French Broad - Dark Chocolate Montmorency Cherries + Sted Foods Salty Licorice 38% (bar) - Dec. 11, 2025

Chocolate(s) of the Day

French Broad Chocolate
Dark Chocolate Montmorency Cherries
Good ++ 
Weight: 2 oz. (56.6 g.) / 6 oz. (170 g.) in total package
Calories: 240 calories in 2 servings
Cost: $17.00 for 1 package
Purchased from: Bar & Cocoa, online order

Sted Foods
Salty Licorice 38% White Chocolate (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (56.6 g.) in total bar
Calories: 170 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $8.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Sted Foods, online order 

Welcome to Day #18 of Chocolate, Movies & Entertainment Theme Week(s)--where salutes to movie snack bars and concession stand memories are piling up. Here are a few more.

Today's two chocolates are collectively honoring memories of cherry slushie/ICEE drinks, chocolate covered snacks, and licorice candy (including cherry licorice candy) enjoyed in childhood. 

I'm upgrading these flavor memories significantly with chocolates from two U.S.-based bean-to-bar makers.

Dark Chocolate Montmorency Cherries

Today's cherry-filled chocolates were handcrafted by French Broad Chocolate (Asheville, NC). 

Make sure to savor these confections slowly, to fully appreciate the bean-to-bar dark chocolate and the high-quality Montmorency* cherries. Dark chocolate and cherries are a natural match, but these two ingredients had a special sense of resonance with each other.

Aroma and flavor notes included: flavorful dark chocolate; and authentic, concentrated sweet-tart (whole, dried) cherries with a concentrated, rich flavor that lingered into the finish. 

Ingredients: Dark chocolate (cacao, sugar*, cacao butter), dried cherries (red tart montmorency cherries (red tart montmorency cherries, sugar, sunflower oil). (*organic)

Allergen-related information: "Made in a facility that handles tree nuts, wheat, gluten, milk, eggs, sesame & peanuts. May not be suitable for people with allergies to these foods."

*The Montmorency cherry (Prunus cerasus) is named for an area in France, and is a popular cherry in the U.S. and Canada.

Salty Licorice White Chocolate 

This Sted Foods Salty Licorice 38% White Chocolate (bar) (a "Scandi treat") was manufactured by TC Foods, LLC (Fergus Falls, MN)

Aroma and flavor notes for this golden-hued bar included: caramel (brown sugar, faint maple candy) with   upticks in salt. (The tiny salt crystals on the back looked like fresh-fallen flakes of snow.) 

There was licorice flavor (powder) incorporated into the white chocolate; but, I did not taste it. So I paired this bar with a black salted licorice caramel from Holland. That added the licorice oomph my adult-self was looking for and it helped balance the milky sweetness in this bar.

Ingredients: "organic cocoa butter, organic cane sugar, organic whole milk powder, organic licorice powder, sea salt"

Allergen-related information: "Contains Milk. Made in a facility that uses sesame seeds, pecans, almonds, coconut, cashews, hazelnuts, and milk."

Cherry & Licorice Movie & Music Video Pairings...

I "paired" these two chocolates with a short animated video fairy tale: "Princess Chang and (the) Cherry Tree"; and a music video of KT Tunstall's "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" (2005).

I also watched the movie "Licorice Pizza" (Dir. Paul Thomas Anderson) (2021). Many people missed this one (I did), as it coincided with Covid-19, when people felt uncomfortable in movie theaters. (Note to parents: this movie is Rated R.)

Raaka Chocolate - Cherry Licorice Unroasted Dark Chocolate 67% Cacao (bar) - Nov. 24, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Raaka Chocolate
Cherry Licorice Unroasted Dark Chocolate 67% Cacao (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.8 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 275 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $9.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Raaka Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #10 of Chocolate and Cherries Theme Week, and the first day of Chocolate & Entertainment Theme Week--where chocolates intersect with film, animation and other forms of entertainment.

Let's start with film...What happens when you elevate movie snack bar items with chocolate? Let's find out.

Today's Cherry Licorice Unroasted Dark Chocolate 67% Cacao (bar) from Raaka Chocolate (Brooklyn, NY), was "an ode to the twisty, cherry-flavored concession stand favorite...". It was crafted with unroasted cacao from Kokoa Kamili, Tanzania.

Aroma and flavor notes included: deep dark chocolate (faint sweet green botanical), bittersweet cherry/almond and chocolate cookie/cake. 

The bar had a long finish that ended on a mellow, sweet, upbeat cherry and chocolate note. An enjoyable journey with a happy ending -- just like the movies I chose to watch with this chocolate.

Texture: This well-tempered bar broke with a snap and had a smooth melt, and mild astringency in the middle, that tailed off in the finish.

I appreciated this thoughtful homage to cherry licorice (with chocolate); the short list of authentic, organic ingredients; the gentle, dark complexity in the unroasted dark chocolate; and the light touch of star anise.

Maker's tasting notes: "Fruity & Nostalgic...Red fruit-forward with just a hint of anise." The makers are using unroasted cacao to "capture the "brighter, bolder, and fruitier" side of cacao."

