Raaka Chocolate - Blueberry Lemon 60% Cacao Unroasted Dark Chocolate (bar) - Nov. 2, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Raaka Chocolate
Blueberry Lemon 60% Cacao Unroasted Dark Chocolate (bar) 
Good ++ 
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 1.8 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 129 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $8.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar & Cocoa, online order 

Welcome to Day #12 of Chocolate & Fruits Theme Week.

Today's Blueberry Lemon 60% Cacao Unroasted Dark Chocolate (bar) was from Raaka Chocolate (Red Hook, Brooklyn, NY).

Cacao source: Kokoa Kamili, Tanzania. (Kokoa Kaimili "purchases freshly harvested cacao from over 4,000 farmers in the Kilombero Valley of Tanzania." And Raaka sources cacao from them.*) 

Aroma and flavor notes included: deep, dense dark chocolate; earthy dark berry (blueberry, dark cherry); and bright citrus (lemon). 

Texture: well-tempered (broke with a hard snap in a cold room); relatively smooth and creamy.

I liked that the whole dark, this chocolate wasn't too bitter. The blueberry and lemon (powders) tasted authentic and were thoroughly integrated with the dark chocolate. The lemon was indeed "bright and refreshing" and served to balance out the darker cacao and blueberry elements in this bar.

I also appreciated the short list of quality and organic ingredients.

Ingredients: Organic cacao beans, organic cane sugar, organic cacao butter, organic blueberry powder, organic lemon powder

Allergen-related information: ("organic, vegan, allergy friendly...nut free")

*Raaka Chocolate has been good about sharing cacao sourcing information. E.g., they paid on average of $5.12/kg to Kokoa Kamili from 2020 to 2023. This was higher than the fair trade commodity price of $2.85/kg.) This information was printed on the inner wrapper of today's bar. The cost of cacao and chocolate market prices have risen significantly since 2023; and I respect makers who are hanging in there--and still sharing information about what farmers are being paid during these challenging times.

Raaka - Raspberry Waffle Crunch Unroasted Dark Chocolate 59% Cacao (bar) - Aug. 7, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Raaka
Raspberry Waffle Crunch Unroasted Dark Chocolate 59% Cacao (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 1.8 (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 110 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar & Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #11 of Chocolate, Berries & Cherries Theme Week.

Today's Raspberry Waffle Crunch Unroasted Dark Chocolate 59% Cacao (bar) was made from Raaka Chocolate (Brooklyn, NY).

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate, dark red raspberry, and very faint vanilla.

Texture: smooth dark chocolate and tiny crunchy bits. (The berry flavor was fully integrated, so there were no berry bits or seeds.)

Flavor notes included: dark chocolate with balanced bitterness, and subtle dark berry. 

I enjoyed that this bar wasn't too sweet. This single origin (Kokoa Kamili, Tanzania) dark chocolate was relatively smooth in flavor, and tasted "darker" than its 59% cacao content might indicate. I also appreciated that the waffle pieces were gluten-free and were not too sweet. The berry (raspberry) and vanilla were authentic-tasting, background flavors.

Ingredients: "organic cacao beans, organic cane sugar, organic cacao butter, organic gluten-free waffle cone (coconut oil*, cane sugar*, rice flour*, brown rice flour*, tapioca flour*, millet flour*, apple sauce*, flax seed*, cacao powder*, arrowroot powder*, baking powder, inulin*, ascorbic acid, xanthan gum), organic raspberry juice powder, organic vanilla" (*Organic)

Allergen-related information: "Certified Organic and Kosher; Vegan, Gluten Free; Soy Free"

Fossa Chocolate - Honey Orchid Dancong Oolong 52% dark milk chocolate (bar) - June 20, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Fossa Chocolate
Honey Orchid Dancong Oolong 52% dark milk chocolate (bar) 
Good +++ - Very Good
Weight: 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 273 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $15.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar & Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate and Tanzania Week, and Day #1 of Chocolate and Floral Theme Week. 

Happy Summer Solstice. I couldn't imagine a better bar to celebrate this spring-to-summer transition. 

Today's Honey Orchid Dancong Oolong 52% dark milk chocolate (bar) was made by Fossa Chocolate (Singapore). This collaboration with Pekoe & Imp (Singapore company specializing in single origin teas) was part of the Fossa's "Tea Chocolate" series.

Aroma notes for this tea-infused bar included: dark milk chocolate with subtle honey, orchid, faint stone fruit (peach, nectarine), and ripe guava. (It was a perfect sensory match with the bar's name.)

