That's it Nutrition - Organic Dark Chocolate Fig Truffles 60% Cacao - June 7, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

That's it Nutrition LLC
Organic Dark Chocolate Fig Truffles
Good + -  Good ++
Weight: 1.16 oz. (33 g.) / 20 oz. (567 g.) in total bar
Calories: 70 calories in 1 serving (3 truffles)
Cost: $ N/A - gift from neighbor (Thanks Bill!)
Purchased from: N/A - gift from neighbor

Welcome to Day #13 of Chocolate and Fruits Theme Week that has expanded into a second week--with a growing list of fruits being represented.*

Today's Organic Dark Chocolate Fig Truffles were from That's it Nutrition LLC (Los Angeles, CA).

Aroma notes included: subtle dark chocolate and dried fruit (fig).

Flavor notes included: chocolate and softly chewy and almost earthy, whole dried fruit (fig). The fig was the star of the show; and the 60% dark chocolate covering/shell complemented the fruit well.

I liked that this chocolate covered fruit was authentic tasting (made with a short list of organic ingredients), and was not overly sweet. (Thank you!)

Ingredients: Organic Figs, *Organic Dark Chocolate (Organic Unsweetened Chocolate, Organic Sugar, Organic Cocoa Butter).

Allergen-related information: May contain occasional stem, seed or pit fragments. Certified Gluten Free, Certified Organic, Certified Paleo, Fair Trade Certified Cocoa.

In the earlier years of Chocolate Banquet, I ran week-long and month-long chocolate series that included flavor inclusions in alphabetical order (from A-Z). It was fun to hunt for all these different chocolates (Apple, Banana, Cherry, Durian...etc.)  

It also proved that chocolate makers are very creative, chocolate is incredibly versatile--it can be sweet or savory; bitter, sour and/or sweet, and can mix with almost every food and liquid in some form.

Wildwood Chocolate - Orange Confit and Cherries 70% Cacao (bar) - June 6, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Wildwood Chocolate
Orange Confit and Cherries
Good ++
Weight: 1.58 oz. (45 g.) / 3.17 oz. (90 g.) in total bar
Calories: 210 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $17.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Healing Arts Center and Spa at Cavallo Point, Sausalito, CA

Welcome to Day #12 of Chocolate and Fruits Theme Week(s). 

Today's Orange Confit and Cherries 70% Cacao (bar) was from Wildwood Chocolate (Portland, OR).

Aroma notes for this bar included: hearty dark chocolate (balanced, relatively heavily roasted* cacao),  and diffuse fruit(s) (stone fruit and citrus).

I enjoyed this blend of smooth, rich, dark bittersweet chocolate; plump and moist dried cherries; and long strips of very softly chewy, candied orange peel. 

Ingredients: Bittersweet Chocolate (cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter, soy lecithin, vanilla extract), Dried Cherries (may contain pits), Orange Confit (orange peel, glucose syrup, sugar).

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

* I used to be a fan of dark roasted items (e.g. espresso roast coffee, barbequed foods with little flecks of char). However, if I now prefer to taste the more nuanced, delicate fresh flavors in foods. And that includes cacao. A heavier roast may mean losing some objectionable flavors; but it will also mean that floral and some fruit, spice and botanical notes will be lost.

Scharffen Berger - 70% Dark Chocolate with Cherries + Almonds + Sea Salt (bar) - June 3, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker 
70% Dark Chocolate with Cherries + Almonds + Sea Salt (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42.5 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 225 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: (Missing information) 
Purchased from: The Market at Edgewood, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #9 of Chocolate and Fruits Theme Week.

Today's 70% Dark Chocolate with Cherries + Almonds + Sea Salt (bar) was manufactured by Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker (Ashland, OR).

Aroma notes included: hearty, sweet dark chocolate (dark ganache); dark tart-sweet cherry fruit; nut (almond); and faint vanilla.

The blend of textures and flavors included: smooth, rich dark chocolate; crunchy crispy-sea-salty nut bits, and fleeting, chewy, tart-sweet, cherry fruit. The upticks of sea salt and small almond bits helped balance the sweetness.

Ingredients: "Cacao Beans, Cane Sugar, Almonds, Sweetened Tart Cherries (Tart Cherries, Sugar, Sunflower Oil), Cocoa Butter, Sunflower Lecithin, Sea Salt, Vanilla Bean." 

Allergen-related information: Contains Almonds. Produced in a Facility That Also Processes Other Tree Nuts and Dairy.

