Endorfin Foods - Turkish Coffee 60% Cacao with coconut (bar) - Oct. 6, 2026

Chocolate of the Day

Endorfin Foods 
Turkish Coffee 60% Cacao with coconut (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 1.4 oz. (40 g.) in total bar

Calories: 200 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $5.49 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Whole Foods Market, Los Altos, CA 

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate & Coffee Theme Week.

Today's Endorfin Foods Turkish Coffee 60% Cacao with coconut (bar) was manufactured by Coracao Confections (Richmond, CA).

Aroma notes included: smooth dark chocolate (slightly fudge-y); brown sugar; faint dried fruit (date, jujube, red fruit) and coconut cookie; and very faint cardamom coffee.

Texture: relatively smooth texture with a pleasant melt

Flavor notes included: smooth "milk" chocolate with complex and subtle dried fruits; mild brown/coconut sugar and "caramelized" coconut butter; and very faint, gently spiced coffee.

I enjoyed the subtle flavors in this bar; the short list of organic and fair trade ingredients; the lack of gluten and refined sugars; and the lightness of the coffee--that allowed the chocolate-y notes shine.

Note: This bar was similar (but not identical) to a similar bar from Endorfin Foods 10 years ago (so likely a different harvest/batch of cacao as well). But, just in case, I'm featuring a second coffee chocolate bar today (see next entry) from Jamaica.

Ingredients: Cacao+*, Coconut Sugar*, Caramelized Coconut Butter*, Cacao Butter+*, Coffee*, Cardamom* (*Organic (Certified Organic by COOF);+Fair Trade Certified (TM))

Allergen-related information: No Dairy, No Soy, No Refined Sugar, No Gluten, No GMO, No Sugar Alcohols

Primo Chocolate - Mountain Cardamom 60% Dairy-Free Dark Milk Chocolate (bar) - June 21, 2026

Chocolate of The Day

Primo Chocolate
Mountain Cardamom 60% Dairy-Free Dark Milk Chocolate (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 360 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Xocolatl Garden, Carmel, CA 

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate & Earth, Mountains, Forests and Gardens Theme Week--part of a month long series on chocolates related to the elements: earth, water and fire.

Today's Mountain Cardamom 60% Dairy-Free Dark Milk Chocolate (bar) was from Primo Chocolate. 

The cardamom in this bar (from Burlap & Barrel in New York) was grown by "farmers in Alta Verapaz, Guatemala." The small cardamom pods grow on a "tropical vine in cloud forests." And the cacao was sourced from Ecuador.

Aroma and flavor notes included: dark, relatively sweet chocolate; lovely aromatic cardamom; and very faint coconut.

Texture: smooth, relatively creamy, almost velvety, melt and mouthfeel.

Ingredients: Cacao Nibs, Organic Panela Cane Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Coconut Flour, Sunflower Lecithin, Cardamom

Allergen-related information: Contains Coconut. "Made in a facility that also processes nuts"

Cacao & Cardamom - Coffee & Cardamom 66% Cacao Single Origin (bar) - May 26, 2026

Chocolate of the Day

Cacao & Cardamom
Coffee & Cardamom 66% Cacao Single Origin (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.75 oz. (50 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 272 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Cacao & Cardamom, online order

Welcome to Day #14 of Chocolate and Coffee Theme Week. 

Today's Coffee & Cardamom 66% Cacao Single Origin (bar) was made by Cacao & Cardamom (Houston, TX). Their chief chocolatier is Annie Rupani.

The Caraibe single origin cacao used to make this bar refers to a blend of single origin Trinitario cacao from Valrhona (France).*

Aroma and flavor notes for this warm and flavorful dark chocolate included: aromatic cardamom; dark chocolate (relatively sweet 66% cacao chocolate and authentic "100%" cacao nibs and coffee beans); additional warm spices (cinnamon, vanilla); and mild coffee (beans).

Texture: a blend of smooth, relatively creamy dark chocolate and softly crunchy cacao nibs and "Espresso beans" (no coffee grit, thank you).

I loved the blend of cardamom, chocolate and coffee--all relatively aromatic and bold flavors that work very nicely together. The cinnamon and vanilla added more warmth, depth and come hither flavors to the whole blend.

Ingredients: "66% Caraibe Dark Chocolate (Cocoa beans, sugar, cocoa butter, sunflower lecithin, natural vanilla extract), Cardamom, Cinnamon, Espresso Beans"

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

*Valrhona's Caraibe chocolate is crafted from a blend of Trinitario cacao beans from four countries: the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Jamaica, and Togo.

Chami Cacao - 70% Cardamom Colombia dark chocolate (bar) - May 8, 2026

Chocolate of the Day

Chami Cacao
70% Cardamom Colombia - dark chocolate (bar)

Good ++
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 210 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.80 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Xocolatl Garden, Carmel, CA 

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate & Colombia Theme Week.

Today's 70% Cardamom Colombia dark chocolate (bar) was from Chami Cacao (Pereira, Risaralda, in central west Colombia, with connections in California (Mill Valley, CA) and Tampa, FL). 

Chami Cacao owner and chocolate maker Juliana Grajales P. chose the name Chami for her company as an homage to the Embera Chami indigenous people in Colombia.

Aroma and flavor notes for this 70% Colombia spice bar included: dark chocolate and aromatic, complex spice (ground cardamom).

