Yves Thuries - Dark Chocolate Peppermint Oil and Flowers bar - April 1, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

Yves Thuries
Dark Chocolate with Peppermint Essential Oil and Flowers bar
Good - Good +
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 150 calories in 5 pieces of bar
Cost: $2.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's Dark Chocolate with Peppermint Essential Oil and Flowers bar from Yves Thuries (France) was made in France with cacao from the company's plantation in Ecuador.

Yves Thuries is award-winning French Chef that who made his name in cookies and pastry. This namesake chocolate bar was manufactured by Excellent SAS Marssac Sur Tarn, France, and distributed by Salpa Inc. (Greenwich, CT).

This 70% cocoa dark bar consisted of smooth dark chocolate and creamy peppermint ganache (filling); and the pretty, sparkly green, mint chips were sweet and slightly crunchy and flavored with both peppermint oil and flowers as well as other ingredients.*

*The ingredients list: Chocolate liquor, sugar, cocoa butter, mint chip (sugar, mint flower, acacia gum, sodium copper chlorophyllin color, artificial flavor), whole milk powder, water, sorbitol, butterfat, dextrose, glycerol, soy lecithin, natural flavors mint and vanilla"

Yves Thuries - Milk Chocolate with Banana Topping, Filling - Jan. 28, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

Yves Thuries

Milk Chocolate with Banana Topping and Filling

Good

Weight: 1.2 oz. (34 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar

Calories: 180 calories in 2/5 bar

Cost: $2.99 for 1 package

Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's Yves Thuries Milk Chocolate with Banana Topping and Filling made in France and distributed by SALPA Inc. (Greenwich, CT).

Yves Thuries chocolates are made with cacao grown on the company's plantation in Ecuador. 

Sweet, smooth milk chocolate enveloped a sweetened banana puree filling; and the bar was topped with a tiny riot of banana pieces. This bar was more higher-end confection than chocolate bar, but will appeal to those who enjoy fruit and milk chocolate.

Banana can be a tricky flavor to reproduce; the company did a reasonably good job of delivering subtle, authentic banana flavor (via a blend of freeze dried banana, banana puree, banana flavor) with a hint of sweet vanilla. 

Yves Thuries - Milk Chocolate with Mango bar - Jan. 27, 2018

Chocolate of the Day:

Yves Thuries

Milk Chocolate with Mango Filling and Topping bar

Good 

Weight: 1.2 oz. (34 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar

Calories: 180 calories in 2/5 bar

Cost: $2.99 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

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

In the middle of January, lighter, tropical fruits taste refreshing and evoke memories of warmer places. 

Today's Yves Thuries Milk Chocolate with Mango Filling and Topping bar, made in France and distributed by SALPA Inc. (Greenwich, CT) offered an opportunity to imagine a tropical vacation, or a trip to Paris in the spring.

The sweetened mango pieces and filling gave the bar a mango fruit aroma and flavor with a slight floral note. While the milk chocolate gave this bar a sweet, confection feel, the more delicate fruit and floral notes would have been overpowered in a darker chocolate base.

We're fortunate in California. Spring is just a few months away, and green shoots start poking up in mid-winter; but in the San Francisco area we have to import mangoes (and cacao) from farms closer to the Equator.

The milk chocolate for this Yves Thuries bar, and other bars the company produces, was made from cacao grown on their own plantation in Ecuador. 

Yves Thuries - Milk Chocolate and Hazelnuts and Raspberries bar - Dec. 18, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Yves Thuries 

Milk Chocolate and Hazelnuts and Raspberries bar

Good

Weight: 1.4 oz. (40 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar

Calories: 270 calories in 2/5 bar

Cost: $1.99 (estimate) for 1 bar

Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's Milk Chocolate and Hazelnuts and Raspberries bar from Yves Thuries was made in France, and distributed by SALPA Inc. (Greenwich, CT).

This 34% cocoa milk chocolate bar was sprinkled with an attractive array of sweet raspberry and caramelized hazelnut small pieces or "splits." The raspberry splits contained "raspberry puree, sucrose, apple, pineapple fibers, natural flavors, citric acid, sodium sugar, glucose syrup (and) honey."


This chocolate, fruit and nut confection was a bit too sweet for me (sugar was the number one ingredient.) I'd like to taste a dark chocolate version though.

*Today's Milk Chocolate and Hazelnuts and Raspberries bar from Yves Thuries was similar to another fruit and nuts bar from the same French maker, only it also included blueberries and almonds.

Yves Thuries - 70% Dark Chocolate with Almonds and Oranges bar - Dec. 15, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Yves Thuries

70% Dark Chocolate with Almonds and Oranges

Good

Weight: 1.16 oz. (33 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar

Calories: 180 calories in  4 squares, or 1/3 bar

Cost: $1.99 (estimate) for 1 bar

Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA 

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate, Fruit and Nuts Theme Week. 

Today's 70% Dark Chocolate with Almonds and Oranges was produced by Yves Thuries (Product of France, and distributed by SALPA Inc., Greenwich, CT).

This bar follows hot on the heels of yesterday's dark chocolate, blood orange pairing with slice almonds.

The cacao used for most Yves Thuries bars, including this one, is grown on their San Fernando plantation in the Guayaquil region of southern Ecuador.

Cacao originated in Central and South America. Oranges are from Asia, and almonds got their start in the Middle East, India and North Africa. Despite their different origins, they blend very naturally together. This happy fusion may have first surfaced in southern Europe or the Mediterranean, before spreading across the globe.

This bar was a nice mix of 70% dark chocolate, and natural tasting bits of caramelized almonds and orange bits (orange pulp, sucrose, apple, pineapple and orange natural flavor).

Yves Thuries - 70% Dark Chocolate with Caramel & Sea Salt - Sept. 13, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Yves Thuries
70% Dark Chocolate with Caramel and Salt Flower
Good - Good+
Weight: 1.46 oz. (41.6 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 225 calories in 5 pieces
Cost: $1.99 (estimate) for 1 package
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to the last day (Day #8) of Chocolate and Caramel Theme Week.

Today's Yves Thuries 70% Dark Chocolate with Caramel and Salt Flower was distributed by SALPA Inc. (France).

This chocolate was uniquely configured as a set of small rectangular pieces in a larger bar-shaped package. So, it felt like I was enjoying a series of tiny bars. Also great for sharing with others.

Traditionally the company's chocolate has been made with cacao from a farm in Ecuador, and with inclusions sprinkled on one side. The caramel and salt pieces on today's chocolate provided visual interest and balanced sweet and savory flavor.