Akbal Chocolate Mexicano - Chocolate Oscuro Almendras (bar) - Mar. 29, 2020

Chocolate of the Day:

Akbal Chocolate Mexicano
100% Cacao - Chocolate Oscuro Almendras (bar)
Good - Good +
Weight: .97 oz. (27.5 g.) / 1.94 oz. (55 g.) in total bar
Calories: 110 calories (per label) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $ unknown - gift from a friend 
Purchased from: N/A - gift from a friend (thank you Julie!)

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate and Mexico Theme Week, and Day #1 of Chocolate and Nuts Theme Week.

Today's Chocolate Oscuro (Dark) Almendras (Almonds) (bar) was from Akbal Chocolate Mexicano (aka Akbal Chocolates) located in Playas de Rosarito, Baja California, in Mexico.

The smell of a 100% cacao bar can be very different from the taste one's brain is expecting. Most of this difference can be explained by the lack of sugar or sweeteners.

However, there was no schism or shocking split between aroma and expected flavor with today's ultra-dark chocolate that was made from bean-to-bar in Mexico.

The aroma of this 100% cacao bar was fairly light, with roasted notes. And the flavor was also relatively mild, with a balanced, roasted bitterness. Whole almonds added crunchy, nutty texture and flavor and a welcome, relative sweetness that mellowed the bitterness.

*The three ingredients listed for this bar were: pasta y manteca de cacao, almendras (cacao paste, cacao butter, almonds)

Marshall's Munchies - Rocky Road Chunks - Sept. 10, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Marshall's Munchies
Rocky Road Chunks
Good
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) /6 oz. (171 g.) in total container of 6 pieces
Calories: 150 calories (estimate) in 1 serving
Cost: $5.99 for 1 container
Purchased from: The Willows Market, Menlo Park, CA

Welcome to Day #1 of Chocolate and Nut Butter Theme Week.

Today's container of Marshall's Munchies Rocky Road Chunks were obtained from a local small market. The Willows Market (Menlo Park, CA) carries an impressive array of foods, spirits, deli items and a few chocolate items of their own.

The basic pairing of nuts and nut butters with chocolate is tried and true. Rocky road confections embrace this marriage while adding marshmallows. And today's chocolatey and nutty treats were also sweetened with butterscotch and toffee.*

We reached for a few extra nuts and some nut butter to balance the sweetness.

*Ingredients: Dark chocolate, peanuts, marshmallows, butterscotch morsels, toffee, nuts

RAD Chocolate - Vegan Organic Milk Chocolate made with Coconut Sugar - Dec. 10, 2018

Chocolate of the Day:

RAD Chocolate
Vegan Organic Milk Chocolate made with Coconut Sugar
Good - Good +
Weight: 1.25 oz. (35.5 g.) / 2.5 oz. (71 g.) in total bar
Calories: 190 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $6.50 for 1 bar
Purchased at Nibble Chocolate, Old Town, San Diego, CA location

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

Today's RAD Chocolate Vegan Organic Milk Chocolate made with Coconut Sugar was affiliated with Nibble Chocolate (San Diego, CA).

This sweet chocolate bar, clad in recycled brown paper, had a uniform rich, fudge texture and flavor with underlying coconut sugar notes. (The makers used single origin Trinitario cacao from the Dominican Republic to craft this bar.) Some of the rich flavor and texture was enhanced by the inclusion of finely ground almond and cashew (butters).*

Ingredients: cocoa, coconut sugar, almonds, cashews, vanilla extract, sea salt

Second Nature Snacks - Dark Chocolate Medley with nuts - Feb. 12, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

Second Nature Snacks Company
Dark Chocolate Medley
Good - Good +
Weight: 2 oz. (57 g.) / 12 oz. (340 g.) in total package
Calories: 320 calories in 2 servings
Cost: $ missing information
Purchased from: missing information

Welcome to Day #12 of Chocolate and Nuts Theme Week. Chocolate "weeks" frequently extend beyond seven days as new chocolate items are discovered.

