Rhyme and Reason - Midnight Raspberry 70% Chanthaburi Thailand (bar) - Dec. 27, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Rhyme and Reason Chocolate Co.
Midnight Raspberry 70% Chanthaburi Thailand Dark with a Pop of Raspberry (bar)

Good ++ 

Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 1.76 oz. (50 g.) total bar
Calories: 150 calories in 1/2 bar (per label)
Cost: $10.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar & Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate & Thailand Theme Week. 

Today's Midnight Raspberry 70% Chanthaburi* Thailand with a Pop of Raspberry (bar) was from Rhyme and Reason Chocolate Co. (Greensboro, NC).

I'm enjoying a virtual vacation in Thailand this week, via chocolate. Christmas isn't necessarily a traditional religious holiday in Thailand; but there have been plenty of Christmas holiday lights and decorated trees in Bangkok--and at least one Thai Santa (with children dressed as elves).**

Aroma notes included: smooth, slightly roast-y, dark chocolate; tart sweet red fruit (red raspberries, black raspberry, pomegranate molasses); faint, authentic brown sugar; and almost undetectable spice (diffuse warm spice, black licorice).

Texture: This well-tempered bar broke with a hard snap, and had a smooth, thick and creamy melt (in a cool room).

Flavor notes: relatively smooth, slightly-roasty, dark chocolate and satisfying red raspberry, flavors that lingered into a pleasant finish.

I enjoyed the classic (almost always works) blend of (Thai) dark chocolate + authentic, concentrated (freeze-dried) raspberry fruit; being able to fully enjoy the raspberry flavor without the berry seeds (thank you!); and the fact that this dark chocolate bar wasn't too sweet (thank you again). I also liked the maker's choice of a less processed sugar that gave the chocolate a faint brown sugar warmth.

Ingredients: "Cacao Beans, Organic Cane Sugar, Freeze Dried Raspberries, Cocoa Butter"

Allergen-related information: "Made in a facility which also handles milk, peanuts, and tree nuts"

*Chanthaburi is a city and province located in Eastern Thailand, near the border with Cambodia. The climate is tropical with large amounts of rainfall in the wet season.

**Thank you YouTube. Where a chocolate-centric tourist like me can experience places, sights and insights in Thailand, and in so many other places worldwide. 

Anarchy Chocolate - 100% Dark Chocolate (bar) - April 9, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Anarchy Chocolate
100% Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 1.41 oz. (40 g.) / 2.82 oz. (80 g.) in total bar
Calories: 220 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $5.55 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Anarchy Chocolate, online order 

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

Today's 100% Dark Chocolate (bar) was made by Anarchy Chocolate (at Anarchy (Cocoa) Farm in Trat, Thailand). 

The family-owned, small-batch chocolate maker sells a variety of Thai cacao-based offerings (chocolate bars, cacao nibs, cacao husk tea).

Aroma notes for today's 100% cacao chocolate included: ultra-dark chocolate with rich, balanced earth tones (peat) and authentic, deep chocolate-y cacao; and very faint (almost undetectable), diffuse fruit, spice, and mild tart-green (lemony herb, oxalis).

Texture: appealing, creamy, smooth texture with a slight astringency in the finish (consistent with, and less than, most 100% chocolates).

Flavor notes included: bold, well-balanced 100% dark chocolate, with rich creamy smooth texture, medium acidity, and relatively low level of bitterness (for a 100%er). Subtle earth and other aroma notes (listed above) were also present in the background.

Ingredients: No information listed on packaging. (Likely just cacao and cocoa butter)

Allergen-related information: No information.

 

Anarchy Chocolate - 85% Dark Chocolate (bar) - April 8, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Anarchy Chocolate
85% Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good + - Good ++ 
Weight: 1.41 oz. (40 g.) / 2.82 oz. (80 g.) in total bar
Calories: 219 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $5.55 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Anarchy Chocolate, online order 

Welcome to Day #9 of Chocolate and Thailand Theme Week.

Today's 85% Dark Chocolate (bar) was made by Anarchy Chocolate (at Anarchy (Cocoa) Farm in Trat, Thailand). 

