Oodaalolly - Trinitario Cacao 40% Salty Toffee Milk Chocolate (bar) - Aug. 21, 2026

Chocolate of The Day

Oodaalolly Chocolate
Trinitario Cacao 40% Salty Toffee Milk Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total bar 
Calories: 170 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $8.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Malaya Botanicals, Alameda, CA

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate and The Philippines Theme Week.

Today's Trinitario Cacao 40% Salty Toffee Milk Chocolate (bar) was manufactured by Oodaalolly Chocolate using Trinitario variety cacao and Ilocano salt--both from the Philippines.

Aroma and Flavor notes included: sweet, smooth milk chocolate with chocolate-y (dark milk chocolate ganache) and very faint (barely detectable) fruit and butter toffee--with a tasty, slightly salty chocolate and toffee finish. 

This 40% milk chocolate bar was quite sweet; however the salt and the higher quality cacao helped balance the sweetness.

Texture: smooth, relatively creamy texture and melt with intermittent tiny crunchy bits of salt and toffee. 

I really appreciated the maker's use of single origin cacao and salt; the short list of quality and organic ingredients; and the sweet and salty balance.

Ingredients: Organic Cane Sugar, Organic Cacao Nibs, Organic Cocoa Butter, Organic Milk Powder, Ilocano Sea Salt, Toffee. Manufactured by Oodaalolly, a H&G Chocolate Distribution Company* (in Richmond, CA). 

Allergen-related information: Contains Milk. "Manufactured in a Facility That Also Processes: Milk, Almond, Coconut"

*Note: Oodaalolly Chocolate merged operations with H&G Chocolate Distribution Company in 2024.

Oodaalolly Chocolate - Trinitario (Philippine) Cacao 40% Swiss-Style Milk Chocolate (bar) - Aug. 20, 2026

Chocolate of The Day

Oodaalolly Chocolate
Trinitario Cacao 40% Swiss-Style Milk Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total bar 
Calories: 340 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $8.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Malaya Botanicals, Alameda, CA

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate and The Philippines Theme Week.

Today's Trinitario Cacao 40% Swiss-Style Milk Chocolate (bar) was created by Oodaalolly Chocolate founder Hernan Lauber, using Trinitario variety cacao from the Philippines and Swiss chocolate making techniques learned from his father. 

Aroma and Flavor notes included: sweet, smooth milk chocolate with chocolate-y (dark milk chocolate ganache) and very faint (barely detectable) fruit notes with a smooth, clean finish.

This bar was fairly sweet, but it was a higher quality 40% cacao chocolate than you'll find in many other places.

Texture: smooth, almost velvety texture and melt

I really appreciated the maker's use of single origin cacao (Philippines); the short list of quality and organic ingredients; and the use of Swiss milk chocolate techniques.

Ingredients: Organic Cane Sugar, Organic Cacao Nibs, Organic Cocoa Butter, Milk Powder 

Allergen-related information: Contains Milk. "Manufactured in a Facility That Also Processes: Milk, Almond, Coconut"

Note: Oodaalolly Chocolate merged operations with H&G Chocolate Distribution Company in 2024.

Conexion Chocolate - Mocha Latte Light Roast Coffee Milk Chocolate 40% Cacao (bar) - May 23, 2026

Chocolate of the Day

Conexion Chocolate
Mocha Latte - Light Roast Coffee Milk Chocolate 40% Cacao (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.8 oz. (50 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 300 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $8.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Touring Chocolatier, online order

Welcome to Day #11 of Chocolate & Coffee Theme Week.

Today's Conexion Chocolate Mocha Latte - Light Roast Coffee Milk Chocolate 40% Cacao (bar) was from

Aroma notes included: slightly earthy coffee and dark milk chocolate with a very faint (barely detectable) herbal and light vanilla.

Texture: rich, creamy milk chocolate surrounded a very generous helping of crunchy, ground coffee bits. (Chew well before swallowing due to slightly jagged coffee bean bit edges.)

Flavor notes included: creamy sweet milk chocolate blended with unsweetened, lightly roasted ground coffee, and light vanilla. Together the flavors harmonized well together, but the coffee grit was a little distracting.*

I enjoyed the relatively long, authentic mocha finish. 

