Dandelion Chocolate - 70% Rio Samaria, Mexico 2026 Harvest (bar) + 70% Anamalai, India 2022 Harvest (bar) - Sept. 19, 2026

Chocolate(s) of The Day

Dandelion Chocolate

70% Rio Samaria, Mexico 2026 Harvest (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) / 2 oz. (56 g.) in total bar
Calories: 155 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $13.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Dandelion Chocolate, SF Ferry Building, San Francisco, CA 

70% Anamalai, India, 2022 Harvest (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) / 2 oz. (56 g.) in total bar
Calories: 155 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $N/A - gift from friends
Purchased from: N/A - part of Maker's Set gift from friends (Thank you Evan, Maddy & Isla!)

Welcome to the last day of Chocolate Banquet 20th Anniversary Theme Week, and Day #1 of Chocolate & India Theme Week. 

Dandelion Chocolate (San Francisco, CA) makes small-batch, bean-to-bar, single origin chocolate bars using just two ingredients: cocoa beans and cane sugar--as well as drinking chocolates and confections. Dandelion was one of the first San Francisco Bay Area local makers I met and visited. Over the years, they expanded to multiple locations in San Francisco, and have cafe/retail spaces in Las Vegas and Japan; but they've still have maintained their small batch roots, and focus on flavors.

70% Rio Samaria, Mexico (bar)

Aroma and flavor notes for one of the newest single origin chocolates in Dandelion's line included: dark chocolate with enjoyable plum fruit and malt, with a mild astringency. Loved the plum flavor.

Maker's tasting notes: "We taste plum jam, champurrado, and tobacco leaf."

Ingredients: Cocoa Beans & Cane Sugar

Allergen-related information: None listed.

70% Anamalai, India (bar)

Aroma and flavor notes included: dark chocolate, sweet citrus (kumquat, tangerine) and green tea latte. Nice vibrant but balanced flavor ride.

Maker's tasting notes: "We taste notes of kumquat and Hojicha milk tea."

Ingredients: Cocoa Beans & Cane Sugar

Allergen-related information: None listed.

Primo Chocolate - Shadow Panther 92% Chocolate with Wild Vanilla Bean (bar) - June 22, 2026

Chocolate of The Day

Primo Chocolate
Shadow Panther Mysteriously Dark 92% Chocolate With Wild Vanilla Bean (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 139 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Xocolatl Garden, Carmel, CA 

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate & Earth, Mountains, Forests and Gardens Theme Week--part of a month long series on chocolates related to the elements: earth, water and fire.

Today's Shadow Panther Mysteriously Dark 92% Chocolate With Wild Vanilla Bean (bar) was from Primo Chocolate. 

The vanilla beans in this bar were "sourced directly from a biodynamic forestry project in Chiapas, Mexico: the native origin of vanilla." 

Aroma and flavor notes included: dark, relatively smooth-flavored ultra-dark (92% cacao) chocolate and warm, aromatic vanilla. Vanilla casts a warm, heavenly and naturally sweet halo over the darkest of chocolates. And so it was here. It emitted pure rays of vanilla sunshine, throughout this ultra-dark chocolate.

Texture: relatively smooth

I enjoyed the uplifting vanilla and the balanced ultra-dark blend, and appreciated the thoughtfully sourced short list of single origin ingredients.

Ingredients: Cacao Nibs, Organic Panela (Cane Sugar,) Cocoa Butter,

Allergen-related information: Contains Coconut. "Made in a facility that also processes nuts"

Cru Chocolate - " Spicy" Cacao Drink (wheel) - Mar. 22, 2026

Chocolate of the Day

Cru Chocolate
Spicy - Cacao Drink (wheel)
Good ++ 
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (56.6 g.) in total package of two
Calories: 155 calories (estimate) in 1 serving/wheel

Cost: $8.99 for 1 package
Purchased from: Farm Fresh, add-on to produce delivery service

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

Happily it's been easier to find fine, bean-to-bar chocolates from Mexico and chocolates with authentic Mexican or Mexican-inspired flavors in the last several years.

Today's Cru Spicy Cacao Drink from Cru Chocolate (Roseville, CA) was characterized as "Chicano" style. (Cru also offers a tasty Purple Corn Pinole "Mesoamerican" style drinking chocolate.)  

Cru founder, Carla McNeil Rueda, in her description of this drinking chocolate, paid homage to "The Adelitas" who were "the brave fighter women of the Mexican Revolution (1910-1920)." She notes: "They probably invented this delicious recipe..." And, yes, "Rueda means "wheel" in English, and this package contained two, foil-wrapped "wheels" of drinking chocolate.

Aroma notes included: rich cocoa and aromatic spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves).

Texture: A small bite from the (unprepared) wheel had a pleasing, slightly grainy (stoneground cacao/crystalline panela*) chocolate texture with finely ground, authentic spices. Much of this hearty, textural quality melted/dissolved when mixed with heated whole milk. The end result was a hearty, smooth and creamy, and flavorful drinking chocolate.

Flavor notes for this 60% cocoa included: rich dark chocolate (cocoa, drinking chocolate), warm spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves), with a spicy chili kick. 

I always taste a piece of drinking chocolate before making it into a drink; and I enjoyed the "before" (solid chocolate) and the "after" (a satisfyingly rich and creamy beverage) -- that left me, as promised, "relaxed, but alert" and ready to engage with others.

Ingredients: "fermented cacao beans, panela, organic nutmeg, organic cinnamon, organic cloves, organic hot chili pepper blend"

Allergen-related information: Manufactured on equipment that processes peanuts and milk.

*Panela is a caramel-hued, unrefined whole cane sugar, that retains some of the molasses and nutrients missing from refined white (cane and beet) sugars. 

Mama Ganache - Aztec Chocolate 70% Cocoa (bar) - June 26, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Mama Ganache
Aztec Chocolate 70% Cocoa (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 190 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $N/A gift from a friend
Purchased from: Gift from a friend 

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate and Floral Theme Week; and Day #2 of Chocolate & Mexico Theme Week. Like yesterday's Aztec bar, vanilla added sweet, warm and mellow floral notes to today's chocolate.

Today's Aztec Chocolate 70% Cocoa (bar) with vanilla and spices was from Mama Ganache Artisan Chocolates Inc. (San Luis Obispo, CA)--and was made with "ethically sourced ingredients." 

Aroma notes for this bar included: subtle dark chocolate and vanilla.

Texture: smooth, buttery/creamy texture, with tiny softly crunchy bits (likely chili pepper, vanilla bean or cocoa nibs) that weren't at all objectionable.

Flavor notes included: smooth, satisfying dark chocolate with subtle vanilla--and sporadic, authentic chili heat.

I enjoyed the almost silken chocolate and the comforting chocolate and vanilla blend that reminded me of drinking chocolate/rich cocoa. 

The spicy chili pepper heat that kicked in about 5 seconds after most bites livened things up considerably. I felt a tiny burn in my throat. But, I felt compelled to take another bite each time...until the bar was gone.

This chocolate might be a little spicy for some; but the flavorful spicy kick was less fire-breather and more consistent with the ancient Aztec practice of adding warm, floral vanilla and hot chili peppers to chocolate beverages. Only this chocolate was in a slightly addicting 70% cacao chocolate bar format.

Ingredients: Organic bittersweet chocolate (Organic chocolate liquor*, organic sugar*, organic cocoa butter*, & organic vanilla*), organic spices & flavors. (* Fair Trade)

Allergen-related information: "Made on equipment that also processes peanuts, nuts, wheat & dairy."