Gnosis Chocolate - 1.) Passion + raspberry (bar) + 2.) Black Diamond 100% Cacao Ocumare, Venezuela (bar) - Sept. 11, 2026

Chocolate(s) of The Day

Gnosis Chocolate
Passion + raspberry & aphrodisiacs 70% raw chocolate (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 1 oz. (30 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 150 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $5.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Gnosis Chocolate, online order 

Gnosis Chocolate
Black Diamond, Ocumare Venezuela 100% Cacao (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 1 oz. (30 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 155 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $6.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Gnosis Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #4 of "Chocolate Banquet Birthday Celebration" Theme Week--featuring several chocolate makers that I've been appreciating for 10-20 years.

Today marks the 20th anniversary of this Chocolate Banquet site, where I've recorded my thoughts on a different chocolate each day for 20 years. And, chocolate birthdays are still the best.

This decades-long chocolate adventure was only possible because of the hard work of many great individuals. I continue to be extremely grateful to all the chocolate makers, cacao farmers and fermenters out there in the world. 

I'm happy to feature two bars today from Vanessa Barg who founded Gnosis Chocolate (Astoria, NY). I met Vanessa when she began making chocolate (as an extension of her health practice) and started selling bars in 2008. She and her mom, Aida, have been making chocolate in New York City.

Long-lived endeavors require passion and commitment as well as strength; and the following two bars represent these attributes, along with a little "botanical alchemy."

Passion + raspberry (bar)

Today's thoughtfully executed Passion + raspberry + aphrodisiacs (bar) from Gnosis Chocolate was thoughtfully executed and made with single origin cacao from Ocumare, Venezuela.

Aroma and flavor notes included: authentic, balanced cacao with very faint, deep, still forest and smoke, and gentle tart sweet red berry (red raspberry).

Texture: relatively smooth dark chocolate with a satisfying mouthfeel and melt, with one or two raspberry pips.

I appreciated the thoughtful ingredients, and enjoyed the gentle (date supplied, lower-glycemic) sweetness and authentic raspberry flavor. 

The "aphrodisia" ingredients and reference can also be viewed as inspiring love in a broader, more universal sense, such as an enjoying and appreciating for all life/creatures on earth, and including all things botanical--which indeed will need to be true to continue to enjoy chocolate and other fruits of the forest in the future. (I'm hoping to celebrate 30 years of chocolate in another decade.)

Ingredients: "70% raw chocolate (raw cacao beans*, ground dates*), raspberries*, maca root*, damiana*, rose hips*, horny goat weed*, fo ti*, passionflower*, Love.

Allergen-related information: "Carefully handcrafted in a kitchen that also uses tree nuts and coconut."

Black Diamond (bar)

I associate black diamonds with strength, overcoming challenging circumstances, and being outdoors with chocolate. Having once been a skier, signs with a black diamond shape marked the toughest slopes on a mountain. Skiing down a Black Diamond run was exciting and sometimes resulted in a snow bath. (And these runs were usually followed by hot chocolate or a piece of chocolate.) 

Today's Black Diamond bar seemed perfect to celebrate a 20-year journey made possible by cacao farmers who face many challenges--and many special chocolate makers and entrepreneurs who continue to source great cacao(s) from around the world to craft great chocolate in a changing world.

Like other diamonds, black diamonds are a precious commodity forged in the earth to a particular, lustrous hardness and can be a symbol of strength.

In the Ocumare region(s) of Venezuela, prized heritage Criollo variety cacao beans are sometimes referred to as black diamonds or black gold.

Today's Black Diamond (bar) was crafted using cacao beans from Ocumare, Venezuela. No sweeteners, no additives. Just the essence of cacao (and love).

Aroma notes included: rich, chocolate-y cacao and very faint fruit (tropical fruit, berry) and balanced forest notes.

Flavor notes included: ultra-dark lovely fudge brownie, balanced bitterness (for a 100%er) and faint roasted notes. Like all unsweetened chocolate, your brain reacts to the lack of sweetness for a few seconds, but after a bit of bitter/sour, this chocolate resolved into a very nice clean finish with almost no bitterness at all.

Texture: Buttery, with a rich melt and mouthfeel

I really appreciated the short list of quality ingredients in these two bars; and that these were gluten-free.

Ingredients: "cacao beans from Ocumare, Venezuela, Love."

Allergen-related information: "Carefully handcrafted in a kitchen that also uses tree nuts and coconut."

Zotter - Cheese + Mango Chutney (bar) + Bacon Bits (bar) - Sept. 10, 2026

Chocolate(s) of The Day

Zotter 

Cheese + Mango Chutney Dark Milk Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 180 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $14.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Dispensary, online order

Zotter 

Bacon Bits Dark Milk Chocolate with Hazelnut Praline (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 200 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $14.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Dispensary, online order

Welcome to Day #13 of Savory Chocolate Theme Week & Day #3 of Chocolate Banquet Birthday Celebration Week--featuring two chocolates each day. 

I've been featuring "hand-scooped" (filled) and single origin bars from Zotter on Chocolate Banquet since 2009--relatively early on in this site's history. The fact that I'm still featuring new flavors from them in 2026 is a testament to the huge variety of bars this family-owned and operated company (based in Austria) has produced over the years--including savory flavors like today's two bars.