Texture: stone-ground dark chocolate and cardamom*

I enjoyed the warm, authentic and complex cardamom (bright, warm spice, tropical fruit bubble gum, light earth) spice and relatively smooth 70% dark chocolate flavors that harmonized well together. I was fine with the slightly rough, stone-ground mouthfeel/texture as I felt I was able to enjoy more flavor nuances than if the chocolate had been more highly processed.

And I appreciated the short list of (just 3) ingredients, as well as the biodegradable cassava starch inner wrapper. (It's nice to have some relief from plastic-clad bars.)

Ingredients: Cacao beans, Organic raw cane sugar & cardamom.

Allergen-related information: "Vegan, Soy Free, Nut Free, Gluten Free"

*Originally from Southern India, Cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum) production began to ramp up in Central America over 100 years ago. Guatemala is now the world's leading grower and exporter of cardamom--referred to as "green gold" in that country. Colombia and Costa Rica have experienced increased production in recent years.

Hijita - Cardamomo & Pistachio Crunch 70% Dark Chocolate - Mar. 17, 2026

Chocolate of the Day

Hijita Chocolateria
Cardamomo & Pistachio Crunch 70% Agua Escondida Dark Chocolate 
Good +++ 
Weight: 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 326 calories (estimate) in 1 bar 
Cost: $16.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Online order from Hijita

Welcome to Day #14 of Chocolate, Pistachio, Hazelnut and Almond Theme Week, and Day #1 of Chocolate & Mexico Theme Week.

Today's Cardamomo & Pistachio Crunch 70% Agua Escondida Dark Chocolate (bar) was from Hijita, LLC (Austin, TX).

Cacao origin: Comalcalco, Tabasco, Mexico, from the producer Agua Escondida. 

Aroma and flavor notes included: pleasing, balanced and nuanced dark chocolate (faint diffuse fruit - dark, ripe berry, mild citrus (orange/tangerine)); nut (pistachio/almond); faint, authentic vanilla bean and aromatic warm spice (cardamom); faint brown sugar-molasses (piloncillo); and very faint sea salt. (Note: there were no almond ingredients in this bar.)

Texture: smooth dark chocolate; and crunchy, pistachio bits.

I really enjoyed this balanced, well-executed dark chocolate--made possible by the use of carefully sourced single origin/single region, quality and organic ingredients including: the Mexican cacao; the unrefined cane sugar; and the lovely Mexican cardamom and Mexican vanilla bean (which sang beautifully together). 

Even the treatment of the pistachio pieces were handled perfectly: they were caramelized, but not too sweet.

Maker's Tasting Notes: Blueberry, Molasses, Citrus

Ingredients: Cacao*, Unrefined Cane Sugar*, Organic Pistachio, Cardamom*, Vanilla Bean*, Organic Cacao Butter, Sea Salt* (* = sourced direct from small family-owned agroforestry farms in Mexico)

Allergen-related information: Contains Pistachio. Made in a facility that processes Peanuts & Tree Nuts

Sted Foods - Cardamom Krumkake Cookie 50% Dark Milk Chocolate (bar) - Dec. 15, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Sted Foods
Cardamom Krumkake Cookie 50% Dark Milk Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42.45 g.) / 2 oz. (56.6 g.) in total bar
Calories: 210 calories in 3/4 bar
Cost: $6.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Sted Foods, online order 

Welcome to Day #22 of Chocolate, Movies & Entertainment Theme Week; and Day #2 of Chocolate & Rice Theme Week.

Today's Sted Foods Cardamom Krumkake Cookie 50% Dark Milk Chocolate (bar) was manufactured by TC Foods, LLC (Fergus Falls, MN).

Krumkake (pronounced KROOM-kah-kah)* are thin, crispy, wafer cookies from Norway often made for  winter (Christmas) holidays. The dough is rolled (into cone or cylindrical shapes), and is decorated with a pattern on a hot embossed, metal cookie maker (think small, round waffle iron). The warm cookies are then quickly rolled around a wooden dowel into the desired shape and are either left to cool/harden, or eaten soon after.

Aroma and flavor notes included: rich, sweet and flavorful dark milk chocolate, cardamom, and faint, spiced butter cookie.

Texture: relatively thin, creamy milk chocolate with a judicious amount of very tiny cookie crumbs. (The crumbs were almost completely incorporated into the chocolate.) 

Happily (for gluten-free folks) the cookie crumbs in today's chocolate were made from a gluten-free flour (that included white and brown rice flours). Krumkake recipes often use flour + potato flour, and are more amenable to rice flour blends than thicker breads or cakes.

Unfortunately, like many well-made 50% dark milk bars, this chocolate was relatively addicting and was gone in a trice. And this seasonal release may also be out of stock. (Hoping Sted Foods will bring this one back next year.)

I "paired" this bar with some entertaining and educational Norwegian videos about making krumkake cookies and traditional Christmas food, drinks and baked goods.

Ingredients: organic cocoa, cane sugar, milk powder mixed with crumbled organic krumkake cookies (made with butter, sugar, rice flour, tapioca starch, potato flour, molasses, baking soda, cinnamon, salt) and organic cardamom essential oil.

Allergen-related information: gluten-free, soy-free, palm-oil-free 

*I learned about krumkake from Darlene, a Minnesota mom (now passed on) who used to make krumkake cookies. She learned to make them from her mother, who learned from her mother...and so on, all the way back to Norway. (Thank you Darlene and Gigi.)

Crow & Moss Chocolatery - Cardamom Baked Banana 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) - Oct. 27, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Crow & Moss Chocolatery
Cardamom Baked Banana 70% Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 1.2 oz. (35 g.) / 2.4 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 180 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar & Cocoa, online order 

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate & Fruits Theme Week.

