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.

Askinosie Chocolate - Dark Chocolate + Intelligentsia Coffee (bar) - Sept. 24, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Askinosie Chocolate

Dark Chocolate + Intelligentsia Coffee (bar)

Good +++ - Very Good 

Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar

Calories: 153.3 calories in 1/3 bar

Cost: $9.00 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Missing information

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate Breakfast Theme Week.

Today's Dark Chocolate + Coffee (bar) was from Askinosie Chocolate (Springfield, MO). Askinosie crafts single origin and "CollaBARation"* bars with flavor inclusions, such as today's blend of 72% Mababu, Tanzania dark chocolate and in-season, single origin, Colombian coffee from roaster and retailer, Intelligentsia Coffee and Tea (Chicago, IL).

The smell of this freshly opened bar was one beautiful, deep, dark complex layer cake. Aroma notes included (in order of appearance) rich roasted coffee and dark chocolate, bright, fruity notes including sweet honey tangerine, sweet herbal (root beer), followed by a few faint flickers of berry jam and green-lemon oxalis (sour grass, sorrel). 

The texture was smooth with a pleasing, even melt.

As for the flavor, this Askinosie-Intelligentsia bar delivered the experience of a great cup of coffee and delicious 72% dark chocolate, simultaneously, with every bite. Each maker supplied an incredibly well-balanced and flavorful, high-quality product; and the combination was extremely satisfying. I savored every morsel of this bar. It was one of my favorite chocolate breakfasts this month.

Maker's tasting notes: "honey, tangerine, cola"

Ingredients: Mababu, Tanzania cocoa beans (Trinitario); organic cane sugar; direct trade, in-season, single origin coffee; cocoa butter ("made in our factory with Mababu (cacao) beans").

Allergen-related information: "Processed in a facility that processes milk, peanuts, tree nuts, and wheat."

*Note: The current version of this (Askinosie) Dark Chocolate + (Intelligentsia) Coffee CollaBARation bar (available as of this writing on the Askinosie website) looks very similar, but it may have a very slightly different formulation, and/or origin/plantation back-story and a higher price.

Askinosie Chocolate - Dark Chocolate + Red Raspberry (American Spoon) - June 28, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Askinosie Chocolate
Dark Chocolate + Red Raspberry (American Spoon)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 170 calories in 1/3 bar
Cost: $9.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Askinosie.com, online order

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

Today's Dark Chocolate + Red Raspberry CollaBARation bar from Askinosie Chocolate (Springfield, MO). It was a collaboration between Askinosie Chocolate and award-winning fruit preserve and condiment maker, American Spoon Foods (Petoskey, MI). 

Aroma notes in this chocolate included: authentic, ripe, sweet-tart red raspberries, chocolate/cocoa, and nutty (peanut butter) notes.

The melt and texture were smooth and uniform (with no raspberry seeds/seedy grit).

This well-executed bar was a successful fusion of 54% cacao dark chocolate (with balanced, faint earth flavor) and fresh-tasting, sweet red raspberry jam. 

This authentic-tasting confection was a bit sweet for me. However, it would be lovely as a dessert plate or ganache ingredient; and it will please those with a sweet tooth who love high-end, bright and flavorful chocolates.

The cacao used to make this dark bar was from the Del Tambo area in the central highlands of Ecuador.

Maker's tasting notes included the following: "...delicately sweet and fruity--like biting into a juicy chocolate-covered raspberry."

Ingredients: Del Tambo, Ecuador cocoa beans, organic cane sugar, cocoa butter ("made in our own facility with Del Tambo beans"), Organic Turbinado sugar, organic raspberries. 

Allergen-related information: "Processed in a facility that also processes milk, peanuts, tree nuts, and wheat."

