SOMA - Chocolate Pecan Pie Pralines - Oct. 24, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

SOMA chocolatemaker
Chocolate Pecan Pie Pralines
Good ++ 
Weight: 1.17 oz. (33 g.) / 3.52 oz. (100 g.) in total package
Calories: 180 calories in 1/3 package
Cost: $15.00 for 1 package
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #12 of Chocolate, Pumpkin and Warm Fall Spices Theme Week.

Today's Chocolate Pecan Pie Pralines were created by SOMA chocolatemaker (Toronto, ON, Canada).

Hope everyone in Canada enjoyed their Thanksgiving (Oct. 9th) this year. Thanksgiving in the U.S. is yet to come; but it's not too early for pumpkin spiced-items, pecan pie and pumpkin pie. 

SOMA's decadent Chocolate Pecan Pie Pralines were enjoyed with a slice of pumpkin pie from Raised Gluten Free (Arcata, CA). 

Aroma notes for these coated oval- and pearl-shaped confections included: caramel, faint rich cocoa, and very faint vanilla. 

A buttery, outer caramel chocolate coating surrounded slightly sweet and crunchy pecan pieces.

Flavor notes for each piece included: caramel, subtle chocolate (rich cocoa), hints of butter, brown sugar and milk, and naturally sweet pecans--all magically rolled into one bite. 

The flavors were authentic and well balanced, and these pralines tumbled in caramel chocolate were sweet, but not overly so.

Ingredients: Pecans, Organic Cane Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Milk Powder, Cacao Nibs, Egg Whites, Salt, Natural Vanilla.

Allergen-related information: (Contains milk, egg, pecans.) "May contain traces of peanuts."

 

SOMA Chocolate maker - Tien Giang, Vietnam dark chocolate 70% (bar) - Oct. 11, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

SOMA chocolatemaker 
Tien Giang, Vietnam dark chocolate 70% (bar)
Good +++
Weight: 1.15 oz. (32.5 g.) / 2.3 oz. (65 g.) in total bar
Calories: 190 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $13.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate and Vietnam Theme Week--a week with some excellent single origin bars made from cacao grown in southern Vietnam.

Today's Tien Giang*, Vietnam dark chocolate 70% (bar) was from SOMA chocolatemaker (Toronto, ON, Canada). The cacao beans used for this bar came from Marou Faisseurs de Chocolat in Vietnam.**

Aroma notes for this deliciously dark bar included: rich, deep dark chocolate; faint, earthy molasses and botanicals (maple, warm spices).

The texture was smooth and uniform.

Flavor notes included: rich dark chocolate with bold cocoa shimmering with subtle dark complexity (faint, balanced earth; faint, fleeting dark, sweet berries; and faint molasses and warm spice). 

Bold and dark, yet also subtle and complex. These adjectives rarely converge in one chocolate. And oh what a beautiful, well orchestrated, convergence it was. The cacao was excellent, and so was the implementation.

This three-ingredient bar embraced the best traits cacao has to offer (across different varieties). The deep almost earthy boldness of a Forastero variety, the flavor and tart-sweet fruit of a Trinitario variety, and the beautiful complexity of a heritage/heirloom (South American) cacao (Criollo, Chuao and perhaps Nacional). 

Even the choice of organic cane sugar seemed just right. The cacao was already, inherently deep and dark. I'm always curious about what darker versions of bars would have tasted like. Not here. Going with a higher cacao percentage in this case--where flavors "darken" with proportionately less sugar--made less sense. And the sugar helped showcase the bright-dark-sweet dark berry/dark cherry fruit flavor notes.

Maker's tasting notes: "cinnamon, wild ginger, cherry jam, Brazil nut."

Ingredients: Cacao Nibs, Organic Cane Sugar, Cocoa Butter

Allergen-related information: "May contain trace amounts of peanuts, tree nuts, soy and dairy.

*Tien Giang is one of several cacao-growing provinces in southern Vietnam. The southern part of the country is warmer, and well-suited for cacao trees. Some of the best cacao grows in areas that are close to the coast and the Mekong River delta.

