Kessho - Sichuan Hot Pot Dark Chocolate 62% Cacao (bar) - Sept. 5, 2026

Chocolate of The Day

Kessho
Sichuan Hot Pot Dark Chocolate 62% Cacao (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.12 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 172.5 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Dispensary, online order

Welcome to Day #8 of Savory Chocolates Theme Week.  

Today's Sichuan Hot Pot Dark Chocolate 62% Cacao (bar) was handcrafted in Austin, TX, and distributed by Kessho, LLC (Austin, TX).

Aroma and flavor notes for this bar included: aromatic and flavorful Sichuan green peppercorns, light toasty/nutty (sesame seeds), dark chocolate, and a bit of chili heat at the end. 

The Sichuan peppercorns left my mouth tingling--what I expected. But they also had a delicate side: a pleasing, almost floral, clean green flavor.

Texture: smooth, almost velvety dark chocolate with some gentle texture from the layer of sesame seeds pressed into the back side.

The textures and flavors were authentic and balanced; and the savory flavors were relatively subtle. (The salt level was more subtle (less) than expected.)

I appreciated this successful take on a dish with complex elements, and the maker's choice of a single origin cacao: from the Semuliki Forest in Uganda.

Maker's Tasting Notes: "Umami, toasted sesame, nutty spice, numbing pepper. Heat level: mild, flavor-forward"

Ingredients: "Whole cocoa beans, sugar, cocoa butter, roasted white sesame seeds, fermented black beans, Sichuan green pepper powder, chili powder, sea salt"

Allergen-related information: "Made in a facility that also processes tree nuts, wheat, sesame and eggs."

Askinosie - 62% Dark Milk Chocolate + Fleur de Sel (bar) - Aug. 28, 2026

Chocolate of The Day

Askinosie Chocolate 
62% Dark Milk Chocolate + Fleur de Sel (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 2 oz. (56 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 320 calories in 2/3 bar
Cost: $10.49 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Whole Foods Market, Los Altos, CA

Welcome to Day #11 of Chocolate & The Philippines Theme Week.

Today's Good Food Awards winner: a 62% Dark Milk Chocolate + Fleur de Sel (bar) was from Askinosie Chocolate (Springfield, MO).

This bean-to-bar dark milk chocolate was made using (Trinitario variety) cacao from the Philippines.

Aroma and flavor notes for this well-executed, single origin bar included: satisfying dark milk chocolate with faint caramel (organic cane sugar); very faint (almost undetectable) goat milk; and subtle sea salt. 

Texture: wonderfully smooth, thick and creamy texture with a satisfying, even melt

I enjoyed the lovely texture and the smooth and balanced chocolate-y flavors. And I appreciated Askinosie's long history of highlighting cacao farmers and their stories on their packaging. Today's bar featured an image of cacao farmer Peter Cruz from Davao (in the Philippines).

Ingredients: "Davao, Philippines Cocoa Beans (Trinitario), Organic Cane Sugar, Cocoa Butter (Made in our factory with Davao beans--visit askinosie.com for details), Goat's Milk Powder, Sea Salt."

Allergen-related information: Contains Goat's Milk.

Mandala Chocolate - "Cloud Forest" 62% Cacao Organic dark chocolate (bar) - June 28, 2026

Chocolate of The Day

Mandala Chocolate
"Cloud Forest" 62% Cacao Organic dark chocolate (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 1.15 oz. (32.5 g.) / 2.3 oz. (65 g.) in total bar
Calories: 302 calories in 1/2 bar (151 calories in 1/4 bar (1 serving))
Cost: $10.80 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Xocolatl Garden, Carmel, CA 

Welcome to Day #13 of Chocolate and Earth, Mountains, Forests & Gardens Theme Week and Day #2 of Chocolate and Mushrooms Theme Week.

Today's "Cloud Forest" 62% Cacao Organic dark chocolate (bar) was from Mandala Naturals, LLC (Barnardsville, NC) and hand-crafted in Asheville, NC.

Aroma and flavor notes included smooth dark chocolate; gently fragrant herbs (similar to mint and lavender); very faint warm spices (cinnamon spice blend); and very faint lucuma (mild vanilla). 

Texture: smooth texture and melt

I enjoyed this bar. The diverse flavor blend was balanced, harmonious and slightly cooling--not unlike a cloud forest.

I wasn't able to taste the (Reishi and Chaga) mushrooms in this chocolate. There wasn't any mushroom powder graininess, or umami/earthy flavor, that would have given their presence away.

I appreciated the thoughtful sourcing and use of organic ingredients; the lack of additives; the company tagline "Cacao as Nourishment, Not Confection"; and the fact that the first ingredient listed was (heirloom) cacao*, followed by coconut sugar that wasn't too sweet. 

