Cacao Sampaka - Copan Honduras 70% Chocolate Dark (bar) - May 28, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Cacao Sampaka
Copan Honduras 70% Chocolate Dark (bar)
Good ++   

Weight: 1.05 oz. (30 g.) / 2.64 oz. (75 g.) in total bar
Calories: 170 calories in 1/3 bar
Cost: $13.99 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Caputo's, online order

Bienvenidos (welcome) to Day #7 of Chocolate and Central America Theme Week.

Today's Copan Honduras 70% Chocolate Negro (Dark) (bar) from Cacao Sampaka (Barcelona, Spain) was made in Spain and imported by Forever Cheese LLC (New York, NY).

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate with diffuse fruit (fresh cherries, very faint cherry brandy, dark sugar (brown sugar) and faint vanilla.

Texture: well-tempered, smooth texture and melt.

Flavor notes included: dark chocolate with natural sweetness/brightness, balanced bitterness, diffuse faint fruit (cherry, sweet orange) and very faint (barely detectable) sweet tobacco and whiskey cocktail.

I enjoyed this relatively hearty, well-balanced chocolate and its authentic and subtly complex fruit notes.

Ingredients: "Honduras Cacao Nibs, Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Emulsifier (Soy Lecithin), Cocoa: 70% minimum."

Allergen-related information: "May Contain Traces of: Nuts (Almond, Hazelnut, Pistachio, Macadamia Nut, Pecan Nut), Peanuts, Lactose, Milk and Sesame."

Good King - "Love" Fragrant and Warm Spices Snacking Cacao - Oct. 19, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Good King
"Love" - Fragrant and Warm Spices Snacking Cacao
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.12 oz. (60 g.) in total package
Calories: 120 calories in 1/2 package
Cost: $0.00 (free with purchase of other items (Thank you Zak's) 
Purchased from: Zak's Chocolate (online order) 

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate, Pumpkins and Warm Fall Spices.

Today's Good King "Love" Fragrant and Warm Spices Snacking Cacao was manufactured by Cocoa Future SPC (Seattle, WA).

Aroma notes for this 80% cacao bean-based snack included: freshly baked (warm) spiced molasses cookie; vanilla; and faint cacao.

Texture: crunchy, gently fibrous, whole cacao beans were coated with sugar, cacao butter and warming spices. This coating added a gently sweet, buttery, gently textured, coating that complemented the bean's cocoa essence.

At the center of this snack were 100% cacao beans from Honduras. These beans were caramelized and coated with warm spices (sugar, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, vanilla, cardamom and cacao butter)--bringing the overall cacao percentage for this snack down to 80%.

Flavor notes alternated between these aromatic and engaging warm spices and authentic crunchy cacao beans.

This "Love" Snacking Cacao offered authentic and warm spice flavors, gentle complexity, and an opportunity to taste whole cacao beans--the true source of all chocolate. And, best of all, this snack was not overly sweet. (Thank you!). 

Sadly, this mix is sold out at the moment.

Ingredients: Cacao Beans,* Cane Sugar,* Vanilla Extract* (Vanilla Bean Extractives* In Water, Alcohol*), Cinnamon,* Salt, Nutmeg,* Cloves,* Cardamom,* Cacao Butter.* (* = Organic)

Allergen-related information: "Made in a facility that processes gluten." 

 

Good King - Arise Mocha Crunch Snacking Cacao - Oct. 6, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Good King
Arise Mocha Crunch Snacking Cacao
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.12 oz. (60 g.) in total package
Calories: 130 calories in 1 serving (1/2 package)
Cost: $6.00 (sale) for 1 package
Purchased from: Zak's Chocolate (Scottsdale, AZ), online order

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

Today's Good King "Arise" Mocha Crunch Snacking Cacao was manufactured by Cocoa Future, SPC (Seattle, WA). 

Aroma notes included: fruit, chocolate (cocoa), coffee, caramelized date/coconut sugar, and very faint, fleeting (almost there) whisp of sweet mushrooms sauteed in coconut milk and butter. 

Texture: There was a lot of fiber with each gently crunchy cacao bean and coffee based morsel. Happily, while while the cacao beans are fairly intact (in the original cacao bean form), these flavorful snack pieces weren't too dry or fibrous. 

Flavor notes for this 65% snacking cacao included: authentic, flavorful and well-balanced cacao (bean), with tasty coffee, caramel (and/or caramelized ingredients), coconut milk, cocoa butter and a tiny bit of salt. One of the best "coatings" for cacao beans I've tasted.