Today's Cardamom Baked Banana 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) was thoughtfully created and executed by Crow & Moss Chocolatery (Petoskey, MI).

The company's attractive bar, packaging* and origin stories were transporting.

The cacao used to make this bar was from the Anamalai Estate in India, "organically grown by producers Harish Manoj and Karthi Palaniswamy."**

Aroma notes for this aromatic and flavorful bar included: subtle roasted banana, dark chocolate and very faint warm spice.

Texture: relatively smooth with a faint fruit (banana) astringency

Flavor notes included: rich and flavorful roasted banana, hearty (bold) dark chocolate with medium-high (fruit) acidity; and very faint warm, earthy spice. 

I enjoyed the blend of bold, balanced flavors. This was a far cry from the milk chocolate banana candy one might find in most places in the U.S. I found it very satisfying. 

It was hard to pick out any lighter, bubble gum notes I often associate with (green) cardamom. The spice (likely black cardamom) stayed mostly in the shadows, just out of reach, but still contributed a faint almost smokey/earthy spice accent flavor.

This might also be an excellent dark chocolate for cooking/baking (for desserts (ice creams, custards, Bananas Foster, high-end parfaits, dessert flights); batter breads (banana nut) breads; and maybe even savory rice and meat dishes).

Ingredients: "Cacao, Organic Cane Sugar, Organic Banana, Organic Cardamom."

Allergen-related information: ("Dairy Free, Gluten Free")

*Who says recycled packaging can't look grand?

**The makers included this poetic description of the Anamalai estate in India: "The trees are intercropped with coconut palms and nutmeg trees in the foothills of India's Western Ghats, where (native) desi cows meander and elephants enjoy the coconuts by night."

Mashpi Chocolate - 1.) Coffee Bar + 2.) Salt & Cardamon 65% Cacao Chocolate Bar - Sept. 23, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Mashpi Chocolate 
Coffee and Chocolate Bar
Good ++
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 150 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Choiba Agroforestry Products, online order

Mashpi Chocolate 
Chocolate with Salt & Cardamom 65% cacao (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 150 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Choiba Agroforestry Products, online order

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

Today's double feature: 1.) Coffee and Chocolate Bar, and 2.) Chocolate Bar with Salt and Cardamom 65% Cacao (bar). Both were from Mashpi Chocolate (Quito, Ecuador).

Mashpi uses "Ecuadorian Nacional Cacao" to make their chocolates.

Coffee Bar

Aroma flavor notes in this ebony-hued bar included: sweet, roasted coffee, very faint cocoa, with a medium to high (coffee, fruit) acidity, and very faint brown sugar.

Texture: relatively smooth texture, a relatively creamy melt and a trace amounts of astringency toward the finish. Medium to long concentrated/roasted coffee + cocoa finish.

I appreciated the maker's choices: Nacional cacao and the short list of just three ingredients. However, I was surprised to read the cacao in this bar was cacao butter, i.e., no cacao percent listed, and no cocoa solids listed in the ingredients. 

Ingredients: "Coffee, cacao butter, raw sugar cane"

Allergen-related information: No information listed.

Chocolate with Salt & Cardamom 65% Cacao (bar)

Aroma and flavor notes included: relatively sweet and smooth dark chocolate, infused with authentic and complex cardamom spice (including tiny upticks of fruit punch and chewing gum); light herbal (green pepper); and faint molasses/brown sugar. A light dose of salt balanced out the sweetness very nicely.

The rich sweet herbal, warm cardamom spice and brown sugar, and fleeting tropical fruit/spice notes warmed up this chocolate.

This 65% dark chocolate was flavorful; bright (upbeat); and had balanced bitterness and acidity as well as a pleasing finish. Thank you to the maker(s) for selecting the short list of quality ingredients.

Tasting notes: Eating both the coffee and cardamom bars--together--was a wonderful experience. I alternated one square from the coffee bar with a square with the cardamom and salt bar, and I was very happy.

Ingredients: Cacao mass, raw sugar cane, cacao butter, sea salt, cardamom.

Allergen-related information: None listed that I could see on packaging.

 

 

Intrigue Chocolate Co. - Cardamom and Rose 60% Cacao (Uganda) (bar) - Apr. 25, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Intrigue Chocolate Co.
Cardamom and Rose 60% Cacao (bar)
Good + - Good ++ 
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) in total bar

Calories: 155 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $6.00 (estimate) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Intrigue Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #10 of Chocolate, Cardamom & Ginger Week, and Day #1 of Chocolate & Uganda Week.

Today's Cardamom and Rose (Batch 000000072524) 60% Cacao bar was made by Intrigue Chocolate Co. (Seattle, WA). (Note the company is moving soon to Chisholm, MN.) Intrigue offers some great spice blends, so I was happy to be able to feature them this week.

Cardamom and ginger are members of the same family (botanically speaking); yet, it's hard to find them together in chocolates in the U.S. -- except for lovely, India-inspired chai spice blends. So this theme week has included several "either" cardamom "or" ginger spiced chocolates--allowing each spice sibling to shine on its own.

The cacao used to make this bar was "mostly Trinitario and Amelonado" (cacao varieties) from Uganda (Region: Rwenzori, Kisinga microlot). 

Aroma and flavor notes included: smooth dark chocolate with sweet, fragrant spice (cardamom), sweet floral (rose, attar), and very faint citrus (sweet orange peel) and nut (almond, hazelnut). (Note: there were no nut ingredients listed for this bar.)

