Gnosis Chocolate - Date-Sweetened Earl Grey: Botanical Alchemy (bar) - May 25, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Gnosis Chocolate
Date-Sweetened Earl Grey: Botanical Alchemy (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.1 oz. (30 g.) in total bar
Calories: 170 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $5.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Gnosis Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #15 of Chocolate and Dates Theme Week(s).

Today's Date-Sweetened Earl Grey: Botanical Alchemy (bar)was created by Gnosis Chocolate (Astoria, NYC, NY).

Aroma notes for this bar included: smooth and flavorful dark chocolate with faint citrus/oxalis and barely there fruit-floral notes. 

Texture:  smooth, appealing texture with a very faint astringency/graininess in the finish.

Flavor notes included: dark chocolate (brownie) with balanced earth (cream/yogurt, loamy soil (mushroom, root and green vegetables). I enjoyed the Earl Grey (black) tea that showed up in the finish.

I also appreciated that this chocolate was mindfully made with a short list of (almost all) organic ingredients--and without soy (or other) lecithins.

Ingredients: 70% raw cacao beans*, ground dates*, coconut*, Earl Grey black tea, Blue Majik (TM) spirulina**, Love (*  = organic; ** = wild-crafted)

Allergen-related information: (Contains coconut)

 

Gnosis Chocolate - A Special Date (bar) - May 24, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Gnosis Chocolate
A Special Date (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 1.1 oz. (30 g.) in total bar
Calories: 170 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $5.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Gnosis Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #14 of Chocolate and Dates Theme Week(s).

Today's "A Special Date" bar was created by Gnosis Chocolate  (Astoria, NYC, NY).

Aroma notes for this bar included: rich dark chocolate and faint dried fruit (date).

Texture: Smooth, creamy dark chocolate. (The whole bar was smooth; there was no date texture or any faint date sugar crystal graininess.)

Flavor notes included: tasty dark chocolate (dark chocolate torte) with subtly complex fruit (date).

Today's bar was one of my favorite date + chocolate blends this week. My two favorites were crafted with the fewest ingredients: just dark chocolate and dates. It's led me to believe that perhaps this is one of those combinations that works fairly well and doesn't necessarily benefit from additional company. 

I enjoyed the sweet, satisfying flavor of this chocolate. And the fact that it was made (with love) and just two, organic ingredients. Thank you to chocolate girl--aka gnosis chocolate maker Vanessa Barg.

Ingredients: 70% raw cacao beans*, ground dates*, Love (* = organic)

Allergen-related information: "Carefully handcrafted in a kitchen that also uses tree nuts and coconut."

Gnosis Chocolate - Everything Will Be Ok! raw, vegan botanical truffle bar - Dec. 28, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Gnosis Chocolate 
Everything Will Be Ok! raw vegan infused botanical truffle bar
Good ++
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42 g.) /3 oz. (84 g.) in total bar
Calories: 232.5 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $17.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Gnosis Chocolate, online order 

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate Truffle Bars Week.

Today's "Everything Will Be Ok!" raw vegan infused botanical truffle bar was created by Vanessa Berg (aka Chocolate Girl) at Gnosis Chocolate (NYC, NY). Vanessa is a passionate certified health practitioner.

Aroma notes included: smooth dark chocolate; very faint, diffuse fruits and light herbs; very faint coconut; and, oddly, a breath of fresh air in a pine forest. 

Texture: a solid, raw* dark chocolate shell gave way to a soft, fudge-y, truffle-style filling.

Flavor notes included: very smooth dark chocolate, faint, fleeting dried fruit (fig, date), sweet herb, nut (walnut), and diffuse, very subtle fresh fruit (red apple, berry), sweet root, and light earth. The flavors were smooth, well-balanced and harmonized with a slightly undulating complexity.

I really enjoyed the gentle, yet rich and transporting, flavors in this truffle-style filled bar.

Ingredients: "raw cacao beans, raw blue agave nectar, virgin coconut oil, coconut sugar, Lung Blend (elecampane, grindelia, horehound, lobelia, mullein, osha, pine bark, pleurisy, yerba santa), Immunity Blend (burdock, cat's claw, echinacea purpea (sic), echinacea angustifolia, elderberry, ginger, pau d'arco, shilajit), Medicinal Mushroom Blend (chaga, cordyceps, reishi), Adaptogenic Herbs (ashwagandha, rhodiola, schizandra) Calming Herbs (passionflower, tulsi, valerian), Vitamin C Blend (camu camu berry, rose hips), chlorella, spirulina, Love."