And I appreciated the use of Arriba Nacional cacao; the fact this bar was made "in country" (in Ecuador where beans are grown); the mocha flavors in this Ecuador bar; and the makers striving to be the connection (conexion) between small Ecuadorian cacao farmers and end customers across the globe. 

Ingredients: Cacao mass, cane sugar, milk powder, cacao butter, coffee, natural vanilla, sunflower lecithin.

Allergen-related information: Contains Milk. "Produced in a facility that also handles dairy and" "Gluten Free" "Soy Free"

Chocolate Tree - Hazelnut Gianduja 40% Bean to Bar (bar) - May 15, 2026

Chocolate of the Day

Chocolate Tree
Hazelnut Gianduja 40% Bean to Bar (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.25 oz. (35 g.) / 2.5 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 191 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Chocolate Dispensary, online order

Bacio di Latte Gelateria
2 flavors: Giandujotto (Hazelnut & Chocolate) + Caffe & Caramellatte (Coffee & Caramel)
Good+ - ++
Weight: Unknown (1 grande cup with 2 flavors)

Calories: Unknown
Cost: $11.95 for 1 grande (large) cup

Purchased from: Bacio di Latte Gelateria

Welcome to Day #14 of Chocolate & Colombia Week, and Day #3 of Chocolate and Coffee Theme Week.

I celebrated today with two creamy hazelnut items--a bar crafted with Colombian cacao and two scoops of gelato: a gianduja flavor and a coffee + caramel flavor.

Hazelnut Gianduja 40% Bean to Bar (bar)

This Gianduja 40% bar was from Knowes Farm in Scotland. 

The heirloom cacao used to make this bar was from Colombia. "The roasted hazelnuts were stoneground together with rare ancestral cacao from the Arhuaco indigenous community of the Sierra Nevada mountains in Colombia."

Aroma and flavor notes included: sweet, soft chocolate with creamy, fully incorporated hazelnuts. 

The texture was indeed creamy and almost velvety soft. But the chocolate was firm enough to maintain a beautiful interlocking bird pattern on one side of the bar (from the chocolate mould (mold) that shaped it).

I loved the appearance of this bar and subtle flavors in this rich, sweet gianduja confection of a bar. I was surprised it did not contain milk, given the ultra-smooth, creamy texture.

Maker's Tasting Notes: "Hazelnuts, Toffee, Sesame. Pair with: Prosecco, Fresh Bread."

Ingredients: Organic Hazelnuts (30%), organic cocoa beans, organic sugar, organic cocoa butter.

Allergen-related information: Contained Hazelnuts. "Dairy is used in our factory." 

Bacio di Latte Gelateria

And to fulfill the "coffee" portion of the overlapping Colombia and Coffee theme weeks today, I visited a newly opened gelateria in Palo Alto, CA. This was the first location in the San Francisco Bay Area for this Brazilian gelato brand.

I tried two of their flavors: Chocolate Hazelnut -- creamy chocolate and gianduja flavors with whole hazelnuts -- and Coffee and Caramel gelato that had pleasing coffee caramel latte flavor. 

Their gelato was sweet (as expected), smooth and balanced with authentic, Italian flavors. 

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.)

Coco - Isle of Skye Sea Salt Milk Chocolate (bar) - July 14, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Coco
Isle of Skye Sea Salt Milk Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.41 oz. (40 g.) / 2.82 oz. (80 g.) in total bar
Calories: 227.48 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: N/A - gift from a friend - thank you Wendy!
Purchased from: N/A - gift

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate and Salt Theme Week.

Today's Isle of Skye Sea Salt Milk Chocolate 40% (bar) was from Coco Chocolatier (South Queensferry, Scotland).

The colorful wrapper for this truly international bar--made in Scotland using Colombian cacao--was designed by "France-based Les Canailles." Perfect for Bastille Day today...And this chocolate was a gift from friends in Minnesota to me, in California. Thank you Wendy!

Aroma and flavor notes included sweet and creamy milk chocolate, lightly salted, with very faint vanilla.

I liked the creamy texture and taste. This 40% cacao bar was sweet and relatively addictive ("more-ish") due to sugar, salt and fat blend. Those with a sweet tooth will likely enjoy this chocolate. 

The subtle Isle of Skye sea salt (from Scotland) helped balance out the relatively high level of sweetness.