Ingredients: *Cacao, *Coconut Sugar, *Carob, *Sprouted Brown Rice Powder, *Lucuma, *Baobab, *Ginger, *Cinnamon, *Maca, *Siberian Ginseng (Eleuthero), +Reishi, +Chaga, *Cardamom, *Turmeric, *Black Pepper, Celtic Sea Salt (TM) (* = Organic; + = Organic & Wildcrafted)

Allergen-related information: (None found on package.)

*While not specifically stated on packaging for this bar, the cacao used to make this bar may have come from Maya Mountain Cacao--a centralized fermentary/cacao processing facility in Punta Gorda, Belize--a source mentioned on the company's website.

Fu Wan Chocolate - 62% Peach Red Oolong Tea (bar) - Apr. 30, 2026

Chocolate of the Day

Fun Wan Chocolate
62% Peach Red Oolong Tea (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) in total bar
Calories: 203 calories in 1 bar 

Cost: $17.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Oceana Market, Pacifica, CA

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate & Tea Theme Week.

Today's 62% Peach Red Oolong Tea (bar) was from Fu Wan Chocolate (Ping-Tung County, Taiwan).

Aroma and Flavor notes for this tea chocolate included: fruit (sweet peach); gentle chocolate; subtle floral, oolong tea; and barely detectable warm spice. 

Texture: very smooth dark chocolate with soft, candied peach pieces, and a barely detectable tea astringency in the finish.

I appreciated the relatively short list of quality ingredients and the subtle qualities of this bar. The sweet, honeyed peach bits had the most distinct flavor. The chocolate and tea flavors were quieter. I'd advise eating this chocolate slowly you can enjoy all three flavors.

Ingredients: Sugar, Cocoa Mass, Cacao Butter, Dried Peach (Taiwan Honey Peach, Sugar, Citric Acid), Red Oolong Tea Powder.

Allergen-related information: "This product is manufactured in a facility that also processes mango, egg, tree nuts, soy, milk, and milk products. Not recommended for individuals with allergies to these ingredients."

Fu Wan Chocolate - 62% Yuzu Oolong Tea Chocolate (bar) - Apr. 29, 2026

Chocolate of the Day

Fu Wan Chocolate
62% Yuzu Oolong Chocolate (bar)

Good ++  
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) in total bar
Calories: 203 calories in 1 bar
Cost:  $17.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Oceana Market, Pacifica, CA   `

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate & Tea Theme Week.

Today's 62% Yuzu Oolong Chocolate (bar) was from Fu Wan Chocolate (Ping-Tung County, Taiwan).

Aroma and Flavor notes for this tea chocolate included: gentle dark chocolate; tiny clumps of sweetened dried citrus fruit (very slightly peppery, yuzu*, sweet citrus peel); and faint floral oolong tea.

Texture: very smooth dark chocolate with chewy candied yuzu pieces, and a barely detectable tea astringency in the finish.

I enjoyed the dried, sweet and flavorful citrus/yuzu* bits. And I appreciated the relatively short list of quality ingredients. The candied tart-sweet citrus was stronger than the more subtle chocolate and tea flavors--likely OK as many people prefer subtle chocolate flavors. And this bar was balanced enough (if you eat it slowly) that one could enjoy all three flavors.

Ingredients: Sugar, Cocoa Mass, Cacao Butter, Diced Pomelo* (pomelo peel, sugar, starch syrup, brandy, alcohol flavoring) Oolong Tea Powder

Allergen-related information: "This product is manufactured in a facility that also processes mango, egg, tree nuts, soy, milk, and milk products. Not recommended for individuals with allergies to these ingredients."

*Note: Yuzu is different than pomelo. Both are citrus fruits. But, there is some linguistic overlap in terms of these fruit names. Apparently the yuzu and yuja citrus fruits (in Japan and Korea, respectively) has migrated to mean pomelo in modern China.

Fu Wan Chocolate Lychee Tie Guan Yin Tea Chocolate 62% (bar) - Apr. 28, 2026

Chocolate of the Day

Fu Wan Chocolate
Lychee Tie Guan Yin Tea Chocolate 62% (bar)

Good ++  
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) in total bar
Calories: 203 calories in 1 bar
Cost:  $17.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Oceana Market, Pacifica, CA   `

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate & Tea Theme Week.

Today's Lychee Tie Guan Yin Tea Chocolate 62% (bar) was from Fu Wan Chocolate (Ping-Tung County, Taiwan).

Aroma and Flavor notes for this fruit-forward chocolate included: gentle chocolate, sweetened dried fruit (authentic lychee) and faint oolong tea.

Texture: very smooth dark chocolate with chewy lychee pieces, and a barely detectable tea astringency in the finish.

I enjoyed the dried, sweet and flavorful lychee fruits. And I appreciated the relatively short list of quality ingredients. I would have loved to have tasted a bit more of the chocolate and tea flavors, but I think most people will prefer the blend of sweet, fruity and more subtle/balanced chocolate flavors in this bar.