Texture: luxurious and creamy mouthfeel and melt

Flavor notes included: dark milk chocolate with blooming honey, floral, cream, oolong tea and fruit (peach, guava) notes.

I loved the aroma, creamy texture and complex, elegant, botanically authentic flavors that unfolded like a beautifully painted fan. This thoughtfully sourced and well-executed chocolate was fit for royalty.

Tasting Notes: "Floral fragrance layered with notes of guava and cream"

Ingredients: "Organic cacao, cane sugar, cocoa butter, milk powder, tea leaves"

Allergen-related information: "Contains dairy. Produced in a facility that processes nuts."

Dick Taylor - 65% Dark Tanzania Kilombero (bar) - June 19, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Dick Taylor Chocolate
65% Dark Tanzania Kilombero (bar)
Good ++  
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar
Calories: 160 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Market at Edgewood, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate and Citrus Week, featuring a series of chocolates with citrus flavor inclusions.

Today's 65% Dark Tanzania Kilombero (bar) was made by Dick Taylor Chocolate (Eureka, CA)--founded by serial creatives and skilled chocolate makers Adam Dick and Dustin Taylor.

The cacao used to make this bar was from the Kilombero Valley in southern Tanzania.

When tasting chocolate, the smell and taste of a bar are usually very similar--only with richer, deeper chocolate flavor after you pop a piece of chocolate in your mouth. However, today's Tanzania bar was different.

The initial aroma notes for this bar included: bold (for a 65%er) dark chocolate (very slightly earthy, acrid/flat--vs. bright and fruity) when first  opened. 

However, the texture was very approachable and appealingly creamy. (Good sign.)

And the chocolate opened up with a bright burst of complex mixed red berry (raspberry, tart cherry) and citrus fruitiness. Considering the initial aroma and the flavors I was expecting, the authentic tart-sweet fruit blend (summoned by just three ingredients), had a Jolly Rancher candy* level brightness. (I associated some of this fruit brightness with Trinitario cacao varieties.)

Maker's tasting notes/description: "Cherry / Coffee / Lemon" 

Ingredients: Cacao*, Cane Sugar*, Cocoa Butter* (* Organic)

Allergen-related information: Processed on Equipment with milk, tree nuts, wheat and peanuts.  

*I have tasted cacao fruit pulp that surrounds (and is fermented with) the cacao seeds (beans) in Belize, Hawaii, Costa Rica and elsewhere. Depending on many factors (including cacao variety and terroir) the pulp may taste like mango, lychee, melon, citrus (orange, tangerine, lemon) and other fruits with berry notes. In Belize I tasted pulp that tasted to me just like watermelon Jolly Rancher candy.

The Jolly Rancher Candy Company started producing tart sweet fruit-flavored candies in 1949. They became part of the Hershey Company in 1996. Watermelon was one of my favorite flavors as a child.

Kassho Craft Chocolate - 70% Cacao Dark Chocolate Kokoa Kamili Tanzania (bar) - June 18, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Kessho Craft Chocolate
70% Cacao Dark Chocolate Kokoa Kamili Tanzania (bar)

Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 1.05 oz. (30 g.) / 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total bar 
Calories: 155 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $10.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Kessho, online order 

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

Today's 70% Cacao Dark Chocolate Kokoa Kamili Tanzania (bar) from Kessho, LLC was handcrafted in Austin, TX.

Cacao origin: Trinitario (variety) cacao beans from Kokoa Kamili, Kilombero Valley, in southern Tanzania.

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate and subtle diffuse fruit: berries, gentle citrus. 

Texture: smooth and creamy with an appealing, rich melt.

Flavor notes included: well-balanced dark bitter and bright sweet (tart-sweet fruity berries (bright, ripe strawberry, raspberry and other darker red berry).

I liked the balanced complexity, the authentically sweet and fruity (berry-forward) aroma and flavors, and the creamy texture.

Maker's tasting notes: "Berry, raspberry, citrus"

Ingredients: "Whole cacao beans, sugar, cocoa butter"

Allergen-related information: "Made in a facility that also processes milk, tree nuts, wheat, sesame and eggs. 

Fossa Chocolate - 100% Cacao Kokoa Kamili Tanzania (bar) - June 17, 2025

 Chocolate of the Day

Fossa Chocolate
Tanzania 100% Cacao Kokoa Kamili Tanzania (bar)
Good +++
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 155 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $12.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Caputo's, online order 

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

Today's Tanzania 100% Cacao Kokoa Kamili Tanzania (bar) was from Fossa Chocolate (Singapore). 

