J. Street Chocolate - Caramelized Koji Mylk 55% (bar) - April 17, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

J. Street Chocolate 
Caramelized Koji Mylk 55% (bar)

Good ++ 

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

Calories: 136.4 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.00 (web site price today) for 1 bar
Purchased from: J. Street Chocolate, online order

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

Today's Caramelized Koji Mylk 55% (bar) was made by J. Street Chocolate (San Francisco, CA). J. Street founder and chocolate maker (Julia Street) explores chocolate "through the world of fermentation, upcycled food, and single origin bars." 

Fermentation enhances umami and other flavors. (Almost all chocolates are made with fermented and roasted cacao.) Pairing chocolate with other fermented foods--and umami flavors including vegetables, meats, sauces, as well as mushrooms and fungi* is very interesting to me; so please forgive the longer, nerdier, review for this bar.

Today's inclusion was koji, a prized fungus that can be cultivated on rice (mold inoculated grain) and used to ferment sugars and alter proteins. The result: flavor development. Koji is used in fermented products ( miso, sake, soy sauce, meju, shochu, mirin, and other foods and beverages). There was koji in yesterday's featured J. Street Chocolate 72% Shoyu Chocolate bar.) And, like chocolate, koji can go sweet or savory.

Aroma notes for this mylk chocolate bar included: chocolate (chocolate-y/dark milk chocolate ganache, lemony green herb (oxalis), caramel, faint and diffuse fruit(s), very faint aromatic rice, and very light savory.

Texture: uniform, relatively smooth texture and melt. There was a very faint graininess/astringency that developed a few seconds in. But by the end it had a clean, less astringent, almost fresh finish -- almost like the koji cleared and I got a clearer taste of fruit in the cacao. There were some fun microscopic interactions going on in this gentle and tasty game of hide-and-seek.

Flavor notes included: dark milk/mylk chocolate with some very faint tropical fruit (Botan) rice candy notes. After the first bite, there was an interesting (in a good way), very subtle taste shift that happened that was hard to explain. 

There was a whisp of menthol-like coolness (without any strong mint or menthol flavor) that felt like a mellowing/settling in the flavor in the first bite. The slightly lemon-green (oxalis) citrusy note fell off a bit, but a pleasant tangy-ness remained. 

Subsequent bites also had slight shape-shifting quality, including recurring, very light flickers of fruit (cacao fruit, fleeting red berry) and caramel in subsequent bites. 

The sweetness level of this 55% mylk chocolate seemed right; i.e., it was not too sweet. (Thank you!) The flavors were nicely balanced, and subtly complex. 

Like the other J. Street Chocolate bars sampled this week, this Koji 55% bar was thoughtfully conceived, well-executed and fun to try. I really appreciated Julia Street's willingness to explore savory chocolate options, choice of fermented flavor inclusions (expertly matched with specific cacao varieties/origins), and her process.**

Ingredients: "cacao beans from Tanzania*, cocoa butter*, cane sugar*, caramelized rice koji (Koda Hills white rice*, aspergillus oryzae)"  * organic

Allergen-related information: (No allergen information printed on packaging; check with J. Street if you have questions.)

*Umami foods are higher in glutamate, a contributor to the savory "fifth" flavor. It's not the same as salty; umami foods have more "meaty" depth--even if there's no meat. (E.g., miso soups, or tomato sauces with parmesan cheese and mushrooms, etc.)

** The following is Street's description of how she made this bar and some tasting notes: 

"...I dry and caramelize the koji rice slowly to bring out the sugars and the Maillard effect. Then I grind it before adding it to the chocolate as the "milk". It lends a caramel sweetness (and I can use less sugar than most bars!) and makes for a really balanced bar."

"Just as important for this bar are the cocoa beans from Kok(o)a Kamili in Tanzania. This origin's fruitiness is a perfect match for the koji's nutty properties I bring out."

"In this bar I taste notes of strawberry, caramel, biscoff cookie, and rye..."

J. Street Chocolate - Olive The Thyme 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) - April 15, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

J. Street Chocolate 
Olive The Thyme 70% Dark Chocolate (bar)

Good ++ - Good +++

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

Calories: 136.4 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.00 (web site price today) for 1 bar
Purchased from: J. Street Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate and Umami Theme Week--and time to feature a few chocolate bars from J. Street Chocolate (San Francisco, CA). 