This was a perfect snack (and possibly breakfast); and I'd happily eat this again. Unfortunately, Good King offerings may be unavailable at the moment. I hope they return soon.

The ingredients used were thoughtfully sourced. The single origin, USDA Organic, Fair Trade  International (direct trade) cacao beans were from Coagricsal Co-op, Honduras. And the single origin, USDA Organic and Fair Trade for Life coffee was from Cafe Feminino, Peru.

Ingredients: Cacao Beans*, Cane Sugar*, Coconut Milk Powder*, Cacao Butter*, Coffee Beans*, Salt (* = Organic).

Allergen-related information: "Contains: Coconut" ("Vegan, Non-GMO, Dairy Free, Gluten Free")

 

Palato Chocolate - 70% Cacao Dark Chocolate w/ Caramelized Ginger, Honduras (bar) - Mar. 21, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Palato Hand Crafted Chocolate
70% Cacao Dark Chocolate w/ Caramelized Ginger, Honduras (bar)
Good ++
Weight: .9 oz. (25 g.) / 1.8 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 130 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #9 of Chocolate and Honduras Theme Week, and Day #1 of Chocolate and Ginger Theme Week.

Today's 70% Cacao Dark Chocolate w/ Caramelized Ginger, Honduras (bar) was hand-crafted and distributed by Palato S. de R.L. (Tegucigalpa M.DC., Honduras).  

Aroma notes for this bar included: relatively bold, dark chocolate with subtle complexity, with lively spice (ginger) and occasional earth notes.

Flavor notes included: spikes of spicy, authentic, sugared ginger and dark chocolate. There were fleeting bitter and slightly soapy ginger notes (I'm assuming both from the slightly chewy ginger root flecks). 

This was a satisfying dark chocolate spice bar. One small piece provided a good wake-up chocolate breakfast.

Ingredients: Cacao nibs, sugar and caramelized ginger (ginger and sugar)

Allergen-related information: Produced in a facility that processes tree nuts

Mutari White Label Chocolate - Honduras La Masica 74% - Mar. , 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Mutari - White Label Chocolate 
Honduras La Masica 74% (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.15 oz. (32.5 g.) / 2.3 oz. (65 g.) in total bar
Calories: 178 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $ Missing information
Purchased from: Mutari Chocolate, Santa Cruz, CA

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

Today's White Label Chocolate Honduras La Masica 74% (bar) was made and hand-wrapped in Santa Cruz, CA. (The company has since moved its manufacturing space down to Watsonville, CA.)

The cacao (2015 Harvest, La Masica, Honduras) used to make this bar was thoughtfully sourced from producer FHIA by White Label's chief chocolate maker, who "is honored to (support/be able to work with) small family farmers" and co-ops in equatorial regions.

Fundacion Hondurena de Investagacion Agricola (FHIA) is a non-profit that works to support sustainable agriculture and cacao in Honduras.

Aroma notes for this two-ingredient chocolate included: a very gentle, complex and appealing bouquet of fruit (peach, plum, fig jam, very faint cherry), very faint and diffuse molasses and warm spice, very faint and diffuse floral (apricot blossom, orchid, honey).

Flavor notes included: true chocolate (brownie, dark chocolate ganache, cookie), cream**, diffuse fruit (stone fruit), very faint warm spice, and faint (balanced) earth.

Ingredients: Cacao beans, Organic sugar

Allergen-related information: (No allergens listed in ingredients; no additional facility/allergen-related information listed on packaging.)

**There was no cream or dairy ingredients in this chocolate.

Palato Chocolate - Almendras Cubiertos de Chocolate Oscuro - Mar. 19, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Palato Chocolate

Almendras Cubiertos de Chocolate Oscuro

(Almonds Covered in Dark Chocolate) 
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 2 oz. (57 g.) / 6 oz. (170 g.) in total bar
Calories: 310 calories (estimate) in 2 oz. (57 g.) serving
Cost: $15.00 (estimate) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Missing information

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

Today's Palato Hand Crafted Chocolate, Almonds Covered in Dark Chocolate were manufactured and distributed by Palato S. de R.L. (Tegucigalpa, M.DC., Honduras).

Aroma notes for these dark chocolate covered almonds included: subtle fudge brownie batter. (Most glazed chocolate confections have very little aroma that comes through before you bite into them.)

