King Arthur - Chocolate Macadamia Cookies with Hawaiian Nibs and Sea Salt - Nov. 20, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

King Arthur Baking Company, Inc.
Gluten Free Ultimate Fudge Chocolate Brownie Mix
(Chocolate Macadamia Cookies with Hawaiian Nibs and Sea Salt)
Good + - Good ++ (See below)
Weight: 1. oz. (45 g.) mix used / 17 oz. (1 Lb., 1 Oz.) total box of mix
Calories: 165 calories for dry mix only)/ 400 calories (estimate) for 2 cookies
Cost: N/A - multiple ingredients
Purchased from: N/A - multiple ingredients, locations

Welcome to Day #14 of Chocolate and Hawaii. 

Today's tiny (two cookie) batch of Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies with Guava Smoked Hawaiian Sea Salt were made using (a) Gluten Free Ultimate Fudge Chocolate Brownie Mix from King Arthur Baking Company, Inc. (Norwich, VT).

I added the following ingredients to this mix:

1.) Olive Oil + (Coconut) MCT Oil
2.) Hawaiian Macadamia Nuts (chopped)
3.) Cacao Nibs from Manoa Chocolate (Kailua, Oahu, HI)
4.) 1 tiny banana (mashed)
5.) Cold Brew Coffee and Cream Liqueur
6.) Hawaiian guava smoked sea salt

I liked the combination of flavors. But the texture (when microwaved -- not recommended) was a little off. Following a standard cookie recipe and using a conventional oven (later) yielded better results.

The cocoa used in this mix was made more alkaline (less acidic and bitter) so it was sweet and agreeable. (Think Swiss Miss Cocoa in the U.S.) Happily, the Hawaiian cacao nibs helped restore some fine cacao flavor.

Notes: I used a gluten free brownie mix to make cookies. This King Arthur mix was optimized for brownies; and, if you're vegan (or not), the package specifically discouraged trying to make these brownies without using egg. (I'm not good at following recipes.) The end result: the last half of this micro-batch was folded into a great vanilla ice cream. That worked!

Brownie Mix Ingredients: Cane Sugar, Cocoa (Processed with Alkali), Tapioca Starch, Rice Flour, Baking Powder (Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Baking Soda, Corn Starch, Monocalcium Phosphate), Salt, Natural Vanilla Flavor. 

Allergen-related information: This mix was certified gluten-free by GFCO (GFCO.org) and was "Non-Dairy." "For information on allergens and cross-contact program, visit: KingArthurBaking.com/Allergen-Program"

Lydgate Farms - 70% Dark Hawaiian Sea Salt + 70% Dark (bars) - Nov. 17, 2024

Chocolate(s) of the Day

Lydgate Farms Kaui Chocolate 

1.) 70% Dark Hawaiian Sea Salt (bar) (2024 release)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (56.6 g.) in total bar
Calories: 157 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $18.00 + shipping for 1 bar
Purchased from: Lydgate Farms, online order

2.) 70% Dark (bar) (2024 release)
Good +++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (56.6 g.) in total bar
Calories: 157 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $18.00 + shipping for 1 bar
Purchased from: Lydgate Farms, online order

3.) Dulcey Coins 35% White
Good + - Good ++
Weight: .18 oz. (5 g.) / 3 oz. (84.9 g.) in total package 
Calories: 28 calories (estimate) in 1 piece/coin
Cost: $8.00 + shipping for 1 package
Purchased from: Lydgate Farms, online order

Welcome to Day #11 of Chocolate and Hawaii Theme Week, featuring three chocolates from Lydgate Farms Kauai Chocolate (Kapa'a, HI). 

The cacao grown on the family estate in Kauai has a history that stretches back to the 1860s, when cacao arrived from the Americas (as a gift to the Royal Family of Kamehameha) and was planted in Hawaii.

Today's three chocolates include: 1.) 70% Dark Hawaiian Sea Salt (bar) (2024 release), 2.) 70% Dark (bar) (2024 release), and 3.) Dulcey Coins 35% White Chocolate. The two bars were manufactured for Lydgate by Manoa Chocolate (Kailua, HI); and the white chocolate coins were a product of France. 

70% Dark Hawaiian Sea Salt (bar)

Aroma and notes for this Hawaiian sea salt bar included: dark chocolate; light, sweet green (molasses, green fig, sweet green walnuts in syrup); faint coffee/latte; and faint (very fleeting) warm spice and botanical seasoning (sweet celery salt).

Texture: smooth with a creamy/buttery mouthfeel.

I enjoyed the rich, dark chocolate with multi-layered sweet green notes. It made me feel like I was I a green, tropical jungle/paradise. I would have liked to have tasted a little more salt in this sea salt bar; but others who don't care for salty chocolate may think the amount is just right.

Ingredients: Hawaiian grown cacao beans, organic sugar, organic cocoa butter, Hawaiian sea salt 

Allergen-related information: (None listed/found on label.) 

70% Dark (bar)

Aroma and flavor notes for this Hawaiian chocolate included: dark chocolate; sweet green (banana, molasses, green fig, sweet green walnuts in syrup, maple syrup); and very faint citrus (fresh lemon, honey) and spice (vanilla, tobacco) and wood (cedar).

Texture: smooth, relatively creamy mouthfeel, luxe, lingering melt.

I loved the hearty, balanced, botanical complexity of the rich, dark chocolate with multi-layered sweet green notes. It was similar to the sea salt version but with more banana, some very faint wood/cedar; and I found it to be more vibrant. Both bars were recently created (2024 releases). 