J. Street founder and bean-to-bar chocolate maker (Julia Street) explores chocolate "through the world of fermentation, upcycled food, and single origin bars." 

Today's bar includes one of my favorite fermented and umami foods: olives. There aren't many chocolates with olives (although there are some good ones made with olive oil). So, I was delighted to find this bar -- made less than 35 miles from where I live.

Olives are fermented. And the process of fermentation often enhances umami and other flavors (think miso soup, kimchi, marmite, parmesan cheese, etc.). Almost all chocolates are made with fermented and roasted cacao. I'm fond of umami flavor inclusions in (and pairings with) chocolate.

Aroma notes for today's "Olive The Thyme" 70% dark chocolate (Batch # OTT11) included: dark chocolate, faint lemon-green herb (oxalis) and very faint salt/savory. The olives were harvested in/from Healdsburg (California)--and cured--by the maker.

Texture: smooth dark chocolate with crunchy textural accents from roasted almond bits. (The almonds were roasted just right.)

Flavor notes included: bright, slightly acidic but balanced fruity dark chocolate, and slightly savory (olive) and very faint almond (mostly in the texture, a wee bit in the taste). The toasted almond bits helped balance the fruit/acidity. The olive and the thyme were both very subtle. Soft, complex ripples of flavor--slightly more present in some bites than others--made this a mellow, well-executed, chocolate umami treasure.

A doff of the hat to the maker for her choices, including the complementary cacao origin/variety and  highlighting fermented and umami flavors and ingredients (olives + chocolate + almonds + thyme in this case). I like chocolate and umami flavors (apart and together); and I've also foraged and made olives before. I could imagine and appreciate the process that went into the creation of this bar; and that was fun.

Maker's description/tasting notes: "Bright fruity chocolate paired with locally cured black olives, toasted almonds, and lemon thyme...The fruitiness of the Tanzanian beans pairs...with the bright citrus-y butter-y olives..."

Ingredients: "cacao beans from Kokoa Kamili in Tanzania*, cane sugar*, almonds*, locally cured black olives, cocoa butter*, lemon thyme (*Organic)

Allergen-related information: (Contained almonds.) (No other allergen information was listed on the packaging.)

J. Street Chocolate - Camino Verde, Ecuador 72% (bar) - Dec. 17, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

J. Street Chocolate
Camino Verde, Ecuador 72% (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 136 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $10.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: J. Street Chocolate, online order

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

Today's single origin, bean-to-bar Camino Verde, Ecuador 72% chocolate was made by J. Street Chocolate (San Francisco, CA).

Aroma notes included: subtle dark sweet chocolate with faint earthy notes.

Texture: well-tempered, this bar broke with a hard snap in a cool room; and it had a uniform texture and melt.

Flavor notes included: relatively bold, earthy chocolate (loam, buttermilk), with light, balanced sour and bitter earth notes. 

Maker's tasting notes: "Notes of rich cocoa, brioche bread, and elderflower"

Ingredients: "cacao nibs from Camino Verde in Ecuador*, cane sugar*, less than 1% cocoa butter*" (* = Organic)

Allergen-related information: organic ingredients; no other notes listed. (Made in a home kitchen.)

Dandelion Chocolate - 100% Camino Verde, Ecuador (bar) - Apr. 25, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Dandelion Chocolate
100% Camino Verde, Ecuador
Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar
Calories: 155 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $13.00 (estimate) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order 

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

Today's single origin, single ingredient 100% Camino Verde, Ecuador (bar) was made by Dandelion Chocolate (San Francisco, CA). 

Rich, layered aroma with tart sweet fruit (apple, stone fruit - peach, very faint cherry), subtle molasses, warm spice, very faint green floral notes. and faint brown fruit (date, dried persimmon, very faint fruit vinegar).

This 100% bar had a thick, substantial texture at room temperature (65 degrees F. / 18 degrees C.).

Though the overall taste will strike some as bitter, or even a tad sour, this ultra-dark chocolate offered rich and complex dark flavor depth, like a fine stout or porter.* 

Do savor a small square of this chocolate slowly to taste this full ebony-dark palette untainted and un-brightened by sugar. There was a dark roast quality to this chocolate without it actually tasting roasted. (A unilateral dark roast would likely have destroyed some of the more nuanced botanical and green notes.)