Cheese + Mango Chutney
Today's Cheese + Mango Chutney was a complex blend of sweet, fruity, slightly savory and chocolatey flavors. A thin layer of dark milk 60% chocolate was filled with cheese ganache (light cheese, nut, fruit (citrus, grappa), warm spice, and mango cream, with a mild chili heat.

The makers managed to successfully fit a whole snack/wine and cheese plate into one bar. This filled bar contained nuts (walnuts, cashews). And a bit of citrus added brightness. The very subtle grappa (Italian grape brandy) contributed a trace of pleasing, concentrated fermented grape, flavor.

Ingredients: Cane Sugar*+, Cocoa Butter*+, Cocoa Mass*+, Dry Whole Milk, Milk, Invert Sugar Syrup*, Processed Cheese (3% Cheese, Cream, Water, Acid Regulator: Trisodium Citrate), Mango Puree*(3%), Dry Skim Milk Yoghurt, Dried Mangos*(2%), Glucose Syrup*, Muscaris White Wine (Contains Sulfites), Walnuts*, Dry Skim Milk, Cashews*+, Grappa*, Lime Concentrate*, Dry Sweet Whey, Apple Balsamic Vinegar*, Lecithin (Soy)*, Rice Drink Powder* (Rice*, Sunflower Oil*, Salt), Lemon Juice Concentrate*, Lemon Powder* (Lemon Juice Concentrate*, Corn Starch*, Sugar*), Salt, Dark Brown Cane Sugar*+, Vanilla Bean Powder *+, Star Anise*, Cloves*, Cinnamon*, Chilli "Bird's Eye"*

* = Organic, + = Fair Trade

Allergen-related information: Contains: Milk, Walnuts, Cashews, Soy 

"Manufactured on Equipment That Processes Other Tree Nuts, Peanuts, Eggs, Sesame and Gluten" 

Bacon Bits 

This Bacon Bits Dark Milk Chocolate with hazelnut praline and bacon/pork cracklings bar was a balanced, basket full of sweet, creamy, savory and crunchy flavors and textures.

It was also quite rich (pork cracklings, butter, whole milk and nuts will do that). The salt was very subtle. And the hazelnut praline, chocolate, brown sugar, vanilla and warm spices helped tip the scales toward sweet rather than savory.

Aroma and flavor notes included: sweet, creamy and chocolate-y with crispy-crunchy bacon cracklings and hazelnut praline.

Ingredients: Cane Sugar*+, Cocoa Mass*+, Cocoa Butter*+, Hazelnuts*, Dry Whole Milk, Pork Crackings, Dry Skim Milk, Butter (Cream), Salt, Cinnamon*, Lecithin (Soy)*, Dark Brown Cane Sugar*+, Vanilla Bean Powder*+, Cardamom*, Star Anise*, (* = Organic Ingredient; + = Fair Traded; Fair Trade Content in Total: 67%

Allergen-related information: Contains: Hazelnuts, Milk, Soy. "Manufactured on Equipment That Processes Other Tree Nuts, Peanuts, Eggs and Sesame." 

Maeve - Kettle Chips Dark & Milk Chocolate Truffle Bar - Sept. 9, 2026

Chocolate(s) of the Day

Maeve 
Kettle Chips Dark & Milk Chocolate Truffle Bar
Good ++ 
Weight: 1.25 oz. (35 g.) / 2.5 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 190 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $6.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: FarmFresh, online order 

Welcome to Day #12 of Savory Chocolates Theme Week and Day #2 of Chocolate Banquet Birthday Celebration Week, featuring two chocolates each day.

Today's Maeve Kettle Chips Dark & Milk Chocolate Truffle Bar was from Seattle Chocolate Co. (Seattle, CA).

Aroma and flavor notes included smooth, creamy dark chocolate and even creamier milk chocolate, as well as some glimmers of salt and potato chip(s).

Texture - a thin dark chocolate coating surrounded by a soft and creamy, milk chocolate truffle filling and a tiny bit of crunchy potato chip bit texture. 

I enjoyed this (second of two potato chip chocolate bars featured today. I enjoyed the layering of dark and milk chocolate in this one, and the (for me) just right touch of salt that helped balance the sweetness.

Ingredients: milk chocolate (cane sugar, whole milk powder, cocoa butter*, cocoa mass*, organic soy lecithin, natural vanilla), organic dark chocolate (cocoa mass, cane sugar, cocoa butter, soy lecithin, vanilla), kettle chips (potatoes, safflower oil and/or sunflower oil, sea salt), coconut oil, sea salt.

Allergen-related information: Contains milk and soy.

L'Amourette Chocolat - Gold Trinitario Venezuela Sur Del Lago 80% (bar) - Sept. 11, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

L'Amourette Chocolat LLC
Gold Trinitario Venezuela Sur Del Lago 80% (bar)
Good +++
Weight: 1.13 oz. (33.3 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 160 calories (per label) in 1/3 bar
Cost: $9.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: All About The Chocolate, Monterey, CA

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate and Venezuela Theme Week, and the 15th birthday (Day #5,476) of Chocolate Banquet.

Today's Gold Trinitario Venezuela Sur Del Lago 80% (bar) was made and distributed by L'Amourette Chocolat LLC (San Francisco, CA). The company has offered a line of single origin bars (including several from Colombia and Venezuela) and some with flavor inclusions.

