Chocolate of the Day
Jangala Cacao & Selva
Dalia "Women of Cacao" 77% Cacao (bar)
Good ++
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 98 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $16.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Chocolate Dispensary, online order
Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate & Mexico Theme Week.
Today's Jangala Cacao & Selva Dalia "Women of Cacao" 77% Cacao (bar) was made by Jangala Frutos De La Tierra S. de R.I. de C.V. (San Cristobol de Las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico). southern Mexico.
The company specializes in fermented native cacaos Criollos and Trinitarios from specific cacao-growing regions of Mexico.
The cacao origin description: "Fermented white Criollo cacao (from Comalcalco, Tabasco) cultivated by the Magana Peralta family. The name "Dahlia" is a reference to the dahlia flower(s) and to a "project of women guardians practicing regenerative agriculture within agroforestry systems..."
An illustration of a Mexican hummingbird (by Mau Jimenez) on the bar's packaging represented "the strength of the women in their relationship with cacao."
Aroma and flavor notes included: gentle Criollo cacao dark chocolate with faint, diffuse stone fruit (dark and sweet plum); and very faint malty and floral.
There was a very slight, very balanced (well-behaved) bitterness at the beginning but it softened very quickly into a gentle and subtly nuanced cacao experience.
Texture: smooth with a very faint and well balanced fruit astringency toward the end.
Heritage criollo cacao chocolates are rare and special.* They can convey a lot in a whisper; and you find yourself leaning way in to listen, to taste, and to be transported.
Today's Dalia bar felt like a quiet walk through a lush forest (maybe with an occasional hummingbird zipping by); and, it tasted "lighter" -- more like a 67% cacao than a 77% cacao chocolate. All this was conveyed using just two ingredients.
Maker's tasting notes: "Aromatic notes: Cacao/Floral/Dried Fruits"
"Organic Ingredients: Cacao, cane sugar
Allergen-related information: None listed on package.
*A very small percentage of dark chocolate bars are made with criollo cacaos. They are more delicate, both in flavor and constitution. Yields are typically lower and they may be more prone to certain diseases. (Think heritage roses that typically have subtle, complex scents vs. new roses cultivated for strength, disease resistance and longer shelf life--but with more minimal fragrance.)
