Valrhona - Abinao 85% Cacao Dark Chocolate (bar) - Jan. 11, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Valrhona 
Abinao 85% Cacao Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.46 oz. (70 g.) total bar
Calories: 220 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $7.50 (US) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocosphere.com, online order

Bonjour and welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate and European Chocolate Vacation Theme Week. Today's bar brings us (virtually) to France.

Today's Abinao 85% Cacao Dark Chocolate (bar) was from Valrhona (Tain L'Hermitage, France). Valrhona was founded by a pastry chef in the early 1920s. The company has continued to produce chocolate in the Rhone Valley near Lyon, in southeastern France since then. (In 1989 they opened a pastry and chocolate school.) 

As part of a virtual visit to the historic village of Tain, I'm enjoying a virtual drive through the wine country, admiring the rolling vine-covered green hills and views of the Rhone River. Also on the menu: an imaginary lunch at a brasserie and a local trail hike, after a stop at Valrhona.

And now on to tasting today's featured Valrhona bar...

Source-related text on the Valrhona Abinao bar packaging read: "100% of our cocoa is traceable from the producer." (While the country of origin was not specified for this Abinao bar, online research turned up the following: a blend of Forastero cacao(s), from Africa.) 

Aroma notes for this bar included: green, earthy, nutty, faint maple/brown sugar, and very faint floral, clean mineral and wood forest notes.

This well-tempered, attractively designed chocolate bar broke with a clean snap. It had an even melt and texture, with a slight tannic astringency beginning about 3/4 way through.

The flavor notes were consistent with the aroma notes above, with more pronounced rich chocolate-y (dark fudge brownie) taste. Flavors were well balanced, well managed and relatively complex and interesting. A moderate amount of smooth bitterness made it interesting and not too sweet (thank you). Vanilla added a bit of floral spice warmth and implied (chocolate baked goods) sweetness. The flavors lingered a bit into a relatively clean finish. 

If I were a pastry chef or chocolatier, and I wanted to rely on a sophisticated ultra-dark chocolate without deep dark surprises, I would likely enjoy working with this Abinao 85% chocolate. It also was pleasant to eat and relatively easy to pair with other foods and beverages.

Maker's tasting notes: "Bittersweet, woody, raw cocoa" "...Powerful and tannic dark chocolate." "Abinao 85% emphasizes a specific bitterness and exceptional long-lasting flavors."  

Ingredients: "Dark Chocolate (85% cocoa minimum, pure cocoa butter). Cocoa beans, sugar, cocoa butter, emulsifier: sunflower lecithin, natural vanilla extract. Milk (Made in a facility that uses milk). 

Allergen-related information: "Milk (Made in a facility that uses milk). May contain: gluten, nuts, soya." "May contain wheat, soy, almonds, hazelnuts, pistachios, pecans, walnuts, chestnuts, coconut and/or all their derivatives."

Theo Chocolate - Organic Chocolate for Baking 70% Dark (bar) - July 16, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Theo Chocolate
Organic Fair Trade Chocolate for Baking 70% Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) / 4 oz. (113 g.) in total bar
Calories: 160 calories in 1 oz. (28 g.) (2 squares) 
Cost: $4.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Farm Fresh to You, add-in to CSA delivery box 

Welcome to Day #7 of Dark Chocolate Theme Week, featuring 60%-90% cacao dark blends and/or dark chocolates with unspecified origins.

Today's Organic Fair Trade Chocolate for Baking 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) was from Theo Chocolate (Seattle, WA).

The balanced bouquet of aroma notes in this bold and flavorful chocolate included dark chocolate; concentrated stone fruit (prune, cherry plum) as well as dried fruit with more subtle tartness (dried ripe persimmon slices); very light floral (cherry blossom) and nut (roasted cashew and roasted pine nut).

The taste encompassed most of the aroma notes mentioned above, although the emphasis was more on the "true" chocolate notes (roasted, bold but balanced fudge brownie with a cup of drinking chocolate/cocoa on the side) with balanced, light loamy forest earthiness and faint red fruit/berry fruit acidity.

A bit of light blueberry/red grape astringency (back of the throat tickle) kicked in about mid-way through--an astringency that lingered in the finish, similar to tannic acid in red wine.