Lindt - Excellence - Lime Dark Chocolate (bar) - May 29, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Lindt 
Excellence - Lime Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 140 calories in 1 serving (30 grams)
Cost: $4.89 for 1 bar 
Purchased from: The Market at Edgewood, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's Excellence - Lime Dark Chocolate (bar) was from Lindt -- distributed by Lindt and Sprungli (USA) Inc. (Stratham, NH).

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate and citrus (lime). 

Texture: smooth dark chocolate with tiny (slightly crunchy) freeze-dried lime bits--that hydrated in my mouth and tasted like flecks of pleasant (not bitter) lime fruit and peel.

Flavor notes included: smooth, relatively sweet dark chocolate and small sparkles of authentic (freeze-dried) lime fruit/rind. 

Many chocolates with fruit flavor inclusions start to taste more like candy. They often contain a higher percentage of sugar, and a lower percentage of cacao. 

While this 47% cacao chocolate was sweet (sugar was the first ingredient listed), the dark chocolate and lime both helped balance the sweetness; and the bitterness level was fairly low. The blend was well-balanced and executed.

I also liked that the smooth yet hearty (and less sugar-y tasting) dark chocolate with authentic lime also harmonized with the naturally occurring "fruit" flavors (e.g. "citrus" notes) found in cacao. 

Ingredients: Sugar, Chocolate, Cocoa Butter, Milk Fat, Freeze-Dried Lime, Natural Flavor, Soy Lecithin (Emulsifier).

Allergen-related information: Contains Milk, Soy. May Contain Sesame and Tree Nuts.

Holm Made Toffee Co. - Marionberry - Oregon Hazelnut Toffee - May 28, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Holm Made Toffee Co.
Marionberry - Oregon Hazelnut Toffee
Good ++  
Weight: 2 oz. (56.6 g.) / 4 oz. (114 g.) in total package
Calories: 310 calories (estimate) in 1/2 package
Cost: $10.99 for 1 package
Purchased from: Farm Fresh, online order/add-in

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

Today's Marionberry - Oregon Hazelnut Toffee was from Holm Made Toffee Co. (Bend, OR). 

Aroma notes included: sweet berry (fruit, jam), faint chocolate, and berry (somewhere between sweet black raspberry and ripe blackberry) jam shortbread cookie (with nuts, berries and vanilla). 

Texture: crunchy toffee core with creamy (dark and white chocolate)

Flavor notes included: sweet, crunchy, buttery toffee; nut and berry "cookie" with smooth/creamy rich chocolate and cocoa texture and flavor; and finely chopped hazelnuts that added a crunchy, nutty texture.

I liked that this rich toffee was made with real marionberries*, real butter, and no gluten, soy or corn syrup. Dark/flavor fans may prefer a version with more dark chocolate and less white chocolate, and more berry flavor. (Try the company's Vanilla and Cardamom toffee--my favorite Hold Made Toffee flavor--for a bit more chocolate flavor.)

This toffee confection was tasty, and it captured Oregon flavors like hazelnuts, marionberries and berry pie. 

Ingredients: Butter [cream (milk) & salt], pure cane sugar, Oregon hazelnuts, dark chocolate [unsweetened chocolate, sugar, sunflower lecithin, and vanilla], white chocolate [palm kernel and palm oils, whey, nonfat milk], blackberry oil [oils of natural flavors], freeze-dried Oregon marionberries.

Allergen-related information: Contains tree nuts (hazelnuts) and dairy 

*The Marionberry was created at Oregon State University in 1948. Considered a type of blackberry (a cross between Chehalem and Olallie blackberries), it also has some Himalaya blackberry and red raspberry heritage.

Gnosis Chocolate - Raw Trail Mix "Immunity" - Dec. 8, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Gnosis Chocolate 
"Immunity" Raw Trail Mix
Good ++
Weight: 2 oz.  (56.6 g.) / 8 oz. (227 g.) in total package
Calories: 300 calories (estimate) in 2 oz. serving
Cost: $15.00 for 1 package
Purchased from: Gnosis Chocolate (online order)

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

Today's Immunity Raw Trail Mix was made by Gnosis Chocolate (Astoria, NY).

Aroma notes for this gluten free, vegan and raw offering included: aromatic dried fruits (persimmon, currant, golden berry/golden raisin), and subtle nut, seed and dark chocolate.

This trail mix was made with generous squares of raw, dark chocolate that had a smooth chocolate-y flavor and a very faint (fruit) astringency. 

The dried fruits offered a range of chewy, tart-sweet flavors. (I enjoyed the seasonal persimmon, cranberries, and the South American golden berries.) The pecans, pumpkin seeds and nibs rounded out the blend and added some softly crunchy texture.

This grain-free trail mix was balanced, flavorful and not too sweet (thank you!).