** Marou was founded by Vincent Mourou and Samuel Maruta in Vietnam over a dozen years ago. It's not an exaggeration to say that the Marou team was largely responsible for the Chocolate and Vietnam Theme Weeks on Chocolate Banquet for the past several years. Marou works directly with farmers in at least five provinces in southern Vietnam and makes bean-to-bar chocolates in Vietnam.

The company also has enabled other high-end chocolate makers around the globe to obtain fine Vietnamese cacao for their own single origin Vietnam chocolate offerings--such as today's SOMA chocolatemaker's Tien Giang bar.

SOMA Chocolatemaker - Starry Night - Dark (bar) - Dec. 28, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

SOMA Chocolatemaker
Starry Night - Dark (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 1.165 oz. (33 g.) /2.33 oz. (66 g.) in total bar
Calories: 190 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $12.75 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's Starry Night chocolate bar was from SOMA Chocolatemaker (Toronto, Canada). 

The company is located in the Distillery Historic District in Toronto--in a complex of brick (old distillery) buildings now used for retail shops (and this chocolate factory and tasting area). 

In honor of SOMA's factory history (and this week's spirits theme), I enjoyed this bar with a very small sip of whiskey. The chocolate was quite good by itself; and it might also pair well with a whiskey, for those adults so inclined. 

Pretty little salt crystals (visible through a clear window in the packaging) doubled as stars--tiny twinklers strewn across a night sky.

The image of a rabbit--gazing skyward, to view the Aurora Borealis dancing overhead in the night sky--completed this "Starry Night" vision. 

Aroma notes included: flavorful dark chocolate (dark ganache), faint/diffuse fruit (berry); sweet, very faintly fermented cacao; faint cream/butter; and barely there warm spice.

The chocolate texture was smooth, accented with a few tiny crunchy sparkles of sea salt (from the Newfoundland Salt Company, in Bonavista, Newfoundland, Canada).

The flavor notes were similar to the aroma notes mentioned above: sweet, relatively creamy dark chocolate (dark ganache, diffuse berry); This chocolate was made using a blend of cacao origins; and it was friendly and well balanced (sweet and salt), with no "off" notes. 

Ingredients: Cocoa nibs, organic cane sugar, cocoa butter, salt

Allergen-related information: "May contain trace amounts of peanuts, tree nuts, soy and dairy."

*Earlier this month, I flew by/over Canada to Iceland: to see the Northern Lights, aka Aurora Borealis. The illustration on this bar of a colorful aurora fluxing across the night sky brought back fond memories of this trip. The illustration of the hare (rabbit) looking skyward captured the spirit of that trip, including the wonder I felt looking at the stars and the dancing lights above the mountains.

And, yes, there were great chocolates in Iceland too.

SOMA Chocolatemaker - Brown Butter Rum Bar - June 26, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

SOMA chocolatemaker 
Brown Butter Rum Bar
Good ++
Weight: 1.15 oz. (32.5 g.) / 2.29 oz. (65 g.) in total bar
Calories: 180 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $14.75 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's Brown Butter Rum Bar was from SOMA chocolatemaker (Toronto, ON, Canada). 

The cacao used to make this bar came from Desmond Judasingh at Bachelor's Hall Estate (farm), located in St. Thomas Parish, Jamaica. The "Dark Waters" rum was a single barrel release by Kinsip (a small distillery in Ontario, Canada). 

Aroma and flavor notes for this bar included fleeting floral, butterscotch, butter cream, butter rum, very mild nut (cashew, pili*), and honey-vanilla butterscotch brownie (or butterscotch milk chocolate fudge) notes.

The texture of this sweet milk chocolate was light and very creamy, with an easy, velvety, buttery melt. A friendly, flavorful bar to satisfy a sweet tooth. (Organic cane sugar was the number one ingredient.) 

I'd love to try a slightly less sweet version of this chocolate that allows some of the high-quality flavors to shine through a bit more. But, I am a dark chocolate fan; so this fantasy is to be expected.

Speaking of being creative, the range of SOMA high-quality chocolate flavors and formats over time continues to be impressive; and the company's choice of artwork (pressed into the chocolate bars and on the outside packaging) is always inspired. 

I spent time in the San Francisco Bay marshlands today; and the bedazzled mallard duck (painting/illustration) on today's chocolate bar package was a perfect match for this local duck and shorebird-rich outdoor setting.

