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).

Scharffen Berger 62% Semisweet (bar), and Christopher Elbow - Lemon Chocolates - Nov. 6, 2020

Chocolate of the Day

Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker
62% Semisweet Fine Artisan Dark Chocolate
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 9.7 oz. (275 g.) in total package
Calories: 165 calories in 1 oz. serving
Cost: $ missing information 
Purchased from: missing information

Christopher Elbow
Fresh Lemon Chocolates (white chocolate) confections
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 1.15 oz. (32 g.) / 2.3 oz. (64 g.) in total box of 6 pieces
Calories: 240 calories in 3 pieces
Cost: $12.95 (estimate) for 1 box of 6 pieces + shipping
Purchased from: Christopher Elbow, online order

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate, Honey and Citrus Theme Week. Today the weather turned cooler and I spent time indoors enjoying a chocolate, lemon and honey banquet day. 

First I sampled (and conjured chocolate treats using) a block of 62% Semisweet Fine Artisan Dark Chocolate from Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker, with "hints of citrus and honey overtones." (This chocolate is marketed as good for baking or eating. I agree.)

Scharffen Berger 62% Semisweet Dark Chocolate

The company's website suggested pairing items with their different chocolates, including wines and other beverages. The pairing suggested for this 62% dark chocolate was a fresh cup of Guatemalan coffee. Yes, I could imagine that...perhaps with a twist of lemon peel on the saucer. 

The "citrus" notes in this dark chocolate were light, balanced sweet lemon. The "honey" note was subtle and very nicely balanced. The chocolate was rich, and uniform in flavor and not too sweet (thank you!).

Instead of pairing this dark chocolate with something strong and wild, I went the other way. I paired it with two other lighter, but flavorful lemon items: hot, homemade lemon (3 different kinds, from the garden) and honey tea; and some delectable, pie-like, Fresh Lemon white chocolate filled confections.

Ingredients: cacao beans, sugar, cocoa butter. 

Christopher Elbow 

Each bright, sunny yellow Fresh Lemon confection from Christopher Elbow Chocolates (Kansas City, MO) conjured up images of lemon cream pie and freshly made lemon curd. Sweet? Yes, one or two of these white chocolate beauties will satisfy any dessert craving you might have. They had a creamy white chocolate melt and texture balanced with a tart lemon "marmalade" layer and lemon-infused white ganache.

Ingredients: "White chocolate (sugar, cocoa butter, dry whole and skim milk, soy lecithin (an emulsifier), natural vanilla); heavy cream, lemon juice, sugar, butter, glucose, invert sugar, apple pectin, citric acid, FDA approved colors."

Fu Wan Chocolate - Taiwan Charcoal Oolong Tea Chocolate (bar) - Aug. 7, 2020

 Chocolate of the Day

Fu Wan Chocolate
62% dark Taiwan Charcoal Oolong Tea Chocolate (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 1.59 oz. (45 g.) in total bar
Calories: 283 calories (per label) in 1 bar
Cost: $16.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

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

Today's 62% dark Taiwan Charcoal Oolong Tea Chocolate (bar) was from Fu Wan Chocolate (Formosa (Taiwan)). This chocolate was flavorful, middle ground blend of cacao and tea.

Oolong teas have a flavor in between a spring green sencha and a heavier, malt-ier black Assam tea--just like a Trinitario cacao usually falls between a mild heritage Criollo cacao and a deep, dark Forastero cacao variety. In tea and chocolate, a tea master/maker or chocolate maker coaxes different notes (e.g. fruit, floral or nut) out of a batch of leaves, or cacao beans--employing different roast profiles and other steps in the process.

Fu Wan does use cacao grown in Taiwan, and cacao from other locations. (I was unable to determine the exact cacao origin(s) for this bar.) It tasted like it may have been made with Trinitario cacao.