The company specializes in high-end, well-executed, bean-to-bar, chocolate bars (and confections for those in Singapore)--made with single origin cacao beans. Many bars feature Asian-inspired flavor inclusions (including lovely Oolong teas, traditional desserts as well as savory dishes). They also offer some single origin bars (like today's bar) with "just" cacao.

This unsweetened chocolate was made using cacao grown in the Kilombero Valley, a large "wetland area" in southern Tanzania with rich soils that benefit agriculture and grazing.

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate and fragrant, balanced fruit (citrus, ripe berry, wine grape).

Texture: smooth, buttery, almost silky; more creamy than most 100%ers.

Flavor notes included: balanced bitter and tart unsweetened, ultra-dark with hidden fruit, forest and nut treasures. 

Note: do savor this chocolate slowly and you'll get wonderful, small upticks in fruit flavor. (The muted, sweet Concord (purple) grape was a favorite. It gently peeked out and then receded over a 10-second period, about 2/3 the way through tasting a piece of this bar.)

This was a very enjoyable 100% bar with delicate sophisticated fruit aroma and flavor notes. For those dark chocolate fans not familiar with zero sugar cacao experiences: smell first, then take a small bite. Recover from your first impression: your brain was expecting sugar, and now has to adjust to what initially seems a bit dense, flat and bitter. But, then wait...With this Fossa single-origin Tanzania, single ingredient (just cacao) bar you'll be rewarded. 

Maker's tasting notes: "Lemon zest, Biscuit, Nuts"

Ingredients: "Organic cacao" 

Allergen-related information: "Produced in a facility that processes nuts & dairy." (Vegan, Gluten free, Sugar free)

Fruition Chocolate - Tanzania Latte Dark Milk Kokoa Kamili 61% (bar) - June 16, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Fruition Chocolate  
Tanzania Latte Dark Milk Kokoa Kamili 61% (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.12 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 165 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Fruition, online order

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate and Tanzania Theme Week.

Today's Tanzania Latte Dark Milk Kokoa Kamili* 61% (bar) was from Fruition Chocolate Works (Shokan, NY). 

The cacao used to make this bar was from the Kilombero Valley in Tanzania. And "..this bar highlights Tanzanian Peaberry coffee, roasted locally by Heavyfeather" (Coffee Roasters) in Mt. Tremper, New York.

Aroma and flavor notes included: appealing, smooth dark milk chocolate and subtle, creamy cafe latte with faint vanilla and very faint, delicate caramel, wood and warm spice.

Texture: very smooth with a luxurious creamy melt.

I enjoyed the rich creaminess and subtle, sophisticated and complex flavors in this Tanzania Latte bar. This balanced chocolate will likely appeal to both milk and dark fans.

Ingredients: Cocoa Beans, Cane Sugar*, Cocoa Butter*, Whole Milk Powder, Coffee, Salt, Vanilla. (* = Organic)

Allergen-related information: "Contains Milk. May Contain Traces of Peanuts, Tree Nuts, Wheat, Eggs, Soy, Sesame."

*The makers "paid a premium for this special edition Kokoa Kamili, Tanzania Women's Lot of cocoa beans which will help fund scholarships for school girls from their village..."

Fjak Chocolate - Limited Edition - Glogg (Mulled Wine) (bar) - Jan. 8, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Fjak Chocolate AS
Limited Edition - Glogg (Mulled Wine) (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 2.11 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 352 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $15.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order 

Welcome to Day #14 of Chocolate, Tea, Herbs and Spices Theme Week(s).

Today's Limited Edition - Glogg (Mulled Wine) (bar) was from Fjak Chocolate AS (Eidfjord, Hardangerfjord, Norway).

Crafted in Norway, Fjak's small batch chocolates often include Nordic/European and seasonal flavor inclusions. 

Aroma and flavor notes for this mulled wine bar included: sweet dark chocolate and red fruit (red wine, red grape juice) infused with citrus (orange), apple, and a warm spice blend.

This was a festive and relatively addictive chocolate, that I found very satisfying after being outdoors on a winter day. I paired this chocolate with a hot cup of Wild Sweet Orange tea from Tazo Tea Company.

The interplay of sweet yet sophisticated flavors in this bar evoked an authentic mulled/spiced wine. This was an enjoyable bar to taste, and fun to share with others.