As promised, this chocolate was enjoyable for eating, as well as for baking (for brownies and baked goods, shaved over other desserts, or made into small, fill-able chocolate cups).

The cacao used to make today's chocolate was a blend, from beans grown in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Peru. This combination helps explain the rich blend of flavors.

Ingredients: Organic, fair trade cocoa beans; organic, fair trade cane sugar; and organic, fair trade cocoa butter.

Allergen-related information: "Made on equipment that also processes wheat, milk and tree nuts, and in a facility that handles sesame, eggs and peanuts." ("Soy free, Kosher")

 

Trader Joe's - Uganda - 85% Dark Chocolate Bar - Apr. 26, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Trader Joe's 
Uganda 85% Dark Chocolate Bar
Good ++
Weight: .875 oz. (25 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 158.3 calories in 1/4 bar
Cost: N/A - gift from family member (Thank you David)
Purchased from: (Trader Joe's) gift from family member

Welcome to Day #11 of Chocolate and RSTU Theme Week, featuring items with origins or flavor inclusions that start with the letters R, S, T and/or U...such as Uganda.

Today's Uganda 85% Dark Chocolate Bar was from Trader Joe's (Monrovia, CA).

A sustained inhalation of this offering yielded deep, dark true chocolate with notes of earthy forest, leather saddle, and faint roasted, salted potato/root vegetable. It was the kind of bold aroma that I would expect when tasting an ultra-dark bar (greater than 80% cacao).

The texture of this bar was luxurious, with a thick, satisfying, creamy-chewy (nut butter-like) melt and mouthfeel. 

The flavor was hearty and bold dark chocolate, a fleeting flicker of green floral, with a subtle hint of very nicely balanced bitterness--and faint earth and true chocolate (very smooth, almost savory brownie) in the finish. A re-tasting also yielded a barely-detectable hint of warm spice (cinnamon) at the very end, and a wee bit of astringency.

Overall, this was very smooth for an 85% cacao chocolate bar. Unlike some high cacao percentage bars--that have sweet, come-hither aromas, but then pounce upon the palette like a jaguar--this was almost the opposite. The aroma was stronger/darker than the taste.

Ingredients: Cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter.

Allergen-related information: "May contain milk, soy, wheat, almond, cashew, coconut, hazelnut, pistachio."

Raaka Chocolate - Oat Milk Unroasted Dark Chocolate Uganda 58% (bar) - Apr. 25, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Raaka Chocolate
Oat Milk Unroasted Dark Chocolate Uganda 58% (bar)
Good + 
Weight: .9 oz. (25.4 g.) / 1.8 oz. (50.9 g.) in total bar
Calories: 113 calories (per label) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $6.00 (sale) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Mollie Stone's Markets, Sausalito, CA

Welcome to Day #10 of Chocolate and R,S,T,U Theme Week, featuring chocolate items with origins and/or flavor inclusions that start with the letters R, S, T and/or U--as in Uganda (Africa).

Today's Oat Milk Unroasted Dark Chocolate Uganda* 58% Cacao (bar) was from Raaka Chocolate (Brooklyn, NY). 

Raaka's chocolate makers use unroasted cacao. Skipping the roasting process can yield smoother, brighter, fruitier chocolate flavors, and can sometimes preserve more delicate notes (such as green and/or floral).

The cacao used to make this chocolate came from Semuliki Forest Cacao, Uganda* (from more than 1,000 smallholder, organic farmers--over half are women). 

This area in Western Uganda is part of a rare (for East Africa) stretch of tropical, lowland forest that includes a National Park, a Wildlife Reserve, and many endangered species. Semuliki cacao is comprised of "mostly Trinitario and Amelonado" (cacao varieties). The flavor profile is described by Cacao Services (consultants in Uganda) as: "rich base cocoa with balanced fruit acidity and sometimes notes of brown sugar and panela."

The aroma of today's Raaka bar conjured up a hot bowl of coconut oatmeal with unsweetened dark chocolate pieces and a drizzle of maple syrup. 

The 58% cacao unroasted dark chocolate had a relatively rapid melt, with a thick and creamy mouthfeel, and a very slight graininess (oat flour) in the finish.