This L'Amourette Sur de Lago 80% bar was the the perfect guest of honor at today's pirate-themed 15th birthday celebration for Chocolate Banquet. Fifteen years of enjoying a new/different chocolate item every day (plus two other birthdays) were great reasons to celebrate.

Chief chocolate maker Andre V. at L'Amourette crafted today's Venezuela chocolate from bean-to-bar in San Francisco, using difficult to obtain Trinitario variety cacao from a fascinating region. 

Lake Maracaibo, Pirates, Lightning and Cacao

Sur del Lago ("south of the lake") is the area where the cacao used to craft today's chocolate was grown. And not just any lake...Today's cacoa was grown within walking distance of Lake Maracaibo.

This large, almost mythical "lake" (a large, brackish bay that is open at the upper end to the Caribbean Sea) is linked to pirate* legends, epic lightning storms, and cacao. 

Tasting Sur De Lago

The rich aroma of this ultra-dark 80% bar had notes that included (in order of appearance) deep, dark chocolate, raspberry jam, green (stalk, floral), ripe tropical fruit (mango, sapote, cacao pulp), balanced iron-rich, tropical forest/loamy soil, and green herb (very, very faint licorice).

This chocolate had an abundance of rich flavor and natural, jammy fruit and mineral sweetness. The raspberry (red and black) preserve notes in the aroma carried over to taste, as did some of the bold, but balanced green, molasses, floral and earth notes. There were a few flashes of nut butter as well.

Taster's notes: Made with using 48 hour conching process

Ingredients: "Venezuelan cocoa beans (Sur Del Lago), cocoa butter, organic cane sugar"

Allergen-related information: "Soy and gluten free product. Vegan...Manufactured in a facility that also processes nuts."

*Numerous raids, skirmishes and attacks involving pirates in the (distant and recent) past have occurred in Lake Maracaibo. (Europeans first discovered this bay in 1499 and Spanish settlers moved in later.) 

In 1669, famous pirate and Welsh buccaneer Captain Henry Morgan raided Spanish settlements on the shores of Lake Maracaibo, and is said to have wreaked havoc on an advancing Spanish Fleet, evading capture in the process. In the 1820s, a battle for independence from the Spanish also occurred on this Lake.

In the fictional adventures of Captain Blood (in the book Captain Blood published in 1922, written by R. Sabatini), a similar pirate eluded capture by his nemesis Don Miguel de Espinosa in Lake Maracaibo.

Many present-day pirate attacks have been associated with the oil operations there. 

As for the lightning storms, I recommend doing a Google search on "pictures of lightning and Lake Maracaibo." It is a fabulous spot for lightning (specifically the natural phenomenon known as catatumbo lightning where hundreds of strikes can occur in a relatively small area during a nighttime storm).

 

5,000 Different Chocolates and Counting - Thank you all!

5,000 Different Chocolates and Counting

Last month I sampled my 5,000th chocolate. Thank you to all who have made this possible.
To put the number 5,000 into perspective, I've included some thoughts below.

Many chocolates, many hands - The 5,000 different chocolates I've featured, were products from more than 1,500 different companies or suppliers--ranging from large corporations to small craft chocolate makers.

5,000 cocoa beans - It takes approximately 5,000 cocoa beans to produce 10 pounds of chocolate. The 5,000 chocolates I've sampled weighed more than 313 pounds (141 kg.), meaning I may have consumed more than 156,000 cocoa beans over this past 13+ years.

Busy Bees - Since I've been talking about bees and honey this week, here's an interesting statistic that puts this my milestone number in perspective: Bees can visit up to 5,000 flowers--in one day.* It's mind-opening to think these important pollinators work this hard. By comparison, I look like a slow-moving slug. It took me more than 13 years to track down and eat 5,000 different chocolates.

Chocolate exports - Shipments of chocolate have gone up and down across the globe in the last few centuries, mostly up, as the shift from drinking chocolate to finished chocolate bars and confections progressed. Exports of chocolate from Switzerland to France increased from less than 1,200 tons in 1913 to nearly 5,000 U.S. tons by 1917.

A century later, Switzerland's chocolate exports (to the world) are north of 132,000 U.S. tons; 2018 estimate). In 2019, France still had a healthy trading relationship with its chocolate neighbor...France imported $106.4 million (USD) worth of chocolate(s) from Switzerland, despite growing imports from other European countries in this area over time.

5,000 pound candy bar - Earlier this year (Jan. 2020), Hershey's Chocolate Co. announced a record-setting chocolate-nut (Reese's Take 5) bar that weighed 5,943 pounds (2,695 kilos). It was 2.74 meters long--or 9 feet x 5.5 feet in size. That's a lot of chocolate, any way you slice it. I'm sure another large chocolate producer is already working to break this chocolate-nut bar record, if they haven't already.

$5,000 bills - Trivia item - At one time the U.S. printed $5,000 dollar bills. They are now collector's items. I am hoping I find one. That would almost cover a year's worth of daily chocolates and chocolate-related expenses. (Craft chocolate bars range from $8.00 - $14.00 each.)

*Source for the up to 5,000 bee visits per day to flowers number: beehealth.bayer.us website - Bee Facts - Bee Health.