Ingredients: Sugar, Cocoa Mass, Cacao Butter, Dried Lychee, Tieguanyin Tea Powder

Allergen-related information: "This product is manufactured in a facility that also processes mango, egg, tree nuts, soy, milk, and milk products. Not recommended for individuals with allergies to these ingredients."

Kakoa - 62% Cacao Tuzantan Chiapas Mexico - Coffee & Oat Milk (bar) - April 8, 2026

 Chocolate of the Day

Kakoa
62% Cacao Tuzantan Chiapas Mexico (bar) with Coffee, Oat Milk (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 2.11 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 327 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $13.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar & Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #23 of Chocolate & Mexico Theme Week(s).

Today's 62% Cacao Tuzantan Chiapas Mexico Coffee & Oat Milk (bar) (Batch #2814) was made by Kakoa (Rio Chico, Mexico City, Mexico). 

Aroma notes for this Special Edition bar included: dark chocolate; very faint, fleeting vegetable (nopales) and vinegar as well as very subtle dark/dried fruit/fruit acidity, coffee, and barely there honey, rice/oat and very faint mineral water.

Flavor notes: After letting the bar sit unwrapped for a few minutes, I tasted this bar. Any of the vegetable/vinegar notes that were in the initial aroma had dissipated, and I enjoyed the interplay between the authentic, and nuanced, rich coffee and cacao flavors. And the more I tasted, the more I liked this bar.

Texture: smooth melt with some astringency and tiny flecks of ground beans (coffee and maybe cacao). 

The very tiny pieces of crunchy coffee bean were a bit tough; but more intact pieces can help preserve some of the taste. (Pulverizing coffee to dust can reduce coffee flavor more quickly over time; while the cocoa butter in a tempered chocolate bar does help lock in flavors.)

The ground oats were subtle, and helped mellow and unite flavors; but they didn't have the physical smoothness of milk. (It's very difficult to replicate the creamy texture of dairy milk with just one ingredient.) Happily, I could not taste any oats; their incorporation was skillfully executed. 

I appreciated that this 62% bar wasn't overly sweet, and the short list of four quality ingredients, including single origin Mexican cacao from Tuzantan, Chiapas, Mexico.

Ingredients: Cocoa Beans, Sugar, Oats and Coffee 

Allergen-related information: May contain milk and tree nuts. (Manufactured in a facility that also processes milk and tree nuts.)

 

TCHO - Dark & Zesty 62% Cacao (bars) - Jan. 6, 2026

Chocolate of the Day

TCHO
"Dark & Zesty" - 62% Cacao (bars)
Good ++
Weight: 2.5 oz. (70 g.) in total package of 3 bars
Calories: 360 calories in 1 package of 3 bars
Cost: N/A - gift from a coworker
Purchased from: N/A - gift from a coworker

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate & Citrus Theme Week. 

Today's package of 3 individually-wrapped "Dark & Zesty" 62% Cacao (bars) was from TCHO Ventures Inc. (Berkeley, CA). 

This tasty and unapologetically orange chocolate was created as a small-batch chocolate collaboration between TCHO and The Florida Aquarium (Tampa, FL), and was given to me by the head zookeeper at the local Junior Museum & Zoo. (Thank you Sean!)

Aroma notes included: smooth dark chocolate infused with aromatic, authentic and vibrant orange. 

Texture: These individually-wrapped bars had an attractively smooth texture and melt.

Flavor notes included: a blend of smooth, sweet dark chocolate with a zesty blend of 62% cacao dark chocolate and sweet citrus (orange, orange juice, candied orange peel). The orange flavor was authentic and bright and lingered into the chocolate fudge and tart-sweet citrus finish. This was like one of those holiday chocolate oranges -- only better.

I really enjoyed this cheery, citrus-infused chocolate, even if it was on the sweet side. (Think 100% orange juice (frozen) bar covered in dark chocolate.) 

This bar was similar to other TCHO citrus flavored chocolates released recently (most notably the "Winter Squeeze" 62% Cacao bars with orange oomph and a hint of grapefruit). I hope today's bar (and the Lemon with Sea Salt and Olive Oil bar) join TCHO's permanent (year-round) collection.

Thank you to the makers at TCHO for using orange powder (rather than just natural flavors or orange essential oils (where taste/quality vary quite a bit)). The orange powder gave this bar a much more full-bodied and authentic citrus flavor; and evoked memories of fresh, backyard oranges in childhood that brightened up winter days.

I appreciated TCHO's use of Organic ingredients, as well as the use of Fair Trade cacao beans and cocoa butter.

Ingredients: Cacao Beans*+, Cane Sugar*, Cocoa Butter*+, Orange Powder (Orange Peel and Pulp)*, Sunflower Lecithin*,  Citic Acid, Natural Flavors*, Vanilla Beans*

(*Organic; +Fair Trade)

Allergen-related information: May contain tree nuts. 