Texture: smooth dark chocolate with some mild dryness (mealiness/astringency). It was not clear whether the dryness was coming from the cacao or the rose petals, or both. (I don't think it was the green cardamom seeds, but I can't be sure.)

I liked all three flavors (dark chocolate, rose and cardamom); they tasted authentic and were individually appealing. There was a sense of balanced liveliness about this bar; but the flip side was that they seemed to not completely settle down with each other completely; perhaps because of the slight astringency/dryness. 

Ingredients:  Roasted cacao nibs, raw cane sugar, cocoa butter, rose petals, green cardamom seeds.

Allergen-related information: (None listed on package)

Hapa Chocolat - Spice Cake Ecuador (bar); Kathas - Coconut-Milk Latte - Cocoa Cardamom Chai - Apr. 18, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Hapa Chocolat 
Spice Cake Ecuador (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 2.22 oz. (63 g.) in total bar
Calories: 344 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $10.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Hapa Chocolat, online order

Distributed for Sinwise Farms
Kathas Cocoa Cardamom Chai Coconut-Milk Latte
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 8 fl. oz. (236 mL) in 1 can
Calories: 100 calories in 1 can
Cost: $ Missing information
Purchased from: Missing information (local grocery store)

Welcome to Day #9 of Chocolate & India Week; and Day #2 of Chocolate, Cardamom and Ginger Theme Week.

Today's thoughtfully-produced and delicious duo: 1.) Spice Cake Ecuador (bar) from Hapa Chocolat, LLC (Los Gatos, CA), and 2.) Cocoa Cardamom Chai tea latte beverage distributed for Sunwise Farms (Oakland, CA), contained high-quality ingredients sourced from at least three continents. 

Spice Cake bar

Aroma and flavor notes include: Boston brown bread--a sweet cake-like moist (steamed) bread typically made with molasses, flour and corn meal and raisins); smooth and subtly flavorful dark chocolate (made with cacao from Camino Verde, Ecuador); and fresh salted butter. It was very tasty.

Texture: well-tempered; this bar broke with a hard snap. There was a slight granularity (finely ground spice brittle) in the mouthfeel. It was similar to a well-executed, very slightly rougher, stone-ground chocolate, where everything melts down smoothly together by the finish. There was no spice "grit" or other residual texture once that happened. Best of both worlds -- all the flavors; but, without distracting tiny particles in the final melt phase.

I enjoyed the texture arc, the spices, the short list of ingredients, and the match between the Ecuador cacao and the rich, warm spice flavors.

Ingredients: Chocolate (organic cacao, cacao butter, sugar), Spice Brittle (organic sugar, cinnamon, cloves, salt, ginger)

Allergen-related information: "Soy Free, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free"

Kathas Coconut 

For decades I searched to find items that blended cacao/chocolate with chai tea flavors. Happily, there are more options now. But, I still rejoiced recenlty when I saw this can in the refrigerated section at a local grocery store.

Today's Kathas Coconut-Milk Latte - Cocoa Cardamom Chai with Black Tea and Spices was a chilled chai beverage in a can that was locally(Oakland, CA) distributed for Sinwise Farms. 

The tea and cardamom used to make this chai beverage were sourced from Kerala, India. (The Kathas makers obtained the cardamom from their family farm.)

Aroma and flavor notes included: beautifully aromatic sweet cardamom and chai tea and mild cocoa (high-grade chocolate milk). (Note: there was no dairy milk in this bar, just a touch of coconut milk.)

Note: this beverage can be consumed hot or cold. (I drank it cold.)

I liked: 1.) the well balanced flavors; the authentic and nuanced cardamom and other spices; 2.) the addition of the chocolate (cocoa) that added very complementary flavor depth); 3.) the delicate use of coconut milk; 4.) the sweetness level (sweet, but not too sweet); and 5.) the fact that the black tea was there, but the overall astringency and bitterness levels for tea and cacao were quite low--making this a friendly, comforting as well as refreshing spiced tea coconut milk latte.

While the list of ingredients for this chai was long (I'm not a fan of phosphates, gels and gums), the overall flavors tasted smooth and full-bodied and very delicious. The cardamom was the star of the show.

Ingredients: Spiced Black Tea Concentrate (Water, Black Tea, Spices including Cardamom), Water, Sugar, Organic Coconut Milk, Contains 1% of less of the following:  Organic Tapioca Maltodextrin, Cellulose Gel, Cocoa Powder (processed with alkali), Sunflower Lecithin (an emulsifier), Salt, Tripotassium Phosphate, Dipotassium Phosphate, Cellulose Gum, Natural Flavors, Sodium Hexametaphosphate, Molasses.

Allergen-related information: Contains Coconut.

Madhu Chocolate - Cardamom 60% Cacao (bar) - Apr. 17, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Madhu Chocolate
Cardamom 60% Cacao (bar)
Good ++  
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2.6 oz. (74 g.) in total bar
Calories: 140 calories in 1 oz. of bar
Cost: $10.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Market at Edgewood, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate and India Theme Week; and Day #1 of Cardamom and Ginger Theme Week.

Today's Cardamom 60% Cacao (bar) from Madhu Chocolate LLC was made in Austin, TX.*

For the past several years, the company has offered chocolates and confections with traditional Indian dessert-inspired flavors.

In today's bar, single origin cardamom seeds from Guatemala were ground into Tumaco Colombia cacao and sugar.

Aroma and flavor notes included: smooth dark chocolate and fragrant cardamom. I loved the very pleasing, authentic and well-balanced cardamom spice flavor in this bar. 