My tasting notes are below: 

Aroma: honey, raisin toast 

Flavor: honey, raisin toast, fleeting sweet "Dragon Eye*" oolong tea notes, and a faint hint of dried fruit (date, peach, dried longan fruit) and nut. The cacao added a richness to the tea experience. 

Maker's tasting notes read as follows: "Almond, cashew, black sesame, fennel, licorice, mint"

Ingredients: Cacao bean(s), cane sugar, cacao butter, Charcoal Oolong tea.

*The tea flavors in today's Fu Wan Taiwan Charcoal Oolong bar reminded me of the "Dragon Eyes" oolong tea I've enjoyed in the San Francisco Bay Area. Dragon Eye tea is sometimes described as somewhere between a green and black tea, with light smokey and dried fruit notes. This is the closest to today's charcoal oolong tea that I've experienced here in the U.S. And, after this week's Fu Wan flavorful oolong bars, I'll be exploring more of the wonderful "middle ground" world of oolong teas soon.

Fu Wan Chocolate - 62% Taiwan Red Jade Tea Chocolate (bar) - Aug. 5, 2020

Chocolate of the Day

Fu Wan Chocolate
62% Taiwan Red Jade Tea Chocolate (bar)
Good +++ - Very Good
Weight: 1.59 oz. (45 g.) in total bar
Calories: 283 calories (per label) in 1 bar
Cost: $16.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

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

Today's 62% Taiwan Red Tea Chocolate (bar) was from Fu Wan Chocolate (Formosa (Taiwan)). The tea used in this bar is a hybrid black tea developed in Taiwan that has red branches (and color), thus the name.

This bar was made from a blend of (Trinitario) cacao sources. (Fu Wan does use cacao grown in Taiwan, and some from other locations.)

My tasting notes are below: 

Aroma: dried fruit (goji berry)

Flavor: dried goji berry, delicate black oolong tea with rose petal and very subtle herbal/warm spice (star anise) notes. Well balanced, lightly layered flavor complexity. There was a faint, nicely balanced, tannic tea astringency in the finish, and perhaps a ghost of red raspberry leaf.

Please do to sit down with this chocolate and savor slowly, as one would a cup of of high quality tea. Elegant floral fruit tea notes from this blend of dark chocolate and Taiwan Red Jade Tea. The choice of a 62% cacao chocolate base (dark, but not too dark) allowed the subtle tea flavors to shine through, and yet it was not too sweet (thank you).

Maker's tasting notes read as follows: "Bayleaf, bergamot, cinnamon, star anise"

Ingredients: Cacao bean(s), cane sugar, cacao butter, Red Jade tea.

Slitti Cacao Pregati - LatteNero 62% (bar) - Mar. 17, 2020

Chocolate of the Day:

Slitti Cacao Pregati
LatteNero 62% (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 3 oz. (100 g) in total bar
Calories: 596 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $ missing information
Purchased from: Chocosphere.com, online order

Happy Saint Patrick's Day, and welcome to Day #6 of Milk Chocolate Theme Week.

Today's LatteNero 62% bar was from Slitti Cacao Pregati (Tuscany, Italy).

This thick, ultra-dark milk chocolate bar will appeal to dark chocolate lovers who don't usually like milk chocolate. In fact, except for the rich, creamy (from whole milk powder) texture and mouthfeel, one might not have guessed this chocolate even contained milk.

The bar had the aroma and flavor of dark chocolate chips, chocolate chip cookies (with raisins). It was dark (milk) chocolate with a well balanced flavor blend that included subtle dried fruit (raisin) and mild, pleasant earth notes.

Mirzam Chocolate Makers - 62% Dark Chocolate Halwa (bar) with saffron and rose - June 1, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Mirzam Chocolate Makers
Kakaw Manufacturing Co. LLC
62% Dark Chocolate Halwa (bar) with saffron and rose
Good+ - Good ++
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 132 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $12.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Village Market, San Francisco, CA

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

Today's 62% Dark Chocolate with Halwa (bar) with saffron and rose was from Mirzam Chocolate Makers (Dubai, United Arab Emirates) in conjunction with Kakaw Manufacturing Co. LLC (Dubai).