Both bars tasted similar to releases I'd tried a few years ago. (I remember the lovely sweet green notes.) But, since I no longer have the previous versions, I can't say how they differed. This was one of those rare times when I did "re-taste" a bar; however, if I'm sure it's a different/new harvest/release I will sometimes make an exception. (It's like drinking a wine that may differ slightly with the year/harvest.) 

Ingredients: Hawaiian grown cacao beans, organic sugar, organic cocoa butter 

Allergen-related information: (None listed/found on label.) 

Dulcey Coins 35% White Chocolate (Dulcey Les Feves) 

Aroma and notes for these white chocolate confections included: strong, sweet and rich caramel; white chocolate; and vanilla.

Texture: smooth with a creamy mouthfeel.

I enjoyed the rich caramel tones in the aroma and taste. These were a bit sweet for me; but you're a white chocolate fan, these are worth trying.

Ingredients: White chocolate (35% cocoa minimum, pure cocoa butter), cocoa butter, sugar, whole milk powder, dried skimmed milk, whey, butter, emulsifier (sunflower lecithin), natural vanilla extract, milk.  

Allergen-related information: Contains Milk. May contain nuts, soya. Product of France. (Note: Lydgate Farms repackages some offerings (that could result in) traces of peanuts, tree nuts, eggs & milk protein, gluten and soy."

Manoa Chocolate - Cacao Nibs - Jan. 27, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Manoa Chocolate
Cacao Nibs
Good ++
Weight: .35 oz. (10 g.) / 8 oz. (226.8 g.) in total package
Calories: 63.3 calories in 1 TB (10 g.) serving
Cost: $9.99 for 1 package
Purchased from: Caputo's, online order

Aloha. Welcome to the last day (#27) of Chocolate and Hawaii Week, and Day #1 of Cacao Nibs Theme Week.

This package of roasted cacao nibs ("Direct Trade; Grade A Cacao") were from Manoa Chocolate (Kailua, HI). Manoa, a bean-to-bar maker, created these nibs from cacao beans grown in Ecuador. 

Cacao nibs represent an important step in chocolate making. Cacao beans become cacao nibs and, after many more steps, nibs become chocolate. 

However, nibs are also tasty by themselves; baked into brownies; ground into milkshakes and smoothies; soaked in whiskey (or spirit of your choice); and/or folded into ice cream or cookies for a decadent dessert option. (Manoa also suggests including these nibs in oatmeal, yogurt, salads, cereals, pastas and baked goods.)

Aroma notes for today's nibs included: cacao (dark chocolate with slightly acidic earth (forest loam),woody and woodsy, chocolate-y, and a trace of brownie at the end.

These roasted cacao nibs had a pleasing, uniform roast and crunchy texture. There were no "off" notes.

Flavor notes included: deep dark chocolate-y flavor with no sweeteners and plenty of cacao flavors including the slightly woodsy notes mentioned above, and faint sweet, green nut (young walnuts).

Ingredients: Cacao Nibs (Ecuador) 

Allergen-related information: "Our facility processes milk and nuts." 

Manoa Chocolate - Hawaii Island Ninole 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) - Jan. 13, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Manoa Chocolate
Hawaii Island Ninole 70% Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++ 
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 180 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Manoa website, online order

Aloha, and welcome to Day #13 of Chocolate and Hawaii Theme Week.

Today's Hawaii Island Ninole 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) was made by Manoa Chocolate (Kailua, HI).

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate with intriguing, dark chocolate; sweet green (green figs and young walnuts in honey, oxalis, tree/cane syrup); very faint, light molasses/brown sugar; and pleasing, faint fruit-floral. 

This smooth-textured, almost creamy, dark chocolate was full of smooth, complex flavor, including: dark chocolate (satisfying chocolate-y dark ganache); sweet green (maple/tree sugar, honey, fresh botanical); and faint fruit (banana and young walnut bread with honey, fig and orange). It was relatively low in bitterness and acidity, especially considering the range of flavors here. (Sometimes fruit notes can be more acidic.)

I found this bar with so much natural sweetness a little addicting. The use of less processed, oganic cane sugar doesn't explain this complex sweetness. This chocolate also evoked fond memories of the sights and smells of tasting cacao and fruits close to where they were grown in Hawaii and in temperate rainforests in Latin America. 

And as I've mentioned many times before, I like chocolates that transport me back to cacao growing areas (plantations, forests and fermentation facilities). 

Well-made single origin chocolates are not overly processed and often preserve tasty traces of their unique and specific origins. Cacao variety (-ies) are considered in the processing, and are skillfully and carefully fermented, dried and roasted; and makers thoughtfully decide whether beans would benefit from a light roast or darker roast. (Coffee roasters do the same to come up with a different end product(s).)

Thank you to Manoa for making this intentional and delicious Hawaii single origin bar with balanced, complex flavors. 

Maker's description of Cacao

"The Hawiian cacao in this single origin chocolate bar comes from Ninole Cacao, located on the lush Hamakua Coast of Hawai'i Island. This seven acre orchard was established in 2019 and hosts about 2000 cacao trees. The first harvests began in the summer of 2022."

Ingredients: cacao, organic cane sugar, cocoa butter

Allergen-related information: Manufactured by Manoa Chocolate (Kailua, HI). Single Origin Vegan chocolate. "This facility also processes: milk, wheat, peanut, walnut, cashew, pecan, coconut, macadamia, hazelnut, pistachio, almond." "Single Origin Vegan Chocolate"

  

Kope Coffee 60% Dark Milk Chocolate (bar) - Jan. 12, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Manoa Chocolate
Kope Coffee 60% Dark Milk Chocolate (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 180 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Manoa website, online order

Aloha, and welcome to Day #10 of Chocolate and Hawaii Theme Week.

