Fossa Chocolate - 53% Dark Milk Ginseng Chrysanthemum (Tea) (bar) - Jan. 9, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Fossa Chocolate

53% Dark Milk Ginseng Chrysanthemum (Tea) (bar)
Good ++
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 139 calories in 1/2 bar; (278 calories in 1 bar)
Cost: $15.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar & Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #15 of Chocolate, Tea, Herbs & Spices Theme Week; and Day #1 of Chocolate and the Philippines Theme Week. 

Today's 53% Dark Milk Ginseng Chrysanthemum (Tea) (bar) was from Fossa Chocolate Pte Ltd (Singapore). They used cacao from the Philippines to make this chocolate.

Aroma notes included: dark milk chocolate; faint tea; clean, slightly floral, faint, fleeting olive (oil) (there was no olive oil); and mild root/herb (ginseng).

Texture: very smooth, buttery texture. The chrysanthemum and ginseng flavor elements were fully incorporated into the chocolate, leaving no botanical "grit."

I loved the fine creamy texture and the fact that the ginseng and chrysanthemum flavors seemed to be very harmonious together.

However, I was even happier to find that despite relatively high levels of milk and sugar I could still taste and enjoy the tea-like chrysanthemum (light, clean, honey-ed, almost chamomile-like floral) and ginseng (pleasant root, herb) notes. 

It reminded me of a very special sweet and floral milk tea -- that I've never had before, but now I want to find or make.

Thank you to the makers for the short list of high-quality ingredients and the gentle, balanced complexity in this bar.

Maker's description: "Ginseng chrysanthemum tea has long been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine as an immunity booster and a natural remedy to treat fatigue...Blending American ginseng and chrysanthemum buds with fruity cacao from Philippines' Rehoboth Estate makes for a powerful yet comforting aroma..."

Ingredients: "Cacao, cane sugar, cacao butter, milk powder, ginseng, chrysanthemum buds"

Allergen-related information: Contains Milk. "Produced in a facility that processes nuts & dairy."  

Fjak Chocolate - Limited Edition - Glogg (Mulled Wine) (bar) - Jan. 8, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Fjak Chocolate AS
Limited Edition - Glogg (Mulled Wine) (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 2.11 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 352 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $15.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order 

Welcome to Day #14 of Chocolate, Tea, Herbs and Spices Theme Week(s).

Today's Limited Edition - Glogg (Mulled Wine) (bar) was from Fjak Chocolate AS (Eidfjord, Hardangerfjord, Norway).

Crafted in Norway, Fjak's small batch chocolates often include Nordic/European and seasonal flavor inclusions. 

Aroma and flavor notes for this mulled wine bar included: sweet dark chocolate and red fruit (red wine, red grape juice) infused with citrus (orange), apple, and a warm spice blend.

This was a festive and relatively addictive chocolate, that I found very satisfying after being outdoors on a winter day. I paired this chocolate with a hot cup of Wild Sweet Orange tea from Tazo Tea Company.

The interplay of sweet yet sophisticated flavors in this bar evoked an authentic mulled/spiced wine. This was an enjoyable bar to taste, and fun to share with others.

The 60% cacao dark chocolate (made with Tanzania cacao) was relatively sweet. And that sweetness was amplified by the sweet orange (peel), apple, and warm spice notes. (It was comparable to what you'd taste in a sweet mulled/spiced wine.) 

This harmonious blend made me wonder: why haven't I tried a similar chocolate like this before? Where cocoa beans are soaked in red wine and blended with spices. 

Speaking of spices, I really enjoyed tasting all the spices. The short list of quality spices and other ingredients really made a difference.

Maker's tasting notes: "Made with cocoa beans from the wonderful Kokoa Kamili in the Kilombero Valley, Tanzania. We have infused this fine cocoa with our organic mulled wine recipe, creating a "Bold and Boozy" chocolate bar, with the distinctively spicy and fruity taste, of this seasons winter warmer."

Ingredients: "Cocoa beans* infused with mulled wine (red wine*, apples*, orange peel*, cardamom*, cinnamon*, anise*, cloves*), cane sugar*, cocoa butter*, cardamom*, cinnamon*, anise*, cloves* (* = Organic)"

Allergen-related information: Certified Organic; Vegan; dairy and gluten free. "Processed in a facility that handles nuts, dairy & gluten"