The 60% cacao dark chocolate (made with Tanzania cacao) was relatively sweet. And that sweetness was amplified by the sweet orange (peel), apple, and warm spice notes. (It was comparable to what you'd taste in a sweet mulled/spiced wine.) 

This harmonious blend made me wonder: why haven't I tried a similar chocolate like this before? Where cocoa beans are soaked in red wine and blended with spices. 

Speaking of spices, I really enjoyed tasting all the spices. The short list of quality spices and other ingredients really made a difference.

Maker's tasting notes: "Made with cocoa beans from the wonderful Kokoa Kamili in the Kilombero Valley, Tanzania. We have infused this fine cocoa with our organic mulled wine recipe, creating a "Bold and Boozy" chocolate bar, with the distinctively spicy and fruity taste, of this seasons winter warmer."

Ingredients: "Cocoa beans* infused with mulled wine (red wine*, apples*, orange peel*, cardamom*, cinnamon*, anise*, cloves*), cane sugar*, cocoa butter*, cardamom*, cinnamon*, anise*, cloves* (* = Organic)"

Allergen-related information: Certified Organic; Vegan; dairy and gluten free. "Processed in a facility that handles nuts, dairy & gluten"

Honeymoon Chocolates - 70% Raspberry Dark Chocolate Tanzania with raw honey, Tanzania cacao (bar) - June 23, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Honeymoon Chocolates
70% Raspberry Dark Chocolate with Raw Honey, Tanzania (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 1.1 oz. (31 g.) / 2.2 oz. (62 g.) in total bar
Calories: 171 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $7.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Honeymoon Chocolates, online order

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

Today's 70% Raspberry Dark Chocolate with Raw Honey, Tanzania (bar) was from Honeymoon Chocolates (St. Louis, MO). 

This dark bar was created using Kokoa Kamili*, Tanzania cacao, Missouri Wildflower and Clover honey and raspberry. This follows a very similar Dark Raspberry bar, featured yesterday, by the same maker, that used Belize cacao. The Belize cacao might have been a bit smoother, but I enjoyed the bolder contrast in today's bar.

Aroma and flavor notes included: tart, sweet, ripe red raspberry and dark chocolate.

Texture: soft, very smooth, buttery, ultra-dark chocolate interspersed with rosy, red raspberry bits (with crunchy seeds) pressed into the back of this bar. 

Flavor notes included: ultra-dark (rich, very slightly earthy, bittersweet) chocolate; and authentically tart-sweet red raspberry bits. The slightly bitter chocolate and the bright, ripe berry were nicely balanced and very complementary. The more delicate sweet, floral honey showed up at the end of the finish, after the more dominant cacao and berry flavors subsided.

I appreciated that this chocolate was made with just four high-quality ingredients, and that it wasn't too sweet (thank you) -- allowing each ingredient to shine on its own.

Maker's Tasting Notes: Molasses, Cheesecake, and Raspberries

Ingredients: Raw Honey, Organic Cacao, Organic Cacao Butter, Organic Raspberry

Allergen-related information: Manufactured in a facility that prepares Dairy and Gluten products. 

*Kokoa Kamili is a central (cacao) fermentary and cacao processing facility located in Mbingu Village in Tanzania that works with farmers. They buy "wet" cacao from thousands of small farmers, process and export cacao. This social enterprise was founded in 2013 by Brian LoBue and Simran Bindra.

Honeymoon Chocolates - Chocolate Covered Raw Honeycomb - June 20, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Chocolate Covered Raw Honeycomb
Organic Tanzanian Cacao + Raw Honeycomb
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42.5 g.) / 3.0 oz. (85 g.) in total package
Calories: 150 calories in 1/2 package
Cost: $14.99 for 1 package
Purchased from: Honeymoon Chocolates, online order

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

Today's Chocolate Covered Raw Honeycomb made with Organic Tanzanian Cacao + Raw Honeycomb was from Honeymoon Chocolates (St. Louis, MO).

Aroma and flavor notes included: dark chocolate (balanced earth, fruit) and faintly floral honey.

Special preparation for this especially decadent treat included having water and wet and dry towels on hand, and enjoying this dark chocolate covered thick, chewy, waxy, honeycomb--flowing with liquid honey--leaning over a sink. That helped make cleanup a snap. 

I enjoyed the fact that this substantial confection was made with just two, high-quality ingredients (raw honeycomb and organic Tanzanian cacao)

The bulk of this sweet confection was a honeycomb full of honey and should be enjoyed as such. Thankfully I could still taste the dark Tanzanian cacao/chocolate, which broke into shards around the edges when I cut this piece in half. It was a good counterpoint to all that 'comb.