Today's 60% Dark Milk Chocolate (bar) was made by Manoa Chocolate (Kailua, HI). It was part of the small-batch chocolate maker's Flavors of Hawaii (bars) series. The packaging in this series included colorful island-themed illustrations* and Manoa bars this week were all adorned with an attractive patterned image.

Aroma notes included: smooth, rich mocha latte with coffee, rich dark chocolate (cocoa, drinking chocolate; sweet green botanical; very faint earth).

Today's flavorful dark chocolate was an enjoyable, smooth yet flavorful Hawaii mocha with rich, complex and balanced chocolate (chocolate-y hot cocoa, sweet green, fresh botanical; and gentle, fleeting earth). 

This bar offered all the well-executed flavors, without the harshness that can sometimes accompany coffee and/or cacao. (This was very low bitterness and acidity; and the judicious addition of milk helped mellow the taste a bit further.) Thank you to the maker for adding enough milk and sugar to be pleasant, but not so much that it muffled subtle flavors. Perfect.

Manoa description: 

"Coffee plantations first emerged in Hawai'i in the 1800s. From then the crop has thrived, with over 8,200 acres planted across the state. Here in Hawai'i more farms grow coffee than any other crop, and we are proud to be able to source locally grown coffee (kope) for this bar."

Maker-suggested beverage pairings - "Wine: Petite Sirah, Beer: Porters, Liquor: Coffee Liqueur"

Ingredients: cacao, organic cane sugar, organic whole milk powder, cocoa butter, Hawaiian coffee

Allergen-related information: Contains milk. Manufactured by Manoa in Kailua, HI. "This facility also processes milk, wheat, peanut, walnut, cashew, pecan, coconut, macadamia, hazelnut, almond pistachio"

*Artwork by Shar Tuiasoa, Punky Aloha (Kailua, Oahu)

  

Manoa Chocolate - Ko Hana Rum Chocolate Macadamias 75% Hawaii Cacao - Jan. 11, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Manoa Chocolate
Ko Hana Rum Chocolate Macadamias 75% Hawaii Cacao 
Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) / 6.7 oz. (189 g.) in total bar
Calories: 190 calories in 1 serving
Cost: $22.00 for 1 container
Purchased from: Manoa website, online order

Aloha, and welcome to Day #11 of Chocolate and Hawaii Theme Week.

Today's Ko Hana Rum Chocolate Macadamias 75% Hawaii Cacao were made in Hawaii by Manoa Chocolate (Kailua, HI). This small-batch maker offers a variety of chocolate bars made in Hawaii, and a few select confections.

Aroma notes: very subtle cocoa, dark chocolate and nut.

Flavor notes: a subtle, almost velvety dark chocolate coating (dusted with cocoa powder) covered softly crunchy macadamia nuts. There was a faint oak rum/whiskey barrel note in these chocolates, but it did not have an alcohol taste. (There was no detectable alcohol, just subtle flavor from having soaked nibs in rum.). These were coated with Hawai'i-made chocolate and lightly tumbled in cocoa powder.

These mac nuts had a sophisticated rich appearance and flavor; and the faint touch of rum made them even more grown up. The 75% dark chocolate will please dark fans; the mellow flavors make them approachable to all shades of chocolate lovers.

Manoa Maker's tasting notes/description 

Manoa used directly traded cacao, teamed up with local (O'ahu) rum distiller, Ko Hana Distillers, and "source(d) 100% Hawaiian grown macadamia nuts from Hawai'i Island's Kona Coast."  

Ko Hana soaked Manoa nibs in rum for one month. "The nibs are then dried and turned into chocolate that maintains the rum flavor with no alcohol present."  

Ingredients: rum dark chocolate (cacao infused with Ko Hana Rum, organic cane sugar, cocoa butter), dry roasted Hawaiian macadamia nuts, cocoa powder

Allergen-related information: Contains macadamia nuts. "Vegan. Gluten Free. Soy Free."

  

Manoa Chocolate - O'ahu Island Mililani 70% Dark (bar) - Jan. 10, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Manoa Chocolate
O'ahu Island Mililani 70% Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good +++ 
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 180 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Manoa website, online order

Aloha, and welcome to Day #10 of Chocolate and Hawaii Theme Week.

Today's O'ahu Island Mililani 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) was made by Manoa Chocolate (Kailua, HI).

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate with intriguing, balanced sweet-sour fruit, sweet green (fig, oxalis, tree/cane syrup), and pleasing fruity beer. The ferment notes diminished a bit after the sealed inner wrapper was opened for 30 minutes.

Is it possible for dark chocolate to be both smooth and flavorful? Yes, indeed it is. Think of some of the best Kona coffees--from the Big Island of Hawaii (bold, smooth, complex, and occasionally fruity).

Back to single origin cacao from O'ahu island...Today's flavorful dark chocolate was alive with fruit (bright, citrusy cacao fruit pulp); forest (sweet green, fresh botanical); and gentle earth (tropical fruit forest floor); and it also had smooth texture and attractive, complex (and overall smooth) flavor.

As I've noted before, I love chocolate transportation. And by that I mean that chocolates that transport me back to cacao growing areas (plantations, forests and fermentation facilities). Great chocolates pulsate with fine traces of their origins, due to a series of very fortunate events. Great cacaos are skillfully and carefully fermented, dried and roasted, and thoughtful chocolate making decisions are made.