Allergen-related information: (None listed on packaging.) "Free of Dairy, Soy, Gluten, GMO, Refined Sugar"

*The cacao used to make this chocolate was not heated above 118 degrees (F) to "maintain integrity of flavor and nutrition." Well-executed raw chocolate tends to be a little smoother than cacao processed at higher temperatures. I've found high-quality raw chocolates to be less bitter, with fewer "roasted" notes. (Think: very light roast coffee vs. intense espresso roast.)

Butlers Chocolates - Drumshanbo with Sardinian Citrus Gunpowder Irish Gin flavoured Truffles - Sept. 21, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Butlers Chocolates
Drumshanbo with Sardinian Citrus
Gunpowder Irish Gin flavoured Chocolate Truffles
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.76 oz. (50 g.) / 3.52 oz. (100 g.) in total box of 8 pieces
Calories: 249 calories in 4 pieces (498 kcals in 100 g.)
Cost: 9.00 Euros or $9.00 (estimated USD) for 1 box
Purchased from: The Loop Dublin Airport (shop), Collinstown (Dublin), Ireland

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate and Ireland Series.

Today's Dumshanbo with Sardinian Citrus Gunpowder Irish Gin flavoured Chocolate Truffles was from Butlers Chocolates UC (Dublin, Ireland). 

Butlers was founded in 1932 by Marion Bailey-Butler. It subsequently was acquired; and in the 1980s the company name became Butlers Irish Chocolates.

. It subsequently was acquired; and in the 1980s the company name became Butlers Irish Chocolates.

The Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin with Sardinian Citrus used to animate these chocolates was "slow distilled at The Shed Distillery--located in the village of Drumshanbo, County Leitrim. Founded in 2014 by PJ Rigney, this producer of gin (including Gunpowder Irish Gin), whiskey and vodka was the first distillery in this area in over 100 years. 

Aroma notes for these filled confections included: sweet milk chocolate and faint citrus (lemon, various other citrus) and spirits (gin, botanicals).

The thick, Butlers Chocolates 32% milk chocolate* outer shell was thick, creamy and sweet. But, things got a lot more flavorful inside, after the first bite.

Botanical inclusions in the gin (that flavored the centers) included the traditional juniper, angelica root, orris root, caraway seed, coriander seed, meadowsweet, cardamom and star anise. But the flavor notes were even more multi-layered and complex, and included citrus (lemon, lemon peel, sweet grapefruit), botanicals (herbal, floral (meadowsweet), gunpowder tea, and balanced juniper in the finish)...and very faint cedar.

The citrus, tea and herbal notes really helped to counter the inherent sweetness of these milk chocolates. 

Ingredients: Sugar, whole milk powder, cocoa butter, cocoa mass, Drumshanbo Irish Gin with Sardinian Citrus(R) (6.9%), sweetened condensed milk (milk, sugar), invert sugar syrup, glucose syrup, lemon compound (lemon 47%), sugar, nature flavouring, acidity regulator: sodium citrate, anti-oxidant: ascorbic acid), emulsifier: soya lecithin, glycerol, citric acid, natural flavouring. (Milk chocolate contains: 32% cocoa solids minimum, 20% milk solids minimum. White chocolate contains: 26% cocoa solids minimum, 20% milk solids minimum). Alcohol by volume: 3.15%

Allergen-related information: Contains milk, soy. "This product may contain nut traces."

*The cacao origin listed: "West Africa."

Siddha Chocolate - Lucky Lovers 69% Cacao + Cacao Nibs & Pink Salt (bar) - May 16, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Siddha Chocolate
Lucky Lovers 69% Cacao, Cacao Nibs, Pink Salt (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: .8 oz. (22.5 g.) / 1.6 oz. (45 g.) in total bar
Calories: 105 calories in 1/2 bar/package
Cost: $ Missing information
Purchased from: Safeway, Mountain View, CA

Welcome to Day #2 of Chocolate and Flowers Theme Week.

Today's Lucky Lovers 69% Cacao, Cacao Nibs and Pink Salt (bar) was from Siddha Chocolate (manufactured by Siddha Remedies, Oxnard, CA).

The company invites consumers to "elevate your nature" by enjoying this dark chocolate that contains a blend of 11 "aphrodisiac" herbs and 7 flower essences. (See ingredients list below.)

Aroma notes for this chocolate included: pleasant dark chocolate, and light, almost ethereal herbal and floral notes.