Maverick Chocolate Co. - Prohibition Milk Chocolate bar - Dec. 28, 2016

Chocolate of the Day:

Maverick Chocolate Co.
Prohibition Milk Chocolate bar
Good +
Weight: .92 oz. (26 g.) / 2.3 oz. (65 g.) in total bar
Calories: 138 calories in 2/5 bar
Cost: $13.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Cacao at The Heathman, Portland, OR

Welcome to Day #5 of Spirited Chocolate Theme Week.

Maverick Chocolate Co. is a bean-to-bar chocolate maker based in Cincinatti, OH.

The company's Prohibition* Milk Chocolate bar was made with Kentucky bourbon, dark milk chocolate and smoked salt.

The chocolate had a pleasing sweet, light fruit and nutty aroma, and relatively creamy texture. The bar was well-tempered and contained a generous shake of smoked salt. The bourbon flavor was very light. (To be sold without restrictions, spirited chocolates need to contain less than a certain percent of alcohol.)

*Prohibition History
For 13 years, between 1920 and 1933, following passage of the Volstead Act in 1919, a nationwide constitutional ban on the importation, production, transportation and sale of alcoholic beverages was in effect across the U.S. This period has also been referred to as the Prohibition era or, more simply, as Prohibition. 

Much earlier, in the 1790s, the U.S. Government levied a tax on spirits, which led to a "Whiskey Rebellion." Some makers moved west to the frontier in Kentucky. In Bourbon County, they found corn growing and water (rich in limestone, no iron) conditions were perfect for making what came to be known as Kentucky Bourbon. Prohibition resulted in the shut-down of Kentucky Bourbon and other distilleries; but operations resumed after the ban was repealed. 

It is perhaps with the some of the same American spunk, persistence and maker spirit that craft adult beverage and chocolate making have seen a revival in recent times. 

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Trader Joe's - Caramelized Sunflower and Sesame Seeds bars - Dec. 13, 2016

Chocolate of the Day:

Trader Joe's
Caramelized Sunflower and Sesame Seeds bars
Good ++ - Very Good
Weight: 2.12 oz. (60 g.) / 12.72 oz. ( 360 g.) total box of 12
Calories: 340 calories in 2 mini bars
Cost: $9.99 for 1 box of 12 bars
Purchased from: Trader Joe's, Alameda, CA

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

These two Caramelized Sunflower and Sesame Seeds bars from Trader Joe's Milk Chocolate Portfolio—a box of 12 individually wrapped mini bars (2 each of 6 different flavors).

These were crunchy, flavorful and sweet, without being too sweet. And the caramelized seeds provided some crunchy texture which I really enjoyed.

Dagoba - Lemonberry Zest bar - Dec. 12, 2016

Chocolate of the Day: 

Dagoba Organic Chocolate
Lemonberry Zest bar
Good+
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) / 2 oz. (56 g.) in total bar
Calories: 135 calories (per label) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $ missing information
Purchased from: missing information

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate and Seeds Week.

Today's Lemonberry Zest bar (dark chocolate, lemon essence, blueberries and crystallized ginger) was made by Dagoba Organic Chocolate (Ashland, OR).

The 68% cacao dark chocolate bar (made with Rainforest Alliance Certified Cacao) had refreshing, natural-tasting lemon, berry and ginger flavor notes, and was good eating all by itself.

I also thought this chocolate was great with (chopped up in, or grated on top of) pancakes. I enjoyed this chocolate with both regular and lemon poppy seed pancakes—with a little Tillamook Huckleberry yogurt.

*Dagoba Organic Chocolate is a division of The Hershey Company (Hershey/Derry Township, PA).

Endangered Species - Dark Lemon Poppy Seed bar - Dec. 9, 2016

Chocolate of the Day: 

Endangered Species
Dark Chocolate with Lemon Poppy Seed bar
Good
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42.5 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 240 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $missing information
Purchased from: Whole Foods, Cupertino, CA

Welcome to Day #2 of the Chocolate and Seeds Series.

Today's bar was a Dark Chocolate with Lemon Poppy Seed bar from Endangered Species (Indianapolis, IN).

This 60% Cocoa bar was flavored with lemon zest, organic poppy seeds and "natural flavors." The lemon flavor kicked in a few seconds after the first bite. And the bittersweet chocolate seemed to get progressively sweeter during the tasting experience.

The finish was accompanied by a very subtle crunch from the tiny poppy seeds and some acidity.

SOMA - Milk Chocolate Mini Bar - Roasted Cashews - Nov. 9, 2016

Chocolate of the Day: 

SOMA
Milk Chocolate Mini Bar - Roasted Cashews
Very Good
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 185 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $8.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from:  The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today many U.S. citizens woke up with a Presidential election hang-over. Some might even be mumbling about moving north to Canada.


I don't plan to move to Canada. However, I'm very happy to be featuring a great Milk Chocolate Mini Bar with Roasted Cashews from SOMA Chocolatemaker (Toronto, Canada) today.

This small milk chocolate bar was packed with great, almost fruity flavor (red berries, a faint hint of licorice), and had a thick creamy mouthfeel. The milk softened bolder cacao notes just enough so that the subtle flavors of roasted cashews was still present.

Whatever else happens in the world, I'm very happy and grateful to be enjoy a mini Chocolate Banquet with a small piece of great chocolate and nuts.

