Endorfin Chocolate - Sourdough & Olive Oil 70% Cacao (bar) + Coracao Confections Dubai Chocolate 81% Dark Chocolate (bar) - Sept. 13, 2026

Chocolate of The Day

Endorfin Chocolate
Sourdough & Olive Oil 70% Cacao (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: .7 oz. (20 g.) / 1.4 oz. (40 g.) in total bar
Calories: 100 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $6.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Coracao Confections, Richmond, CA

Coracao Confections
Dubai Chocolate 81% Dark Chocolate Shell (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.5 oz. (43 g.) in total bar

Calories: 220 calories in 1 bar 
Cost: Free sample bar
Purchased from: Coracao Confections, Richmond, CA

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate Banquet Birthday Celebration Week, featuring two different chocolates each day this week--from chocolate makers whose bars have appeared on Chocolate Banquet for many years.

Today's chocolate duo: 1.) Endorfin Foods Sourdough & Olive Oil 70% Cacao (bar) manufactured by Coracao Confections (Richmond, CA), and 2.) Dubai Chocolate, a pistachio and quinoa dark chocolate coated confection of a bar, created and manufactured by Coracao Confections.

Sourdough & Olive Oil 70% Cacao (bar)

Aroma and flavor notes included sweet dark chocolate, with very faint coconut sugar, and crunchy bits of (gluten free) sourdough bread. 

Texture: I really enjoyed the sourdough and olive oil crumbs.

I appreciated the short list of quality and organic ingredients and the choice of caramelized coconut butter. I was also grateful both of today's bars were gluten-free and made with allergies in mind. (It's rare to find other chocolates with bread and pastry ingredients that are also gluten free.)

Ingredients: Cacao*+, Coconut Sugar*, Cacao Butter*+, Caramelized Coconut Butter*, Extra Virgin Olive Oil* and Gluten Free Sourdough Breadcrumbs {(Sourdough starter [water, organic brown rice flour]), organic sorghum flour, organic millet flour, organic tapioca flour, organic psyllium husk, organic olive oil, organic flax meal, sea salt, organic apple cider vinegar} (*Organic ingredient; +Fair Trade Certified)

Allergen-related information: "No Dairy, No Soy, No Refined Sugar"

Dubai Chocolate 81% Dark Chocolate Shell

Aroma and flavor notes included: ultra-dark chocolate; sweet nutty aroma and flavor; buttery caramelized coconut; and authentic pistachio nuts (the number one ingredient).

The coconut ingredients (toasted coconut, coconut sugar and coconut milk) with caramel/caramelized notes complemented the nutty pistachios, added flavor depth and balanced the slightly bitter 81% dark chocolate and quinoa.

Texture: Relatively hearty, very satisfying chocolate, nutty and crunchy textures.

I enjoyed the texture and flavor blend and the opportunity to try a gluten-free Dubai chocolate.

Ingredients: Pistachios*, Coconut Sugar*, Crisped Quinoa*, Cacao*+, Cacao Butter*+, Toasted Coconut*, Coconut Milk Powder* (Coconut Milk*, Tapioca Maltodextrin*), Himalayan Salt, Vanilla Bean* (*Organic, +Fair Trade Certified(TM))

Allergen-related information: Contains Pistachio. Made in a facility processing other tree nuts. May contain shell fragments.

Sisters A. Chocolate - Bean-to-Bar 81% Cacao Dominican Republic Cherry & Juniper (bar) - June 25, 2026

Chocolate of The Day

Sisters A. Chocolate 
Bean-to-Bar 81% Cacao Dominican Republic Cherry & Juniper (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 1.14 oz. (32.5 g.) / 2.29 oz. (65 g.) in total bar
Calories: 178 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $ Missing Information
Purchased from: Oceana Market, Pacifica, CA

Welcome to Day #10 of Chocolate, Mountains, Forests, and Gardens Theme Week. 

Today's Bean-to-Bar 81% Cacao Dominican Republic Cherry & Juniper (bar) was from Sisters A. Chocolate. The company was founded in Lutsk, Ukraine, by two sisters: Olena and Oleksandra.