This bar was part of an Emirati collection of chocolates inspired by "treasured recipes" and the "rich cultural landscape of U.A.E."

The name Mirzam refers to a bright star,* itself a reference to stars that may have guided travelers and merchants along fabled Arab trading routes, by land and sea. The flavor inclusions in Mirzam chocolate bars are largely items that would have been traded along these routes.

Today's 62% dark bar had a rich saffron and light rose floral aroma. (Saffron threads come from purple saffron crocus flowers.) The base dark chocolate was smooth, and a mix of halwa** inspired flavor inclusions*** transported one. Sticky, crunchy bits of saffron- and rose-infused caramel brittle and nutty bits of pistachios, almonds and dates added rich flavors and textural contrast.

*Mirzam, also known as Murzim, is a bright, beta star in the constellation Canis Major. 

**Halwa, also known as halva, halvah and other variations, is a dense, sweet confection from the Middle East, that can be sliced into pieces. Ingredients may include flour or nut butter, sugar/honey, nuts, rosewater, saffron, and other floral and seed (notably sesame) ingredients.*** Variations abound across Central and Southern Asia and up into the Mediterranean region.

***Ingredients in this bar: Cocoa beans, cocoa butter, unrefined cane sugar, almonds, pistachio, dates, rose, saffron.

Mirzam Chocolate Makers - 62% Dark Chocolate with Rose bar - May 29, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Mirzam Chocolate Makers
(Kakaw Manufacturing LLC)
62% Dark Chocolate with Rose bar
Good++
Weight: 1.235 oz. (35 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 229 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

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

Today's Mirzam Chocolate Makers 62% Dark Chocolate with Rose bar was made, from bean-to-bar, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

This elegantly designed, ebony-colored chocolate broke with a well-tempered snap and gave off a lovely rose aroma.

The 62% cacao dark chocolate (made with cacao grown in Ghana, with a bold, smooth and slightly earthy flavor) was an interesting choice to pair with a delicate floral infusion (Bulgarian rose oil).

However, the rose oil was strong enough to stand up for itself. And its beautiful rose scent and flavor was a successful match the the bolder dark chocolate made by a talented chocolate maker. Had this same bar been made with a 75% or higher cacao solids percentage, the floral notes likely would have been overpowered.

Mirzam Chocolate Makers - 62% Dark Chocolate with Dates and Fennel (bar) - Apr. 17, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Mirzam Chocolate Makers
62% Dark Chocolate with Dates and Fennel (bar)
Good +++
Weight: 1.235 oz. (35 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 185 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.00 (if turquoise dot) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate, Plants and Herbs Theme Week.

Today's 62% Dark Chocolate with Dates and Fennel (bar) was from Mirzam Chocolate Makers and Kakaw Manufacturing (Dubai, United Arab Emirates)

The structure of this bar—an impossibly thin layer of fennel infused date paste, sandwiched between ultra-thin layers of dark chocolate—allowed for beautiful bursts of rich, sweet, bright, fresh flavors. (A fresh salad tastes brighter and tastier than a fresh salad homogenized in a blender.)

Using this thin layering technique, flavors were made very accessible in this slim bar. And careful crafting of said flavors resulted in maximum taste without any one flavor overwhelming the other.

What was the inspiration for this chocolate? Mirzam* Chocolate, the brand, was created a few years ago with next year's Expo 2020 in mind. (This large, global exposition is planned to be hosted by Dubai, UAE, next year.) Dates would certainly have been discussed from the beginning.

Flavors and inclusions in several Mirzam high-end craft chocolate offerings were informed by spices and foodstuffs found on ancient maritime Arab spice trade routes.

Fennel, full of mild, sweet, licorice flavor, would have been available in nearby Mediterranean regions. It grows well on other continents now too. It's bright green fronds are popping up in backyards and baylands in the San Francisco Bay Area this spring. Every part of this plant (frond/green, bulb, seed, stalks, etc.) is edible.