Texture: smooth, dark chocolate was punctuated with crunchy cocoa nibs and sparkles of sea salt.

Flavor notes included: roasted, light cocoa, smooth dark chocolate, a diffuse bouquet of light florals and botanicals, marshmallow, and faint floral spice (vanilla). 

There was a relative (yes, elevated) lightness, smoothness, and natural sweetness to this chocolate. The cocoa nibs provided a complementary, authentic, relatively grounded, bold dark chocolate flavor and crunchy texture. And the pink salt (more present in some bites than others) rounded out this offering nicely.

Overall, this Lucky Lovers chocolate was very well-balanced. The "dark" (chocolate, cocoa nibs) was well integrated with "light" (florals, botanicals). The small quantities of bark, roots, seeds, fungi, and other elements were hard to detect.

The sweetness (coconut sugar, erythritol, yacon) level in this "Keto friendly" bar was enough to be pleasant without being overly sweet. (Happily my teeth felt smooth and un-coated by sugar afterwards.) 

Ingredients: Cocoa Mass*, Cacao Butter*, Coconut Sugar*, Cacao Nibs*, VitaFiberTM* (IMO; Prebiotic Fiber), Erythritol*, Yacon*, Sunflower Lecithin*, KSM-66 Ashwagandha Root, Pink Salt, Catuaba Bark, Vanilla* Cordyceps Mycelia Extract, Horny Goat Weed Aerial Parts, Lemon Peel*, Maca Root, Mucuna Puriens Seed, Muira Puama Root, Shatavari Root, Shilajit Mineral Pitch, Fo-Ti Root, Eurycoma Longifolia Jack Root, Christmas Cactus Flower Essence, Coconut Flower Essence, Desert Rose Flower Essence, Hibiscus Flower Essence, Manzanita Flower Essence, Pegasus Orchid Cactus Flower Essence, Scarlet Pimpernel Flower Essence (* Organic)

Allergen-related information: Contained coconut (sugar); 96% Organic ingredients. (No other allergen-related information found on packaging.)

Naive - Black Sauna Smoked Chocolate (bar) - Nov. 1, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Chocolate Naive
Black Sauna Smoked Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: .66 oz. (19 g.) / 2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar
Calories: 113.6 calories in 1/3 bar
Cost: $15.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's Black Sauna Smoked Chocolate (bar) was created by Domantas Uzpalis at Chocolate Naive and produced by Mulate UAB (Vilnius, Lithuania).

Umami foods have been described as smokey, meaty and/or earthy. They tend to be savory, and may (or may not) contain salt. Today's unique 70% dark chocolate bar explores smoked cacao blended with a few specific botanicals (fir, charcoal, wormwood), associated with black sauna traditions in northern and northeastern Europe.

I braced myself for some smoke-monster aroma; but this was not the case. Aroma notes for this bar included: subtle pine, light sweet mint/menthol, and subtle, buttery and smooth dark chocolate.

The texture was smooth with nice melt and very slight granularity.

Flavor notes included: slight aromatic smoke note, mild diffuse fruit (red berry), and sweet green herbs and botanicals (including faint sweet pine). This bar did contain a small amount of sea salt, but I couldn't detect it. The very subtle smoke note was much closer to sweet herb than American savory BBQ or smoked salmon smoke. (Tomorrow I will feature Chocolate Naive's BBQ Spice dark chocolate bar.)

I paired this chocolate was a cup of hot dried sage tea (a pairing suggestion by the maker) + green tea. (Green tea is also considered umami.)

Maker's description: "Flavor notes: initial punch of strong and smoky flavor followed by sweet and aromatic pine notes. Biting bitterness of the wormwood at the finish." "Pairing suggestions: "We recommend to pair this bar with herbal tisanes (also known as herbal tea infusions). Try pairing with fermented fireweed tea or something more traditional, like sage, mint or chamomile tea."

Ingredients: Wild smoked cacao, wild cane sugar, wild pure cacao butter, wild Siberian fir (2%), wild activated birch charcoal, wild wormwood (1%), wild sea salt.

Allergen-related information: "May contain traces of milk, wheat, treenuts or peanuts."

Kuli Kuli - Mint Chip Super Bark Dark Chocolate Superfood Snack - Oct. 21, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Kuli Kuli
Mint Chip Super Bark Dark Chocolate Superfood Snack
Good +
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 4.2 oz. (119 g.) in total package
Calories: 170 calories in 1 serving
Cost: $4.99 for 1 package
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's Mint Chip Super Bark Dark Chocolate Superfood Snack was distributed by Kuli Kuli, Inc. (Oakland, CA).

