Fossa Chocolate - Yuzu Sea Salt 54% Dark Milk Tanzania (bar) - June 13, 2025

 Chocolate of the Day

Fossa Chocolate
Yuzu Sea Salt 54% Dark Milk Tanzania (bar)
Good ++
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 140.5 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $15.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar & Cocoa, online order 

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate and Citrus Theme Week; and Day #2 of Chocolate and Tanzania Theme Week.

Today's Yuzu Sea Salt 54% Dark Milk Tanzania (bar) was made by Fossa Chocolate (Singapore).

Aroma notes included: creamy chocolate, chocolate and citrus cookie and very faint tea and caramel.

Texture: smooth, creamy (almost silky) dark milk chocolate accented by strips of candied yuzu peel.

Flavor notes included: satisfying, sophisticated and balanced dark milk chocolate (with cream, very faint caramel, nut and cookie); tart-sweet fruity and authentic-tasting candied yuzu peel; and tiny pulses of sea salt. 

The slightly stronger elements of the yuzu citrus fruit (peel) were presented in a subtle, sweet and very well-balanced way and complemented the chocolate nicely.

I liked the authentic yuzu citrus fruit flavor and the sprinkle of sea salt -- both of these elements balanced out the rich, buttery sweetness of the milk chocolate.

Maker's tasting notes: "Creamy, biscuity chocolate with refreshing citrusy aroma"

Ingredients: "Cacao, cane sugar, cocoa butter, milk powder, yuzu peel (yuzu peel, sugar, vitamin c), sea salt"

Allergen-related information: Contains milk. "Produced in a facility that processes nuts & dairy."

Kessho - Yuzu Dark Milk 56% Cacao Kokoa Kamili Tanzania (bar) - June 14, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Kessho 
Yuzu Dark Milk 56% Cacao Kokoa Kamili Tanzania (bar)

Good ++

Weight: 1.05 oz. (30 g.) / 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 165.5 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Dispensary, online order 

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate and Citrus Theme Week; and Day #1 of Chocolate and Tanzania Theme Week.

Today's Yuzu Dark Milk 56% Cacao Kokoa Kamili Tanzania (bar) from Kessho, LLC was handcrafted in Austin, TX.

Aroma notes included: dark milk chocolate (cream, nuts) and faint citrus. (Note: there were no nut ingredients.)

The texture was smooth and creamy; and the yuzu peel powder was fully integrated into cacao mass.

Flavor notes included: creamy dark milk chocolate (very faint caramel); very faint, diffuse stone fruit; and balanced bitter and tart notes. 

This was a satisfying and balanced dark milk chocolate with very subtle fruit and citrus.

Maker's flavor profile (tasting notes): "Red fruit, berries, plums, citrus"

Ingredients: "Whole cacao beans, sugar, cocoa butter, whole milk powder, yuzu peel powder"

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

Fossa Chocolate - 54% Dark Milk Lychee Rose (bar) - April 6, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Fossa Chocolate
54% Dark Milk Lychee Rose (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 275 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $12.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Caputo's, online order

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate and Thailand Theme Week--focused on cacao/chocolates from Thailand and chocolates containing Thai-grown and Thai-inspired flavor inclusions.

Today's 54% Dark Milk Lychee Rose (bar) was from Fossa Chocolate (Singapore).

The company's description of this bar read: "Creamy and fruity rose infused Tanzania 54% Dark Milk Chocolate topped with chewy dehydrated lychee from Chiang Rai, Thailand, and crunchy cacao nibs."

Aroma notes included: fruit (floral, sweet, lychee), and cocoa/cacao.

Texture: creamy smooth chocolate base and clusters of small, slightly crunchy, cacao nibs.

Flavor notes included: a base of mild dark chocolate (made even creamier and more subtle by added cocoa butter); cacao nibs; delicious pieces of sweet, refreshing, authentic lychee fruit; and floral (rose).

I loved the authentic and balanced flavors and gentle complexity. This was a sweet chocolate bar, but the sugar didn't overwhelm the natural fruit and floral notes. (Thank you.)

