Crow & Moss Chocolatery - Cardamom Baked Banana 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) - Oct. 27, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Crow & Moss Chocolatery
Cardamom Baked Banana 70% Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 1.2 oz. (35 g.) / 2.4 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 180 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar & Cocoa, online order 

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate & Fruits Theme Week.

Today's Cardamom Baked Banana 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) was thoughtfully created and executed by Crow & Moss Chocolatery (Petoskey, MI).

The company's attractive bar, packaging* and origin stories were transporting.

The cacao used to make this bar was from the Anamalai Estate in India, "organically grown by producers Harish Manoj and Karthi Palaniswamy."**

Aroma notes for this aromatic and flavorful bar included: subtle roasted banana, dark chocolate and very faint warm spice.

Texture: relatively smooth with a faint fruit (banana) astringency

Flavor notes included: rich and flavorful roasted banana, hearty (bold) dark chocolate with medium-high (fruit) acidity; and very faint warm, earthy spice. 

I enjoyed the blend of bold, balanced flavors. This was a far cry from the milk chocolate banana candy one might find in most places in the U.S. I found it very satisfying. 

It was hard to pick out any lighter, bubble gum notes I often associate with (green) cardamom. The spice (likely black cardamom) stayed mostly in the shadows, just out of reach, but still contributed a faint almost smokey/earthy spice accent flavor.

This might also be an excellent dark chocolate for cooking/baking (for desserts (ice creams, custards, Bananas Foster, high-end parfaits, dessert flights); batter breads (banana nut) breads; and maybe even savory rice and meat dishes).

Ingredients: "Cacao, Organic Cane Sugar, Organic Banana, Organic Cardamom."

Allergen-related information: ("Dairy Free, Gluten Free")

*Who says recycled packaging can't look grand?

**The makers included this poetic description of the Anamalai estate in India: "The trees are intercropped with coconut palms and nutmeg trees in the foothills of India's Western Ghats, where (native) desi cows meander and elephants enjoy the coconuts by night."

SOMA chocolatemaker - Green Raisins tumbled in dark Milk chocolate - Oct. 26, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

SOMA chocolatemaker
Green Raisins tumbled in dark Milk chocolate
Good ++ 
Weight: 1.16 oz. (33 g.) / 3.52 oz. (100 g.) in total package
Calories: 130 calories in 1/3 package (390 calories in 1 pkg.)
Cost: $14.00 for 1 package
Purchased from: Bar & Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate & Fruits Week on Chocolate Banquet.

Today's "Green Raisins tumbled in dark Milk chocolate" was created by SOMA chocolatemaker--a talented chocolate maker and chocolatier based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

There's something special about a simple dish or chocolate that's been elevated to next level goodness. This SOMA offering exceeded my expectations for chocolate covered raisins. They used shade-dried Kashmiri raisins (vs. golden raisins/sultanas we normally see in the U.S.) and a blend of dark and milk single origin cacaos.

Aroma and flavor notes included: dark milk chocolate, raisin (softly tart-sweet, gently fruity, moist, golden raisin), and faint authentic vanilla. 

Texture: soft, dark milk chocolate coated (Kashmiri) gold-green oblong, softly chewy raisins.

I loved that the raisins weren't too tough, tart or sweet; but they were delightful and flavorful. Gently sweet, almost buttery, complex and sophisticated, I appreciated being able to taste these little green grape gems coated with just the right amount of high-quality, dark milk chocolate. Warning: slightly addictive.

Ingredients: "Raisins, Cocoa Butter, Cacao Nibs, Organic Cane Sugar, Milk Powder, Natural Vanilla"

Allergen-related information: "May contain trace amounts of peanuts, and tree nuts."