Aroma and flavor notes included: hearty cacao/dark chocolate, fruit (dark ripe cherries, cacao fruit pulp, dark berry) and faint wood, light pine, and barely detectable earth.

For an 81% cacao chocolate, this satisfying bar was quite smooth in flavor. Rich in taste but relatively low in bitterness and acidity.

Texture: creamy, soft (almost pillowy) dark chocolate with intermittent crunchy bits (candied/crushed juniper berries (and possibly cacao nibs)).

I really enjoyed the well-executed (balanced) yet hearty complexity, authentic flavors, and the natural (low) sweetness level from the ("sublimated") cherries--that provided rich, dark fruit flavor. I also appreciated the thoughtful sourcing and short list of ingredients.

Ingredients: cocoa beans, cane sugar, cocoa butter, freeze-dried cherry, juniper

Allergen-related Information: (No allergen information found on label)

Coracao - 81% Dark California Almonds & Sea Salt (bar) - July 7, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Coracao  
81% Dark California Almonds & Sea Salt
Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar
Calories: 200 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Z. Cioccolato, San Francisco, CA

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

Today's Organic 81% Dark California Almonds & Sea Salt (bar) was from Coracao Chocolate (Oakland, CA). The company has been making great-tasting chocolate bars and filled confections (less sweet, with high-quality, authentic flavors) since 2008.

Aroma notes for this bar included: dark chocolate, light floral citrus (subtle lemon), very faint tart green herb (oxalis), very faint graham cracker and coconut sugar, subtle vanilla spice cake, and barely detectable wood and nut.

This high cacao percentage (81%) dark chocolate was nuanced--more mild than wild. I noticed the absence of sugar (not a bad thing for me). What I'd call a soft landing after the first bite (often present with added cocoa butter). What was "missing" was the range of bold, bitter and acidic elements that often accompany ultra-dark chocolates. 

The use of Heritage variety cacao(s)* and coconut sugar as a sweetener (vs. cane sugar) helped to create this gentle, ebony-hued bar. The sea salt was also relatively subtle. (I was unable to detect the smoked salt flavor in the bites I had.)

Whole almonds pressed into the back of the bar gave this chocolate more textural oomph, layered almond and chocolate flavor(s) and moderated/mellowed what natural-tasting sweetness was present. The authentic light touch of vanilla bean also added a trace of background, floral warmth (that my brain frequently associates with baked goods and vanilla ice cream).

This well-executed, Organic and Vegan dark chocolate is perfect for those who enjoy the gentler flavors of Heritage cacao(s)--that offer subtle, attractive complexity. 

Too much sugar and salt would have overwhelmed these wonderful traits. Thank you to the maker for dialing back both sweet and savory levels to achieve a harmonious balance of flavors. For those that prefer the buzz of a bolder, harsher bar, there are plenty of other options out there.

Ingredients: Organic Heirloom Cacao, Organic Almonds, Organic Coconut Sugar, Organic Cacao Butter, Smoked Sea Salt, Himalayan Salt & Organic Vanilla Bean

Allergen-related information: "Made in a facility that processes almonds, cashews & other tree nuts"

*The cacao source listed on this packaging made reference to Eco Cacao Collaborative, Esmeraldas, Ecuador. (Esmeraldas is a coastal city in NW Ecuador.) Many of the region's residents make a living from agricultural products, including: banana, tobacco, coffee and cacao.

Coracao - Cacao Nectar 81% Dark Chocolate & Cacao Fruit (bar) - Mar. 5, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Coracao Chocolate
Cacao Nectar 81% Dark Chocolate and Cacao Fruit (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 2 oz. (57 g.) total bar
Calories: 320 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $9.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Z. Cioccolato, San Francisco, CA

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate and Fruits Theme Week.

Today's Cacao Nectar 81% Dark Chocolate and Cacao Fruit (bar) was created by Coracao Chocolate (Richmond, CA).

Aroma and flavor notes for this Organic chocolate bar included: diffuse, mildy tart sweet fruit (cacao fruit, peach, subtle ripe pineapple and soursop), dark chocolate (with faint, fleeting, balanced earth notes), faint caramel and very faint coconut cookie (vanilla) notes.

Sweetened with a judicious amount of coconut sugar, cacao fruit/juice provided satisfying and nuanced natural sweetness. 