 

Askinosie Chocolate - San Jose Del Tambo, Ecuador 70% Dark Chocolate + Cocoa Nibs (bar) - June 27, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Askinosie Chocolate
San Jose Del Tambo, Ecuador 70% Dark Chocolate + Cocoa Nibs (bar)
Good +++
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42.5 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 240 calories (per label) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $8.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Askinosie.com, online order

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

Today's San Jose Del Tambo, Ecuador 70% Dark Chocolate + Cocoa Nibs (bar) was from Askinosie Chocolate (Springfield, MO).

Askinosie founder and CEO, Shawn Askinosie, continues to make great chocolate. Faces of cacao farmers are displayed on the company's brown paper outer wrappers. A simple, effective way to show understanding and respect for cacao origins.

I've never had an Askinosie bar I didn't like; and I've been featuring their chocolates since 2007 here on Chocolate Banquet.

Fortunately for us, after spending 20 years as a criminal defense attorney, Mr. Askinosie turned to chocolate making. 

The aroma of today's bar evoked: concentrated, sweet fermented, dried fruit (fig, date), light spice, sweet green shading into rich dark chocolate (fudge brownie, drinking chocolate/hot chocolate) notes.

The flavor notes included a sweet cola nut/drink, faint brown sugar, rich, concentrated dark chocolate (brownie, roasted cacao nibs), light woody nut (hazelnut, pecan), and a beautiful, fleeting floral note from this cacao/nibs.

Speaking of nibs...The back of this bar was jam-packed with high-quality, crunchy cacao nibs. Only a few precious crunchy cacao seed (bean) pieces rattled onto the dinner plate I'd put underneath to catch any strays. Most of the nibs were well anchored. 

The complex cacao flavors these nibs contributed was wonderful; there were no off flavors or funky bits.* And, best of all, they added extra cacao flavor depth without any sugar, giving the chocolate a "darker" flavor/feel than most 70% cacao chocolate bars. 

The cacao used to make this bar was grown in the San Jose Del Tambo region, in Bolivar province in the highlands of central Ecuador. (Ecuador is divided into 24 provinces.)

Ingredients: "Del Tambo Ecuador cocoa beans (Arriba Nacional), Organic cane sugar, roasted cocoa nibs, cocoa butter (made in our factory with Del Tambo beans)."

Allergen-related information: "Processed in a facility that also processes milk, peanuts, tree nuts, and wheat." 

*The overall quality of cacao nibs has improved over the last few decades. A decade ago, it was not unusual to find a few nibs that were either rock hard, stale, over- or under-roasted, or a bit funky or moldy in some craft chocolate offerings. Better bean/nib sorting and quality control, higher expectations, greater experience, and availability of good bean sources seem to have solved most of these issues.

Askinosie Chocolate - The Zeke Bar - 76% Chinchipe Ecuador (bar) - June 26, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Askinosie Chocolate
The Zeke Bar - 76% Chinchipe, Ecuador Dark Chocolate (bar) 
Good ++ 
Weight: 2 oz. (56.6 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 340 calories in 2/3 bar
Cost: $8.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Askinosie.com, online order

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

Today's "The Zeke Bar" 76% Chinchipe, Ecuador dark chocolate (bar) was from Askinosie Chocolate (Springfield, MO).

Aroma: dark chocolate (fudge brownie), roasted coffee and faint green (orchid) notes.

The melt and texture were thick and smooth.

The flavor notes were very similar to the aroma and included dark chocolate (fudge brownie), and light roasted coffee and green notes. Well-executed, hearty, satisfying dark chocolate flavor. 

The smooth boldness was almost surprising for the cocoa variety listed (Criollo)--that is often thought to be limited to shy and delicate flavors.

"The Zeke Bar" origins

Askinosie founder and CEO, Shawn Askinosie, explained the bar's origin this way: "We partnered with Zeke Emanuel, chocolate aficionado and healthcare policy expert (and guest chocolate maker), to create this dynamic limited edition criollo chocolate bar." (The cocoa farmer was a 70-year old woman named Leonor.)

Askinosie founder and CEO, Shawn Askinosie, has been doing business with farmers in countries of origin (including Ecuador) for many years. Images of these cacao farmers on packaging and mentions of farmer(s) by name have been the rule, not the exception.