Ingredients: pecans*, raw chocolate* (raw cacao beans*, coconut sugar*), cranberries*, pumpkin seeds*, black currants*, persimmons*, goldenberries*, raw cacao nibs.* (* = organic)

Allergen-related information: Contains tree nut(s) (pecans), coconut (sugar)

  

Fjak Sjokolade - Sour Cherry Milk Chocolate; 50% Milk Orange & Almonds (bars) - Aug. 3, 2023

Chocolate(s) of the Day

Fjak Sjokolade
Sour Cherry Milk Chocolate (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: .935 oz. (26.5 g.) / 1.87 oz. (53 g.) in total bar
Calories: 155 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar & Cocoa, online order

Fjak Sjokolade
Mountain Trip - 50% Milk Chocolate Orange and Almonds (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: .935 oz. (26.5 g.) / 1.87 oz. (53 g.) in total bar
Calories: 96.5 calories (per label) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar & Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #9 of Chocolate and Fruits Theme Week.

Today's Organic Sour Cherry Milk Chocolate and Mountain Trip 50% Milk Chocolate with Orange and Almonds (bars) were both from small-batch chocolate maker Fjak Sjokolade (Hardangerfjord, Norway).

Sour Cherry Milk Chocolate

The Sour Cherry Milk Chocolate was a seasonal bar--part of Fjak's Nordic Collection. It was made with cacao grown in Tanzania (Kokoa Kamili in the Kilombero Valley). 

Aroma and flavor notes for this bar: sweet floral (vanilla, berry candy), fruit (subtle sweet cherry), and faint milk chocolate and caramel.

Note: There were cocoa beans/solids (or cacao %) listed in the ingredients--just cacao butter, sugar, milk, sour cherry and vanilla. This could have been an omission on the label; or sour cherry fruit provided the look of a darker (milk) chocolate.

I've tasted berry and coffee bars with a high concentration of dark berry mass (or ground coffee) that looked like milk/dark chocolates. They contained cacao butter, but no cocoa solids. A neat visual trick that requires knowledge and skill to pull off.

Those with a sweet tooth will likely enjoy this bar. I confess, I like cocoa solids, and this was a bit too sweet for me.

Ingredients: Cocoa butter*, cane sugar*, milk powder*, sour cherry*, vanilla* (*Organic)

Allergen-related information: (Contains milk)

Mountain Trip

The 50% Mountain Trip Limited Edition bar was also a Fjak milk chocolate bar (with more cocoa bean solids) as well as orange and almonds flavor inclusions.

This "100% Organic" milk chocolate was made using cacao from Hispaniola, Dominican Republic.

Aroma notes included: dark milk chocolate, subtle sweet citrus (orange) and nut.

The base milk chocolate had a delicious, creamy sweet texture interspersed with softly crunchy almond bits and small chewy candied orange pieces.

The flavors were very complementary and well balanced. This delicious chocolate fueled a version of a mountain trip -- a hike along the San Francisco Bay Trail, complete with views of the mountains that ring the edges of this large estuary on the West Coast of California. 

Ingredients: Organic cocoa beans, organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter, powder milk, organic almonds, organic candied orange peel, salt and organic orange oil (less than 1%).

Allergen-related information: (Contains milk and almonds.)

*Kokoa Kamili buys "wet" (freshly harvested) cacao (beans, still with some surrounding fresh cacao fruit pulp) from cocoa farmers. They ferment and dry the cacao (beans)--critical first steps in flavor development, and in the journey that eventually results in chocolate.

Leith Chocolate - Passionfruit Dark Chocolate (bar) - Aug. 1, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Leith Chocolate
Passionfruit Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good +
Weight: 1.41 oz. (40 g.) / 2.82 oz. (80 g.) in total bar
Calories: 219 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: Missing information 
Purchased from: World Market, Mountain View, CA

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

Today's Passionfruit Dark Chocolate (bar), a product of Scotland, was from Leith Chocolate (South Queensferry and Dublin). 

Aroma notes included: smooth dark chocolate and aromatic wafts of fruit (peach, mango, passion fruit).

Leith sources chocolate from South America; and the dark chocolate in this bar was uniform and smooth with subtle roasted dark cocoa flavor.

The fruit flavor notes were very similar to the aroma notes (mentioned above) and included the same blend of stone fruit (peach, mild apricot) and tropical fruits (mango, faint passion fruit). 

My experience with passion fruit is that this flavorful and seedy sweet and sour fruit has rich sweet citrus, floral--and occasionally cacao fruit pulp, other tropical fruits, and fruit punch--notes. 