Cacao fruit is often described as a blend of several more fruits including a range of melon (e.g. watermelon candy), citrus, and a variety of other tropical fruits (mango, pineapple, banana, soursop, etc.), and sometimes includes more delicate pear, apple and floral notes. (Flavors can vary slightly depending on the cacao fruit variety and processing methods.)

Ingredients: Organic heirloom cacao, organic coconut sugar, organic cacao butter, evaporated cacao fruit juice, Himalayan salt and organic vanilla bean.

Allergen-related information: "Made in a facility that processes almonds, cashews & other tree nuts

Coracao - Superberry Bars - Acai, Pomegranate & Raspberry 81% Dark Choc. - Jan. 17, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Coracao Chocolate 

Superberry Bars - 81% Dark Chocolate

Good ++

Weight: 2 oz. (56 g.) in total 

Calories: 240 calories in 2 small bars

Cost: $8.25 for package of 2 small bars

Purchased from: Missing information

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate, Berries and Vanilla Theme Week.

Today's Coracao Chocolate Superberry Bars covered in 81% dark chocolate were created in Oakland, CA. Coracao produces a variety of "healthy, more nourishing" confections, bars and drinking chocolates.

Aroma and flavor notes included: dark chocolate (deep dark, high percentage cacao, faint tart green herb (oxalis, wood sorrel), brown sugar and warm spice (faint smoky vanilla), and faint fruit (berries).

Inside a smooth 81% ultra dark chocolate coating was a generously jammy fruit center captured the sweet depths of rain forest berries (acai berries), tempered with some bright pomegranate and naturally sweet-tartness of raspberry.

Loved that this confection was not made with ultra-sweet chocolate. (These bars were sweetened with coconut sugar and stevia.) Less sugar meant being able to enjoy bold, balanced and complementary dark chocolate and berry flavors. The bars had authentic flavor depth and complexity. 

Ingredients: Organic cacao, organic coconut sugar, organic coconut butter, organic acai, organic pomegranate, organic raspberry, organic lime, Himalayan salt, organic vanilla bean and organic stevia.

Allergen-related information: "Contains coconut. Made in a factory processing other tree nuts." 

Luisa Abram - 81% Rio Cassipore (bar) - Nov. 17, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Luisa Abram
Rio Cassipore 81% (bar)
Good + - Good ++  
Weight: 1.4 oz. (40 g.) / 2.8 oz. (80 g.) in total bar
Calories: 255 calories in 1 small bar (1/2 package)
Cost: $11.00 for 1 package of 2 small bars
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #12 of Chocolate and Brazil Theme Week. This week has included five bars made entirely in Brazil, with cacao grown in Brazil.

Today's Luisa Abram Rio Cassipore (Cassipore River) 81% chocolate was made by the Abram family (Familia Abram Banks Ltda., Sao Paolo, Brazil).

Like yesterday's 70% version of this Rio Cassipore wild cacao chocolate from the same maker, today's 81% sibling came packaged with two individually wrapped smaller bars, which I really liked. This choice allows chocolate lovers to better share chocolate with others and/or to save some for later while keeping aroma and flavor notes intact.

Both Luisa Abram Cassipore River 70% and 81% cacao offerings had a similar (just-opened) aroma of bold dark chocolate with tart peaty, subtle green, and dark chocolate (roasted cacao nibs) notes.

Interestingly the texture was slightly less creamy, but felt smoother and lacked the bit of astringency of yesterday's 70% version.

Both bars were low in bitterness. And, as with yesterday's 70% bar, after about 20 minutes, the aroma (and flavor) in this 81%er mellowed. The dark chocolate notes softened (more subtle nut and faint baked brownie was revealed). And the green and woodsy, acidic (peat) notes dissipated, making this a relatively friendly, approachable 80%+ dark chocolate. 

Ingredients: "Wild cocoa mass, organic cane sugar and Amazonian cocoa butter."

Allergen-related information: Gluten free. "Made in a facility that handles milk and nuts."  