The dark chocolate and almond flavors were rich and satisfying. Authentic tasting cacao flavor included dark chocolate with fruit (soft, tart sweet cherry) and very faint balanced earth notes. The inside was bursting with fresh-tasting, crunchy roasted whole almond flavor.

These dark chocolate covered almonds were much better than most you'll find. They had nuanced and very complementary chocolate and nut flavors. (The almonds almost stole the show.) These were just plain good, and not too sweet. (Thank you!)

Ingredients: Almonds, dark chocolate, sugar and gum arabic (agente de glaseado). Producto 100% artesanal elaborado en Honduras.

Allergen-related information: Contains nuts and could contain traces of milk.

 

 

Palato Chocolate - 80% Cacao Dark Chocolate (Honduras) (bar) - Mar. 18, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Palato Hand Crafted Chocolate
80% Cacao Dark Chocolate, Honduras (bar) 
Good + - Good ++
Weight: .9 oz. (25 g.) / 1.8 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 150 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's Palato Hand Crafted Chocolate 80% Cacao Dark Chocolate, Honduras (bar) was manufactured and distributed by Palato S. de R.L. (Tegucigalpa, M.DC., Honduras).

Aroma notes for this two-ingredient chocolate included: subtle but flavorful dark chocolate; diffuse fruit (dried pear, white wine grape, golden raisin, almost undetectable sweet pineapple and mango); and very faint savory earth and fermentation notes (when the sealed, inner package was first opened).

This 80% chocolate broke with a snap, initially had a smooth melt and texture, and then there was an uptick in fruit astringency. This granular dryness was enough to tickle the throat, although it diminished in the finish.

The relatively fruity ultra-dark chocolate had a very slight, fleeting fermentation funk (wine, cheese)--that dissipated (along with some of the fruit notes) after leaving the freshly opened chocolate on a plate to breathe for a few hours. In its wake a tamer, very faint dark chocolate coconut cookie note joined the fruit notes that remained.

The flavors described above were balanced, and fairly mild for an 80% dark chocolate. Low in bitterness, this bar was generous in its subtle, complex fruit notes, but not too sweet. 

This two-ingredient bar would be interesting to try for dark chocolate fans, and one to include on a dessert (fruit and cheese) plate.

Ingredients: Cacao nibs and sugar

Allergen-related information: Produced in a facility that processes tree nuts.

Palato Chocolate - 65% Cacao Dark Chocolate w/ Bhutlah Pepper, Honduras (bar) - Mar. 17, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Palato Hand Crafted Chocolate

65% Cacao Dark Chocolate w/ Bhutlah Pepper, Honduras (bar) 
Good + - Good ++
Weight: .9 oz. (25 g.) / 1.8 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 140 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's Palato Hand Crafted Chocolate 65% Cacao Dark Chocolate w/ Bhutlah Pepper, Honduras (bar) was manufactured and distributed by Palato S. de R.L. (Tegucigalpa, M.DC., Honduras).

Aroma notes for this two-ingredient chocolate included: sweet, relatively subtle dark chocolate with slight fermentation and faint vegetable (lightly smoked chili pepper) notes.

Flavor notes included: warm chocolate, lightly sweetened iced tea, and hot pepper. About halfway through tasting a piece, there was an uptick in heat (from the spicy Bhutlah pepper).

This chocolate had interesting, subtle complexity, and the balanced spiciness added interest. The hot pepper flavor was rich and nicely balanced; it tickled the throat but didn't overwhelm the other, more subtle, flavors.

Ingredients: Cacao nibs, sugar, cacao fat and dehydrated bhutlah pepper

Allergen-related information: Produced in a facility that processes tree nuts

 

Palato Chocolate - White Chocolate with Cacao Nibs (bar) - Mar. 16, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Palato Chocolate
White Chocolate with Cacao Nibs (bar)
Good + - Good ++ 
Weight: .9 oz. (25 g.) / 1.8 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 150 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's Palato Hand Crafted Chocolate White Chocolate with Cacao Nibs (bar) was manufactured and distributed by Palato S. de R.L. (Tegucigalpa, M.DC., Honduras).

Founded in 2017 by Chef Monica Pedemonte, Palato Chocolate creates high-end cuisine, baked goods and bean-to-bar chocolate. The Honduran cacao used to make their chocolates comes from several regions, including some very remote locations.