Ingredients: Honeycomb, Organic Tanzanian Cacao

Allergen-related information: (No additional information found on container.)

Moka Origins - Cherry, Dark Chocolate Tanzania 72% Cacao (bar) - Nov. 21, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Moka Origins
Cherry - Dark Chocolate Tanzania 72% Cacao (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.2 oz. (34 g.) / 2.4 oz. (68 g.) in total bar
Calories: 200 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $10.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate and Cherries Theme Week.

Today's Cherry - Dark Chocolate Tanzania 72% Cacao (bar) was from Moka Origins (Honesdale, PA).

Moka Origins began its operations (Moka Farm) in Cameroon (the 4th largest cacao producer, in West Africa) in 2015. The founders gained experience working with cacao farmers, setting up a training center to encourage sustainable farming practices, and planting thousands of cacao trees.  

The "Trinitario, Neo-Nacional" cacao used to make the chocolate was grown in Tanzania, produced by Kokoa Kamili*, and obtained from sourcing partner Meridian Cacao.

Aroma notes included: subtle, bittersweet dark chocolate; dried tart-sweet red fruit (dark, sweet cherries, fleeting fig,); and faint spice and tart-green (oxalis, wood sorrel, citrus).

Texture: smooth dark chocolate with plump, chewy dried cherries.

Flavor notes included: dark chocolate with a balanced bitterness; faint woodsy-earth; very faint brown sugar; and authentic dark, sweet, concentrated, complex, and authentic cherry flavors that lasted into the finish. 

The blend of bold 72% dark chocolate and dried cherries made for a flavorful match.

Maker's tasting notes: cherry, raspberry, citrus

Ingredients: Organic cocoa beans, organic dried cherries (organic cherries, organic cane sugar, organic sunflower oil), organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter

Allergen-related information: "Made in a facility that handles milk, eggs, wheat, soy, almonds, and other tree nuts."

*Kokoa Kamili is located in the Mbingu Village in the Kilombero Valley (Morogoro Region) in Tanzania. This centrally located fermentation facility buys wet (freshly harvested) cacao beans at a premium price (the "highest price paid in Tanzania") from "more than 4,000 smallholder farmers in this region." Kokoa Kamili also offers training on how to "increase quality and yield rates" and distributes cacao seedlings to farmers. 

 

Pinwheel Craft Chocolate - 62% Coconut "Milk" Kokoa Kamili, Tanzania (bar) - Nov. 11, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Pinwheel Craft Chocolate
62% Coconut "Milk" - Kokoa Kamili, Tanzania (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.05 oz. (30 g.) / 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 163 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Pinwheel Craft Chocolate, online order

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

Today's 62% Coconut "Milk" Kokoa Kamili, Tanzania (bar) was from Pinwheel Chocolate LLC (Eagle Mountain, UT). This bean-to-bar chocolate maker "started as a mother/daughter hobby..." Happily for us, this hobby morphed into a small business.

Aroma notes for this bar included: smooth dark chocolate; faint, butter-diffused, warm, woodsy spice; faint red berry; and very faint coconut milk/coconut milk chocolate.

This 62% chocolate had a smooth melt, and a creamy, almost silken mouthfeel and texture. The coconut was fully incorporated into the chocolate. (Not one small chewy coconut shred was detected.)

Flavor notes included: flavorful, sweet then bittersweet dark chocolate; red berry; and very faint authentic coconut. This chocolate had a very satisfying, ("single origin-y"* chocolate-y) finish.

I loved the well-balanced complexity (and harmony of flavors) in this bar, and the fact that it wasn't overly sweet. Most 62% cacao chocolates taste quite a bit sweeter. Unfortunately, that often means that sugar (or sugar and milk(s)) eclipse cacao flavor nuances that may be present. Today's coconut milk bar was neither too sugary, nor overly coconut-y; and it embraced the red berry and rich notes of the Tanzania cacao. It tasted like a naturally sweetened chocolate with much to share.

Maker's tasting notes ("What we taste"): "ripe red raspberries, coconut water, (sometimes cinnamon)" "This bar is also a chameleon -- after certain foods, it has the unmistakable flavor of sweet cinnamon."**

Ingredients: Cacao beans*, cane sugar*, cocoa butter*, coconut* (*Organic ingredients)

Allergen-related information: "Made on shared equipment that processes nuts and dairy."

*Single origin chocolates tend to have richer, more unadulterated flavors. And small batch single origin chocolate makers are more likely to want to preserve (and highlight) unique, multi-layered varietal flavors. A big thank you to these makers.

