Bonus entry: Matcha white chocolate bars from 3 chocolate makers - July 9, 2024

Chocolate(s) of the Day

Rozsavolgyi Csokolade
Green herbs and Matcha tea in White Chocolate with Lemon oil (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 164 calories in 1 oz. (28.3 g.) serving
Cost: $15.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar & Cocoa, online order

Deux Cranes
Sakura + Matcha Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: .5 oz. (14.1 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 177.5 calories (estimate) in .5 oz. of  bar
Cost: $16.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Sweet Shop, Los Altos, CA 

Fjak Chocolate
Limited Edition - Sea Buckthorn & Matcha White Chocolate (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2.11 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 161 calories (estimate) in 1 oz. of bar
Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate and Japan Theme Week. My Chocolate of the Day was a Hojicha Hot Chocolate from Dandelion Chocolate (San Francisco, CA). 

This bonus post includes three white chocolates (made with cocoa butter, but no cocoa solids*) that all contain Matcha green tea. These Japan-inspired flavor fusions of east and west were fun to try.

Green Herbs, Matcha, Lemon (bar)

This pretty bar was created in Budapest (Hungary), using Matcha green tea from Japan. But, that was just the starting point.

This creamy, jade-hued bar was a blend of bright lemon citrus, mint, green tea and green herb (tarragon). This beautifully patterned green bar was a refreshingly sweet summer white chocolate; and it offered perhaps the freshest spring-summer botanical bouquet of the three.

Sakura + Matcha (bar)

Deux Cranes (Los Gatos, CA) uses flavors from Japan and French (Valrhona) chocolate to make their bars and creations. 

Aroma and flavor notes for this jade green and pink bar included: sweet green tea and very faint floral cheesecake, vanilla and cherry. (It contained both Sakura (cherry blossom) leaf powder and flower petals.) (Extra points for authentic Japanese ingredients.)

The slightly astringent, authentic green tea lingered into the finish. And the faint cherry blossom note gave this bar some extra floral polish.

Sea Buckthorn & Matcha (bar)

Fjak Chocolate is based in Eidfjord, Norway; and many of their most memorable bean-to-bar offerings include local Norwegian flavors (like apple cider; berries; reindeer moss; brown cheese). 

This Limited Edition bar was part of Fjak's "World Flavours" collection. Matcha was paired with a local orange "sea berry" (that grows on tall bushes in Northern Europe, Mongoloia, Russia--and Canada).

This elegant bar was beautifully constructed using two (fused) layers: a sea green matcha green tea layer on the bottom was topped with a golden colored (sea buckthorn) layer. The tea and fruit additions were wholly incorporated into the smooth two-toned chocolate.

The green layer was initially fairly green tea forward. Then the top layer kicked in. It was infused with tart-sweet fruit flavor (sea buckthorn, cape gooseberry, very faint tamarind). The two layers harmonized nicely and gave me a chance to better enjoy each of these two complementary flavors even as they melted into one.

The tart-sweet Sea Buckthorn fruit livened the tea up a bit -- like squeezing sweet, fresh lemon to a cup of black tea.

Summary

I loved that all three gently complex and balanced bars were not overly sweet (thank you!); and all were visually appealing, thoughtfully designed and well-executed white chocolates--blended with authentic-tasting green (Matcha) tea and fresh fruit/floral/herbal flavor inclusions.

*I don't "count" white chocolates as a formal Chocolate of the Day; but they can be fun extra entries in theme weeks.

Dandelion Chocolate - Hojicha Hot Chocolate Mix - July 9, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Dandelion Chocolate
Hojicha Hot Chocolate Mix 
Good ++ 
Weight: 1.4 oz. (40 g.) / 5.6 oz. (160 g.) in total glass container
Calories: 217 calories (estimate) in 1 serving (1/4 container)  

Cost: $18.00 for 1 container
Purchased from: Dandelion Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate and Japan Theme Week, with a few chocolates featuring Japanese green teas. Hojicha is a roasted green tea from Japan.

Today's Hojicha Hot Chocolate Mix* was from San Francisco-based Dandelion Chocolate. (The company also has a location in Tokyo, Japan).