Ingredients: "organic cacao beans, organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter, organic cherries, organic brown rice syrup, organic star anise"

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

Antidote - Lemon confit + Licorice 84 dark (bar) - Sept. 22, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Antidote
Lemon confit + Licorice 84 dark (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.15 oz. (32.5 g.) / 2.3 oz. (65 g.) in total bar
Calories: 200 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $8.99 (estimate) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Country Sun, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's Antidote Lemon confit + Licorice 84 dark (bar) was made in Ecuador. 

The company is the creation of Red Thalhammer in the U.S. who is "NY/Miami based with Austrian roots." A former Art Director, who was introduced to European chocolate as a child, she has been creating interesting flavor inclusion chocolate bars (many with different fruits, spices and botanicals) since 2009.

The cacao used to make this bar was listed as "Nacional Complex." Nacional is a relatively rare cacao native to Ecuador (and is also found in Peru), often described as having a fine aroma and complex flavor profile.

Aroma and flavor notes for this bar included: dark chocolate with citrus (lemon marmalade) and very faint sweet herbal/spice.

Texture: smooth dark chocolate interspersed with chewy bits of candied/sweet lemon peel. 

I enjoyed the blend of dark, smooth and balanced chocolate and sweet, tart lemon peel. This chocolate tasted more like a 72% cacao than an 84% cacao bar -- making it a little less intense for those who prefer milder chocolates while not compromising for dark chocolate fans. The licorice was very subtle--adding an authentic, light, naturally sweet herbal flavor that harmonized well with the chocolate and the lemon.

Ingredients: (84% cacao Nacional Complex) cacao beans, whole cane sugar, cacao butter, lemon peel, licorice root, sunflower lecithin. 

Allergen-related information: "Made in a facility that handles milk, soy & nuts. Vegan, Gluten Free, Kosher"

Summerbird Chokolade - Amber Organic Chocolate Miniature (Assortment) - Sept. 8, 2023

Chocolate(s) of the Day

Summerbird Chokolade
Amber Organic Chocolate Miniature (Assortment)
1.) Mint Noir - Amber Noir Chocolate, Mint, Caramel - Good - Good +
2.) Liquorice - Amber Classic Chocolate + Liquorice - Good +
3.) Fleur D' Orange Praline - Amber Classic Chocolate - Good +
4.) Vanilla - Amber Blond Chocolate, Vanilla, Caramel - Good +
Weight: 1.41 oz. (45 g.) box of 8 small filled chocolates (4 flavors x 2)
Calories: 246 calories for 1 box of 8 pieces
Cost: $ N/A - free gift with hotel stay

Today's Summerbird Chokolade (Denmark) Organic mixed chocolates were from Denmark. Note: This petite assortment was the second chocolate item of two featured today. (See the previous post for the first item: a Smooth 72% Cocoa Dark Chocolate (bar) from Endangered Species Chocolate, LLC (Indianapolis, IN).

Aroma notes varied according to the flavor, and included sweet chocolate with faint caramel notes, and notes that corresponded to each of the flavor additions: mint, liquorice, orange and vanilla/caramel, respectively.

The outer couverature chocolate layers were smooth in texture, and the inner ganache (fillings) had sweet soft caramel and/or ganache layers inside.

Flavor notes included: sweet light chocolate (slightly caramelized white chocolate) and darker sweet chocolate, plus four different flavor additions: 1.) mint extract or natural flavor, 2.) sweet liquorice, 3.) pleasant, sweet and slightly floral orange, and 4.) sweet caramel and vanilla. 

These pretty little "amber"* chocolate confections tasted like caramel-infused, milky white chocolates. Sugar was the number one ingredient (and they also contained other processed sugars/syrups). They were low in cocoa solids; but real cocoa butter was a plus. (There were no added vegetable oils.)

These confections were too sweet for me; but they may appeal to those with a sweet tooth. Given the relatively high sugar levels, the small pieces were just the right size for tasting.

Ingredients: "*sugar, *cocoa butter (23%), *invert sugar syrup, *milk powder (14%), *cocoa mass (8%), *hazelnuts, *glucose syrup, *butter, water, emulsifier (*soy lecithin), *liquorice powder, *vanilla, *lemon juice, Maldon Seasalt, *blood orange oil, Laeso Salt, *orange blossom water, *peppermint oil"

Allergen-related information: Contains milk, hazelnut, soy. (Glucose source not identified.)

*Amber chocolate is a light caramel-hued, Nordic chocolate with a milky texture and sweet, faint fruit flavor that is "not dark, milk or white chocolate."

Standout Chocolate - Liquorice & Beech Smoked Sea Salt 67% (bar) - July 8, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Standout Chocolate
Liquorice & Beech Smoked Sea Salt 67% (bar)

Good + - Good ++
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.)/1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 144.5 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate and Salt Theme Week.

Today's Liquorice & Beech Smoked Sea Salt 67% (bar) was from Standout Chocolate (Kallered, Sweden).