The dark chocolate flavor (from what I could taste) seemed bright and bold, slightly fruity, without being bitter or earthy. Oat flour or oat "milk" (as well as other milks) can be used to calm (or even neutralize) feral or spiky cacao flavors; but no lion tamer services were required with this friendly vegan bar.

Coconut added naturally sweet flavor as did a judicious amount of maple sugar. Vanilla bean added a bit of warmth.

Raaka tasting notes for the cacao/chocolate in this bar: "Chocolatey, panela, fig, cinnamon." 

Note: the inside of this Raaka Chocolate Semuliki Forest Cacao bar wrapper also included transparent trade information for the cacao, including the price paid to farmers: $4.50 per kilogram in 2020. This price includes post-harvest processes and transportation to the departure port in Africa.

Ingredients: Organic cacao beans, organic maple sugar, organic oat flour, organic coconut, organic cacao butter, organic vanilla bean.

Allergen-related information: Vegan, gluten free, soy free; Certified Organic and Kosher by NFC. 

* Uganda is smaller in size than the U.S. state of Michigan, but has a larger population than New York and Florida put together. Agricultural exports include: cotton, tea, tobacco...and cacao. 

Most cacao grown in Africa comes from West Africa, specifically Ivory Coast and Ghana. However, cacao is also grown further east, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Tanzania, as well as Uganda.

Chocolate Naive - Kilimamwenza Congo Dark Chocolate 70% (bar) - March 10, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Chocolate Naive

Kilimamwenza Congo 70% Nano_Lot Dark Chocolate (bar)

Good ++ - Good +++

Weight: 2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar

Calories: 366 calories in 1 bar

Cost: $15.00 for 1 bar

Purchased from: missing information 

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate and JKLM Theme Week, where chocolate flavor inclusions-- or in today's case, origins--that begin with the letters J,K,L and/or M are featured. 

Today's Kilimamwenza Congo Dark Chocolate 70% (bar) was crafted by Domantus Uzpalis at Chocolate Naive (Zietelos, Lithuania).*

African cacao cannot be easily summarized. But when people hear African cacao, what comes to mind is typically bold, deep, dark forastero cacao beans grown in a few countries in West Africa and chocolate made using a relatively heavy roast profile. 

Today's award-winning dark chocolate was a relatively eloquent, soft-spoken entree, made with a lighter Trinitario-Forastero hybrid variety of cacao grown on Kilimamwenza farm in Mambasa, Ituri province, located in the Democratic Republic of Congo, in central, sub-Saharan Africa.

This chocolate had a smooth but relatively complex dark chocolate aroma--with light, balanced, fermentation and umami (leather), and very faint fruit and green-floral notes.

The melt and initial texture were fairy uniform and creamy. A mild astringency in the finish led to a mouthfeel with a slight dryness/graininess. This astringency comes from polyphenols and tannins (as in unripe fruits (bananas, persimmons, olives, avocado), tea or red wine). 

While polyphenols have health benefits they also need to be balanced for a positive tasting experience. Heating/roasting/processing tends to diminish their presence.

The lightly roasted (110 degrees C./230 degrees F.) dark chocolate flavor was smooth, with a touch of honey-like sweetness, and a light, lingering finish with delicate green-floral, honey and fruit notes. (A lighter roast helps preserve lighter, more volatile flavor compounds (e.g. floral notes) as well as the polyphenols mentioned above.)

Ingredients: cacao, cane sugar, pure cacao butter

**Sometimes a chocolate maker has a rare, time-limited opportunity to purchase a small amount (a micro-lot) of cacao beans from a certain farm, origin and/or harvest year. This Chocolate Naive Kilimamwenza nano-lot, micro-batch bar was born from such an opportunity. 

Often there are small cacao fermenteries and co-ops involved in small, high-quality batches of bean output as well. This is not dissimilar to coffee projects and co-ops (usually not far from where cacao grows) in equatorial regions. (Chocolate Naive's chief chocolate maker does mention he was inspired by an individual(s) who helped local coffee co-ops export beans and to break into the specialty coffee market.) Who knows how many other pockets of great cacao in the massive continent of Africa are out there, waiting to be discovered?

LetterPress Chocolate - Satocao Sao Tome 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) - March 10, 2020

Chocolate of the Day: 

LetterPress Chocolate LLC
Satocao Sao Tome 70% Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good + - 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 (estimate) for 1 bar
Purchased from: missing information

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate and West Africa Theme Week.