Dandelion is most well-known for their bean-to-bar chocolate (bars). This Japanese-inspired, hot beverage blend was made with single origin 70% Camino Verde, Ecuador cacao/chocolate and was attractively packaged in a smoke-colored glass container with a cork stopper. Was this 4-serving container expensive? At $4.50 per serving, yes. But, I felt I was paying for the whole experience (being in Japan without the plane flight--or having to find parking in the Mission District of San Francisco). And I'll definitely use the glass container for other things.**

Aroma notes (after removing the stopper) included: dark chocolate (oxalis, tannic botanicals, very faint diffuse fruit (persimmon and brown sugar)), roasted and slightly acidic tea. After taking out a few spoonfuls, there were more fragrant, almost floral green tea notes below the surface.

As I prepared this into hot chocolate, the tiny granules of chocolate-y, single origin dark chocolate dissolved into a fragrant, crisp green tea background. (Tip: Try to heat this blend and whisk just enough to melt the chocolate, but not so much that you lose the more delicate (volatile) green tea notes.)

The green tea flavor was very refreshing, especially when I drank this beverage cold. (We're having a heat wave in California.) I enjoyed the opportunity to try this blend of bold and delicate, nuanced flavors; and the fact that it was very lightly sweetened (thank you!). Other tasting notes included: faint roasted, balanced earth and very slight astringency (likely from the tea).

Maker's notes: "Japanese green tea + 70% fudge-y Ecuador chocolate...that whisks up rich and creamy, drinks with subtle smoky notes and a smooth finish..." 

Ingredients: 70% Camino Verde, Ecuador chocolate (cocoa beans, organic cane sugar), light brown sugar, roasted green tea

Allergen-related information: "Packed in a facility that also processes peanuts, milk, tree nuts (almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, pecans, pistachios, walnuts, and coconuts), sesame, wheat, and soy."

*Other hot chocolate mixes currently offered by the company: a classic House Hot Chocolate, a spicy Mission Hot Chocolate, and a House Mocha blend.

**2023-2024 will go down as a period when chocolate prices rose significantly. And, due to inflation and climate changes (e.g. hotter weather, stronger storms, failed crops), prices will likely stay high.  

Wildwood Chocolate - Yuzu with Roasted Brown Rice (bar) - July 8, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Wildwood Chocolate
Yuzu with Roasted Brown Rice (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42.5 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 225 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $17.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Health Spa and Healing Center and Spa, Cavallo Point, Sausalito, CA

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate and Japan Theme Week. This week features chocolates made: in Japan; by Japanese chefs and chocolatiers; and/or with flavor inclusions inspired by Japanese cuisine.

Today's Yuzu with Roasted Brown Rice (bar) was from Wildwood Chocolate (Portland, OR). 

If you like botanically-themed chocolates, you'll appreciate the beautiful fern and floral patterns on Wildwood bars. (The company name was inspired by a favorite local trail in the Portland area.)*

Aroma notes included a complex, aromatic blend of balanced, very slightly acidic/smokey (peaty), sweet green dark chocolate, citrus and rice.

This attractive bar was a textural feast that included: thick dark and creamy; candied-fruit chewy; and light and crunchy elements.

Flavor notes included: dark chocolate (fudge-y, very slightly acidic/peaty but otherwise very smooth); candied yuzu fruit with sweet citrus and faint floral notes; and evenly toasted rice with faint roasted, nutty and malty notes.

I enjoyed the choice of rich, complex, darker (70%) chocolate--that was flavorful, yet did not overwhelm the yuzu fruit and roasted rice.

Maker's tasting notes: "Delicate floral candied yuzu pairs beautifully with subtle nutty crunchy roasted brown rice, blending beautiful flavors and textures over rich 70% dark chocolate. Enjoy a cup of genmaicha or your favorite cheese."

Ingredients: Bittersweet Chocolate (cocoa liquor, cocoa butter, sugar, sunflower lecithin, vanilla), Candied Yuzu (yuzu, beet sugar, millet jelly (tapioca starch), ascorbic acid), Roasted Brown Rice.

Allergen-related information: May contain traces of the following if not listed above due to shared equipment: soy, milk, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat and eggs.

*This may sound a little fanciful. But, Portland is also a city with a high chocolate IQ, with some serious chocolate makers and chocolatiers. 

Deux Cranes - Hojicha Caramel Milk Chocolate (bar) - July 7, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Deux Cranes
Hojicha Caramel Milk Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 191 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar

Cost: $15.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Deux Cranes, online order

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

Today's Hojicha Caramel Milk Chocolate (bar) was created by Deux Cranes LLC (Los Gatos, CA). The company's handcrafted chocolates are "rooted in Japan (and) inspired by France." (I previously featured the Deux Cranes Miso Almonds chocolate bar.)