Aroma notes for this bar included: dark chocolate, fruit (red grape, light raisin) and very faint sweet herb. 

The texture was smooth, thick and creamy.

Flavor notes included: rich dark chocolate, hearty black licorice* and diffuse fruit (faint red berry/grape). The salt was very subtle, and well integrated into the licorice. 

Those who enjoy licorice and/or European salted licorice will appreciate this authentic flavor.

Ingredients: Cacao beans*, Cane sugar*, Cacao butter*, Liquorice*, Beech-smoked sea salt. (*Organic)

Allergen-related information: "May contain traces of milk.

*Licorice is a spelling variant of liquorice in the U.S. and Canada.

Kaitxo - Txokolate Con Leche - Regaliz y Violetas - Apr. 23, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Kaitxo

Txokolate Con Leche - Regaliz y Violetas

Good ++ - Good +++

Weight: 1.2 oz. (35 g.) / 2.4 oz. (70 g.) in total bar

Calories: 190 calories in 1/2 bar

Cost: $8.50 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate and Flowers Theme Week.

Today's Txokolate Con Leche Regaliz y Violetas (Milk Chocolate Liquorice and Violets) bar was made in Spain by Kaitxo Kraft Basque Txokolate (Balmaseda, Spain).

Chocolate almost always has an international story to tell. This bar included ingredients from at least two different continents. European licorice is some of the best--made from licorice root from Europe and Asia. Edible violets/viola flowers can be found in Europe, North America and elsewhere. And the cacao used to make this bar was grown in Peru, according to the packaging.

The chocolate smelled at its best and most intriguing after being open for a few minutes. (Like some fine wines, some higher-end, craft and single origin chocolates can benefit from being allowed to "breathe" a bit after first being opened.) Aroma notes included: chocolate (clay soil, light nut and wood, chocolate-y), light floral (violet, vanilla) and very faint herbal (root) notes. 

Smooth, creamy milk chocolate was punctuated by crunchy, sugary violet flower (candied violet) bits.

This milk chocolate bar had a pleasing, harmonic complexity. Skillfully made, the sweet slightly earthy, nutty chocolate was balanced by the somewhat "darker" licorice (liquorice) root flavor and brightened by the subtle floral notes from the candied violets. A faint hint of uplifting vanilla added warmth. 

The end result was a subtle undulation of flavors that served as a fitting celebration of spring, temperate rain forests, gardens, and chocolate + botanical blends--all on my list of favorite things. 

This bar would also be a fun gift, especially for those who appreciate flavors like root beer and authentic licorice root. The licorice was important, but relatively subtle and well-managed in this bar.

Ingredients: Sugar, powdered milk, cacao, cacao butter, emulsifier (soya lecithin), vanilla extract, liquorice (2%), and violets (1%).

Allergen-related information: "May contains (sic) traces of peanuts, tree nuts and soy, wheat and milk products."

Naive - Citrus Licorice Crunch Specialty Dark Chocolate 67% (bar) - Jan. 8, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Chocolate Naive
(Mulate UAB)
Citrus Licorice Crunch Specialty Dark Chocolate 67% (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar
Calories: 155.6 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $10.00 (+ summer shipping) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate and Citrus/Lemon Theme Week, and Day #2 of Chocolate European Holiday Theme Week--as we virtually tour the EU, via chocolates from makers and chocolatiers in several European countries.

Today's Citrus Licorice Crunch Specialty Dark Chocolate 67% (bar) from Chocolate Naive, produced by Mulate UAB (Vilnius, Lithuania). Chocolate maker and chocolatier Domantas Uzpalis is doing a great job representing artisan chocolates from Lithuania.

The aroma notes for this bar included: slightly earthy herby and citrus notes. The texture was smooth, almost creamy, interspersed with tiny, hard crunchy bits.

Flavor notes included: chocolate (rich, dark milk chocolate and caramel) with authentic, bittersweet licorice spice and mixed citrus (bright fruit and peel. (Note: there was no milk in this chocolate.)

The citrus included a blend of less sweet Lisbon and Eureka lemons*, sweeter (more mandarin orange-like) Meyer lemons, and oranges. 

The results: an integrated, creative, kaleidoscope of three relatively strong flavors--each one capable of capturing (or competing for) the limelight. Happily the ringmaster (chocolate maker) skillfully managed and balanced all three authentic, high-quality flavor elements.

Chocolate Naive tasting notes: "This bar is not for everyone but it leaves no one indifferent. The deep and complex flavors of crunchy licorice combine with multilayered taste of chocolate, while fresh and bright citruses act like a bridge and connects all tempermental aromas into one. Just give it a minute and you will find out for yourself." 

Beverage pairing suggestions: "... gin..." (Also)..."It's characteristic notes contrast well with the complex smoky, firewood and fruity elements of...mescal.")

Ingredients: Specialty cacao*, cane sugar*, pure cacao butter*, licorice extract* (5%), dried lemon* (1%), dried orange* (1%), sea salt. (* wild or all-natural farming) 

Allergen-related information: "May contain traces of treenuts, peanuts, wheat or milk."

