The Organic House - Hazelnut Chocolate 55% Cacao (bar) - July 24, 2025

The Chocolate of the Day

The Organic House
Hazelnut Chocolate 55% Cacao (bar)

(Chocolat Aux Noisettes 55% Cacao)
Good ++
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 190 calories in 3/5 bar (in 30 g. serving)
Cost: $9.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Organic House, online order

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate and Nuts Theme Week.

Today's Hazelnut Chocolate 55% Cacao (bar) was from The Organic House (Burlington, ON, Canada).

The cacao used to make this chocolate was from Maya Mountain Cacao in southern Belize.

Aroma and flavor notes included: chocolate; sweet green/botanical/brown coconut sugar/honey/date/; and smooth (hazelnut butter-like) nuttiness.

Balanced and flavorful, I enjoyed the rich, creamy hazelnut butter-like texture. This 55% bar was sweet, but the sweetness level was moderated a bit by the cacao, the hazelnuts and by the use of coconut flower nectar. 

Maker's Tasting Notes: "Buttery notes of chocolate, hazelnut, honey, raisins and pineapple."

Ingredients: Organic cacao beans, Organic cacao butter, Organic hazelnuts, Organic coconut flower nectar. 

Allergen-related information: "Contains Hazelnuts. May contain: Almonds, Cashews, Oats, Pistaches"

Godavari Chocolate - Bon-fiction "The Coconut Covenant" 55% dark chocolate (bar) - Apr. 13, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Godavari Chocolate Inc.
Bon-fiction "The Coconut Covenant" 55% dark mylk chocolate with coconut sugar (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.94 oz. (55 g.) in total bar
Calories: 350 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $8.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Sigona's Market, Palo Alto, CA  

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate and India Week.

Today's Bon-fiction "The Coconut Covenant" 55% dark mylk chocolate with coconut sugar (bar) was made from tree-to-bar in India, and imported and distributed by Godavari Chocolate Inc. (Folsom, CA).

The cacao used to make this bar was "hand-picked from farms in the Godavari region of Southern India."

Aroma notes for this coconut mylk bar included: smooth, slightly fruity dark chocolate. The flavor notes were a richer version of these same aroma notes. There was a small, unexpected but tasty, uptick in spicy chili in one or two bites. And there was a pleasing, diffuse and faint tropical fruit (mango, cacao fruit/pulp) note. 

The coconut mylk and sugar flavors were pleasing, authentic; not too strong and not overly sweet (thank you!). (This was not your chain store coconut chocolate bar.)

The texture was very smooth, and fairly creamy/buttery.

I enjoyed the authentic, balanced and smooth cacao and coconut flavors, and the relatively low levels of acids/tannins and bitterness.

Ingredients: "Cocoa Beans, Coconut Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Coconut Milk Powder" 

Allergen-related information: "Manufactured in a facility that also processes: Milk, Peanuts, Almond, Cashew, Walnut, Coconut, Hazelnut, Pistachio." 

Godavari Chocolate Inc. - Bon-fiction "The Mango Menace" 55% dark chocolate (bar) - Apr. 12, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Godavari Chocolate Inc.
Bon-fiction "The Mango Menace" 55% dark chocolate (bar)
Good++
Weight: .97 oz. (27.5 g.) / 1.94 oz. (55 g.) in total bar
Calories: 155 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $8.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Sigona's Market, Palo Alto, CA  

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate and India Week.

Today's Bon-fiction "The Mango Menace" 55% dark chocolate, Alphonso mango and chilli chocolate (bar) was made from tree-to-bar in India, and imported and distributed by Godavari Chocolate Inc. (Folsom, CA).

The cacao used to make this bar was "hand-picked from farms in the Godavari region of Southern India."

Aroma notes for this single origin 55% chocolate included: rich dark chocolate with mango, and slight umami (chili, olive)--that I liked.

The texture was smooth and fairly buttery/creamy (it did not contain milk). The smooth chocolate was interspersed with gently crunchy, freeze dried mango bits.

Flavor notes included: smooth dark chocolate, authentic mango and upticks in chili heat.

Ingredients: "Cocoa Beans, Organic Cane Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Freeze Dried Mango, Mundu Chilli, Sunflower Lecithin" 

Allergen-related information: "Manufactured in a facility that also processes: Milk, Peanuts, Almond, Cashew, Walnut, Coconut, Hazelnut, Pistachio." 