Maker's tasting notes: "Delicate rose infused milk chocolate with the sweet aroma of lychee"

Ingredients: Cacao, cane sugar, cocoa butter, milk powder, lychee, rose absolute 

Allergen-related information: "Contains dairy. Produced in a facility that processes nuts."

Fjak Sjokolade - Sour Cherry Milk Chocolate; 50% Milk Orange & Almonds (bars) - Aug. 3, 2023

Chocolate(s) of the Day

Fjak Sjokolade
Sour Cherry Milk Chocolate (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: .935 oz. (26.5 g.) / 1.87 oz. (53 g.) in total bar
Calories: 155 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar & Cocoa, online order

Fjak Sjokolade
Mountain Trip - 50% Milk Chocolate Orange and Almonds (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: .935 oz. (26.5 g.) / 1.87 oz. (53 g.) in total bar
Calories: 96.5 calories (per label) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar & Cocoa, online order

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

Today's Organic Sour Cherry Milk Chocolate and Mountain Trip 50% Milk Chocolate with Orange and Almonds (bars) were both from small-batch chocolate maker Fjak Sjokolade (Hardangerfjord, Norway).

Sour Cherry Milk Chocolate

The Sour Cherry Milk Chocolate was a seasonal bar--part of Fjak's Nordic Collection. It was made with cacao grown in Tanzania (Kokoa Kamili in the Kilombero Valley). 

Aroma and flavor notes for this bar: sweet floral (vanilla, berry candy), fruit (subtle sweet cherry), and faint milk chocolate and caramel.

Note: There were cocoa beans/solids (or cacao %) listed in the ingredients--just cacao butter, sugar, milk, sour cherry and vanilla. This could have been an omission on the label; or sour cherry fruit provided the look of a darker (milk) chocolate.

I've tasted berry and coffee bars with a high concentration of dark berry mass (or ground coffee) that looked like milk/dark chocolates. They contained cacao butter, but no cocoa solids. A neat visual trick that requires knowledge and skill to pull off.

Those with a sweet tooth will likely enjoy this bar. I confess, I like cocoa solids, and this was a bit too sweet for me.

Ingredients: Cocoa butter*, cane sugar*, milk powder*, sour cherry*, vanilla* (*Organic)

Allergen-related information: (Contains milk)

Mountain Trip

The 50% Mountain Trip Limited Edition bar was also a Fjak milk chocolate bar (with more cocoa bean solids) as well as orange and almonds flavor inclusions.

This "100% Organic" milk chocolate was made using cacao from Hispaniola, Dominican Republic.

Aroma notes included: dark milk chocolate, subtle sweet citrus (orange) and nut.

The base milk chocolate had a delicious, creamy sweet texture interspersed with softly crunchy almond bits and small chewy candied orange pieces.

The flavors were very complementary and well balanced. This delicious chocolate fueled a version of a mountain trip -- a hike along the San Francisco Bay Trail, complete with views of the mountains that ring the edges of this large estuary on the West Coast of California. 

Ingredients: Organic cocoa beans, organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter, powder milk, organic almonds, organic candied orange peel, salt and organic orange oil (less than 1%).

Allergen-related information: (Contains milk and almonds.)

*Kokoa Kamili buys "wet" (freshly harvested) cacao (beans, still with some surrounding fresh cacao fruit pulp) from cocoa farmers. They ferment and dry the cacao (beans)--critical first steps in flavor development, and in the journey that eventually results in chocolate.

White Label Chocolate - Tanzania Kilombero 68% (bar) - Nov. 5, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

White Label Chocolate
Tanzania Kilombero 68% (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.14 oz. (32.5 g.) / 2.29 oz. (65 g.) in total bar
Calories: 171 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $10.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Mutari Chocolate, Santa Cruz, CA

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

Today's Tanzania Kilombero 68% (bar) was from White Label Chocolate, purchased at Mutari Chocolate (Santa Cruz, CA). Mutari offers single origin drinking chocolate and bars.

The chocolate in this White Label bar was made using Trinitario variety cacao beans (Amelonado x Nacional). This cacao was grown in a relatively wet, tropical region of Tanzania about 200 meters (approximately 656 feet) above sea level.

