Chocolate of the Day
Raaka Chocolate
Blueberry Lemon 60% Cacao Unroasted Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 1.8 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 129 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $8.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar & Cocoa, online order
Welcome to Day #12 of Chocolate & Fruits Theme Week.
Today's Blueberry Lemon 60% Cacao Unroasted Dark Chocolate (bar) was from Raaka Chocolate (Red Hook, Brooklyn, NY).
Cacao source: Kokoa Kamili, Tanzania. (Kokoa Kaimili "purchases freshly harvested cacao from over 4,000 farmers in the Kilombero Valley of Tanzania." And Raaka sources cacao from them.*)
Aroma and flavor notes included: deep, dense dark chocolate; earthy dark berry (blueberry, dark cherry); and bright citrus (lemon).
Texture: well-tempered (broke with a hard snap in a cold room); relatively smooth and creamy.
I liked that the whole dark, this chocolate wasn't too bitter. The blueberry and lemon (powders) tasted authentic and were thoroughly integrated with the dark chocolate. The lemon was indeed "bright and refreshing" and served to balance out the darker cacao and blueberry elements in this bar.
I also appreciated the short list of quality and organic ingredients.
Ingredients: Organic cacao beans, organic cane sugar, organic cacao butter, organic blueberry powder, organic lemon powder
Allergen-related information: ("organic, vegan, allergy friendly...nut free")
*Raaka Chocolate has been good about sharing cacao sourcing information. E.g., they paid on average of $5.12/kg to Kokoa Kamili from 2020 to 2023. This was higher than the fair trade commodity price of $2.85/kg.) This information was printed on the inner wrapper of today's bar. The cost of cacao and chocolate market prices have risen significantly since 2023; and I respect makers who are hanging in there--and still sharing information about what farmers are being paid during these challenging times.