The cacao used to make this bar was grown in southeastern Ecuador.

Ingredients: Chinchipe (Ecuador) cocoa beans (Criollo), cocoa butter (made in our factory with single origin cocoa beans), Organic cane sugar, Organic Sucanat cane sugar.

Allergen-related information: "Processed in a facility that also processes milk, peanuts, tree nuts, and wheat." 

 

Askinosie Chocolate - Super Dark Blend Tanzania + Ecuador 88% (bar) - June 24, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Askinosie Chocolate
Super Dark Blend - Tanzania + Ecuador 88% Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 2 oz. (56.6 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 333 calories in 2/3 bar
Cost: $8.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Askinosie.com, online order

Bienvenidos (welcome) to the first day of Chocolate and Ecuador Theme Week.

Today's Super Dark Blend Tanzania + Ecuador 88% dark chocolate (bar) was made by Askinosie Chocolate (Springfield, MO).

The aroma of this 88% marriage of two bold cacaos had true chocolate (faintly savory, fudge brownie), light spice (molasses, star anise, cinnamon), light, fleeting well-balanced green, and faint leather and vanilla-tobacco notes--flavors that were all present throughout the tasting experience as well, along with deep, fudge-y, satisfying dark chocolate flavor.

This flavorful ultra-dark bar might make a good pairing with a whiskey, or the basis for brassy brownies with cocoa nibs. 

Askinosie founder and CEO, Shawn Askinosie, featured the farmers in Tanzania and Ecuador (on the bar's packaging) and expressed gratitude to them for making this blend possible.

Ingredients: Mababu, Tanzania cocoa beans (Trinitario); Del Tambo, Ecuador cocoa beans (Arriba Nacional); Organic Sucanat cane sugar; cocoa butter (made in the Askinosie factory with Mababu beans); Organic vanilla bean.

Allergen-related information: "Processed in a facility that also processes milk, peanuts, tree nuts, and wheat."

Askinosie Chocolate - Mubabu Tanzania Peppermint Dark Chocolate (bar) - May 10, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Askinosie Chocolate

Mubabu Tanzania Peppermint Dark Chocolate (bar)

Good ++

Weight: 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar

Calories: 470 calories (estimate) in 1 bar

Cost: $9.50 (estimate) for 1 bar

Purchased from: Askinosie.com, online order

Welcome to Day #11 of Chocolate and Tanzania Theme Week. 

Today's Mubabu Tanzania Peppermint Dark Chocolate (bar) was made by Askinosie Chocolate (Springfield, MO). 

Askinosie has long practiced direct trade with cocoa farmers. Many of their single origin bars bear the image of farmers on the packaging. Today's bar, made using Trinitario cacao from Mubabu, Tanzania, included a picture of Askinosie's "lead Tanzania farmer partner, Mama Mpoki--with her husband and children.

This bar was full of rich, bold aroma and flavors: a blend of bold, but smooth, dark chocolate, cool peppermint, herb and warm spice (cardamom) notes. All of these flavors had the potential to overpower each other. However, the chocolate was a skillful, high-quality blend of "opposites:" warm spice and cool, refreshing mint; sweet and dark; as well as judicious amounts of sugar and sea salt.

All the ingredients felt like they were well incorporated (likely ground to a relatively fine particle size), creating a texture that was smooth and creamy, almost fudgey on a cool morning. (The added cocoa butter that contributed to the lovely texture was also single origin Tanzania.*)

Askinosie Chocolate maker's tasting notes: "Brisk, cool peppermint and deep silky cocoa, warming cardamom finish"

*Ingredients: Mababu (Tanzania) cacao beans (Trinitario), organic cane sugar, cocoa butter (made in our factory with Mababu beans--visit askinosie.com for details*), organic turbinado sugar, organic cardamom, peppermint, sea salt.