The family-owned, small-batch chocolate maker operates on their own farm, and sells a variety of Thai cacao bean-based offerings (chocolate bars, cacao nibs, cacao husk tea).

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate (dark chocolate ganache, lemony green (oxalis)); and very faint floral spice and fruit (diffuse fig, tropical fruit).

Texture: dark chocolate with a slightly uneven melt (out-of-temper) and a slight graininess/astringency (throat tickle).*

Flavor notes included: dark chocolate; natural sweetness (honeyed rice, fruit); and very faint tart lemony herb (oxalis) and spice. 

This was a fun chocolate to try; and I enjoyed the relatively gentle flavor complexity. It was relatively low in bitterness for an 85% ultra-dark (high-percentage cacao) bar, and it wasn't too sweet--allowing the subtler flavors to shine through.

I'm a huge supporter of small businesses making bean-to-bar chocolate. For Anarchy Chocolate, and a handful of others, the difficulty level goes up as they're making chocolate from tree-to-bar in a cacao growing zone. They operate a farm; may be doing their own fermenting; and are making chocolate in warm and humid climates; and shipping to other countries without being able to completely control the end-to-end shipping process.*

Ingredients: Not listed.

Allergen-related information: None found.

*Note: The textural attributes mentioned were likely from a long transit time from Thailand to the U.S. (A few months elapsed between when the order was placed and when it was delivered.) I'm guessing that the package, containing three different bars, may have been held up in customs for some time, and that this time did not include storage at an ideal temperature range.

 

Anarchy Chocolate - 33% Milk Chocolate (bar) - April 7, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Anarchy Chocolate
33% Milk Chocolate (bar)
Good ++  
Weight: 1.41 oz. (40 g.) / 2.82 oz. (80 g.) in total bar
Calories: 219 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $5.55 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Anarchy Chocolate, online order 

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

Today's 33% Milk Chocolate (bar) was made by Anarchy Chocolate (at Anarchy (Cocoa) Farm in Trat, Thailand). 

The family-owned, small-batch chocolate maker sells a variety of Thai cacao bean-based offerings (chocolate bars, cacao nibs, cacao husk tea).

Aroma and flavor notes for this bean-to-bar chocolate included: very subtle/gentle dark milk chocolate and very faint, diffuse fruit (subtle tamarind with rice).

I really liked that this 33% milk chocolate wasn't too sweet (thank you!), and that it had a subtle, unique rich flavor. I'm so used to 33% chocolate being ultra-sweet I flinch a little before tasting it; and I expect that the sugar will overwhelm any flavor notes that might have been present. Not this time.

Note: Unfortunately, the package took a few months to arrive from Thailand (likely held up by customs and/or it sat in a mailing room or two). So the chocolate had bloomed (it had a whiteish appearance in all but one spot). Being out of temper* also affected the texture (slightly more crumbly). Thankfully, the aroma and flavor did not seem affected. 

The good news, it arrived yesterday right as I was about to give up and move on to a new chocolate origin (Haiti) theme week. Perfect timing!

Ingredients: (No ingredients label.)

Allergen-related information: Milk I am assuming. (None listed.)

*When chocolate is precisely heated and cooled in a process known as tempering, the chocolate will break with a hard snap. However, if the chocolate is later exposed to excessive heat (warm room, sun) or cold (refrigerated space) it can go "out of temper." The crystalline structure (of the cocoa butter) can change--or recrystallize to a less stable/desirable crystalline structure/form. These exposure(s) can affect the chocolate's appearance (mottled, white look), texture (less snap, more crumble), taste, and shelf-life (shorter shelf life).

KanVela Chocolate - Chiang Mai Origin Dark 70% (bar) - Apr. 5, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

KanVela Chocolate
Chiang Mai Origin Dark 70% dark chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.12 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 240 calories in 1/2 bar (per package)
Cost: $9.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order 

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

Today's Chiang Mai Origin 70% dark chocolate (bar) was from KanVela Chocolate (Thailand). The company has been making bean-to-bar and tree-to-bar chocolate since 2018. 

