Rozsavolgyi Csokolade - Chocolate with Candied Cocoa Nibs Soaked in Palinka with Fennel (bar) - Aug. 9, 2026

Chocolate of The Day

Rozsavolgyi Csokolade
Chocolate with Candied Cocoa Nibs Soaked in Palinka with Fennel (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 171.85 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $22.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Dispensary, online order, 

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate & Spirits Theme Week.

Today's Chocolate with Candied Cocoa Nibs Soaked in Palinka* and with Fennel (bar) was from Rozsavolgyi Csokolade (Budapest, Hungary). 

The company's name when translated into English ("Rosevalley Chocolate") is also tied to their location. "Rosevalley is a suburban part of Budapest in Hungary."

Aroma and flavor notes for today's flavorful bar included: smooth, naturally sweet and slightly fruity dark chocolate joined by fennel--that contributed light green, sweet licorice notes.

Texture: smooth dark chocolate with little crunchy bits (lightly candied cacao nibs, perhaps some fennel).

I enjoyed the balanced, complementary flavors: dark 73% cacao chocolate, subtle, warm fruit (sweet stone fruit (peach, apricot); and authentic fennel in this bean-to-bar chocolate. 

The illustrations on the packaging of a cartoon cocoa pod named Erik, a cartoon cocoa pod wearing a palinka barrel, and a cartoon apricot character (complete with a hat and a moustache) carrying a flask, etc. were whimsical and fun.

I also appreciated the maker's choice of a short list of quality ingredients in this well-executed bar.

Ingredients: dark chocolate with 73% min. cocoa content (cocoa beans, organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter), candied cocoa nibs soaked in palinka, organic cane sugar, fennel.

Allergen-related information: "Produced in a factory that also handles milkpowder, nuts and sesame seed."

*Palinka is a fruit brandy--a distilled spirit, from Hungary that is made with fermented fruits (plums, apricots, cherries and pears, grown in Hungary) without added sugar or other additives.

Goodio - Fennel 49% Cacao (bar) - Aug. 14, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Goodio 
Fennel 49% Cacao (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 1.7 oz. (48 g.) in total bar
Calories: 270 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $6.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Caputo's, online order 

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

Today's Goodio "Fennel" 49% Cacao (bar) was manufactured by Helsinki Heaven Oy (Vantaa, Finland). The company offers a variety of bars, and some include Nordic flavor inclusions -- made "by a team of magical artists." (To which I would add the term "hearts and crafts": ones who create with their hearts and who are skilled in their craft.)

Today's bar was crafted using "Peruvian fine cacao."

Aroma and flavor notes included: sweeter/mellower (Criollo-like) dark chocolate, coconut, faint (diffuse) fruit, and faint, sweet, almost floral, herb (fennel extract/pollen).

Texture: relatively smooth, sweet (very faintly granular/sugary) fudge softness in the texture, with slight textural richness from flavor inclusions (perhaps the coconut flakes and the fennel).

The tiny upticks of fennel flavor were relatively gentle. The coconut harmonized with the Peruvian cacao-based chocolate and the fennel. The result was a balanced, naturally sweet blend. 

I continue to appreciate Goodio's choice to use a short list of thoughtfully sourced, high-quality, organic ingredients in their chocolates.

Maker's description: "A delicate touch of licorice from fennel combined with Peruvian fine cacao for (a) balanced flavor combination..."

Ingredients: "Cacao beans*, Coconut palm sugar*, Cacao butter*, Coconut flakes*, Birch sugar (Xylitol), Fennel*. (*Organic)."

Allergen-related information: "May contain traces of nuts (cashew)." "Dairy, gluten & soy free" 

Jangala Cacao & Selva - 70% Lavender Dark Chocolate with Pollen, Fennel (bar) - June 28, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Jangala Cacao & Selva
70% Cacao Lavender Dark Chocolate with Pollen, Fennel (bar)
Good ++
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 98 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $18.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Chocolate Dispensary, online order

Bienvenidos a (Welcome to) Day #9 of Chocolate and Floral Week, and Day #4 of Chocolate & Mexico Theme Week.

