Ethereal Chocolate - Dubai Pistachio Cream & Puffed Quinoa 40% Cacao Dark Chocolate Bar + Basquia - Dubai Chewy Cookie - Mar. 4, 2026

Chocolate(s) of the Day

Ethereal Chocolate
Pistachio Cream & Puffed Quinoa 40% Cocoa Dark Chocolate Bar
Good ++
Weight: 2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar
Calories: 358 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Dispensary, online order 

Welcome to Day #1 of Chocolate, Pistachio, Hazelnut & Almond Theme Week.

Today's Pistachio Cream & Puffed Quinoa 40% Cocoa Dark Chocolate Bar was from Ethereal Craft Chocolate (Ethereal Confections (Woodstock, IL)). 

Aroma and flavor notes included: rich dark chocolate, very faint dried fruit (apricot, fig, strawberry), nut/seed paste (sesame), and vanilla.

Texture: smooth, creamy dark chocolate exterior with a soft, rich crispy-crunchy and nut buttery filling.

I enjoyed the complex and hearty blend of flavors in this bar. The sesame paste provided subtle, middle Eastern flavor in the background as well as "nutty" flavor along with the pistachios.

The Dubai chocolate craze in recent years has spawned many creative versions of the original bar, made with traditional kataifi pastry shreds (similar to phyllo dough) and pistachio nuts. 

Thankfully, today I found two gluten-free versions of this bar, where the pastry shreds in the filling were replaced by quinoa and/or other ingredients to give these confections and bars a hearty, crunchy texture, but without the gluten.

Ingredients: "40% Chocolate* (Cane Sugar*, Cacao Nibs*, Cocoa Butter*), Dubai Chocolate Center (Pistachios*, Powdered Sugar* (Cane Sugar*, Tapioca Starch*), Coconut Oil, Puffed Quinoa*, Tahini* (Ground Toasted Sesame), Salt, Vanilla Powder (Vanilla Bean Extractives*, Dextrose*). (* Organic Ingredient)"

Allergen-related information: "Contains: Tree Nuts, Sesame. Made on shared equipment with peanuts & tree nuts"

Basquia - Dubai Chewy Cookie(s)

Basquia Rice Bakery
Dubai Chewy Cookies 
Good ++
Weight: Not Listed (2 cookies)
Cost: $10.00 ($5.00 per cookie)
Purchased from: Basquia in Mega Mart, East Palo Alto, CA

I also enjoyed two small Dubai Chewy Cookies from Basquia Rice Bakery (California).

These round-ish cookie-confections were covered with an almost mochi-like, velvety chocolate outer layer. 

Inside there were ground pistachio nuts/nut butter (and possibly quinoa?) -- that gave them a pleasant, smooth flavored and relatively sweet and satisfying, crunchy-chewy texture. The makers blended light and substantial textures with skill and apparent ease.

These two cookies were quite good; they were sweet without being overly so.

Ingredients: (No ingredients listed on small container)

Allergen-related information: (No information listed on small container; however, Basquia specializes in rice-based bakery items, and all their offerings are wheat/gluten-free.)

Undercover Chocolate Quinoa Crisps + Hammond's Peppermint Marshmallows with Chocolate Chips - Mar. 3, 2026

Chocolate(s) of the Day

Undercover 
Chocolate Quinoa Crisps
Good ++
Weight: 2 oz. (56.6 g.) in 1 package
Calories: 260 calories in 1 package
Cost: $3.49 for 1 package 
Purchased from: FarmFresh (add-on to produce delivery service)

Hammond's Candies
Peppermint Marshmallows with Chocolate Chips
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 2 oz. (56.6 g.) / 4 oz. (113 g.) in total package
Calories: 160 calories in 1/2 package
Cost: $7.95 for 1 package
Purchased from: Missing information

Welcome to Day #13 of Chocolate & Mint Theme Week. Today's two chocolate snack offerings were hiding in the chocolate vault, just waiting for the opportunity for chocolate and mint items to be featured.

Chocolate Quinoa Crisps

Today's Chocolate Quinoa Crisps were manufactured by Undercover Chocolate Co. (East Hanover, NJ). 

Aroma notes: smooth, dark chocolate, very faint cookie, and mint.

Texture: these small rounds had a soft crunch that seemed just right; it was easy to enjoy small bites without it being too soft or stiff. The quinoa that supplied the crunch was not too tough or granular.

I enjoyed these chocolate-y snack discs more than I thought I would. The dark chocolate was smooth, and satisfying, the texture was satisfying. And the mint (crushed peppermint) complemented the chocolate and quinoa. It was not too much mint, and not too little. 

I also appreciated the thoughtful list of ingredients (e.g. Rainforest Alliance Certified Cacao; peppermint candy with natural plant-based colors; and lack of artificial ingredients).

Ingredients: Dark Chocolate (Cacao Beans*, Pure Cane Sugar, Cocoa Butter*, Vanilla Beans), Quinoa, Crushed Peppermint (Pure Cane Sugar, Organic Rice Syrup, Colored with Red Cabbage and Purple Carrots, Peppermint Oil). (*Rainforest Alliance Certified)

Allergen-related information: "Manufactured in a facility FREE from: Wheat, Peanuts, Tree Nuts, Eggs, Fish, Shellfish, Sesame, and Poppy Seeds."

Peppermint Marshmallows with Chocolate Chips

The Peppermint Marshmallows Topped with Chocolate Chips were from Hammond's Candies (Denver, CO). 

Aroma and flavor notes included: Light, sweet peppermint; sweet, light marshmallow; and smooth, small, dark chocolate chips. 

Texture: fluffy soft marshmallow accented with tiny morsels of smooth, dark chocolate (chips). 

These tasted fresh and were fun to eat (and float in hot chocolate). They could also be incorporated into other desserts or ice creams as well. Each light pink and white layered marshmallow was topped with tiny, dark chocolate chips. 

Chocolate is dense, dark and lovely. And I'll always appreciate this. But, today I enjoyed the fresh and fluffy marshmallow texture that balanced the chocolate chips. The marshmallow, mint and chocolate flavors harmonized well in this light snack and possible chocolate accessory.

Ingredients: Sugar, Tapioca Syrup, Water, Semi-Sweet Chocolate (Sugar, Chocolate Liquor, Cocoa Butter, Soy Lecithin [an emulsifier], Vanilla), Kosher Gelatin, Tapioca Starch, Powdered Sugar (Sugar, Tapioca Starch), Peppermint Oil, Vegetable Juices (color), Salt.

Allergen-related information: "Manufactured in a Facility That Processes Egg, Milk, Mustard, Peanuts, Sesame, Soy, Sulfites, Tree Nuts & Wheat."