*Lemons originated in Asia, but by 200 A.D. were already being cultivated in Mediterranean regions. Today there are dozens of varieties of lemon (Citrus limon, citrus x limon), ranging from bitter to sweet, from sour and acidic to mild and floral, from puckery to lightly tangy. Lemons, like cacao, are versatile and can be found in savory and sweet dishes (as well as beverages and sauces) around the globe. 

 

Flying Bird Botanicals - Cocao Especial and OmNom Chocolate Lakkris + Sea Salt (bar) - Sept. 21, 2021

Chocolate(s) of the Day

Flying Bird Botanicals

Cacao Especial Drinking Chocolate

Good + - Good ++

Weight: 1.5 Tablespoons (12 g.) / 3.5 oz. (99.05 g.) in total container

Calories: 45 calories in 1 serving (1.5 Tablespoons)

Cost: $9.95 for 1 container

Purchased from: Land's End gift shop, San Francisco, CA

OmNom Chocolate
Lakkris + Sea Salt (bar)
Good - Good +
Weight: 1.05 oz. (30 g.) / 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 180 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $10.95 for 1 bar
Purchased from: ZombieRunner, Palo Alto, CA 

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate Breakfast Theme Week.

Fall begins this week; and I'd hoped to find a (pre-made) licorice hot chocolate--difficult to find for a gluten-free me as most licorice offerings contain wheat flour. Happily, I did find a pair of cacao-based items that added up to something similar.

Flying Bird Botanicals - Cacao Especial

The first item in today's chocolate duo was a cup of Cacao Especial Drinking Chocolate from Flying Bird Botanicals LLC (Bellingham, WA). The company offers a variety of teas and cacao drinking chocolates.

Raw cacao powder can be quite strong. The first raw drinking chocolate mixes I remember tasting were sometimes acidic, bitter and gritty. (Big brand hot chocolate powdered mixes are generally made with finely ground, alkalized cocoa--using a process that reduces acidity and sharper cacao flavor notes.) 

However, today's raw and organic (three-ingredient) powdered cacao mix had rich, smooth cacao (light brownie) flavor--perhaps due to the choice of (presumably milder) "heirloom" cacao and a hint of vanilla bean. The powder also blended nicely with warm liquids with some minimal stirring, including the coconut milk and water I used to make this drinking chocolate. (There was no grittiness; and this was accomplished without any added emulsifiers or vegetable gums. Thank you!)

I look forward to enjoying this mix on cold weather mornings to come. It would be great for drinking and dipping. I plan to dip my (gluten-free) breakfast bread or toast into this drinking chocolate. (For those who can handle gluten, try a buttery, flaky croissant.)

Also appreciated was the mindful packaging that Flying Bird uses for their teas and cacao blends (e.g. use of recycled papers and sealed, recycled steel tins made in the U.S.).

Ingredients: "Organic raw cacao powder, organic raw cane crystals, organic ground vanilla bean."

Allergen-related information: (None listed that I could find.)

OmNom Lakkris + Sea Salt (bar)

Today's second chocolate was a Lakkris (Licorice) + Sea Salt (bar) made by OmNom Chocolate (Reykjavik, Iceland). 

Licorice root is naturally sweet (due to glycyrrhizic acid), and gluten free. However, most licorice candies contain wheat flour; and wheat gluten enables licorice's characteristic chewy, stretchy texture. Licorice root flavor can also be imparted to foods and chocolate in other ways, including using alternative starches or licorice liqueurs, teas and other infusions.

Because I can't tolerate gluten, I really appreciate, high-quality, new and novel chocolates/foods that I can eat. And to find this creatively crafted licorice and salt bar, with no wheat ingredients, was a real treat.

What do I mean by creative? Similar to coffee "chocolate" bars made with very finely ground coffee beans and cocoa butter (the 40-50% of fat from the cacao bean), this licorice bar was crafted using cocoa butter, but not the "darker" part of the cocoa bean that I've often referred to in the past as cocoa solids.

The deep, golden brown color of this bar gave it a milk chocolate appearance. But the "chocolate" color came from caramelized sugar and licorice. 

The bar had a caramel licorice aroma. Bold flavor notes included something for almost every quadrant of the palette: a rich, browned sugar milk caramel sweetness was balanced by a sustained bitter herb note (authentic licorice) note, and a sparkle or two of Icelandic sea salt (that OmNom makers obtained) from a local saltworks facility.

If you love licorice/liquorice, do give this bar a try.

Ingredients: Organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter, Icelandic whole milk powder, liquorice powder, Icelandic sea salt from Saltverk salmiak, emulsifier (sunflower lecithin). Contains a minimum of 38% cocoa solids.

Allergen-related information: (Contains milk.) "Designed and made in Iceland, in a facility that handles nuts, dairy and gluten."