Flavor notes, in order of appearance, included: earth, mellow green seed/nut and other very faint green floral/botanical notes, subtle baked biscuit (yeast bread), clean mineral, green waxy plant, hops and malt, and other elusive elements (possibly a barely there glimmer of dark/sour fruit acidity, and relatively pleasing edible leaves (artichoke). 

The chocolate had a long finish that lasted for at least four minutes, and conjured up imaginary notions of an Edam/Cheddar cheese plate with unsalted nuts, dried fruit--with an ultra-dark beer, with a porter-spiked, 100% chocolate, barely sweetened, beer fruit cake for dessert. Quite a fantasy meal from just the first few bites of chocolate.

The cacao beans (harvested in 2019) used to make this 100% bar "were grown by producers all around Ecuador and were fermented by Vicente Norero near Guayaquil."

Dandelion makers' tasting notes: "...Eric visited Camino Verde (translation: green road) in 2016, and was impressed by the unique fermentation process. In this bar we taste notes of creme fraiche, black coffee, and roasted peanuts."

Ingredients: Cocoa beans

Allergen-related information: "Contains no dairy, gluten, nuts, or soy." "May contain trace amounts of sugar."

*Think 1 part stout with "chocolate" malt, 1 part porter, with a dash of lambic perhaps.

Sjaak's Organic Chocolates - Golden Gate Bridge Dark Chocolate (bar) - April 3, 2020

Chocolate of the Day: 

Sjaak's Organic Chocolates
Golden Gate San Francisco Organic Dark Chocolate (bar with) Almonds
Good +
Weight: 2 oz. (56 g.) in total bar
Calories: 280 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $ missing information
Purchased from: SweetE Organic, Mill Valley, CA

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

Today's Golden Gate San Francisco Organic Dark Chocolate (bar with) Almonds was from Sjaak's Organic Chocolates (Petaluma, CA).

The packaging bore the image of the iconic Golden Gate Bridge, located about 39 miles from Sjaak's.

This bar had a nice, smooth texture, slightly slow melt and creamy mouthfeel. The dark chocolate flavor was smooth without being boring, with a fleeting hint of upbeat spice (cinnamon) and vanilla.* Almond bits added some nutty texture.

*Note: This bar contained vanilla, but no cinnamon.

Strawberries and Sprinkles - Strawberries dipped in Belgian dark chocolate - Feb. 14, 2020

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

Strawberries and Sprinkles
Strawberries Hand Dipped in Real Belgian Dark Chocolate
Good ++
Weight: 1.75 oz. (49.5 g.) / 3.5 oz. (99 g.) in total container of 4
Calories: 110 calories estimate for 2 strawberries
Cost: $7.99 for 1 container of 4 chocolate covered strawberries
Purchased from: Safeway, Palo Alto, CA

Happy Valentines Day and welcome to Day #1 of Chocolate and Strawberries Theme Week.
Roses, chocolates and red berries (heart-shaped strawberries fit right in) go together on this romantic February holiday.

Big, plump, sweet ripe strawberries hand-dipped in dark chocolate. These were as tasty as they were visually appealing.

-o-o-o-o-

I also revisited a San Francisco classic...dark chocolate truffles with a hint of burnt caramel from Recchuiti Confections (San Francisco, CA) that I found across the Golden Gate Bridge in Sausalito, CA. Fittingly, these truffles were adorned with images of this iconic bay area bridge.

Recchuiti Confections
(for COA Chocolate, Sausalito, CA)
Filled dark chocolates/truffles (with Golden Gate Bridge designs)
Good +
Weight: .88 oz (24.9 g.) (estimate) in 2 pieces
Calories: 132 calories (estimate) in 2 pieces
Cost: $5.50 (estimate) for 2 pieces
Purchased from: COA Chocolate, Sausalito, CA

Note: Photos have been delayed this month, but will be posted later.

Halo - Dark Chocolate Cashew Cluster - Nov. 8, 2016

Chocolate of the Day: 

Halo Fine Confections
Dark Chocolate Cashew Cluster
Good - Good +
Weight: .5 oz. (14.1 g.) in 1 cluster
Calories: 75 calories in 1 cluster
Cost: $ missing information
Purchased from: missing information

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

Today's chocolate was a small, individually wrapped Dark Chocolate Cashew Cluster from Halo Fine Confections (San Francisco, CA) distributed by Watlington Foods, LLC (San Francisco, CA).