Theo Chocolate - Organic Sweet & Spicy 55% Dark Chocolate (bar) - Mar. 11, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Theo Chocolate
Organic Sweet & Spicy 55% Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 1.4 oz. (39.5 g.) / 2.8 oz. (79 g.) in total bar
Calories: 140 calories in 1/3 bar (~213 cals in 1/2 bar)
Cost: $N/A - gift from a friend
Purchased from: N/A - gift from a friend 

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

This bar was not from Mexico; but it did contain the southwest trifecta of chocolate flavor inclusions: chocolate, vanilla, cinnamon* and cayenne pepper. 

Today's Organic Sweet & Spicy 55% Dark Chocolate (bar) was distributed by Theo Chocolate (Seattle, WA). This was a special gift from a friend who lives in Arizona. (Thank you Joy!)

Aroma and flavor notes included: smooth, sweet dark chocolate (dark chocolate cookie), interspersed with tiny crunchy bits of sweet brittle; and sparkles of warm spice (cinnamon) and occasional, tiny spikes of cayenne pepper heat.

This was, just as advertised, sweet and spicy chocolate with a touch of vanilla and warming spices. I liked the relatively short list of Organic and "Fair for life" (Fair Trade) ingredients, and the addition of a crunchy element (brittle).

Ingredients: Dark Chocolate* (Cocoa Beans*+, Cane Sugar*+, Cocoa Butter*+, Ground Vanilla Bean*), Brittle* (Sugar*, Rice Syrup*, Coconut Oil*, Sea Salt, Baking Soda), Cinnamon*, Cayenne*. 

(*Organic, +Fair Trade - Contains 89% Fair Trade Ingredients)

Allergen-related information: "Made on equipment that also process (sic) milk, peanuts, and tree nuts."

*Cinnamon may not be native to the Americas, but in just a few centuries it became firmly embedded in Mexico and the U.S. culinary (and chocolate) offerings.

Oodaalolly - 55% Premium Cacao Milk Chocolate with Mango (bar) - Jan. 20, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Oodaalolly
55% Premium Cacao Milk Chocolate with Mango (bar)
Good + - Good ++ 
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.12 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 170 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Oodaalolly, online order

Welcome to Day #12 of Chocolate and the Philippines Theme Week.

Today's 55% Premium Cacao Milk Chocolate with Mango (bar) was manufactured by Oodaalolly, A H&G (Richmond, CA), and was made with Philippine cacao.

Aroma notes for this bar included: smooth dark chocolate, subtle coconut (milk) and ripe fruit (mango).

This 55% coconut milk chocolate had rich, sweet chocolate-y flavor (high-end dark chocolate fudge sauce, ganache), and very slight tangy and earthy notes. 

Tiny clusters of mango pieces on the back of the bar added subtle, authentic tart-sweet mango flavor, and a bit of textural and visual interest. 

Maker's tasting notes "Savor the mellow sweetness of mango blended with our luscious coconut milk...a non-dairy delight."

Ingredients: "Organic Cacao Nibs, Organic Cane Sugar, Organic Cocoa Butter, Organic Dried Mango, Organic Coconut Milk Powder (Organic Coconut Milk, Organic Tapioca Maltodextrin, Organic Gum Acacia"

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

Kasama Chocolate - The Endless Summer (Philippines cacao) (bar) - Jan. 14, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Kasama Chocolate

"The Endless Summer" - Seasonal Release 55% Chocolate with Coconut Milk and Saba Banana (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.94 oz. (55 g.) in total bar
Calories: 329 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $13.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Kasama Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate and The Philippines Theme Week.

Today's "The Endless Summer" - Seasonal Release 55% Dark Chocolate with Coconut Milk and Saba Banana (bar) was from Kasama Chocolate (Vancouver, BC, Canada).

Tropical flavor inclusions and island origins are great for cold winter days. It was chilly outside today where I live; but this "Endless Summer" bar offered a welcome, virtual trip to the Philippines.

Aroma and flavor notes included: chocolate (dark ganache); sweet green (banana); and subtle, authentic coconut milk. 