**I later re-tasted this bar with bourbon pecan ice cream and that muted spice note detected in the aroma came into greater focus; and sure enough it was cinnamon.

Raaka Chocolate - Pure Cacao & Coconut Swirl 70% Cacao Unroasted Dark Chocolate - Aug. 7, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Raaka Chocolate 
Pure Cacao and Coconut Swirl Unroasted Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good +
Weight: .9 oz. (25 g.) / 1.8 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 140 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $8.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Raaka Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate and Tanzania Week, and Day #1 of Chocolate and Coconut Theme Week.

Today's Pure Cacao and Coconut Swirl 70% Cacao Unroasted Dark Chocolate (bar) was made by Raaka Chocolate in Brooklyn, New York.

Most cacao and coconut blends are very sweet chocolate confections. I was attracted to today's bar, because this bar was made with 100% (unsweetened) cacao and was paired  with a lightly (coconut sugar) sweetened component.

The swirling of coconut and dark chocolate flavors to create the finished bar was attractive. The aroma was a bit variable, depending on whether you smelled the ultra-dark portion of the swirled bar or the sweeter ivory-hued swirl. The aroma notes included: varied a slightly waxy (on a cold morning) ultra-dark chocolate, subdued coconut, and unsweetened cocoa + vanilla chocolate. 

The texture was relatively creamy + slightly waxy (again, when tasted at a room temperature of 65 degrees F. (18.3 C.)).

The flavor(s) grew on me. I enjoyed the unsweetened, authentically chocolate-y-candy-bar-cocoa flavor (from Tanzanian cacao) elevated by the lightly sweetened (with coconut sugar) ivory-hued swirl with vanilla and maple-caramel notes. 

Ingredients: Organic cacao beans, organic cacao butter, organic coconut sugar, organic toasted coconut, organic sunflower lecithin, sea salt, organic vanilla.

Allergen-related information: Certified Organic and Kosher. Vegan, Gluten Free, Soy Free.

Spinnaker Chocolate - 70% Tanzania (bar) - Aug. 6, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Spinnaker Chocolate 
70% Tanzania (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar 
Calories: 120 calories (per package info) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $10.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Spinnaker Chocolate, online order

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

Today's 70% Tanzania (bar) was created by Spinnaker Chocolate, a small-batch, bean-to-bar chocolate maker in Seattle, WA. The company offers a variety of single origin chocolate bars, inclusion bars, and other chocolate treats (including drinking chocolate, gianduja spread and cocoa nibs).

Aroma notes for today's Tanzania bar included: light fermentation, fruit (white wine grape/raisin, tart sweet mango, diffuse red berry, dried apricot), very faint, fleeting shortbread cookie, warm spice, fig and clean mineral), and chocolate (ganache/cocoa).

The chocolate had an even texture and melt with a very slight, tart fruit astringency. 

The flavor coaxed out of just two ingredients (cocoa beans and sugar) was impressive and fruit-forward--with mango notes taking the lead after a few bites.* This naturally, bright and sweet chocolate might be good paired with cheese, or as part of a dessert plate. 

Ingredients: Cacao, organic cane sugar

Allergen-related information: "Processed in a facility that uses milk powder and nuts."

*It made me wonder if these Tanzanian cacao beans had been co-fermented with mango or tropical fruit(s).

Rozsavolgyi Csokolade - Mababu Tanzania 75% cocoa (bar) - Aug. 5, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Rozsavolgyi Csokolade
Mababu Tanzania 75% cocoa (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 163.1 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $13.95 for 1 bar 
Purchased from: Zombierunner (coffee), Palo Alto, CA 

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

Today's Mababu Tanzania 75% cocoa (bar) was from Rozsavolgyi Csokolade (Budapest, Hungary).

The name Mababu refers to "...a tiny village on the slopes of the Livingstone mountain with lush vegetation by the Malawi lake in Tanzania. The Trinitario variety cocoa/cacao used to make today's chocolate was purchased from "a group of only 60 families pioneering quality organic cocoa farming."*

Aroma notes for this bar were relatively subtle and included: faint tart (lemony) green notes, fruit (light mango/tropical fruit and diffuse berry), a faint fleeting earth. This bar attractively patterned bar had smooth creamy texture.

Flavor notes mirrored aroma notes but with richer chocolate and slightly tart fruit (red berry) notes that lingered lightly into the finish. Possibly due to the inherently naturally "sweet" and relatively subtle taste in this Tanzanian cacao, the maker's choice to go slightly darker (75% vs. 70% cacao) produced good results. Less sugar, more taste.