This dark bar was well executed and interesting. It had a chocolate aroma with fruit notes, a smooth melt, and initial creamy flavor that blossomed into full, bright tropical citrus + red sweet fruit with faint, fleeting five spice/herb/balanced earth notes.

The chocolate had a subtle, complex finish that began softly, then came subtle balanced bittersweet, and almost nutty notes. Following a few seconds of calm, there was a very tiny throat tickle of delayed sweet-sour astringency.

Maker's tasting notes: cream, nuts citrus rind

Notes about shelf life: This bar was recently expired, but seemed to have maintained good flavor and texture. I will try to re-taste a "freshly made" version of this bar in the near future. While most bars are better (less brittle, more flavorful, more attractive) before their expiration date, a few bars actually seem to benefit from some shelf time—mellowing a bit with age. 

Chocolate Storage Tips

For best results, store chocolate bars in a cool, dry place, at a consistent temperature (60-70 degrees F., or 16-21 degrees Celsius is ideal), to prevent the chocolate from going out of temper and from "bloom," which shows up as a white film or blotching on chocolates. A wine refrigerator (turned up to its higher temperature range) might also be a suitable place to store bars, as long as humidity is not too high.

Chocolate truffles and filled confections (some containing cream) have a much shorter shelf life than solid chocolate bars (often less than a week for optimal freshness), so it may be OK to refrigerate these for a short period if they are covered/well-wrapped to prevent against any condensation or absorption of other fridge flavors.

Copyright 2019. Unauthorized use of the text and/or images from this site, www.ChocolateBanquet.com, is a copyright violation.

Domori - Trinitario 70% Tanzania Dark Chocolate bar - Nov. 3, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Domori srl
Trinitario 70% Tanzania Dark Chocolate bar
Good +
Weight: .44 oz. (12.5 g.) / .88 oz. (25 g.) in total bar
Calories: 137 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $4.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocosphere (online order)

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

Today's Trinitario 70% Tanzania Dark Chocolate bar was from Domori srl (None, Italy), made with cacao grown in the Morogoro region of Tanzania in Africa.

This thin 4-square bar had a wild aromatic profile: earthen jars, marinated dried fruit/raisins, grapes/sweet and sour fruit fermenting in oak casks, a cute but slightly gamey lion cub,* and a slight bitter(s) note.

The melt and texture were very civilized: smooth, creamy and uniform. They were the tamest part of this bar.

The flavor was complex and interesting with some of the some earth and fermented fruit notes described in the aroma. (However, there was no touch of lion or bitterness.) And the finish was lingering, but fairly clean.

As wild as this bar sounds, I enjoyed it quite a bit. Bean to bar chocolates are becoming more uniform in flavor in recent years, thanks to fermentation training and expertise; decisions about what is "good" cacao; and farmers getting more support and a fair price for their cacao which may, in turn, enable efforts to produce better quality cacao.

This evolution has, arguably, produced better chocolate, or at least fewer bars with off flavors, which is good. But, there are also more bars with tamed down and uniform flavor profiles that are almost dull. I miss the Wild West sometimes.

*Yes, lions are a cheap way to get your attention, aren't they? Fortunately, Tanzania (while having to take strong measures to protect elephants (like the one pictured on the packaging for this bar)) has one of the healthier populations of wild lions remaining in Africa. Lion cubs are adorable and a privilege to hold when they're young (in a zoo or approved facility, not out in the wild). Like many wild animals, they can have a faint gamey or pungent aroma, especially if they've been in an enclosed area around adults. 

Note: This chocolate was recently expired (2019) when I wrote this review (2019). Generally, bars, if stored properly, have a reasonably long shelf life. However, I believe it is unfair the maker if I write a review of an expired bar without disclosing this information.

Copyright 2019. Unauthorized use of the text and/or images from this site, www.ChocolateBanquet.com, is a copyright violation.

Chapon Chocolatier - Tanzanie Kamili small bar - Oct. 30, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Chapon Chocolatier
Tanzanie Kamili (small bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: .176 oz. (5 g.) / 6.35 oz. (180 g.) in total package of 36 small bars
Calories: 27.7 calories in 1 small bar
Cost: $N/A - part of larger collection of 36 bars ($45.00 set)
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

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

Today's Tanzanie Kamili* miniature chocolate bar was part of a larger collection of small, individually-wrapped single origin bars from Chapon Chocolatier (Chelles, France).