Maker's tasting notes: "cashews, butterscotch, honey, oak, fudge"

Ingredients: Organic cane sugar, cacao nibs, skim milk powder, cocoa butter, rum, soy lecithin, natural vanilla, sea salt, butter.

Allergen-related information: "May contain trace amounts of peanuts and tree nuts. Contains dairy and Alcohol. Store in a cool, dry place."

*Pili nuts are popular in the Philippines and in Southeast Asia and South Pacific island nations (e.g. Papua New Guinea). The ivory colored nuts have a very mild, buttery flavor.

 

SOMA - Spark of Joy Caramel Chocolate with Roasted Quince and cacao nibs (bar) - May 11, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

SOMA chocolatemaker
Spark of Joy Caramel Chocolate with Roasted Quince and cacao nibs (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 2.3 oz. (65 g.) in total bar
Calories: 400 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $13.00 (estimate) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate, Nuts and Nibs Theme Week.

Today's Spark of Joy Caramel Chocolate with Roasted Quince and cacao nibs (bar) was from SOMA chocolatemaker  (Toronto, Ontario, Canada).

Aroma notes for this relatively complex, sweet, fragrant bar included: warm spice, caramel, lightly spiced fruit (caramel apple, guava, very faint pear).

The smooth, cocoa butter-y base had a caramel, fruit and faint nutty flavor. Cocoa nibs (Ecuador) provided a crunchy textural accent as well as tiny bursts of dark, nutty unsweetened cacao flavor. The finish was very light, faint cocoa nib, and barely there quince notes.

The maker's suggested pairing: blue cheese. I tried part of this bar with some blue cheese and roasted walnuts. The combination resulted in a great dessert tapas (snack) plate and complement to a meal.

This was a skillfully-executed, tasty "caramel chocolate"--and a creative use of fruit (a thin circular slice of slow-roasted, spiced quince) and cacao nibs. A winter warmer that would be good anytime of day or year.

Ingredients: Cocoa butter, organic cane sugar, milk powder, cacao nibs, quince, natural vanilla, salt, spices

Allergen-related information: "Contains milk. May contain trace amounts of peanuts, tree nuts, (and) soy."

SOMA Chocolatemaker - Fazenda Boa Vista Milk Chocolate bar - Sept. 2, 2018

Chocolate of the Day:

SOMA Chocolatemaker

Fazenda Boa Vista Milk Chocolate (bar)

Good +++ - Very Good

Weight: 1.145 oz. (32.5 g.) / 2.29 oz. (65 g.) in total bar

Calories: 172 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar

Cost: $16.00 for 1 bar

Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA 

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

Today's Fazenda Boa Vista Milk Chocolate bar was from SOMA Chocolatemaker (Toronto, ON, Canada).

This Academy of Chocolate Silver Winner 2017, 55% milk chocolate bar was made from Brazilian cacao.* It had an aroma with balanced notes of dried fruit, fresh cream, light nut, and very faint mint/herb.

The chocolate had a very pleasing dark milk chocolate flavor. (SOMA tasting notes printed on the package read: "Malt, cashews, fresh cream.") And a very, very faint, fleeting, slightly herby aftertaste.

*Fazenda Boa Vista (cocoa farm) is located "on the top of the mountains of Cafundos, a...sanctuary for ancient (120-year old) Amelonado type cacao known as Parazinho."

SOMA Chocolatemaker - Milk Chuao bar - Nov. 20, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

SOMA Chocolatemaker

Milk Chuao bar

Very Good 

Weight: 1.145 oz. (32.5 g.) / 2.29 oz. (65 g.) (estimate) in total bar (no weight listed)

Calories: 172 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar

Cost: $ missing information for 1 bar

Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

Today it was adios and tchau (goodbye) to South American Chocolate Theme Weeks, and hello to Milk Chocolate Week, with the Milk Chuao bar from SOMA Chocolatemaker (Toronto, ON, Canada).

The SOMA high-end milk chocolate bar was made with fine flavored cacao, grown in the Chuao region of Venezuela, known for its lovely caramel and fruit notes.

This 50% cacao bar had the creaminess and slightly sweeter qualities of a high-percentage cacao milk chocolate, but the complexity of flavor you'd more often find in darker bars. 