*Wheat flour is used to bind ingredients together in the making of licorice, presumably (initially) ground bits of licorice root or a licorice extract and sugars (glucose, syrups) to yield a slightly gummy, stretchy texture associated with commercial licorice sticks, disks, nuggets and other shapes/forms.

Fjak Sjokolade - 50% Milk Guatemala Licorice Root and Salt bar - Aug. 19, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Fjak Sjokolade
50% Melk Guatemala Lakrisrot and Salt 
(50% Milk Guatemala Liquorice/Licorice Root and Salt (bar))
Good ++ 
Weight: 1.87 oz. (53 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 299 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $9.50 + summer shipping for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's 50% Milk Guatemala Liquorice Root and Salt (bar) was made, from bean-to-bar by Fjak Sjokolade (Hangerfjord, Norway). Today's bar was part of the company's Nordic Collection, featuring local natural flavors.

The aroma of this bar had rich milk chocolate with subtle green (herb, grass) and savory (salty) notes. The base (Guatemalan) chocolate was a very good partner for the milk, licorice and salt, even if it was hard to detect what its inherent nature was.

The wonderful, authentic licorice root flavor appeared gradually until it permeated the senses--in a polite and sweet manner, like the arrival of a good friend around a cozy campfire. I could almost imagine myself in Norway. I am grateful for the gift of virtual travel today with this chocolate.

Licorice root can be a bit milder than its anise and fennel cousins; all three have some natural sweetness--and some tasters detect a slight herb-y bitter taste that's difficult to describe. (I like botanicals and sweet roots, so I can't pretend to be entirely objective here.) 

The salt helped complemented the sweetness/sugar.

The texture was rich and creamy with a very slight graininess/astringency.

The finish was pleasant with creamy milk, salt, licorice and sweet chocolate, arm-in-arm, skipping down the road together, until they disappeared over a hill and merged with the glow of a nice, warm sunset.

Note of caution: Like many other well-made dark milk chocolates with bit of salt or a savory inclusion, this bar was addictive. 

Ingredients: "Cocoa beans, cane sugar, milk powder, cocoa butter, liquorice root and North Sea salt."

Allergen-related information: "Processed in a facility that handles nuts, dairy and gluten."

 

Friis-Holm Chokolade - O'Payo Milk Liquorice 50% (bar) - Dec. 13, 2020

Chocolate of the Day

Friis-Holm Chokolade
O'Payo Milk Liquorice 50% (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.76 oz. (50 g.) / 3.52 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 285 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $19.99* for 1 bar
Purchased from: Village Market, Ferry Building, San Francisco, CA 

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

Today's O'Payo Milk Liquorice 50% "Chunky Salty" (bar) was from Danish bean-to-bar manufacturer Friis-Holm Chokolade (Hvalso, Denmark). Chief chocolate maker and founder, Mikkel Friis-Holm, is a trained chef who, in the 1990s had a relationship with artisan chocolate pioneer, Scharffenberger, in the San Francisco Bay Area.

The aroma for this bar was true to its description: sweet milk chocolate, with a dark, salty black licorice candy note. 

A creamy, sweet milk chocolate base was studded with a generous handful of small, chewy chunks of salty black licorice--allowing one to really taste the licorice--unlike most previous chocolate licorice bars I've featured where these two bold flavors (chocolate and licorice) were fully melded and the blend of the two created its own magic. Both approaches can work well: layered flavors and blends. It's fun to try both.

I was afraid this 50% cacao chocolate might be too sweet for my taste. However, the flavors were balanced; and a hint of salt in a dark milk chocolate helped balance out the sugar.

Ingredients: Cacao beans (Nicaragua), sugar, milk powder, cocoa butter, liquorice (8%).

*Yes, chocolate prices have continued to rise as chocolate makers compete for the best cacao from farmers in cacao-growing countries. And while $19.99 (USD) seems pricey for a single chocolate bar. This generously sized 100 g. (3.52 oz.) bar would be comparable to paying $10 (USD) for a 50 gram (1.76 oz.) craft chocolate bar, about what a high-end bar is going for these days. 

One could argue that a high-end craft chocolate bar is still less expensive than a bottle of good wine; but making this comparison can spark a spirited conversation among wine-loving friends who see wine grapes as occupying a higher tier on the vice ladder than cacao fruit. So I'll simply say: skilled makers are required for both wine and chocolate. 

Apologies to licorice makers for leaving you out of this discussion. Thank you to whoever contributed this component.

Svenska Kakaobolaget - Lakrits (Licorice) Dark milk 55% (bar) - Dec. 12, 2020

Chocolate of the Day

Svenska Kakaobolaget 

The Swedish Cacao Company

Lakrits (Licorice) Dark milk 55% (bar)

Good ++ - Good +++

Weight: 1.7 oz. (50 g.) for 1 bar (per label)

Calories: 290 calories in 1 bar

Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar 

Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA 

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

Today's Lakrits (Licorice) Dark milk 55% (bar) was made from bean-to-bar by Svenska Kakaobolaget (The Swedish Cacao Company) in Osterlen, Sweden. 