This beautifully designed and packaged set contained 36 bars (3 each from 12 different origins).

This Tanzanie (Tanzania) bar had bright (mango, red fruit) fruit, true chocolate, and roasted aroma and flavor notes. The melt and texture were smooth. One should savor this little bar (try not eat it in one bite) to fully appreciate it.

*Kokoa Kamili means "exactly" in Swahili. The "Kamili" in the Tanzanie Kamili title of today's chocolate is Kokoa Kamili, a privately-owned fermentary and organization in the Morogoro region of Tanzania that works with hundreds of cocoa producers/farmers. 

By helping farmers and enabling improved fermentation quality and training, Kokoa Kamili has helped raise awareness about East African cacao from Tanzanie (Tanzania) with chocolate makers globally, and has led to many wonderful single origin Tanzania chocolate (bars) from different makers (and subsequently chocolatiers) as a result.

Copyright 2019. Unauthorized use of the text and/or images from this site, www.ChocolateBanquet.com, is a copyright violation.

Chokola Bean to Bar - Tanzania Kokoa Kamili 75% bar - Aug. 3, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Chokola Bean to Bar LLC
Tanzania Kokoa Kamili 75% (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.02 oz. (29 g.) / 2.04 oz. (58 g.) in total bar
Calories: 160 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chokola Bean To Bar, Taos, NM

Welcome to Day #2 of Chocolate and New Mexico Theme Week.

Today's Tanzania Kokoa Kamili* 75% bar was made by Chokola Bean to Bar LLC (Taos, NM).

This well-made bar had a bright, acidic/tart fruit, chocolate and light spice aroma. The flavor had concentrated fruit (stone fruit, dried pear, quince), cream, very faint sweet mineral, and true chocolate notes.

The chocolate maker's tasting notes read: "light acidity, green apple jam."

This is the second of two single origin bars this week from this New Mexico this craft chocolate maker. Chokola offers a variety of chocolates in their cozy shop, located steps away from the Taos Plaza (in downtown Taos). Yesterday's bar was a Chokola Belize Maya Mountain 70% bar.

*Kokoa Kamili is an organization that works closely with cacao farmers to ethically source cacao in the Kilombero Valley in the Morogoro Region of Tanzania, in Africa. The organization is known for producing cacao with fruity notes, and they can accommodate custom fermentation requests from artisan chocolate makers in the U.S. and elsewhere they work with.

Sirene Chocolate - Winter Warmer bar - Dec. 27, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Sirene Chocolate

Winter Warmer bar

Very Good 

Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar

Calories: 132 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar

Cost: $13.00 for 1 bar

Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate, Holiday Spices and Maple Theme Week.

Today's Winter Warmer bar from Sirene Chocolate (Victoria, BC, Canada) was a delicious creation of dark milk chocolate—made from cacao beans grown in "balmy Tanzanie" (Tanzania*)—

nutmeg and cloves.

The scent of this bar was full of fresh spice and herb notes, despite there being "just" nutmeg and cloves infused into very fine chocolate.

There was no star anise, black pepper, allspice or bay, yet there were whispers of these—and all kinds of heavenly cacao flavors—in this creamy, smooth, very-well executed bar with wonderful depth.

Many holiday chocolates are considered novelties and are not made with the highest-quality (or percentage) cacao. So to sample this bar was to experience much happiness and gratitude.

Sadly, this bar was seasonal and is likely no longer available.

*Tanzania is a republic in East Africa near the Indian Ocean, and the source of some great small batch single origin bars in recent years.

LetterPress Chocolate - Kokoa Kamili 70% Tanzania Dark bar - May 14, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

LetterPress Chocolate LLC
Kokoa Kamili 70% Tanzania Dark Chocolate bar
Good ++
Weight: .766 oz. (21.6 g.) / 2.3 oz. (65 g.) in total bar
Calories: 114 calories (estimate) in 1/3 bar
Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #11 of Chocolate and Africa Theme Weeks.