French-trained chocolatier, Michiko Marron-Kibbey, draws on her Japanese heritage and uses Valrhona chocolate(s) from France in their bars and confections.

Aroma and flavor notes for his Hojicha bar included: smooth and creamy dark milk chocolate; lovely, very slightly floral (jasmine/jasmine rice like) green tea; and very faint caramel/brown sugar. 

The milk helped balance the sugar, and buffered any tannic acidity that might have been present in the tea without subduing the chocolate and green tea flavors. The chocolate had a smooth, rich chocolate milk flavor and finish.

I loved the light, refreshing, green tea aroma, and appreciated the well-executed balance between the various ingredients. Yes, it was sweet...and slightly addictive.

Ingredients: Caramelized Milk Chocolate (Sugar, Cocoa butter, Caramel (skimmed milk, whey (milk), sugar, butter (milk), flavoring), Whole milk powder, Cocoa beans) sunflower lecithin (Emulsifier), Hojicha Ground Tea, Sea Salt.

Allergen-related information: Contains: Milk. (This product may contain traces of nuts, milk, and gluten. Produced and packaged in the same facility as peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, soy, and milk products.

Deux Cranes - Dark Chocolate with Black Sesame + Ginger (bar) - July 6, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Deux Cranes
Dark Chocolate with Black Sesame + Ginger (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 191 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar

Cost: $16.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Deux Cranes, online order

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

Today's Dark Chocolate with Black Sesame + Ginger (bar) was created by Deux Cranes LLC (Los Gatos, CA). The company's handcrafted chocolates are "rooted in Japan and inspired by France." (I previously featured their Miso Almonds chocolate bar.)

Aroma notes included: slightly earthy and fudge-y dark chocolate; faint Umami (sesame); warm spices (maple, caramel, vanilla, ginger); and very faint fresh bread.

Texture: smooth chocolate with crunchy caramelized sesame seeds and candied/crystallized ginger bits.

Flavor notes included: dark chocolate (ultra-dark fudge brownie); faint sesame and caramel/brown sugar; and warm hints of ginger.

Maker's tasting/flavor notes: "Earthy, Sweet Spices, Balanced Bitterness"

I enjoyed the nicely balanced and complex flavors in this well-executed bar. There was a lot going on; but it worked. Sweet dark chocolate and spices and a little salty and umami. (Disclaimer: I like less sweet and Umami chocolates.)

Ingredients: Caramelized Milk Chocolate (Sugar, Cocoa butter, Caramel (skimmed milk, whey (milk), sugar, butter (milk), flavoring), Whole milk powder, Cocoa beans) sunflower lecithin (Emulsifier), Hojicha Ground Tea, Sea Salt.

Allergen-related information: Contains: Sesame, Soy. May contain traces of nuts, milk, and gluten. Packaged and processed in the same facility as peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, soy, and milk products.

Amano Artisan Chocolate - Citrus Melange A Trois 63% dark chocolate (bar) - July 5, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Amano Artisan Chocolate
Citrus Melange A Trois 63% dark chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.4 oz. (40 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 205 calories in 1 serving (approximately 1/2 bar)
Cost: $10.25 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar & Cocoa, online order 

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate and Japan Theme Week. Common flavor inclusions this week include Yuzu citrus, sesame seeds, green tea and other umami flavors.

Today's Citrus Melange A Trois 63% cocoa dark chocolate (bar) was made by Amano Chocolate Company (Orem, UT).

Aroma notes for this bar included: chocolate torte with citrus (orange, tangerine, other tart-sweet orange and citrus fruit); and very faint, fleeting botanicals/spices (green pepper/peppery greens, oxalis, citrus-pine, vanilla).

Texture: smooth dark chocolate with citrus flavors and an occasional, tiny trophy bit of citrus.

I really enjoyed the blend of dark chocolate and complex (and complementary) micro-bursts of authentic, tart-sweet citrus--including Yuzu fruit from Japan.*

Note: Amano also offers a Japanese Sea Salt and Cocoa Nibs bar.

Maker's tasting notes: "Haunting flavor notes of Yuzu, tangerine, and grapefruit enrich the deep chocolate flavor. Orange pieces provide a layer of juiciness."