Thank you to the maker for this Hawaii single origin bar - with balanced, complex flavors.

Manoa Maker's tasting notes/description 

"Mililani is located in central O'ahu. This diverse 97 acre farm hosts crops of breadfruit, banana, avocado, taro and 10 acres of cacao. Their first ever cacao harvest occurred in late 2019 as the trees turned 3 years old. The chocolate produced from this Mililani farm is some of the most bright and fruity chocolate we've ever made."

Maker-suggested beverage pairings - "Wine: Zinfandel, Beer: California IPA, Liquor: Irish Whiskey"

Ingredients: cacao, organic cane sugar, cocoa butter

Allergen-related information: Manufactured by Manoa Chocolate (Kailua, HI). "This facility also processes: milk, wheat, peanut, walnut, cashew, pecan, coconut, macadamia, hazelnut, pistachio, almond." Single origin; Vegan chocolate.

 

Manoa Chocolate - Chocolate Macadamia Spread - Aug. 29, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Manoa Chocolate
Chocolate Macadamia Spread
Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 9 oz. (255 g.) in total bar
Calories: 185 calories (estimate) for 1 oz. serving
Cost: $15.00 for 1 jar
Purchased from: Manoa Chocolate, online order

Aloha, and welcome to Day #10 of Chocolate and Hawaii Theme Week.

Today's jar of Chocolate Macadamia Spread was from Manoa Chocolate (Kailua, O'ahu, HI).

Aroma and flavor notes for this thick and smooth, fudgey dark chocolate spread included: mild nutty coconut graham cracker cookie, thick, rich dark chocolate ganache, very faint sweet green (freshly picked green sugar cane stalks, sweet green seed butter, green floral-vanilla), and very faint, fleeting buttered Boston brown bread (a steamed, moist bread containing molasses, cornmeal and raisins).

This was a skillfully executed blend of ground macadamia nuts (1st ingredient listed)--that gave this spread a very subtle, nuanced nutty background flavor--and ground cocoa nibs (the 2nd ingredient listed) that contributed rich, nuanced dark chocolate ganache-forward flavor. 

The sweetener: organic cane cane sugar yielded more flavor depth than processed sugar. Add coconut oil and a judicious dose of sea salt, and you have a flavorful, high-end chocolate spread that captures the spirit of Hawaii. As the label suggested: "Spread the Aloha."

Enjoy this spread on a croissant, toast, between cake (or dessert parfait) layers. Fold it into a smoothie or ice cream sundae. Make your own chocolate-filled sandwich cookie. Or eat it plain while you're dreaming of your next trip to Hawaii. There are no wrong answers here.

Note: Manoa also offers chocolate covered mac nuts and rum chocolate covered mac nuts.

Ingredients: Hawaiian macadamia nuts, cacao nibs, organic cane sugar, coconut oil, cocoa powder, sea salt

Allergen-related information: Contains nuts (macadamia nuts). 

Check Manoa website or contact them for allergen-related details. This week's (2022) KoHana Rum 75% Dark Chocolate bar had this label: "Manufactured by Manoa Chocolate Hawaii...(in) Kailua, HI...This facility also processes milk, wheat, peanut, walnut, cashew, pecan, coconut, macadamia (and) hazelnut."

Manoa Chocolate - Kohana Rum 75% Hawaii Chocolate (bar) - Aug. 28, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Manoa Chocolate
Kohana Rum 75% Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 1.05 oz. (30 g.) / 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 180 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Manoa Chocolate, online order

Aloha, and welcome to Day #9 of Chocolate and Hawaii Theme Week.

Today's Kohana Rum 75% Hawaii Chocolate (bar), made with Hawaii grown cacao, was created by Manoa Chocolate (Kailua, O'ahu, HI) in collaboration with Hawaii rum distiller, Ko Hana, using Hawaii cacao.

Aroma notes for this dark chocolate (in order of appearance) included: aromatic sweet liquor (rum) and chocolate (dark chocolate, dark ganache). The texture was even, light and creamy. 

Chocolate flavor notes included spiked dark chocolate mousse, faint diffuse sweet fruit and brown sugar, very faint pleasing vanilla-like floral spice, and faint wood tones (similar to the oak casks used to age "sweet" bourbon whiskey).

This Manoa Chocolate Hawaiian chocolate had rich, nuanced liquor and smooth dark chocolate flavors. Going slightly darker with a 75% cacao (vs. 70% cacao) base worked very nicely with the inherently sweet (rum and cacao) flavors. This high-end rum and chocolate pairing in a single bar would also make a nice gift, or special bar to share with friends.

Manoa maker's description: "We collaborated with local rum distiller Ko Hana to create this bar. Ko Hana Agricole Rum is meticulously crafted from farm to bottle. They grow single varietal sugar canes that are hand harvested, pressed to juice and then distilled to perfection--resulting in one of the world's finest pure cane rums."

Ingredients: Rum soaked cacao, organic cane sugar, cocoa butter 

Allergen-related information: "Vegan chocolate" "Manufactured by Manoa Chocolate Hawaii...(in) Kailua, HI...This facility also processes milk, wheat, peanut, walnut, cashew, pecan, coconut, macadamia (and) hazelnut."

Manoa Chocolate - Hawai'i Island Kealakekua 70% (bar) - Aug. 27, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Manoa Chocolate
Hawai'i Island Kealakekua 70% Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.05 oz. (30 g.) / 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 180 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Manoa Chocolate, online order

Aloha, and welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate and Hawaii Theme Week.