Ritter Sport - Cacao Selection - 81% Cacao Extra Intense Dark Chocolate (Ghana) (bar) - Jan. 27, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Ritter Sport
Cacao Selection 81% Cacao Extra Intense Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 1.16 oz. (32 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 200 calories in 8 pieces (32 g.) of bar
Cost: $2.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Piazza's, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's Ritter Sport Cacao Selection 81% Cacao Extra Intense Dark Chocolate (bar) from Alfred Ritter GmbH and Co. KG (Waldenbuch, Germany) was made with cocoa beans from Ghana.

Like other square-shaped Ritter bars, this ultra-dark chocolate (introduced in 2020) was easily divided into tinier squares for eating or sharing with others.

Aroma notes for this chocolate included bold true chocolate (deep dark brownie) with balanced tannic* earth (faint wood bark tannin, peat bog) that I associate more with Forastero cacao.

The 81% dark chocolate had a smooth, uniform melt and texture, and uniform flavor.

This chocolate had a deep dark chocolate flavor--true chocolate (deep, dark brownie), very faint dark caramel, and a sustained tannic forest earth (wood, peat bog) note. 

Tannic acids in green plants and fruits can be acidic and astringent (e.g. red wines, black tea, unripe pomegranate or persimmon); however, this tannin note conjured up visions of deep, ancient woods/earth, with a very subtle aged black walnut note. 

This did not taste acidic. In fact, while related, tannins are not the same as tannic acid.* And while I was expecting (from the aroma) to run into acid or astringency (or bitterness) in the flavor, this didn't really happen. 

The "peat" flavor was more organic and less acidic. And it was also less smokey/carbon-y than, say, peat bog water and/or peat bog fire smoke associated with drying barley used to make Scotch Islay whiskey (ies); but it did invite this comparison, as I was fishing around for how to describe this chocolate.

Ingredients: Chocolate liquor (made from cocoa beans from Ghana), sugar, cocoa butter. 

Allergen-related information: "May contain traces of peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, soy and egg."

*Tannins are plant (polyphenolic) compounds found in roots, barks and leaves of plants and trees. (Cocoa beans contain tannins. More robust, bold Forastero varieties of cacao grown in West African countries like Ghana can contain higher amounts of tannins than some other, more "delicate" fine-flavored cacao varieties.)

Tannic acid is a specific form of tannin, that can be found in soils or compost where plants and trees have decomposed near water (swamps). Peat bogs tend to be acidic and high in tannins. Waters with tannic acid are often dark brown in color. 

Coracao Chocolate - Berkeley Bars and Almond Butter Bars - Aug. 2, 2021

Chocolate(s) of the Day

Coracao Organic Chocolate

Berkeley Bars

Good +

Weight: 2 oz. (56 g.) in total package of 2 small bars

Calories: 340 calories in 1 small bar

Cost: $5.99 for 1 package of 2 small bars

Purchased from: Flour Craft Bakery/Cafe, Mill Valley, CA

Almond Butter Bars

Good + - Good ++

Weight: 2 oz. (56 g.) in total package of 2 small bars

Calories: 300 calories in 1 small bar

Cost: $5.99 for 1 package of 2 small bars

Purchased from: Flour Craft Bakery/Cafe, Mill Valley, CA

Welcome to Day #15 of Chocolate and Almonds Week(s). 

Today I sampled two different small bars from Coracao Organic Chocolate (Berkeley, CA). The company creates healthy chocolates using "certified organic cacao from biodynamic farms" and "farmers are paid Fair Trade wages or above." 

Berkeley Bars

The aroma of this chocolate bar included slight green floral, molasses/brown/maple sugar, tart green (lemon herbs like sorrel, sour grass/oxalis), very faint fruit (red apple, berry), nutty and very faint savory notes. 

There were two layers inside these Berkeley Bars: a soft (lucuma and maca) nougat layer on top and a caramely-crunchy nutty (with lightly salted almond) layer on the bottom pieces. And the entire bar was coated with 81% dark chocolate. 

Ingredients: Organic almonds, organic agave, organic cacao, organic cashew butter, organic coconut sugar, organic lucuma, organic yacon syrup, organic cocoa butter, Himalayan salt, organic maca and organic vanilla bean.

Allergen-related information: Contains almonds and cashews. Made in a factory processing other tree nuts. May contain pit or shell fragments.