Lakrits (lah' kreet(h)s), or licorice, is big in Sweden and other Nordic countries. How big?

There are spirits flavored with licorice root, anise and/or fennel, including Salmiakki Koskenkorve, a licorice flavored liqueur (from Finland). There is salmiak,* a salty licorice confection, as well as salty licorice flavored ice cream (Saltlakritsglass) and gum. 

Did I mention there is an impressively large, annual licorice festival that's been held in Stockholm, Sweden since 2009? (There are licorice and chocolate offerings on display there.) 

Today's Lakrits bar had a hearty, dark milk chocolate aroma accompanied by bold but balanced salty licorice notes (bittersweet, authentic licorice herbal/spice). The melt was satisfyingly, almost velvety smooth (largely due to the milk powder). The flavor of the melted chocolate (in one's mouth) had a dark, seductive, liqueur-like richness. If you like licorice and chocolate, give this bar a try. 

One cacao, different results

The Swedish-made Lakrits (Licorice) 55% dark milk chocolate was made using cacao beans (possibly a blend of Criollo, Trinitario and Nacional varieties) obtained from Oko Caribe in the Dominican Republic. 

Yesterday's Kardemumma (Cardamom) bar--from the same Swedish bean-to-bar maker--used cacao from the same source (Oko Caribe) in the Dominican Republic. The maker skillfully used this cacao to produce unique and successful results/effects with each bar. (And I suspect the same could be said for their other single origin cacao bars.)

Yesterday's 71% dark(er) bar containing more cocoa solids was, not surprisingly, more cacao forward. There was also no added milk to mute or soften cacao and inclusion flavors in this dark bar. And the cardamom in yesterday's bar did not seem to block or neutralize any of the cacao nuances. One could clearly taste the cacao's medium-bold fruit acidity (red berry, cranberry, citrus)...in addition to spice (cardamom), and (interestingly) faint savory (salty licorice spice) notes. 

Today's 55% dark milk bar was a powerful, unified blend, where its overall taste transcended that of individual flavor nuances. It was only at the tail end of this dark, sweet comet (finish) were there was a rare, tiny spark of an individual constituent element (earthy spice or acidity).

Ingredients: Cacao beans, cane sugar, powdered milk, cocoa butter, licorice.

*Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra)--also spelled liquorice in other parts of the world--is an herb/spice made from the root of the licorice plant--a member of the Legume/pea family. (While the market for many licorice treats may lie to the north, licorice is grown in sunnier countries, such as India, Iran, Italy, Afghanistan, China.)

**Salmiak is a popular salty licorice in Sweden flavored with ammonium chloride (sal ammoniac), a salt said to add a slight tannic bitterness/astringency. Often available as black, diamond-shaped confection, this shape dates back to an era where Swedish drug stores made their own versions of licorice cough drops/confections for customers.

Fazer Confectionery Ltd. - Nordi Raspberry and Tangy Licorice Dark Chocolate bar - Feb. 12, 2020

Chocolate of the Day: 

Fazer Confectionery Ltd.
Nordi Raspberry and Tangy Licorice Naturally Flavored Dark Chocolate bar
Good
Weight: 1.12 oz. (32 g.) / 3.35 oz. (95 g.) in total bar
Calories: 170 calories in 1/3 bar
Cost: $1.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's Nordi Raspberry and Tangy Licorice Chocolate bar was from Fazer Confectionery Ltd. (Ventaa, Finland).

This bar offered a fun blend of slightly tart and refreshing sweet raspberry and piquant licorice—incorporated into dark chocolate (no cacao percentage listed).

Northern Europeans tend to take their licorice more seriously than we do. Higher-end licorice candy there is, I would argue, more flavorful and better tasting than our corn-syrup laden offerings. So, it's not a surprise to see this flavor fusion in a bar from Finland. I have yet to see this blend in this U.S.

Goodio Craft Chocolate - Licorice and Sea Buckthorn bar - Feb. 24, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Goodio Craft Chocolate

Licorice and Sea Buckthorn bar

Good - Good +

Weight: .566 oz. (16 g.) / 1.7 oz. (48 g.) in total bar

Calories: 81 calories in 1/3 bar

Cost: 5.99 (Pounds) for 1 bar

Purchased from: Goodio (online order)

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate and Coconut Theme Week.

Today's Goodio Craft Chocolate Licorice and Sea Buckthorn organic, raw and vegan bar was made of stone-ground cacao by Helsinki Heaven Ltd (Helsinki, Finland).

The 53 percent cacao bar had balanced layered flavors: warm chocolate, followed by black licorice and then a hint of coconut. (Since I don't know what sea buckthorn tastes like, it was difficult to pick that out in the lineup.) Sweetened with coconut palm sugar, this was not as sweet as one might expect. (Thank you.)

Theo Chocolate - Salted Black Licorice 70% Dark Chocolate bar - Jan. 18, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

Theo Chocolate, Inc.