Ingredients: "Cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter, emulsifier: Non GMO soy lecithin, vanilla extract, natural passion fruit flavour."

Allergen-related information: "Allergens: soya" "Made in a facility that handles dairy, peanuts, soy and tree nuts." "No gluten containing ingredients"

Divine Chocolate - Smooth Dark Chocolate with Superfruits 60% Cocoa (bar) - Mar. 30, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Divine Chocolate
Smooth Dark Chocolate with Superfruits 60% Cocoa (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 150 calories in 1/3 bar
Cost: $6.50 for 1 bar

Purchased from: The Phoenix Shop, Big Sur, CA

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate and Ghana Theme Week, featuring chocolates made with Ghana-grown cacao.

Today's Smooth Dark Chocolate with Superfruits 60% Cocoa (bar) was made in Germany, using cocoa from the Kuapa Kokoo Farmers Union in Ghana, and distributed by Divine Chocolate Inc. (Washington, D.C.). Divine is co-owned by Ghana cocoa farmers and maintains close ties to Ghana cacao producer communities. 

The aroma notes for this fruit-brightened, ultra-dark 85% cocoa bar included: rich chocolate (chocolate pudding, torte, ganache) and faint tart-sweet fruit (berries).

Flavor notes included: smooth dark chocolate (smooth, roasted cacao, deep dark brownie) with interspersed with well-balanced bits of dried, tart-sweet red fruit (cranberry), dark berries, and faint nut. (There were no nuts listed in the ingredients.)

Berries are high in antioxidants called polyphenols.* And all three (dried) berries in this chocolate are known to contain high amounts of these polyphenols.

Ingredients: Cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter, dried cranberries, dried blackcurrants, dried elderberries, emulsifier (sunflower lecithin). (Cocoa solids 60% minimum.)

Allergen-related information: "May contain: milk, wheat, almonds, hazelnuts, coconut (and) pecans."

*Polyphenols are antioxidants that may relieve cellular oxidative stress in our bodies and lessen inflammation (anti-inflammatory).

Some animal and human studies on polyphenols have reported benefits in the following areas: neurological (degenerative disease slowing/prevention), cancer, bone health, and blood sugar regulation. 

Palato - 65% Cacao Dark Chocolate with Orange and Almonds (bar) - Mar. 13, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Palato Chocolate
65% Cacao Dark Chocolate with Orange and Almonds (bar)
Good ++
Weight: .9 oz. (25 g.) / 1.8 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 130 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #11 of Chocolate and Fruits Week, and Day #1 of Chocolate and Honduras Theme Week. 

I am excited to feature a full week of Honduras chocolates, including a variety of bars and confections from Palato Hand Crafted Chocolate located in Honduras.

Today's Palato Hand Crafted Chocolate 65% Cacao Dark Chocolate with Orange and Almonds (bar) was manufactured and distributed by Palato S. de R.L. (Tegucigalpa, M.DC., Honduras).

The citrus (sophisticated candied orange peel) aroma for this dark chocolate bar was worth calling out. I felt was enjoying a slice of chocolate orange peel almond cake or a cocktail (Old Fashioned, Manhattan with orange peel and bitters), with all the rich flavor, but without the alcohol. 

All this aroma and flavor was packed into a smooth, well-tempered 65% dark chocolate. This chocolate was not too sweet. (That aromatic sweet orange peel perfume (orange oil) provided plenty of sweet fruit essence.) The uniform, flavorful dark chocolate, and the almond bits, contained all this sweet citrus taste in the most delightful, complementary way.

Ingredients: Cacao nibs, sugar, cacao fat, almonds and orange oil

Allergen-related information: Contains tree nuts (almonds). Produced in a facility that processes tree nuts. 

Chocolove - Filled Passion Fruit Ruby Chocolate 34% (bar) - Mar. 12, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Chocolove
Filled Passion Fruit Ruby Chocolate 34% Cocoa (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 3.2 oz. (90 g.) in total bar
Calories: 160 calories in 1/3 bar
Cost: $N/A - gift (Thank you Megan!)
Purchased from: N/A gift from family member 

Welcome to Day #10 of Chocolate and Fruits Theme Week.

Today's Passion Fruit Filled Ruby Chocolate 34% Cocoa (bar) was from Chocolove (Boulder, CO).

Aroma notes for this bar: sweet fruits (passion fruit, red berry lemonade), and berry candy.

The creamy ruby chocolate exterior had red raspberry milk tea and sweet berry white chocolate flavor notes, punctuated by pockets of soft, golden, tart-sweet, passion fruit filling.