Today's Hawai'i Island Kealakekua 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) was from Manoa Chocolate (Kailua, O'ahu, HI). 

Kona lies on the west side of Hawai'i island, aka the Big Island, that is hotter and drier than the Hilo/east side of the island). The sloped spot has rich volcanic soil and there are several small farms growing coffee and cacao, with the help of irrigation, in this region.

Aroma notes for this Hawai'i dark chocolate (in order of appearance) included: fermentation (fruit vinegar, raisin)--a note that receded after the bar was opened for a few minutes, dark chocolate (ganache), nutty green, faint, sweet wood, and faint, fleeting, fertile ranch earth notes. 

The texture was even, light and creamy with a very, very faint fruit astringency at the end.

Chocolate flavor notes included dark chocolate mousse, honey, tart melon and citrus, light lemon and nut shortbread cookie, pleasing botanical green (sweet green seed, vanilla-like floral spice), and very faint (and balanced) light, garden green earth notes.

This was another Manoa Chocolate Hawaiian chocolate bar this week (the second featured with Hawai'i Island grown cacao), with rich chocolate flavor that had nuanced depth. 

This balanced, bold chocolate with subtle fruit, nut and green notes was well-crafted and approachable, with a friendly array of island plantation notes. Most of these Manoa bars this week ended with a very slight, balanced earth note toward the end--although each of these earth notes had a very slightly different earth "hue."

Manoa maker's description: "...Kealakekua is hot and dry. Normally, cacao trees would be unable to survive the harsh lava field conditions, but with irrigation they thrive." (Notes: fruity, nutty, fudgey, citrusy)

Manoa suggested beverage pairings: Wine: Gamay; Beer: Brown Ale; Liquor: Islay Scotch

Ingredients: Cacao, organic cane sugar, cocoa butter 

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

Manoa Chocolate - Hawai'i Island Kona 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) - Aug. 26, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Manoa Chocolate
Hawai'i Island Kona 70% Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.05 oz. (30 g.) / 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 180 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Manoa Chocolate, online order

Aloha, and welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate and Hawaii Theme Week.

Today's Hawai'i Island Kona 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) was from Manoa Chocolate (Kailua, O'ahu, HI). 

Kona lies on the west side of Hawai'i, aka the Big Island. The sloped spot has rich volcanic soil and is dotted with several small farms growing coffee, fruit and cacao.

Aroma notes for this Hawai'i dark chocolate included: clean, sweet green (nut, seed, stalks, floral, sugarcane,), faint green coconut, tart green citrus (lemongrass) and light almond.

The texture was lovely with an even, light, creamy (almost fluffy) mouthfeel. It was both rich and light at the same time, a little bit liked some whipped buttery mousses.

Chocolate flavor notes included dark chocolate mousse, honey, fruit (green melon), light citrus shortbread, and very faint (and balanced) light, loamy green earth notes.

Like the other Manoa Chocolate Hawaii-born chocolate bars this week, this one had rich chocolate flavor with nuanced depth. 

This slightly bolder chocolate with was well-crafted and approachable, with a friendly array of subtle green, island plantation notes. Like the other Manoa bars, it ended with a very slight earth note toward the end (as the others had despite slightly different cacao blends/origins). 

Manoa maker's notes: "The Likau Kula Farm in Kona is one of our oldest sources of Hawaiian cacao. In 2019 at the largest chocolate festival in the world, the Salon Du Chocolat in Paris, these Hawaiian grown beans from Kona won top 15 best flavored cacao in the world." (Notes: nutty, floral, fudgey)

Manoa suggested beverage pairings: Wine: Pinot Noir; Beer: Summer Ales; Liquor: Bourbon

Ingredients: Cacao, organic cane sugar, cocoa butter 

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

O'ahu Island Waimanalo 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) - Aug. 25, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Manoa Chocolate
O'ahu Island Waimanalo 70% Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.05 oz. (30 g.) / 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 180 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Manoa Chocolate, online order

Aloha, and welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate and Hawaii Theme Week.

Today's O'ahu Island Waimanalo 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) was from Manoa Chocolate (Kailua, O'ahu, HI). 

The cacao beans used to make this bar were grown on the makers' farm on O'ahu--making this not just single origin, bean-to-bar chocolate, but also single island, tree-to-bar chocolate from Hawaii. It was exciting to taste this. It's quite an accomplishment for those few makers in the U.S. (almost all in Hawaii) who have the work ethic, desire and know-how to pull this off.

Aroma notes included: green (maple), fermentation (fermented, bright fruit - grapes, goji berries, faint pineapple and even fainter sweet tangerine), followed by sweet green dark chocolate again.

The flavor notes resembled the aroma notes listed above. In addition, there were lots of rich, smooth chocolate notes (fudge brownie), more bright, naturally sweet and nuanced layers of fruit, and faintly green/maple, sweet earth notes.

Manoa maker's description: "Waimanalo is a small town just 15 minutes from our Kailua based factory. It is home to our very own cacao farm, a parcel with about 130 mature cacao trees. In 2021 we had three bountiful harvests from this orchard, providing us with enough cacao to make the first Single Origin Waimanalo Bar -- grown and made by us!"