Today's  Jangala Cacao & Selva 70% Cacao Lavender Dark Chocolate with Pollen, Fennel (bar) was made by Jangala Frutos De La Tierra S. de R.I. de C.V. (San Cristobol de Las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico). southern Mexico.

The company specializes in single origin Mexican cacaos with a deep appreciation of--and connection to--the farmers and jungles (selvas) essential to sustainable production. To create chocolate like today's bar, they worked with "fermented native cacaos..."Criollos and Trinitarios from Soconusco."

Aroma and aroma notes included: dark chocolate, lavender, fennel and faint honey (pollen). 

Texture: smooth dark chocolate with finely and carefully ground/dried botanical elements (lavender buds, fennel seeds, bee pollen) pressed into the back of the bar--creating an attractive, enchanted garden/forest pattern and feel.

I enjoyed the well-executed and balanced aroma and flavor elements in this bar; the short list of quality ingredients; and that the floral and herbal inclusions imparted an authentic texture and taste, without being too large or pokey. Right in the Goldilocks zone.*

"Aromatic notes: chocolate, lavender, fennel, floral."

"Organic Ingredients: Cacao, cane sugar, cacao butter, bee pollen, dehydrated fennel, dehydrated lavender flower."

Allergen-related information: None listed on package.

*To describe something as being in "the Goldilocks zone" means that it's just right. Not too hot, not too cold. Not too hard, not too soft. Not too big, not too small....And these references come from a European folk tale which--in the modern version--features a young girl (Goldilocks) who enters the home of three bears in a forest, while the bears are out on a walk. She then proceeds to try out their porridge, chairs and beds, finding ones (belonging to the youngest bear) that are just right for her. 

Spring & Mulberry - Mulberry Fennel 72% Cacao Date Sweetened Chocolate (bar) - May 19, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Spring & Mulberry 
Mulberry Fennel 72% Cacao date sweetened chocolate
Good ++
Weight: 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 260 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.75 for 1 bar (with quantity discount)
Purchased from: Spring & Mulberry, online order

Welcome to Day #12 of Chocolate, Bees and Trees Theme Week, including a range of chocolates sweetened with honey and tree-based sugars (maple and date).

Today's Mulberry Fennel 72% Cacao (bar) was distributed by Spring & Mulberry (Raleigh, NC).

Aroma notes included: sweet, mellow but dark, chocolate with faint herbal, dried fruit forest--and a very faint scent I associated with light fruit/cacao astringency. (Note: there was very little astringency in the flavor/texture.)

Texture: a mix of smooth, relatively dense dark 72% cacao chocolate (that was not too acidic or bitter); crunchy fennel seeds; and slightly chewy dried mulberries. (The thinly sliced almonds were soft enough to blend into the mix without standing out in terms of texture or flavor.)

I enjoyed the mix of flavors. It's rare to find chocolates with mulberries--delicious and nutritious small berries--much less mulberries and fennel seeds. The sweetness level was just right for me (a dark chocolate fan).

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

Ingredients: Cacao Beans*, Dates*, Cacao Butter*, White Mulberries*, Almonds*, Fennel Seeds* (* Organic)

Allergen-related information: Contains Tree Nuts: Almonds. May Contain Tree Nuts, Peanuts, Milk, Soy, and Wheat.

Intrigue Chocolate - Basil; Orange & Fennel; Ginger & Molasses Truffles - Jan. 6, 2025

Chocolate(s) of the Day

Intrigue Chocolate Co.
1.) Basil Truffle - Good ++ 
2.) Orange & Fennel Truffle - Good ++
3.) Ginger & Molasses Truffle - Good ++ - Good +++

Weight: .944 oz. (26.7 g.) in 3 truffles / 4.09 oz. (116 g.) (estimate) in total box of 12 (13) truffles
Calories: 147 calories (estimate) for 3 truffles
Cost: $44.00 for 1 box of 12 (13) truffles
Purchased from: Intrigue Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #12 of Chocolate, Tea, Herb and Spice Week, featuring a range of bars, truffles, teas and flavored hot chocolates.