Yes, it may a bit too sweet for dark chocolate lovers. But, what was enjoyable was the complementary candy-like blend of ruby (berry) + white (vanilla) chocolate and passion fruit filling. The two flavors and textures worked well together. 

And speaking of sweet, Chocolove has continued their tradition of including a love poem on the inside of its chocolate bar wrappers. This one was from "Astrophil and Stella" by Sir Philip Sidney. The last line includes a reference to chocolate.

Ingredients: Ruby chocolate (sugar, cocoa butter, milk, cocoa liquor, soy lecithin, citric acid, vanilla), white chocolate (sugar, cocoa butter, milk, soy lecithin, vanilla), cane sugar, passion fruit concentrate, passion fruit puree (passion fruit, sugar), organic cream (milk, gellan gum), organic glycerin, tapioca syrup, organic palm fruit oil, invert sugar.

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

Tru Fru - Dark Chocolate Nature's Blueberries (frozen) - Mar. 11, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Tru Fru
Dark Chocolate Nature's Blueberries (frozen)
Good +
Weight: 2.5 oz. (70.7 g.) / 5 oz. (141.5 g.) in total container
Calories: 225 calories in 1/2 container
Cost: $2.99 for 1 container
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #9 of Chocolate and Fruits Theme Week.

Today's Dark Chocolate Nature's Blueberries were from Tru Fru (Salt Lake City, UT). The company specializes in chilled and dried "fresh fruit in chocolate" snacks.

These frozen blueberries were immersed in both white and dark chocolate. As with most frozen items, the aroma was subtle. The blueberry centers had authentic frozen berry texture and the outer chocolate layers were smooth, with a nice melt.

Flavor notes included: slightly earthy bold dark chocolate (dark chocolate frosting, ganache) as well as sweet white chocolate surrounding a frozen blueberry fruit center, with a faint, earthy finish.

These chocolate covered blueberries were flavorful and felt less filling than heavier chocolate and fruit confections.

Ingredients: Blueberries, dark chocolate (cane sugar, chocolate liquor (processed with alkali), cocoa butter, milkfat, soy lecithin (an emulsifier), vanilla), white chocolate (cane sugar, cocoa butter, whole milk powder, soy lecithin (an emulsifier), natural vanilla flavor).

Allergen-related information: Contains milk and soy.

Bitchin' Inc. - Chocolate Sweet Sauce & Kasama Chocolate - Blackberry White Chocolate (bar) - Mar. 10, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Bitchin' Inc.
Chocolate Sweet Sauce
Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 8 oz. (227 g.) in total container
Calories: 110 calories in 1 serving (2 TB) 
Cost: $3.99 for 1 container
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Kasama Chocolate
Blackberry White Chocolate (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: .97 oz. (27.5 g.) / 1.94 oz. (55 g.) in total bar

Calories: 164.5 calories in 1/2 bar

Cost: $14.00 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate and Fruits Theme Week, featuring fruits ranging from Apple to Yuzu--and chocolate and fruit pairings like today's chocolate sauce and blackberry white chocolate duo.

I don't count white chocolates (even when they're made with 100% real cocoa butter); but a few times a year, I made an exception and pair dark or milk chocolate with a white chocolate (with a flavor inclusion). Today's double feature is one of those days.

Bitchin' Inc. - Chocolate Sweet Sauce

This was not your grandparents' chocolate sauce. This refrigerated, lightly malty, nutty chocolate sauce was less sweet and more flavorful than traditional jarred chocolate sauces (made with sugar(s) and corn syrup). 

Most chocolate sauces found in a glass jar also don't contain things like finely ground almonds, coconut aminos, or nutritional yeast. 

Family owned and operated Bitchin' Inc. (based in Carlsbad, CA) is best known for their variety of gluten free and vegan savory and sweet sauces, made with a short list of high-quality ingredients. (My favorite savory sauce is their artichoke and spinach dip/sauce.) 

Today's relatively thick, and very faintly granular (almonds) chocolate sauce had a satisfying sweet chocolate and malty almond flavor and complemented pieces of fresh fruits, including: apples, stone fruits, bananas, berries (and today's blackberry white chocolate bar) very nicely.

Ingredients: Organic cane sugar, water, organic sunflower oil, almonds, cocoa, organic coconut aminos, nutritional yeast, vanilla, sea salt.

Allergen-related information: "Contains almonds, coconut (tree nuts)."

Kasama Chocolate 

In a few days the 95th Academy Awards ceremony will honor the best performances in numerous categories. If there was a category called Best imitation of a dark chocolate bar by a white chocolate bar, Kasama Chocolate's Blackberry White Chocolate bar would surely win a statuette.