The initial aroma notes (immediately after opening the sealed inner packaging) included: fruit (melon candy, red grape), very faint salad with white cheese (goat roquefort), and barely detectable cacao nibs. 

After being opened for 12 hours, the fermentation (cheese)* notes had all but disappeared; the ripe fruit notes had receded; and sweet, Boston brown bread and honey notes revealed themselves.

Flavor notes for this white chocolate with cocoa nibs bar echoed the (initial and subsequent) aroma notes described above, first with a bit of cheese salad, subtle sweet fruit (melon, pear, peach) and faint caramel; and occasional crunchy cacao nibs. The crunchy dark nibs and the savory notes helped balance out the sweetness of the white chocolate.

The finish was mellow, almost mild: soft and sweet (more like wine grapes than cheese salad).

*I thought if I re-tasted this chocolate later, the fermentation notes might dissipate. They did. These notes did fade, but some of the unique fruit fermentation fun may have also diminished a bit.

I appreciated the daring complexity of this chocolate. (Full disclosure: I love complex umami flavors.) It was difficult to know how to "rate" this chocolate. Not everyone will appreciate it's uniqueness. I recommend inhaling the aroma when you open this chocolate, but then let it sit open for a few hours before eating it.

Ingredients: Cacao nibs, sugar and cacao fat

Allergen-related information: Produced in a facility that processes tree nuts.  

Palato Chocolate - 60% Cacao Dark Milk Chocolate (Honduras) (bar) - Mar. 15, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Palato Hand Crafted Chocolate
60% Cacao Dark Milk Chocolate (bar)
Good + - Good ++ 
Weight: .9 oz. (25 g.) / 1.8 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 150 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $8.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's Palato Hand Crafted Chocolate 60% Cacao Dark Milk Chocolate (bar) was manufactured and distributed by Palato S. de R.L. (Tegucigalpa, M.DC., Honduras).

The company was established by (Chef) Monica Pedemonte in 2007. She specializes in Honduran cacao, and the cacao beans/nibs used to make their chocolates come from several areas of the country.

Subtle, complex aroma notes for today's bar included: dark milk chocolate, muted fruit, very faint vegetable (potato, sweet chili), faint molasses and date, and faint caramel.

The texture of this well-tempered bar was relatively creamy and smooth with a rapidly dissolving melt. 

Given the complex aroma (above), this dark milk chocolate had more muted flavors than expected. Flavor notes included some initial cocoa (with very faint molasses and diffuse fruit), milk (an actual glass of milk), and a milky chocolate (ganache -- only with less sugar). 

The chocolate was not too sweet (thank you!). Too much sugar can overwhelm flavors. Although, the milk (while authentic and wonderful) seemed to dilute what may have been a subtle, more nuanced cacao.

Those wanting a milder, yet sophisticated (less strong, less sugary) milk chocolate will like this subtle bar. It had an interesting aroma and was low in acidity and very low in bitterness.

Ingredients: Cacao nibs, sugar, milk powder and cacao fat

Allergen-related information: Produced in a facility that processes tree nuts. 

Palato Chocolate - 65% Cacao Dark Chocolate (Honduras) (bar) - Mar. 14, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Palato Chocolate
65% Cacao Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: .9 oz. (25 g.) / 1.8 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 130 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #2 of Chocolate and Honduras Theme Week. Happily, I found enough chocolates from Honduras (or made with cacao from Honduras) for a complete week.

The history of cacao cultivation in Central America is long. Archeological evidence points to humans enjoying cacao 1,000s of years ago (2,000 BCE) in Honduras. However, it has been challenging to find bars made with Honduran cacao in the U.S.  

Today's Palato Hand Crafted Chocolate 65% Cacao Dark Chocolate (bar) was manufactured and distributed by Palato S. de R.L. (Tegucigalpa, M.DC., Honduras).

Palato Chocolate is a high-end cuisine/baked goods (and subsequently bean-to-bar chocolate) brand established by (Chef) Monica Pedemonte in 2007. The Honduran cacao used to make their chocolates comes from several regions, including remote locations such as Wampusurpi, Gracias a Dios.

Aroma notes included: hearty, nuanced and fruity dark chocolate with faint fruit (soft, sweet white wine grape), green floral, earthy (slightly savory, clay) brownie.

This dark chocolate had skillfully balanced, true cacao (dark chocolate torte) flavor with a very faint dried golden fruit (dried pear, white grape, very faint, fleeting pomegranate) note. It had a balanced fruit (and very faint roasted coffee) acidity and was not too sweet. 