The cacao used to make this bar was grown in Chiang Mai Province in northern Thailand, north of Bangkok.

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate (smooth, complex), faint fruit, nut, sweet green, warm spice, and very faint, balanced earth.

Flavor notes for this well-tempered bar included: dark chocolate (brownie, ganache) with faint (diffuse) fruit; nut; sweet green; warm spice; and very faint, well balanced earth. Flavor notes were very similar to the aroma, just more chocolate-y and delicious.

I appreciated the well-balanced, well-executed, complex aroma and flavor notes in this bar.

Ingredients: Cacao Nib 65%, Sugar 30%, Cocoa butter 5% 

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

KanVela Chocolate - 70% Dark Chocolate Thailand Origin (bar) - Apr. 4, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

KanVela Chocolate
70% Dark Chocolate Thailand Origin (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.12 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 240 calories (per label) in 1/2 bar 
Cost: $9.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order 

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

Today's 70% Dark Chocolate Thailand Origin (bar) was from KanVela Chocolate (Thailand).

Aroma notes included: chocolate (dark cocoa, red fruits; balanced earth/peat/very faint tannin).

Texture: well-tempered, smooth chocolate with an even texture and melt.

Flavor notes included: bold yet smooth dark chocolate with diffuse red fruit (red apple, ripe red berry, faint mango and even fainter honey); and subtle, complementary earth.

Ingredients: Cacao nib 65%, Sugar 30%, Cocoa butter 5% 

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

KanVela Craft Chocolate - 72% Dark Chocolate Klong Loi Origin (bar) - Apr. 3, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

KanVela Craft Chocolate
72% Dark Chocolate Klong Loi Origin (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.12 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 240 calories in 1/2 bar (per package)*
Cost: $7.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order 

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

Today's 72% Dark Chocolate Klong Loi Origin (bar) was from KanVela Chocolate (Thailand).

Intriguing, subtle aroma notes included: soft and gentle cacao; very faint (diffuse, light tropical) fruit; and very faint (imagined) coffee and spice.

Texture: smooth, creamy texture; almost undetectable, friendly astringency.

Flavor notes included: mild but flavorful dark chocolate (low in acidity and bitterness); with a gentle bouquet of diffuse fruit(s); very subtle warm spices (cinnamon); very faint sweet green, fresh coconut; and unrefined sugar. 

I really enjoyed the heritage criollo-like** flavors in this bar. It was quite gentle for a 72% dark chocolate. It was subtle enough that I found myself leaning in and paying careful attention to what I was tasting, for fear that I might miss something that was gently unfolding. 

I recommend including today's Thai bar in a chocolate tasting flight. Try tasting this 72% cacao Klong Loi Origin chocolate side-by-side with a few other 72% cacao bars, just to enjoy the contrast.

Maker's tasting notes: "Indulge...in the softness of KanVela Klong Loi Origin and bite into a symphony of cinnamon, toasted coconut, caramel and red fruits."

Ingredients: "Cacao nib 67%, Sugar 28%, Cocoa butter 5%"

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

*This kcal number sounds high, even accounting for the possibility that it contained more added cocoa butter. It may be an error on the packaging.

**A reference to heritage criollo cacao varieties that originated in the Amazon Basin regions of South America. The fruits (pods) are slightly smaller and more delicate--and the flavors are subtle and often gently complex with notes of stone fruits and caramel. Criollo-based chocolates are rare, representing 5 percent or less of what you'll typically find for sale. Definitely worth tasting if you haven't already.

KanVela - 58% Dark Milk Mocha with Crispy Rice (bar) - April 2, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

KanVela Chocolate
58% Dark Milk Mocha with Crispy Rice (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.12 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 240 calories (per label) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order 

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

Today's 58% Dark Milk Mocha with Crispy Rice (bar) was from KanVela Chocolate (Thailand).

Aroma notes included: smooth, dark milk chocolate, vegetal (tart green herb (oxalis) and faint chopped green (jalapeno) peppers); faint coffee; even fainter floral (honey, jasmine rice), and very faint (likely imagined) warm spices (faint spiced latte).