This SOMA Chocolatemaker microbatch bean-to-bar chocolate bar may, unfortunately, not be available at the moment. However, look into the company's single origin bars and holiday "twig" chocolates and you won't be disappointed. Creativity and skill are applied in equal measures at SOMA.

Alter Eco 85% Dark Blackout, SOMA Black Science Camino Verde bars - Nov. 11, 2017

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

Alter Eco
Dark Blackout 85% Cocoa bar
Good +++
Weight: .94 oz. (26.6 g.) / 2.82 oz. (80 g.) in total bar
Calories: 160 calories in 1/3 bar
Cost: $N/A - gift (Thank you Bill)
Purchased from: N/A - gift

SOMA Chocolatemaker
Black Science Camino Verde (Ecuador) 70% Cacao bar
Good +++
Weight: 1.15 oz. (32.5 g.) / 2.3 oz. (65 g.) in total bar
Calories: 175 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $13.00 (estimate) for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #21 of South American Chocolate Theme Weeks. This month we've been taking an edible tour of this great continent, filled with cacao-growing regions that date back to the origin of cacao.

Before moving on from Ecuador to Peru, we'll taste two more bars made from Ecuadorean cacao. Drawing this pair of black aces from the depths of the Chocolate Banquet vault would be considered lucky by anyone with a superstitious chocolate bone in their body. And if it isn't considered so, it should be.

Alter Eco - 85% Cocoa Dark Blackout bar
The 85% Cocoa Dark Blackout bar from Alter Eco (San Francisco, CA) was made from organic, fair trade cocoa grown on the coast of Ecuador. The resulting (gluten-free) ultra-dark bar had complex aroma with notes that included: true dark chocolate (fudge brownie), chocolate covered dried fruits, and a trace of smoked salt.

The chocolate had a creamy, cocoa buttery melt, and a uniform, satisfying deep chocolate flavor with occasional light berry jam notes. Last, but not least, it was devilishly light on sugar.

SOMA Chocolatemaker - Black Science Camino Verde bar
The 70% Black Science Camino Verde (Ecuador) bar had an aroma with lush green forest and bittersweet chocolate notes.

Tasting notes read: "roasted cashews (and) baked bread." The latter did show up a bit in the tasting arc, perhaps aided by a higher sugar percentage content (70%) vs. the ebony-colored 80%+ bars we've been tasting this week.

The cashew was a more subtle, a difficult note to catch. If this bar did have a light sweet nutty note, cashews would be the right nut to describe that.

The "Black Science" term should be a tribute to the the farm, the fermentation expert (Vicente Norero), and the makers at SOMA Chocolatemaker (Toronto, ON, Canada).  Chocolate-making is both artful skill and science. Successful chocolate demands both.

SOMA - Black Science Vigia, Porcelana 70% Venezuela bars - Oct. 23, 2017

Chocolate of the Day:

SOMA Chocolatemaker

Black Science Vigia Criollo 70% bar
Good ++ - Very Good
Weight: 1.145 oz. (32.5 g.) / 2.29 oz. (65 g.) in total bar
Calories: 171 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $ missing information

Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

Porcelana Venezuela Criollo 70% bar
Very Good
Weight: 1.145 oz. (32.5 g.) / 2.29 oz. (65 g.) in total bar
Calories: 171 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $ missing information
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #2 of South American Chocolate Theme Week. One can't talk about origin chocolates of South America without mentioning Venezuela.

Today's two 70% cacao dark bars from SOMA Chocolatemaker (Toronto, ON, Canada) were both made with Venezuelan grown cacao bean, organic cane sugar, and cocoa butter. That's it. Nothing else. The unadulterated full bean experience.

Black Science Vigia 
The SOMA Black Science Vigia 70% bar (Batch VigL1) is also perfect title for Halloween week, no? Deep, dark and a little mysterious, the cacao for this bar was produced in an area southeast of Lake Maracaibo* in Venezuela known for excellent Criollo beans (Criollo Merida, Guasare, Porcelana and as well as experimental Criollo hybrids). These Criollo heritage beans are known for their subtle, beautiful full flavor.