Today's Satocao Sao Tome 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) was from LetterPress Chocolate LLC (Los Angeles, CA).

This well-executed, smooth dark bar morphed from one sweet thing to another: from sweet honey, faint spiced fruit, very faint coffee, very faint sweet green tea, light molasses, true chocolate, a glimmer of faint earth, and then back to sweet chocolate, with subtle and balanced light fruit acidity.

The maker's tasting notes suggested: "peanut butter cup." Yes, another sweet confection with timeless appeal. The maker has managed to make a sweet, two-ingredient chocolate into one with depth and complexity. Not an easy thing to do actually.

Ingredients: cacao beans, unrefined cane sugar

Cafe-Tasse - 77% Cacao Extra Noir; and 60% Noir mini bars - Mar. 9, 2020

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

Cafe-Tasse
77% Cacao Extra Noir
Good ++ - Very Good
Weight: 0.3 oz. (9 g.) in 1 mini bar
Calories: 50 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: N/A - part of bulk order
Purchased from: N/A - part of large order

Cafe-Tasse
60% Cacao Noir
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 0.3 oz. (9 g.) in 1 mini bar
Calories: 50 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: N/A - part of bulk order
Purchased from: N/A - part of large order

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate and West Africa. Many of this week's featured chocolates are Belgian chocolates, including today's mini bars from Cafe-Tasse (Bruxelles/Brussels, Belgium).

Both the 77% Cacao Extra Noir (Dark) and the 60% Noir (Dark) bars were exquisitely packaged miniature versions of full-sized bars. Both chocolates had rich, dark chocolate flavor. The Extra Dark was particularly good. And both were blends of different beans, and possibly origins.

Although origins were not disclosed, Cafe-Tasse has stated they use cacao from Africa and South/Latin America.

Dandelion Chocolate - 70% Gola Rainforest Sierra Leone (bar) - Oct. 27, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Dandelion Chocolate
70% Gola Rainforest Sierra Leone (2017 Harvest) (bar)
Good +
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) / 2 oz. (56 g.) in total bar
Calories: 150 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $12.00 (estimate) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Dandelion Chocolate, Manufactory and Cafe, San Francisco, CA

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

It's difficult to "do" an African theme week justice.* But we'll try. Africa is comprised of 54 countries. And this large continent produces, collectively, more than half of the cocoa beans on the planet.*

Today's 70% Gola Rainforest, Sierra Leone (2017 Harvest) (bar) was made by Dandelion Chocolate (San Francisco, CA), and purchased at the company's relatively new cafe and manufactory location in San Francisco.

This bar, carefully wrapped in gold and silver foil and elegant paper, had a pleasurable, sweet chocolate aroma with a faint, fleeting trace of green and vegetable latex.

The flavor was pleasant true chocolate flavor, eliciting memories of a rich chocolate mousse, topped with a slice of mild fruit (apple, light nectarine, pear), and a hint of spice. The finish was light and clean with low astringency.

The maker's tasting notes for this bar read: "flavors of molten chocolate cake, toffee and cinnamon."

*Chocolate Banquet has featured Madagascar and Tanzania Theme Weeks in the past.

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.

Baron Chocolatier - Premium Dark Chocolate 70% bar - May 21, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Baron Chocolatier, Inc.
Premium Dark Chocolate 70% bar
Good ++
Weight: .706 oz. (20 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 105 calories in 1/5 bar (2 squares)
Cost: $missing information for 1 bar
Purchased from: missing information, CA

Welcome to Day #18 of Chocolate and Africa Theme Weeks.

Today's 70% Premium Dark Chocolate bar from Baron Chocolatier* had smooth, deep dark chocolate flavor with very subtle hints of fudge brownie with walnuts, flourless dark chocolate cake, earth, nuts, and slight acidity in aftertaste.

The country of origin was not explicitly identified on the packaging for this bar; however, the company has indicated they use cacao grown in West Africa (Ivory Coast) for their chocolate in the past.

Chances are if you've eaten a dark chocolate bar, and there was no origin listed, you probably were sampling a bar made at least in part with African cacao.

