (Honolulu, HI) from Hawaii-grown cacao and hibiscus.

Aroma notes included: dark milk chocolate and very light red fruit and floral (hibiscus).

This sweet, well-tempered 50% dark milk bar broke with a hard snap in a cool room. (Tempering can be harder to do with milk chocolate, so hats off to the maker); and it had a very creamy texture.

Flavor notes included: subtle, tart sweet hibiscus floral. The milk muted the hibiscus flavor a bit, but it was a pleasing addition and the soft tartness helped balance the sugar.

Lonohana founder, chocolate maker and farmer, Seneca Klassen, has continued to grow and source Hawaiian cacao and to bring both single Hawaii origin chocolate (and chocolate with Hawaiian flavors) to chocolate lovers around the globe. Today's bar was an homage to Hawaii-grown cacao and beautifully showy hibiscus* flowers.

Ingredients: "Hawaii-grown cacao, organic cane sugar, organic whole milk powder, organic cocoa butter and dried organic Hawaii-grown hibiscus flower"

Allergen-related information: Contains milk. "Produced in a peanut-free environment on equipment that also processes milk and tree nuts."

*The Hawaii-grown cacao and hibiscus in this dark milk chocolate are both part of the mallow (Malvaceae) plant family. 

Origins: The hibiscus (Hawaii's State Flower) may have spread from Asia to Pacific islands via birds, weather (wind) or ocean currents (flotsam), even before people arrived. Some were brought to Hawaii and elsewhere later by people. Five species of hibiscus are considered native to Hawaii. Cacao was from the Americas. Happily for those who enjoyed today's bar, both now reside in Hawaii.

Speaking of flowers: Both cacao and hibiscus have five-petaled flowers (see Lonohana logo for this bar). (Edible cacao flowers (aka Madre de Cacao) are tiny, ivory-to-pink colored blossoms that begat large fruits (cacao pods); and hibiscus flowers are large, showy and, in many cases, edible as well.) 

Some hibiscus sub-species and/or varieties are more edible than others: e.g. the Roselle hibiscus used in today's bar, is also used in drinks (agua de Jamaica/Jamaica agua fresca) and Hibiscus sabdariffa and Hibiscus acetosella are also used to make teas in the Caribbean and Latin America. (Some varieties are also enjoyed in salads.) 

Onomea Chocolate - Passion Orange Guava (bar) - Jan. 3, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Onomea Chocolate
Passion Orange Guava (bar)
Good ++
Weight: .93 oz. (26.5 g.) / 1.86 oz. (53 g.) in total bar
Calories: 150 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $ (Part of $45.00 Island Flavors bundle)
Purchased from: Onomea/Lonohana website, online order

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

Today's Onomea Chocolate "Passion Orange Guava" (bar) was made by Lonohana Estate Chocolate (Honolulu, HI).

Aroma notes included: dark milk chocolate and subtle tropical fruits (passion fruit, citrus (orange), guava, and very faint and (probably imagined) mangosteen and pineapple).

Flavor notes included: flavorful, relatively sweet dark milk chocolate (low in bitterness) with tropical authentic fruit notes (passion fruit, warm sweet citrus (orange), guava). Dried fruits (and orange oil) were ground/incorporated into the chocolate, leaving a very fine fruit graininess in the texture, but leaving the pleasing fruit flavors relatively intact. Organic milk powder added a little creamy richness and also softened the tart sweetness (acidity) of the fruits.

Today's bar was an homage to POG (passion fruit, orange and guava). I have fond memories of this popular Hawaiian juice, enjoyed during vacations there.

Lonohana founder, chocolate maker and farmer, Seneca Klassen, continues to create and bring great Hawaiian cacao, single origin chocolate--and chocolate with Hawaiian flavors--to chocolate lovers around the globe. 

Onomea is a relatively new(er) chocolate brand/partnership. (Loved the island flavor inclusions and colorful art work(s)* on the packaging.)

Ingredients: "Organic cane sugar, Hawaiian cacao, organic cocoa butter, organic whole milk powder, dried guava, dried lilikoi (passion fruit), Hawaiian vanilla, orange essential oil"

Allergen-related information: Contains milk. "Produced in a peanut-free environment on equipment that also processes milk and tree nuts."

*The front label art for this bar was titled "Kamokuna" by local Hawaiian artist, Kate Wadsworth.

 

Onomea Chocolate - Lime in the Coconut (bar) - Jan. 2, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Onomea Chocolate
Lime in the Coconut (bar)
Good ++
Weight: .93 oz. (26.5 g.) / 1.86 oz. (53 g.) in total bar
Calories: 150 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $ (Part of $45.00 Island Flavors bundle)
Purchased from: Onome/Lonohana websites, online order

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

Today's Onomea Chocolate "Lime in the Coconut" (bar) was made by Lonohana Estate Chocolate, LLC (Honolulu, HI). 

Aroma notes included: lime (essential oil) and chocolate.

Flavor notes included: creamy, smooth and flavorful, relatively sweet dark chocolate (low in bitterness) with fresh squeezed lime and lime oil notes. The roasted coconut (completely incorporated into the chocolate) was almost undetectable; it may have been harmonizing with the lime in the background and contributing to this chocolate's silken texture and melt. 

There were also very, very faint (pleasant) wood (cedar) and very fleeting pepper notes. Not sure if this was from the lime oil, the cacao, or both together. But, I enjoyed these tidbits of tasty complexity.

Thank you to Lonohana founder, chocolate maker and farmer, Seneca Klassen, for sharing great Hawaiian cacao with chocolate lovers around the globe. Onomea is a relatively new(er) chocolate brand/partnership. (Loved the island flavor inclusions and colorful art work(s)* on the packaging.)

