Pascha - 55% Cacao Barely Dark, Organic Dark Chocolate (bar) - Dec. 10, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Pascha 
55% Cacao Barely Dark, Organic Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: .95 oz. (27 g.) / 2.82 oz. (80 g.) in total bar
Calories: 150 calories in 4 pieces (1 serving) of bar
Cost: $2.39 (sale) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Piazza's, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's 55% Cacao "Barely Dark" Organic Dark Chocolate (bar) was a product of Peru and distributed by Pascha Chocolate Company (Toronto, Ontario, Canada).

Aroma notes for this sweet, dark chocolate Peru bar included: sweet herbal + green floral; faint brown sugar and molasses; dark chocolate (dark ganache); and very faint dried fruit and licorice herb.

The texture was relatively smooth with a very faint graininess (more similar to stoneground chocolate than fruit astringency). 

Flavor notes included: dark chocolate (dark ganache (truffle filling), dark chocolate cookie); faint nut (walnut brownie); sweet, slightly floral herb; and faint licorice herb. (There were no walnuts or herbs in this bar.)

This certified Organic, sweet, dark chocolate bar with interesting and balanced complexity was made in Peru. And the chocolate liquor and cocoa butter used to make this chocolate were from Rainforest Alliance Certified (www.ra.org) farms.

Ingredients: Organic cane sugar, organic chocolate liquor, and organic cocoa butter.

Allergen-related information: "Made in an allergen-free facility...No peanuts, no nuts, no gluten, no egg, no wheat, no soy, no dairy, no emulsifiers"

Note: This post was delayed due to international travel.

 

Pascha - 85% Cacao Very Dark Organic Dark Chocolate (bar) - Dec. 9, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Pascha Chocolate Company 
85% Cacao Very Dark Organic Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: .95 oz. (27 g.) / 2.82 oz. (80 g.) in total bar
Calories: 160 calories in 4 pieces (1 serving) of bar
Cost: $2.39 (sale) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Piazza's, Palo Alto, CA 

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

Today's 85% Cacao Very Dark Organic Dark Chocolate (bar) was a Product of Peru and distributed by Pascha Chocolate Company (Toronto, Ontario, Canada).

Aroma notes included: fragrant sweet green herb; earth; dried fruits (date, fig); maple sugar; brown sugar; graham cracker; very faint fleeting menthol (Pine Sol cleaner); woodsy; and almost nutty (walnut).

The texture of this high-percentage bar was creamy smooth, fudgey chocolate with a very slight astringency.

Flavor notes were similar to the aroma notes listed above, with more dark chocolate (ultra-dark chocolate fudge)--more similar to a 75% than 85% cacao dark chocolate. This Peru bar had interesting complexity and was low in bitterness.

Ingredients: Organic chocolate liquor, organic cane sugar and organic cocoa butter. (UTZ certified cocoa.)

Allergen-related information: "Completely free from the 8 major allergens"

Note: This post was delayed due to international travel. 

 

Pascha - 100% Cacao Dark Chocolate with Organic Cocoa Nibs (bar) - Feb. 10, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Pascha

100% Cacao Dark Chocolate with Organic Cocoa Nibs (bar)

Good +

Weight: 1.41 oz. (40 g.) / 2.82 oz. (80 g.) in total bar
Calories: 252 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $ Missing information
Purchased from: Missing information

Welcome to Day #7 of 100% Cacao Theme Week--featuring 100% (unsweetened) cacao chocolate and 100% cocoa nibs together, in one bar--and Day #2 of Chocolate and Peru Theme Week.

Today's Organic 100% Cacao Dark Chocolate with Cocoa Nibs (bar) was a product of Peru and was distributed by Pascha Chocolate Company (Toronto, Ontario, Canada).

Aroma notes for this bar included: dark chocolate, green, maple, faint molasses, diffuse warm (almost floral) spice and faint roasted wood and nut.

Flavor notes included, intense, rich dark chocolate that was well integrated with roasted, nutty cocoa bean/nib flavors. 

The blend (and roast) profiles of a smoother chocolate with more intact pieces of cocoa bean (seed) pieces (nibs) created a hearty, softly crunchy texture and added depth to the overall bold, fresh cacao taste.

This concentrated, balanced blend of authentic cacao flavors will appeal to those who you enjoy more intense, ultra-dark chocolates. I would add this bold bar to a 100% Cacao tasting flight to let people experience its pure cocoa bean and nutty nib flavors.