Ingredients: Chocolate: Cocoa Beans, Pure Cane Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Whole Vanilla Beans, Yuzu, Tangerine, and Grapefruit, Orange Pieces: Apple Puree, Apple Juice, Orange Juice, Fiber, Pectin, Paprika.

Allergen-related information: "May Contain Traces of Peanuts, Tree Nuts, Soy, Wheat and Milk Products"

*Citrus fruits originated in Asia; but there are a few hybrid citrus varieties, like Yuzu (aka Japanese citron), that are associated with Japan.

Dandelion Chocolate - Tokyo Gateau chocolate cake - July 4, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Dandelion Chocolate
Tokyo Gateau chocolate cake
Good ++ - Good +++  
Weight: 4.85 oz. (113.3 g.) / 9.7 oz. (275 g.) in total cake
Calories: (Unknown)
Cost: $55.00 for 1 cake

Purchased from: Dandelion Chocolate, online order

Kon'nichiwa, yokoso (hello and welcome) to Day #3 of Chocolate and Japan Theme Week.

Today's Tokyo Gateau (chocolate cake)--ensconced in a reusable, wooden box was made by the Tokyo Pastry team in the Japan kitchen of Dandelion Chocolate (San Francisco, CA).

Aroma notes for this French-style chocolate cake included: rich, buttery smooth dark chocolate (ganache, buttery torte). 

I think of a French gateau as a buttery, velvety, cake (often with an incorporated filling or frosting layer). 

The texture for this one was indeed thick, buttery soft, velvety, and chocolate-y; and, yes, it was similar to a French Gateau au Chocolat. And it was very rich. 

It was described as having a texture of thick, creamy cheese. A chocolate version of creamy brie--but with dairy butter and silken eggs rather than cheese flavors. One slice of this chocolate cake with the texture of chocolate butter was enough to satisfy me. 

Flavor notes included: rich chocolate, caramel and very faint, diffuse buttery fruit (Anamalai cacao is somewhat fruity).

I loved that this rich chocolate cake was gluten-free, full of chocolate flavor, and made with four, "carefully sourced" ingredients. 

Reflecting the large jump in chocolate prices in the past year*, this cake was quite pricey; however, it was cheaper than hopping on a plane to Tokyo. (I also am enjoying reusing the wooden box for art supplies.) It was a deceptively simple cake, but probably one I wouldn't have had the patience to make. (Getting the eggs to behave can be harder than some think.)

Ingredients: Dandelion 70% chocolate (cocoa beans from Anamalai, India, organic cane sugar), butter, organic cane sugar, eggs. 

Allergen-related information: Contains milk (butter) and eggs. Made in a facility that also processes milk, wheat, eggs, peanuts, soy, sesame, tree nuts (almonds, hazelnuts).

Maker's description: "Developed to highlight the distinctive tasting notes of two complementary origins--(one being) Dandelion Japan 70% Anamalai, India, 2019 Harvest chocolate...These fudgy, almost cheesecake-like confections are crafted from single-origin chocolate, organic cane sugar, orange-yolked eggs, and unsalted butter. They contain no flour, and their silky texture is achieved by precise mixing and careful monitoring of ingredient temperature.

*The jump in cacao prices are due to many global factors, ranging from bad weather/storms hitting several key cacao growing nations (ruining crops) to inflation all through the supply chain. In today's case international shipping of a perishable pastry/cake from Japan to San Francisco (and then to my house during the summer) added to the price as well.

Cacao & Cardamom Chocolatier - Triple Citrus Crunch 68% (bar) - July 3, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Cacao & Cardamom
Triple Citrus Crunch 68% (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++ 
Weight: 1.75 oz. (50 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 271 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Cacao & Cardamom, online order

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

Today's Triple Citrus Crunch 68% (bar) was from Cacao & Cardamom Chocolatier (Houston, TX).

Aroma notes for this elegant-looking bar included: dark chocolate, sweet and aromatic citrus (orange cookie), and faint warm spice (ginger).

Texture: smooth, hearty dark chocolate, slightly chewy bits of ginger and various nuanced citrus flavors/pieces, and lightly crispy-crunchy puffed rice.

Flavor notes included: dark chocolate and very nicely nuanced citrus flavors ranging from a peel that was "yellower" than orange and mellow and warm in flavor; another piece that had more of a sweet orange-kumquat-like citrus zing, and a third citrus that was quite rounded/mellow and nice orange.