Almond Butter Bars

The aroma of this small bar coffee toffee, followed by almond molasses brittle, sweet and slightly savory notes

The rich, ultra-dark (81% cacao) chocolate flavor had very faint earth, balanced light bitter and tart green (lemony herbs like sorrel, sour grass/oxalis) notes. The nutty notes (in the form of smooth substantial almond butter filling) showed up a few chews later.

Ingredients: Organic cacao, organic stone ground almond butter, organic coconut sugar, organic cacao butter, organic vanilla bean and Himalayan salt.

Allergen-related information: "Contains almonds. Made in a factory processing other tree nuts." (organic, vegan)

Not Your Sugar Mamas (NYSM) - Pure and Simple Organic Dark Chocolate (bar) - July 17, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Not Your Sugar Mamas - NYSM

Pure and Simple Organic Dark Chocolate 81% raw cacao bar

Good + - Good ++

Weight: 2.2 oz. (62 g.) in total bar

Calories: 400 calories in 1 bar

Cost: $7.59 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Country Sun Natural Foods, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #8 of Dark Chocolate Theme Week.

Today's Pure and Simple Organic Dark Chocolate (bar) was from Not Your Sugar Mama's (NYSM) (Vineyard Haven, MA). 

The company produces chocolates made with less processed ingredients (e.g. raw cacao, less processed sugars/no refined sugar, no emulsifiers). Founder, chef, mother and serial food entrepreneur, Kyleen Keenan (see also eathappyist.com), has been producing plant-based cheeses and chocolates.

Today's Pure and Simple 81%  raw cacao, organic bar had a quiet, natural beauty. This ultra-dark bar was anything but bold, brash or bitter. However, it was also not boring. 

Its subtle aroma was complex and interesting, with authentic smokey vanilla, faint smokey whiskey (at the very beginning only), sweet and clean but rich cocoa nibs, gentle fruit (faint ripe, red plum, faint sweet cherry), implied warm spice, floral (vanilla), very faint, slightly tart green herbal (oxalis, sour grass, sorrel), and very faint, fleeting savory (salt) notes.

The chocolate had a smooth, almost creamy, texture with a slightly rapid/oily melt--while still maintaining a well-tempered, firm integrity.

The flavor notes were even and gentle. The raw cacao (vs. roasted) yielded a very mild dark chocolate flavor and clean finish. 

Maple sugar contributed a natural sweetness--and some of the subtle aroma notes mentioned above. It fused nicely with what seemed to be wonderfully flavorful vanilla bean(s), and the cacao. And the overall taste wasn't too sweet. (Thank you. I did not miss the sugar buzz.)

A judicious trace of Himalayan sea salt created an effortless whisp of balance on the savory side and the salt didn't interfere with any of the subtle aromas and flavors.

Ingredients: Organic raw cacao, organic maple sugar, Himalayan sea salt, organic vanilla bean.

Allergen-related information: "Vegan + Paleo;" No soy, gluten or dairy; and "Processed in a facility that uses tree nuts: almonds and cashews." 

Luisa Abram - Rio Jurua 81% - Chocolate Brazilian Amazon Wild Cocoa (bar) - June 5, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Luisa Abram 
Rio Jurua 81% - Chocolate de Cacau Selvagem da Amazonia Brasileira (barra)
(Jurua River 81% - Chocolate from the Brazilian Amazon wild cocoa (bar))
Good +++
Weight: 1.4 oz. (40 g.) / 2.8 oz. (80 g.) in total bar
Calories: 246 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $12.00 (+ shipping) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order 

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

Today's Rio Jurua 81% Brazilian Amazon wild cocoa (bar) was made by Luisa Abram (San Paolo, Brazil). The company specializes in bean to bar chocolate made with wild cacao from the Amazon. 

The aroma of today's bar (similar to yesterday's Rio Jurua 70% version) was subtle and multi-dimensional. Aroma notes included shifting floral notes (faint rose and pineapple scented geranium blooms), naturally sweet, refreshing/fresh mineral water, other soft floral, fruit and sweet spice (mango, lychee, licorice), and very faint, fleeting roasted green vegetable/potato chip. These notes shifted gently with every re-tasting. 