Today's three truffles were made and distributed by Intrigue Chocolate Co. (Seattle, WA). These individually-wrapped truffles were part of a 13-piece truffle assortment box. 

(I also enjoyed these with my own citrus, herb and spice tea that complemented these flavors.)

Aroma and flavor notes for the Basil Truffle included: chocolate (creamy, almost silken ganache) and faint green herb (basil).

Aroma and flavor notes for the Orange & Fennel Truffle included: chocolate (rich, creamy smooth ganache), fleeting savory (appealing mushroom jerky -- in aroma only); toasted fennel seed; and authentic citrus (orange). Light fennel lingered longest in the finish.

Aroma and flavor notes for the Ginger & Molasses Truffle included: creamy chocolate ganache, ground ginger spice, followed by appealing, authentic molasses that lightly lingered into the finish. 

I enjoyed the buttery smooth texture, the authentic and balanced flavors, and the choice of herbs and spices in the assortment box (of 13 truffles).

Ingredients: Chocolate (cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter, vanilla, soy lecithin), Cream (milk), flavors (as described in the truffle name).

Allergen-related information: Contains Milk. 

 

Madhu Chocolate - Vanilla Fennel 76% Cacao (bar) - Mar. 13, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Madhu Chocolate
Vanilla Fennel 76% Cacao (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.3 oz. (37 g.) / 2.6 oz. (74 g.) in total bar
Calories: 169 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.29 (estimate) for 1 bar (Paid $65.00 for a 7-bar order)
Purchased from: Good Food Awards Marketplace, online order

Welcome to Day #8 of India Theme Week, and Day #1 of Chocolate and Colombia Theme Week.

Today's Vanilla Fennel 76% Cacao Chocolate (bar) was from Madhu Chocolate (Austin, TX). The flavors in this small batch, bean-to-bar dark chocolate were India-inspired. And the cacao was sourced by the owners (Elliott and Harshit) from the Tumaco region of Colombia. (The company also sources cacao from India.)

Aroma notes for this bar included: dark chocolate, vanilla and licorice spice.

The well-tempered bar broke with a snap, and the texture and melt were pleasing and smooth.

Flavor notes included undulating waves of sweet vanilla and licorice that tapered down to expose a smooth dark chocolate stretch, followed by a clean finish. 

The dark chocolate was bold and fruity enough to be interesting and to stand up and sing with the flavor additions. (It was not obscured by sugar and spices.) However, there was enough harmonizing going on that it was difficult to pick out which notes belonged to the underlying cacao.

There were some fainter, more delicate green and floral notes in the background. It was difficult to know if these flavors were part of the Colombian cacao or the Madagascar vanilla, or both.

The maker's choice of 76% cacao for the dark chocolate base seemed just right to me. Anything less than 70% would have seemed too sweet I think, given the natural sweetness of the vanilla and fennel.* And this choice allowed the chocolate to really come through.

This flavorful, complex blend of flavors helped wake me up this morning. Ready to start the day now! 

Ingredients: Dark chocolate (cacao, organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter), organic fennel seed, organic Madagascar vanilla

Allergen-related information: (Vegan. Gluten free.) "Prepared in a facility that also processes nuts and dairy."

*Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) a much loved plant in other cultures, is considered an invasive weed where I live in California. It loves the Mediterranean climate here. But it's invasive with benefits...Every part of this naturally sweet, licorice-flavored plant is edible: seeds, pollen, fronds (feathery "leaves"), stems and roots (bulb). Candy-coated fennel seeds are used as a digestive or as a flavor addition to cookies/sweets as well as savory dishes. Birds, ladybugs and swallowtail butterflies love it too. Unlike other aggressively spreading plants, like ivy or bamboo, I can also enjoy this plant in a variety of foods, beverages...and chocolate.