Aroma notes for these two-bite sized, roughly rectangular, dark chocolate pieces included relatively aromatic mint, chocolate and other faint botanical and light seed notes.

Dark chocolate was interspersed with tiny bits of coconut, chia seeds (as well as puffed quinoa and breadfruit flour), yielding very faint green/botanical (moringa powder*), very slightly malty dark chocolate and mint flavors, with a hint of sea salt. Not too sweet (thank you).

Ingredients: Chocolate liquor, Kuli Kuli Proprietary Blend (organic cacao nibs, organic moringa powder, organic moringa coated coconut [flaked coconut, organic moringa powder], organic black chia seeds, puffed quinoa, breadfruit flour), erythritol, inulin (extract of chicory root), cocoa butter, sea salt, soy lecithin, vanilla, Reb A (extract of stevia), peppermint oil 

Allergen-related information: Contains soy, coconut. "Processed in a facility that also processes dairy, eggs, peanuts, wheat and tree nuts."

*Kuli Kuli offers several moringa-containing products. Moringa oleifera is a nutrient-dense green plant native to southern Asia (India, Pakistan) and Africa. The plant is also known as the drumstick tree and/or the miracle tree.

Standout Chocolate - Nordic Nature Spruce Shoots 66% (bar) - Oct. 19, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Standout Chocolate

Nordic Nature Spruce Shoots 66% (bar)

Good ++

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

Calories: 144.5 calories in 1/2 bar

Cost: $11.50 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's Organic and vegan Nordic Nature Spruce Shoots 66% (bar) was handcrafted by chocolate maker Fredrik Martinsson and team at Standout Chocolate (Kallered, Sweden).

Aroma and flavor notes included tart sweet green and citrus as well as very faint evergreen forest notes.

The cacao used to make this bar was grown in the Dominican Republic and it provided dark rich flavor (Forastero-Trinitario hybrid cacao variety perhaps?) with one faint, fleeting flicker of earth. The sugar, chocolate and spruce together created a nicely-balanced red berry-citrus like sweetness.

I highly recommend this unique and tasty spruce tip flavored bar for chocolate lovers who also enjoy botanicals and edible plants. No surprise--coming from an area where evergreens are enjoyed and appreciated--the spruce flavor in this chocolate was particularly wonderful.*

Ingredients: Organic cacao beans, organic cane sugar, organic cacao butter, organic spruce shoots.

Allergen-related information: May contain milk.

*Native Americans also used edible Spruce tips (as well as spruce "gum" (resin) and occasionally inner bark) for medicinal purposes. And European explorers learned to stave off scurvy with these Vitamin C rich botanicals. Occasionally I am able to find Douglas Fir and/or spruce tree tip teas; but they're a rare commercial find in the U.S.

Siddha Chocolate - Cool Calm 65% Cacao + Coconut Crunch - Oct. 18, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Siddha Chocolate

Cool Calm 65% Cacao + Coconut Crunch

Good + - Good ++

Weight: 1.6 oz. (45 g.) in total package

Calories: 240 calories in 1 package

Cost: $4.00 (sale) for 1 package

Purchased from: Safeway, Mountain View, CA

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

Today's Siddha Chocolate Cool Calm 65% Cacao + Coconut Crunch (bar) was from Siddha Remedies (Oxnard, CA). The company offers a range of flower essences, botanically-linked products and a line of chocolates.

Aroma notes for this organic, vegan and keto-friendly bar included: hushed, sweet cocoa and very faint floral and sweet green, and even fainter coconut.

The sweetness (organic coconut sugar) in this 65% cacao chocolate was pleasant and not too sweet. It was balanced by smooth cocoa, and very faint sweet herb and floral notes.

The Siddha Remedies tagline read: "elevate your nature." The use of tailored remedies in this chocolate to achieve this goal included: "10 calming herbs (and) 3 flower essences" along with 7 g. of fiber and 2 g. of coconut sugar. (For details, see Ingredient listed below.)