Texture: creamy dark milk chocolate interspersed with whole grains of light, crispy rice. (These Thai Jasmine Rice Puffs were visible from the back of the bar.)

Flavor notes included: dark milk chocolate, faint almost fruit-floral, spice and coffee. The rice added subtle flavor depth. The coffee was very subtle and a bit more gently complex than what is often the case in other coffee/mocha bars. 

Ingredients: "Cacao nib 40%, Sugar 21%, Cocoa butter 18%, Milk powder 14%, Crispy rice 5%, Ground coffee 2%" 

Allergen-related information: "Contains milk. Made in a facility that processes wheat, sesame, soy and tree nuts."

KanVela Chocolate - Honey Milk Chocolate with Riceberry Cracker (bar) - April 1, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

KanVela Chocolate
Honey Milk Chocolate with Riceberry Cracker (Thai) (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.12 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 180 calories in 1/2 bar 
Cost: $9.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order 

Welcome to two overlapping theme weeks. Today was Day #6 of Chocolate, Flowers and Honey Week, Day #2? of Chocolate and Thailand Theme Week.

Today's Honey Milk Chocolate with Riceberry Cracker (bar) was from KanVela Chocolate (Thailand).

Organic riceberry crackers (made with a unique purple Thai rice) from Chang Rai--a famous rice-producing city in Northern Thailand-- and Chiang Mai Longan* flower honey provided wonderful, subtle and very complementary aromas and flavors.

Aroma notes included: chocolate; faint aromatic rice/cracker; and faint floral (honey) and spice (similar to white pepper).

Flavor notes included: mellow, yet subtly flavorful 50% cacao dark milk chocolate infused with honeyed, crispy/crunchy rice cracker spirit. The Chang Mai Longan flower honey yielded some very pleasing honey-ed sweet notes. There were also very faint cracker and white pepper notes. (Think white pepper taste, without the heat).

Yes, this chocolate was sweet, but the honey, rice cracker and a faint almost fruit-floral note, managed to balance the sugar sweetness and add flavor depth. This was the best use of rice in chocolate I've tasted in a very long while.

Ingredients: Cacao nib 50%, Milk powder 18%, Sugar 18%, Honey 8%, Riceberry cracker 6% 

Allergen-related information: "Contains milk. Made in a facility that processes wheat, sesame, soy and tree nuts."

*Longan are small oval shaped, pleasing, almost delicate, sweet fruits with light-colored, almost tranlucent, flesh (similar to a lichee) with a dark-colored pit at the middle. These fruits are covered with a thin beige-to-brown skin/shell that can be peeled off. The fruit is pleasant to eat, and it is also used to flavor teas. Native to Southern China and near Myanmar, longan fruits are widely cultivated in Southeast Asia (including northern Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam). You can also find them in markets in Hawaii as well as in Chinatown districts and small Asian markets in the U.S., e.g. in San Francisco and elsewhere in the SF Bay Area near where I live).

 

Ranger Chocolate - Thai Chocolate Bar - Nov. 18, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Ranger Chocolate
Thai Chocolate Bar
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.125 oz. (32 g.) / 2.25 oz. (64 g.) in total bar
Calories: 175 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $10.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's Thai Chocolate Bar (Batch 13) was from Ranger Chocolate Co. (Portland, OR). This Thai-inspired blend of sweet and savory flavor inclusions was part of the company's Adventure Series chocolate bar series. 

Aroma notes for this exotic bar included: chocolate, coconut milk, and very faint rice, diffuse fruit and warm spice.

The texture was creamy (coconut milk, cocoa butter) and crunchy (tiny bits of rice). The crispy-crunchy texture of the crushed rice was just right--not too firm and chewy, not too soft.

Flavor notes included: sweet coconut milk chocolate, rice (identified more by its texture than mild (almost salted buttery) flavor), and very faint warm spice (very mild galangal (aka Thai ginger)). The coconut milk muted stronger flavors (cacao, spices) that might have been present in this creamy homage to sweet and savory Thai cuisine. The flavors were well executed; and there weren't too many elements competing for attention, which made this chocolate taste more like Thai comfort food than a spicy, sizzling entree.