 

Dick Taylor - Bee Pollen and Fennel 70% Brazil Dark Chocolate (bar) - June 19, 2020

Chocolate of the Day:

Dick Taylor
Bee Pollen and Fennel 70% Brazil Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good +++
Weight: 2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar
Calories: 300 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $9.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Dick Taylor Craft Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate and Brazil Theme Week, and Day #1 of Chocolate, Bees and Trees Theme Week.

Today's Bee Pollen and Fennel 70% Brazil Dark Chocolate - Seasonal Release bar was made by Dick Taylor Craft Chocolate (Eureka, CA).

Fennel was a great choice for this seasonal bar. It has a naturally sweet, licorice-like aromatic scent and aroma. It's June and bees and other pollinators are feasting on spring flowers. These helpful insects rely on different plants later in the year, including fennel.*

The first whiff of this bar was all bold, deep dark (Forastero-like) cocoa, with a slight roasted coffee note. Returning to this bar 3-5 minutes later, the aroma was a more balanced blend of dark (more Trinitario-like) cocoa balanced with light herbal (fennel, caraway) and floral (pollen) notes. (Yes, another example of why one should eat a good chocolate slowly...and re-taste at intervals if you have patience. Flavors do un-fold.)

The back of this ebony-colored bar was a tapestry of gold and green. The base chocolate had a creamy melt and texture; and the smooth chocolate with light tart fruit notes was accented by slightly crunchy fennel* seeds and a healthy smattering of bee pollen. 

The tasting experience melded garden spice and aromatic and flavorful sweet fennel notes with buttery honey and floral pollen notes--all without being too sweet (thank you!).

The flavors lingered pleasantly in the finish. What a fun and enjoyable bar.

*Currently, towering stalks of fennel (trees almost) are covered with delicate green (edible) fronds; they will become a valuable food later in the year. Although sometimes considered an invasive plant here in California, every part of the fennel plant is edible, and beneficial insects and birds love fennel. 

When the fennel forest in my side yard puts out grains of sweet, delicious yellow pollen in summer, bees and other pollinators (along with a few human tasters) will be enjoying this yellow "candy.". By September, green fennel seeds can be harvested and eaten and used in cookies, cakes, digestives...and chocolate. Birds will nibble on the rest.

Only Child Chocolate - Best Fronds Forever Milk Chocolate Bar - Apr. 10, 2020

Chocolate of the Day: 

Only Child Chocolate
Best Fronds Forever - Milk Chocolate with Peanuts, Coconut, Fennel and Cayenne bar
Good +
Weight: 1.7 oz. (48 g.) in total bar
Calories: 256 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $8.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocosphere.com, online order

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

This thick, sweet, creamy milk chocolate bar was redolent with botanical aromas; and I wondered how were all these flavor inclusions going to mesh? The answer: surprisingly well.

Relatively whole chunks of ingredients* visible on the back of the bar gave this chocolate an attractive look; and, more important, allowed flavors to take turns in the spotlight. (A finely ground, homogeneous blend of all these ingredients would not have worked as well.)

One bite featured crunchy peanuts with milk chocolate, another bite coconut and milk chocolate, the next bite a hint of fennel, and the final bite a polite but firm sizzle of cayenne, which was harmonizing with the nuts, chocolate and coconut. All the ingredients* tasted fresh. A hint of salt (from the peanuts) tied up this sweet and savory package with a bow.

*Ingredients: 38% milk chocolate (cane sugar, whole milk, cocoa butter, cacao beans, sunflower lecithin, vanilla beans), peanuts (peanuts, vegetable oil, salt), coconut oil, dried coconut pieces, fennel seed, cayenne pepper.

Antidote Chocolate - Almond + Fennel 73% (bar) - Apr. 18, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Antidote Chocolate
Artemis: Almond + Fennel 73% slow roasted cacao (bar)
Good +
Weight: 1.15 oz. (32.5 g.) / 2.3 oz. (65 g.) in total bar
Calories: 190 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate, Plants and Herbs Theme Week.