Manoa suggested beverage pairings: Wine: Dry Rose; Beer: Berry Lambics; Liquor: Gin

Ingredients: Cacao, organic cane sugar, cocoa butter 

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

Manoa Chocolate - Goat Milk 69% Dark Milk Chocolate - Aug. 24, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Manoa Chocolate
Goat Milk 69% Dark Milk Chocolate (bar) 
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.05 oz. (30 g.) / 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 180 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $10.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Manoa Chocolate, online order

Aloha, and welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate and Hawaii Theme Week.

Today's Goat Milk 69% Dark Milk Chocolate (bar) was from Manoa Chocolate (Kailua, O'ahu, HI). 

The initial (just-opened) aroma for this bar was relatively strong with some goat (lightly gamey, waxy, milky) and dark milk chocolate notes. 

For more sensitive palettes, I recommend letting this creamy, buttery chocolate "breathe" a little after unsealing the inner wrapper. (The aroma settled down, mellowing very nicely after about 30 minutes.) 

The texture was luxurious and lovely, and the chocolate flavor had some depth with fun, fleeting fruit notes (some berry, some yellow stone fruit, some tropical), lush true chocolate (brownie, dark ganache) and very faint earth.

What a fun and special bar to try. It was a whisker under 70% cacao, but not too sweet. Thank you Manoa!

Manoa maker's description: "This bar has a unique flavor that reminds us of a dark chocolate cheesecake. With only 20% sugar and 11% goat milk powder, it has both the characteristics of a bold dark chocolate and the rich creaminess of a milk chocolate."

Manoa suggested beverage pairings: Wine: Sauvignon Blanc; Beer: Nitro Stout; Liquor: Rye Whiskey.

Ingredients: Cacao, organic cane sugar, cocoa butter and goat milk powder.

Allergen-related information: Contains milk. "Made in a facility that processes milk powder and nuts."

Manoa Chocolate - Manako Mango 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) - Aug. 22, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Manoa Chocolate
Manako - Mango 70% Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.05 oz. (30 g.) / 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total bar 
Calories: 180 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $7.99 (estimate) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Oceana Market, Pacifica, CA 

Aloha and welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate and Hawaii Theme Week.

Today's Manako (Mango) bar was part of a "Flavors of Hawaii" collection from Manoa Chocolate* (Kailua, O'ahu, HI). Other flavors in this set included Haupia (Hawaiian coconut pudding-inspired vegan coconut milk chocolate), Liliko'i (Passion Fruit), Mai'a (Banana), Pa'akai (Sea Salt) and Kope (Coffee) and Nibs.) 

But, let's focus on mangos for a minute. Many delicious fruits grow well in Hawaii's rich volcanic soils, including 100s of mango varieties/cultivars. 

Way too much mango history...

Mangos originated in India and SE Asia thousands of years ago. The first mangos were brought to Hawaii centuries ago--perhaps by Chinese immigrants in the 1700s, or the British** who were crossing paths with (and expanding) Spanish Galleon trade routes that extended from Acapulco (Mexico) to Manila (Philippines) to ports like Macao in southeastern China. I'm not sure, but having eaten fresh mango in Hawaii, I'm just glad they're there.

Fabulous fruit freeze drying...and more history

Freeze drying has allowed us to infuse chocolate with fruit and other food flavors without vats of melted chocolate "seizing up" (which it does when exposed to watery substances). 

The Incas and a few other cultures were using a primitive form of freeze drying in the 1400s. Even though the Inca enjoyed cacao (sometimes in beverages with fruit, flowers and/or spices), I don't know if any chocolate/cacao might have been involved in these early efforts. 

Fast forwarding to the 1950s, freeze drying of foods (and other substances) became popular in the U.S. More affordable, professional equipment to freeze-dry fruit and foods became more widely available in the decades that followed. 

I'm guessing that freeze-dried and ground mango powder was used in today's bar. This preservation method has only gotten better and more accessible in the past few decades, and using the resulting finely ground fruit powder has been a great way to incorporate authentic, bright flavors into chocolate, with fresh fruit notes still largely intact.

Finally! We get back to today's delicious Mango Chocolate!

Aroma notes for this 70% dark chocolate bar included: authentic sweet, ripe fruit (mango), dark chocolate, fleeting, faint green (green tea) and very faint nutty and warm spice notes.

The flavors were skillfully integrated and flavor notes mirrored the aroma notes mentioned above. This refreshing, fruity dark chocolate was a well-executed blend of mildly-tart sweet mango fruit and rich dark chocolate.

There was a barely detectable granularity in this chocolate that I'm assuming may have been from ground mango powder. It was very subtle and not objectionable.

Manoa suggested beverage pairings: "Wine: German Riesling, Beer: IPA, Liquor: White Rum"

Ingredients: Cacao, organic cane sugar, cocoa butter, mango powder

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

*Manoa is a Hawaiian word. The English translation: thick, solid, vast, depth. This definition conjured up notions of the Pacific Ocean, Hawaiian lava beds, and great chocolate.

**One of the first documented accounts of the mango's arrival in Hawaii mentioned that Captain John Meek (1791 - 1875), an inter-island schooner captain who had come to Hawaii with his father in 1809 via Massachusetts, brought them to the Islands from Manila (Philippines) in 1824. (Meek is also is credited for introducing tortoises from Mexico and turkeys from Chile to Hawaii.)