*Note: Added cocoa butter in chocolate is not always from the same origin as the cocoa solids/beans used to make a chocolate bar. Some of the best makers--or at least the hardest working and those who set high goals for themselves--press their own cocoa butter from a specific origin/batch of cocoa beans. While cocoa butters are not as flavorful as cocoa solids, they do carry/impart some flavor(s) from their respective origins.

Allergy-related information: "Processed in a facility that also processes milk, peanuts, tree nuts, and wheat."

Askinosie Chocolate - 77% Davao Philippines Dark Chocolate Bar - Jan. 16, 2021

Chocolate of the Day 

Askinosie Chocolate
77% Davao Philippines Dark Chocolate Bar
Good +
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42.5 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 240 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $8.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Askinosie Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #12 of Chocolate and Philippines Theme Week, and Day #2 of Chocolate and Banana Theme Week.

The first single origin (Philippine) chocolate bar I remember tasting was back in 2009. It was a Davao (Philippines) milk chocolate bar from Askinosie Chocolate (Springfield, MO). So, it was only fitting that we hoisted our chocolate wrappers in praise of Askinosie Chocolate today as we sampled another, darker, Davao bar from this same company, started by Shawn Askinosie in 2005.

The star was the Davao Philippines 77% Dark Chocolate Bar made with cacao grown in Davao (on Mindanao island) in the southern Philippines--where most cacao trees used to make chocolate are under cultivation. The banana was just along for the ride.*

This bar had a dark bittersweet aroma with faint hints of earth and acidity, a lovely creamy melt and texture. The flavor was earthy with a bit of acidity, but it was balanced and relatively uniform (no spiky or off flavors). Reasons to like this Davao origin chocolate included its deep, dense cacao flavor, and the fact that it wasn't too sweet (thank you).

The maker's notes included the following: "This earthy chocolate is Certified Kosher D.E., vegan and gluten free."

Ingredients: Davao, Philippines cocoa beans (76% cocoa liquor), organic cane sugar (23%), cocoa butter (1%)--pressed in the Askinosie factory from Davao cocoa beans.

Note: I ordered this bar from the Askinosie Chocolate website. When I double-checked yesterday (Jan. 15, 2021) this bar was listed as sold out.

*If one lives in the Philippines, there are several varieties of banana to choose from. Here in the U.S., most stores carry the Cavendish variety of banana. That's what I used today to make an a la carte banana flambe. Ole. The pairing of dark chocolate with flaming fruit via a wee bit of alcohol, was enjoyed only after the chocolate was carefully tasted and studiously reviewed. We try to be serious professionals here.

Askinosie Chocolate - Davao, Philippines - Dark Chocolate and Ginger bar - Jan. 21, 2020

Chocolate of the Day: 

Askinosie Chocolate
Davao, Philippines - Dark Chocolate and Orange bar
Good +
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 153 calories in 1/3 bar
Cost: $8.95 for 1 bar
Purchased from: SweetE Organic, Mill Valley, CA

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

Pairing yesterday's dark chocolate and salt bar with fresh ginger and honey tea yielded such a surprisingly successful result, I decided to try a Ginger juice blend with today's dark bar.

I sampled today's Dark Chocolate and Orange bar from Askinosie Chocolate (Springfield, MO) bar, first by itself, and then with a sip of Ginger 100% juice shot from Odwalla Inc. (Half Moon Bay, CA). This "small but mighty" bottle of concentrated flavor contained ginger, beet, carrot and cranberry juices, which explained why this pairing was not quite as magical as yesterday's. Too much going on.

The Askinosie bar by itself was quite good, with smooth dark chocolate and a light, authentic orange/sweet tangerine aroma and flavor. Organic orange (peels and fruit) provided the citrus note. And a faint hint of vanilla added a bit of mellow warmth. (Think high-end Creamsicle*.)

The Trinitario cacao (beans) used to make this bar were grown in Davao, in the Philippines. And like most Askinosie bars, today's package featured an image of (and information about) a real person working to produce the cacao beans from the actual source country for a given bar.