These Halo Singles (one of several flavors from the company) were tasty and filled with a generous amount of cashew pieces. The dark chocolate clusters were "made from high cocoa content Belgian chocolate" and "fairly traded ingredients."

Petit Pot - Dark Chocolate Pot de Creme - July 28, 2016

Chocolate of the Day: 

Petit Pot
Dark Chocolate Pot de Creme
Good ++ - Very Good
Weight: 3.9 oz. (110 g.) in total serving/jar
Calories: 260 calories in one serving/jar
Cost: $4.49 for 1 serving/jar
Purchased from: Piazza's Fine Foods, Palo Alto, CA

Bienvenue (welcome) to Day #3 of Chilled Chocolate Theme Week.

Today's Dark Chocolate Pot de Creme from Petit Pot (San Francisco, CA) was made with organic milk, cream and sugar.

The small glass jar was full of creamy, silky chocolate texture and flavor. A good pot de creme is rich but also seems to have an almost angelic, uniformly spun lightness to it too. This creme had those qualities.

Petit Pot's Dark Chocolate Pot de Creme was part of a line of French-inspired, small chilled desserts (and packaged cookies).

The company is described as a "blend of age-old French pastry practice with modern California culinary flourishes." More specifically it's the creation of Max (a pastry chef) and Pierre (a food engineer) who both grew up in Southern France and now make their home in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Carre2 Chocolat - Aragua Venezuela bar - Sept. 11, 2015

Chocolate of the Day:

Carre2 Chocolat
Aragua Venezuela 78 percent bar
Good ++
Weight: .626 oz. (17.7 g.) / 2.82 oz. (80 g.) in total bar
Calories: 94 calories (estimate) in 2/9 bar
Cost: $18.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: CocoaBella Chocolates, San Francisco, CA

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

Today was another delicious milestone in the Chocolate Banquet journey. I had a birthday. But, more important, today marked nine years that I've been eating a different chocolate every day.

And enjoying a series of single origin bars from Venezuela this week has been an excellent way to celebrate my ninth year of chocolate.

This Limited Edition Aragua 78% bar made by Pierre Marcolini (Brussels, Belgium) was sold as an exclusive for/at CocoaBella Chocolates, located in Westfield San Francisco (Shopping) Centre* (San Francisco, CA).

This bar had a pleasing flavor and thick, but smooth melt (likely influenced by amount/type of soy lecithin and cocoa butter). The "fat" seemed to obscure the full impact of the potential flavors, but it could have been that the "fatter" mouth feel was the right way to go for this particular batch. It might have balanced out other flavor elements or because they wanted a richer melt. I wasn't there tasting the beans, so I don't want to second guess the chocolate maker.

Aragua is a state (estado) in Venezuela. And the Criollo Primitif (heritage?) cacao beans came from Hacienda Chuao. It is: "Chocolat Puissant, Fraicheur Acidulee et Fruitee."

Chuao is a small, relatively inaccessible village in the northern coastal range in Venezuela, known for its cacao plantations. One can't drive there; access is by boat or by foot.

*CocoaBella Chocolates has a second location, further south, in Westfield Valley Fair shopping center, Santa Clara, CA.

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

Dandelion - 100% Camino Verde Ecuador bar - July 7, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

Dandelion Chocolate
100% Camino Verde Ecuador bar
Good - Good +
Weight: .66 oz. (18.66 g.) / 2 oz. (56 g.) in total bar
Calories: 99 calories (estimate) in 1/3 bar
Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Dandelion Chocolate, San Francisco, CA

Today was Day #3 of Chocolate and Ecuador Theme Week.

A true, one hundred percent cacao bar represent chocolate at its essence. Just cocoa solids and cocoa fat (butter). There is no sugar, or other "fillers" to hide behind.

And, whereas the first bite of a regular, 70% cacao bar may yield a slight warm, lilting rush of flavors and sweetness, the first bite of some 100% bars can be more like jumping into a cold pool. A bit shocking at first, but also a bit thrilling and refreshing.

Today I had a great opportunity to try two very dark bars side by side that were both made with cacao from Camino Verde, Ecuador: a 100% bar and an 85% bar (featured yesterday). Both were from Dandelion Chocolate (San Francisco, CA). Side by side tastings are a great way to learn about chocolate, and to find out what you like best.