Manoa Chocolate - Haupia Coconut 60% Vegan Milk Chocolate (bar) - Feb. 2, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Manoa Chocolate|
Haupia Coconut 60% Vegan Milk Chocolate (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 1.05 oz. (30 g.) / 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 180 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.50 for 1 bar / $28.50 (with 15% discount) for set of 3 bars 
Purchased from: Manoa Chocolate, online order 

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

Today's Haupia* Coconut 60% Vegan Milk Chocolate bar was part of a "Flavors of Hawaii" collection from Manoa Chocolate (Kailua, HI). The two other bars in this Manoa 3-bar set--Liliko'i (passion fruit) and Mai'a (banana)--were previously featured.

This 60% chocolate bar had a lightly-roasted, lush green jungle aroma fused with green coconut, very faint sugar cane/molasses and floral (vanilla) notes and a very balanced, subtle bitter/dark chocolate element.

The mouthfeel was a treat: a melt with a cascading creaminess and an overall silken texture. 

The rich green + green coconut flavor mirrored the bar's aroma notes noted above. It was a very satisfying, flavorful 60% vegan milk chocolate bar. The maker allowed the underlying cacao (perfectly matched with the coconut) in this not-too-sweet bar to shine (thank you!). 

To refer to this skillfully executed bar as merely a flavored "sub-70" chocolate bar would be an injustice. This "felt"/tasted more like a 70%+ dark bar with VIP benefits than a coconut flavored dark milk offering. (It also gave me a bit of a theobromine and cane sugar lift.)

Thank you to Manoa Chocolate founder and chief chocolate maker, Dylan Butterbaugh, and team, for the virtual culinary trip to the Hawaiian islands in the middle of our winter here! The maker's pairings (below) sound right on target. I could almost taste these in my head, especially the first two.

Pairing suggestions from the maker: wine: chenin blanc, liquor: white caribbean-style rum, beer: IPA 

Ingredients: cacao, organic cane sugar, cocoa butter, organic dehydrated coconut milk.

*The title of this bar "Haupia," also known as Hawaiian coconut pudding, refers to a cold dessert made using coconut milk/cream, sugar, arrowroot (or, more recently, corn) starch and water, that is chilled and cut into square/rectangular pieces. Polynesian settlers brought coconuts to Hawaii; and cacao was brought over from Central/South America. 

Manoa Chocolate - Flavors of Hawaii, Mai'a Banana Dark Chocolate 70% (bar) - Jan. 17, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Manoa Chocolate

Flavors of Hawaii - Mai'a Banana Dark Chocolate 70% (bar)

Good ++

Weight: 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total bar (check this)

Calories: 360 calories in 1 bar

Cost: $9.50 for 1 bar - part of a 3-bar Flavors of Hawaii set for $28.50 (+ discount)

Purchased from: Manoa Chocolate, online order

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

Today's Mai'a Banana Dark Chocolate 70% (bar) was made by Manoa Chocolate (Kailua (Oahu), Hawaii), and was part of a "Flavors of Hawaii" Collection. (I will be featuring the Haupia coconut 60% bar from this 3-bar set in the near future.)

This dark chocolate had an aroma with green chocolate, green banana and sugar cane notes.

The well-tempered bar broke with a snap and had a creamy melt and mouthfeel. 

The flavor was very similar to the aroma notes mentioned above, with luxe 70% dark chocolate flavor and authentic green (banana) notes; a natural sweetness (organic cane sugar, freeze-dried banana powder); and a lightly perfumed banana floral finish.

Manoa (a Hawaiian word that translates to mean "solid, vast, depth") suggestions for beverage pairings read as follows: wine: beaujolais; liquor: rye whiskey; beer: nitro stout.

Ingredients: Cacao, organic sugar, organic cocoa butter, freeze-dried banana powder

Manoa Chocolate - Old Pali Road Whiskey 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) - Dec. 4, 2020

Chocolate of the Day

Manoa Chocolate
Old Pali Road Whiskey 70% Dark Chocolate bar
Good ++
Weight: 1.05 oz. (30 g.) / 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 180 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $15.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Manoa Chocolate, Kailua, HI

Welcome to Day #13 of Chocolate and Hawaii Theme Week.

Today's Old Pali Road Whiskey 70% Dark Chocolate bar was from Manoa Chocolate (Kailua, HI). 

This dark chocolate was infused with a generous slug of Hawaiian-made whiskey.* The whiskey permeated both aroma and flavor. (It was strong enough that I wondered if I should drive after I finished.) There was no real need for concern here, though this fleeting thought illustrated the strength of this inclusion.

I liked these flavors. The whiskey did overpower more subtle notes from the chocolate. But the spirits and the dark chocolate harmonized well together. The melt and texture was creamy, almost a light whipped creamy--a perceived "lightness" that complemented the heavier whiskey and dark chocolate flavors.

Ingredients: Cacao, organic cane sugar, cocoa butter (Note: no whiskey listed was listed in this ingredients list, but I am guessing that this was left off the ingredients list accidentally. See below for additional information.)

*I found on the Manoa Chocolate website the following information about the whiskey source/distillery for a very similar (likely the same) bar: 

"In Kailua, O'ahu, minutes from our chocolate factory, Ko'olau Distillery makes Old Pali Road Whiskey (using water filtered through volcanic rock). (The distillery is now also making ethyl-alcohol based hand sanitizer for the Covid-19 pandemic.)

We then soak our Costa Esmeraldas (Ecuador) cacao nibs in their smooth and balanced whiskey and turn the flavored nibs into chocolate."

"Ingredients: whiskey soaked cacao, organic cane sugar, and cocoa butter."