Ingredients: Organic chocolate liquor, Organic cacao nibs

Allergen-related information: "Made in a dedicated allergen free facility"..."Completely free from the 8 major allergens" (including peanuts, nuts, gluten, wheat, egg, soy, dairy). "Zero sugar. Keto-friendly"

Pascha Chocolate Co. - Black Chocolate 100% Cacao with Nibs bar - March 1, 2020

Chocolate of the Day: 

Pascha Chocolate Co.
Pascha Organic Black Chocolate 100% Cacao Dark Chocolate with Crunchy Cacao Nibs bar
Good - Good +
Weight: 1.41 oz. (40 g.) / 2.82 oz. (80 g.) in total bar
Calories: 255 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $4.97 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Piazza's Fine Foods, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #3 of 100% Chocolate Theme Week.

Today's Black Chocolate 100% Cacao Dark Chocolate with Crunchy Cacao Nibs bar was from Pascha Chocolate Co. and was made from bean-to-bar, using organic cacao "at the source" in Peru.

Pascha offers a line of organic chocolate bars (chocolate chips and spreads) that are allergen free. This 100% bar was vegan, organic and "Keto Friendly," and made without gluten/wheat, dairy, soy or any added sugar or sweetener.

This chocolate had a dark roasted cocoa bean aroma with a creamy, nutty texture and flavor; a very faint tropical/lychee fruit note; crunchy cocoa nib bits; and a light lingering finish with an echo of the above flavors and textures.

Pascha Chocolate - 46% Cacao Orange bar - Jan. 4, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Pascha Organic Chocolate / Pascha Chocolate Co.

46% Cacao Orange bar

Good

Weight: .55 oz. (15 g.) / 1.1 oz. (30 g.) in total bar

Calories: 90 calories in 1 bar

Cost: $1.99 for 1 bar

Purchased from: The Market (at Edgewood), Palo Alto, CA 

Welcome to the first day of Chocolate and Peru Theme Week.

Today's 46% Cacao Orange bar from Pascha Organic Chocolate (Toronto, Ontario) was made with organic rice milk and Peruvian cacao.

Co-founder, Simon Lester, had two daughters with food allergies, which helped inspired Lester and his wife to create Pascha Chocolate Co. bars.

Like other Pascha bars, this organic, vegan, plant-based bar was free of most common allergens (nuts, peanuts, wheat, gluten, milk, dairy, soy, eggs, sesame). The Orange bar tasted like a sweet milk chocolate bar with a hint of natural orange (oil).*

*Ingredients: organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter, organic rice milk powder (rice syrup, rice starch, rice flour), organic chocolate liquor, sunflower lecithin, orange oil

Pascha - Organic Dark Chocolate Maca bar - Jan. 18, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Pascha Chocolate Company
Organic Dark Chocolate Maca bar
Good
Weight: 1.17 oz. (33.3 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 190? calories in 1/3 bar
Cost: $4.29 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Whole Foods Market, Los Altos, CA

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate and Alternative Sweetener Theme Week.

This bar was made in Peru for Pascha Chocolate Company (Toronto, Ontario, Canada). Pascha uses Organic Cane Sugar in their bars, but also uses alternative, plant-based sweeteners and inclusions.

The packaging on this bar described maca as "a nutrient dense root vegetable from the Andes. It adds a slightly (non dairy) creamy texture and is blended with a 60% dark chocolate."

Unlike yesterday's Pascha bar with lucuma (a naturally sweet plant from South America with a caramel flavor note), this bar was less about replacing cane sugar and more about adding a slightly sweet and creamy flavor and texture to the chocolate.

The aroma of this Pascha bar was a little different with a hint of a sweet vegetable smell. The taste was sweet, smooth and pleasant.

The sweeter taste to today's bar base was likely also due to 60% Cacao. Yesterday's Pascha dark chocolate bar with lucuma was made with 70% Cacao.

Both Pascha bars were organic, vegan, Non GMO Project verified, and free from major allergens: peanuts, nuts, dairy, soy, eggs, wheat and gluten.

Pascha - Organic Dark Chocolate Lacuma bar - Jan. 17, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Pascha Chocolate Company
Pascha Organic Dark Chocolate Lacuma bar
Good +
Weight: 1.17 oz. (33.3 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 190 calories (estimate per label) in 1/3 bar
Cost: $4.29 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Whole Foods Market, Los Altos, CA

Welcome to Day #2 of Chocolate and Alternative Sweetener Theme Week.

Sometimes alternative or other natural sweeteners are combined with some cane sugar to enhance or add sweetness or flavor. Such was the case with today's bar.

The 70% Cacao Organic Dark Chocolate with Lacuma bar was made in Peru for Pascha Chocolate Company (Toronto, Ontario, Canada).

Pascha packaging described Lacuma as a "Latin American superfruit that is sweet but low glycemic and gives a rich caramel note."

The company replaced half of the cane sugar (they would normally use for a conventional 70% dark chocolate bar) and replaced it with lacuma powder.