Today's Artemis: Almond + Fennel 73% slow roasted cacao bar was from Antidote Chocolate (Brooklyn, NY).

The chocolate (made with slow roasted Arriba Nacional cacao) had a deeper, darker flavor than most 70ish-percent bars.

Almond pieces gave this dark chocolate a slightly nutty aroma and flavor. And the sprinkle of fennel seeds gave this dark chocolate a faint savory herb aroma and crunchy, seedy texture.

By comparison, in yesterday's bar fennel was incorporated into a date filling, and had a sweeter, more prominent licorice flavor. For those that don't care as much for licorice, the more subtle fennel flavor in these seeds might be more to your liking.

Shown at left is a fennel plant with green fronds sprouting in the spring. Fennel is an edible plant (bulb, shoots and seeds) that looks like dill and the new green fronds taste quite sweet with a strong licorice flavor.

Mirzam Chocolate Makers - 62% Dark Chocolate with Dates and Fennel (bar) - Apr. 17, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Mirzam Chocolate Makers
62% Dark Chocolate with Dates and Fennel (bar)
Good +++
Weight: 1.235 oz. (35 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 185 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.00 (if turquoise dot) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate, Plants and Herbs Theme Week.

Today's 62% Dark Chocolate with Dates and Fennel (bar) was from Mirzam Chocolate Makers and Kakaw Manufacturing (Dubai, United Arab Emirates)

The structure of this bar—an impossibly thin layer of fennel infused date paste, sandwiched between ultra-thin layers of dark chocolate—allowed for beautiful bursts of rich, sweet, bright, fresh flavors. (A fresh salad tastes brighter and tastier than a fresh salad homogenized in a blender.)

Using this thin layering technique, flavors were made very accessible in this slim bar. And careful crafting of said flavors resulted in maximum taste without any one flavor overwhelming the other.

What was the inspiration for this chocolate? Mirzam* Chocolate, the brand, was created a few years ago with next year's Expo 2020 in mind. (This large, global exposition is planned to be hosted by Dubai, UAE, next year.) Dates would certainly have been discussed from the beginning.

Flavors and inclusions in several Mirzam high-end craft chocolate offerings were informed by spices and foodstuffs found on ancient maritime Arab spice trade routes.

Fennel, full of mild, sweet, licorice flavor, would have been available in nearby Mediterranean regions. It grows well on other continents now too. It's bright green fronds are popping up in backyards and baylands in the San Francisco Bay Area this spring. Every part of this plant (frond/green, bulb, seed, stalks, etc.) is edible.

*Mirzam is a pulsating giant star located in the Canis Major constellation.

Violet Sky - 77% Guatemala Fennel Pollen bar - April 19, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

Violet Sky American Craft Chocolate
Guatemala 77% with Fennel Pollen bar
Good +
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 185 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA


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

Today we're having fun with the herb fennel. Fennel grows wild in California. Every part of the fennel plant is edible, including the tiny flowers and yellow pollen.

High-end chocolatiers and chefs occasionally infuse or dust food and dessert items with fennel pollen. The naturally sweet, fennel particles have a licorice flavor.

While potent, the fennel in today's (Lachua) Guatemala 77% with Fennel Pollen bar—from Violet Sky American Craft Chocolate (South Bend, IN)—didn't overpower the base 77% dark chocolate. This chocolate had its own bold flavor with citrus notes.

Valenza Chocolatier - Fennel holiday cioccolato - Dec. 23, 2016

Chocolate of the Day: 

Valenza Chocolatier
Fennel - Dark Chocolate
(part of 6-piece Holiday Italian Cioccolato Sleeve assortment box)
Good +++
Weight: .4 oz. (11.32 g.) (estimate) in 1 piece
Calories: 60 calories (estimate) in 1 piece
Cost: $15.00 for a 6-piece assortment box
Purchased from: Valenza Chocolatier, Costa Mesa, CA

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate and Italian Holiday Theme Week.