TCHO - "Winter Squeeze" - 62% Smooth Dark Chocolate + Vibrant Orange - Jan. 4, 2026

Chocolate of the Day

TCHO
"Winter Squeeze" - 62% Cacao Smooth Dark Chocolate + Vibrant Orange
Good ++
Weight: 1.4 oz. (40 g.) for 2 bars / 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total package of 3 bars
Calories: 200 calories in 2/3 of the package (2 bars)
Cost: $11.99 for 1 package of 3 bars
Purchased from: TCHO, online order

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate & Citrus Theme Week. 

Today's "Winter Squeeze" 62% Cacao (bars) were from TCHO Ventures Inc. (Berkeley, CA).

Aroma notes included: smooth dark chocolate infused with aromatic, bold, authentic citrus (orange).

Flavor notes for these two individually-wrapped smaller bars (part of a package of 3) included: a relatively smooth, and certainly sweet, blend of 62% cacao dark chocolate and sweet citrus (orange juice, lime*, lemon*, pink grapefruit). The flavors in this winter waker-upper were authentic, bright. and bracing. 

I enjoyed this cheery, citrus-infused chocolate, even if it was on the sweet side. (Think 100% orange juice (frozen) bar covered in dark chocolate.) 

Thank you to the makers at TCHO for using orange powder (rather than just natural flavors or orange essential oils (whose taste/quality vary quite a bit)). The orange powder gave this bar a much more full-bodied and authentic citrus flavor; and evoked memories of freshly picked oranges in childhood that brightened up cold, damp January days then as well.

I also appreciated the use of Organic ingredients and the Organic certification, as well as the use of Fair Trade Certified cacao beans and cocoa butter.

*Orange and grapefruit were the citrus fruit flavorings in this bar. There was no lime or lemon.

Ingredients: Cacao Beans*+, Cane Sugar*, Cocoa Butter*+, Orange Powder (Orange Peel and Pulp)*, Sunflower Lecithin*,  Citic Acid, Natural Orange Flavor*, Natural Grapefruit Flavor, Vanilla Beans*

(*Organic; +Fair Trade Certified)

Allergen-related information: May contain tree nuts.

Fossa Chocolate - Mu Zha Tie Guan Yin Tea 62% dark (bar) - Sept. 20, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Fossa Chocolate
Mu Zha Tie Guan Yin Tea 62% dark (bar)
Good +++
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 138.5 calories in 1/2 bar 
Cost: $13.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Caputo's, online order

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

Today's Mu Zha Tie Guan Yin Tea 62% dark (bar) was from Fossa Chocolate Pte Ltd. (Singapore).

The cacao used to craft this Tea Chocolate collaboration bar was from Costa Esmeraldas (Emerald Coast), a family-owned cacao farm (estate) in northern, coastal Ecuador. The tea was from Pekoe & Imp (Singapore). (Note: I enjoyed a previous version of this bar made with Piura, Peru cacao in Dec. 2024.)

Oolong teas are meticulously processed and they fall between green and black teas. (All these teas are from the same Camellia sinensis plant species, but they're processed differently). Oolong teas are more oxidized than green teas but not fully oxidized like black teas. They have a clean, floral flavor--especially Ti Guan Yin oolong teas from southern China.

Aroma notes for this chocolate included: chocolate, faint toffee/gentle molasses, and clean (clean mineral), crisp (clear, almost sweet green) and floral oolong tea.

Texture: smooth and creamy with faint (tea, persimmon-like) astringency

Flavor notes included: smooth, friendly fudge-y, nuanced dark chocolate with subtle toffee/caramel; very diffuse fruit; faint floral and nut; and high-quality, floral oolong tea that lingered into a long and satisfying finish.

I loved this chocolate and tea blend -- so full of layered, balanced, gently complexity. Skillfully captured and nurtured single origin flavors that spanned two continents. The best of both worlds in one bar--enjoyed very much today, on a third continent. 

Maker's Tasting Notes: "Aroma of sweet toasty caramel and floral notes with a warming finish."

Ingredients: "Cacao, cane sugar, cacao butter, tea leaves"

Allergen-related information: "Produced in a facility that processes nuts & dairy" 

Fu-Wan Chocolate - Taiwan Red Oolong Tea 62% dark (bar) - Sept. 19, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Fu-Wan Chocolate
Taiwan Red Oolong Tea 62% dark (bar)
Good ++
Weight: .62 oz. (17.5 g.) / 1.236 oz. (35 g.) in total bar
Calories: 104 calories in 1/2 bar (207.9 cals. for 1 whole bar)
Cost: $18.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Caputo's, online order

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

Today's Taiwan Red Oolong Tea 62% dark (bar) was from Fu-Wan Chocolate (Ping-Tung County, Taiwan).

Red tea is generally a black tea known for its "juicy, fruity and honey notes," whereas red oolong tea offers a blend of these sweet and fruity notes + classical oolong tea flavors...Exactly what I tasted in today's Taiwan Red Oolong Tea chocolate.