Organic and Fair Trade Salted Black Licorice 70% Dark Chocolate bar

Good ++

Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar

Calories: 166 calories in 1/3 bar

Cost: $4.99 (estimate) for 1 bar

Purchased from: missing information 

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

Some people may be surprised by chocolates with licorice, fennel or anise flavoring. But, in fact, great chocolate + licorice blends exist in candies, cakes, cookies and, of course, bars.*

Today's Organic and Fair Trade Salted Black Licorice 70% Dark Chocolate bar was from Theo Chocolate (Seattle, WA).

Warning: if you like licorice, you may find this bar—flavored with star anise essential oil and licorice root extract—mildly addicting. 

Once again, the origin story for this chocolate is multi-faceted. The dark chocolate 70% cacao base was made with cacao sourced in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Peru. The touch of vanilla was sourced in Indonesia; and the licorice root was sourced in the USA**.

Tasting note on the packaging read: "sweet, salty and complex."

This was a well balanced bar with an aroma and initial flavor of licorice. After the first bite, the dark chocolate flavors gently blossomed into prominence; and the touch of salt was just right.

This bar was Organic, Fair for Life, Soy Free, Kosher, Vegan and Gluten Free.

*Askinosie Chocolate and Patric Chocolate (bean-to-bar makers located in Missouri) have both produced bars with licorice in the past.
**Ingredients: Cocoa Beans, Cane Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Sea Salt, Star Anise Essential Oil, Ground Vanilla Bean, Licorice Root Extract

The Oakland Chocolate Co. - Walnut Turmeric Chocolate Spread - July 16, 2017

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

The Oakland Chocolate Company

Walnut Turmeric Chocolate Spread
Good
Weight: .5 oz. (14.1 g.)/7 oz. (198 g.) in total jar
Calories: 55 calories (estimate) in 1 TB serving
Cost: $6.50 for 1 jar
Purchased from: The Oakland Chocolate Company, Oakland, CA

Licorice Tea Truffle
Good++
Weight: .4 oz. (11.32 g.) (estimate) in 1 piece
Calories: 60 calories (estimate) in 1 piece
Purchased from: The Oakland Chocolate Company, Oakland, CA

Welcome to Day 4 of Chocolate and Spices Theme Week.

Nancy Nadel, chief chocolatemaker at The Oakland Chocolate Company (Oakland, CA) has created an impressive array of confections and bars from Jamaican cacao. She makes her chocolate from scratch, from bean to bar in Oakland, CA, where she's also been an active member of the community (and served as a former city council member) for many years.

I suspected she might have some interesting chocolates with spices that I might not have tried, and was delighted to find this was the case when I visited her at the Old Oakland Farmers' Market recently.

I enjoyed her creamy dark Licorice Tea truffle and unique chocolate turmeric spread with ground walnuts packed with anti-inflammatory potential that wasn't too sweet (thank you!).

Chocolate and Licorice spirited baked goods - Dec. 31, 2016

Chocolate of the Day: 

Licorice chocolate cupcakes + cookies

Welcome to the final day (Day #8) of Spirited Chocolate Theme Week.

Today, the last day of 2016, we're going off-track a bit, by making some homemade licorice chocolate cookies and cupcakes, with at least three different chocolate ingredients and some added flavors.

What spirit infused today's baked goods? I tried to decide whether to use Ouzo or Pastis liqueur to flavor today's (gluten-free) chocolate cookies and cupcakes. I decided to use a little of both.

I used chopped bits of a left-over licorice chocolate bar to enhance the licorice flavor, and added some dried, crushed fresh fennel and bits of tangerine peel.

I thought they were wonderful, but I tend to like all Mediterranean-leaning flavor combinations. Even if you don't like licorice, you might want to give these a try.

The small, thin cookies were slightly crunchy around the edges and slightly moist and cake-like in the middle.

The cupcakes were moist and full of chocolate, licorice, fennel, citrus flavors.

Patric - Black Licorice bar - Sept. 2, 2013

Chocolate of the Day: 

Patric Chocolate
Black Licorice bar
Good + - Very Good
Weight: .76 oz. (21.6 g.) / 2.3 oz. (65 g.) in total bar
Calories: 114 calories (estimate) in 1/3 bar
Cost: $8.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Patric Chocolate, Columbia, MO

Today was the last day (Day #7) of Chocolate and Fig Theme Week, and I indulged a whim to pair chocolate with licorice and figs.

The result: a plate of fresh figs marinated in Pastis (a French anise flavored apertif), sherry, saffron-infused honey and lemon peel -- paired with pieces of a Black Licorice Bar from American craft chocolate maker, Patric Chocolate (Columbia, MO).

Patric Chocolate's Limited Edition (from July 2013) licorice bar was full of flavor and smooth in texture. This bar was infused with organic anise seed, house-made licorice extract from organic licorice root, and a touch of sea salt. The bar was soy and gluten free.

