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.