The finish was also chocolate-y with very faint fruit (sweet white grape) and fleeting sweet warm spice (cinnamon) notes. These was a faint, fleeting fruit astringency (very slight dryness, graininess), but only in one bite; otherwise both texture and taste were quite smooth.

Ingredients: Cacao nibs, sugar and cacao fat

Allergen-related information: Produced in a facility that processes tree nuts. 

Palato - 65% Cacao Dark Chocolate with Orange and Almonds (bar) - Mar. 13, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Palato Chocolate
65% Cacao Dark Chocolate with Orange and Almonds (bar)
Good ++
Weight: .9 oz. (25 g.) / 1.8 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 130 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #11 of Chocolate and Fruits Week, and Day #1 of Chocolate and Honduras Theme Week. 

I am excited to feature a full week of Honduras chocolates, including a variety of bars and confections from Palato Hand Crafted Chocolate located in Honduras.

Today's Palato Hand Crafted Chocolate 65% Cacao Dark Chocolate with Orange and Almonds (bar) was manufactured and distributed by Palato S. de R.L. (Tegucigalpa, M.DC., Honduras).

The citrus (sophisticated candied orange peel) aroma for this dark chocolate bar was worth calling out. I felt was enjoying a slice of chocolate orange peel almond cake or a cocktail (Old Fashioned, Manhattan with orange peel and bitters), with all the rich flavor, but without the alcohol. 

All this aroma and flavor was packed into a smooth, well-tempered 65% dark chocolate. This chocolate was not too sweet. (That aromatic sweet orange peel perfume (orange oil) provided plenty of sweet fruit essence.) The uniform, flavorful dark chocolate, and the almond bits, contained all this sweet citrus taste in the most delightful, complementary way.

Ingredients: Cacao nibs, sugar, cacao fat, almonds and orange oil

Allergen-related information: Contains tree nuts (almonds). Produced in a facility that processes tree nuts. 

Enna Chocolate - La Mosquitia, Wampusirpi Honduras 75% Dark Chocolate (bar) - Oct. 15, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Enna Chocolate

La Mosquitia, Wampusirpi Honduras 75% Dark Chocolate (bar)

Good ++

Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar

Calories: 162 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar

Cost: $11.00 (estimate) for 1 bar

Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #12 of Chocolate and Central America Theme Week, featuring chocolates made with cacao from Belize, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua.

Today's La Mosquitia, Wampusirpi Honduras 75% Dark Chocolate (bar) was made by Enna Chocolate (Exeter, New Hampshire).* La Mosquitia is along the "mosquito coast," in eastern Honduras. The closest town might be Wampusirpi in a relatively remote, agricultural area in northeastern Honduras in the department of Gracias a Dios ("Thanks to God").

Aroma notes for today's bar included: dark chocolate, subtle savory (smoked salt) and faint brown sugar/molasses with very faint, diffuse concentrated fruit (faint plum/prune).

The texture had a satisfying hearty, smoothness with a very faint (barely there) mineral quality.

Flavor notes included deep, chocolate-y (lightly smoked sea salt, dark fudge brownies); with fleeting balanced bitter and earth. and a clean mineral chocolate finish--a balanced, malty, almost calcium-like mineral quality that cushioned sweetness (vs. an acidic, sugary finish) and other flavors, and allowed for a soft close.

I found this a relatively bold, balanced and enjoyable chocolate. The boldness was less dense and more flavorful than most Forastero cacao varieties, and more like a Trinitario variety grown in rich and interesting soil. And the choice of a 75% cacao (vs. 70% cacao) bar helped boost the rich cacao flavors. Regardless of the cacao variety, it was handled/managed well by the chocolate maker.

Ingredients: "roasted cacao, cane sugar, cocoa butter"

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

*Chocolate maker Enna Grazier makes small batch, bean-to-bar chocolate in a small factory and retail space in Exeter, New Hampshire. Like many craft chocolate makers she switched to chocolate making from another profession--in this case wedding and food photography. While I've never met Enna, I am guessing her desire to make high-quality products, share stories and create community were there all along her journey.

Exeter is a coastal town in the northeast United States lies about 8 miles inland from the Atlantic Coast/beach. Enna Chocolate's logo includes a Maya glyph of an oyster. 