There was also a faint and balanced fruit tanginess to this bar also; but it was hard to pin down whether it was coming from the cacao, the coconut milk, the banana or a combination of all the ingredients. In any case, it added a tiny bit of oomph to the overall taste. Not too tart or sour, but enough to add some interest--like a squirt of lime or lemon on a fruit salad.

Texture: The base chocolate had a creamy, almost silken, texture -- thanks to the combination of coconut milk and cocoa butter. 

The Saba* banana chips (pieces on the back of the bar) added subtle banana/plantain chip texture and flavor. The chips (a generous sprinkle of small, thin, crunchy pieces) were just right for my taste; and it was great to see a variety of banana that originated in the Philippines.

As with other Kasama Chocolate offerings, I appreciated the short list of quality ingredients. And I liked that the 55% cacao dark coconut milk bar had a richer, darker flavor (more like a 65%+ cacao dark chocolate) than some other dark milk chocolates.

Ingredients: "Cacao Beans*, Unrefined Cane Sugar*, Cacao Butter*, Coconut Milk Powder*, Saba Banana Chips, Sea Salt" (* = Organic)

Allergen-related information: Contains coconut. "Made in a facility that contains nuts."

*The Saba banana is a triploid hybrid cultivar, that originated in the Philippines. It's used in cooking and eating fresh.

Kasama Chocolate - 55% Goat's Milk, Philippines (bar) - Jan. 13, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Kasama Chocolate
55% Goat's Milk, Philippines (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.94 oz. (55 g.) in total bar
Calories: 318 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Kasama, online order

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate and The Philippines Theme Week.

Today's 55% Goat's Milk, Philippines (bar) was from Kasama Chocolate (Vancouver, BC, Canada).

Aroma notes included: smooth, dark milk chocolate with very faint, clean floral and light hay.

Texture: smooth dark milk chocolate with a clean, light mouthfeel and melt.

Flavor notes included: dark milk chocolate with a very small hint of goat milk (with no game-y or off notes). Think goat milk (metaphorically wrapped in freshly washed silk and) blended with rich cocoa.

Thank you to the makers for the short list of quality ingredients, and for the opportunity to try chocolates made with cacao from the Philippines.

Ingredients: Cacao Beans, "Unrefined Cane Sugar*, Cacao Butter*, Goat's Milk Powder (* = Organic) 

Allergen-related information: Contains Goat Milk. "Made in a facility that contains nuts." 

Public Chocolatory - Masala Chai 55% Dark Milk Chocolate (bar) - Dec. 13, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Public Chocolatory
Masala Chai 55% Dark Milk Chocolate (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.12 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 168 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $18.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

Welcome to Day #2 of Chocolate and Chai Theme Week, featuring chocolates with chai spice blends, bars and drinking chocolate.

Today's Masala Chai 55% Dark Milk Chocolate (bar) (Batch No. MC240406) was from Public Chocolatory (Chuncheon-si, Gangwon-do, Republic of Korea). 

Aroma and flavor notes included: rich, dark milk chocolate, chai tea and spices (cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, and possibly (smaller amounts of) anise/fennel and black pepper.

Texture: This bar had a soft, silken, luxurious fudge-y texture. 

Together, the chai masala tea flavors (that were fully incorporated into the chocolate), the milk -- that contributed to the wonderful creamy, smooth texture conveyed the essence of a cup of warm chai tea -- and the sweetness, all made this chocolate a bit addictive (more-ish).

I also appreciated the thoughtful execution and the short list of quality ingredients.

Ingredients: "Cacao Beans, Organic Cane Sugar, Cacao Butter, Whole Milk Powder, Masala Chai Tea"

Allergen-related information: Contains Milk. 

Honoka'a Chocolate - 55% Cacao Drunken Goat Milk Chocolate (bar) - Nov. 27, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Honoka'a Chocolate
55% Cacao Drunken Goat Milk Chocolate (bar)  
Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar 
Calories: 180 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $16.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Honoka'a Chocolate, online order

Aloha and welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate and Spirits Theme Week.

Today's 55% Cacao Drunken Goat Milk Chocolate (bar) was from Honoka'a Chocolate (Honoka'a, HI). Honoka'a is a small town on the green, lush Hamakua coast on the northeast side of the Big Island of Hawaii.