Today's Black Science Vigia 70% bar had subtle green, dried fruit (light raisin), very mild nuttiness (cashew) and light, creamy cafe latte aroma and flavor notes. I enjoyed a similar Vigia 70% bar from SOMA back in 2013 (Batch EV2). Both were very good.

Porcelana bar
The SOMA Porcelana 70% bar (Batch PorL3) tasting notes read as follows: "cream, cashews, coconut, molasses." This bar was also made with Venezuelan cacao grown near (south of) Lake Maracaibo* in NW Venezuela. It was a great bar. Naturally sweet, well balanced, subtle and full of flavors that harmonized incredibly well together. There was no sharpness or bitterness to be found.

This bar was a World Gold International Chocolate Awards 2015 winner.

Both SOMA bars were worth searching out and trying. I love the pattern stamped on their bars. Look closely and you'll see, amidst leaves, cacao pods and flowers, a bird with a tennis shoe and a maple leaf (Canadian reference in the jungle).

*Lake Maracaibo has always fascinated me. It is a large teardrop-shaped brackish tidal bay/estuary (that once was the largest lake in South America), surrounded by jungle forests, villages, rain and lightning—lots and lots of lightning.

SOMA - Blend Crazy 88 bar - May 23, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

SOMA Chocolatemaker
Blend Crazy 88 bar
Good ++
Weight: .765 oz. (21.6 g.) / 2.29 oz. (65 g.) in total bar
Calories: 115 calories (estimate) in 1/3 bar
Cost: $11.00 (estimate) for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #2 of Chocolate and Dark Blends Theme Week.

Today's Blend Crazy 88 bar was crafted by SOMA Chocolatemaker (Toronto, ON, Canada) using a blend of cacao beans from 5 different origins: Venezuela, Ecuador, Jamaica, Peru, and Java.

The resulting chocolate was a smooth blend of beans with a sweet, pleasing rich chocolate aroma and a very light spice and fruit note. The makers honored this five origin bar by making this chocolate "almost as a 100% bar, with no added vanilla or lecithin," and that enabled a more pure tasting experience.

The tasting notes for this dairy-free, dark chocolate, vegan, award-winning* bar suggested: "nuts, citrus, a tingle of green bananas," and that the chocolate was "creamy and strong with a floral base."

SOMA has great designs imprinted on their bars. I imagined the collection of chocolate hieroglyphics (cacao flower, cacao pod, exotic bird with high-top tennis shoe, Canadian Maple leaf, etc.) being carved into stone, and being unearthed hundreds of years from now. What will they make of our veneration of chocolate?

*The Blend Crazy 88 bar won: International Chocolate Awards: Americas 2016 - Silver

SOMA Chocolatemaker - Arcana 100% bar - May 22, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

SOMA
Arcana 100% bar
Good ++
Weight: .76 oz. (21.6 g.) / 2.29 oz. (65 g.) in total bar
Calories: 115 calories (estimate) in 1/3 bar
Cost: $13.00 (estimate) for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to the dark side, and Day #1 of Dark Chocolate Blends Theme Week.

Today's Arcana 100% bar from SOMA Chocolatemaker (Toronto, ON, Canada) was made with cocoa beans from three different origins (Madagascar, Ecuador and Venezuela).

The name "Arcana" conjures up images of mysteries that can't be readily explained, and the secrets in nature that alchemists pursued. Blending is probably a bit like this—acquainting oneself with the deep mysteries of each batch of cocoa beans, and finding just the right mix of complementary flavors.

The aroma of this ultra-dark bar had floral, marshmallow and green banana notes (reminiscent of Ecuador); and it was (as is often the case with 100% bars) almost deceptively light. Ah, the brain thought, I am about to bite into a sweet rich chocolate. Then after the first bite, the brain had to hit the re-set button. It had trouble understanding that there was no sugar in this bar.

The melt and texture were smooth (and seemed to grow creamier toward the end.) The taste was almost dull for a few seconds but incredibly deep and dark. There was no sugar or fruit (Madagascar, where are you?) to balance and brighten things up. Then there was a bitter then sour (tart berry-fig balsamic?) taste, which was interesting even if it was a bit somber. (It certainly had the depth and a complex flavor arc associated with Venezuela.)