This week I'm making my way through a Holiday Italian Cioccolato* Sleeve assortment box from Valenza Chocolatier (Costa Mesa, CA). Created by Amy Jo Pedone, this Italian inspired collection was filled with rich holiday flavors that were cross-culturally delicious.

Today's chocolate was Valenza Chocolatier's Fennel holiday chocolate. This attractive, glossy dark dome with green was filled with a dark chocolate ganache and infused with roasted fennel seeds.

The flavors unfolded nicely so I could taste the chocolate, a very light herbal infusion note, and then a nice seed and fennel finish.

*Cioccolato is the Italian word for chocolate.

Endorfin Foods - Dark Mylk bar - June 18, 2016

Chocolate of the Day: 

Endorfin Foods
Dark Mylk bar
Good
Weight: .7 oz. (20 g.) / 1.4 oz. (40 g.) in total bar
Calories: 105 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $5.00 for 1 bar ($45 box with 9 different bars)
Purchased from: Endorfin Foods

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

Today's Dark Mylk bar was from Endorfin Foods (Oakland, CA). The non-dairy (soy and gluten free) bar was made with un-roasted cacao, coconut sugar, cocoa butter and coconut). The 56% cacao chocolate bar had a smooth, relatively rich cacao flavor with a hint of coconut and brown sugar. (Other Endorfin bars I've enjoyed thus far have had flavor additions.)

Indian Dessert Pairing
After sampling the bar, I thought I would try part of this unflavored bar to pair with some Indian desserts. And I thought a bar made with un-roasted cacao might fare better with the pairings I had in mind.

I paired this Endorfin Dark Mylk bar with various popular Indian desserts. And I have to say, there is a reason why not all things should be mixed together. This had less to do with the chocolate than common sense on my part.

Chocolate is not a common ingredient in Indian cuisine. And now I understand why.

Mostly, today I had fun trying gluten-free Indian desserts that I hadn't tried before: such as diamond-shaped Kaju Katli (cashews, sugar, rose water); and Motichoor Ladoo, tiny muffin-shaped (chickpea flour-based sweet cakes flavored with saffron and cardamom).

Adding chopped pistachio nuts to these two desserts worked, but adding chocolate did not. Far from me to argue with the wisdom of sweets. Lighter, floral and fragrant traditional flavors with a very long tradition like this were better left un-messed with.

The least objectionable pairing: a tiny bit of chocolate bar with candy-coated fennel seeds (from a traditional Indian digestive mix). And I couldn't help but wonder what Endorfin's Absinthe bar might be like...double dose of fennel/anise flavor? But I digress.

Failed experiments aside, I hope to try Indian-made chocolates in the future. For example, I was communicating with Filter (Chocolates) online (Mumbai, India). They offer a series of attractively packaged chocolate bars with flavors inspired by different regions in India. Unfortunately, there is no easy way for me to sample these at the moment, short of flying to India. Field Trip!

Moonstruck - Raspberries and Fennel Sugar - July 4, 2015

Chocolate of the Day:

Moonstruck Chocolate Co.
Raspberries and Fennel Sugar bar
Good ++ - Very Good
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 3.17 oz. (90 g.) in total bar
Calories: 150 calories (estimate) in 1 oz. (28.3 g.) serving
Cost: $9.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Piazza's Fine Foods, Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #11 of Chocolate and Botanicals Theme Week; and Happy 4th of July to all out there celebrating the Independence Day holiday.

This dark chocolate Raspberry and Fennel Sugar bark bar from Moonstruck Chocolate Co. (Portland, OR) was adorned with a rosy red riot of freeze-dried raspberry bits, and a sprinkling of pale green fennel sugar pieces (that incorporated "edible fennel flowers").

The raspberry flavor was so concentrated and berry sweet that it almost overshadowed the fennel and chocolate, but the flavors made for a great, visually striking and sweet botanical trio -- one that I hadn't tried before. I like forward to trying a berry + herb topping at home atop a chocolate panna cotta or chocolate mousse.