I live on the other (Pacific) side of the U.S. near San Francisco Bay, that also has its own oyster stories. But, I'll save those for another time. Suffice to say that both oysters and chocolate, from an edible, cultural and sustainability standpoint, are of interest to me as well.

Central American Dark Chocolate Honduras Banana Bread - Oct. 13, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

(Homemade)

Central American Dark Chocolate Honduras Banana Bread

(Modified Honduran Banana Bread recipe)

Weight: 1.5 oz. (42.5 g.) serving

Calories: 165 calories (estimate) for 1 serving

Cost: $N/A - multiple items

Purchased from: N/A - multiple sources

Welcome to Day #10 of Chocolate and Central America Week(s), featuring chocolates made with cacao from Belize, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua.

Today's homemade chocolate banana batter bread was based on a Honduran banana bread recipe. I added to this recipe: a blend of 70% cacao chocolate pieces (melted and stirred in) from the five different Central American countries mentioned above.

Aroma notes for this moist, dense bread included rich chocolate, banana (bread), with traces of warm spice and nut. The pecans provided a soft, nutty chew. (Especially fragrant right out of the oven.)

I omitted from this recipe any added sugar or added oils/butter. The 70% cacao chocolates, banana and coconut provided enough natural sweetness for my taste. Eggs, kefir and nuts provided satisfying levels of protein, fat and texture. And banana (flour and fruit), eggs and kefir contributed moisture and cohesion to this gluten-free version.)

Ingredients: Banana flour, (3) eggs, kefir (in lieu of sour cream/neufchatel cheese), banana (dehydrated slices, crushed), pieces of single origin dark chocolate bars (from 5 different Central American cacao-growing countries), pecans, coconut, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg.

Allergen-related information: Contained dairy, tree nuts and eggs. (Gluten free, low sugar)

Honduran treats - Spiced banana licuado; Chocolate rice pudding; Mayan Coffee & Cacao cheese

Chocolate(s) of the Day

Homemade Honduran Chocolate items 

Spiced Chocolate Banana Licuado

with Honduran chocolate

Good + 

Chocolate and Cinnamon Rice Pudding

with Honduran chocolate

Good +

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

For the last day of this Central American theme week, I made Honduran rice pudding and spiced banana licuado (chilled banana smoothie with cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg) paired with Honduran chocolate. Combined with a slice of Mayan coffee and cacao cheese and sliced fruit, this was my idea of a proper dessert meal.

Mayan Coffee and Cocoa Fontal Cheese

The wedge of Go Board Mayan Coffee and Cocoa Fontal Cheese from the Schuman Cheese (Fairfield, NJ) had a faint spicy, mocha kick. And this cheese provided a great savory complement to the sweet, homemade sweet items above.

Ingredients: Fontal cheese (pasteurized cow's milk, cheese cultures, sea salt, enzymes), spices, cocoa, coffee, natural flavors, sweet potato, caramel color. 

Allergen-related information: "Contains milk...Manufactured in a facility that also processes tree nuts and shares equipment with an egg ingredient."

Enna Chocolate - Wampusirpi Honduras, 100% Dark Chocolate (bar) - June 23, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Enna Chocolate 

La Mosquitia, Wampusirpi, Honduras 100% Dark Chocolate (bar)

Good ++

Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) / 2 oz. (56 g.) in total bar

Calories: 155 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar

Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar (+ summer shipping)

Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's La Mosquitia, Wampusirpi 100% Dark Chocolate (bar) was made by Enna Chocolate (Exeter, NH). Founder, and chocolate maker, Enna Grazier, makes small-batch, bean-to-bar chocolate using ethically-sourced cacao.

This ultra-dark bar had a deep, dark and complex aroma with earth, leather, forest, and faint concentrated fruit (dried peach, fig), sweet green and vegetable (kiwi and cucumber), spice (licorice and cinnamon) and roasted coffee notes.

The melt and mouthfeel of this bar were smooth and creamy.

The aroma notes were pleasant and complex. However, my palette quickly registered the deep, dense, uniform, relative bitterness of a 100% cacao bar. There was no sugar to conjure up bright or sweet fruit notes. Nor were there any "off" notes in this single ingredient (roasted cacao) bar. 

With just a single ingredient, there is no safety net; nothing else to hide behind. I'm always impressed with really good 100% cacao bars. It speaks to a long chain of high-quality decisions that can be traced back to the very beginning, from the genetics of the cacao tree and the care of the farmer, and later through the labor of love and many steps of chocolate making. 

