Chocolate of the Day
Gaston Chocolat
Tree to Bar Dark 70% Chocolate Kava (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.2 oz. (34 g.) / 2.4 oz. (68 g.) in total bar
Calories: 189 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: N/A - gift from friend (thank you Toni!)
Purchased from: N/A gift
Welcome to Day #6 of the Chocolate and Vanuatu Series.
Today's Tree to Bar Dark 70% Chocolate Kava (bar) was from Gaston Chocolat (Port Vila - Efate, Vanuatu).
Aroma notes included: subtle dark chocolate and faint, slightly green/botanical.
Flavor notes included: dark chocolate and kava*-- that had a slightly sour, then bitter, followed by a slight tingling (tongue-numbing) sensation.
Texture: broke with a hard snap and had a light (weight) feel and relatively creamy melt. The kava was fully incorporated into the chocolate, so there was no fibrous texture from the kava. (Kava beverages sometimes have thread-like particles from the crushed roots of the plant.)
This slightly peppery, slightly bitter flavor blend kava and chocolate was fun to try. (Thank you again to friends who generously shared chocolates they found on their Vanuatu vacation.)
Health Note: This chocolate bar contained 15% kava, and was labeled as suitable for ages "18+ Only." Why? Kava can have mild sedative and narcotic effects. I didn't notice any effects. But, be advised, this chocolate may not be for everyone. (There are also potential health risks associated with regular/prolonged kava use; and there have been bans on kava in several countries.)
Ingredients: Cocoa Beans, Cocoa Butter, Sugar, Kava (15%)
Allergen-related information: No information found on packaging -- but this bar was labeled 18+ (years of age) Only, because of the kava.
*Kava (Piper methysticum) likely originated in northern Vanuatu. It has been selectively cultivated by farmers there for 3,000 years, and is a sterile cultivar propagated (cloned) from a wild ancestor (Piper whichmanii). The root of this plant is usually crushed and prepared with water, i.e. served as a beverage, sometimes in a half coconut shell. It can be found in several Pacific islands, including Hawaii.
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