I really enjoyed this beguiling flavor and visual feast of a bar. I very much appreciated being able to taste the nuanced citrus flavors. (The peels and dried fruit weren't overly sugared or candied.) I also liked the well-executed balance between the flavors and textures: the dark chocolate, three types of Japanese citrus, ginger and puffed rice.

Ingredients: 68% Bolivia (Cacao Kernel, Sugar, Cacao Butter), Dried Amantsu (amantsu, beet sugar, millet jelly, ascorbic acid), Dried Iyokan (iyokan, beet sugar, millet jelly, ascorbic acid), Dried Yuzu (Yuzu, beet sugar, millet jelly, ascorbic acid), Rice Puff (rice flour, sugar, barley malt extract salt, rice extract), Dehydrated Orange

Allergen-related information: "Made in a Facility that handles tree nuts"

World Market - Kyoto Style Cold Brew Coffee Dark Chocolate (bar) - Apr. 18, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Manufactured for World Market
(Chocolates of the World series)
Kyoto Style Cold Brew Coffee Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 150 calories in 1/3 (1 oz. of) bar
Cost: $N/A - gift from family member
Purchased from: N/A - Gift from Megan (thank you!)

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

Today's Kyoto Style Cold Brew Coffee Dark Chocolate (bar) was manufactured for World Market* by Astor Chocolate Corp. (Lakewood, NJ). 

Kyoto style refers to a cold brew style coffee also known as cold drip coffee.

Aroma notes for this bar included: dark roast coffee (and cacao), dark chocolate, and faint vanilla.

The well-tempered broke with a snap in a cool room (67 degrees F. (18.3 degrees C.)). The smooth dark chocolate was embedded with tiny bits of ground, roasted coffee beans and cacao nibs (pieces of cacao bean), that contributed a mild grittiness

The flavors were well balanced and smooth and were well integrated (uniform). The individual roasted notes of chocolate and coffee were difficult to identify and distinguish (between each other).

Ingredients: Dark chocolate (chocolate liquor, sugar, cocoa butter, soy lecithin, natural vanilla flavor), cocoa nibs, ground roasted coffee beans

Allergen-related information: Contains soy. May contain milk, wheat, peanuts, and tree nuts.

*Formerly Cost Plus World Market.

Zotter - Yuzu Citrus from Japan (milk chocolate bar) - May 27, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Zotter
"Yuzu Citrus from Japan" (milk chocolate bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 360 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $8.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order 

Welcome to Day #9 of Chocolate and V, W, X, Y and Z Theme Week, featuring chocolate items with origins and flavor inclusions starting with the letters V, W, X,* Y and/or Z.

Today's "Yuzu Citrus from Japan" (bar) was made in Austria and distributed by Zotter Chocolates US LLC (Cape Coral, FL).

Imports of fresh Yuzu** fruit from Japan, China, Korea and/or other countries of origin, have not been allowed into the U.S., due to concerns about possible agricultural disease/pests. This restriction has relegated tasting this fruit to a rare, exotic experience for most. 

Happily, today's filled (fair trade) chocolate bar from Austria was a celebration of yuzu citrus fruit.

The uniform, bright, citrus-floral aroma and flavor of the sweetened, yuzu fruit layer was surrounded by a thin layer of 50% milk chocolate that had just enough flavor to provide a smooth, rich contrast to the fruit, but not so strong as to out-compete the lovely yuzu.

Very judicious amounts of vanilla and cinnamon were welcome background accents.

Ingredients: Organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter, organic cocoa mass, organic yuzu juice, dry whole milk, organic glucose syrup, dry skim milk, dry sweet whey, organic dark brown cane sugar, organic vanilla bean powder, organic soy lecithin, salt, organic cinnamon.

Allergen-related information: "Contains milk, soy...Manufactured on equipment that processes tree nuts, peanuts, eggs and sesame."

*A tribute to the letter X. Sharp minds may have noticed the lack of chocolate items with origins or flavor inclusions that started with the letter "x." However, mentioning today's xanthic (yellowish) yuzu fruit, gives a xenomaniac like me an opportunity to tell you that the modern Chinese word for yuzu (a Japanese word thought by some to have been "borrowed" from ancient Chinese), is xiāngchéng.