The aftertaste, was much calmer and more subdued. It lingered for quite awhile, with the same floral notes that were present in the initial aroma. And then the brain thought, hmmm. I think I'd like to take another bite.

SOMA Chocolatemaker - Easter Carrots - April 17, 2017

Easter Chocolate Item
April 2017

SOMA Chocolatemaker
Easter Carrots
Good
Weight: .918 oz. (26 g.) in 2 carrots
Calories: 138 calories (estimate) in 2 carrots
Cost: $7.00 for 1 carrot
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

This post is a special post-Easter holiday entry.

These diminutive, foil-wrapped "carrots" from SOMA Chocolatemaker (Toronto, Canada) were flavored/colored with real carrots and blood orange—giving this Easter confection the advantage of having small amounts of Vitamin C and Vitamin A.

The sweet cocoa butter/white chocolate based carrots were cone-shaped and tasted like the real thing. They were even seasoned with a generous pinch of salt...raising an age old question. If this is made out of plants, can I count this as a vegetable?

Probably not, but these little orange beauties were beautiful to look at and fun to taste.

SOMA Chocolatemaker - Cherry Bomb - Jan. 1, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

SOMA Chocolatemaker
Cherry Bomb
Good +++
Weight: 2.5 oz. (70.7 g.) (guesstimate) in 1 piece
Calories: 335 calories (guesstimate) in 1 piece
Cost: $10.00 for 1 piece
Purchased from: SOMA Chocolatemaker, Toronto, ON, Canada

Happy New Year, and Day #1 of Chocolate and Cherries Theme Week!

Today's Cherry Bomb kept the holiday celebration going into the New Year (2017). This bright red foil-wrapped cherry-filled confection from SOMA Chocolatemaker (Toronto, ON, Canada) was big!

The rich, thick milk chocolate shell—with cocoa nibs, roasted coconut and pecans—contained a cherry center bathed in Kirsch (cherry liqueur liquid interior). I was unable to slowly eat this filled Cherry Bomb in two bites without making a mess.

I'd suggest eating this Cherry Bomb over a plate to capture any of the spirited cherry ambrosia that tries to escape.

SOMA - Birch branch filled with hazelnuts, cherry jam - Dec. 2, 2016

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

SOMA Chocolate
Birch Branch with Hazelnut Crunch, Montmorency Cherry Jam
Very Good
Weight: .25 oz. (7 g.) / 11.3 oz. (320 g.) in total box
Calories: 37.5 calories (estimate) in 1 small piece
Purchased from: N/A - gift from Megan (Thank you!)

Welcome to hazelnut heaven, and Day #7 of Chocolate, Almond and Hazelnut Theme Week.

Today's chocsimile* of a birch branch from SOMA Chocolatemaker (Toronto) looked very much like the real thing, because it was carefully crafted from a real birch branch.

A mold was made from a special branch, and the mold is carefully "lined" with chocolate, and stuffed with a soft hazelnut crunch filling with Montmorency Cherry Jam in the center.

The result was magical—the envy of every squirrel and snowman in the forest I'm sure. And it tasted as wonderful as it looked. This very special treat would be great for a holiday party or sharing with others. It's likely to be seasonal, so check with SOMA (and/or their website) about availability.

Where's the Almond you say?
Funny you should ask. I also enjoyed another slice of heaven found in a Barre Infernal (Dark) from Francois Pralus** (France). I tasted the first of these Infernale bars (there's a milk and a dark version, and the dark version has hazelnuts and almonds) five years ago in 2011 at The Chocolate Garage (Palo Alto, CA).

This substantial Pralus bar reminded me of today's hazelnut Birch Branch from SOMA. This dark Pralus bar was large enough to be sliced and contained a hazelnut (and almond) filling. (Picture of bar at right is from the Francois Pralus website.)

*Chocolate facsimile
** Francois Pralus is a Master Chocolatier and chocolate maker based in France who makes single origin and bean-to-bar chocolate.

***Note: This item was not gluten-free. There was some flour involved in making the hazelnut filling crunchy. And while the type of flour was not specified, I'm assuming it was conventional (wheat) flour. 