Aroma and flavor notes for this tree-to-bar chocolate included: dark chocolate with brown sugar toffee, fruit (candied pineapple, date, persimmon), diffuse warm spices (cinnamon, ginger); and oolong tea (with slightly floral, clean mineral notes).

Texture: smooth and creamy with a slight (fruit, tea) astringency (slightly granular dryness).

I enjoyed the unexpectedly flavorful fruit, floral and toffee notes. All these aromas and flavors were coaxed from just four ingredients. 

Maker's Tasting Notes: Rose, Cardamom, Pistachio, Toffee

Ingredients: Ping Tung Cacao Liquor, Sugar, Cacao Butter, Taiwan Red Oolong Tea Powder

Allergen-related information: "May contain traces of nuts and milk."

Mirzam - 62% Dark Chocolate with Candied Oranges & Orange Infused Toffee (bar) - June 7, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Mirzam Chocolate Makers
62% Dark Chocolate with Candied Oranges & Orange Infused Toffee (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 73 calories in 1/2 bar (per label - 208 kcals per 100 g.)
Cost: $18.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar & Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #1 of Chocolate & Citrus Week, featuring bars and confections with a citrus flavor inclusion.

Today's 62% Dark Chocolate with Candied Oranges & Orange Infused Toffee (bar) from Mirzam Chocolate Makers was "made from bean bar in Dubai, United Arab Emirates" -- "crafted in collaboration with: @zandzdc."

Aroma notes included: lovely aromatic orange (ripe orange fruit, candied orange peel) and dark chocolate.

Texture: lots of crunchy orange toffee bits and creamy smooth dark chocolate.

Flavor notes included: orange-infused toffee bits encased in a smooth dark chocolate bar. 

Citrus lovers will really appreciate this high-end exotic citrus bar. This was a well-executed and balanced orange-zilla dark chocolate confection. The orange had some authentic zing but was not bitter or acidic. The dark chocolate balanced and complemented the sweet citrus elements, and played more of a supporting role. 

Ingredients: Cocoa beans, unrefined cane sugar, cocoa butter, butter, orange sweet oil, orange peel, glucose.

Allergen-related information: Contains dairy (butter). May contain traces of nuts and gluten. 

Fossa Chocolate - Mu Zha Tie Guan Yin Pekoe & Imp tea (bar) - Dec. 27, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Fossa Chocolate 
Mu Zha Tie Guan Yin - Pekoe & Imp Tea Chocolate (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 276.5 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $15.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar & Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #2 of Chocolate, Tea, Herbs and Spices Theme Week.

If you like oolong teas and dark chocolate, you will love this 62% dark bar--made using "fruity and floral" Peruvian cacao (from Puerta Pulache, Piura).

Aroma and flavor notes included: beautiful, authentic, faintly roast-y, traditional oolong tea and smooth dark chocolate. Oolong tea has elements of both green and black tea, but is in a class by itself.

The tea notes lingered into a pleasing, subtle, clean, astringent, green/floral tea finish that lasted for at least 30 seconds after the last bite of chocolate.

Texture: Very smooth (creamy, fudge-y) with a buttery melt. 

I loved the refreshing, faintly floral tea aroma, flavor and finish, and the short list of (four) ingredients. The Peruvian cacao seemed a perfect match with the oolong tea.

Maker's tasting notes: "Aroma of sweet toasty caramel and floral notes with a warming finish"

Ingredients: Cacao, cane sugar, cacao butter, tea leaves

Allergen-related information: "Produced in a facility that processes nuts & dairy."

Zotter - Labooko Dominican Republic 62% Dark Chocolate (bar) - May 7, 2024 (bonus entry)

Chocolate of the Day

Zotter
Dominican Republic 62% Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total package of 2 bars
Calories: 200 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $8.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Zotter, online order

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate and Virtual Caribbean Cruise Week. This bar was the second chocolate (bar) featured today--a bonus entry. 

Today's Dominican Republic 62% Dark Chocolate (bar) was made in Austria and distributed by Zotter USA LLC (Fort Myers, FL). It was created with cacao from Zorzal* in the Dominican Republic.

Aroma notes for this Fair Traded and Organic bar included: chocolate-y, faint green-white floral (orchid, lily).

The texture was smooth and creamy, almost like thick, creamy, high-end dark chocolate frosting (on a warm day).

Flavor notes included: rich chocolate-y (hot cocoa, chocolate chocolate frosting; smooth, moist, nut brownie); lots of naturally sweet and chocolate-y notes continued into the finish. The true chocolate notes were bold/flavorful enough to keep this 62% bar from tasting over-sugared.

Maker's Tasting Notes: "Fragrance profile: nutty caramel; Taste profile: very mild and sweet, chocolatey, with notes of walnut, caramel and pickled cherries"

Ingredients: Cocoa Mass**, Cane Sugar**, Cocoa Butter** (** = Fair Traded and Organic) Fair Traded, Fair Trade Content in Total = 100%.

