Maya - 65% Dark Chocolate with Raspberry (bar) & Castronovo - White Chocolate Lemon Sea Salt (bar) - Feb. 14, 2024

Chocolate(s) of the Day 

Maya Chocolates
Raspberry - 65% Dark Chocolate with Raspberry (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 1.1 oz. (31.2 g.) / 2.2 oz. (62.4 g.) in total bar
Calories: 171 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $4.79 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Country Sun Natural Foods, Palo Alto, CA

Castronovo Chocolate
White Chocolate Lemon and Lemon Salt (bar)
Good +++
Weight: 1.1 oz. (31 g.) / 2.2 oz. (62 g.) in total bar
Calories: 95 calories in 1/4 bar
Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Castronovo Chocolate, online order

Happy Valentines Day and welcome to Day #1 of Chocolate and Salt Theme Week. 

Today's two chocolate bars sampled together were the perfect blend for hearts and chocolate day -- a yin and yang blend of dark chocolate and red fruit + white chocolate yellow citrus and sea salt sunshine. 

Maya Chocolates - Raspberry 65% Dark (bar)

Aroma notes included: citrus (sweet, tart lime), red raspberry and dark chocolate.

Texture: smooth dark chocolate and bits of berry pulp and crunchy raspberry seeds.

Flavor notes included: chocolate-y (rich fudge brownie) and authentic red raspberry.

Ingredients: "Unsweetened Chocolate, Cane Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Soy Lecithin, Freeze Dried Raspberries"

Allergen-related information: "May contain traces of milk (and) other tree nuts."

Castronovo - White Chocolate Lemon, Lemon Salt (bar) 

Aroma notes included: authentic, refreshing whole lemon (rind and fruit) and sweetness.

Smooth, creamy white chocolate (with fully incorporated/infused lemon and just the right touch of lemon sea salt) made for a very well-balanced, flavorful and enjoyable white chocolate. 

Castronovo chocolate maker, Denise Castronovo, cited memories of "Nanny's lemon meringue pie", light lemon desserts and Italian cookies (with lemon zest and icing) as her inspirations for this lovely bar.

Note: While I don't "count" white chocolate as a daily chocolate, I do feature ones I really like (that aren't too sweet), paired with a dark or milk chocolate on the same day.

Ingredients: "cocoa butter*, cane sugar*, whole milk*, lemon, lemon sea salt (*organic ingredients)"

Allergen-related information: "Contains milk. Made in a nut-free facility that uses wheat."

The Xocolate Bar - The Make Out Bar - Feb. 14, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

The Xocolate Bar 

The Make Out Bar

Good+++

Weight: 1.1 oz. (31 g.) / 2.2 oz. (62 g.) in total bar

Calories: 165 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar

Cost: $6.50 for 1 bar

Purchased from: SweetE Organic, Mill Valley, CA

Happy Day #5 of Chocolate and Chili Theme Week, and a very Happy Valentines Day to all!

Valentines Day marks a big hearts and flowers (and chocolate) holiday in the U.S. May you enjoy this day and all that it brings. Every day is a great day to share chocolate with the loved ones in your life, but that's especially true on this day.

Today's featured chocolate was "The Make Out Bar," a 70% Cacao spicy, dark bar from The Xocolate Bar (Berkeley, CA). However, I found this bar in another Bay Area shop packed with goodness: SweetE Organic (Mill Valley, CA).

Although The Make Out Bar did have a hint of chili in it, most of the heat came from a mix of what the maker called "aphrodesiac spices" rather than hot pepper.*

The spice mix included: vanilla, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, maca and chile.

This Xocolate bar had an uplifting spice aroma and flavor—similar to that from a hot chai tea on a cold, rainy day, a smooth, spicy warmth.

Made with organic cacao, this bar was a great choice for Valentines Day.

*If you like spicy chocolate, The Xocolate Bar also makes a Cinnamon Chile chocolate bar and several confections with cardamom and other spices. 

Palmer - "Bee Mine" - Milk Chocolate bee - Mar. 29, 2016

Chocolate of the Day: 

R.M. Palmer Company
"Bee Mine" Milk Chocolate
OK+
Weight: 1.16 oz. (33 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total package
Calories: 170 calories for 1/3 package
Cost: $2.99 for 1 package
Purchased from: Walgreens, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to the last day of a short, 4-day Spring Celebration Series, featuring different chocolate critters.

Today's "Bee Mine" hollow milk chocolate item was distributed by R.M. Palmer Company (Reading, PA). Originally created for Valentines Day, this holiday novelty item had been squirreled away in my chocolate vault just for such an occasion.

Loved the concept of having little honey-flavored bees inside a bigger chocolate bee. Very clever design. OK chocolate.

I hope that the abundance of rain, green grass and wildflowers we're receiving in California this year will be good for our (real, non-chocolate) honeybees, which seem to be having a rough go of it.

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

ChocolateBet: February 15, 2008

Chocolate of the Day

1 serving
Russell Stover
Dark Chocolate Marshmallow Heart
Very Good
Weight: 1 oz. (28 grams)
Calories: 110 calories for 1 heart/piece
Cost: $0.59
Purchased from: Walgreens, Palo Alto, CA

It's a heart-shaped candy week, due to Valentines Day (yesterday).