**Yuzu (Citrus junos) is an aromatic (floral) citrus fruit grown in Southeast Asia, that likely originated in China many centuries ago. It is grown in Japan, China, Korea and, more recently, Australia and Europe. A yuzu fruit, about the size of a tangerine, and has been compared to lemon, a sweet-tart lime and even grapefruit (although nowhere near as strong/astringent as the latter in my experience). It has a pleasing, aromatic, tart-sweet flavor. You may have tasted it in marinades and sauces. (Ponzu sauce is often some combination of yuzu juice, soy/tamari sauce, sweet rice wine vinegar, and seaweed/fish flakes.)

One of my favorite descriptions of yuzu fruit appeared in the New Yorker (magazine) in a short Kitchen Notes article last year (Feb. 2020) by Helen Rosner titled "Nothing Compares to Yuzu."  In this piece, Rosner writes: 

"The knobbly-skinned Japanese fruits are among the most exquisite members of the citrus family: more floral than an orange and nearly as tart as a lime, with a scent that is dense and disarming, the Froot-Loops-y honey of a lemon blossom wrapped around an astringent armature of industrial floor cleaner (which is somehow exquisite), then magnified tenfold, then mailed to the moon."

Winter Fancy Food Show - SF, Jan. 11, 2015

Winter Fancy Food Show
San Francisco, CA -- Jan. 11-13, 2015

The Winter Fancy Food Show (San Francisco, CA -- Jan. 11-13, 2015) was held this week. I saw as many of the 1,300 exhibitors from around the world as I could (in both halls of the Moscone Center Convention Center). I scouted for trends and new products, and spoke with colleagues and friends.

If you are part of the specialty food and beverage industry, I recommend attending this show at least once. Two full days are preferable than trying to do it one; but it's a bit easier if you focus on one food category, say cheese, or olive oil. Or, in my case, chocolate.

Chocolate: something for everyone
The chocolatiers and makers at this show ran the gamut -- novelty, classic, artisan, big and small. And the products range from chocolate bars, truffles and confections to chocolate being used as an inclusion in another food or dessert item -- energy bars, kale snacks, cookies, you name it.

It was great to see classic companies like Idaho Candy Co. (Boise, ID), maker of the potato-shaped,  Idaho Spud candy bar, the Cherry Cocktail and the Old Faithful. This is still a family run company after 100 years. Amazing. (Photo of three brothers at right.)

I enjoyed seeing marketing innovators like Vosges (Chicago, IL). They had a beautiful booth, decked out with great images, greenery, flowers, and new flavor combinations.

Chocolat (Fredericksburg, TX) impressed with liquor/spirits-filled chocolates (liquid centers encased with a crunchy corn starch casing and covered with chocolate). Toffee is a competitive market, there are several good, gluten-free ones out there these days. I enjoyed catching up with local (Bay Area-based) Toffee Talk founders/owners. They make some great toffees.

And, even after eating more than 3,000 chocolates, I'm still discovering companies with new flavors, and meeting great new chocolate-makers, and single origin bar chocolatiers.

For example, Lourdes Delgado de Pandzic, President of Chchukululu Arriba Dark Chocolate, traveled to the Bay Area from Guayaquil, Ecuador. She was very interesting to talk with, and a great booster for her country and cacao farmers there.


Across the aisle from her, was Richard O'Connor, co-founder of Chocolate and Love (U.K.), maker of "organic and ethical chocolate." I also enjoyed their fun bar packaging that featured celebrity-look-alike dog images.

Trends
More gluten-free and organic offerings were on display. For someone like me who can't have wheat or gluten, but who loves good food, the pasta and baked good sections are looking more appealing with each passing year. E.g., Walkers Shortbread (U.K. company known for their shortbread, biscuits and oatcakes) will be offering gluten-free regular (and chocolate chip) shortbread cookies. Look for them in stores this spring.


Other trends called out in a Show Press fact sheet included the growing number of items with Asian flavors (think higher quality green teas, soy, wasabi, rice, etc.); more snack bars and spreadable products. The "Melt" chocolate spread (made with coconut oil) was very light and could be incorporated into a variety of desserts and confections, as could some of the nut butters we saw.

I'd been looking for items to create a Chocolate and Indian Snack Theme Week. And now, after this show, I have enough for a theme week in February or March on this site, ChocolateBanquet.com. (Think spicy cashews, mango chutney, crispy peanuts, lentils, cardamom and chai spices, etc.)