ChocolateBet: January 15, 2012

Chocolate(s) of the Day:

Milkshake Werks
1.) Coconut ice cream gluten-free cupcake
Good
Weight: 1/2 ice cream cupcake
Calories: 290 calories (guesstimate)
Cost: $3.49 for 1 cupcake
Purchased from: Milkshake Werks, Redwood City, CA

2.) Nutella ice cream
Very Good
Weight: 3 oz. /1 Pint container
Calories: 200 calories (estimate)
Cost: $5.99 for 1 hand-packed pint
Purchased from Milkshake Werks, Redwood City, CA

Today was Day #8 of Chocolate and Licorice Theme Week, and Day #1 of Chocolate and Nut Theme Week -- with a focus on frozen desserts.

It's January, and I'm fighting fire with fire -- or, more accurately, ice with ice cream. Or, if life gives you ice, make ice cream. But, why waste time with bad puns and analogies when we could be talking about chocolate...

Milkshake Werks makes their own ice cream. And I stopped by their shop (in a shopping center off Redwood Shores Parkway, in Redwood City, CA) after a walk; and picked up two items to go.

The first item I tried was their Coconut ice cream cupcake. There wasn't actually any cake in this cupcake. Their gluten-free version, packed in a plastic cup to go, was made with a chocolate cup was filled with coconut ice cream and topped with vanilla and coconut flavored icing -- which looked to me like a blank canvas for other additions. I topped mine with a Gimbal's (San Francisco) gluten-free licorice scottie dog (shown), made with licorice and anise; and some almonds (not shown).

The second item I sampled today: a tiny cup of Milkshake Werks's Nutella ice cream. Nutella (a chocolate and hazelnut spread) is finally getting its due here in California, after years of peanut butter hogging the chocolate and nut butter spotlight. This shop also listed an ice cream called Peanut Butter Explosion that I would've happily tried as well; but, they were out of this flavor when I was there. The Nutella was sweet (a little too sweet for me), but this very creamy, frozen treat really nailed Nutella's essence.

ChocolateBet: January 14, 2012

Chocolate of the Day: 

Absinthe Originale Cocktail w/ Chocolates

1.) Bensons Fine Candies 
(Distributed by Heritage Candy Company)
Absinthe Cordials
Good + - Very Good
Weight: .4 oz. (11.32 g.) (estimate)/ 5.0 oz. (141.7 g.) total container
Calories: 55 calories (estimate)
Cost: $ not available 
Purchased from: BevMo, in Mountain View, CA

2.) The Cholive Company
Cholive Cocktail Chocolates
Good - Good+
Weight: .32 oz. (9 g.) / 2.54 oz. (72 g.)
    total package of 8 dark chocolate truffles + cocktail skewers
Calories: 45 calories
Cost: $ not available
Purchased from: BevMo, in Mountain View, CA

Today was Day #7 of Chocolate and Licorice Theme Week. Absinthe is an herbal concoction made infamous (and illegal) for a time by alleged ill effects, largely caused by bad batches of wormwood (one of many ingredients in this largely French recipe). Other ingredients commonly used to make absinthe include: star anise, licorice, fennel seed, anise seed, hyssop, angelica, mint.

I tempered this little green cocktail with two chocolates: 1.) a Benson Fine Candies Absinthe Cordial* (an absinthe/anise flavored chocolate covered in a round, green candy shell); and one Cholive (a 55% dark chocolate truffle in the shape of a cocktail olive** -- that came packaged with its own black plastic cocktail pick). Sadly The Cholive Company (Milwaukee, WI) was no longer in business when I checked last.

Despite the chocolates, one tiny sip of this 138 proof liquor was all I needed. Too strong for me.

*Note: For those who can't have wheat -- The Bensons Absinthe Cordials contain some wheat starch.
**This was a perfect example of a chocsimile, a chocolate facsimile of an object or living thing -- in this case a cocktail olive.

ChocolateBet: January 13, 2012

Chocolate of the Day:

Orgran Natural Foods

1.) itsy bitsy bears biscuits (cookies) 
Good +
Weight: 3.0 oz. (84.9 g.)/ 6.2 oz. (175 g.) total box
Calories: 345 calories
Cost: $4.19 for 1 box
Purchased from: drugstore.com

2.) Molasses Licorice
Good+
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.)/ 7 oz. (200 g.) total bag
Calories: 80 calories
Cost: $5.39 for 1 bag
Purchased from: drugstore.com

This 5th day of Chocolate and Licorice Theme Week featured a snack plate of items from Orgran Natural Foods (Australia). Both the company's "itsy bitsy bears" and the Molasses Licorice pieces shown here were gluten, wheat, dairy, egg and yeast free -- and were also vegan.

The crunchy, oven-baked, miniature bear-shaped vanilla biscuits (cookies) were flecked with "choc flavoured bits." And, since I rarely have cookies (due to a wheat-free diet), I enjoyed munching on these sweet ursine bits, interspersed with a few chews of Orgran's dark, robust licorice that contained both licorice powder and aniseseed oil, and had a strong molasses taste (great, if you like molasses).

I can't help but remember that one possible side effect (from eating too much licorice) was a potential drop in one's potassium levels; and molasses is chock-full of potassium. I'm all for a well balanced meal -- even if that meal is just dessert.