When I opened up the silver inner wrapper. I thought I was looking at a dark chocolate bar. This white chocolate was that berry-dark in appearance. It was bursting with an estimated 20 blackberries (fully incorporated) in each bar.

The aroma for this bar was cocoa butter and berry forward and there was a small explosion of fresh, tart sweet blackberry flavor in every bite. The sweetness was balanced a bit by dipping squares of this bar into the Sweet Chocolate Sauce (which was not as sweet as the blackberry white chocolate).

Ingredients: Organic cacao butter, organic unrefined cane sugar, organic BC (British Columbia) Blackberries

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

Chocolate Naive - Durian Fruit Chocolate 61% (bar) - Mar. 9, 2023

 Chocolate of the Day

Chocolate Naive
Durian Fruit Chocolate 61% (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar
Calories: 158.48 calories in 1/2 bar 
Cost: $15.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order 

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

Today's Durian Fruit Chocolate 61% (bar) was made by Chocolate Naive (Vilnius, Lithuania).

The aroma aspects of this chocolate included: fruit (yellow-orange tropical fruits, very slightly earthy pineapple custard); chocolate; lemon-herb (oxalis); very faint nut (Brazil, hickory, pine); and faint wine grape and cheese fermentation notes.

This well-tempered bar broke with a snap and had a smooth, creamy, appealing texture and melt. It was a dark milk chocolate bar, but the fruit flavor was clear and bright, and seemed un-dulled by the judicious amount of grass-fed milk powder added.

Flavor notes included: mild, sweet yellow/orange tropical fruit (with very little of the fabled durian funk).* The fruit flavor carried on into the finish -- where there was one, very brief, mildly earthy cheese note.* 

This unique fruit infused chocolate was not too sweet and had nicely balanced tropical fruit flavor(s). The maker succeeded in capturing the sunnier side of this slightly tart-sweet fruit--a friendly mango-pineapple-cacao fruit rather than a scary monster (like the demon-style mask featured on the bar's packaging).

Ingredients: Specialty cacao*, cane sugar*, pure cacao butter*, grass-fed milk powder*, durian* (6%). *Wild or all natural farming

Allergen-related information: (Contains milk.) May contain traces of treenuts, peanuts and wheat

* I once bought durian ice cream, to go. I drove away intending to eat it at a nearby park. But, soon the odor inside the car was overwhelming. I had to pull over and discard this new treasure into an outdoor trash can.

What's the technical explanation for the smell?

Durian fruit produces ethanethiol--a chemical compound credited for causing "the smell." In large quantities this compound can be toxic. And as the fruit ripens, the level of ethionine (the ethyl analog to the amino acid methionine, and a precursor to ethanethiol) increases and so does the offending odor. 

The sometimes smelly (especially if overly ripe) durian fruit is banned in some public spaces in Malaysia and Singapore. However, if you're able to enjoy the mild (rather than the wild) side of this fruit, it's quite good.

Puchero - Chocolate with Pistachios & Strawberries 50% (bar) - Mar. 8, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Puchero
Chocolate with Pistachios and Strawberries 50% (bar)
Good + - Good ++ 
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 177 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's Chocolate with Pistachios and Strawberries 50% (bar) was from Puchero (Valladolid, Spain), and made with local ingredients from Spain: "Pistacyl" pistachios from Valladolid and strawberries from Segovia.

The subtle aroma notes included: sweet red berry (strawberry), milk chocolate, and caramel.

This bar had a unique texture. It had a thick (in a cold room), high-fat, creamy melt and mouthfeel. There was no dairy or dairy fat in this bar. The relatively high fat content muted the chocolate and other flavors a little, and provided a buttery tasting experience.

The rich texture was accomplished via (I'm guessing) cocoa butter and very finely ground pistachio nuts (as I did not detect any pistachio nut pieces, just subtle nut flavor). 

The flavors were mild and balanced. The cacao flavors were extremely subtle, with no detectable acidity, bitterness or dark chocolate flavors one typically finds with the presence "darker" half of the cocoa bean (solids). 

This chocolate belongs on a 50% cacao bar tasting flight, to show what is possible using a lower percentage of cacao solids.* (It would also be a nice addition to a dessert plate.)

Almost all 50% cacao chocolates are very sweet. It was a happy surprise to discover this one  (refreshingly) was not. Sugar was the third ingredient listed. 

There was no "more-ish" sugar craving (to wolf down more of this chocolate) in this quieter bar. I enjoyed savoring each bite slowly, and was content with less.

Ingredients: "Cacao beans, pistachio (25%), organic cane sugar, organic cacao butter, dehydrate strawberry (4%), salt."