For more information, check out the Specialty Food Association website.

ChocolateBet: August 24, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:

2 pieces
Furuta Confectionery Co., Ltd.
(Exported by Daiso Industries Co., Ltd.)
Chocolate(s with) strawberry crem (sic) filling
Good +
Weight: .4 oz. (12.66 g.) in 2 pieces / 1.8 oz. (57 g.) total package of 9 pieces
Calories: 69 calories (estimate) in 2 pieces
Cost: $
Purchased from: Daiso store, in Mountain View, CA

Today was the last day (Day #7) of Chocolate and Berries Theme Week, and today's chocolate (individually wrapped milk chocolates filled with strawberry cream filling) from Furuta (and brought to the U.S. courtesy of Daiso) hailed from Japan. For anyone in the U.S. not familiar with Daiso, they are a very large worldwide retail chain. Daiso stores are typically packed with economically priced goods ranging from chop sticks and dishes to writing pads and wrapping paper.

It was a very hot day today (over 100 degrees Farenheit). A cool beverage was in order; so I blended some summer-themed iced water, lemonade and frozen berries to accompany these chocolates.

ChocolateBet: April 26, 2009

Chocolate of the Day:

2 pieces
Tokyo Nostalgie/Nostalgy
(Distributed by Noda USA)
Chocolate Mochi
Good - Good +
Weight: .706 oz. (20 g.)/ 3.53 oz. (100 g.) total box of 10
Calories: 105 calories (estimate)
Cost: $4.50
Purchased from: nippon-ya, in Japantown area of San Francisco, CA

This box was adorned with night-time and sunset city scenes of a bridge (not sure which one). "Please have memories of the travel all together" the wrapper states.

I'm guessing this "Rare Chocolate Mochi" item was packaged for Japanese people living in the U.S. who may be thinking fondly of home, or Japanese tourists who visit San Francisco and who find mochi more difficult to find in the U.S. Or, for anyone that might like mochi or chocolate, like me.

Mochi is a sweet, slightly starchy and gelatinous item -- the gnocchi of the dessert world. Ingredients include vegetable starch syrups (corn, potato, and/or sweet potato), sugar, rice (cake) powder, oils, and albumen. It is usually gluten-free as well.

Mochi is somewhat difficult to find, even in west coast cities like San Francisco that have a Japantown. And, chooclate mochi is, indeed, even rarer.

ChocolateBet: December 13, 2006

Chocolate of the Day: 

Meiji Chocolate
Cacao 86% dark chocolates
OK+
Weight: 2 pieces / 1300 mg.? (130 g.) total package of 10 pieces
Calories: (had trouble translating label)
Purchased from: Lawson's (store), Tokyo, Japan

While on a business trip to Tokyo, I wandered into Lawson's, a store (chain) that looked like a Japanese version of U.S.-based 7-11 store - only stocked with slightly better, or at least more interesting food items. This is the third little store I've ducked into on the walk to and from meetings, and they're all fun to check out.

Surprise, they have great potato salad and a few weird/great flavored potato chip flavors over here. The store employees/owners were also unfailingly polite, and answered my silly questions about chocolate, and about a chewing gum that is supposed to make you smell nice. I remember reading about this in a magazine a few months ago, and wanted to pick up a pack or two of this gum to take back home.

However, my trying to act out this concept "yes....gum...(make pretend gum chewing face) that makes you smell nice... after you chew it...)" was pretty entertaining to these folks, but they were very nice about it, and tried not to laugh too much.

Today I tried some Meiji brand dark chocolates (10 pieces in a package). They were OK, but were sort of bitter. They're 86%(!) cacao. Wow, no wonder.

ChocolateBet: December 10, 2006

Chocolate of the Day:

Today I ate almost half of a Black Pearl bar. What is a Black Pearl you might ask? It is a great Asian-flavored dark chocolate (55% cacao) bar from Vosges Haut-Chocolat (Chicago, IL) - with hints of ginger, wasabi, and black sesame seeds. It was very good, and particularly relevant given that we will be traveling around Tokyo this week.

I had fun sharing this bar with Jennifer, Mark and Bill.

After meetings today and this evening, I plan to go up to my hotel room and read Haruki Murakami's book "Kafka on the Shore" before going to sleep. This author has a great imagination; animals often speak to him. I wonder if Mr. Murakami likes chocolate? Maybe a talking chocolate cat?