Ingredients: Organic cocoa mass, organic cacao butter, organic coconut sugar, organic dried coconut, organic VitaFiber(tm) (IMO; prebiotic fiber), organic erythritol, organic yacon, organic sunflower lecithin, passion flower, zizyphus seed, albizia bark, L-theanine, lemon balm leaf, shilajit, organic vanilla, organic lemon peel, chamomile flower, pink salt, hops flower, valerian root, kava root, bloodroot flower essence, buttercup flower essence, coffee flower essence

Allergen-related information: (No specific allergy information listed. "...Low sugar, high fiber, stevia free, vegan, 96% organic ingredients")

Jasper + Myrtle - Macadamia and Lemon Myrtle Milk Chocolate (bar) - Jan. 1, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Jasper + Myrtle
Macadamia and Lemon Myrtle Milk Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.2 oz. (35 g.) / 2.5 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: "441 kj" in 1/2 bar (per label)
Cost: $9.75 + summer shipping for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

G'day. Happy New Year. And welcome to Day #1 of Chocolate and Lemon/Citrus Theme Week. 

Today's Macadamia and Lemon Myrtle Milk Chocolate (bar) was created by Jasper + Myrtle (Fyshwick, Canberra, Australia). 

The two co-owners (Li Peng and Peter) of this family business source their cacao beans from Bougainville, Papua New Guinea (PNG). Bars with added flavors (inclusions like today's) feature items that are grown/found in Australia.

The aroma notes for this bar included: lemon herb (a combination of lemon, lemongrass and lemon-lime), and sweet, nutty milk chocolate.

Flavor notes in this smooth, dark, milk chocolate included, most notably, the lemon myrtle, which was similar to lemon-forward herbs/plants* such as lemon balm (a member of the mint family), and lemongrass. This mild, aromatic lemon flavor was pleasantly present, but without being too overwhelming. 

The macadamia was very subtle, and well integrated, adding a mild, nutty quality to the milk chocolate. (Two tiny nut pieces confirmed the presence of these nuts. I'm assuming the nuts were finely ground, possibly into a nut butter, or were mechanically incorporated into warm, pre-tempered chocolate--further reducing particle size and melding the two flavors.)

While all these very complementary flavors were well balanced and blended, it was difficult to pick out the nuances of the PNG cacao. (Happily, Jasper + Myrtle also offer PNG single origin chocolates/bars without flavor inclusions. I look forward to trying those too in the future.)

Maker's tasting notes: "An indulgent combination of classic Australian flavours; subtle, silky and fragrant"

Ingredients: "Cocoa beans, cocoa butter, milk powder, lemon myrtle leaves, macadamia, sugar"

Allergen-related information: "May contain traces of sesame. Allergen advice: contains milk and macadamia nuts."

*Lemon Myrtle (Backhousia citriodora) is a shrub/tree found in coastal, subtropical rainforests in Australia (Queensland, NSW). Indigenous people first used lemon myrtle as a food and a medicinal plant. The leaves have lemon, lemongrass, lemon-lime notes, and are used to flavor savory dishes as well as sweet desserts.

What made the lemon myrtle seem immediately familiar was: Citral, a naturally-occurring compound in lemon myrtle, lemongrass, lemon balm, as well as lemon and orange peels. Citral gives these plants a similar lemony-citrus (almost floral) green herb flavor.

Flying Bird Botanicals - Cacao Vanilla Rose Drinking Chocolate - Sept. 22, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Flying Bird Botanicals
Cacao - Vanilla Rose Drinking Chocolate
Good +
Weight: 1 TB (7 g.) / 3.5 oz. (99.05 g.) in total container
Calories: 30 calories in 1 serving (of dry mix)
Cost: $9.95 for 1 container (steel cylindrical tin)
Purchased from: Land's End gift shop, San Francisco, CA

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate Breakfast Theme Week. And happy first day of Fall.

Today's Cacao - Vanilla Rose Drinking Chocolate was made by Flying Bird Botanicals (Bellingham, WA). The company offers a line of teas and cacao drinking chocolate blends. 

The aroma of this drinking chocolate yielded a bouquet of floral magic. The authentic "rose-y" notes evoked memories of flowers, chocolate, friends and sharing food together. The uplifting aroma of cacao, rose and vanilla flavors was a great way to start the morning.

The cacao powder was finely ground and dissolved easily and completely with relatively minimal stirring in hot water. The authentic cacao/chocolate flavor was pleasant and not too sharp or bitter. (There was a faint trace of plant astringency (back of the throat tickle), but I am guessing that was from the rose powder.)

I mixed this powdered cacao blend with hot water and coconut milk. Almond milk might be a good/better dairy alternative choice with this vanilla rose blend. (Almonds are a distant relative of roses, so there might even be some natural affinity between the two.) Coconut partners nicely with vanilla, but can eclipse other, milder floral notes.