SOMA produces high-quality chocolate items with a subtle creative twist. Look closely at the pattern on the back, and you'll see cacao pods and flowers. If you look very closely you might spot a bird with shoes and perhaps a Canadian maple leaf.

Creo Chocolate - 73% Ecuador Nibs and Sea Salt bar - Sept. 16, 2016

Chocolate of the Day: 

Creo Chocolate
73 percent Ecuador Cacao Nibs and Sea Salt bar
Good ++ - Very Good
Weight: .875 oz. (25 g.) / 1.75 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 131 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $8.00 (estimate) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Creo Chocolate, Portland, OR

Welcome to Day #12 of Chocolate and Ecuador Theme Week, and Day #3 of Nibs Theme Week.

Today's 73 percent Ecudaor Cacao with Nibs and Sea Salt bar from Creo Chocolate (Portland, OR) was made from Heirloom Arriba Nacional cacao, a fine-flavored cacao from Ecuador known for its floral flavor.

I purchased this bar earlier this year while on a trip to Portland; and I was able to visit some makers, like Creo, in person. With only a few days in the city of roses, I barely scratched the surface of the chocolate making scene there.

Creo, a word that translates into both "I believe" and "I create" is an apt name for a craft chocolate maker.

And these chocolate makers have created a 73 percent cacao dark bar containing a bouquet of aromas and flavors that I associate with Ecuador: slightly earthy, green, floral, sweet marshmallow, nutty, slightly woodsy, and a very small, pleasant, wine-y note in the last bite I had.

Nibs added tiny windows of unadulterated (unsweetened) cacao flavor, and crunchy texture to the smooth dark, well-tempered chocolate that had a nice, even melt. And for those that like a bit of salt, you'll get that some sparkles of that too.

Top 10 Places to Find Chocolates - Sept. 12, 2016

How Did I Find 3,600+ Chocolates?
September 12, 2016

People often ask me where or how I found a different chocolate to eat every day for a decade.  In honor of Chocolate Banquet's 10th Anniversary, I'm sharing a list of the top ten places where I've found chocolates. There are some overlaps between categories, and this list is not all inclusive by a long shot, but it does explain where most chocolates on Chocolate Banquet have come from.

1.) Curated Chocolate Shops
2.) Bean to Bar Makers, Chocolatiers
3.) Specialty Shops, Bakeries
4.) Grocery Stores
5.) Airports
6.) Conferences, Shows, Salons
7.) Farmers' Markets
8.) Online retailers
9.) Museums
10.) Friends and Family

Curated Chocolate Shops
I was able to find 3,650+ chocolates this past decade from 1,100+ different chocolate suppliers/sources worldwide. However, I owe a special debt of gratitude to five carefully curated chocolate shops in the San Francisco Bay Area where I live.

The Chocolate Garage (Palo Alto, CA), located a few miles from my house. The Garage is open limited hours to the public, but Sunita de Tourreil and team offer a tasting room, a sense of community, and an excellent selection of craft chocolate bars from around the world—with the occasional hazelnut spread or confection. Sunita has helped set standards for high-quality chocolate that also has a "clean," transparent supply chain back-story. No to child slavery and dicey sourcing. Only Happy Chocolate.

In the North Bay, Elana Turchon at SweetE Organic (Mill Valley, CA) provides her customers with higher-end organic, allergen free and raw chocolates, many of them fair trade and local as well. She also carries other healthy sweets and quality gift items.

Since I appreciate great chocolates with flavor inclusions that are also gluten free, Elana has been an invaluable source. My daughter has a life-threatening peanut allergy, and has experienced severe symptoms from eating foods cross-contaminated with peanuts. So, it's a relief that Elana specializes in finding sweets suitable for everyone.

Two other shops in San Francisco have also provided an excellent source of new chocolates, just when I thought I might be running out in the early years.

Adam Smith has been managing Fog City News (San Francisco, CA) with a small team of dedicated staff for as long as I remember; and he always has a new chocolate, just when I think I'm running low, or need one more bar for a given theme week. The shop on Market Street in the Financial District also stocks an impressive array of magazines, foreign periodicals and gift cards.

But, if I'm looking for unique chocolates, I visit Jack Epstein and team at Chocolate Covered in Noe Valley (San Francisco, CA). During one of my last visits, his small shop was stocked with 950+ different chocolate items, along with handmade cyanotype decorative metal tins adorned with San Francisco street names and other images. Epstein claims not to be a chocolate expert, but he knows and works with dozens of chocolate companies from around the globe. If you want a camel's milk bar, or a bar with brisket, this is the place to go.

Alas, other shops, like CocoaBella Chocolates (San Francisco), have come and/or gone in the last decade. But, I continue to appreciate small shops that offer a selection of truffles, bon bons and bars from a variety of chocolatiers and makers here and abroad.

Local Bean-to-Bar Makers and Chocolatiers

Some chocolate makers offer retail outlets. If you can find bean-to-bar makers (large or small) who give talks or tours, you'll learn a lot about chocolate, and may come away with a greater appreciation of the challenges involved. The first step is to obtain high-quality fermented cacao beans from farmers to be able to make great chocolate. Great beans are essential, and roasting, conching, tempering (and all other steps) are critical in making good chocolate as well.