Maker's notes: "Our Adventure Series explores our desire to always try something new. This bar is influenced by our love for Thai cuisine--blending savory and sweet..."

Ingredients: "Organic cacao, coconut milk, organic sugar, cacao butter, rice, sea salt, galangal, white pepper"

Allergen-related information: "Contains: tree nuts (coconut)" "Manufactured in a facility that uses gluten, milk, egg...tree nuts ingredients" 

Kad Kokoa - Chiang Mai 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) - Nov. 17, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Kad Kokoa 
Chiang Mai 70% Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: .97 oz. (27.5 g.) / 1.94 oz. (55 g.) in total bar
Calories: 155 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $13.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

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

Today's Chiang Mai 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) was from bean-to-bar chocolate maker Kad Kokoa (Bangkok, Thailand). The company offers chocolate bars made with Thai cacao beans grown in different regions (terroirs) of Thailand. 

The organic cacao beans used to make this Chiang Mai dark chocolate were grown on a privately contracted farm in Pa Pae, Mae Tang, Chiang Mai, in northern Thailand.

Aroma notes for this bar included: rich chocolate (fudge brownie, smooth, flavorful drinking chocolate) with very faint, diffuse fruit, brown sugar (molasses), spice and nut notes.

Texture: Smooth dark chocolate with an almost buttery melt--with a very faint (barely noticeable) fruit astringency in the finish. 

Flavor notes included: rich dark chocolate (freshly baked fudge brownie, with warm dark chocolate sauce). This dark chocolate was relatively sweet, and had a pleasing, dark chocolate-y flavor--with a slight undulating quality (that I liked). It also had very faint stone fruit (plum, nectarine), brown sugar and earth notes; but it was primarily in the rich "chocolate-y" taste category.

Today's Chiang Mai chocolate was slightly less complex than its regional 70% dark chocolate siblings featured this week (not quite as many delicate floral and fruit notes); but like the other single region, dark chocolate bars from Kad Kokoa, I experienced an abundance of well-balanced, well-executed, chocolate flavor(s)--all emanating from just two ingredients.

Maker's tasting notes: "...slight floral notes and a delicate exotic fruitiness in the background of a strong earthy body."

Ingredients: "70% Cocoa Beans (and) 30% Organic Sugar"

Allergen-related information: (No allergy-related information listed on packaging.)

Kad Kokoa - Chumphon 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) - Nov. 16, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Kad Kokoa 
Chumphon 70% Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good +++
Weight: .97 oz. (27.5 g.) / 1.94 oz. (55 g.) in total bar
Calories: 155 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $13.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

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

Today's Chumphon* 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) was from Kad Kokoa (Bangkok, Thailand). The company is dedicated to making premium, bean-to-bar chocolate made with locally grown cacao beans--"to introduce our wonderful Thai terroirs and their unique flavors to the world."

Intriguing and complex aroma notes for this bar included: dark chocolate (chocolate brownie); fruit (very faint, pleasing, savory tomato and red bell pepper sauce (that faded quickly); even fainter, fleeting cooked plum and berry); and faint sweet green, almost floral, botanical; very faint sweet tea (green, oolong); fleeting woodsy.

This well-tempered bar broke with a snap and had a relatively smooth, almost buttery melt.

Flavor notes for this unique and special chameleon-like bar included: chocolate (brownie, dark chocolate torte) and a unique, warming, blooming sensation that included, warm sweet molasses, very faint ginger snap cookies; faint vanilla-like green/floral; and...a luscious dive into rich, tasty chocolate.

This well-executed, balanced, complex, Thai-cacao based dark chocolate was sweet, but not overly so (thank you). And even the sweetness had some ice depth and complexity to it. I am a sucker for high-quality chocolate that has a sense of movement and depth to it. 

My favorite chocolates are transporting; and I feel like I took a wonderful, sensory field trip today. This rare travel experience is possible thanks to dedicated makers of single origin/single region chocolates.

Ingredients: "70% Cocoa Beans (and) 30% Organic Sugar"

Allergen-related information: (No allergy-related information listed on packaging.)

