Chocolate(s) of the Day
Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate, Warm Spices & Maple Theme Week.
Today's two winter holiday bars were from chocolate makers in Canada (Montreal and Toronto, respectively) -- where chocolates (hot and cold) bring warmth.
1.) 45% dark milk chocolate with black walnuts and cranberries from Christmas (last month)2.) White chocolate ginger milk pudding--in time for Chinese New Year (next month)
Qantu
Ho Ho Ho! 45% Chocolat au Lait, Noix de noyer noir, Atoca (tablette)
(45% Milk Chocolate, Black Walnut, Cranberries (bar))
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 306 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $18.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar & Cocoa, online order
This bar was made by Qantu Cacao et Chocolat Inc (Montreal, QC, Canada), using white cacao (beans) from Piura, Peru.
Aroma notes included: dark chocolate, dried fruits (cranberries, currants); very slight bitter/earthy nuts (walnuts); and very faint spices and maple, and barely there black olive (likely from the black walnut).
Texture: smooth dark chocolate interspersed with chewy, dried cranberries and embedded walnut pieces.
Flavor notes included: rich blend of dark chocolate, dried cranberry and black walnut. The rich flavors lingered into a pleasing finish.
This well-balanced and well-executed bar exceeded my expectations. The black walnut added elegant complexity and complementary dark notes--making this 45% dark milk fudge-y chocolate seem darker than it was (more like a 65% bar). These darker cacao and nut notes complemented the dried cranberry very well. Neither fruit nor chocolate was too sweet.
As a dark chocolate fan I found this 45% cacao seasonal bar to be right in the Goldilocks zone -- just right. I hope Qantu will offer this bar again in the future.
This dark walnut and cranberry bar was also a great pairing with today's second chocolate: a Ginger Milk pudding (white chocolate) bar.
Qantu Maker's Tasting Notes: "Ice Cider, creme brulee, fudge"
Ingredients: "cane sugar, black walnut, cocoa beans, whole milk powder, cocoa butter, dried cranberries"
Allergen-related information: "Contains milk and nuts"
SOMA chocolatemaker
Ginger Milk Pudding (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.166 oz. (33 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 200 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar & Cocoa, online order
Today's Ginger Milk Pudding (bar) from SOMA chocolatemaker (Toronto, ON, Canada) was inspired by a warm dessert from Southern China (Guangdong Province).
Ginger milk pudding (aka ginger milk curd)* is popular in Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Foshan and other cities. It's typically made from a short list of ingredients: milk, ginger juice and sugar.
Aroma notes for this (white chocolate) bar included: milky pudding infused with mild, aromatic ginger.
Texture: smooth and creamy with softly chewy pieces of candied ginger.
I enjoyed this rich creamy white chocolate enlivened with tiny cubes of sassy, warm and spicy candied ginger. Loved the punch of the sweet, authentic ginger and the short list of just four ingredients. A great homage to Ginger Milk Pudding.*
SOMA tasting notes/description: "...peppery and spicy, with a custardy cream melt"
Ingredients: "Cacao Butter, Milk Powder, Organic Cane Sugar, Ginger"
Allergen-related information: Contains Milk. "May contain traces of peanuts, tree nuts, and wheat."
*SOMA kindly added a note about ginger milk pudding (that, made correctly, will not curdle but rather will thicken and resolve into a dessert with a creamy pudding-like texture).
"..The magic comes from a bit of science--when ginger juice and warm milk are mixed, the enzymes and proteins react to create an impossibly delicate, silky-smooth curd that eats like a dream..."