Allergen-related information: May contain traces of nuts, milk and gluten.

*Percentages may surprise you, tasting both darker and milder than one might expect. Some "lower" percentage chocolates may taste higher than indicated, and vice versa. The origin and variety of cacao (not always identified on the packaging) makes a difference. And, in today's case, a lower percentage bar doesn't have to mean more sugar.

 

Pure Boost - Cocoa Banana Bounty Superfood Blend - Mar. 7, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Pure Boost Superfood Blends
Cocoa Banana Bounty Superfood Blend
Good +
Weight: 1/3 cup (27 g.) / 8 oz. (227 g.) in total package
Calories: 70 calories in 1 serving
Cost: $5.99 for 1 package
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's Pure Boost Cocoa Banana Bounty Superfood Blend was distributed by IMS (Shelton, CT).

Aroma and flavor notes included: slightly tangy sweetened fruit (berry and banana) with smooth, subtle cocoa -- a cocoa flavor that became richer and closer to chocolate milk once mixed with milk. 

The powder mixed and incorporated fairly readily with the milk of choice and a bit of water. There was no grainy or sedimentary texture once blended.

No added sugar, non-dairy, gluten free, plant based, allergen free

The flavors were attenuated a little--often the case when foods are processed to create a powdered form. But, the flavors of real banana and faint cocoa did come through.

 The sweetness tasted a little too enhanced initially; but then it calmed down to something more natural. The pros of alternative sweeteners (like erythritol and stevia blends) included the absence of a processed sugar buzz or sugar-coated teeth afterwards. The plant/seed-based protein powder also helped balance the sweetness and any fruit acidity.

Today's blend was described as a "...boost to juices, smoothies and baking" and I tried sampling this powdered mix by itself and with (dairy) milk. 

On the back of the package was a smoothie recipe, calling for blending 1/3 cup of this Cocoa Banana Bounty blend with one cup of a milk of choice, 1 fresh banana and two tablespoons of nut butter. I agree this would be quite good.

Ingredients: Plant-based protein blend (pumpkin seed protein, sunflower flour, hemp seed protein, flax meal), banana powder, Pyure organic sweetener blend (organic erythritol, organic soluble tapioca fiber, organic stevia leaf extract, organic natural flavor), natural cocoa powder, natural flavor.

Allergen-related information: "Non dairy, gluten free, allergen free"

Honeymoon Chocolate - Strawberry Milk Chocolate (bar) - Mar. 6, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Honeymoon Chocolate
Strawberry Milk Chocolate (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 2.2 oz. (62 g.) in total bar
Calories: 280 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar 
Purchased from: Z. Cioccolato, San Francisco, CA

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

Today's Strawberry Milk Chocolate (bar) from Honeymoon Chocolates (Clayton, MO). was created using a short list of thoughtfully sourced cacao (Belize), cacao butter (Peru), raw honey (local farms), and organic ingredients (cacao, milk, strawberries).*

I usually prefer dark chocolates. And I admit my first reaction when I read "strawberry milk chocolate" was a small sigh. Milk and sugar can dull fresh, sweet-tart fruit flavors. (This can happen with some strawberry ice creams.) However, this skillfully made and nuanced bar (that I suggest savoring slowly) proved otherwise.

Aroma notes included: fermented cacao and tart-sweet red fruit. (Just as some bottles of wine are best left to breathe after opening, some well-sealed chocolates improve with being aired out for a few minutes after opening.)

The initial fermentation notes dissipated in less than 10 minutes leaving room for richer, more attractive, nuanced chocolate and caramel and delicate floral (pollen/honey) notes.

This bar had an interesting texture with a melt that started slow (in a cold tasting room) with an almost gentley waxy creamy mouthfeel that accelerated into a rapid, natural melt. I am assuming this was in part due to the use of raw honey instead of cane sugar.

The attractive bar had a hexonal honeycomb pattern on the front side and an authentic rosey,  duo-toned, naturally red pink strawberry pieces adhered to the back of the bar.

What about the chocolate? The milk chocolate had more of a clear, well-balanced bittersweet chocolate (rather than a muted milk chocolate) flavor, that I liked. 

Raw honey and strawberry fruit bits provided subtle sweetness, without the same sugar buzz** that one often find in milk chocolates. (Thank you!)

*Ingredients: Organic cacao, raw honey, organic cacao butter, organic milk powder, organic strawberry.

Allergen-related information: "Free of refined sugar, soy, or gluten."

** Honey tends to be sweeter than sugar, by weight, which means that a 70% cacao chocolate bar sweetened with honey, might taste different than a 70% chocolate bar sweetened with cane sugar.