Allergen-related information: "Manufactured on equipment that processes tree nuts, peanuts, milk, sesame and soy."

*Zorzal is a private bird sanctuary and nature reserve that "extends over 412 hectares of land, and 70% of that has been designated to remain wild rainforest. The cacao is grown and harvested directly within this nature reserve. And Zorzal also cooperates with neighboring farmers who are actively included in the project and supply their own cacao....As a result, cacao is an ideal conservation tool: it thrives as a mixed crop and is traditionally well suited to wild harvesting."

Chocolate Naive - Dry-Aged Beef Steak Chocolate (bar) - April 20, 2024

Chocolate of The Day

Chocolate Naive
Dry-Aged Beef Steak Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar
Calories: 162 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $14.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Caputo's Market, online order

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

I love umami flavors--often described as savory, meaty and/or hearty. What better flavor inclusion then to bring to the chocolate + umami party than beef steak?

Once again, Domantas Uzpalis at Chocolate Naive is keeping us on our toes and inviting us to think outside the box when it comes to creative (and successful) flavor pairings with chocolate. 

Today's Dry-Aged Beef Steak Chocolate (bar) was crafted by Chocolate Naive (Produced by: Mulate UAB, Vilnius, Lithuania). This 62% dark milk chocolate with beef and lingonberries could be a complete meal in a bar. I wondered: would this be the perfect, highest of high-end, chocolate protein bar?

Aroma notes for this bar included: very unique and subtle sweet (fruity) + savory/umami (with very faint black pepper) dark milk chocolate.

Texture: smooth, relatively creamy dark milk chocolate. 

Flavor notes included: dark milk chocolate with a hidden umami quality; clean, bright, semi-tart berry (fruit) and almost undetectable black pepper (no texture/grit, just a slightly aromatic, faint ghost flavor); and an occasional, very fleeting, faint taste of steak (beef) and butter in a few bites. 

I really enjoyed tasting this creatively-conceived, well-executed, and very balanced chocolate. I'm curious what a less-sweet version of this bar (with even more umami) would have tasted like. But, this formulation is probably already a stretch for most people. I often opt for/prefer umami over sweet in chocolates; and I am not most people.

Ingredients: "specialty cacao*, cane sugar*, pure cacao butter*, dried grass-fed beef steak*, butter*, grass-fed milk powder*, lingonberries*, sea salt*, black pepper*." (* = "wild or all-natural farming")

Allergen-related information: Contains milk. "May contain traces of peanuts, tree nuts. Cacao min. 62%."

Whittaker's - Sea Salt and Caramel Brittle with Saffron in Dark Chocolate - March 23, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Whittaker's
Marlborough Sea Salt and Caramel Brittle with Saffron in Dark Chocolate
Good ++
Weight: .37 oz. (10.5 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 57.5 calories (estimate) in 1 square
Cost: $N/A - gift
Purchased from: N/A - gift (Thank you Penny!)

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate and New Zealand Series.

Today's Marlborough 62% Dark Chocolate bar was from Whittaker and Sons LTD (Porirua, New Zealand).

Aroma flavor notes included: chocolate (ganache), caramel/toffee, and faint floral spice (vanilla, very faint saffron/botanical/marigold), and barely detectable earth.

Flavor notes included: creamy, sweet dark chocolate filled with tiny, crunchy, sugar-sparkly bits of caramel/toffee. There was also a faint chorus of floral (vanilla), backed up by a few barely detectable upticks of: sweet citrus (orange), sea salt, balanced earth and buttery floral spice (which I'm assuming was saffron) in the finish. 

I enjoyed the well-executed complexity of aromas and flavors that harmonized well together.

Ingredients: Dark Chocolate [Cocoa Solids 62%* (Cocoa Mass & Pure Cocoa Butter), Sugar, Emulsifier (Soy Lecithin), Vanilla Flavour]; Saffron Salted Caramel Pieces 12% [Sugar, Glucose, Saffron Infused Salt, Clarified Butter (From Milk), Water, Natural Colour (160A), Emulsifier (Soy Lecithin), Flavour]. (*Minimum Percentage.)

Allergen-related information: Contains milk, soy. "May Be Present: Peanuts, Tree Nuts, Gluten." 

Pinwheel Craft Chocolate - 62% Coconut "Milk" Kokoa Kamili, Tanzania (bar) - Nov. 11, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Pinwheel Craft Chocolate
62% Coconut "Milk" - Kokoa Kamili, Tanzania (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.05 oz. (30 g.) / 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 163 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Pinwheel Craft Chocolate, online order

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

Today's 62% Coconut "Milk" Kokoa Kamili, Tanzania (bar) was from Pinwheel Chocolate LLC (Eagle Mountain, UT). This bean-to-bar chocolate maker "started as a mother/daughter hobby..." Happily for us, this hobby morphed into a small business.