The well-executed and balanced flavor notes experienced in this single origin bar included deep, dense forest with almost savory, smooth earth (fresh mineral water, clay); true dark chocolate (fudge brownie with ground cocoa nibs without the sugar), and faint concentrated fruit and coffee. 

These notes gradually diminished into a smooth, polished dark finish.

The cacao used to make this bar was from La Mosquitia, Wampusirpi, in northeastern Honduras, and is part of the "Mosquito Coast" (at the Western edge of the Caribbean Sea that extends SE into Nicaragua--in the Honduran department of Gracias a Dios. ("Thanks to God" indeed.) 

This is a great area for tropical rainforests, marshes, wildlife and cacao. The Mosquito Coast in the Western Caribbean Sea is a relatively wild area, it's been likened to mini-Amazon.

Ingredients: Roasted cacao

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

Cru Chocolate - Honduras 72% Dark Chocolate bar - June 22, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Cru Chocolate
Honduras 72% Dark Chocolate (bar) 
Good ++
Weight: 1.55 oz. (43 g.) in total bar
Calories: 242 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $7.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Farm Fresh to You CSA box delivery service (add-on item)

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

Today's Honduras 72% Dark Chocolate (bar) was made by Cru Chocolate (Roseville, CA).

This Honduras chocolate had an aroma with a pleasing, smooth dark chocolate aroma with a warm sugar note.

The dark chocolate was well-tempered with a smooth melt and texture.

It also had smooth, uniform dark chocolate flavor with a naturally sweet, very light molasses, and diffuse fruit (red berry, citrus) tangy sweetness.

The cacao used to make this bar was sourced from Fundacion Hondurena de Investigacion Agricola (FHIA) in La Masica in northern Honduras. (Honduras is divided into 18 departments. La Masica is a town/municipality in the department of Atlantida, inland (south of) the Caribbean/Atlantic coast.)

The maker's description read as follows: "As the Scarlet Macaw (pictured on packaging) reveals its multicolor and iridescent plumage, so does this bar take flight voicing bright citrus crescendos that gracefully land into a forest of nuanced coffee notes."

Ingredients: cacao beans, unrefined organic cane sugar

Allergen-related information: "Soy, gluten and dairy free"

Crow and Moss - Earl Grey Tea Honduras Wampusirpi 67% cacao (bar) - June 21, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Crow and Moss

Earl Grey Honduras Wampusirpi 67% cacao (bar)

Good +++

Weight: 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar

Calories: 300 calories (per label) in 1 bar

Cost: $9.25 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's Earl Grey Tea Honduras Wampusirpi* 67% cacao (bar) was from Crow and Moss  (Petoskey, MI).

When I leaned into this bar to assess the aroma, I expected to be greeted by the scent of Earl Grey tea (flavored with bergamot**). Instead, I was treated to a well-balanced, chocolate fudge brownie aroma with borderline savory, light earth and leather notes. I was able to tap into the soul of the underlying chocolate just via aroma; and it was good.

The bar had a satisfying even, smooth, fudgy melt, texture and flavor.

The flavor also embodied the fudge brownie base and undulated, evolved (with a soft currant of green (lemon balm, oxalis), and eventually resolved to include the familiar Earl Grey Tea flavored with bergamot as part of a lovely finish.

The (67% cacao) sweetness level was, surprisingly for a sub-70% bar, just about right as the dark chocolate was robust enough to prevent the bar from seeming too sweet, and to balance a light citrus cookie note.

Congratulations to the maker for this well-executed pairing of bold, but smooth, dark chocolate with a floral, citrus (bergamot) uplift/finish.

Crow and Moss (makers) tasting notes: "Get your afternoon tea fix on with this perfect fusion of fudgy, decadent Honduran Wampusirpi chocolate infused with the citrusy, floral notes of fresh Bergamot and the crisp, malty flavor of Earl Grey tea."

Ingredients: Honduran Wampusirpi cacao, organic cane sugar, organic earl grey tea

Allergen-related information: trace dairy, trace peanuts, trace tree nuts, soy free, gluten free, vegan.

*Notes on Wampusirpi cacao on the Bar and Cocoa site:

"Wampusirpi is a municipality of just under 6,000 residents, in the northeastern Honduran department of Gracias a Dios. Many parts of the region are only accessible by boat via the Patuca River, which connects the villages. The whole area is largely dependent upon agriculture, but eschews the conventional use of pesticides in favor of more traditional approaches; it's often called "organic without the certification."