Ivory Coast and Ghana (each with a coast that borders on the Atlantic Ocean) together supply almost half the world's cacao. And so we end our virtual chocolate tour we've made in the past few weeks, moving from east to west across this vast continent, in this high production zone.

Starting tomorrow, we'll explore the world of dark chocolate bars made with blends of cacao.

*Baron Chocolatier, a division of the Milano Group, was founded in Poland in 1982. This bar was a "Product of Poland."

Neuhaus - Milk Chocolate West Africa 32% Cacao bar - May 20, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Neuhaus sa
Milk Chocolate from West Africa 32% Cacao bar
Good ++
Weight: 3.53 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 540 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $8.25 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Draeger's Market, Los Altos, CA

Welcome to Day #17 of Chocolate and Africa Theme Weeks.

Today's 32% Milk Chocolate bar was made by Neuhaus (in Vlezenbeek, Belgium) using cacao grown in West Africa. Neuhaus invented a form of praline many years ago and has been making confections and chocolate since 1857.

I was very hungry when I ate this bar, and managed to eat the whole thing. Haven't done that, i.e. eaten a whole bar that was a thirty-something percent cacao for awhile. The bar was a smooth and creamy and very edible, with hints of fruit and caramel.

Tony's Chocolonely - Dark Chocolate 51% Pecan Coconut bar - May 19, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Tony's Chocolonely
Dark Chocolate 51% Pecan Coconut bar
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42.5 g.) / 6 oz. (170 g.) in total bar
Calories: 220 calories in 1/4 bar
Cost: $4.89 for 1 bar
Purchased from: New Leaf Community Markets, Half Moon Bay, CA

Welcome to Day #16 of Chocolate and Africa Theme Weeks. We've been sampling chocolates made from cacao grown in several African nations this month. Our last stop this week is in West Africa.

"West Africa" is made up of 18 countries, most of which were former European colonies that gained independence in 1960.

Many years ago, the French and other Europeans brought cacao from the New World, and other crops, to grow in West Africa. And today, two countries, Ivory Coast and Ghana, together supply about half of the world's cacao. However, over the years there have been concerns about the use of slave labor in this region.

Today's Dark Chocolate 51% Pecan Coconut bar was produced by Tony's Chocolonely (Amsterdam, The Netherlands), and made in Belgium. The company's mission is targeted at increasing awareness about and helping to prevent slavery and human trafficking in Ivory Coast and Ghana. And, oh yes, to produce good-tasting chocolate.

It may be my imagination, but I believe this large bar actually tasted better, "happier," than other chocolates made from West African cacao. The bar had a bright, true chocolate flavor (brownies with pecans), and was quite good. The coconut was subtle and added an upbeat, sweet note. 

TCHO - Origins Dark Chocolate 62% West Africa bar - May 18, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

TCHO
TCHO Origins Dark Chocolate 62% Cacao bar
Good
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 145 calories in 1/3 bar
Cost: $1.49 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #15 of Chocolate and Africa Theme Week.

Today's Dark Chocolate 62% Cacao West Africa bar was from TCHO (Berkeley, CA). It had a classic, sweet dark chocolate* aroma with light spice notes.

The bar tasted quite sweet and smooth (and relatively low in fruit notes and/or acidity), but offered a uniform, predictable chocolate tasting experience.

Most of the world's high-volume, commercially produced chocolate in the U.S. and Europe is made from cacao from West Africa. Most people's chocolate tasting experience and expectations have been formed around this chocolate.

For many years, most large-scale operations have chosen to maintain a predictable flavor profile in their chocolates from year to year, across different regions and sources. Beans are carefully blended and roast profiles and other operations help to control variations in batches and different harvests.

So a West Africa bar like today's bar from a relatively large maker* may not have the nuances of flavor that a small batch bar would have, that would vary from season to season. Nonetheless, it's interesting to learn more about West African chocolate, as transparency about origins increases, and more chocolates become available for side-by-side tasting.

*TCHO was a relatively early entrant into the new American chocolate maker movement (2005) and was instrumental in helping to educate the public about the different flavors that were possible to develop in chocolate. TCHO bars have focused on cacao (single and blended origins) that highlighted nutty, fruity, chocolatey and other "flavors" of cacao—sometimes mentioning the country of origin, and sometimes not.