*Kad Kokoa provided the following background for this local cacao origin: "Chumphon, the gateway to the south of Thailand, accommodates the Horticultural Research Centre responsible for the R&D of national robusta coffee, coconuts, and cacao beans. We work with the Centre in exchanging the post-harvesting know-how so the farmers in the region can learn from the Centre to improve their production and thus, their quality of life. Strong cacao body with notes of ripe grapes and red berries."

Siamaya Chocolate - Durian Milk Chocolate (bar) - Sept. 16, 2020

Chocolate of the Day 

Siamaya Chocolate
Durian Milk Chocolate (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 2.65 oz. (75 g.) in total bar
Calories: 360 calories in 1 bar 
Cost: $9.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate Surprise Theme Week.

Today's Durian Milk Chocolate (bar) was crafted by Siamaya Chocolate / Siamaya Craft Co., Ltd. (Chang Mai, Thailand).

The chocolate bar, made in Thailand, was redolent with authentic durian fruit,* and had a fainter chocolate, aroma. This milk chocolate was sweet, but not enough to overwhelm the unique fruit flavor. Although it was sweet enough to make it hard to detect cacao nuances. 

*Properly ripe durian fruit is very tasty, sweet, fruity and slightly pungent. It's also difficult to describe. It's a combination of smooth, creamy white mango, a custardy melon with a hint of musk or something similar. When overripe or not properly ripened, the adjectives spew from people's mouths with some disgust--and none of their word choices are good. (Excrement, garbage, sweat, you name it, it's on the why-I-don't-like-durian-fruit list. This poor, maligned fruit is even on the "no fly" list (not allowed on certain forms of public transportation) due to its potential odor. Thankfully, today's Siamaya Chocolate bar seemed to have captured this unique, and occasionally controversial, fruit in perfect form, perhaps the chocolate even captured or stabilized the best of the flavor. 

Ingredients: cacao nibs (38.8%), organic cane sugar (33.95%), powdered milk (14.55%), cacao butter (9.7%), durian fruit (2.7%), organic sunflower lecithin (0.3%).

Chocolat Bonnat - Ceylan 75% Chocolat Noir bar - Feb. 19, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

Chocolat Bonnat

Ceylan 75% Chocolat Noir (Dark Chocolate) bar

Good +++ - Very Good

Weight: .7 oz. (20 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar

Calories: 121.2 calories in 1/5 bar

Cost: $13.00 (estimate) for 1 bar

Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate, Enchanted Islands and Pirates Theme Week.

Today's Ceylan 75% Cacao Chocolat Noir (Dark Chocolate) bar was made by Chocolat Bonnat (Voiron, France) and distributed by Custom Source LLC (Worcester, MA).

Every Bonnat dark chocolate bar I recall tasting has had a luscious buttery, creamy texture. This gluten free bar made with cacao beans grown in Ceylan* was no exception. It had a faint sweet leather aroma note, a rich, full chocolatey flavor, a faint sour cherry note and a slightly bittersweet finish. 

Tasting notes described this Ceylan bar has having Asian flavors. Not sure what that meant exactly. I didn't pick up any spice or other notes I associated with SE Asia chocolate or cuisine.

*The name Ceylan (Ceylon) is an island nation located in the Indian Ocean, south of India. 

The people of this island have felt the presence of European nations: first, the Portuguese in the early 1500s and then the Dutch (Dutch India Company), before falling under British rule from 1815 to 1948. 

The British brought a variety of plantation crops to grow on the island, including tea, rubber, coffee and presumably cacao. Ceylon became known for its lush tea plantations under British rule. Were it not for labor practices there, more of the people might have experienced its enchanted isle status. 

Concerns over foreign powers, and pirates in the Indian Ocean, have been a part of the region for some time. In the early 1940s Japan was said to have designs on Ceylon. And occasional incidents of piracy (e.g., raids on commercial/trading ships) in the surrounding seas continue to the present decade.

The country eventually re-gained its independence; and in 1972, it became the Republic of Sri Lanka. Ceylon has continued to be influenced by India, China and other larger trading partners as they participate in the global economy, with exports like tea, textiles, rice and other agricultural products, like cacao.