ChocolateBet: August 18, 2012

Chocolate(s) of the Day:

Ginger Elizabeth Chocolates
1.) Fleur de sel caramel
Good +
Weight: .3 oz. (8.49 g.) (estimate for 1 piece)
Calories: 45 calories (estimate for 1 piece)
Cost: $1.50 each
Purchased from: Ginger Elizabeth Chocolates, Sacramento, CA

2.) Grapefruit fennel pollen caramel
Good +
Weight: .3 oz. (8.49 g.) (estimate for 1 piece)
Calories: 45 calories (estimate for 1 piece)
Cost: $1.50 each
Purchased from: Ginger Elizabeth Chocolates, Sacramento, CA

It was 103 degrees (F) in Sacramento, CA today -- and I trotted from the air conditioned Ginger Elizabeth Chocolates shop back to the car to photograph and eat these two caramels before they melted and slid out of my grasp.

The fleur de sel caramel was well balanced: not too sweet, not too salty. The salt caramel filling was very soft, which I liked.

The grapefruit fennel pollen caramel, also well balanced, was a tiny symphony of citrus and herbal flavors. The caramel filling was less free flowing and a bit stiffer than the fleur de sel caramel -- probably better for this hot day.

Today was Day #12 of Chocolate and Caramel and Toffee Theme Week(s).

Note: While the chocolate eating continued, posting of information and images were delayed this week, due to travel.

ChocolateBet: June 8, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

2/5 bar
Artisan du Chocolat
Black Cardamom dark chocolate bar
Very Good
Weight: .636 oz. (18 g.) / 1.59 oz. (45 g.) total bar
Calories: 94 calories (estimate)
Cost: $6.00
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, in Palo Alto, CA

Today's featured chocolate was Artisan du Chocolat's dark chocolate (70% Cocoa) Black Cardamom bar. This bar (that contains both black and green cardamom from India) is nicely compatible with other Mediterranean flavors, such as fresh oranges or orange peel, and fresh green fennel, as well as other spices you might find in chai tea (cinnamon, cloves, star anise, allspice, pepper, etc.).

I sampled in the same sitting, but not mixed together, this cardamom bar with two tiny flavored (gluten-free) chocolate cakes: one orange cake with orange/rose flavored frosting, and one almond (with almond paste filling) cake.

I enjoyed reading "gerard's notes," on the back of the Artisan du Chocolate package. The first part of his write-up appears below. 

"Queen of spices, cardamom oozes sensuality and opulence. Cleopatra found its scent so enticing that she would bathe in cardamom infused water and burn the crushed pods instead of incense to welcome her lover."

Too bad Cleopatra didn't live long enough to discover cacao from the new world. This bar may have been one of her favorites.

Today was Day #7 of Chocolate and Mediterranean Theme Week. However, I may have to extend this theme week a few more days. A region with twenty plus countries is too much to cover in 7 days. Plus I haven't even gotten to the savory dishes and salads with cacao nibs yet. 

ChocolateBet: August 25, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
2 pieces
1.) Wild Fennel Truffle - Good + - Very Good
2.) Cardomom Truffle - Good + - Very Good
Weight: .8 oz. (22.6 g.) (estimate) in 2 pieces
Calories: 119 calories (estimate) in 2 pieces
Cost: $3.75 for 2 pieces
Purchased from: The Xocolate Bar, in Berkeley, CA

Today I enjoyed two chocolates from (an earlier chocolate field trip to) The Xocolate Bar in Berkeley, CA. I like being able to taste natural spices and flavorings when they're blended and balanced well with chocolate. Both the wild fennel and the cardomom made their presence known in these chocolates.

The Xocolate Bar makes a variety of interesting chocolates (such as banana jerky, ginger bark, and naturally flavored chocolates). However, they may be most well known for their attractive and interesting molded chocolates (e.g. a chocolate buddha). The chocolate coverings are a bit hard and thick on these molded pieces. This means the chocolates hold their shape and don't leak; however, I would be interested to try some with thinner "shells" so I could enjoy more of the ganaches/fillings.