Manoa Chocolate - Ko'olaupoko O'ahu Island Chocolate 70% Cacao (Winter Harvest) bar - Dec. 3, 2020

Chocolate of the Day

Manoa Chocolate
Ko'olaupoko O'ahu Island Chocolate 70% Cacao (Winter Harvest) (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 1.05 oz. (30 g.) /2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 180 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $24.00 for set of 2 bars ($12.00 for 1 bar)
Purchased from: Manoa Chocolate, online order

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

Today's Ko'olaupoko O'ahu Island Chocolate 70% Cacao (Spring Harvest) bar was manufactured in Hawaii by Grass Shack Industries LLC/Manoa Chocolate (Kailua, HI).

What a great opportunity to compare two 70% cacao bars, both made from Hawaiian-grown cacao growing at the same location (Ko'olaupopo*, O'ahu Island), but harvested at two different times of the year (spring and winter). 

Today I'm featuring the Winter Harvest version of this bar. (Yesterday, I featured the Spring Harvest version of this bar.) 

This bar's aroma was slightly less green-forward, and had a more sweet dark chocolate and faint spiced fruit notes (peach, red berry). The green (green banana, green floral) was very similar to yesterday's (Spring Harvest) version. The melt and texture seemed thicker and creamier (fudgier).

The flavor of this (Winter Harvest) Ko'olaupoko bar also had a slightly more "uniform" taste and additional true dark chocolate (fudgey) and fruitiness (red berry/fruit, peach jam) and less pronounced green notes (green banana, floral and a very fleeting green nut/seed note) than its Spring Harvest sibling from the same location.

Manoa provided a helpful, side-by-side tasting wheel chart for the taster/consumer to record their own observations for the two 70% O'ahu bars in this tasting kit. I'm surprised I haven't seen an insert/card like this more often with other craft chocolate bars.

Ingredients: Cacao, organic cane sugar, cocoa butter

*Ko'olaupoko refers to a relatively small, windward district in Honolulu County, on the "east" shore of O'ahu. This district has some lush green areas where cacao grows (that are also near where this chocolate is made in Kailua).

Manoa Chocolate - Ko'olaupoko O'ahu Island Chocolate 70% Cacao (Spring Harvest) (bar) - Dec. 2, 2020

Chocolate of the Day

Manoa Chocolate
Ko'olaupoko O'ahu Island Chocolate 70% Cacao (Spring Harvest) (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 1.05 oz. (30 g.) /2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 180 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $24.00 for set of 2 bars ($12.00 for 1 bar)
Purchased from: Manoa Chocolate, online order

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

Today's Ko'olaupoko O'ahu Island Chocolate 70% Cacao (Spring Harvest) bar was manufactured in Hawaii by Grass Shack Industries LLC/Manoa Chocolate (Kailua, HI).

What a great opportunity to compare two 70% cacao bars, both made from Hawaiian-grown cacao growing at the same location (Ko'olaupopo* O'ahu Island), but harvested at two different times of the year (spring and winter). 

Today I'll be focused on the Spring Harvest version of this bar, and tomorrow I'll feature the Winter Harvest version of this bar. 

This bar had an aroma had green (green banana, green floral, green tea) and a very slightly bittersweet dark chocolate and faint spiced fruit (peach, red berry) notes. The melt and texture was smooth and creamy. The flavor also had green notes and additional (less faint) fruitiness. There were very fleeting earthy green (and green nut/seed) notes in one bite. Overall the flavor was complex and appealing. 

Ingredients: Cacao, organic cane sugar, cocoa butter

*Ko'olaupoko refers to a relatively small, windward district in Honolulu County, on the "east" shore of O'ahu. This district has some lush green areas where cacao grows (that are also near where this chocolate is made in Kailua).

Manoa Chocolate - Flavors of Hawaii - Liliko'i 60% Dark Milk Chocolate (bar) - Dec. 1, 2020

Chocolate of the Day

Manoa Chocolate
Flavors of Hawaii - Liliko'i 60% Dark Milk Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 360 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $9.50 for 1 bar (part of a 3-bar set)
Purchased from: Manoa Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #10 of Chocolate and Hawaii Theme Week.

Today's 60% Dark Milk Liliko'i (passion fruit) chocolate from Manoa Chocolate (Kailua, Oahu, HI) was part of a 3-bar "Flavors of Hawaii"* set. 

Many fruits were brought to Hawaiian islands from either Southeast Asia/Pacific Islands or from South America. Many credit Eugene Delmar for bringing the passion fruit to Hawaii around 1880, from Australia, when it was planted on Maui (in the Liliko'i district). However, this fruit likely got its original start from South America (Brazil). Thankfully it is available in more places now so many of us can appreciate it, with or without chocolate. (Although it does pair very nicely with the latter.)

The passion fruit incorporated into this bar came from dehydrated passion fruit juice powder. Fruit powders offers tantalizing concentrated fruit inclusion possibilities for chocolate bars and confections.

Today's attractively patterned and packaged bar had an aroma with sweet tropical fruit (mango, passion fruit). It broke with a well-tempered snap and had a delightful creamy melt and texture.

The dark milk chocolate had a medium fruit acidity (mild tart-sweetness) that was tempered a bit by creamy caramel note from the milk powder. The passion fruit flavor lingered in the finish.

Manoa Chocolate beverage pairing suggestions included the following: 1.) wine - Oregon Pinot Noir; 2.) liquor - Tequila Blanco; and 3.) beer: lager.

Ingredients: Cacao, organic cane sugar, organic whole milk powder, cocoa butter, passion fruit juice powder

*The other two flavors included in this 3-bar Flavors of Hawaii set were banana (mai'a) and coconut (haupia). And these two bars will be featured later.