To me this flowing quality accurately captured the flavors of fresh-picked and eaten cacao fruit (pulp) that surrounds the cacao seeds/beans--flavors with descriptions that vary a lot depending on origin and variety, and often include: citrus, floral, watermelon, pineapple, and many other fruits, while still maintaining its own uniqueness.

Do eat this chocolate slowly, so you can enjoy the scent and flavor treasures that are revealed with this origin. (The visual equivalent: edible flower + green tea balls that "bloom" when hot water is poured over them. Enjoy the experience.)

This 81% cacao bar had a mild complexity and natural sweetness (the opposite of bold, earthy, roasted, bitter chocolates). Flavor notes included very subtle, complex cacao with mild fruit-floral (rose scented geranium flowers), light pineapple cream pudding, light caramelized brown sugar, and very faint vegetable (potato chip). 

I love floral aromas and flavors, and these frequently disappear with heat, longer roasting times and processing in general. So, I'd like to convey much gratitude to the maker for preserving these beautiful Amazon headwater origin notes for us to smell and taste in both Rio Jurua (70% and 81%) bars this week.

The maker's tasting notes: "Flowers in the form of chocolate. Sweetness rises to pitanga and lychee. Reminds crystallised fruits. It ends with perfumed caramel."

Ingredients: Cacao mass, organic cane sugar and cocoa butter.

Allergen-related information: Does not include gluten ingredients. Made in a facility that processes/May contain traces of milk, Brazil nuts and tree nuts.

Luisa Abram - Tocatins River Wild Cocoa Brazilian Amazon 81% (bar) - May 30, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Luisa Abram

Chocolate de Cacau Selvagem da Amazonia Brasileira - Rio Tocantins (barra)

(Chocolate made with wild cocoa from the Brazilian Amazon, Tocantins River (bar)

Good ++

Weight: 1.4 oz. (40 g.) / 2.8 oz. (80 g.) in total bar

Calories: 250 calories in 1/2 package (1 of 2 small individually wrapped bars)

Cost: $10.00 for 1 of 2 bars in package

Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate and Brazil Theme Week.

Today's Brazilian Amazon Tocantins River 81% dark bar was made by Luisa Abram (Sao Paolo, Brazil). The company specializes in bean-to-bar chocolate with wild cacao from the Amazon.

Aroma: dark chocolate with green, citrus (lemon) herbal notes (lemon balm, sour grass*)

fleeting, faint fruit notes (dried green banana, dried persimmon) 

The aroma notes above implied some astringency; however, the texture and flavor were only mildly so, and in a pleasing and interesting way.

The cacao seemed to have a natural sweetness (or absence of bold bitterness); and the opportunity to go with the higher-percentage 81% cacao version of this chocolate was much appreciated. The maker's choices honored and harnessed the natural sweetness without extra sugar. (Thank you!)

This package contained, two individually-wrapped smaller bars, making it very easy to share with others, or to keep a fresh (unopened) portion for later. I liked that.

Ingredients: cacao mass, organic cane sugar, cocoa butter 

Allergen-related information: Made in a facility that handles milk and brazil nuts.

*Sour grass is a wild, edible plant with a lemony and/or Vitamin C tartness to it. Also known as lemon "sorrel" or lemon clover and yellow upright oxalis, part of the tart flavor comes from oxalic acid. 

For those with kidney/kidney stone issues, you may have been told to limit consumption of plant foods that contain high levels of oxalic acid, such as rhubarb, spinach, beet greens and other greens, certain nuts (almonds)--and, sadly dear friends, cocoa powder and dark chocolate.

So it's possible I was tasting cacao that was naturally higher in oxalic acid today (thus the sour grass aroma). But, this is speculation on my part. The amount of oxalate content varies widely in cocoa.

Methods of farming, fermention, drying, processing and other factors can all influence oxalate content in cocoa, as this study published in ResearchGate in 2016, shows.