SOMA - tumbled Hazelnuts - Dec. 1, 2016

Chocolate of the Day: 

SOMA Chocolatemaker
tumbled Hazelnuts
Good++ - Very Good
Weight: 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total package
Calories: 525 calories (estimate) in 1 package
Cost: $10.00 for 1 package
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate, Almonds and Hazelnuts Theme Week.

More hazelnut goodness today. These tumbled Hazelnuts—Slow Roasted Hazelnuts tumbled in Dark Chocolate—from SOMA Chocolatemaker (Toronto, CA), were crunchy and covered with just the right amount of chocolate/cocoa coating. Enough so that you knew you were tasting high-quality chocolate, but not enough cacao to mask the genuine flavor of perfectly roasted hazelnuts.

Nirvana - Crispy Almonds bar + SOMA Gianduja drinking chocolate - Nov. 28, 2016

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

Nirvana Belgian Chocolates
Organic Belgian Dark Chocolate
Crispy Almonds bar
Good++
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42.5 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 230 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $5.95 for 1 bar
Purchased from: SweetE Organic, Mill Valley, CA

SOMA Chocolatemaker
Gianduja Roasted Hazelnut drinking chocolate
Good ++
Weight: 1.325 oz. (37.5 g.) / 2.65 oz. (75 g.) in total package
Calories: 188 calories (estimate per label) in 1/2 package
Cost: $8.00 for 1 package
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate, Almonds and Hazelnuts Theme Week.

Squirrel haters should stop reading here; because I've dedicated today to these furry, nut-loving balls of mischief. Happily I may not be the only one who enjoys them. Both of today's chocolates have illustrations of squirrels on their packaging.

The first chocolate was a Crispy Almonds bar from Nirvana Belgium Chocolate (product of Belgium). The 72% cacao Organic dark chocolate base was sprinkled with a sea of caramelized almond bits. Thankfully, this well-tempered dark bar was smooth and rich, without being too sweet. The illustrated red squirrel with tufted ears in the branches of an almond tree (due to clever packaging design and cut-out above the bar) appeared to be dreaming of the chocolate and nuts inside.

SOMA Chocolatemaker (Toronto) goes one step farther, by stating its yummy Gianduja Roasted Hazelnut drinking chocolate was "approved by squirrels everywhere." That's good enough for me.

Mix a little hot water with the rich contents of this SOMA packet and you'll get a highly edible, velvety paste with concentrated chocolate hazelnut flavor that's worth sampling a la carte. And, if you must dilute it further to make a traditional cocoa, you might add some milk or cream.

However, I like the more concentrated version myself, and it's pictured here in a tiny, Italian-themed espresso cup with a Tasmanian Devil—the closest animal I had on hand that might convey a squirrel's crazy passion for almonds and hazelnuts (and chocolate* too if the truth be known).

*Rats, mice and squirrels are known to nibble on cacao pods, and chocolate and nuts if they can find them. They seem to have less trouble digesting/processing the theobromine in cacao/chocolate that upsets dogs, cats and other animals. Theobromine is an alkaloid that's a close cousin to caffeine.

SOMA - Tumbled Cashews with Chai spice - Nov. 10, 2016

Chocolate of the Day: 

SOMA Chocolatemaker
Tumbled Cashews
Very Good
Weight: 3.53 oz. (100 g.) in 1 package
Calories: 529 calories (estimate) in 1 package
Cost: $10.00 (estimate) for 1 package
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

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

If you like chocolate and nuts, and chai, here's your dream chocolate come true: Tumbled Cashews (cashews "tumbled in Milk chocolate infused with Chai spice") from SOMA Chocolatemaker (Toronto, Canada).

In my experience, not all tumbled chocolate offerings turn out well. However...These SOMA cashews were nutty and crunchy, sweet and spicy. It's all here, in perfect balance. Thank you SOMA.

SOMA - Milk Chocolate Mini Bar - Roasted Cashews - Nov. 9, 2016

Chocolate of the Day: 

SOMA
Milk Chocolate Mini Bar - Roasted Cashews
Very Good
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 185 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $8.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from:  The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today many U.S. citizens woke up with a Presidential election hang-over. Some might even be mumbling about moving north to Canada.