This bar was made with "Kahlua infused Ecuadorian (Camino Verde Fermentary) cacao with a hint of organic cane sugar and goat milk." To make this barrel-aged bar, cacao nibs and Kahlua were "aged in oak barrels for 4 to 5 months before processing into chocolate."

Aroma notes included: rich milk chocolate (mild, with a refreshing clean edge to it). 

Texture: thick and creamy, with a luxuriously thick mouthfeel and clean melt. Very faint, fleeting (barely there) astringency in the finish.

Flavor notes included: dark milk chocolate with very faint caramel. I did sense a super faint plant stalks and muffled wood from the barrel aging process; but these notes were so subtle as to be undetectable. There were no strong acid or bitter notes.

For a 55% chocolate, this was not too sweet (thank you). The relative lack of sugar meant it was easier to taste the subtle nuances of flavor in the chocolate and the milk.

I appreciated the creamy texture; the clean taste of the goat milk; the delicate caramel; the short list of ingredients; and a wee bit of intriguing complexity. 

It felt like taking a quiet walk outside in the fog, with clean, recently rain-washed air. There was no strong weather here; but it was a refreshing, interesting walk well worth taking.

I recommend adding this bar to a dark milk tasting flight (side-by-side tasting with other dark milk chocolate bars). This bar might help show tasters that the type and quality of the milk used in a chocolate bar does matter. And that dark milks don't always have to be very sweet to be enjoyable.

Ingredients: Ecuadorian cacao (Camino Verde Fermentary), organic turbinado cane sugar, organic goat milk.

Allergen-related information: Contains: Dairy

Lydgate Farms - 55% Dark Chocolate Covered Macadamia Nuts - Nov. 15, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Lydgate Farms Chocolate 
55% Dark Chocolate Covered Macadamia Nuts  
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 2 oz. (56.6 g.) / 4 oz. (113 g.) in total package 
Calories: 310 calories (estimate) in 1/2 container
Cost: $20.00 + shipping for 1 package
Purchased from: Lydgate Farms, online order

Welcome to Day #9 of Chocolate and Hawaii Theme Week.

Today's 55% Dark Chocolate Covered Macadamia Nuts from Lydgate Farms (Kapa'a, HI) were manufactured for Lydgate by Feve Chocolates (San Francisco, CA).

Aroma notes included: chocolate (dark ganache) and sweet nut (cashew shortbread cookie).

The texture was a blend of softly crunchy macadamia nuts covered with a smooth, creamy dark chocolate.

The chocolate covering was just thick enough to add flavor, depth and chocolate richness, but not so thick that it prevented the subtler sugar, light caramel, vanilla, salt and macadamia nut flavor notes to shine.

I really enjoyed these well-executed, well-balanced, flavorful and slightly addictive Hawaiian cacao and macadamia nut confections. Definitely a cut above what you'll usually find in stores.

Ingredients: Hawaiian macadamia nuts, dark chocolate (Hawaiian cacao beans, cane sugar, cocoa butter, sunflower lecithin, vanilla beans), sugar, salt, cocoa butter, cocoa powder 

Allergen-related information:  Contains tree nuts (macadamia). 

Public Chocolatory - Dark Chocolate with Ginseng (bar) & Oat "Milk" Chocolate (bar) - Aug. 7, 2024

Chocolate(s) of the Day

Public Chocolatory

70% Cacao Dark Chocolate with Ginseng (bar)
Good +++
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 200 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $21.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

55% Cacao Dark Milk Oat bar
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 199 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $18.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate and Horses Theme Week, with items ranging from chocolate ponies and horseshoe novelty chocolate confections to bean-to-bar chocolates.

Both today's 70% Dark Chocolate with Ginseng bar and 55% Chocolate with Oats bar were from Public Chocolatory, a small batch bean-to-bar chocolate maker in South Korea (Chuncheon-si, Gangwon-do, Republic of Korea). 

The company's founder and head chocolate maker Emily Paek works with local farmers in the Chuncheon area that grow potential flavor additions, e.g. high-quality gingseng.

Dark Chocolate with Gingseng bar

The 70% Dark Gingseng bar cover art showed a woman galloping on a horse toward dark green (forested) mountains in the distance. And the 55% Dark Oat bar showed a woman seated at an easel in the middle of a field of oats peacefully painting the fields, birds in the air, and a house in the distance. These two illustrations conveyed characters on a journey. The horse was perhaps a nod to tradition.

