Al Nassma Chocolate - Macadamia-Orange Camel Milk Chocolate (bar) - Nov. 3, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Al Nassma Chocolate
Macadamia-Orange Camel Milk Chocolate (bar)
Good +
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.46 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 198.8 calories in 1/2 bar 
Cost: $8.50 (+ summer shipping) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's Macadamia Nut and Orange Zest Camel Milk Chocolate (bar) was produced by Al Nassma Chocolate (Dubai, United Arab Emirates). 

This is the third milk chocolate and orange bar this week. All three have been quite sweet. (Think richer versions of store-bought chocolate orange cupcakes or filled chocolate orange truffles). And some have had aromas and flavors possibly "enhanced" or altered slightly by addition of "natural flavors" or preservatives. 

Those with a sweet tooth will likely enjoy the sweetness. However, if you've cut back on sugar over time, and/or would like to taste more of the cacao and other flavor nuances, too much sugar can be a little overpowering.

Thanks to the unique addition of camel's milk, the texture was smooth and relatively creamy. Tiny bits of mild (macadamia) nuts added some soft crunchy texture, as did the slightly (naturally) chewy flecks of orange zest (outer, flavorful orange peel(s)).

Overall, flavor notes included sustained, uniform sweet chocolate and sweet orange flavor all the way through into the finish.

Ingredients: Sugar, cocoa butter, camel milk powder (19%), cocoa mass, macadamia nuts (5%), orange zest (5%), honey, natural flavorings, bourbon vanilla. Cocoa 36% minimum in the chocolate mass.

Allergen-related information: "May contain traces of other nuts and soy lecithin."

Al Nassma - Camel Milk Chocolate 70% with Almonds (bar) - Jan. 27, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Al Nassma Chocolate
Camel Milk Chocolate 70% Cocoa with Almonds (bar)
Good +
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.46 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 212.45 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $10.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's Camel's Dark Milk 70% Cocoa with Almonds bar was produced by Al Nassma Chocolate (Dubai, United Arab Emirates). The company was, as far as I know, the first to offer fine Arabian (Dromedary)* camel milk chocolate.

The theme this week is: chocolates with flavor inclusions that begin with the letters A, B, C and D. While there are dozens of flavor inclusions that start with "c" (cardamom, cherry, cinnamon and curry spices, to name a few), camel's milk offered the chance for a little virtual culinary travel. Blend this drome-dairy milk with dark chocolate and almonds?  All the better.

This bar had an aroma with sweet chocolate (dark chocolate cake/frosting, fresh baked cookie) notes; and after taking a bite, the chocolate aroma was joined by faint coconut, almond and brown sugar flavor notes. A hint of floral vanilla flavor--and a very faint malt/oxidized note possibly from the almonds--also helped explain the association with baked goods in the aroma. 

The whole almonds embedded in the dark milk chocolate provided crunchy texture, and the bar's finish had balanced, smooth dark chocolate flavor with a faint whisper of earthy/smokey vanilla. 

What about the camel's milk? Since I have never tasted camel's milk (by itself) it was difficult to detect any unique, or dairy-like, flavor in the small amount that was present (2%) in this chocolate. 

Too much milk and sugar can obscure the underlying cacao flavors in milk chocolate bars (particularly mass produced/large batch offerings). However, the cacao** flavor nuances were able to shine through with this 70% dark milk bar, in large part because there was not too much milk or sugar (and honey); and the makers chose to go with a relatively high percent of cacao (for a milk chocolate bar). Thank you!

It's unusual to find dark milk bars above 68% cacao. There are a few 70%-ers produced by European and U.S. makers. However, generally speaking, milk chocolate bars--even dark milk ones--cater to those with more of a sweet tooth. The best makers learn to harness the alchemy involved with different cacao varieties and milks and sweeteners of different sorts.

Ingredients: cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter, almonds (15%), camel milk powder (2%), honey, bourbon vanilla

* Of the species of camels alive today, Dromedary camels (Camelus Dromedarius), generally found in the drier areas (deserts) of Saudia Arabian peninsula and Africa, are the most numerous. They have a single hump vs. the Asian Bactrian camels that have two humps. As with cattle, cow camels give milk, bull camels do not. 

Camel milk is an important staple in certain countries, and approximately 3 million tons of camel milk is produced for consumption each year worldwide. (Approximately 600 million metric tons of cattle/cow's milk is produced worldwide.)

**I'm guessing the cacao variety used to make this chocolate bar might have been Forastero or a Trinitario-Forastero blend from Africa.

ChocolateBet: September 19, 2009

Chocolate of the Day:

1 bar
Al Nassma
"Dates" (camel milk chocolate) bar
Good + - Very Good
Weight: 70 grams (2.46 oz.) in 1 bar
Calories: 369 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, in San Francisco, CA

Last week, one little fresh, yellow date (four cents worth) rolled down the black grocery check-out strip, along with my other groceries/chocolates. I wanted to try one date, before buying a large cluster of them. It was very good.

When I lived in Santa Barbara years ago, a friend from Indio (known as the date capital of the U.S. at one time) got me hooked on date milkshakes with a dash of nutmeg. Heavenly. So, it was with these fond date-related memories in mind that I bit into this unique Al Nassma camel milk chocolate bar, from halfway around the world (Dubai, United Arab Emirates). It was well-made and quite tasty. I imagined sitting in the shade in my own little oasis, eating this Dates bar with toasted walnuts and fresh orange slices. It probably wouldn't be half bad in a date milkshake either.

Change of subject...

Happy Talk Like a Pirate Day (Sept. 19).

Tomorrow's chocolate will be B.T. McElrath's Salty Dog Chocolate Bar, in honor of this day. Also, this weekend is the Austin Chocolate Festival in Texas, with Fat Turkey Chocolates and others, and proceeds going to Susan G. Komen organization. (O.K. I have to try a Fat Turkey chocolate; the name is too good.)

ChocolateBet: September 17, 2009

Chocolate of the Day:

1/2 bar
Al Nassma Chocolate LLC
Arabia bar (camel milk chocolate, spices)
Good +
Weight: 35 grams (1.23 oz.)/70 grams (2.46 oz.) total bar
Calories: 184 calories (estimate) for 1/2 bar
Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, in San Francisco, CA

If the label hadn't disclosed this milk chocolate was made with camel's milk, I wouldn't have guessed.

It was good, although (like many milk chocolates I've tried) it was a bit sweet. The spices used were subtle. In addition to honey and vanilla, I thought I tasted just a little bit of coffee, cardamom and cinnamon. But, I could be wrong.

Twelve dollars sounds like a lot to spend on a few ounces of chocolate; but, it is much less expensive than flying to Dubai (part of the United Arab Emirates). Al Nassma apparently maintains their own camels adjacent to their facility that they use to make camel milk chocolate products.

What an interesting chocolate field trip this would be.