Texture: well-tempered (broke with a snap) and smooth. The cardamom was fully incorporated into the chocolate. There was no spice grit; i.e., there were no discernible spice particles.

And the well-tempered and executed 60% dark chocolate was smooth in flavor and relatively sweet -- both traits that would make for an excellent, exotic cup of cardamom hot chocolate, a dark chocolate truffle, or other chocolate and cardamom dessert (torte, mousse, cake, etc.).

Ingredients: "Cacao, Organic Cane Sugar, Organic Cocoa Butter, Cardamom"

Allergen-related information: Made in a facility that processes peanuts, tree nuts and milk. Vegan, Gluten-free

*Update: Sadly, Madhu Chocolate, based on a notification on their website, Madhu may be closing shop in Spring 2025 after seven years. (Their online shop may be open until April 30, 2025; but several items are already sold out.)

Elements Truffles - Almond Crunch Dark Chocolate with saffron (bar) - Oct. 9, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Elements Truffles

Almond Crunch Dark Chocolate with saffron (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: .9 oz. (25 g.) / 1.8 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 140 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $7.50 (estimate) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Amazon, online order (4 bars)

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

Today's Almond Crunch Dark Chocolate (bar) was from Elements Truffles (Union City, NJ). 

The company offers attractively packaged chocolates "powered by the 5,000 year old science of Ayurveda..." And today's floral ingredient--saffron (from crocus flowers)--was called out as an "Ayurveda Superfood."

Aroma notes for this bar included: roasted cacao, floral (sweet saffron, chrysanthemum), and faint nut (almond).

Texture: relatively soft texture and melt with small, crunchy almond bits. 

Flavor notes included: mild-tasting dark chocolate, almond, and faint floral (chrysanthemum, saffron). The mild cacao/dark chocolate tasted authentic, and was relatively low in bitterness and acidity.

The sweetness (raw honey) tasted natural, authentic and slightly muted. (I enjoyed the lack of sugar buzz.)

Ingredients: "Organic Raw Cacao Paste, Raw Honey, Organic Cacao Butter, Organic Almonds, Saffron"

Allergen-related information: "Made in a facility that processes nuts"

Ruya - Cardamom Turkish Coffee Dark Chocolate 65% (bar) - Sept. 29, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Ruya

Cardamom - Turkish Coffee Dark Chocolate 65% (bar)
Good ++
Weight: .459 oz. (13 g.) / 2.3 oz. (65 g.) in total bar
Calories: 70 calories in 2 squares of bar
Cost: $16.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA 

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

Today's Ruya Cardamom Turkish Coffee Dark Chocolate 65% (bar) was created by Melis Aydogan. 

Aydogan started her business as a Turkish-style coffee house concept (including reading fortunes occasionally). We are invited to taste the dream. (Ruyu means "dream" in Turkish.) This dark spiced coffee chocolate was a Good Food Awards Winner in 2021.

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate, roasted coffee, faint roasted nut(s) and spice.

Texture: uniform, fudge-y, smooth texture and melt.

Flavor notes included: dark chocolate, sweet spice (cardamom) and dark roast coffee.

I liked the robust flavors in this chocolate. The roast(s) seemed just right: bold, but no burnt flavor(s); and the roasting process(es) may have minimized (or eclipsed) any sharper edged flavor(s) (acidity, bitterness, earth, etc.) that might have existed. The cardamom (almost playful by contrast) added natural sweetness and light and helped elevate and balance the dark roast flavors.

Maker's description: "Dark as Hell, Strong as Death, Sweet as Love"

Ingredients: "Organic cocoa beans, organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter, organic espresso, cardamom"

Allergen-related information: "May contain traces of peanuts, tree nuts, wheat and milk products due to shared equipment." ("Soy Free. Vegan.")

Dude, Sweet Chocolate - "A Holiday In Cambodia Bar" + Elements Truffles - Rose Cardamom Dark 70% bar - Mar. 31, 2024

Chocolate(s) of the Day

Dude, Sweet Chocolate 
"A Holiday in Cambodia Bar"
Good ++
Weight: .775 oz. (22 g.) /1.55 oz. (44 g.) in total bar
Calories: 120 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $7.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Dude, Sweet Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate, Flowers and Honey Week, and Day #1 of Chocolate and Thailand Week. 

There are two Thai-related chocolates today. 

The Rose Cardamom bar with ingredients from Thailand from Elements Truffles I tasted five years ago, but wanted to enjoy the lovely rose smell and taste again. The primary chocolate involved crossing the Thai border to try this "Holiday in Cambodia" chocolate bar. Not Thailand; but the two neighboring countries share a 500-mile border(s) and many culinary and cultural traditions.*

Today's unique "A Holiday in Cambodia Bar" from Dude, Sweet Chocolate (Dallas, TX) contains SE Asian inspired flavors (Palm Sugar, Cambodian Black Pepper)--and Pop Rocks (popping candy) that relate to holidays celebrated with fireworks in Cambodia (Independence Day in Nov.) and Thailand. (New Year's Day in Thailand (Songkran) is April 13th.) 

A Holiday in Cambodia Bar

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate (roasted cacao), pleasant sweetness (coconut or unrefined sugar) and very faint spice.

Texture: The Pop Rocks created little crunchy, sweet candy explosions in my mouth. About the closest thing one could get to culinary fireworks (other than chili peppers perhaps). 

Flavor notes included: dark chocolate; unrefined/coconut palm sugar; and faint warm spice and coconut. (The palm sugar was nice; not quite as buzzy and dominant as refined (white) cane sugar.) Overall, a fun bar to try, and well-executed and creative take on a southeast Asian international experience. 