We're extending our "stay" in Tanzania by one more day, to cover today's 70% Tanzania Dark Chocolate bar from LetterPress Chocolate (Los Angeles, CA).

The cacao for this two-ingredient bar (cacao beans, unrefined cane sugar) came from Kokoa Kamili* in southern Tanzania. Unlike other bars made with cacao from this same organization, that were featured this past week, this 70% dark bar had less (red) fruit and a darker coffee, almost earthy, balanced flavor.

The maker's tasting notes read: "green banana, peppery mocha." It's always interesting to see what roasting and flavor profiles makers create with their batch of cacao from a given origin.

*Located near the Udzungwa Mountain National Park, in the Kilombero Valley area of the Morogoro region of southern Tanzania, Kokoa Kamili works with many cacao farmers to supply chocolate makers with the highest quality cacao possible. Like most cacao farming areas across the globe, the journey to get there is along unpaved roads. 

Cachet - 72% Dark Organic Chocolate Tanzania bar - May 13, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Cachet
72 percent Dark Organic Chocolate (Chocolat Bio)
Good ++
Weight: .875 oz. (25 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 146 calories (per label) in 1/4 bar
Cost: $3.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Stars USA, online order

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

Today's featured 72 percent Dark Chocolate Organic bar from Cachet (Belgium) was made with cacao grown in Tanzania.

"Made from fairly traded cocoa beans from Kyela, Tanzania," this bar had very satisfying, smooth cherry and fruit as well as true dark chocolate aroma and flavor.

Twenty-Four Blackbirds Chocolates - 75% Tanzania bar - May 12, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Twenty-Four Blackbirds Chocolates
75% Kokoa Kamili (Tanzania) bar
Good +++ - Very Good
Weight: .5 oz. (14.1 g.) in total small bar
Calories: 75 calories (estimate) in 1 small bar
Cost: $2.75 for 1 small bar
Purchased from: Sweet Shop, Los Altos, CA

Welcome to Day #9 of Chocolate and Africa Theme Weeks. This week we're focusing on bars made from Tanzania cacao, before we continue our journey from east to west across the continent.

Today's 75% Kokoa Kamili (Tanzania) bar was made by Twenty-Four Blackbirds Chocolates (Santa Barbara, CA).

This Tanzania bar had a similar aroma to other artisan bars featured this past week that were created with cacao from Kakao Kamili (located in southern Tanzania): dried fruit, berries, steamed Boston brown bread,* true chocolate (dark cocoa). The flavor followed this same lovely general profile, with no off notes.

Mike Orlando, company founder and chief chocolate maker at Twenty-Four Blackbirds Chocolates, began his career as a marine biologist. A scientist who liked nature and building things, he started experimenting with roasting coffee (and tinkering with machines to do so) many years ago. He ultimately become an early chocolate bean-to-bar maker in the new American chocolate maker movement (that also has been expanding worldwide).

Knowing how to create, tweak and fix your own machines in the multi-step chocolate-making process may as well be a job requirement. Precision is important for quality when making chocolate. One learns a lot when making chocolate from cacao beans that hail from different countries/sources and the adjustments needed for each one.

Makers take well deserved pride in their home-built and improvised mechanisms incorporated into their process. From what I've seen in the past 11 years, these makers are living examples of creative ingenuity at its best.

And speaking of creative, let's not forget the packaging. Today's small, narrow, rectangular bar contained the "imprint", although hard to see in the image at right) of a single feather—perhaps from one of the legendary blackbirds** of old times.

*Boston brown bread is a steamed, almost cake-like dark bread with molasses, raisins and cornmeal. 

**Four and twenty blackbirds may or may not refer to a piece ("Sing a Song of Sixpence" by Mother Goose) written long ago. While hard to describe, essentially four and twenty blackbirds were baked into a pie but started to sing when the pie was cut open. ("Mother Goose" childrens' rhymes often had an incredible and/or dark side.) "When the pie was open, the birds began to sing, wasn't that a dainty dish to set before the king..."