The complex and intriguing aroma for this dark chocolate was lovely -- herbal (licorice) and forest notes (deep dark pine forest with an uplifting, almost sweet, woody note).

The flavor captured all of the above--and revealed a few more sweet woodsy, earth, root and spice notes.

The texture was smooth, almost silken, with a slightly hearty, even melt. 

Ingredients: Cacao Beans, Organic Cane Sugar, Cacao Butter, Korean Wild Gingseng

Chocolate with Oats bar

The aroma and flavor of authentic and subtle oat, oatstraw/sweet hay and tea notes were fully incorporated into this very slightly lighter-hued chocolate. And these lovely grain-related notes persisted into the finish. It was a high-end version of an oat "milk" chocolate bar.

This Oat bar had the same smooth, polished, even texture that the Gingseng bar had.

Ingredients: Cacao Beans, Organic Cane Sugar, Cacao Butter, Oats

Both bars were thoughtfully and skillfully executed, and galloping with charm and local authentic Korean flavors. 

Emerald City Foods - Hot Salted Sriracha 55% Dark Chocolate (bar) - July 17, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Emerald City Foods
Hot Salted Sriracha Chocolate 55% Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.25 oz. (35.5 g.) / 2.5 oz. (71 g.) in total bar
Calories: 186 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $ Missing information

Purchased from: The Market at Edgewood, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's Hot Salted Sriracha 55% Dark Chocolate (bar) was distributed by Emerald City Foods, Seattle, WA.

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate and faint, slightly savory/salty (seaweed soup).

The texture was relatively creamy and was accented by tiny crunchy grains of salt and seasoning.

Flavor notes included: smooth, sweet, dark chocolate; and just the right amount of salt and Sriracha style spices (not too much, not too little) -- at least for my taste.

I loved the savory, umami-like flavors in this bar, and that it wasn't too sweet or flaming hot (thank you!).

Ingredients: Dark Chocolate (Cocoa Liquor, Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Soy Lecithin), Himalayan Sea Salt, Sriracha Seasoning: Maltrin, Sugar, Salt, Garlic, Tocopherols, Paprika Oil (for color), Sriracha Powder (Sriracha Sauce, Sodium Alginate, Carrageenan, Cellulose Gum, Silicon Dioxide, Sunflower Lecithin), Capsicum Oleoresin, Yeast Extract), Vinegar, Citric Acid.

Allergens: Contains Soy, Sulfites. "This product is manufactured at a plant that processes milk, soy, tree nuts and peanuts."

Chocolove - 55% Cocoa - Salted Almond Butter in Dark Chocolate (bar) - May 10, 2024

Chocolate of The Day 

Chocolove
55% Cocoa Salted Almond Butter in Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 1.6 oz. (45 g.) / 3.2 oz. (90 g.) in total bar
Calories: 240 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $3.49 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Piazza's, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Chocolate Banquet, and a transition day between Chocolate and Virtual Caribbean Cruise and Chocolate and Dates Theme Week.

Today's 55% Cocoa Salted Almond Butter in Dark Chocolate (bar) was from Chocolove (Boulder, CO).

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate (faint roasted, ultra-dark but smooth, Forastero-like variety cacao).

Texture: relatively thick smooth dark chocolate encasing a thick, rich, nutty almond butter filling.

Flavor notes included: ultra-dark, bold dark chocolate (rich, dark, drinking chocolate), very faint graham cracker, and lightly salted almond butter filling. It was quite "dark" for 55% Cacao chocolate, but also relatively smooth. The almond butter added mellow, nutty flavor.

So where's the Caribbean in this chocolate? I paired this bar with plantain chips and nances (small fruits that look like yellow cherries) -- two popular Caribbean fruits/foods that complemented this U.S.-made chocolate. It's back to the virtual mainland today.

Ingredients: Dark Chocolate (Cocoa Liquor**, Sugar, Cocoa Butter**, Soy Lecithin and/or Sunflower Lecithin, Vanilla), Almond Butter (Dry Roasted Unblanched Almonds), Milk Chocolate (Sugar, Cocoa Butter**, Milk, Cocoa Liquor**, Soy Lecithin and/or Sunflower Lecithin, Vanilla), Organic Palm Fruit Oil, Organic Butter Oil, Sea Salt, Sunflower Lecithin. (** Rainforest Alliance Certified. Find out more at RA.org.)