A sweet milk chocolate bar can mute some more subtle naturally occurring cacao flavors; but the choice of higher-quality, single origin cacao (as in this bar) elevated the overall taste. Thank you to Coco for using Colombian cacao for this bar.

Ingredients: Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Cocoa Mass, Milk Powder 14.5%, Emulsifier: Non-GMO Soya Lecithin, Natural Vanilla Flavour, Isle of Skye Sea Salt (<1%), Cocoa Solids: 40% Minimum.

Allergen-related information: Contains Milk, Soya. May Contain Traces of Peanuts, Nuts and Gluten.

 

Leith Chocolate - Lavender Milk Chocolate 40% (bar) - May 22, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Leith Chocolate
Lavender Milk Chocolate 40% (bar)

Good + - Good ++

Weight: 1.41 oz. (40 g.) / 2.82 oz. (80 g.) in total bar
Calories: 219 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $3.84 (sale) for 1 bar
Purchased from: World Market, Mountain View, CA

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate and Flowers Theme Week.

Today's Lavender Milk Chocolate 40% cocoa (bar) from Leith Chocolate EU (Belfast/South Queensferry, Scotland) was made in Scotland.

The company takes their name from the once bustling sea port of Leith that once the gateway to Scotland. The port neighborhood has more recently become a creative hub, home to several artisan makers creating goods for export.

Leith Chocolate sources cacao from South America to make their line of chocolates. And the cacao origin for today's bar was Colombia.

Aroma notes included: milk chocolate, lavender and warm vanilla.

This smooth, creamy bar kept it simple with three primary well-blended flavors: sweet milk chocolate, lavender and vanilla, that all harmonized very nicely. 

It was hard to taste cacao flavor nuances due to a relatively high percentage of sugar (and milk). While a bit sweet for me, I enjoyed the authentic lavender (and mellow vanilla) floral flavors. 

This Leith chocolate would be a great choice if you fancy flower flavors and have a milk chocolate sweet tooth.

Ingredients: Milk chocolate (sugar, cocoa butter, cocoa liquor, milk powder, emulsifier, non-GMO soy lecithin, natural vanilla extract), lavender oil. Cocoa solids. 40% minimum.

Allergen-related information: Made in a factory that handles dairy, peanuts, soy and tree nuts.

Kaitxo - Txokolate Con Leche - Regaliz y Violetas - Apr. 23, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Kaitxo

Txokolate Con Leche - Regaliz y Violetas

Good ++ - Good +++

Weight: 1.2 oz. (35 g.) / 2.4 oz. (70 g.) in total bar

Calories: 190 calories in 1/2 bar

Cost: $8.50 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate and Flowers Theme Week.

Today's Txokolate Con Leche Regaliz y Violetas (Milk Chocolate Liquorice and Violets) bar was made in Spain by Kaitxo Kraft Basque Txokolate (Balmaseda, Spain).

Chocolate almost always has an international story to tell. This bar included ingredients from at least two different continents. European licorice is some of the best--made from licorice root from Europe and Asia. Edible violets/viola flowers can be found in Europe, North America and elsewhere. And the cacao used to make this bar was grown in Peru, according to the packaging.

The chocolate smelled at its best and most intriguing after being open for a few minutes. (Like some fine wines, some higher-end, craft and single origin chocolates can benefit from being allowed to "breathe" a bit after first being opened.) Aroma notes included: chocolate (clay soil, light nut and wood, chocolate-y), light floral (violet, vanilla) and very faint herbal (root) notes. 

Smooth, creamy milk chocolate was punctuated by crunchy, sugary violet flower (candied violet) bits.

This milk chocolate bar had a pleasing, harmonic complexity. Skillfully made, the sweet slightly earthy, nutty chocolate was balanced by the somewhat "darker" licorice (liquorice) root flavor and brightened by the subtle floral notes from the candied violets. A faint hint of uplifting vanilla added warmth. 

The end result was a subtle undulation of flavors that served as a fitting celebration of spring, temperate rain forests, gardens, and chocolate + botanical blends--all on my list of favorite things. 

This bar would also be a fun gift, especially for those who appreciate flavors like root beer and authentic licorice root. The licorice was important, but relatively subtle and well-managed in this bar.

