Endorfin - Dark Mylk Chocolate with Anise and Wormwood - Sept. 4, 2016

Chocolate of the Day: 

Endorfin Foods
Dark Mylk Chocolate with Anise and Wormwood bar
Good +++
Weight: 1.4 oz. (40 g.) in total bar
Calories: 210 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $5.00 for 1 bar (9 bar box for $45.00)
Purchased from: Endorfin Foods, Oakland, CA

Welcome to Day #28 of Chocolate, Fruits and Botanicals Month.

Today's organic dark chocolate Absinthe bar from Endorfin Foods (Oakland, CA) was inspired by the botanical liqueur of the same name. Absinthe, also known as the green fairy (or La Fee Verte), was banned for a time due to concerns over its intoxicating, and possible toxic, properties.

Most of the concern was over a chemical called thujone* found in wormwood (a primary ingredient in absinthe).

The Endorfin team crafted their absinthe flavor blend from recipes found in historical European literature.

The chocolate was made from unroasted cacao, coconut sugar and coconut. And botanical essential oils used to flavor this dark "mylk" bar included Grand Wormwood, Anise, Sweet Fennel, Melissa (Lemon Balm), and Mugwort. (The wormwood and mugwort were wild-harvested.)

"We have labored extensively to find the purest, unadulterated essential oils of these incredible plants to give you the fullest bouquet of flavor and aroma."
-- Endorfin Foods

I also want to thank Endorfin for their packaging. Not only is the design attractive. The sealed wrapper is functional as well.

*Thujone levels in absinthe liqueur (beverages using Artemisia/wormwood) are now much lower, or, in the case of U.S. restrictions, absent altogether. St. George Spirits (Alameda, CA) was the first to release a legal Absinthe, with their own take on the historic blend of botanicals, after restrictions were lifted in 2007.

Spicely - Cardamom Anise chocolates - Feb. 20, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

Spicely Organic Chocolates
(Organic Spices, Inc.)
Cardamom Anise chocolates
Good
Weight: .25 oz. (7 g.) / 3 oz. (84 g.) in total tin/container
Calories: ??? calories in 1/2 serving
Cost: $11.99 (less $2.50 discount) for 1 tin/container
Purchased from: Spicely, online order

Today was Day #6 of Chocolate and India Theme Week.

Cardamom is one of the most natural spices to flavor chocolate with, and so I was excited to try these Organic Cardamom Anise chocolates from Spicely Organic Chocolates/Organic Spices, Inc. (Fremont, CA).

These organic, 60% dark chocolate, disc-shaped rounds tasted a bit like star anise or five-spice powder. I couldn't really detect much cardamom flavor in them. But, the discs were a good size and shape for tasting.

I enjoyed these chocolates with gluten-free Zouq Indian snacks (Golden Lentils, and Curry Crunch flavors).

Spicely also offers other organic chocolates with popular Indian spices, such as their Organic Saffron White Chocolate, and their Turmeric Coriander 60% Dark chocolates.

Marco Paolo - Espresso truffle - March 24, 2013

Chocolate of the Day:

Marco Paolo Chocolates, LLC
Espresso with Anise Marzipan (truffle)
Good +
Weight: .5 oz. (14.1 g.) (estimate) in 1 piece / 4.3 oz. (127 g.) (estimate) 9-piece box
Calories: 75 calories (estimate) in 1 piece
Cost: $25.00 for 9-piece box
Purchased from: Marco Paolo Chocolates, Van Nuys, CA

The annual Chocolate Salon was held in San Francisco today. This show offered a dazzling display of chocolate wares from a long list of chocolatiers, confectioners, chocolate makers -- and an opportunity to discover new chocolates. (I left the show with two full bags.)

Today's Espresso with Anise Marzipan truffle was part of a beautifully designed, 9-piece box of colorful gems (the "Sense Venture" collection) from Marco Paolo Chocolates (Van Nuys, CA). I sampled a tiny tasting truffle at the Marco Paolo table at the show, before buying a box. (These 1/2 bite sized truffles are a great, economical way to sample flavors for exhibitors and attendees alike.)

Each of the 9 pieces in this collection contained bold combinations of layered flavors. Today's piece contained espresso mocha ganache on top of a layer of anise infused marzipan; and these flavors were encased in a dark chocolate shell (fair trade from Kallari), decorated with strokes of colored cocoa butter.

I Love Layers
I'm a big fan of filled chocolates and truffles containing flavor parfaits like today's collection.  These separate layers can add to the complexity and richness of the tasting experience, in the same way that a sandwich allows one to taste all the ingredients -- separately, and together. I wouldn't put a sandwich into a blender first before eating it, particularly if it were made with fine ingredients that I wanted to savor one flavor bite at a time. The same is true for certain flavor combinations.

Today was Day #8 of Chocolate and Espresso Theme Week.

ChocolateBet: June 9, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
1/6 bar
chocri (meine schokolade)
"Anise Fruitcake" (bar)
Very Good
Weight: .583 oz. (16.5 g.) in 1/6 bar/ 3.5 oz. (100 g.) total bar (estimate)
Calories: 85 calories (estimate) in 1/6 bar
Cost: $12.20 total bar
Purchased from: chocri (http://www.createmychocolate.com)

What is in an "Anise Fruitcake" chocolate bar? Answer: dark chocolate (64% cacao), apricot, orange, cranberries, cinnamon, and anise. I suppose if I could have piled on a few more ingredients, I might have added cherries, pineapple, cloves, and brandy flavoring. But, there's probably a limit to the number of items that one bar of chocolate can hold.

Today's chocolate fruitcake choice (on Day #5 of Create Your Own Chocolate Theme Week) was another example of designing a chocolate version of a food item I can't normally eat. (Cakes are usually made with flour, which is usually made from wheat; and I can't have wheat/gluten, and so on...). Thank you again to chocri for offering a creative outlet to would-be chocolate designers.

ChocolateBet: July 11, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:

1 bar
Bovetti (Artisan Chocolatier)
Milk Chocolate - Anis/Aniseed (32% cacao)
Very Good + - It's fairly sweet, but I love the anise flavor
Weight: 100 grams (~3 1/2 oz.) (~ 4 servings)
Calories: 520 calories (estimate) for whole bar
Cost: $7.39 (Canadian)
Purchased from: Le Cartet (boutique alimentaire) in Montreal, Quebec

Le Cartet is a wonderful shop in Montreal. I grabbed a handful of chocolate bars while walking from a business meeting back to the hotel. This aniseed bar became a late night/early morning dinner.

Dinner was eaten before I had a chance to capture the image of this chocolate bar in the wrapper. (See image empty wrapper/container (above right).)