Tours continue to come and go. For example, in the Bay Area, Scharffen Berger used to offer a great tour in the East Bay, but that facility closed after the company merged with Hershey. TCHO is working on offering tours again, following their move from San Francisco to Berkeley.

Ghirardelli still offers some tours in San Francisco (e.g. as part of their Chocolate Festival). And Dandelion Chocolate (San Francisco, CA) offers talks at their cafe + factory (production area with glass walls) so that customers can learn more about chocolate. Some of the largest bulk or wholesale producers of chocolate (or processors of cocoa) are not open to the public for tours, e.g. Guittard Chocolate Company (South San Francisco, CA) and Blommer Chocolate Company (based in Chicago, IL with a facility in Union City, CA).


However, the majority of chocolate shops are owned by chocolatiers (who buy bulk chocolate to melt and shape into their own bars and confections). And chocolatiers can be found in almost every mid-sized city. These shops (or tables at Farmers' Markets) in the Bay Area are a plentiful source of chocolates, ranging from high-volume local sellers such as See's Candies, to luxury truffle and filled chocolate companies (NeoCocoa, CocoTutti, Michael Mischer, Recchiuti Confections, etc.), to novelty shops like fudge-maker and candy and gift seller, Z Cioccolato (San Francisco, CA).

Specialty Shops, Bakeries

I've been surprised to find a variety of specialty shops that also stock chocolates. Bakeries are also a natural fit, but I need to find gluten free items, which narrows down the number of bakeries quickly on this list.

Miette Cakes LLC, with locations San Francisco, Oakland and Larkspur, is famous for their cakes, and also manages to stock a small assortment of interesting chocolates as well as a rows of glass jars filled with different gluten-free macarons, some of them with chocolate.

And local Bay Area gluten-free bakers at Mariposa Baking Company, Flour Craft Bakery, Flour Chylde, Zest Bakery and others, have enabled me to enjoy and feature chocolate cakes, cookies and other baked goods. (See also Farmers' Markets.)

Honorable mentions go to ZombieRunner (store in Palo Alto, CA), a retail store dedicated to trail runners that also offers a great latte, licorice, dark chocolate bars and other snacks; and to Recreational Equipment, Inc., aka REI, Outdoor Stores that carry energy and snack bars with chocolate and the occasional craft chocolate bar. Because if you run or walk, you can justify a bit more chocolate.

Grocery Stores
Whole Foods Market, Piazza's Fine Foods, Draeger's Market, Trader Joe's, New Leaf Community Markets, Andronicos, Paradise Foods...I thank you all. I've found many bars, truffles and gluten-free chocolate items at these stores over time. Even the larger chains like Safeway and Raley's have surprised me occasionally with some great finds, depending on the store.

And even economy-oriented Grocery Outlet Bargain Market (at least the location in Palo Alto) has stocked single origin chocolate bars and other chocolate items.

Airports
Airports, or more specifically specialty shops and retail outlets at airports that stock local bars or confections, can be a great source of chocolates no matter what country you happen to be visiting. If I'm lucky, I find some that carry smaller brands or hand-crafted chocolates and not just the big brands that I can find at home.

Chocolate Conferences, Shows, Salons, Festivals
These events can be great places to find new chocolates and find out more about chocolatiers and chocolate makers. Vendors often choose to launch a new brand, family or product line at a show. And, if you're fortunate, you'll be able to ask vendors questions. Or, a company founder may be speaking or conducting a tasting or demo at a conference or show.

Farmers' Markets
Like airports, I find farmers' markets great sources of new chocolates, particularly if I'm traveling to a new area, or am on vacation. While visiting farmers' markets in Hawaii I met a bean-to-bar maker and an outstanding chocolatier. Many of the companies may be small, and may not have a permanent storefront, but I may have a chance to speak with the owner or chocolate maker.

Online Retailers
In a word...Chocosphere. This site carries many different chocolate bars and has been selling chocolate since 1998.

There are, of course, many other chocolate retailers that sell online; however, the majority are selling just one or two brands. And that's fine if you're hunting for something specific. Search engines are marvelous for this. Not all international companies can ship to the U.S. (especially in summer when ice packs are required), but I enjoy reading about new places I may want to visit or contact.

Museums
Museums often have interesting gift shops. And sometimes museum stores or shops stock a few specialty or branded chocolate items. However, I've found museum cafes even more interesting, as they often carry a high-end, gluten-free chocolate dessert and/or beverage that I can eat.

And, for a special treat, try visiting one of several chocolate museums when you travel in the U.S. or abroad. I found ones in Cuba and Nicaragua in the past six years, and I've barely scratched the surface.

Friends and Family
Never underestimate your own circle of friends, be they next door or on Facebook. I've learned about several new chocolates, or have been fortunate to receive occasional samples from friends and relatives who they either picked up during recent travels (thank you Toni, Katy and Dave)—or, in some cases, made themselves.

Thank you to you all! I really appreciate your support.

Arete - Costa Esmeraldas, Camino Verde Ecuador bars - Sept. 11, 2016

Chocolate(s) of the Day:

Arete Fine Chocolate

Costa Esmeraldas 70% Dark Chocolate bar
Good ++ - Very Good
Weight: 1.15 oz. (32.5 g.) / 2.3 oz. (65 g.) in total bar
Calories: 173 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $12.00 (estimate) for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

Camino Verde 75% Dark Chocolate bar
Good ++ - Very Good
Weight: 1.15 oz. (32.5 g.) / 2.3 oz. (65 g.) in total bar
Calories: 173 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $0 for 1 bar (sample)
Purchased from: N/A - Arete, Milpitas, CA

Welcome to the 10th Anniversary of Chocolate Banquet (Sept. 11, 2016) and Day #7 of Ecuador Chocolate Theme Week.