Ingredients: Sugar, powdered milk, cacao, cacao butter, emulsifier (soya lecithin), vanilla extract, liquorice (2%), and violets (1%).

Allergen-related information: "May contains (sic) traces of peanuts, tree nuts and soy, wheat and milk products."

Raven Rising - Paw Paw in Cacao Barry Ghana Milk Chocolate - Nov. 22, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Raven Rising 

Paw Paw in Cacao Barry Ghana Milk Chocolate

Good ++

Weight: .5 oz. (14 g.) / 6 oz. (168 g.) (estimate, per label) in total box of 12 pieces

Calories: 43.4 calories (estimate, per label) in 1 piece

Cost: $37.50 for 1 box of 12 chocolates (4 different flavors) (+ shipping)

Purchased from: Raven Rising, Sudbury, Ontario, Canada

Welcome to Day #1 of Chocolate and Fruits Theme Weeks, beginning with a filled chocolate flavored with paw paw--a relatively rare. exotic-tasting fruit endemic to North America.*

Today's Paw Paw* filled chocolate was created using Ghana milk chocolate. This flavor was part of an intriguing, 4-flavor assortment box from Raven Rising (Sudbury, Ontario, Canada). 

The company offers "Global Indigenous Chocolates" that include local/native ingredients (flavor inclusions) and ingredients sourced from Indigenous people and businesses where possible. Pastry Chef, Owner and Chief Chocolatier, Tammy Maki, at Raven Rising produces a variety of well-executed and interesting bars and confections. She uses chocolate from Barry Callebaut Group** (Zurich, Switzerland) for her creations. Maki is a "proud Saulteaux Ojibwe Kwe from White Bear First Nation in Saskatchewan" (Canada).

Aroma

The milk chocolate shell (colored an attractive paw paw peel green) had a rich, nuanced chocolate aroma with true chocolate (faint brownie) as well as faint fruit, nut and earth notes. 

Flavor

The taste of the creamy ganache filling (combined with the chocolate outer shell) contained notes of mango + banana + sweet citrus + over-ripe, almost boozy, nutty earthy pear + custard apple. Although diluted a bit by the cream, sugar and milk chocolate, happily, traces of this unique paw paw fruit flavor shone through.

Ingredients: Ghana 40% milk chocolate (sugar, cocoa butter, whole milk powder, unsweetened Ghana chocolate, soy lecithin, vanilla bean seeds), paw paw (paw paw fruit, invert sugar)

Allergen-related information: Contains dairy (milk), soy (lecithin).

*The paw-paw fruit (approximately 4-5 inches long) resembles an elongated kidney-shaped green pear on the outside. (The skin darkens considerably to an avocado black-green as it ripens or if bruised.) The fruit inside is a yellow to yellow-orange flesh that evokes a blend of mango, banana, citrus and custard apple. The fleshy center contains several relatively large brown seeds (about the same size as cacao seeds (beans)).

While found primarily East of the Rocky Mountains in the U.S., this fruit is also cultivated on the West Coast (including small, specialty orchards in California).

Perhaps most notably, the paw paw is thought to be the largest fruit native to North America. (It's a bit larger/longer than the relatively small "American persimmon.") Both of these indigenous fruits (along with berries and smaller fruits) were cultivated and eaten by Indigenous Americans, primarily in the Eastern U.S. (and Canada) for centuries before Europeans and others subsequently brought in larger fruits from around the globe: Europe, South America, Asia, Africa and Mediterranean and middle eastern countries.

**Barry Callebaut was created in 1996 after a merger between Belgian chocolate maker Callebaut and French chocolate producer Cacao Barry. Following the acquisition of the cocoa business from Petra Foods in 2013, Barry Callebaut became one of the largest producers of chocolate and cocoa products and suppliers to confectioners, chocolatiers and chefs worldwide.

Gallette Chocolates - 40% Milk Chocolate bar - June 16, 2020

Chocolate of the Day: 

Gallette Chocolates
40% Milk Chocolate bar
Good +
Weight: 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 500 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $9.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocosphere.com, online order

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate and Brazil Theme Week.

Today's 40% Milk Chocolate bar was from Gallette Chocolates (Sao Paolo, Brazil)--and it was the third Gallette chocolate bar made with Brazilian cacao that I've featured this week.