Today's 100% Camino Verde Ecuador bar had a sweet, loamy earth aroma. It broke with a hard snap. The first bite yielded a bitterness that quickly settled down and evened out to a uniform bitter earthy flavor with a very faint hint of tobacco or smoke. (It was relatively low in acid or "fruit" notes, that often seem to be enhanced by sugar.)

Both yesterday's 85% Camino Verde Ecuador bar (2014 Harvest, Batch #1) and today's 100% Camino Verde Ecuador bar (2014 Harvest, Batch #1) were fairly smooth and even in taste and texture and had a slight bitterness to them. It was interesting to note that the 100% bar (with no sugar) seemed to smell sweeter than the 85% bar (I didn't expect that), even though the 100% bar had a more bitter flavor (I did expect that).

Dandelion Chocolate produces a line of attractively wrapped, single origin, bean-to-bar chocolate bars. They've built relationships with cacao farmers in countries that have included Ecuador, the Dominican Republic, Belize, Papua New Guinea, Liberia and Madagascar. As with other chocolate-makers, they are also constantly evaluating beans from different sources, to help ensure quality over time (harvests and batches do vary), and to investigate new sources. (E.g., they recently made an exploratory trip to Cuba.)

Ghirardelli Chocolate - Creamy Almond Crunch bar - June 12, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

Ghirardelli Chocolate Company
Creamy Almond Crunch bar
Good
Weight: 1.67 oz. (47.5 g.) / 3.34 oz. (95 g.) in total bar
Calories: 253.3 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $2.99 (sale) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Walgreens, Los Altos, CA

Today was Day #4 of Chocolate and Almonds Theme Week.

Aptly named, the Creamy Almond Crunch Bar from Ghirardelli Chocolate Company (San Leandro, CA) melted in my mouth. The buttery milk chocolate was balanced by a creamy and slightly crunchy almond filling -- advertised as a "creamy roasted almond filling blended with caramelized almond pieces." There's that word creamy again.

It's creamy, slightly nutty flavor and texture appealed to me today. My only quibble was with the ingredients list, i.e. a there were a few ingredients I'd rather not see, such as "natural and artificial flavors, soy lecithin -- an emulsifier, corn starch, salt, vanilla, TBHQ -- an antioxidant, and corn syrup."

Ghirardelli has a long history when it comes to making and selling chocolates -- beginning in 1852 in the Gold Rush era in San Francisco. Ghirardelli is the oldest continuously operating chocolate maker in the San Francisco Bay Area (and perhaps the U.S). Etienne Guittard soon followed. Both Ghirardelli and Guittard are still making chocolate in the San Francisco Bay Area in San Leandro and South San Francisco, respectively.

Dandelion Chocolate - Cacao fruit smoothie - June 8, 2015 (bonus post)

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

Dandelion Chocolate
Cacao Fruit Smoothie
Good ++
Weight: 10 oz. (estimate)
Calories: unknown
Cost: $7.00
Purchased from: Dandelion Chocolate, San Francisco, CA

I would be remiss if I left out a beverage made with real cacao fruit pulp on the last day of Chocolate Tea and Beverage Theme Week.

Cacao fruit or pulp surrounds a core of perhaps two dozen large cacao "seeds" found in each cacao pod.

Dandelion Chocolate (San Francisco, CA) is the only place I know of in the San Francisco Bay Area where one can buy such as thing.

Dandelion's cacao fruit smoothie is light-colored, sweet and fruity. It's described as having a "tropical lychee" flavor. And it was a great refreshing cold drink to have on a hot day.

I was at Dandelion Chocolate to listen to a presentation about the company's cacao sourcing trip to Cuba, and to see if there were any new chocolate items I might have missed. I walked away with four new single origin bars to try, and some interesting facts about cacao production in Cuba.

Cacao from Cuba
This evening's speakers talked about their exploratory trip to Cuba. Most of cacao grown in Cuba is used domestically; a small portion of high grade cacao is exported -- or I should say could be exported to the U.S. if relations between the two countries continue to improve. The government currently pays farmers roughly $9/month for their cacao and controls exports.

Most cacao in Cuba is grown in the western end of this island nation that is Cuba, in the Baracoa area. This means a bit of a trek if one starts the trip in Havana.

Unlike chocolatiers, who can buy blocks of chocolate others have made, chocolate makers need to develop relationships with farmers who are growing or producing cacao. Knowing what crops might taste like from year to year, what the local fermentation conditions exist, and what would be a fair (or over market) price for good quality beans are typically part of this relationship. This last consideration may be handled differently in Cuba, as the government controls prices.