For example, today's Dark Chocolate Medley "nut lover's blend" from Second Nature Snacks Company (Madison Heights, MI) suddenly popped up on the shelves of a local store, and seemed perfect for this Chocolate and Nuts Week.

This Non-GMO Project Verified, gluten free mix was a nicely balanced blend of dark chocolate squares (large enough so that you could taste the chocolate) and crunchy nuts: almonds, cashews and pecans.

While not suitable for those with nut allergies, this snack mix was made by a company that seemed mindful of ingredients and supply chains. And, it was relatively low in sodium (35 mg. in a single 1 oz. serving).

Oberto - Trail Mix Original Beef with Semi-Sweet Chocolate - Aug. 29, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Oberto
Trail Mix - Original Beef
Good +
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (57 g.) total package
Calories: 135 calories in 1/2 package
Cost: $3.59 for 1 package
Purchased from: CBH Travel Center (store, gas station), Belle Fourche, SD

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate and the Wild West Theme Week.

Trail mix is wonderful to take camping, hiking, mountaineering or anywhere else lacking immediate access to a stove or other kitchen amenities. Trail mix can be a snack or a meal in a bag. Leave it up to folks in the wild west to beef up trail mix.

Today's Original Beef Trail Mix was from Oberto Sausage Company (Kent, WA). The company is probably best known for Oberto Beef Jerky (original and other flavors); so it made sense to include small pieces of their jerky in a trail mix.

The mix contained nuts (walnuts and pecans), fruit (dried cranberries, golden raisins), seeds (pumpkin, sunflower) and beef jerky; and it had 12 grams of protein, no artificial ingredients and was gluten free. Oh, and small squares of semi-sweet chocolate.

It was a well-balanced mix that wasn't too sweet or salty. Next time I'll try the Sweet and Spicy Beef with pieces of spicy dark chocolate, or the Teriyaki Chicken flavor with dark chocolate pieces. (All flavors carry a gluten free tag.)

Betty Lou's - Nuts about Energy Balls - Paleo Java - June 24, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Betty Lou's Inc.
Nuts about Energy Balls - Paleo Java
Good
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42 g.) in 1 package
Calories: 140 calories in 1 package
Cost: $2.99 (guesstimate) for 1 package
Purchased from: Village Market, SF Ferry Building, San Francisco, CA

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate and Cacao Nibs Theme Week.

Today's Paleo Java energy snack was created by Betty Lou's Inc.(McMinnville, OR) and was part of the company's "Nuts about Energy Balls" line of snacks.

Made with dates, pumpkin seeds, cacao nibs, honey, raisins, coffee and hazelnuts, this certified gluten-free energy ball tasted authentic and satisfying—without the sugar buzz that can result from energy bars with added sugars.

This energy ball was also labeled as Non-GMO and Vegetarian. (If you're vegan, these do contain some honey.)

WholeMe - Cinnamon Banana Chip Clusters - April 27, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

WholeMe
Cinnamon Banana Chip Clusters
Good ++
Weight: 2 oz. (56.6 g.) / 8 oz. (226 g.) in total package
Calories: 260 calories in 2 servings
Cost: $7.99 for 1 package
Purchased from: Draeger's, Los Altos, CA

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

I'm tempted to say that today's grain-free Cinnamon Banana Chip Clusters from WholeMe (Minneapolis, MN) were similar to a granola or cereal, but even the words granola and cereal are associated with grain-based food items.

These paleo clusters looked a bit like natural "cookie" pieces and were made with bananas (chips, dried), coconut ("meat" and oil), honey, nuts (pecans, almonds), sunflower seeds, pure maple syrup, cocoa nibs, vanilla extract, cinnamon, salt and maca.

One or two handfuls of this mix could serve as a breakfast, snack, dessert, or meal on the go.

There was no added processed sugar, preservatives, soy or gluten in this Non GMO offering. The chocolate was also in less processed form. The cocoa came from pieces of cocoa beans or nibs. One could add a few more cocoa nibs to this blend if you wanted to add more cocoa flavor and crunchy texture.