Patricia's Chocolate - The Tea Collection 2.) Heartwarming Cinnamon, 3.) Peaceful Peninsulas - Jan. 27, 2023

Chocolate(s) of the Day

Patricia's Chocolate

The Tea Collection 
2.) Heartwarming Cinnamon tea chocolate - Good + - Good ++

3.) Peaceful Peninsulas tea chocolate - Good ++ 
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total box of 6 pieces
Calories: 156 calories (estimate) in 2 pieces
Cost: $16.50 for 1 box of 6 (different) pieces
Purchased from: Patricia's Chocolate, online order

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

Today I sampled two more flavors in the Tea Collection (assortment) created by Patricia at Patricia's Chocolate (Grand Haven, Michigan), in collaboration with Michigan blended Light of Day certified organic teas and tisanes.

Heartwarming Cinnamon tea chocolate

Aroma and flavor notes for this attractive, generously-sized, filled chocolate included: dark chocolate and balanced herbal/botanical spices (cinnamon bark, rooibos (herbal tea), faint star anise and clove).

Peaceful Peninsulas tea chocolate

Aroma and flavor notes for this Michigan-inspired tea chocolate included an intriguing blend of complex fruit (cherry, berry, elderberry, and apple toward the finish), faintly herbal warm spice, faint fluxing floral, and very faint green tea.

This unique and subtle blend conjured up images of sitting in a garden, surrounded by soft scents of ripe lush fruits and flowers. 

Both chocolates were well-crafted, thoughtfully-balanced tea chocolates. Each element contributed satisfying bouquets of aroma and flavor. 

The dark chocolate couverture (outer covering) for these two palet-style pieces was thin, almost softly crispy (in a cold room at 65 degrees F. (18.3 degrees C.)). The chocolate was thick enough to impart flavor, but not thick enough to overpower the more delicate tea, fruit and floral infusions in the smooth, velvety ganache fillings that were creamy and fresh tasting.

The choice of a dark(er) chocolate also helped prevent these two filled confections from being too sweet (thank you).

Maker's notes: "...artisan chocolates...handcrafted in the French tradition from the finest non-GMO fair trade couverture cocoas." Made without preservatives, artificial flavorings, or additives.

Ingredients: (Ingredients listed on box, were for all six (different) chocolates. So it was difficult to determine the exact list for each individual chocolate.)

Allergen-related information: Ganache fillings contain dairy (heavy cream, unsalted butter). Some flavors may contain traces of nuts. Contact Patricia's Chocolates for more detailed information.

 

Reel Chocolate - Handmade Fantasy Chocolate 70% with nuts, fruits (bar) - Nov. 19, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Reel Chocolate
Handmade Fantasy Chocolate
70% Belgian Dark Chocolate, Nuts, Freeze Dried Fruits (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 4.06 oz. (115 g.) in total bar
Calories: 151.6 calories in 1/4 bar
Cost: $N/A - gift from a friend 
Purchased from: N/A - gift from a friend (Thank you Toni!)

Welcome to Day #2 of International Chocolate and Nuts Theme Week, featuring bars and blends of chocolate and nuts from around the world--including countries such as Greece, Slovenia and Serbia. Thank you to to traveling friend Toni, and local international markets.

Today's "Handmade Fantasy Chocolate" Wild Cabernet 70% dark chocolate with nuts and freeze-dried fruits (bar) from Reel Chocolate was made in Serbia.

This well-tempered bar broke with a hard snap (at 65 degrees F. (18.3 C) room temperature); and the aroma notes included: smooth dark chocolate (dark fudge), and subtle, authentic nut and fruit(s). 

Flavors: smooth, rich dark chocolate, fruit (red/dark berries (blueberry), currants, faint dark dried cherry), and faint vanilla spice and nut. Very thin threads intermingled with fruits topping this bar added a very faint chili flavor.

Note: While I could smell nuts in the aroma, and the chocolate had a fruit + nut flavor, I couldn't detect what nuts might be present when I tasted the chocolate. I paired this with a handful of organic, California almonds. 

Suggested beverage (red wine) pairing: Cabernet Sauvignon

Ingredients: liofilizovana nisnja; borovnica (blueberry), chili u vlaknima (chili in fibers/thin strands); cacao mass; sugar; cocoa powder (S.A. red, contains fat); emulsifier (soy lecithin); vanilla aroma. Contains at least 72% suvih kako-delova; at least 33% suvih namasnih kakao-delova. (Note: This is my attempted English translation of the ingredients list in Serbian. I apologize for any errors and omissions. The original ingredients list item names remain where translations were not available.)

Allergen-related information: Contains soy (lecithin).