*A Creamsicle (R) is currently a Unilever-owned branded product. This frozen dessert is a blend of vanilla ice cream surrounded by frozen fruit juice) on a stick. The orange and vanilla flavor was very popular in California where I grew up. Creamsicles/Popsicles were first invented by a young man named Frank Epperson over a century ago when (legend has it) when he was only 11 years old. Epperson later patented the idea.

Askinosie Chocolate - 60% Dark Peanut Butter bar - May 8, 2017

Chocolate of the Day:

Askinosie Chocolate
60% Dark Chocolate + Peanut Butter bar
Good +
Weight: .5 oz. (14.1 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 80 calories in 1/6 bar
Cost: $8.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Seed Bank, Petaluma, CA

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

Through chocolate, we're taking a virtual voyage through the equatorial belt of Africa, traveling from east to west. For the past several days, we've sampled several chocolates made from cacao grown in Madagascar cacao. This week, we explore chocolates made with Tanzanian cacao.

Shaun Askinosie, founded Askinosie Chocolate with a social mission in mind. For example, instead of leaning on mostly anonymous cacao farmers in lesser developed countries for the lowest possible cacao prices, Askinosie features them on every bar. The emphasis is on "Real people. Real places."

Today's 60% Dark Chocolate + Peanut Butter bar was made using cacao grown, harvested and fermented by people in (Mababu) Tanzania like lead farmer Mama Mpoki (whose smiling face adorns the packaging surrounding this bar).

This bar had a creamy, thick, nut butter texture, with a subtle dark chocolate fudge aroma and a very subtle peanut butter flavor.  It was lower in fruit/acid than last week's made of Madagascar bars that were popping with classic red berry notes associated with that region.

Askinosie - Coconut CollaBARation bar - March 5, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

Askinosie Chocolate
Coconut bar ("A Beautiful Mess")
Good ++
Weight: .5 oz. (14.1 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 76.6 calories in 1/6 bar
Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #

This coconut chocolate bar from Askinosie Chocolate (Springfield, MO) was part of the company's CollaBARation* series of bars, made with bean-to-bar chocolate + added flavor inclusions.

The bar had two sides: the back was a tiny riot of toasted golden-brown coconut shreds, which yielded well balanced, freshly toasted coconut flavor. The bar was lightly sweetened with organic coconut sugar.

The front side was comprised of the standard Askinosie smooth, dark tiled format; each of the 18 squares held one letter -- spelling out Askinosie Chocolate.

For some extra fun you can break the squares apart and play chocolate word games. And speaking of fun, I think Askinosie staff must have been enjoying themselves when they named this bar:

"Flakes of Coconut Get Toasted As Rich, Dark Chocolate Teases Coy Coconut Sugar Creating A Beautiful Mess*"

*A Beautiful Mess is the name of a Missouri, lifestyle blog -- created by authors Elsie and Emma. Askinosie collaborated with this sister duo when they created this bar. 

Askinosie - Gingerbread Dark Chocolate bar - Dec. 19, 2013

Chocolate of the Day: 

Askinosie Chocolate
Gingerbread Dark Chocolate bar
Very Good
Weight: .75 oz. (21.25 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 115.5 calories in 1/4 bar
Cost: $14.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #5 of Chocolate and Holiday Spice Theme Week. Another day, another great Limited Edition bar with warm and inviting holiday spices. (This bar even came with crayons to color in a gingerbread factory on the packaging.)

Today's choice: the Gingerbread Dark Chocolate bar from bean-to-bar chocolatemaker Shawn Askinosie, of Askinosie Chocolate (Springfield, MO). This bar tasted "darker" than other chocolates featured this week, in part due to the single origin cacao selected.

The chocolate was made with (Trinitario) cacao beans from Tenende, Tanzania; "minimally processed" and organic cane sugar; cocoa butter (from Tanzania beans); and spices: "ginger, cinnamon, all spice, nutmeg, clove."