The flavor and sweetness levels were well balanced in this blend. And, even though organic raw cane sugar was the first of five ingredients, this drinking chocolate was not too sweet. (Add less water for a more concentrated sweetness and flavor and thicker texture.) The ground vanilla bean added faint, natural warmth.

If you love floral flavors and botanical flavor inclusions, give this high-quality cacao blend a try.

Ingredients: Organic raw cane (sugar) crystals, organic raw cacao powder, organic rose powder, organic vanilla bean, organic rose essential oil.

Allergen-related information: (None listed on container that I could see.)

The Oakland Chocolate Company - Sorrel Ginger Tea Truffle, Orange Truffle - June 4, 2020

Chocolate of the Day:

The Oakland Chocolate Company
Sorrel Ginger Tea Truffle
Good +++
Weight: .4 oz. (11.3 g.) (estimate) for 1 piece/truffle
Calories: 60 calories (estimate) in 1 piece
Cost: $2.50 for 1 piece
Purchased from: The Oakland Chocolate Company (online order)

Orange Truffle (Vegan)
Good +++
Weight: .4 oz. (11.3 g.) (estimate) for 1 piece/truffle
Calories: 60 calories (estimate) in 1 piece
Cost: $2.50 for 1 piece
Purchased from: The Oakland Chocolate Company (online order)

Welcome to the first day of Chocolate, Ginger and Citrus Theme Week.

Today's Sorrel Ginger Tea Truffle and Orange Truffle were made from bean-to-bonbon (with Jamaican cacao) by Nancy Nadel at The Oakland Chocolate Company, LLC (Oakland, CA).

The Sorrel* Ginger Tea Truffle was covered in smooth dark chocolate and filled with a light, soft, creamy and mild filling (with no chocolate solids). I enjoyed the layers of great, natural flavor. A small piece of candied ginger gave this chocolate some pizazz. Unless you were told what mild leafy vegetable might have been infused into this mix, you'd probably never guess. The sorrel added a very subtle, almost sweet, very light lemon-green/lettuce flavor.

The second chocolate, an Orange Truffle, had a very creamy, satisfying melt and texture. It was also vegan; so the smooth tasting dark chocolate ganache (filling) was not made with traditional cream. It may leave you wondering how was this texture achieved without cream? This dark confection had a natural chocolate and orange aroma and smooth chocolate flavor. A small shred of candied orange peel on top added orange accent flavor. And, this chocolate was not too sweet (thank you!). 

These are my kind of truffles. Hats off to chocolate maker Nancy Nadel for her chocolate making skills and novel, balanced flavor inclusions in her bars and bonbons year after year. (Sorry I missed the Loquat Ginger Jam truffle when I was ordering these truffles online. That would have fit nicely in this week's ginger and citrus line up as well. I am a huge loquat fan.) One can see how living in California, having neighbors with fruit trees and selling chocolates at a Farmer's Market or two over the years can light up a number of fruit and botanical possibilities. But, not every maker would take the next step and actually pursue so many successful flavor blends.

*Sorrel is a leafy vegetable often eaten in salads and used as a cooking herb. Its taste has been likened to green spinach with a hint of lemony, kiwi or wild strawberry tang. The plant's light, sour grass-like tartness is largely from oxalic acid.

Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew - Orange and Geranium Milk Chocolate bar - Aug. 20, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew 

Orange and Geranium Milk Chocolate bar

Good+++

Weight: .795 oz. (22.5 g.) / 1.59 oz. (45 g.) in total bar

Calories: 126.9 calories in 1/2 bar

Cost: $N/A - gift (thank you Elisa!) (1.75 pounds)

Purchased from: Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew - Richmond, UK

Welcome to the first day of Chocolate Surprise Theme Week.

Some chocolates on this site come from friends who have recently traveled abroad. Today's Orange and Geranium Milk Chocolate bar made for the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (UK) was such a gift. Thank you Elisa for bringing back this lovely botanically-themed bar.

I love floral aromas and flavor notes, so this bar tasted like a bit of heaven to me. The underlying milk chocolate was smooth, creamy and sweet—but not so much so that the sweetness obscured the wonderful geranium and orange notes. 

Map Chocolate Co. - The Secret Garden - dried plum, cardamom Belize 70% bar - April 22, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

Map Chocolate Co. 

"The Secret Garden - respite from the storm" dried plum cardamom Belize 70% bar

Good+++ - Very Good

Weight: 1.25 oz. (35 g.) / 2.5 oz (70 g.) in total bar

Calories: 187 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar

Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

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

Today's "The Secret Garden" dark bar from Map Chocolate Co. (Eugene, OR) had a long, poetic name: "The Secret Garden respite from the storm Belize 70% with dried plum and cardamom."