Ingredients: "Organic cane sugar, Hawaiian cacao, organic cocoa butter, organic coconut, lime essential oil"

Allergen-related information: Contains coconut. "Produced in a peanut-free environment on equipment that also processes milk and tree nuts."

*The front label art for this bar was titled "I'm Going In" by local Hawaiian artist, Kate Wadsworth.

 

Onomea Chocolate - Salted Macadamia Nut (bar) - Jan. 1, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Onomea Chocolate
Salted Macadamia Nut (bar)
Good ++
Weight: .93 oz. (26.5 g.) / 1.86 oz. (53 g.) in total bar
Calories: 160 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $ N/A - gift  
Purchased from: N/A - gift (Thank you Susan!)

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

Today's Onomea Chocolate Salted Macadamia Nut (bar) was made by Lonohana Estate Chocolate (Honolulu, HI). 

Aroma notes included: chocolate with very light fruit fermentation notes (at least when the sealed package was initially opened) and faint salted nuts (macadamia).

Flavor notes included: smooth yet flavorful, relatively sweet dark chocolate (low in bitterness) with very faint/subtle and well-balanced fermented fruit (cacao pulp, tropical fruit (light citrus, pineapple, mango)) notes. These faint, authentic fruit notes paired well with the sea salted macadamia nut pieces. 

It was great to kick-off the New Year (2024)--and a Hawaiian Chocolate Theme Week--with a chocolate that has a great Island origin story. The cacao, sea salt and mac nuts: all grown in Hawaii. 

Thank you to Lonohana founder, chocolate maker and farmer, Seneca Klassen, for continuing to create and share great Hawaiian cacao with chocolate lovers everywhere. Onomea is a relatively new(er) chocolate brand/partnership. (Loved the fun island flavors and graphic designs on these bars.)

Ingredients: "Organic cane sugar, Hawaiian cacao, organic cocoa butter, organic Hawaiian macadamia nuts, Hawaiian sea salt"

Allergen-related information: Contains nuts (macadamia). "Produced in a peanut-free environment on equipment that also processes milk and tree nuts."

Seattle Chocolate - Creme Brulee Crackle white and dark chocolate truffle bar - Dec. 31, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Seattle Chocolate
Creme Brulee Crackle white and dark chocolate truffle bar
Good ++
Weight: 1.25 oz. (35 g.) / 2.5 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 190 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $N/A - gift from family member
Purchased from: N/A - gift from Megan (thank you!)

Happy New Year's Eve, and welcome to Day # 9 of Chocolate Truffle Bars Week.

Today's Creme Brulee Crackle white and dark chocolate truffle bar was from Seattle Chocolate Company (Seattle, WA). The company offers a wide variety of chocolates, including many truffle bars. One of the Seattle-based company's taglines: "May chocolate be your umbrella." 

Aroma notes included: smooth dark chocolate and very faint caramel.

This was a pretty winter warmer, with a smooth dark chocolate outer layer, and a white chocolate filling studded with crunchy little flecks of toffee. Had this been a milk chocolate bar, I wouldn't have enjoyed it as much. (It would've been too sweet for me.) But the dark chocolate balanced the sweeter white chocolate and toffee (creme brulee-like) interior layer quite nicely.

Flavor notes included: smooth dark chocolate, creamy white chocolate and tiny accents of buttery toffee.

Ingredients: white chocolate (cane sugar, cocoa butter*, milk, soy lecithin, natural vanilla), dark chocolate (cocoa mass*, cane sugar, cocoa butter*, organic soy lecithin, natural vanilla), non-hydrogenated coconut oil, chocolate chips (cocoa mass, cane sugar, cocoa butter, natural vanilla), toffee (cane sugar, butter, rice syrup, cocoa mass, cocoa butter, salt, soy lecithin, natural flavor), sea salt, vanilla bean powder. (*Rainforest Alliance Certified. Find out more at ra.org)

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

Lake Champlain - Sea Salt Caramel Truffle Bars - Dec. 30, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Lake Champlain Chocolates
Sea Salt Caramel Plant-based Truffle Bars
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.2 oz. (34 g.) in total package of 2 bars
Calories: 170 calories in 1 package of 2 bars
Cost: $3.00 for 1 package of 2 bars
Purchased from: Lake Champlain, online order

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate Truffle Bars Week.

Today's Sea Salt Caramel Plant-Based Truffle Bars were from Lake Champlain Chocolates (Burlington, VT). 

The chocolate in these truffle bars was made with oat milk and 43% cocoa.

Aroma notes included: butterscotch, very faint grains (oat, rice), chocolate, and light salt caramel.

Texture: A soft, caramel center was surrounded by sweet, "milk"(-like) chocolate.

Flavor notes included: sweet "milk" chocolate, and sweet, relatively light butterscotch and caramel flavored filling. This 43% cocoa bar was relatively sweet. (Sometimes sea salt can help balance out sugar. The sea salt in this Sea Salt Caramel bar was very faint.) 

Those looking for non-dairy, vegan and/or gluten-free (sweeter) chocolates will appreciate this bar--and the other flavors in this relatively new line of 43% cocoa oat milk bars (made with gluten-free oat powder)--from Lake Champlain Chocolates. The company is also committed to not using palm oil or other fillers in their alternative-milk chocolates. 

Ingredients: "Chocolate (Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Dried Gluten-Free Oat Powder, Chocolate Liquor, Dried Rice Powder, Sunflower Lecithin, and Vanilla Extract), *Coconut Cream (*Coconut and Water), *Rice Syrup, *Sugar, Sea Salt, and *Natural Flavor." (* = Organic)

Allergen-related information: Contains Tree Nuts (Coconut). May Contain Traces of Milk, Other Tree Nuts, Peanuts, Soybean, and Wheat.