Traveling to the country of origin has other benefits as well. First, even if trade is not open yet between the Cuba and the U.S., it pays to learn about and develop relationships with people who produce quality beans. Those contacts may help jump-start business once the governments of both countries are ready to move forward.

In the meantime, the few single origin Cuba bars that are available come from a small number of (mostly European) chocolate makers such as Francois Pralus (France), Benoit Nihant (who hails from Belgium), and Bean and Goose Chocolate (Wexford, Ireland).

Spicely Organics - Lapsang Souchong bar - May 27, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

Spicely Organics
Organic Dark Chocolate Lapsang Souchong bar
Very Good
Weight: 1.44 oz. (40.8 g.) / 1.8 oz. (51 g.) in total bar
Calories: 224 calories in 4/5 bar
Cost: $5.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Spicely Organic Spices, San Francisco, CA

Today was Day #2 of Chocolate Tea and Beverage Theme Week(s).

Lapsang Souchang is a black tea known for its rich, smoky taste and aroma. In the traditional style, this tea is smoke-dried over pinewood branches.

Today's Organic Dark Chocolate Lapsang Souchang 60% cacao bar from Spicely Organics (Fremont, CA) was suffused with an evocative, yet subtle campfire flavor and a salt umami note.

I love good renditions of smoky, salty flavors with chocolate, and this blend was definitely one of my favorites this year.

Bridge Brands - Gaia Dark Chocolate Drops - May 25, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

Bridge Brands Chocolate
Gaia Dark Chocolate Drops
Good
Weight: .875 oz. (25 g.) / 3.5 oz. (99 g.) in 1 package/box
Calories: 127 calories in 1/4 package/box
Cost: $2.99 for 1 package/box
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #6 of Chocolate and Organic Theme Week, and I enjoyed sampling a small handful of Gaia Dark Chocolate Drops from Bridge Brands Chocolate (San Francisco, CA).

Organic and Fair Trade certified, these penny-shaped chocolate discs had a pleasant, uniform, dark cocoa flavor and aroma, with a smooth melt and texture.

Bridge Brands - Gaia Milk Chocolate Drops - May 24, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

Bridge Brands
Gaia Milk Chocolate Drops
Good
Weight: .875 oz. (25 g.) / 3.5 oz. (99 g.) in total package/box
Calories: 133.5 calories in 1/4 package/box
Cost: $2.49 for 1 package
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #5 of Chocolate and Organic Theme Week.

These Gaia Milk Chocolate Drops from Bridge Brands (San Francisco, CA) were USDA Organic (Certified Organic by Oregon Tilth*) and Fair Trade Certified.

Rather than a bar, this chocolate was formed into thin, disc-shaped milk chocolate rounds. These milk chocolate drops were nestled in a recyclable, slim brown box, printed with soy-based inks. Made with "organically grown and sustainably harvested" ingredients, Bridge Brands' Gaia line of milk (and dark) chocolates is geared toward helping farmers lead a better life.

The disc or drop shape allows chocolate flavors to be easily accessible for tasting. In this case, the milk chocolate tasted uniformly sweet; and that may delight some. However, the high percentage of sugar in milk chocolate can obscure subtle chocolate flavors.

*Organic Certifiers
Yesterday, I wrote about organic certification and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). There are also almost 80 third-party certifiers, or accredited certifying agents, who are authorized by the government to certify organic products. That list includes Oregon Tilth's Certified Organic (OTCO) program.

Oregon Tilth (Corvallis, OR) is a third party, non-profit organization that worked with USDA on the National Organic Program. Oregon Tilth staff focuses on sustainably raised food, from farm to table. (Their work also extends to manufacturers and retailers -- with fibers, textiles and personal care products.)

Food companies (farmers, processors, others) pay an annual certification fee (from a fee schedule that's based on income) and an inspection fee to become certified.

Charles Chocolates - Salty-Sweet Hazelnut bar - Dec. 22, 2014

Chocolate of the Day: 

Charles Chocolates
Salty-Sweet Hazelnut bar
Good + - Very Good
Weight: .975 oz. (28 g.) / 3.9 oz. (112 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 146 calories (estimate) in 1/4 bar
Cost: $7.95 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Calafia Cafe and Market A-Go-Go, Palo Alto, CA

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

Charles Chocolates founder, Chuck (Charles) Siegel, used to have a location in Emeryville, CA, where I visited about four years ago. I remember the filled chocolate butterflies and a great tea-infused chocolate collection. The newer location is in the Mission district of San Francisco. I look forward to trying new chocolates there soon.

