Chocolate(s) of the Day
Mandala Chocolate
Cacao Alchemy - Sugar Free Dark Chocolate with Superherbs and Mushrooms (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.15 oz. (32.5 g.) / 2.3 oz. (65 g.) in total bar
Calories: 192 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $10.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: East West Bookstore, Mountain View, CA
Wilderness Poets
Wild Mix - Abundance Trail Mix with Goji Berries, Pistachios, Golden Berries, Cacao Nibs, Cashews
Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) / 8 oz. (226 g.) in total package
Calories: 143 calories in 1 serving
Cost: Missing information
Purchased from: Missing information
Welcome to Day #13 of Chocolate and Nuts Theme Week and Day #4 of Chocolate, Berries & Cherries Week.
There are many nut and berry blends with cacao/chocolate. Today's two entries covered a wide range of possibilities.
Mandala Chocolate
Today's Cacao Alchemy bar was from Mandala Naturals, LLC (Barnardsville, NC).
This smooth, stoneground, raw and sugar-free 70% dark chocolate was blended with a long list of "superherbs and mushrooms," including: cacao and...spiceberries.
What are Spiceberries? I think of spice berries as the dried, unripe fruit of the allspice tree. But this term may also refer to wild harvested spicebush berries (Lindera benzoin) that grow in the Eastern U.S. I'm tempted to think it was the latter in today's bar--since this ingredient was marked as "organic and wildcrafted."
Either way, it had a smooth flavor. All the herbs and mushroom ingredients were fully integrated into the chocolate. I liked that it was relatively low in bitterness, and had no "off" notes.
I enjoyed the natural level of subtle sweetness. (This bar was labeled as sugar free, but you could have fooled me. There were no artificial sweeteners.)
Ingredients: *Cacao, *Yacon, *Lucuma, *Sprouted Brown Rice Powder, *Mesquite, *Maca, *Cinnamon, *Ginger, *Vanilla, *Licorice, +Chaga, *Ashwaganda, *Mucuna, +Spiceberries, +Reishi, *Tulsi, +Pedicularis, Celtic Sea Salt(TM), Spilanthes Oil. (* = Organic, + = Organic and Wildcrafted,
Allergen-related information: (None listed that I could find.)
Wilderness Poets
The "Wild Mix - Abundance Trail Mix" (with cashews, pistachios, goji berries, golden raisins, golden berries and cacao nibs) was created and distributed by Wilderness Poets (Ashland, OR).
I enjoyed this authentic-tasting blend of nuts and berries made from quality nuts, berries and nibs. (The cocoa nibs were lightly sweetened with coconut nectar and were quite good.) The flavors harmonized well, and the mix was not too sweet or salty. Just right all by itself, or it could be used as a topping or mix-in.
Maker's description: "Our raw Organic Trail Mixes are an excellent snack for kids, hikers, travelers, active people, professionals, and Poets of all kinds."
Ingredients: Cashews*, Pistachios*, Goji Berries*, Golden Raisins*, Golden Berries*, Cacao Nibs* (sweetened with coconut nectar) (* = Organic)
Allergen-related information: "Contains tree nuts (cashews & pistachios). Made in a facility that processes various tree nuts. Warning: May contain nut shell fragments."