*Maker's tasting notes: "...The fresh air from the lake, banana, rice and aromas of rum can be felt in this chocolate..."

Ingredients: Cocoa beans, Organic cane sugar, Organic cocoa butter (cacao content: 75%).

Allergen-related information: "Produced in a factory that also handles nuts, oat and milk powder."

 

Solstice Chocolate, Inc. - 70% Kilombero Dark Chocolate (bar) - Aug. 4, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Solstice Chocolate, Inc.

70% Kilombero Dark Chocolate (bar)

Good + - Good ++

Weight: 1.15 oz. (32.5 g.) / 2.3 oz. (65 g.) in total bar

Calories: 160 calories in 1/2 bar

Cost: $11.00 (estimate) for 1 bar

Purchased from: Zombierunner (coffee), Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's 70% Kilombero (Tanzania) Dark Chocolate (bar) was handcrafted from bean to bar by Solstice Chocolate, Inc. (Salt Lake City, UT). 

Subtle aroma notes for this bar included: faint, light fermentation/fermented (fruit, salts, very faint green vegetable) and gentle dark chocolate (true chocolate, very faint brownie).

This dark chocolate had smooth texture and smooth, balanced flavor: dark chocolate with bright, balanced fruit (sweet tart cherry and lemon), and sweet (sugar/honey-floral) notes.

Maker's tasting notes: "Wine, lemon, tart cherries, honeysuckle"

Ingredients: Cacao bean, Organic cane sugar, cocoa butter

Allergen-related information: "Produced in a tree nut, peanut, gluten, dairy and soybean free facility."

Monsoon Chocolate - Kokoa Kamili, Tanzania 77% Dark Chocolate (bar) - Aug. 3, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Monsoon Chocolate
Kokoa Kamili, Tanzania 77% Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 136 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Monsoon Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate and Tanzania Theme Week. 

Today's Kokoa Kamili Tanzania 77% Dark Chocolate (bar) was made by Monsoon Chocolate (Tucson, AZ) and is part of the company's Origin Series--made possible by direct collaborations with (and purchases from) farmers and fermenteries in cacao-growing countries.

Aroma notes included sweet-tart red fruit (red berry) and dark chocolate. Other, much more subtle notes included: fleeting, barely detectable, balanced fermentation notes (faint raisin, fruit vinegar, salts) and green (mildly tart-bright succulents, wood sorrel) notes. 

This chocolate had a creamy melt and texture.

Flavor notes for this well-crafted, very balanced 77% Tanzania cacao bar included the aforementioned tart-sweet red berry--that shaded into bittersweet, ripe red cherry and lingered lightly in the finish along with smooth dark chocolate (not quite as chocolate-y as soft dark fudge but getting there).

There were no off flavors; just smooth dark chocolate goodness with just enough complexity to be interesting. It was fruity without being too jammy-sweet or too acidic. (Thank you to the makers for not adding too much sugar. The selection of 77% cacao (and "only" 23% sugar) seemed like a great choice for these beans and this bar.)

Ingredients: Organic cocoa beans, organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter

Allergen-related information: "There is no gluten or animal product added to this bar, however it is processed in a facility that also processes wheat, dairy, nuts and soy."

Raaka Chocolate - Ginger Snap Unroasted Dark Chocolate 70% Cacao (bar) - Aug. 2, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Raaka Chocolate

Ginger Snap Unroasted Dark Chocolate 70% Cacao (bar)

Good + - Good ++

Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 1.8 oz. (50.9 g.) in total bar

Calories: 117 calories in 1/2 bar

Cost: $5.00 (sale) for 1 bar

Purchased from: Raaka Chocolate, online order

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

Today's Organic Ginger Snap Unroasted Dark Chocolate 70% Cacao (bar) was from Raaka Chocolate (Brooklyn, NY).

Raaka makers craft their line of chocolate bars and offerings using unroasted cacao that "captures the brighter, bolder, and fruitier side of cacao." 

Kokoa Kamili

The Tanzania cacao used to make today's spice-infused bar was from Kokoa Kamili (located in the Kilombero Valley)--a several hour drive from Tanzania's largest city, Dar es Salaam on the East Coast of Africa on the Indian Ocean. This important post-harvest processing facility purchases freshly harvested ("wet") cacao from many small farmers and ultimately sells to many smaller batch chocolate makers like Raaka around the globe, after they carefully ferment and dry the cacao. (The cacao variety they offer is: primarily Trinitario variety (Amelonado x Criollo) "with the slight presence of Neo-Nacional.")