In the meantime, I was was able to purchase today's smartphone-sized, Salty-Sweet Hazelnut Bar - 65% Bittersweet Chocolate bar, that was nice and fresh, from a local Cafe and Market, that carries a small, high-turnover inventory of chocolates.

Freshness is very important for all foods, and because chocolate bars can have a long shelf life, some bars with inclusions lose their freshness if they sit too long; or nuts can taste stale. Not true with this bar. Whole hazelnuts were perfectly roasted and covered with a "meringue of Fleur de Sel and sugar," helping to seal in fresh nut taste and crunchy texture, and giving them an extra burst of salty and sweet flavor.

The 65% chocolate base that covered the nuts had a slightly creamy texture and authentic, smooth bittersweet flavor.

International Chocolate Salon - San Francisco, 3/15/14

International Chocolate Salon
March 15, 2014
Fort Mason, San Francisco

Fort Mason is home to several organizations; and it is a great site for meetings and conferences. Located on San Francisco Bay, one can watch sailboats during breaks. I felt sorry for the participants in the food addicts recovery group meeting last Saturday at Fort Mason. Not only might they have been tempted by Greens Restaurant, but in the nearby Festival Pavilion a day-long International Chocolate Salon (organized by TasteTV) was underway. And parked in front of the pavilion was the "Melt" food truck, oozing with grilled cheese goodness.

The Chocolate Salon was an amalgam of chocolatiers, chocolate makers, spirits and scent vendors, chocolate talks and demonstrations, under one large roof, that has become an annual Spring event. (The also have a similar Chocolate Salon event in the fall.)

For the price of admission, attendees were able to view chocolate art (chocolate shoes, chocolate skulls, and other items). More to the point, they could taste (and buy) chocolate truffles, bars, toffee, caramels, and much more. Several local Bay Area companies were there, including Socola Chocolatier (the company recently opened a retail space in San Francisco); Jade Chocolates; CocoTutti; and Saratoga Chocolates.

And, there were opportunities to hear more about chocolate-related topics from experts.

The first presenter I listened to was John Scharffenberger, a successful, serial food and beverage entrepreneur, whose first venture was sparkling wine. Later he switched to bean-to-bar chocolate, and co-founded Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker with Robert Steinberg in San Francisco in 1997. I can still remember company's great factory tour in the East Bay. Hershey's (The Hershey Company) eventually bought Scharffen Berger for an estimated $50 million. The bars can still be found online and in specialty stores.

Advice columnist Joey Garcia passed on tips about love, comparing it to chocolate. Garcia was influenced by a wise, Maya grandmother from Belize, a country with a long cacao tradition; and she brought a few copies of her new book, When Your Heart Breaks, It's Opening to Love.

Jessica Ferraro, BarCacaco.com, gave a talk titled "Discovering Craft Chocolate: Beyond the Bon Bon."

Art Pollard, of Amano Artisan Chocolate (Orem, Utah), talked about his recent visits to cacao farmers in South America and the Dominican Republic -- all part of the quest to obtain the best beans for his bars. He also sampled some of his single origin bars. I enjoyed the floral notes in the Amano "Dos Rios" bar made with cacao from the Dominican Republic.

ChocolateBet: May 19, 2007

Chocolate of the Day: 

Wt. ~ 4 oz.
Calories: ~ 290
Cost: ~$4.00
Obtained from: Rose Pistola Restaurant, North Beach, San Francisco, CA

Going to get my hair cut is always a bit of an indulgence; and this Saturday I'm doing just that. And then I'm going to an Artists Open Studios in Belmont. After that it's on to San Francisco - where I plan on eating dinner at Rose Pistola restaurant in North Beach.

Dessert at Rose Pistola was an affogato with (Guittard) chocolate pieces on top. It was very nice of them to provide a chocolate version of this great but very simple dessert (espresso and vanilla gelato). As I was eating dessert, the musician Carlos Santana walked by and gave us diners in his path a look and a small head nod, as if to say - that's right, it's me. Santana has reinvented himself over the years and I hope he keeps doing so, inspiring others along the way.