Allergen-related information: Contains: Almonds, Milk, Soy. "Made in a Facility That Also Processes Eggs, Peanuts, And Other Tree Nuts."

Chocolove - Bites - Peppermint Creme in 55% Dark Chocolate - Mar. 8, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Chocolove 
Bites - Peppermint Creme in 55% Dark Chocolate
Good ++
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 7.05 oz. (200 g.) total package of 21 bites
Calories: 130 calories in 1 serving (3 pieces)
Cost: $9.99 for 1 package
Purchased from: FarmFresh, online order 

Welcome to Day #9 of Chocolate and Outdoors Theme Week--featuring granolas, trail mixes, tree-shaped chocolates and other outdoor-related chocolate items.

Today's individually-wrapped, tree-shaped Peppermint Cremes in 55% (Belgian) Dark Chocolate were from Chocolove (Boulder, CO).

Aroma notes for these chocolates "tree" bites included: hearty, smooth dark chocolate and aromatic creme-de-menthe peppermint.

The thick dark chocolate (pine-tree shaped) outer shell was firm, almost crunchy in a cool room (64 degrees F.), and provided good protection for the soft, white, fondant center.

Flavor notes included: hearty, smooth dark chocolate (that tasted like it could've been 65% or even 70% dark chocolate) and zingy soft peppermint. 

This was a well-executed and tasty blend of authentic dark chocolate and peppermint -- two bold flavors that can stand up to, and complement, each other very nicely in the right proportions. I felt like I was up in the snow-covered Sierra mountains on a crisp, sunny day.

Ingredients: Dark Chocolate (Cocoa Liquor**, Sugar, Cocoa Butter**, Soy Lecithin and/or Sunflower Lecithin, Vanilla), Fondant (Cane Sugar, Glucose Syrup, Water), Tapioca Syrup, Cocoa Butter**, Peppermint Oil (**Rainforest Alliance Certified. Find out more at ra.org.)

Allergen-related information: "Contains Soy. Made In A Facility That Also Processes Milk, Eggs, Peanuts, and Tree Nuts."

 

Pump Street Chocolate - Maple Pecan 55% Milk Chocolate (bar) - Dec. 14, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Pump Street Chocolate
Maple Pecan 55% Milk Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 199.5 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $10.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa (online order)

Welcome to Day #1 of Chocolate and Ecuador Theme Week.

Today's Maple Pecan (bar) was made from bean-to-bar by Pump Street Limited (Suffolk, England). The company also produces baked goods. And, today's bar contained flakes of their pie crust.*

The cacao used to make this chocolate was from Hacienda Victoria, a single-estate farm in Guayas, near the Pacific Coast of Ecuador.

Aroma notes included: chocolate, fruit (cherry pie), pie crust, nuts (pecans), maple syrup and very faint fig.

Flavor notes were similar to the aroma notes above, with a bit more emphasis on the smooth dark milk chocolate. The cacao's subtle, natural stone fruit notes (cherry, peach) in combination with Pump Street's authentic buttery pie crust taste made me think of fruit pie. 

This 55% bar was relatively sweet. The flavors were interesting and well balanced and seemed perfect for a cool December day, with hints of pie and maple nut.

Ingredients: Cocoa beans, cane sugar, caramelised maple pecans (17.4%) (pecans (nuts), pure maple sugar, demerara sugar), cocoa butter, skimmed milk powder, pastry (7.4%) (wheat flour with added calcium, iron, niacin and thiamine, unsalted butter (milk), eggs, icing sugar, salt). Milk chocolate contains minimum cocoa solids (55%). 

Allergen-related information: Contains tree nut(s) (pecans), milk, wheat, eggs. May contain nuts and sesame seeds.

*The crust tasted great, but contained wheat; i.e. it was not gluten free. So I was unable to taste more than one bite. 

Stone Grindz Chocolate - Crystallized Ginger Coconut Milk Chocolate 55% Cacao (bar) - Nov. 5, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Stone Grindz Chocolate
Crystallized Ginger Coconut Milk Chocolate 55% Cacao (bar)

Good + - Good ++

Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar
Calories: 127 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.00 (+ shipping) for 1 bar 

Purchased from: Stone Grindz, online order

Welcome to Day #1 of Chocolate and Coconut Theme Week.