Gingerbread and chocolate is a match made in heaven, especially for winter holidays. Gingerbread and ginger spice cake have been valued as far back as the days of William Shakespeare:

"And I had but one penny in the world. Thou should'st have it to buy gingerbread." 
-- William Shakespeare, Love's Labours Lost

If Shakespeare had been better acquainted with hot drinking chocolate with gingerbread spices (the more likely exposure to cacao in his day), he might have penned a snappy, quotable tribute to the cacao bean. 

Askinosie - Happy Hemp Seeds bar - Oct. 14, 2013

Chocolate of the Day: 

Askinosie Chocolate
Toasted Happy Hemp Seeds and Roasted Cocoa Beans bar
Good +
Weight: .75 oz. (21.25 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 120 calories in 1/4 bar
Cost: $9.00 (estimate) for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

Today was the second day of Chocolate and Hemp Theme Week.

The full name of today's CollaBARation bar from Askinosie Chocolate (Springfield, MO), was the "Toasted Happy Hemp Seeds and Roasted Cocoa Beans Become Best Buds in a Chill Chocolate Bar." A long name. But it did accurately describe the texture and flavor of this bar.

The toasted hemp seeds (from Happy Hemp in Austin, TX) added a substantial crunch; and the roasted cacao beans infused the dark chocolate base with a smoky, well-done taste. Lots of flavor for a four-ingredient bar (cocoa beans, organic cane sugar, toasted hemp seeds, cocoa butter). I thought there might be just a faint hint of sea salt, but there was no salt listed in the ingredients.

Askinosie CollaBARation #5 - June 27, 2013

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

Askinosie Chocolate
Dark Milk Chocolate + Ancho Chile and Pistachio bar
Good - Good +
Weight: .75 oz. (21.2 g.) in 1/4 bar/ 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 110 calories in 1/4 bar
Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, in Palo Alto, CA

Today's Dark (goat) milk chocolate bar was a lively mixture of Maldon sea salt flakes, ancho chile and pistachio nut pieces. The single origin 62% bar was made using cacao beans sourced from the Davao region in the Philippines. There was a lot going on in this bar; a veritable fiesta of interesting and high-quality flavors. Perhaps a bit too much. But, it was fun to try.

The 5th bar in Askinosie Chocolate's CollaBARation series, this bar was a collaboration with Cafe Pascual's (Santa Fe, NM) -- a restaurant that serves savory dishes that echo flavors from New Mexico, Old Mexico, the Mediterranean and Asia. (I hope to visit there one day; their menu looks great.)


- @ - @ - @ - @ - @ - @ -

Today was the last day of Chocolate and Surprise Me Theme Week. But, there was one more bar in my chocolate vault that deserved an honorable mention, a Bubble Gum bar from Hagensborg Chocolate (British Columbia, Canada) -- see below.

The bar was shaped like 3 pigs, stuck together in a white chocolate conga line. This creative offering was surprisingly good. (Note: I don't count white chocolate as "real" chocolate, but I do appreciate tasting good white chocolate now and then.)

Honorable Mention:

Hagensborg Chocolate
Bubble Gum bar
Good - Good +
Weight: 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 300 calories for 1 bar
Cost: $4.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Hagensborg Chocolate, online order

Surprise! We're having a heat wave in the San Francisco Bay Area. This bar started to melt in my hand, so I had to lick white chocolate off my fingers almost immediately. (What a shame.) Inside the bar a sweet, pink filling held another surprise -- three tiny, pink pillows of natural bubble gum.

This bar may have been sweet, and it melted easily in the hot weather we had today; but it was also surprisingly good. My advice, do as the packaging advises: "Wallow in European white chocolate truffle heaven," if this sounds tempting to you.

ChocolateBet: May 8, 2012

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

1.) Snake and Butterfly
Belize 67% bar
Good - Good +
Weight: .875 oz. (25 g.) /1.75 oz. (49.5 g.) total bar
Calories: 130 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $5.00 (show price)
Purchased from: Snake and Butterfly table, at Chocolate Salon, in San Francisco, CA

2.) Askinosie Chocolate
White Chocolate Nibby Bar
Good - Good +
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42.5 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) total bar
Calories: 250 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.00 (estimate) for total bar
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, in Palo Alto, CA


Today was Day #6 of Chocolate and Orange/Citrus Theme Week. It's May, the weather is hot, and even though it's not Memorial Day yet, it's OK to wear white -- white chocolate that is, perhaps paired with St. George Spirits Qi White Tea liqueur - flavored with orange with crushed ice.