Today, I'm featuring two single origin dark bars carefully hand-crafted from Ecuadorian cacao by David and Leslie Senk at Arete Fine Chocolate (Milpitas, CA). I first tasted Arete chocolate (and gianduia spread) at The Chocolate Garage (Palo Alto, CA).

Arete (pronounced ah-reh-'tay) stands for excellence and a life journey toward reaching life's potential, and the Senks are committed to living up to their company's name as they make high-quality single origin bars.

Whereas yesterday's Arete Ecuador bar (made with beans from Hacienda Victoria) was very flavorful with rich, tart dried fruit (plums, raisins) flavors with a hint of nuttiness, today's two bars each had their own aromas and flavors.

Both these Ecuador bars were well made, well tempered and had a clean finish with no "off" flavors.

Camino Verde has been a well-known source for cacao beans grown in Ecudor. I've tasted several single origin bars made by different makers, all using cacao beans from this same area. However, the end results are slightly different. Harvests may vary slightly. Or chocolate makers may sort beans and nibs differently, choose different roast times, or conching times.

Celebrating 10 Years of Chocolate with 10 Chocolates

Chocolate Banquet - 10-year Anniversary Day
September 11, 2016

How did I spend my 10th Anniversary of eating a different chocolate every day?

I enjoyed a walk and ate 10 chocolates today. It was also my birthday, so sweets were on the menu.

I started the day with my Chocolate(s) of the Day: two very fine, single origin dark bars from Ecuador, made by Arete Fine Chocolate (Milpitas, CA).

Then I enjoyed tastes of four different ice creams with chocolate, including a cup of chocolate chip ice cream at Baskin Robbins. (The company had sent me a coupon for a free ice cream for my birthday.)

I also enjoyed a Hazelnut truffle and a Cognac truffle from XOX Truffles (San Francisco, CA), and a Party truffle from Z. Cioccolato (San Francisco, CA).

Last but not least, I enjoyed a Gray Sea Salt Agave Caramel (in Milk Chocolate) from Amella Caramels (not pictured here).

The gluten-free caramels were part of a gift from Elana Turchon and Joy Lowrie at SweetE Organic (Mill Valley, CA) to celebrate Chocolate Banquet's 10-year anniversary.

The caramels were cleverly tucked into a trophy with a gold, star-shaped sparkler.

Thank you to all who helped celebrate this occasion!

10-Years of Chocolate Celebration - Sept. 11, 2016

Chocolate Banquet: Celebrating 10 Years of Chocolate
September 11, 2016

Ten years ago, I accepted a bet by my daughter to eat a different kind of chocolate every day for a year. That year was so enjoyable that I continued to eat a different chocolate of the day for ten years and to write about chocolate on ChocolateBanquet.com. Today marks the 10th year anniversary of that bet

This month I'm celebrating this 10th anniversary in 10 ways:

1.) Eating my usual Chocolate(s) of the day. Today, it's 2 Ecuador single origin bars from Arete Fine Chocolate
2.) Eating 10 different chocolate items this weekend as part of a Bay Area Chocolate Field Trip
3.) Continuing with Theme Weeks -- Ecuador this week, Cacao Nibs and French Chocolate after that
4.) Visiting and thanking some of my favorite local, San Francisco Bay Area suppliers where I've bought chocolates in the past decade
5.) Writing about my 10 favorite places to find chocolates
6.) Highlighting my favorite chocolates in the past 10 years
7.) Taking a look at Chocolate Maps and Chocolate Math
8.) Summarizing what I've learned in 10 years of chocolate research, tasting and travel
9.) Remembering chocolate field trip/travel highlights
10.) Continuing Chocolate Banquet and eating a different chocolate every day. After all, there are 1,000s of new chocolates to try.

So, stay tuned my friends. And thank you for your interest.
- Corinne

Arete - Hacienda Victoria 70% Ecuador bar - Sept. 10, 2016

Chocolate of the Day:

Arete Fine Chocolate

Hacienda Victoria 70% Dark Chocolate (Ecuador) bar
Good +++ - Very Good
Weight: 1.15 oz. (32.5 g.) / 2.3 oz. (65 g.) in total bar
Calories: 172 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $12.00 (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

Bienvenidos a (welcome to) Day #6 of Ecuador Chocolate Theme Week, and the day before Chocolate Banquet's 10-year anniversary.

To mark this occasion, I'm proud to be able to spotlight a series of bars made with Ecuadorian cacao from local Bay Area maker Arete Fine Chocolate (Milpitas, CA).

Nestled in the heart of Silicon Valley, is a single-story facility where David and Leslie Senk are crafting a growing number of single origin chocolate bars.

Today's Arete Hacienda Victoria 70% Dark Chocolate bar combines beans from cocoa beans from a single large farm (Hacienda Victoria) with organic sugar and cocoa butter.

It's worth pointing out that the makers at Arete pressed the cocoa butter in this bar from cocoa beans from this same farm. This elevates the meaning of single origin.