Luisa Abram - Chocolate Da Amazonia Brasileira Cacau Selvagem 81% - Rio Acara (Acara River) bar - Oct. 18, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Luisa Abram

Chocolate Da Amazonia Brasileira Cacau Selvagem 81% - Rio Acara (Acara River) bar

Good ++

Weight: 1.4 oz. (40 g.) / 2.8 oz. (80 g.) in total package of 2 bars

Calories: 180 calories (per label) in 1 oz. (28 g.) piece (about 2/3 of 1 bar)

Cost: $10.00 (estimate) for 1 bar

Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

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

Today's Chocolate Da Amazonia Brasileira Cacau Selvagem 81% - Rio Acara (Acara River) was crafted by Luisa Abram (Sao Paulo, Brazil).

Following a series of single estate bars from Arcelia Gallardo at Mission Chocolate is another bar (package of two, individually-wrapped bars actually) made in Brazil (from wild harvested cacao) from intrepid cacao hunter and chocolate maker, Luisa Abram. 

Abram has chosen to focus on wild-grown cacao, usually found by rivers in the Amazon rainforest, on trees growing under canopy shade of larger trees, rather than cacao grown on large farms/plantations.

Abram created this bar with "81% cacao fairly traded from riverside communities who obtain their (cacao) fruits from native trees along the Rio Acara (Acara River), in the Brazilian Amazon Forest."

This unique, two-ingredient* bar had a vegetative, slightly woody and earthy green, and roasted coffee, aroma. It had a bold, yet smooth dark flavor, and a slightly astringent/grainy texture and finish. Re-tasting this complex chocolate a moment later yielded more layers: more bold chocolate flavor along with faint green coconut, earth, cream and citrus fruit notes.

*Ingredients: cocoa mass and organic cane sugar

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Chamisa Chocolate - Food of the Gods dark chocolate bar - Aug. 5, 2019

Chocolate of the Day:

Chamisa Chocolate
Food of the Gods 81% Cacao dark chocolate bar
Very Good
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (60 g.) (per label) in total bar
Calories: 152 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate + Cashmere, Santa Fe, NM location


Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate and New Mexico Theme Week.

Today's Food of the Gods 81% cacao Honduras bar was from Chamisa Chocolate, a company that markets small batch chocolate in a few select places, including the Santa Fe, NM, farmers market, and Chocolate + Cashmere retail locations in Santa Fe (and Taos).

The cacao for this high percentage bar came from a remote part of Honduras (Wampusirpi district), that takes about two days to reach by canoe. Chamisa tries to use organic ingredients whenever possible. And the cacao in this area of Honduras has not had a history of using chemicals, and is committed to organic practices, even if the cacao may not be certified organic.

According to info on Chamisa's website, "...These beans were sourced with care from the farmer and co-ops, premiums well above the market minimum were paid (nearly double in this case) and only the best beans were accepted."*

This three-ingredient bar had chocolate fudgey, creamy (almost nutty) balanced earthy ultra-dark flavor; and it was delicious. Truly deserving of the "food of the gods" botanical name (Theobroma cacao) reference.

Ingredients: Organic cacao beans, organic sugar, organic cacao butter.

*The company also makes 71% Alto Beni, Wampasurpi Honduras, Polochic and Tumaco dark chocolate bars. 

(The image printed on the label was from the pre-Columbian Codex Zouche-Nuttall.)

Pascati - 81% Dark Idukki, Inda bar - March 16, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Pascati Foods LLP

81% Dark Idukki, India bar

Good ++ - Good +++

Weight: 1.32.5 oz. (37.5 g.) / 2.65 oz. (75 g.) in total bar

Calories: 230 calories in 1/2 bar

Cost: $8.50 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Chocosphere.com (online order)

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

Today's 81% Dark Idukki, India bar was manufactured by Pascati Foods India LLP (Palgahar, Maharashtra, India).

Like its sibling, the 72% Dark Idukki bar (featured yesterday), this darker 81% version had an aroma with green, dried fruit, slight earth and very faint spice/herb notes.

The flavor* was similar to the aroma with green, fruit, green herb, and mild earthiness throughout.

This bar possessed a balanced dark flavor profile without the bitterness or sharpness you might find in other high-percentage, ultra-dark bars. It had a creamy melt and texture, smooth taste, and subtle finish.

This organic bar contained/listed three ingredients: organic cocoa beans, organic cane sugar and organic cocoa butter.

*This bar contained "added natural flavours;" and details concerning these flavors were not specified.