How did it taste? First, this bar felt much "lighter" (in weight) when I removed it from the packaging than chocolate I'm used to handling. Lacuma powder was the second ingredient listed (after cocoa mass), and this powder might be less dense or have a lighter/different "feel" than cocoa mass, cocoa butter or even cane sugar (the third ingredient listed).

The bar broke with a very hard snap, a sign of a good temper. (It was also a cold day outside.) This chocolate tasted a bit lighter too -- not as dense, bitter or acidic as many 70% cacao chocolates.

It did have a light fruitiness (think apples, pears and peaches with a slight, pleasant carrot note, as opposed to dark berries)—and, as advertised, it had a light caramel note too. Overall a satisfying bar.

This Pascha bar was free of several common allergens: there was no peanuts, nuts, dairy, soy, eggs, wheat or gluten.

Pascha Chocolate - 70% Cacao Peru bar - Oct. 4, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

Pascha Chocolate Company
70% cacao bar
Good +
Weight: 1.16 oz. (33.3 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in 1/3 bar
Calories: 208 calories (per label - seems high) in 1/3 bar
Cost: $4.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Whole Foods Market, Los Altos, CA

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

Today's organic 70% cacao bar from Pascha Chocolate Company (Toronto) had uniform sweet floral, green, and marshmallow flavor notes.

This bar was made "bean-to-bar, near the source" with fine aroma cocoa beans from Peru. Ingredients: organic cocoa mass, organic sugar, organic cocoa butter and organic vanilla.

Dedication to chocolate for all
The team behind Pascha is passionate about "pure" ingredients (without additives or allergens) and taste. And those who have special dietary needs or preferences can be grateful for their vigilance in this area.

Pascha bars are made in a dedicated allergen free facility, in part due to founder, Simon Lester's, own experience of having family members with food allergies/sensitivities. The company is dedicated to "full ingredient traceability."

This bar was fair trade certified, vegan, "free from peanuts, nuts, dairy, soy, eggs, wheat and gluten," and contained no genetically modified ingredients.

The content and images on this post belong to ChocolateBanquet.com.

Pascha - 55% Cacao with Goldenberries bar - Feb. 27, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

Pascha Chocolate Company
55% Cacao with Goldenberries bar
Good
Weight: 1.17 oz. (33.3 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 185 (estimate) calories in 1/3 bar
Cost: $3.99 (estimate) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #6 of Chocolate and Maca Theme Week.

Maca is from South America, and today I stuck with an Andean theme by pairing a 55% Cacao with Goldenberries bar from Pascha Chocolate Company (Toronto, Canada) with maca powder.

The sweet, organic bar base (a product of Peru, made for Pascha) was a good complement for the sprinkle of golden berries (think of a cross between golden raisins and a tart berry) that were on the back of this dark bar.

I also blended melted shavings from this bar (without berries) with a small spoonful of TerrAmazon organic maca powder and hazelnut "milk" to make my own version of organic, maca chocolate milk.

A small amount of maca will do. The powder was a warm beige color, and had a very subtle maple-sweetness (some say butterscotch) with a very slight radish/parsnip aroma. The nuttiness in the hazelnut milk rounded this out nicely. The combination made an interesting slightly fruity, nutty, earthy and rich chocolatey drink. Add a scoop of organic vanilla ice cream in a blender, and a little fresh nutmeg, and you'd have an interesting milkshake.

The Pascha bar was Organic and Non-GMO certified, Kosher, and "free from peanuts, nuts, dairy, soy, eggs, wheat and gluten."

Pascha - 55% bar with Nibs - Feb. 28, 2014

Chocolate of the Day: 

Pascha Chocolate Company
55% Cacao with Cocoa Nibs bar
Good
Weight: .875 oz. (25 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 140 calories (estimate) in 1/4 bar
Cost: $3.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: New Leaf Community Markets, Santa Cruz, CA

Today was Day #2 of Chocolate and Nibs Theme Week.

This 55% Cacao with Cacao Nibs bar was made in Peru, for Pascha Chocolate Company (Toronto, ON, Canada), reflecting the company's "bean-to-bar close to the source," philosophy, and making it easier to trace each ingredient.

The base chocolate was smooth, but was a little too sweet for me. Adding some crunchy, unsweetened nibs to a sweeter, milk chocolate base has produced good results for other similar bars I've tasted.

Made in a dedicated allergen free facility, this vegan bar contained no genetically modified ingredients and was free of wheat, peanuts, nuts, soy, dairy, egg, and gluten. (Having been around someone suffering from a life-threatening allergic reaction to peanuts yesterday, I want to extend my thanks for Pascha Chocolate and other vendors who go the extra mile to prevent accidental exposures like this in their products.)