Flour Craft - Walnut Raisin Nib Granola - Dec. 16, 2016

Chocolate of the Day: 

Flour Craft Bakery
Walnut Raisin Cacao Nib Granola
Good +
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42.45 g.) / 12 oz. (340 g.) in total package/bag
Calories: 202 calories in 1.5 servings
Cost: $7.99 for 1 package
Purchased from:

Welcome to Day #2 of Chocolate and Walnut Series.

Today I enjoyed a bowl of Walnut Raisin Cacao Nib Granola from Flour Craft Bakery (San Anselmo, CA), a company that offers gluten-free* baked goods.

I added some warm, toasted hazelnuts and almonds to this certified gluten-free, vegan, and slow-roasted granola mix to make it a bit a more hearty for cold weather breakfast; however, it was perfectly fine by itself. While this granola was light on the chocolate and sugar (a plus), the nibs provided rich, cacao flavor and depth to this mix.

*The Flour Craft Bakery team made this granola in a "100% gluten-free environment."

California Sungold Pistachios - Chocolate Caramlized Cashews - Apr. 11, 2016

Chocolate of the Day: 

California Sungold Pistachios
Chocolate Caramelized Cashews
Good
Weight: 2.66 oz. (75.5 g.) / 8 oz. (226.4 g.) in total bag
Calories: 399 calories for 1/3 bag
Cost: $4.99 for 1 bag
Purchased from: CVS/pharmacy, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #12 of Chocolate and Cashew Theme Week.

Today's cashews—wholes, halves and bits—were encased in a crunchy sweet, toffee-like caramelized coating, and covered in chocolate.

These Chocolate Caramelized Cashews with Sea Salt were from California Sungold Pistachios (Oakhurst, CA).

I couldn't really taste the chocolate or the cashew (a very mild flavored nut to begin with), as the sugar level of the caramelization was quite high—even with a hint of sea salt that helped balance the sugar.

These would be great if you were craving a toffee or sweet snack with slightly layered texture and flavor.

There is a different "Goldilocks" chocolate for each of us. What's too sweet for me as an adult, might be just right for someone else.

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

Wildway - Java Chip Grain Free Hot Cereal - Mar. 18, 2016

Chocolate(s) of the Day:

Wildway, LLC
Grain Free Instant Hot Cereal
Good
Weight: unknown (1 sample packet)
Calories: 250 calories (estimate) for 1 serving
Cost: N/A - sample
Purchased from: N/A - sample

Today I continued to transition from a Nicaragua special edition (chocolate field trip) week to a Chocolate and Coconut Theme Week.

This sample packet of Wildway, LLC (San Antonio, TX) Java Chip instant hotel cereal was certified gluten free (made in a dedicated facility) and paleo friendly—good for those who want a breakfast cereal without the carbs or added sugar. This packet was also a perfect travel size for this week's Nicaragua trip.

In addition to walnuts, ground flaxseed, cashews and pecans, dates, cocoa nibs and espresso, this hot cereal (which I also enjoyed cold) contained coconut flour and vanilla bean. Add hot water (or cold coconut milk), and stir.

Enjoying Small Batch Bars in Nicaragua

This past week's chocolate field trip through Nicaragua was filled with visits to cacao farms, chocolate tastings, and discussions with chocolatemakers.

We were also traveling with two North American chocolatemakers on our Nicaragua trip. We enjoyed the fruits of their labor -- in bar form.

The first bar was a Sura Dominican Republic 68% dark bar, (bio and equitable) crafted by Christine Sura (Montreal). Alas, these great bars are only made a few times a year, but keep an eye out for her small batch bars.

The other two bars we enjoyed tasting were Lonohona (Hawaii) bars, made by Seneca Klassen -- who also farms single estate cacao.*

The Lonohana Pina Colada bar with two kinds of fat, cacao butter and coconut oil, and was extra creamy. We also enjoyed a second delicious Lonohana bar with cacao nibs.

To buy Lonohana bars like this, you may need to be a member of the company's Lonohana Chocolate Club (similar to a CSA). Or, visit the website to see what's available (or the factory if you're in Oahu).

*Vertical integration like this is relatively unusual, and involves a lot of work. Hats off to Seneca and team.

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