Today's Crystallized Ginger Coconut Milk Chocolate 55% Cacao (bar) was made from bean to bar by Stone Grindz Chocolate (Scottsdale, AZ). Chocolate makers Kasey McCaslin and Steven Shipler craft small batch single origin chocolate bars, and several chocolates with flavor inclusions.

The award-winning coconut milk-based chocolate was made using cacao beans grown in Peru.

Aroma notes for this 55% cacao exotic chocolate included: relatively faint but rich, smooth chocolate; ginger; tart green-lemon herb; and very faint coconut milk and vanilla.

The base chocolate had a creamy, almost silky melt and texture. And a generous array of chewy candied ginger pieces added texture as well as flavor.

Flavor notes included: smooth chocolate, sweet spikes of candied ginger, lemongrass (oil) and a barely detectable dash of sea salt. There was a lot going on with this bar, but the flavors were balanced. 

Stone Grindz Makers' Tasting Notes: "Notes of candied ginger, coconut cream, lemongrass"

Ingredients: "Cacao*, Cacao Butter*, Cane Sugar*, Coconut*, Ginger*, Vanilla Bean, Ginger Oil, Lemongrass Oil, Sea Salt (* = Organically Farmed)

Allergen-related information: "Soy Free, Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Vegan"

 

Auro Chocolate - Mocha Crunch 55% Dark Chocolate with Arabica Coffee (bar) - Oct. 1, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Auro Chocolate
Mocha Crunch 55% Dark Chocolate with Arabica Coffee (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.12 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 163 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $7.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order 

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate and the Philippines Week, and Day #1 of Chocolate and Coffee Theme Week. 

Today's Mocha Crunch 55% Dark Chocolate with Arabica Coffee (bar) was produced by Auro Chocolate (Calamba City, Laguna, Philippines).

Aroma and flavor notes for this Mocha (bar) included: Rich dark chocolate; fragrant, freshly ground coffee; very faint sweet green botanical and red berry; and a slightly creamy nut butter finish.

The texture was a blend of smooth dark chocolate and crunchy bits of coffee bean.

This sweet chocolate (sugar was the number one ingredient), was balanced by the rich, nuanced dark flavors of high-quality cacao and coffee.

Ingredients: Cane sugar, cacao mass, cacao butter, Arabica coffee, soy lecithin (emulsifier)

Allergen-related information: "Contains soy. This product is manufactured in a facility that processes other products which may contain milk, oats, tree nuts, and peanuts."

K+M Chocolate - Milk Chocolate Truffle Fries 55% Bean to Bar - June 28, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

K+M Chocolate
Milk Chocolate Truffle Fries 55% (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: .95 oz. (27.5 g.) / 1.9 oz. (55 g.) in total bar
Calories: 148 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $10.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Sweet Shop, Los Altos, CA 

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate and Venezuela Theme Week. 

Today's Milk Chocolate Truffle Fries 55% Bean to Bar (bar) was from K+M Chocolate (Napa, CA). The company was formed by Chef Thomas Keller and Armando Manni.

This Truffle Fries bar was inspired by the namesake side (dish) at Chef Thomas Keller's Bouchon Bistro (Yountville, Napa County, CA).

My two favorite foods, potatoes and chocolate, both originated in South America. Today's chocolate was made with cacao grown in Ecuador and Venezuela, and contained bits of potato ("truffle fries") (terroir not known).

Full disclosure: I really enjoy trying chocolates with savory/umami flavor inclusions. Today's bar included flavors that were not only an homage to a chef's signature dish, but were also flavor notes naturally found in cacao (slight vegetable/potato and earth).

Aroma notes for this 55% dark milk included: dark milk chocolate; subtle, savory potato dish; and very faint truffle. 

The melt and mouthfeel were creamy; and the tiny pieces of shoestring potato added a lightly salted, crunchy textural element.

Flavor notes included rich and satisfying dark milk chocolate malt with faint potato and even fainter slightly loamy earth (similar to some cacaos and black or white truffles).

I'd hoped for a fun and delicious tribute to two of my favorite foods. And this well-executed, balanced blend in a chocolate bar delivered.

