Cacoco Drinking Chocolate - Original flavor - Jan. 2, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

Cacoco, Inc.
Drinking Chocolate - The Original (flavor)
Good
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 7.11 oz. (202 g.) in total package
Calories: 140 calories in 4 TB (1/8 package)
Cost: $12.99 for 1 package
Purchased from: Piazza's Fine Foods, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #14 of Chocolate, Holiday Spices and Maple Theme Week.

Today's attractively-packaged Original Flavor Drinking Chocolate with Cinnamon, Nutmeg and Lucuma from Cacoco, Inc. (Santa Cruz, CA) was  hand-crafted, organic and Non-GMO Project Verified.

The dry mix had a slightly bitter herb and aroma; however, once stirred with water and simmered for several minutes (until all the larger particles had dissolved), the flavors mellowed and improved significantly.

Do follow directions and heat, whisk and/or blend as indicated for best results. This is one product where preparation really mattered.

Adding a bit of organic milk of your choice may make the resulting hot beverage a bit smoother in flavor and texture; but the mix was really designed to evoke a long lost, "authentic" drinking chocolate tradition from many centuries ago that the Native peoples of Central America might have experienced—without proximity to dairy cows.

The first ingredient listed was cacao butter, then coconut crystal sugar,* making it lower on the glycemic index. Lucuma added some natural sweetness as well. I added a bit of maple syrup, although that was not necessary.

*Ingredients: "Cacao Butter, Coconut Crystal Sugar, Unroasted Cacao, Carob, Lucuma, Himalayan Salt, Vanilla Bean, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Cayenne"

3 Drinking Chocolates with Spices Trio - July 22, 2017

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

Welcome to the last day (Day #10) of Chocolate and Spices Theme Week. Today's trio of spiced chocolate beverages included drinking chocolates and a chocolate tea.

Holy Chocolate
European - Dark Chocolate with Cinnamon and Spices
Good+
Weight: .83 oz. (23.5 g.) / 1.66 oz. (47 g.)  in total packet
Calories: 94.5 calories in 1/2 packet serving
Cost: $1.99 for 1 package/packet
Purchased from: Piazza's Fine Foods, Palo Alto, CA


This mix contained "real milk, real cocoa and cane sugar" (and a Psalm from the Bible) and had very smooth almost creamy hot chocolate flavor with a warm but light spice accent. All round; no sharp edges; it was a crowd pleaser.

Numi Organic Tea
Chocolate Spice Tea
Good - Good +
Calories: < 5 calories in 3/4 cup
Cost: $3.00 (estimate) for 1 box
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

This spiced tea with cocoa powder and carob had a beautiful, fragrant aroma. Some may prefer to add milk and sugar to this tea. By itself it's good, but had a very slight bitter finish. I may have had this (or a similar) tea several years ago in a Numi Tea retail space in Oakland, CA.

Cacoco, Inc.
Global Warrior Herbal Dark Chocolate Blend
Good
Weight: 4 TB (21 g.) / 7.11 oz. (202 g.) in total package
Calories: 120 calories in 1 (4 TB) serving
Cost: $12.99 for 1 package/box
Purchased from: Piazza's Fine Foods, Palo Alto, CA

This offering from Cacoco, Inc. (Santa Cruz, CA) could be used for drinking chocolate or as a mix-in for ice cream, desserts and blended smoothies.

Described as an "energizing chocolate blend of superfood herbs and spices," this mix was made with "ethically sourced, unroasted Arriba Nacional Ecuadorian cacao...and maca, turmeric and shilajit (an herbal blend).

This was the most robust of the three cocoa and spice beverages today. The flavor was rich, dark and interesting, with a slight vegetable note. This bold dark chocolate mix was dairy free, so there was no (powdered) milk to soften the flavors like the European blend above.