I don't plan to move to Canada. However, I'm very happy to be featuring a great Milk Chocolate Mini Bar with Roasted Cashews from SOMA Chocolatemaker (Toronto, Canada) today.

This small milk chocolate bar was packed with great, almost fruity flavor (red berries, a faint hint of licorice), and had a thick creamy mouthfeel. The milk softened bolder cacao notes just enough so that the subtle flavors of roasted cashews was still present.

Whatever else happens in the world, I'm very happy and grateful to be enjoy a mini Chocolate Banquet with a small piece of great chocolate and nuts.

SOMA produces high-quality chocolate items with a subtle creative twist. Look closely at the pattern on the back, and you'll see cacao pods and flowers. If you look very closely you might spot a bird with shoes and perhaps a Canadian maple leaf.

SOMA Chocolate - Ginger Dark Mini Bar - Oct. 28, 2016

Chocolate of the Day: 

SOMA Chocolate
Ginger Dark Chocolate Mini Bar
Good ++
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) in total bar
Calories: 185 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $ missing info
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate, Sugar and Spice Theme Week.

Today's Ginger Dark Chocolate Mini Bar was from SOMA Chocolate (Toronto, Canada).

Over the years, SOMA has offered bean-to-bar and other chocolate items (bars, drinking chocolate, filled/flavored chocolates and inspired, high-quality novelties, such as their "twig" and/or "branch" chocolates).

I have fond memories of my first visit to the SOMA location nestled in a brick complex that used to house a distillery in Toronto, and buying and tasting items there.

In today's dark mini bar, ginger was the dominant flavor. The small hunks of candied ginger with a soft chew were flavorful, and had a very slight soapiness that ginger can sometimes have, that seemed to dissipate after the first chew.

The dark chocolate was smooth, and on one side was emblazoned with a downsized version of the same lovely botanical print found on larger SOMA bars.

The mini bar was a great size for a single serving, high-end chocolate dessert or snack.

This bar's ingredients: cocoa mass, sugar, ginger, cacao butter, natural vanilla, soy lecithin.

SOMA - Milk Old School and (Dark) Old School - Oct. 9, 2016

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

Milk Old School
Venezuela - 38 percent cacao
Batch MOS60305.0
Very Good
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 3.18 oz. (90 g.) in total package
Calories: 159 calories (estimate) for 1/3 package
Cost: $15.00 (estimate) for 1 package
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

Old School
Papua New Guinea - 66 percent cacao
Batch OSP60330.0
Good ++
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 3.18 oz. (90 g.) in total package
Calories: 159 calories (estimate) for 1/3 package
Cost: $15.00 for 1 package
Purchased from: Cacao at The Heathman, Portland, OR


Today was Day #9 of Chocolate and Venezuela Theme Week; and after nine days of eating Venezuelan Criollo cacao, I'd become lulled into a sense of what chocolate should taste like: balanced, flavorful, yet smooth and full of subtle fruit nuances, and low in astringency.

In fact, today's SOMA Chocolatemaker's Milk Old School - Venezuela 38 percent cacao chocolate was just that, and more. Three ingredients (partially ground Chuao cacao nibs, milk, and whole crystals of organic cane sugar) were ground together in a melangeur*, and the innovative result was a chocolate bar that had the satisfying consistency of a rich, chocolate cookie. And it was delicious.

So, if the 38 percent cacao version of this rustic "old school" milk chocolate was good, the 66 percent cacao dark version (using cacao from Papua New Guinea) would be even more amazing, right?

However, as I bit into the latter, I was abruptly transported from the mythical, mystical world of Venezuelan cacao, around the globe, to the flavor opposite of its Milk Old School sibling. The Old School 66 percent had the same novel, cookie-bar texture, but the aroma and flavor were powerful, earthy, unapologetic, unsubtle, bold; and the bar had some wine and slightly sour ferment notes. Wow. Dorothy, we're not in Kansas anymore.

I recommend trying both these bars, side-by-side. You'll not only be enjoying two great chocolates; you'll also experience the differences in single origin cacao, and what the addition of milk can do.

*Melangeur is French word that translates roughly into "blender" in English. In this case, it's a piece of vintage equipment that was used to blend/grind down and mix roasted cacao nibs with sugar, resulting in minimally processed cacao with more retained flavor.