This 40% milk chocolate confection had a delightful caramel aroma. It was smooth and unapologetically sweet. Could I taste the chocolate underneath? No, not really. Maybe a tiny, slightly tart spark of Trinitario cacao (Bahia) fruit flavor with a micro-sliver of green fuel. At only 40 percent cacao solids....chocolate becomes more about the sugar. 

Earlier this week, I sampled a Gallette 70% robust Forastero bar from Bahia. And yesterday's Gallette 56% dark milk chocolate bar attempted a high dive into the middle of the Goldilocks zone* of the chocolate pool--running a risk of failing to satisfy tastes on either end. One could catch a glimmer of the cacao origins through the sweetness in the 56%-er where some cacao and milk/dairy flavors were still detectable.**

Today's 40% cacao honey-red toned beauty, dripping with caramel, lounged at the shallow end of the pool, shrugging its shoulders. It seemed to say: "What do you want? I am beautiful. I come from a good family, I engage in sustainable and fair trade practices. Take me or leave me; but your hankering for caramelized sugar, whole milk with a hint of cocoa will be satisfied." (Indeed it was.)***

*Goldilocks might have enjoyed tasting chocolates...

The Goldilocks zone reference dates back to a fairy tale,"Goldilocks and the Three Bears," from the 1800s. An early version was written by an Englishman, John Southey, and first was published as "The Story of the Three Bears" in the 1830s. A young Goldilocks (girl) character became more developed as the story grew more child-friendly in subsequent retellings.

In the story, Goldilocks visits a bears' home while the bears are away; and she searches for things that are not too hot or cold (bowls of porridge), not too big or small (chairs), and not too hard or soft (beds), ....until she finds things that are just right for her tastes.

More recently, the "Goldilocks zone" has come to mean an area around a star that might be habitable by life as we know it. A planet ripe for further study needs to be: not too hot (too close to a star, and not too cold (too far away from a star); and it needs to have the right amount of water; etc. 

The phrase "Goldilocks principle" has also been used in other contexts to refer to a balanced, middle ground (or something that is "just the right amount" as far as physical traits/parameters are concerned, and to quests for an impossible perfect middle, as in a search for the perfect mate.

**I look forward to trying higher percentage Gallette Chocolates bars made with Brazilian cacao (and other origins) in the future; and thank you to the family/founder(s) for helping to bring back great Brazilian cacao.

***Ingredients: cocoa beans, sugar, whole milk powder, cocoa butter and soy lecithin (emulsifier)

Hands Off My Chocolate - Milk Meets Dark - Nov. 6, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Hands Off My Chocolate
Milk Meets Dark
Good +
Weight: 1.75 oz. (50 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 277 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $6.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Missing information 

Welcome to Day #12 of Chocolate and Africa Theme Week.

Today's Milk Meets Dark chocolate was from Hands Off My Chocolate (Laren, North Holland, The Netherlands). Founders Kitty and Thomas set out in 2013 to make the best fairly traded Belgian chocolate possible.

The humorous "Hands Off My Chocolate" name for their company (recalling situations that many chocolate lovers have experienced) surfaced for the founders early on during initial trials and tastings.

Where do you hide your chocolate so that others can't find it? their website queries on one page. (Their website contains graphics that include a list of places people might choose to hide their chocolate.)

And, last but not least, each round piece that comprises the company's aggregate "bars" is printed with the word "Mine." Clever!

A blend of milk and dark chocolate resulted in a chocolate with a minimum of 39% cocoa solids, consisting of several round, bite-sized pieces fused together to make an aggregate "bar."

These thick, round pieces were fairly easy to break apart and eat. And the unique shapes created a fun tasting experience. The chocolate had a dark milk chocolate smooth texture and uniform sweet dark milk chocolate flavor with a hint of malt and vanilla.*

Belgian Chocolate - History
For many years Belgian chocolate was almost synonymous with African cacao. After all, West and Central African cacao-growing countries have been, geographically, the closest source of cacao for most European chocolate makers.

A European colonial history led to the growth of tea, coffee, cacao and other crops in many African nations in the 1800s and 1900s. For example, the former Gold Coast (now Ghana) used to be a British colony until 1959. Ivory Coast was a French colony until 1960. The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) used to be the Belgian Congo (1908 - 1960), as recently as 59 years ago.