Ingredients: Cacao, organic cane sugar, RBST-free whole milk powder (milk), organic cocoa butter, truffle oil (pure olive oil, white truffle aroma), shoestring potato (potato, cottonseed oil, salt), organic sunflower lecithin, sea salt.

Allergen-related information: (Contains milk.)

 

MIA - Ghana Gold - Cashew Milk Chocolate 55% (bar) - Mar. 29, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

MIA
Ghana Gold - Creamy Cashew Milk Chocolate 55% Cocoa (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42.5 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 250 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $2.49 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #2 of Chocolate and Ghana Theme Week.

Today's MIA Ghana Gold - Creamy Cashew Milk Chocolate 55% Cocoa (bar) was a product of Ghana and distributed by Kuanza Ltd. (London, UK).

MIA produces chocolates (bars) made using cacao grown in Africa; and, more significantly, produces finished chocolate in two African countries (Madagascar and Ghana). Only a small percent of chocolate bars are made from bean to bar in Africa.

This chocolate was part of the company's "Ghana Gold" series of bars (announced in 2022) made with single origin Ghana cacao.*

This bar had creamy, smooth very finely ground nut butter texture. And aroma and flavor notes for this included: cocoa (ganache), sweet green (honeydew melon), faint floral, and nut cookie.

The cashew milk helped moderate the sweetness of this 55% cacao chocolate; and the finish was relatively mild.

Ingredients: Cocoa mass, cane sugar, cashews (12%), cocoa butter, emulsifier (sunflower lecithin), salt. Minimum cocoa solids: 55%.

Allergen-related information: (Contained cashews.) "May contain traces of tree nuts, peanuts and milk."

*MIA is a brand of Kuanza Ltd. MIA co-founders, Brett Beach and Sarah Lescrauwaet, lived in Africa for seven years. While Africa produces the bulk (approximately 70%) of the world's cacao, only 1% of finished chocolate is produced in Africa. 

Brett and Sarah saw an opportunity to make finished chocolate "in country" where the farmers and producer communities can benefit from proceeds that normally flow out of Africa and into manufacturing centers in other nations.

MIA Ghana Gold Ginger Cashew Milk Chocolate 55% Cocoa (bar) - Mar. 28, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

MIA
Ghana Gold - Ginger Cashew Milk Chocolate 55% Cocoa (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42.5 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 250 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $2.49 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate and Ginger Theme Week, and Day #1 of Chocolate and Ghana Theme Week.

Today's MIA Ghana Gold - Ginger Cashew Milk Chocolate 55% Cocoa (bar) was a product of Ghana and distributed by Kuanza Ltd. (London, UK), and part of the company's "Ghana Gold" series of bars (announced in 2022) made with single origin Ghana cacao.*

MIA produces chocolates (bars) made using cacao grown in Africa; and, more significantly, produces finished chocolate in two African countries (Madagascar and Ghana). Only a small percent of chocolate bars are made from bean to bar in Africa.

Aroma notes for this bar included: chocolate sweet green, graham cracker and faint ginger spice and floral spice (similar to vanilla).

This smooth, creamy 55% cashew milk chocolate had pleasing cocoa, "milk" chocolate, mild nut and ginger flavor, and very faint, fleeting earth notes. (The ginger was in the form of added flavoring/"aroma" rather than pieces of candied ginger.)

This smooth "comfort food" chocolate was made using cacao from Ghana. The ginger warmth and milky cocoa flavor made it a great choice for a cold weather treat.

Ingredients: Cocoa mass, cane sugar, cashews (12%), cocoa butter, emulsifier (sunflower lecithin), ginger aroma (<1%), salt. Minimum cocoa solids: 55%.

Allergen-related information: (Contains cashews.) May contain traces of tree nuts, peanuts and milk.

*MIA is a brand of Kuanza Ltd. MIA co-founders, Brett Beach and Sarah Lescrauwaet, lived in Africa for seven years. While Africa produces the bulk (approximately 70%) of the world's cacao, only 1% of finished chocolate is produced in Africa. 

Most of the time cacao beans are shipped to other countries. Brett and Sarah saw an opportunity to make finished chocolate "in country" where the farmers and producer communities can reap more of the financial benefits--proceeds that normally flow out of Africa and into manufacturing centers in other nations.