This attractively packaged and designed bar came with a tiny leaflet laced with colorful, commentary—a weaving of information about the chocolate bar (makers notes) with memories and associations.

Pieces of local (Oregon) dried plum, and freshly-peeled cardamom seeds, adorned the back of this bar.

This well-tempered dark bar broke with a hard snap, and had an aroma with dark chocolate, spice, toast and dried fruit notes. The Belize 70% chocolate was smooth, almost creamy, and the bar had a light plum and cardamom spice finish.

*Note: The bar was listed as sold out on the company's website.

Theo Chocolate - Lemon Hemp Chocolate Clusters - April 20, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

Theo Chocolate
Lemon Hemp Chocolate Clusters
Good
Weight: 1.4 oz. (40 g.) / 2.8 oz. (80 g.) in total package
Calories: 220 calories in 1/2 package
Cost: $0.99 for 1 package
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's Lemon Hemp Chocolate Clusters were from Theo Chocolate (Seattle, WA). The company has a history of being "passionate about chocolate and making the world a better place." Founded in 2006, the company was one of the first to offer organic, fair trade cocoa products. (Today's USDA Organic, Non GMO Project Verified chocolate was "fair for life.")

Today's Organic Lemon Hemp Chocolate Clusters* contained a mix of dark chocolate, crunchy plant-based seeds and flakes and a hint of natural, lemon fragrance and flavor. One serving (1/2 package) of these crunchy clusters contained "50 mg cocoa flavanols per serving,"**

While not certified gluten free (these clusters were made on shared equipment with products containing soy, milk, eggs, wheat, peanuts and other tree nuts), they did not contain soy, dairy or gluten-containing ingredients.

*Ingredients: Cocoa Beans*, Cane Sugar*, Coconut*, Crisped Sorghum Flakes*, Cocoa Butter*, Crisped Sorghum Flakes*, Cocoa Butter*, Crisped Quinoa*, Low Fat Cocoa Powder* (with Ascorbic Acid with color retention), Hemp Seeds*, Lemon Oil*, Ground Vanilla Bean*  (* = organic ingredient)

**Flavanols are plant nutrients found naturally in cocoa beans that are thought to contribute to heart health by "supporting healthy blood flow." 

Whether flavanols from dark chocolate can help counteract our habits of sitting behind a desk or on a couch for many hours a day, will depend on the individual circumstances. However, research does seem to support claims on this package that healthy circulation contributes to exercise performance, cognitive health, skin and cardiovascular health.

La Naya Chocolate - Orange and Juniper bar - April 17, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

La Naya Chocolate
Orange and Juniper milk chocolate bar
Good+ - Good ++
Weight: 1.41 oz. (40 g.) / 2.82 oz. (80 g.) in total bar
Calories: 229 calories (per label) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $7.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

Welcome to Day #9 of Chocolate and Orange Theme Week; Day #1 of Chocolate and Botanicals Theme Week.

Today's Orange and Juniper 54% milk chocolate bar from La Naya Chocolate (Lithuania).

The gluten free, organic dark milk chocolate bar was smartly dressed in botantically-themed and illustrated packaging. The chocolate was flat on the back side (as bars usually are) and a molded 3D sculpture on the front side.

The maker described his bar as "bean to emotion," likening the emotion evoked to a spring day at The Vatican...with the promise of victory, or words to that effect. That phrase did evoke a cuirous state of mind.

Cocanu - Holy Wood and Gardel bars - Sept. 5, 2016

Chocolate(s) of the Day:

Cocanu Chocolate

Holy Wood
Dark chocolate and palo santo 70% bar
Good - Good +
Weight: .8 oz. (25 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 132 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $5.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Cacao at The Heathman, Portland, OR

Gardel
Dark chocolate, hazelnuts, fernet 72% bar
Good +
Weight: .8 oz. (25 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 132 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $5.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Meadow (original Mississippi location), Portland, OR

Welcome to the last day of Chocolate, Fruit and Botanicals Month, and the first day of Ecuadorian Cacao Theme Week.

Today's two relatively sweet dark bars hailed from Cocanu Chocolate (Portland, OR). I bought them at two different specialty retail shops in Portland (Cacao and The Meadow—both great sources for interesting, high-quality chocolates).