Ginger Snap bar

The Raaka description for this bar: "Ginger-steamed Tanzanian cacao mixed with winter spice-infused cacao butter and decorated with sparkling brown sugar. The perfect companion for holiday spirits." This may have been designed to be a holiday bar enjoyed in the cold weather months; but it's August here in California, and this chocolate was just as delicious in summer.

Aroma notes for this "Limited Batch" bar included: faint ginger molasses cookie, chocolate, sweet potato pie, diffuse red fruit (berry, apple), spice (light star anise and warm baking spices) and green floral (mallow) notes.

Texturally speaking, the smooth dark chocolate base was accented with crunchy sparkles of brown sugar. 

The relatively mild unroasted cacao may have lacked that bolder, "roastier" flavor notes of traditional roasted cacao based chocolates, but it made up for that with smooth dark chocolate flavor with natural sweetness and bright subtle mixed fruit and floral notes--i.e. the presence of flavors that may have been attenuated during a roasting process.

This Ginger Snap bar was not overly sweet (thank you!). The gentle blend of warm spices (ginger, cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg) added natural sweetness and flavor depth, as did the maple sugar.

Ingredients: Organic cacao beans, organic maple sugar, organic cane sugar, organic cacao butter, organic light brown sugar, organic ginger, organic cinnamon, organic allspice, organic nutmeg.

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

Lumineux Chocolate - Tanzania - 75% Dark Chocolate (bar) - Aug. 1, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Lumineux Chocolate
Tanzania - 75% Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: .9 oz. (25 g.) / 1.8 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 130 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $8.00 for 1 bar ($40.00 USD for 5 bars)
Purchased from: Good Food Awards Marketplace, online order

Welcome to Day #1 of Chocolate and Tanzania Theme Week.

Today's Tanzania 75% Dark Chocolate (bar) was made by Lumineux Chocolate (Greenville, SC).

This chocolate had a smooth, rich and complex aroma that included chocolate truffles (chocolate ganache, dark chocolate ice cream), sweet green (tree/maple syrup), very faint roasted earth, dark chocolate, and faint, diffuse dried fruit (mild red berry (goji, raspberry) and date/raisin). 

The texture was smooth and the aroma and flavor notes were similar--one transitioning smoothly into the other during the tasting; but, as is almost always the case, there was a deeper dive into richer, bolder chocolate notes after taking a bite, and as it melted.

This chocolate was quite smooth, but had a pleasing complexity as well. I enjoyed the choice the chocolate maker made to go with the slightly darker 75% cacao (vs. 70% or even 72% cacao solids) as this chocolate (Batch 243) seemed to have an inherent, relatively bright, sweetness and warmth to it. 

If you're open to a breakfast or afternoon tea chocolate, this bar might make a nice pairing with a piece of buttered toast or croissant.

Maker's tasting notes: "Raspberry, raisin, cinnamon"

Ingredients: Cocoa nibs, cane sugar, cocoa butter

Allergen-related information: (No information about potential allergens found on packaging. Suggest checking with Lumineux if you have questions.)

Raven Rising - 76% Tanzanie Dark Chocolate and Red Plum (bar) - Dec. 6, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Raven Rising
76% Tanzanie Dark Chocolate and Red Plum (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.76 oz. (50 g.) / 3.71 oz. (105 g.) (estimate) in total bar
Calories: 280 calories in 50 g. piece of bar (approx. 1/2 bar)
Cost: $13.75 (+ shipping) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Raven Rising, via invoice 

Welcome to Day #15 of Chocolate and Fruits Theme Weeks.

Today's 76% Tanzanie Dark Chocolate and Red Plum (bar) was from Raven Rising (Sudbury, Ontario, Canada). Chief chocolatier, Chef Tammy Maki, uses chocolate(s) from Barry Callebaut for her creations. 

This beautiful dark bar was adorned with colorful (deep purple shading into magenta), thick, luscious (freeze-dried) plum slices. Aroma notes for this thick chocolate bar included very subtle dark chocolate and fragrant, spiced plum notes. 

Flavor notes included: hearty, smooth, dark chocolate and delicious, tart-sweet, ripe plum. 

Ingredients: "Tanzania 75% (unsweetened chocolate, sugar, cocoa butter, natural vanilla flavor), Freeze-dried plum (black doris plums)."

Allergen-related information: "Contains: Soy."