Aroma notes for this bar included: smooth dark chocolate; faint, butter-diffused, warm, woodsy spice; faint red berry; and very faint coconut milk/coconut milk chocolate.

This 62% chocolate had a smooth melt, and a creamy, almost silken mouthfeel and texture. The coconut was fully incorporated into the chocolate. (Not one small chewy coconut shred was detected.)

Flavor notes included: flavorful, sweet then bittersweet dark chocolate; red berry; and very faint authentic coconut. This chocolate had a very satisfying, ("single origin-y"* chocolate-y) finish.

I loved the well-balanced complexity (and harmony of flavors) in this bar, and the fact that it wasn't overly sweet. Most 62% cacao chocolates taste quite a bit sweeter. Unfortunately, that often means that sugar (or sugar and milk(s)) eclipse cacao flavor nuances that may be present. Today's coconut milk bar was neither too sugary, nor overly coconut-y; and it embraced the red berry and rich notes of the Tanzania cacao. It tasted like a naturally sweetened chocolate with much to share.

Maker's tasting notes ("What we taste"): "ripe red raspberries, coconut water, (sometimes cinnamon)" "This bar is also a chameleon -- after certain foods, it has the unmistakable flavor of sweet cinnamon."**

Ingredients: Cacao beans*, cane sugar*, cocoa butter*, coconut* (*Organic ingredients)

Allergen-related information: "Made on shared equipment that processes nuts and dairy."

*Single origin chocolates tend to have richer, more unadulterated flavors. And small batch single origin chocolate makers are more likely to want to preserve (and highlight) unique, multi-layered varietal flavors. A big thank you to these makers.

**I later re-tasted this bar with bourbon pecan ice cream and that muted spice note detected in the aroma came into greater focus; and sure enough it was cinnamon.

Taitau - 62% Dark Chocolate (bar) - Aug. 29, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Taitau (Tai Tau)
62% Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.41 oz. (40 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 220 calories in 2 servings (6 pieces) of bar
Cost: $3.39 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Crossroads Specialty Market, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate and Lithuania Theme Week.

Today's 62% Dark Chocolate (bar) from Taitau (Tai Tau) Exclusive Selection (Lietuva, Lithuania*) was imported into the U.S. by B&I Overseas Trading Inc. (Van Nuys, CA).

The company offers a variety of chocolate bars and confections. The packaging for their line of bars includes cacao origin information. This 65% chocolate bar was "made from premium quality Arriba, Ghana and Grenada cocoa beans." Each square of the bar was adorned with an embossed image of a sea-inspired creature: sea shell, sea star, or sea horse.* 

Aroma notes for this bar included: sweet dark chocolate, diffuse, bright fruit (red berry), sweet coffee, faint vanilla marshmallow, and very faint sweet green floral and caramel/butterscotch. The texture was uniform and smooth.

Flavor notes were similar to the aroma notes, and included: sweet dark chocolate (rich, sweet, dark chocolate ganache, chocolate torte); sweet green botanical (faintly smoky maple syrup, vanilla-floral); and caramel.

More sugar and a different cacao blend made this Tai Tau 62% chocolate sweeter, brighter, slightly fruitier and more floral/botanical than the Tai Tau 72% chocolate reviewed a few days ago. 

The 62% version had less Ghana (typically deep, dark Forastero cacao variety flavor) and more Grenada and Arriba (often chocolate-y with some fruit and floral notes--found in Trinitario and Nacional variety cacao(s))--yielded a different tasting experience.

I liked the bolder, smoky vanilla, slightly earthy 72% Tai Tau chocolate a little bit better; but both the 72% bar and it's sunnier 62% sibling would be good options for a chocolate tasting. (For those wanting something with less sugar and more robust flavor, the Tai Tau 90% and 99% options are worth trying as well.)

Ingredients: "Cocoa mass (made from premium quality Grenada, Ghanian and Arriba cocoa beans), sugar, cocoa butter, emulsifier - rape (canola) lecithin.

Allergen-related information: "This product may contain traces of peanuts, hazelnuts, gluten and milk."

*Lithuania is a country about the size of the State of West Virginia in the U.S. During the 14th Century it was one of the largest countries in Europe. (Currently, it is larger than Belgium, Denmark or Latvia, but a fraction of what it once was.) How far is it from the ocean? It borders on the Baltic Sea.

 

Raaka Chocolate - Tahini Swirl Unroasted Dark Chocolate 62% Cacao (bar) - Apr. 20, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Raaka Chocolate
Tahini Swirl Unroasted Dark Chocolate 62% Cacao (bar)
Good +
Weight: 1.8 oz. (50.9 g.) in total bar
Calories: 285 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $8.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Raaka, online order

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate and RSTU Theme Week, featuring chocolates with origins and/or flavor inclusions that start with the letters R, S, T and/or U. Today was a seed celebration.