Cocanu's 70% cacao Holy Wood bar was made with Nacional cacao from Ecuador and infused with aromatic Palo Santo wood, also from Ecuador. The wood's flavor was so subtle, I failed to detect it. Could it be that this flavor is part of the terroir that I already associate with Ecuador? Another possibility: I dulled my palette with something I ate or drank earlier.

The company's 72% Gardel bar did have a subtle, pleasing overall hazelnut taste, with a few tiny crunchy nut bits embedded in it. The "fernet"—Fernet Branca (a botanical liqueur popular in Europe— was so subtle that, like the bar above, I missed it.

Both square bars (sealed with a fleur de lis wax stamp) were thick enough to provide a substantial bite, and thin enough to make flavors accessible, in other words just the right thickness for tasting in my opinion.

Endorfin - Dark Mylk Chocolate with Anise and Wormwood - Sept. 4, 2016

Chocolate of the Day: 

Endorfin Foods
Dark Mylk Chocolate with Anise and Wormwood bar
Good +++
Weight: 1.4 oz. (40 g.) in total bar
Calories: 210 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $5.00 for 1 bar (9 bar box for $45.00)
Purchased from: Endorfin Foods, Oakland, CA

Welcome to Day #28 of Chocolate, Fruits and Botanicals Month.

Today's organic dark chocolate Absinthe bar from Endorfin Foods (Oakland, CA) was inspired by the botanical liqueur of the same name. Absinthe, also known as the green fairy (or La Fee Verte), was banned for a time due to concerns over its intoxicating, and possible toxic, properties.

Most of the concern was over a chemical called thujone* found in wormwood (a primary ingredient in absinthe).

The Endorfin team crafted their absinthe flavor blend from recipes found in historical European literature.

The chocolate was made from unroasted cacao, coconut sugar and coconut. And botanical essential oils used to flavor this dark "mylk" bar included Grand Wormwood, Anise, Sweet Fennel, Melissa (Lemon Balm), and Mugwort. (The wormwood and mugwort were wild-harvested.)

"We have labored extensively to find the purest, unadulterated essential oils of these incredible plants to give you the fullest bouquet of flavor and aroma."
-- Endorfin Foods

I also want to thank Endorfin for their packaging. Not only is the design attractive. The sealed wrapper is functional as well.

*Thujone levels in absinthe liqueur (beverages using Artemisia/wormwood) are now much lower, or, in the case of U.S. restrictions, absent altogether. St. George Spirits (Alameda, CA) was the first to release a legal Absinthe, with their own take on the historic blend of botanicals, after restrictions were lifted in 2007.

Chocolate, Fruits and Botanicals Month

Chocolate, Fruit and Botanicals Month
August 7, 2016

While not every food item benefits from being mixed with chocolate, most fruits, seeds and edible plants/flower can be blended successfully with chocolate in some way. I've been researching this subject for 10 years and have eaten chocolate with 100s of other plant-based (and non-plant based items).

Fragrant black peppercorns? Chili peppers? Dried fruits, flowers? Nuts? Herbs and spices? Yes, all of these, and many more.

Pure dark chocolate is a plant food after all, made from the ground seeds (aka beans) found at the center of a fruity-pulp lined pod. So perhaps its ability to complement and/or enhance other botanical items isn't a surprise.

As part of the countdown to my 10-year anniversary of eating a different chocolate every day (September 10-11, 2016), I'll be featuring chocolates that incorporate other plant items for the next month. 

Moonstruck - Raspberries and Fennel Sugar - July 4, 2015

Chocolate of the Day:

Moonstruck Chocolate Co.
Raspberries and Fennel Sugar bar
Good ++ - Very Good
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 3.17 oz. (90 g.) in total bar
Calories: 150 calories (estimate) in 1 oz. (28.3 g.) serving
Cost: $9.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Piazza's Fine Foods, Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #11 of Chocolate and Botanicals Theme Week; and Happy 4th of July to all out there celebrating the Independence Day holiday.

This dark chocolate Raspberry and Fennel Sugar bark bar from Moonstruck Chocolate Co. (Portland, OR) was adorned with a rosy red riot of freeze-dried raspberry bits, and a sprinkling of pale green fennel sugar pieces (that incorporated "edible fennel flowers").

The raspberry flavor was so concentrated and berry sweet that it almost overshadowed the fennel and chocolate, but the flavors made for a great, visually striking and sweet botanical trio -- one that I hadn't tried before. I like forward to trying a berry + herb topping at home atop a chocolate panna cotta or chocolate mousse.