For a second chocolate and orange iced tea combination, without the alcohol, I brewed up a batch of Good Earth Super Green Tea -- Matcha and Sencha green tea suffused with fragrant orange flavor.

Either version of iced tea is nice for sipping with Snake and Butterfly's dark 67% Belize bar, or Askinosie Chocolate's White Chocolate Nibble Bar - with rich, single origin cocoa butter made using Davao Trinitario cocoa beans from the Philippines.

ChocolateBet: April 12, 2012

Chocolate of the Day: 

Askinosie Chocolate
San Jose Del Tombo bar
Good +
Weight: .5 oz. (14.1 g.)/ 3 oz. (85 g.) total bar
Calories: 72 calories
Cost: $9.00 total bar
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, in Palo Alto, CA

This farmer-forward, 70% dark chocolate bar from Askinosie Chocolate (Springfield, Missouri), broke with a hard snap. And chocolate was smooth and rich, with a relatively tame flavor arc -- without any strong acidic, or harsh notes.

Askinosie Chocolate founder and chocolate maker, Shawn Askinosie, stresses "real people, real places" -- and the picture you'll see on this package is a likeness of Vitaliano Saravia, who "helped gather and ferment the cocoa beans" in Ecuador for this bar (Lot #052511, made with Arriba Nacional variety cacao beans).

Last, but not least, I do like the letter tile mold for Askinosie bars. One day I'll purchase enough bars to play a game of chocolate scrabble with a few fellow chocolate lovers.

ChocolateBet: January 8, 2012

Chocolate of the Day: 

Askinosie Chocolate
Dark Milk Chocolate with Licorice bar
Good + - Very Good
Weight: .5 oz. (14.1 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.)
Calories: 85 calories
Cost: $10.00
Purchased from: Askinosie Chocolate, Springfield, Missouri

Today's "Dark Milk Chocolate on My Tongue Mingling with a Sweet Velvety Licorice" bar from Askinosie Chocolate (Springfield, MO), kicks off Chocolate and Licorice Theme Week.

Shawn Askinosie, a small-batch, bean-to-bar maker with an eye toward delivering value to cacao farmers and end consumers, deserves credit for his creative and sustainable packaging. The inner wrap was compostable, and the tie that bound the package was made from "a biodegradable bag of beans shipped to our factory."

This particular chocolate bar was a collaBARation (sic) with a Scandinavian licorice manufacturer (Lakritsfabriken from Ramlosa, Sweden).

And in addition to bits of gluten-free, black licorice from Ramlosa, this milk chocolate bar also contained anise seed pressed into the back of the bar; and Askinosie's single origin cocoa butter, goat's milk powder, sea salt also added flavor.

The front of the bar featured embossed letters, one per square, that spelled out - Askinosie Chocolate. One could spell out a poem, play a game of chocolate scrabble, or write a chocolate ransom note with these letters.

ChocolateBet: July 31, 2009

Chocolate of the Day:

1 bar
Askinosie Chocolate
Soconusco, Mexico, Dark Milk + Fleur de Sel bar
Very Good + - Yum
Weight: 3 oz. (85 grams)
Calories: 540 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $8.50
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, in San Francisco, CA

Thanks again to the helpful staff at Chocolate Covered in San Francisco who helped me pick out this Dark Milk bar from Askinosie Chocolate (Springfield, MO).

This single origin bar was made like a lot of the best chocolate, with a few select, local ingredients - that in this case included Trinitario cocoa beans from Mexico, organic cane juice, goat's milk powder, cocoa butter, and sea salt. And, this bar wasn't too sweet, which was a real plus for me.