This Tahini Swirl Unroasted Dark Chocolate 62% Cacao (bar) was made by Raaka Chocolate (Red Hook, Brooklyn, NY). Raaka offers a variety of bars made with cacao that is unroasted that "captures the brighter, bolder, and fruitier side of cacao."

To create this Tahini* bar, Raaka partnered with Seed + Mill--a New York-based, women-owned, tahini and halva maker. Seed + Mill's "extra silky tahini (was) crafted with Ethiopian sesame seeds, into (Raaka's) signature unroasted dark chocolate." 

The cacao source was: Reserva Zorzal, Dominican Republic. It had bold cacao flavor with some fruit acidity. However, because it was unroasted, more subtle green, floral and other cacao flavors were also preserved.

This unique bar had a deep dark chocolate aroma with green floral, green seed (jaguar cacao) notes. The melt and texture were smooth and the dark chocolate and tahini flavors were skillfully integrated. And the back of the bar was visually stunning with the dark brown and golden seed butter colors swirled together.

The tahini seemed to mellow and complement fruit acids in the chocolate. (Imagine nut and fruit pairings like peanut butter and jelly.) Flavors were elevated and not dimmed. Together, these two ingredients were relatively vibrant and compatible, and lasted into the finish. Pleasant green floral and green "waxy" seed notes that were detected (noted above) in the initial aroma returned toward the end of the finish. And 30 seconds after I thought the finish had ended, there was a gentle flourish of sesame seed flavor.

The Seed + Mill tahini was, thankfully, made with just roasted, ground, hulled sesame seeds and nothing else. If there was salt in this tahini bar it must have been a very small amount. Too much salt in a chocolate with a "condiment" type flavor inclusion create salty-sweet sparklers, but subtler flavors are trampled in this kind of snack food formula revelry.

This was unadulterated, great chocolate partnered with authentic tahini--resulting in a executed bar with satisfyingly nuanced flavors.

Ingredients: organic cacao, organic cane sugar, organic cacao butter, organic toasted coconut, organic tahini, organic sunflower lecithin

Allergen-related information: (Contains sesame); "Vegan, Gluten Free, Soy Free"

*Tahini is a popular condiment from north Africa and the middle east typically made with toasted, hulled sesame seeds. 

Not that different than cacao really. However, the cacao seeds (beans) are typically fermented first. Thank goodness for seeds. Chocolate Banquet, and much of life on this planet, wouldn't exist without them.

Fu Wan Chocolate - Taiwan Magao (Wild Pepper) Chocolate (bar) - Dec. 15, 2020

Chocolate of the Day

Fu Wan Chocolate
Taiwan Magao (Wild Pepper) Chocolate 62% dark (bar)
Good ++
Weight: .795 oz. (22.5 g.) / 1.59 oz. (45 g.) in total bar 
Calories: 135 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $ missing information
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate and Spices Theme Week(s). We're moving from chocolate and spice offerings created in northern Europe to featuring a chocolate from a slightly warmer place, Taiwan, that is also closer to the spice hub that is southeast Asia.

Today's Taiwan Magao (Wild Pepper) Chocolate 62% dark (bar) was made from "tree to bar" by Fu Wan Chocolate (Taiwan, ROC). "Crafted in the Island of Formosa," this bar contained Magao pepper. Old world pepper varieties have served as prized spices for centuries. Most people are familiar with black pepper, but there are many other "pepper" varieties out there from other plants, seeds and berries.

Magao pepper (Litsea cubeba), also known as a "mountain pepper," grows on evergreen trees native to Taiwan. Its seeds have been harvested and used as a spice/flavoring and a natural medicine by indigenous tribes (Atayal people) in Taiwan for centuries. It's used as an ingredient in traditional Magao pineapple cakes. And it's being explored by culinary explorers looking for unique taste experiences. It is closer to black pepper in flavor; and is not a chili or capsicum pepper. 

This spice gave the chocolate bar a very unique aroma. The bar's aroma had an earth meets water (lagoon/bay/grassy) note followed by fruit (goji berry tea, earthy tropical fruit), and black pepper sweet tea and faint graham cracker notes.

The melt and mouthfeel was very light and creamy (almost a whipped chocolate/cocoa butter feel). The sweet flavor had notes of ginger and lemongrass and faint oolong tea leaf notes, followed by a mild, balanced tea astringency. 

I was so busy enjoying and ferreting out the complex, Taiwan Magao wild pepper flavors that I had to re-taste it again for chocolate (cacao) nuances I might have missed. The relatively mild, sweet 62% dark chocolate base complemented the wild pepper, but it was hard to tell what spice, fruit, nut or earth notes the cacao contributed (apart from the pepper). The cacao (bean and butter) could have even mellowed the pepper flavors. More research is needed.

"Tasting Notes: Lemongrass, Ginger, Citrus, Nuts"

Ingredients: Cacao bean, sugar, cacao butter, Magao (Wild Pepper).