**Bergamot (Citrus bergamia) is an aromatic citrus fruit (that can look a bit like a yellow-ish orange) with tart, sweet and floral notes that is used to flavor Earl Grey and Lady Grey teas, sweets (Turkish delight) and desserts. (It is also used as a perfume component and sold as an essential oil.) The citrus tree was originally from southeast Asia and is grown in the Mediterranean (particularly the Calabria area of southern Italy).

Duffy's - Honduras Mayan Red Milk Chocolate 61% (bar) - June 20, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Duffy's Fine Chocolate
Honduras Mayan Red Milk Chocolate 61% (bar)
(Red Star Chocolate Ltd)
Good +
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.11 oz. (60 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 175.8 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's Honduras Mayan Red Milk Chocolate 61% (bar) was from Duffy's Fine Chocolate (Lincolnshire, UK). 

The company specializes in single origin, artisan chocolate bars; and the cacao used to craft this bar was purchased directly from Xoco (Honduras) that offers fine flavored, single varietal cacaos from Central America.

The aroma of today's dark milk bar had diffuse, sweet fruit (currants, red berries), faint tart green herb (lemon verbena, wood sorrels, oxalis), and sweet (caramel) dark milk chocolate notes.

This chocolate had a smooth melt and texture with a subtle astringency.

Flavor notes included: subtle true chocolate (very low in bitterness), fruit (red berries and currants in cream) and light, almost green and earthy, caramel notes.

Duffy's (maker's) tasting notes: "A smoothly balanced strong milk chocolate with hints of sweet currants and blueberries and a dark treacle aftertaste."

Bar and Cocoa notes: "Fine and rare Directly Traded cocoa beans from a single source in Honduras are carefully roasted then stone-ground for three days to develop and mature all the fine flavors that are in the beans..."

Ingredients: "Criollo cocoa beans, organic sugar, cocoa butter, milk powder."

Allergen-related information: Contains dairy (milk powder). Peanut free, soy(a) free, tree nut free, gluten-free.

 

Duffy's - Honduras Indio Rojo 72% (bar) - June 19, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Duffy's
(Red Star Chocolate Ltd)
Honduras Indio Rojo (Mayan Red) 72% (bar)|
Good +
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.11 oz. (60 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 180 calories (per label) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's Duffy's Fine Chocolate Mayan Red (Indio Rojo) 72% bar (made in Lincolnshire, UK) was from Red Star Chocolate Ltd (Cleethorpes, England).

This chocolate had a subtle, yet very complex aroma and flavor and was made with Xoco* (Criollo variety) cacao grown in Honduras.

The aroma notes alone included: aloe, cucumber, cream, avocado and very faint dried fruit (guava, light golden raisin, currant), very faint tart green herb, followed by Boston brown bread (steam-baked with molasses, corn meal, raisins), creamy polenta, and light, fresh, mineral water notes.

The chocolate had a relatively creamy, smooth melt and uniform texture, and a subtle true chocolate flavor, with diffuse, naturally sweet, fruit, very faint tart green herb (lemon balm, oxalis), and very faint vegetable (aloe, cucumber, potato) notes. 

The finish was quite mild with a faint, gentle fruit/floral tea astringency.

Duffy's tasting notes: "Strong, complex, quality dark chocolate with currants, tangy orange and a raisin and coffee aftertaste."

Bar and Cocoa notes: "The maker rarely gets these beans in stock -- only 25 kg some years -- and always looking for more. A complex chocolate that almost crosses the line towards savory."

Ingredients: Criollo cocoa beans, organic sugar, organic cocoa butter and sunflower lecithin.

Allergen-related information: "Soya free, gluten free. Vegan-friendly."

*Early on (in 2011), Duffy's started to work with Xoco Gourmet (based in Honduras). 

Xoxo is an organization that has worked to help preserve rare, fine flavor cacao trees (e.g. via grafting programs) and performs centralized fermentation for cacao farms/farmers in Central America (Honduras, Guatemala, Belize and Nicaragua). Farmers are paid "a premium for their quality." And Zoco markets this high-end cacao to artisan chocolate makers.

Duffy's has continued to buy Honduran cacao directly from Xoco, and works to highlight the variety of subtle, complex flavors inherent in these (Criollo) "Indio Rojo" beans when making batches of their bars.