*Mirzam is a pulsating giant star located in the Canis Major constellation.

Mirzam Chocolate - 62% Dark Chocolate with Orange and Cinnamon bar - April 13, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Mirzam Chocolate
62% Dark Chocolate with Orange and Cinnamon bar
Good ++
Weight: 1.235 oz. (35 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 186 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

Welcome to Day #16 of Chocolate and Spice Theme Week.

Note: Due to the seemingly abundant supply new chocolates available in the universe, we're once again altering time and space a bit to accommodate an 18-day chocolate theme "week." Yes, we know there are only 7 days in a regular, boring week. We hope you'll forgive us.

Today's 62% Dark Chocolate with Orange and Cinnamon bar was crafted in Dubai by www.mirzam.com (Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE)), part of Kakaw Manufacturing Co. LLC (a food and beverages importer in UAE).

Kathy Johnston, Mirzam's chief chocolate officer, helped launch the Mirzam Craft Chocolate factory (in 2016) in Dubai's Al Serkal Avenue artisan district, while she was also working on her own operation in Switzerland.

The company has sourced cacao from plantations that are "ideally" on ancient Arab trading and spice routes (which were quite widespread globally, including locations such as Vietnam, Indonesia, Madagascar, India and Papua New Guinea). And inclusions in the company's line of bars include local items such as dates/date syrup.

The Mirzam story tagline is a romantic one: "Following the celestial map of the maritime spice route to gather stories of spices and sea monsters."

*Mirzam is the name of a bright star in the constellation Canis Major.

Vanini - Dark Chocolate 62% Pear and Cinnamon bar - May 13, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

Vanini

Dark Chocolate 62% Pear and Cinnamon bar

Good

Weight: 1.41 oz. (40 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar

Calories: 242 calories in 2/5 bar

Cost: $3.79 for 1 bar

Purchased from: The Market, Palo Alto, CA 

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

Dark Chocolate 62% Pear and Cinnamon bar from Vanini *(Orsenigo (CO), Italy).

This bar had smooth dark flavor suffused with a natural hint of pear steeped in a touch of cinnamon.

The cacao used to make Vanini bars was sourced from "carefully selected plantations in the Bagua District of Amazonas, a region in Peru known for its ancient cacao."

*The Vanini brand is part of ICAM SpA

TCHO - Origins Dark Chocolate 62% West Africa bar - May 18, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

TCHO
TCHO Origins Dark Chocolate 62% Cacao bar
Good
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 145 calories in 1/3 bar
Cost: $1.49 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #15 of Chocolate and Africa Theme Week.

Today's Dark Chocolate 62% Cacao West Africa bar was from TCHO (Berkeley, CA). It had a classic, sweet dark chocolate* aroma with light spice notes.

The bar tasted quite sweet and smooth (and relatively low in fruit notes and/or acidity), but offered a uniform, predictable chocolate tasting experience.

Most of the world's high-volume, commercially produced chocolate in the U.S. and Europe is made from cacao from West Africa. Most people's chocolate tasting experience and expectations have been formed around this chocolate.

For many years, most large-scale operations have chosen to maintain a predictable flavor profile in their chocolates from year to year, across different regions and sources. Beans are carefully blended and roast profiles and other operations help to control variations in batches and different harvests.

So a West Africa bar like today's bar from a relatively large maker* may not have the nuances of flavor that a small batch bar would have, that would vary from season to season. Nonetheless, it's interesting to learn more about West African chocolate, as transparency about origins increases, and more chocolates become available for side-by-side tasting.

*TCHO was a relatively early entrant into the new American chocolate maker movement (2005) and was instrumental in helping to educate the public about the different flavors that were possible to develop in chocolate. TCHO bars have focused on cacao (single and blended origins) that highlighted nutty, fruity, chocolatey and other "flavors" of cacao—sometimes mentioning the country of origin, and sometimes not.