Fresh Coast - Tanzania 70% Dark bar - May 11, 2017

Chocolate of the Day:

Fresh Coast Chocolate Co.
Tanzania 70% Dark bar
Very Good
Weight: .96 oz. (28 g.) / 2.4 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 150 calories (estimate) in 2/5 bar
Cost: $10.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #9 of Chocolate and Africa Theme Weeks.

This week the focus is on Tanzania; and this is the third of four bars made from cacao supplied by Kokoa Kamili* in the Kilombero District of Tanzania. This location promises to be a great source of cacao if recent batches of finished, bean-to-bar chocolates from top makers are any indication.

Today's Tanzania 70% Dark bar** was handcrafted by Fresh Coast Chocolate Co. (Traverse City, MI). The chocolate had a tart, sour cherry aroma and red berry and traditional chocolate flavor notes, with faint balsamic/acidic berry notes in aroma and late-finish. The maker's tasting notes read: "Raspberry, roasted nuts, deep cocoa finish."

*Kokoa Kamili is a social enterprise similar to a traditional cooperative that is located in the Kilombero Valley in the Morogoro Region of southern Tanzania. This organization works with more than 2,500 farmers in the region and pays them over market price for their cacao. Kokoa Kamili ferments and dries cacao beans and provides guidance/training and assistance to farmers to help ensure a uniform level of quality.

**Unfortunately, as of today's date, it looks like this bar is sold out on Fresh Coast Chocolate's website.

Arete - Tanzania Kokoa Kamili 70% Dark Chocolate bar - May 10, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Arete Fine Chocolate
Tanzania Kokoa Kamili 70% Dark Chocolate bar
Very Good
Weight: 1.15 oz. (32.5 g.) / 2.3 oz. (65 g.) in total bar
Calories: 173 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: missing information

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate and Africa Theme Weeks. This week we're exploring Tanzania.

Today's Tanzania Kokoa Kamili 70% Dark Chocolate bar was carefully crafted by Arete Fine Chocolate (Milpitas, CA).

This was a very pleasing two-ingredient bar that tasted like plum and raisins—but not just any raisins. The wonderful kind that are embedded in the best Boston brown bread* one can make. It also tasted like great chocolate, i.e. had classic chocolate flavor with balanced rich flavor notes.

*Boston brown bread is a dark-colored, cake-like "bread" with molasses, corn meal and raisins that is steamed in a can. It was a childhood favorite. While there is no cocoa in the original recipe, it has a similar rich flavor and color.

The Smooth Chocolator - 70% Tanzania bar - May 9, 2017

Chocolate of the Day:

The Smooth Chocolator
70% Cacao Tanzania bar
Very Good
Weight: .706 oz. (20 g.) / 2.12 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 106 calories (estimate) in 1/3 bar
Cost: $10.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate and Africa Theme Weeks. This week we're in Tanzania.

Today's 70% Cacao Tanzania bar was crafted by The Smooth Chocolator (Australia).

The maker's tasting notes on the packaging read: sour cherry, rose, coffee. My tasting notes were similar: plum, sour cherry, chocolate with a not unpleasant, subtle bittersweet roasted coffee note in the finish.

The packaging was simple, yet elegant, and the bar's design included representations of cacao fruit (cocoa pods).

ChocolateBet: August 3, 2012

Chocolate of the Day:

Whole Foods Market
Milk Chocolate bar - Tanzania
OK + - Good
Weight: .875 oz. (25 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 139 calories (estimate)
Cost: $2.99 in total bar
Purchased from: Whole Foods, in Los Altos, CA

Today was Day #7 of Milk Chocolate Theme Week. Milk Chocolate bars are, by definition, at the lower end of the cacao percentage range -- meaning that these bars have more sugar and milk than my usual dark chocolate fare. While I had a tough time tasting the cacao beyond the wall of sweet sugar, my daughter helped with today's tasting, and she picked up some "spicy" notes. The texture was smooth.


A portion of the proceeds from sales of this Organic, single origin 32% cacao (Tanzania) Milk Chocolate bar -- from Whole Foods Market (Austin, TX) -- will, according to the label, go to schoolchildren as part of a Tanzania Schoolhouse Project.