Pairing suggestions: Tea, wine, or blue butterfly pea flower tea** with coconut milk and honey or palm sugar, if you can make or find it (or ingredients) in your area. Think Thai iced tea...in a lovely shade of blue.

Rose Cardamom Dark Chocolate 70% (bar)

Elements Truffles
Rose Cardamom Dark 70% (bar)
Good ++
Weight: .9 oz. (25 g.) / 1.8 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 140 calories in 1/2 bar 
Cost: $9.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order 

Today's second chocolate: a Rose Cardamom Dark 70% (bar) was from Elements Truffles (Union City, NJ) and contained Thai-inspired rose elements. (As indicated above, I had tasted this bar before, in 2018.)

Aroma notes included: smooth dark chocolate; fragrant rose/rosewater; and faint cardamom.

Flavor notes for this gentle (cocoa butter prominent) but flavorful 70% bar included: smooth dark chocolate; rose, rose, and more authentic rose; and a trace of cardamom spice. If you enjoy floral and honey flavors, you'll love the sweet, soft authentic rose aroma and flavor.

This bar was well balanced and relatively low in bitterness/acidity--in part due to cocoa butter (#1 ingredient).

Ingredients: "Organic Cacao Butter, Raw Honey, Organic Cacao Powder, Rose Essential Oil, Cardamom Essential Oil."

Allergen-related information: "Made in a facility that processes nuts"

* Cambodia and Thailand are two of the oldest kingdoms in Southeast Asia. Both were once part of the Khmer civilization (when the empire included all of Cambodia, and parts of Thailand and Laos). The two countries have many similar cultural and culinary traditions, some language overlaps. In recent centuries, the relationship between the two countries has been influenced by French colonization in SE Asia, cultural influences from India and China, and many other factors. (It's complicated.) 

Both countries are worth visiting and are in a climactic zone where cacao, palm sugar, flowers and spices (ginger, lemongrass, peppers) grow. Both have lovely cuisines, traditions, and at least one holiday involving fireworks. A Thai version of this Holiday in Cambodia bar might have a little more (spicy) heat; both countries offer complementary flavors that can be (continue to be) successfully blended with cacao.

Wildwood Chocolate - Cardamom and Honey Caramel with Sea Salt (bar) - Feb. 23, 2022

Chocolate of the Day 

Wildwood Chocolate

Cardamom and Honey Caramel with Sea Salt (bar)

Good +

Weight: 1.176 oz. (33.3 g.) / 3.53 oz. (100 g.) in total bar

Calories: 182 calories (estimate) in 1/3 bar

Cost: $N/A - gift from a friend ($12.75 on website)

Purchased from: N/A - gift from friend (thank you Wendy!)

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate and Spices Weeks.

Today's Cardamom and Honey Caramel with Sea Salt (bar) was from Wildwood Chocolate (Portland, OR). The company offers chocolates inspired by nature in the Pacific Northwest; e.g. this bar was embossed with an attractive fern pattern.

Instead of spice, the aroma of this honey caramel filled bar had notes of chocolate sandwich cookies and milk and faint caramel. The (cardamom) spice was in the core--part of a thin layer of cardamom seasoned honey caramel--surrounded by 70% dark chocolate.

Breaking off a piece of this bar resulted in a thin gooey sheet and tendrils of caramel (that may be softer on a warm day). I'd advise dividing this bar into bite-sized pieces on a plate, or eating this chocolate with a napkin.

The smooth dark chocolate lacked identifiable cacao flavor notes. The caramel center added a pleasing mild, authentic cardamom spice flavor, and was relatively sweet. Although the salt helped balance this sweetness. 

Ingredients: Chocolate (cocoa liquor, cocoa butter, sugar, soy lecithin, vanilla), cane sugar, cream (milk), honey, rice syrup, butter, vanilla extract (vanilla, alcohol), sea salt, cardamom seeds.

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

Askinosie Chocolate - Mubabu Tanzania Peppermint Dark Chocolate (bar) - May 10, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Askinosie Chocolate

Mubabu Tanzania Peppermint Dark Chocolate (bar)

Good ++

Weight: 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar

Calories: 470 calories (estimate) in 1 bar

Cost: $9.50 (estimate) for 1 bar

Purchased from: Askinosie.com, online order

Welcome to Day #11 of Chocolate and Tanzania Theme Week. 

Today's Mubabu Tanzania Peppermint Dark Chocolate (bar) was made by Askinosie Chocolate (Springfield, MO). 

Askinosie has long practiced direct trade with cocoa farmers. Many of their single origin bars bear the image of farmers on the packaging. Today's bar, made using Trinitario cacao from Mubabu, Tanzania, included a picture of Askinosie's "lead Tanzania farmer partner, Mama Mpoki--with her husband and children.

This bar was full of rich, bold aroma and flavors: a blend of bold, but smooth, dark chocolate, cool peppermint, herb and warm spice (cardamom) notes. All of these flavors had the potential to overpower each other. However, the chocolate was a skillful, high-quality blend of "opposites:" warm spice and cool, refreshing mint; sweet and dark; as well as judicious amounts of sugar and sea salt.

All the ingredients felt like they were well incorporated (likely ground to a relatively fine particle size), creating a texture that was smooth and creamy, almost fudgey on a cool morning. (The added cocoa butter that contributed to the lovely texture was also single origin Tanzania.*)

Askinosie Chocolate maker's tasting notes: "Brisk, cool peppermint and deep silky cocoa, warming cardamom finish"

*Ingredients: Mababu (Tanzania) cacao beans (Trinitario), organic cane sugar, cocoa butter (made in our factory with Mababu beans--visit askinosie.com for details*), organic turbinado sugar, organic cardamom, peppermint, sea salt.