Blanxart - Organic Dark Chocolate 42% Congo bar - May 17, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Blanxart
Organic Dark Chocolate 42% Grand cru single origin Congo (bar)
(Chocolat Noir Bio 42% Grand cru)
Good+
Weight: 1.1 oz. (31.25 g.) / 4.4 oz. (125 g.) in total bar
Calories: 182 calories (estimate) in 1/4 bar
Cost: $8.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Village Market, SF Ferry Building, San Francisco, CA

Welcome to Day #14 of Chocolate and Africa Theme Weeks.

We're sampling cacao (in chocolate bar form) from the Republic of Congo today—and larger Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC, aka Eastern Congo) yesterday—as we move through Africa from east to west.

Cacao grows up to 20 degrees north or south of the Equator). Africa contains several countries that are located within this large possible growing area (including Madagascar, Tanzania, Uganda, the Republic of Congo, Eastern Congo (DRC), Ghana, and Ivory Coast).

Both yesterday's Original Beans 55% cacao bar and today's Blanxart 42% cacao bar were organic, milk chocolate bars made with fair trade/fairly traded cacao from the Congo region. Both Congos border the Congo River Basin area.

The origin for the cacao in today's bar was from the Mountains of the Moon. Blanxart explains: "Between the East African savannahs and the vast rainforests of the Congo Basin lie the ice-covered Lunae Montes" (Mountains of the Moon)." Here approximately 100 farmers grow the organic Mountains of the Moon cacao used to make today's bar.

Today's 42% milk chocolate bar, made in Spain with certified organic cacao, was quite a bit sweeter* than yesterday's 55% "dark" milk chocolate bar. It had hints of fruit and sweet caramel and vanilla.

*The Blanxart Organic 42% Congo bar wrapper listed the following ingredients: sugar, cocoa butter, whole milk powder, cocoa, vanilla

Original Beans - Femmes de Virunga 55% bar - May 16, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Original Beans
Femmes de Virunga 55% bar
Good ++
Weight: .82 oz. (23.3 g.) / 2.46 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 123 calories (guesstimate) in 1/3 bar
Cost: $missing information
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #13 of Chocolate and Africa Theme Weeks. We've been taking a virtual trip, from east to west, across this large continent. Yesterday we were in Uganda, and today, we are in the Congo.

Today we move to Eastern Congo (D.R.), with this Femmes del Virunga 55% organic milk chocolate bar from Original Beans (Amsterdam).*

This organic milk chocolate bar was—in contrast to yesterday's ultra-dark 80% Uganda bar—fruity, light, sweet, and almost "fluffy." It was a very tasty, creamy milk chocolate bar.

The mission of the makers at Original Beans was not only to produce a fine, organic milk chocolate bar, but also to support women cacao farmers and to preserve "Africa's oldest nature park, Eastern Congo (D.R.)."

*Original Beans is based in Amsterdam, and this bar was made in Switzerland.

Cachet - Uganda 80% bar - May 15, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Cachet
Uganda 80% Dark Chocolate bar
Good ++
Weight: .875 oz. (25 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 150 calories (per label) in 1/4 bar
Cost: $4.29 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Draeger's Market, Los Altos, CA

Welcome to Day #12 of Chocolate and Africa Theme Weeks. Today we make a virtual visit to Uganda, via chocolate.

This Uganda 80% Dark Chocolate bar from Cachet (Tienen, Belgium) had a dark aroma with hints of roasted nuts, earth, deep dark chocolate, and flourless chocolate cake with no added sugar.

The chocolate had a fairly even, creamy melt, and tasted much the same as it smelled. It had a deep dark even chocolate flavor with balanced earth notes.

The texture was relatively creamy dark chocolate with a very slight, fleeting second of graininess. The chocolate had a slight bitter ale finish, and a slight astringency that showed up at the end but then tailed off rapidly.

What was "missing" was red berry fruit and acidity—and the sugar. It was quite smooth and very satisfying, a bar you could eat and enjoy one small bite at a time, with very little sugar to egg you on.

"Forestero beans from Uganda are known for their classic cocoa flavor and low acidity." Agreed. No wonder this bar was hard to find. It was a reasonably priced ultra-dark bar with good flavor.

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.