Times have changed. Today's European chocolate makers, such as Hands Off My Chocolate and many others (including some featured this week) are committed to better, more equitable relationships with farmers. Today's chocolate was made using "Fair Belgian chocolate," alluding to fair trade practices** that generally result in higher prices being paid to farmers for their crops in developing nations.

*Ingredients: Sugar, cocoa mass, cocoa butter, whole milk powder, emulsifier (soy lecithin), natural vanilla flavoring.

**Built in to most fair trade organizations are also goals such as better working conditions and sustainable agricultural practices.

Copyright 2019. Unauthorized use of the text and/or images from this site, www.ChocolateBanquet.com, is a copyright violation.

Maison Bouche - Fleur de Pecher Milk Chocolate bar - June 2, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Maison Bouche
Fleur de Pecher (Peach Blossom) Milk Chocolate Bar
Good +
Weight: .55 oz. (15.5 g.) / 2.2 oz. (62 g.) in total bar
Calories: 82.5 calories (estimate) in 1/4 bar
Cost: $6.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA


Welcome to Day #10 of Chocolate and Flowers Theme Week.

Today's Fleur de Pecher (peach blossom) Milk Chocolate bar was from Maison Bouche (Oakland, CA).

Maison Bouche is a small batch, made to order, chocolatier and bakery in the San Francisco Bay Area. The packaging design for their bars continues to be classic, retro French with curved script lettering against muted colors.

This thick 40% cacao milk chocolate bar had a peach parfum aroma. The melt and texture was creamy smooth. The chocolate had sweet milk chocolate and natural peach flavor. It was a satisfying sweet confection that allowed one to fantasize what Paris in spring might have been like this year.*

Note: This bar contained a whisp of brown sugar and vanilla. Unfortunately it also contained barley malt extract, meaning it was not gluten free.

*The last few days Paris temperatures have reached highs of approx. 68 F (20 C) degrees. It's been about 12 degrees warmer in the SF Bay Area and our fruit tree blossoms had largely fluttered to the ground by early April. (Rosy notions of spring aside, I like being active outdoors and hiking, so I'd be quite happy with 68 F any day.)

Lily's - Double Chocolate Crunch bar - Dec. 31, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

Lily's
Double Chocolate Crunch bar
Good
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) in total bar
Calories: 110 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $1.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Sprouts Farmers Marketing, Mountain View, CA

Welcome to Day #6 of Crunchy Chocolate Week.

Today's Double Chocolate Crunch bar was distributed by Lily's Sweets, LLC (King of Prussia, PA).

The crunch in this bar was supplied by crisped brown rice and the texture was a hearty mix of creamy and crunchy. Tiny chocolate chips were embedded in this bar as well.

This Non-GMO, certified gluten free 40% chocolate bar was sweetened with stevia and brown rice syrup.

Frederic Blondeel - 40% Costa Rica Milk Chocolate Bar - Sept. 21, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Frederic Blondeel
40% Costa Rica Milk Chocolate Bar
Good - Good +
Weight: .8.36 oz. (18 g.) / 1.59 oz. (45 g.) in total bar
Calories: 90 calories in 2 strips (2/5 bar)
Cost: $6.99 (plus shipping) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Stars USA, online order

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate and Central America Theme Week.

Today's 40% Costa Rica Milk Chocolate Bar was manufactured (from bean-to-bar) by Frederic Blondeel (Veurne, Belgium) and imported to the U.S. by Chocolate Stars USA (Fairfield, NJ).

The bar was "Tablette I," the first of a series of single origin (milk and dark) tablettes (bars) from Frederic Blondeel. (Tomorrow we'll feature Tablette VI, a 70% Costa Rica Blondeel bar.)

Back to today's bar...This sweet chocolate bar had an aroma with hints of berry pie, raisin pie and vanilla caramel, a slightly gummy-creamy melt, and a sweet aftertaste.

The bar was comprised of five thin, monogrammed, horizontal "strips" that allowed for maximum access to flavor and texture.

With its high sugar content (#1 ingredient) and added vanilla—and relatively low cocoa mass content (#4 ingredient listed, after sugar, cocoa butter, whole milk powder)—this chocolate also conjured up the notion of a high-end candy bar.