*Note: Added cocoa butter in chocolate is not always from the same origin as the cocoa solids/beans used to make a chocolate bar. Some of the best makers--or at least the hardest working and those who set high goals for themselves--press their own cocoa butter from a specific origin/batch of cocoa beans. While cocoa butters are not as flavorful as cocoa solids, they do carry/impart some flavor(s) from their respective origins.

Allergy-related information: "Processed in a facility that also processes milk, peanuts, tree nuts, and wheat."

Raaka Chocolate - Rose Cardamom Unroasted Dark Chocolate 70% (bar) - Apr. 16, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Raaka Chocolate

Rose Cardamom Unroasted Dark Chocolate 70% (bar)

Good +

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

Calories: 266 calories in 1 bar

Cost: $6.00 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Raaka, online order

Welcome to Day #1 of Chocolate and RSTU Theme Week, featuring chocolate items with origins and flavor inclusions starting with the letters R, S, T, and/or U.

Today's Rose Cardamom Unroasted Dark Chocolate 70% (bar) was made from bean-to-bar by the makers at Raaka Chocolate (Brooklyn, NY).

This bar had a lovely warm floral and spice aroma, and smooth, dark 70% Cacao (unroasted) chocolate texture and flavor, with a barely detectable fruit/spice astringency.

The single origin cacao used to make this Limited Batch chocolate bar was from Kokoa Kamili (a cacao growers organization), in Tanzania -- "steamed over rose petals and cardamom...Celestial and dreamy."

The flavors were a bit clearer/stronger (than the aroma), and it was easier to tease out the rose flavoring, which was followed by a balanced and sustained (but still relatively subtle) cardamom note.

Ingredients: Organic cacao beans, organic cane sugar, organic cacao butter, organic rose petals, organic cardamom

Allergen-related/additional information: Vegan, Gluten Free, Soy Free, Nut Free, Non-GMO Project Verified, USDA Organic, Transparent Trade

Primo Botanica - Mountain Cardamom, Dark Coconut Mylk 60% Nicaraguan Cardamom bar - Apr. 6, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Primo Botanica 

Mountain Cardamom - Dark Coconut Mylk 60% Nicaraguan Cardamom (bar)

Good ++ 

Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.12 oz. (60 g.) in total bar

Calories: 167 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar

Cost: $9.25 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's (Batch #1) Mountain Cardamom - 60% Dark Coconut Mylk Chocolate Infused with Nicaraguan Cardamom (bar) was crafted by Primo Botanica (Troy, NY).

Located in New York State's Capital Region, Primo Botanica got its start in 2017. The company is dedicated to making "the world's most potent chocolate using single origin cacao, unrefined sugar, herbs, fungi and spices."*

This bright, slightly fruity, sweet coconut mylk cardamom chocolate was blessed with a heavenly, complex and full-bodied cardamom scent and flavor. (A seamless infusion, there were no gritty pieces...only a flowering abundance of authentic spice flavor.) The cardamom was harvested adjacent to a cacao-growing area in central Nicaragua. (More on the spice story below.)

While cardamom ruled this bar with a golden scepter, other elements contributed to the harmonious whole. The coconut mylk and cocoa butter helped to create a smooth, relatively creamy texture, melt and mouthfeel. Panela added sweet warmth (very faint caramel). In addition to the cardamom, there was a very faint note of roasted coffee, or perhaps this was inferred.**

The description of this chocolate on Bar and Cocoa's website read as follows:

"Creamy, coconut with the citrusy, minty, spicy - qualities of cardamom. During our last visit to mountainous, Matagalpa, Nicaragua with the cacao sourcing non-profit, Enliven International, we had the privilege to meet several cacao farming families. While the men go out and prune cacao trees, the women wild harvest spices and fruit to buffer sales. Several years later we were able to pay these women directly to harvest, dry and send this very special cardamom through one of the employees of Enliven to include this very special, limited bar. And yes, it's vegan!"

Ingredients: Mexican cocoa beans + cocoa butter (60%), organic Colombian panela (cane sugar), coconut milk powder (dehydrated organic coconut milk, tapioca, organic acacia fiber), ground direct trade Nicaragua cardamom.

Allergen-related information: "Never soy or dairy"

*Disclosure: I am a sucker for innovative, high-quality chocolates with botanicals, spices and edible flowers.

**The rich, roasted "coffee" note could have been from the (Mexican) cacao, the cardamom--or more likely both. Also likely, I could have been imagining this bar made into a coffee drink. Cardamom-infused coffee is not unusual in the Arab world (Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Pakistan and elsewhere)--in countries where the spice trade and coffee origins met and intertwined centuries ago.

Green cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum) is native to India, but is cultivated in southeast Asian and Central American countries as well.

Chamisa Chocolate - Cardamom Coffee bar - Jan. 26, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Chamisa Chocolate
Cardamom Coffee bar
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (30 g.) / 2 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 155 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $10.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chamisa Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate and ABCD Theme Week. If you're just tuning in, you may be wondering, what does this alphabetic nonsense all about? This week, I'm featuring chocolates with flavor inclusions that start with the letters A, B, C and/or D.

Today's Cardamom Coffee 65% dark chocolate bar was from organic, micro-batch chocolate maker Amanda Hatherly at Chamisa Chocolate (Santa Fe, NM).  