Cacao growing close to the Equator (e.g. in Ecuador) is typically leaner than cacao growing farther away from the Equator, say, in Hawaii ("the North Pole for cacao")—where beans may have 10 percent more fat to protect them from harsher/cooler weather. Plants are smarter than we think.

This Ecuador had a flavorful, fruity (dried fruit such as plums, raisins) taste with a slight nutty flavor note.

Takal - Chocolate 70 percent Ecuador single origin bar - Sept. 9, 2016

Chocolate of the Day:

Takal
Chocolate 70 percent, Ecuador single origin bar
Good +++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2.46 oz. (70 g.) total bar
Calories: 170 calories (per label) in 1oz. (28.3 g.) of bar
Cost: $ missing information
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

Welcome to Day #5 of Ecuador Chocolate Theme Week, as the countdown to Chocolate Banquet's 10-year anniversary (Sept. 11) continues.

There are many good Ecuador single origin cacao bars made in the Northern hemisphere. However, I'm always interested in sampling a bar from the same country where the beans were grown—in this case, a Takal 70 percent bar from Takal (Quito, Ecuador).

Today's Tokal Chocolate 70 percent bar was made with Arriba cacao from Vinces - Provincia Los Rios. And when I opened the packaging, a small treasure-style map inside showed me where the cacao was grown.

This bar contained three ingredients: cocoa mass, sugar and soy lecithin, but had a complex and interesting aroma and flavor notes: chocolate, caramel, fruit (raisin, crisp tart apple) and a slight nuttiness.

Cocanu - Holy Wood and Gardel bars - Sept. 5, 2016

Chocolate(s) of the Day:

Cocanu Chocolate

Holy Wood
Dark chocolate and palo santo 70% bar
Good - Good +
Weight: .8 oz. (25 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 132 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $5.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Cacao at The Heathman, Portland, OR

Gardel
Dark chocolate, hazelnuts, fernet 72% bar
Good +
Weight: .8 oz. (25 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 132 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $5.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Meadow (original Mississippi location), Portland, OR

Welcome to the last day of Chocolate, Fruit and Botanicals Month, and the first day of Ecuadorian Cacao Theme Week.

Today's two relatively sweet dark bars hailed from Cocanu Chocolate (Portland, OR). I bought them at two different specialty retail shops in Portland (Cacao and The Meadow—both great sources for interesting, high-quality chocolates).

Cocanu's 70% cacao Holy Wood bar was made with Nacional cacao from Ecuador and infused with aromatic Palo Santo wood, also from Ecuador. The wood's flavor was so subtle, I failed to detect it. Could it be that this flavor is part of the terroir that I already associate with Ecuador? Another possibility: I dulled my palette with something I ate or drank earlier.

The company's 72% Gardel bar did have a subtle, pleasing overall hazelnut taste, with a few tiny crunchy nut bits embedded in it. The "fernet"—Fernet Branca (a botanical liqueur popular in Europe— was so subtle that, like the bar above, I missed it.

Both square bars (sealed with a fleur de lis wax stamp) were thick enough to provide a substantial bite, and thin enough to make flavors accessible, in other words just the right thickness for tasting in my opinion.

Chocolate, Fruits and Botanicals Month

Chocolate, Fruit and Botanicals Month
August 7, 2016

While not every food item benefits from being mixed with chocolate, most fruits, seeds and edible plants/flower can be blended successfully with chocolate in some way. I've been researching this subject for 10 years and have eaten chocolate with 100s of other plant-based (and non-plant based items).

Fragrant black peppercorns? Chili peppers? Dried fruits, flowers? Nuts? Herbs and spices? Yes, all of these, and many more.

Pure dark chocolate is a plant food after all, made from the ground seeds (aka beans) found at the center of a fruity-pulp lined pod. So perhaps its ability to complement and/or enhance other botanical items isn't a surprise.

As part of the countdown to my 10-year anniversary of eating a different chocolate every day (September 10-11, 2016), I'll be featuring chocolates that incorporate other plant items for the next month. 

de Young Museum - Hazelnut Brownie - July 19, 2016

Chocolate of the Day: 

de Young Cafe
Hazelnut Brownie (gluten free)
Very Good
Weight: 3.9 oz. (110 g.) (estimate) in 1 brownie
Calories: 430 calories (estimate) in 1 brownie
Cost: $4.50 for 1 brownie
Purchased at: de Young Cafe, de Young Museum, San Francisco, CA

Welcome to Day #1 of Chocolate Brownie Theme Week.*

Recently, I attended a Flower Piano day in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. Different pianos were available to play in the different gardens inside Golden Gate Park's Botanical Garden in San Francisco. It was a great idea, and a beautiful day outside.

Lunch at the de Young Museum's de Young Cafe followed; and I picked up a gluten-free Hazelnut Brownie "to go" that I saved for today.

This dense, fudgey, nutty brownie had a very pleasing brownie aroma, flavor and texture. It was populated with visible flecks of nut and had subtle hazelnut flavor.

I wish I could credit who made this brownie, but I don't have this information. Thank you to the Cafe team for providing gluten-free choices and great-tasting, healthy food.

*As with all chocolates on ChocolateBanquet.com, brownies and other chocolate baked goods featured are gluten free.