The cardamom* used to infuse this chocolate was allowed to be the star flavor, with coffee and dark chocolate playing important supporting roles. Great choice. 

Who ever said "three's a crowd," never experienced these three flavors making magic together. Each of these bold flavors can hold their own and are amiable companions. Anything but boring, and deeply satisfying.

The skillful flavor blend in this well-tempered, organic and vegan bar allowed me to fully appreciate and savor cardamom's deep complexity. The aroma and flavor had subtle herby, minty, caraway, anise, bubble gum, fragrant black pepper, very light sweet, smoked mustard, and other notes) during the tasting experience. And the blend of cardamom and the coffee helped to create a long, pleasing, flavorful finish.

We can thank culinary pioneers and spice traders in Arab countries, centuries ago, for being the first to blend coffee with cardamom. This flavor duo was adopted by neighboring countries; and, more recently, it can be found in chocolate bars and confections/desserts in the U.S. 

Ingredients: Organic cacao beans, organic sugar, organic cacao butter, organic coffee, organic cardamom.

*Cardamom has it's origins in Asia. Black (also known as brown) cardamom is from Bhutan, Nepal, and India. Green cardamom has its origins further south, in the lush forests of India and across parts of Malaysia.

While not specified in the ingredients list, I'm assuming the cardamom in this bar was predominantly black/brown cardamom (vs. green cardamom); but it could have been a mix of both. 

I have seen people using black cardamom and green cardamom with their coffee (and chocolate). And some people do use a mix of both types. Green cardamom has more upbeat notes: bubble gum/tropical spice and green vanilla/nutmeg; whereas black cardamom is a bit less zingy, but subtley complex, and sometimes almost smoky.

Madre Chocolate - Coffee and Cardamom Lachua Guatemala dark (bar) + Horchata bar - Dec. 9, 2020

Chocolate(s) of the Day

Madre Chocolate
Coffee and Cardamom Lachua Guatemala dark chocolate (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.5 oz. (43 g.) in total bar
Calories: 228 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $8.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Madre Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #18 of Chocolate and Hawaii Theme Weeks, and Day #1 of Chocolate and Spices Theme Week. What better confluence of these two themes than these two bars featured today from Madre Chocolate (Honolulu, HI).

Madre's Chocolate Flavormeister, Dr. Nat Bletter, strikes one as a one part explorer and life-time learner, one part botanical mad scientist-genius (in the best possible meaning of this term); and, thankfully, he loves sharing information* (and chocolate) with all the rest of us. 

He has researched, cacao, fruits and other botanical ingredients in Hawaii (and around the world) for possible inclusion in Madre chocolate offerings. I'm sure he spent time researching and gathering each of the ingredients in these two bars.

This Coffee and Cardamom chocolate (bar #1 of 2 featured today) was a study in contrasts that held my interest. A creamy velvet, medium sweet but robust 60% dark chocolate base co-existed with crunchy, coarse-ground organic Chiapas coffee bean pieces. 

The relatively "whole" inclusions (coffee, vanilla and perhaps the cardamom) created layers of bold, unique flavors. And this layering tended to hold my attention more than having everything finely ground and homogenized. For example, the whole vanilla here did not taste like manufactured vanilla extract. And while it harmonized well with the other flavors, it also had its own distinct, floral, earthy notes. 

This was a meeting of big, authentic flavors and each deserved a turn in the spotlight. A good "wake up" bar.

Ingredients for Coffee and Cardamom bar: Cacao, organic sugar, organic cocoa butter, coffee, whole vanilla, organic cardamom.

Madre Chocolate
Horchata golden chocolate (bar) 
Good +
Weight: 1.5 oz. (43 g.) in total bar
Calories: 230 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $6.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Madre Chocolate, online order

This Horchata golden chocolate bar was "inspired by the popular Spanish and Mexican drink, horchata, made from rice milk, almonds, cinnamon, and vanilla."

Madre has fused these traditional horchata flavors with coconut--a taste I associate with Hawaii and, in recent years, with dairy-free bars. The aroma of this bar had coconut, spices, (cinnamon, chai), roasted, nutty and cocoa butter notes.

The bar's base had a smooth, rich melt and texture. This complemented the soft, chewy, quiet riot of flavorful bits on (and in) the bar that yielded a "white" chocolate with its own suave personality. 

Actually this bar was not "white." It was a lovely golden brown color. White chocolate is a name given to bars and confections made with cocoa butter (the creamy ivory-colored fat from cocoa beans), but without cocoa solids (that add much of the flavor and dark brown color to chocolate). But, it's not always that, well, black and white. As today's golden chocolate shows. There can be interesting shades in between.

Shout out to the perfectly roasted rice. This added an excellent flavor note that elevated the overall blend of  coconut and almond bits, and vanilla, cinnamon, and other ingredients.

Ingredients for Horchata bar: Organic Dominican cocoa butter, organic coconut, organic sugar, roasted rice, almonds, organic cinnamon, Mexican whole vanilla. 

Note: Madre makes chocolate bars in relatively small batches. Their bars may sell out; and they may or may not be available currently. Check their website (online) store for the current line-up.

*There are more cacao farm and chocolate tour options available in Hawaii now than when I started Chocolate Banquet many years ago. If you are visiting Hawaii, you might consider looking into one of Nat's cacao farm/botanical tours--and other farm tours that are now available. You'll gain a unique appreciation of how plants/cacao grow, how plants are made into offerings like chocolate, and why chocolates/foods taste the way they do. Not to mention all the love and hard work that go into these processes.