Cacao Laboratory - Earth Ceremonial Grade Cacao 100% Cacao with Moringa & Chipotle (bar) - June 18, 2026

Chocolate of The Day

Cacao Laboratory 
Earth - Ceremonial Grade Cacao 100% Cacao with Moringa & Chipotle (bar) 
Good ++ 
Weight: .35 oz. (10 g.) / 3.53 oz. (100 g.) in total bar 
Calories: 57 calories in 2 squares 
Cost: $15.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Xocolatl Garden, Carmel, CA

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate & Earth Theme Week, featuring several chocolates with ties to mountains, forests, plants and gardens.

Today's Earth - Ceremonial Grade Cacao 100% Cacao with Moringa & Chipotle (bar) was made by Cacao Laboratory Corp. (Kingston, NY).  

Aroma notes included: slightly earthy dark chocolate; and--after first cutting open the inner wrapper--it had a pepper-like sharpness (that made me cough if I inhaled too deeply). Typically a sensation like this decreases if the chocolate airs out for about 10+ minutes after opening. (It did take the feisty edge off this bar.)

Flavor notes included a pleasant green/plant taste; fire-roasted, slightly early (mild) pepper; followed by a steep dive into 100% cacao bitter and deep-chocolate-y, dark chocolate. About an hour later, after something to eat, I wanted a second piece/square; and the second piece seemed mellower and even more enjoyable.

Texture: relatively smooth with a very slight, temporary, micron level graininess, and very faint lingering (and balanced) roasted/gently smoked pepper + cacao finish.

I appreciated Cacao Lab's short list of (three) organic ingredients, and the idea of achieving better balance in a world of different forces, with assistance from the four elements (earth, air, fire and water). Their Sacred Elements Blends (line of bars) "were created to help you harness the qualities of the four classical elements..."

Indeed, I did feel more grounded within about 10 minutes after sitting and eating today's chocolate. (The physical absence of a sugar buzz helped with that feeling.) Eating a 100% unsweetened chocolate is also a much slower, arguably more deliberate, experience than scarfing down the average, sugar-sweetened ("more-ish") chocolate.

Maker's Tasting Notes: "Rich leather, smoke"

Ingredients: Theobroma cacao*, moringa*, chipotle* (*organic)

Allergen-related information: Processed on equipment that also processes nuts

*Notes about the 3 ingredients: 

Cacao: single origin cacao (sourced from Manabi, Ecuador)

Chipotle peppers (native to the Americas) are smoke-dried jalapeno peppers--a process that gives them a mellower, richer flavor. 

Moringa is a nutritious, drought-resistant tree originally from northwestern India. While not native to the Americas, it is now widely grown in Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador and other countries.

Elements - Maple Toffee Dark Chocolate 70% Cacao (bar) - Feb. 1, 2026

Chocolate of the Day

Elements
Maple Toffee Dark Chocolate 70% Cacao (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.8 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 304 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $5.99 total bar
Purchased from: Missing information

Welcome to Day #12 of Chocolate, Warm Spices & Maple Theme Week.

Today's Maple Toffee Dark Chocolate 70% Cacao (bar) was made in Switzerland and distributed by Elements Truffles (Union City, NJ). The company offers a line of different chocolate bars with connections to Ayurveda; and it donates 25% of profits to a non-profit dedicated to helping children.

Aroma and flavor notes for this bar (made with Ecuador cacao) included: dark chocolate (roasted/roast-y cacao), faint brown/maple sugar, and very faint herbal--that might have come from the subtle dose of moringa* powder.

Texture: smooth, relatively creamy dark chocolate with tiny grains of maple sugar (and possibly coconut sugar and moringa powder).

The attractive artwork on the packaging (a design with a bear among maple trees) was "inspired by the Gond tribal artisans." (The Gond are a group of indigenous peoples in India known for their cultural practices and nature-themed artwork, including beautiful paintings of trees.)

I appreciated the maker's choice to use single origin cacao from Ecuador and the bar's relatively short list of Non-GMO ingredients.

Ingredients: Organic Cacao, Organic Coconut Sugar, Organic Cacao Butter, Organic Maple Syrup, Organic Moringa Powder.

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

*Moringa is derived from a tree that likely originated in northern India (in the Himalayan foothills). Moringa is cultivated in countries in Asia, Africa and Central America. And different parts of this tree have been used in traditional medicine (e.g. in Ayurvedic practices). Moringa contains vitamins A, C and E, as well as iron, potassium and calcium.

Kuli Kuli - Mint Chip Super Bark Dark Chocolate Superfood Snack - Oct. 21, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Kuli Kuli
Mint Chip Super Bark Dark Chocolate Superfood Snack
Good +
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 4.2 oz. (119 g.) in total package
Calories: 170 calories in 1 serving
Cost: $4.99 for 1 package
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's Mint Chip Super Bark Dark Chocolate Superfood Snack was distributed by Kuli Kuli, Inc. (Oakland, CA).

Aroma notes for these two-bite sized, roughly rectangular, dark chocolate pieces included relatively aromatic mint, chocolate and other faint botanical and light seed notes.

Dark chocolate was interspersed with tiny bits of coconut, chia seeds (as well as puffed quinoa and breadfruit flour), yielding very faint green/botanical (moringa powder*), very slightly malty dark chocolate and mint flavors, with a hint of sea salt. Not too sweet (thank you).

Ingredients: Chocolate liquor, Kuli Kuli Proprietary Blend (organic cacao nibs, organic moringa powder, organic moringa coated coconut [flaked coconut, organic moringa powder], organic black chia seeds, puffed quinoa, breadfruit flour), erythritol, inulin (extract of chicory root), cocoa butter, sea salt, soy lecithin, vanilla, Reb A (extract of stevia), peppermint oil 

Allergen-related information: Contains soy, coconut. "Processed in a facility that also processes dairy, eggs, peanuts, wheat and tree nuts."

*Kuli Kuli offers several moringa-containing products. Moringa oleifera is a nutrient-dense green plant native to southern Asia (India, Pakistan) and Africa. The plant is also known as the drumstick tree and/or the miracle tree.

Kuli Kuli - Raspberry Chia Super Bark, Dark Chocolate Snack - June 10, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Kuli Kuli, Inc.

Raspberry Chia Super Bark

Good +

Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 4.2 oz. (119 g.) in total package

Calories: 170 calories in 1/4 package

Cost: $4.99 for 1 package

Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #17 of Chocolate and Fruit Theme Week(s), and Day #1 of Chocolate and Tea Series. 

Today's dark chocolate Raspberry Chia Super Bark was from Kuli Kuli, Inc. (Oakland, CA). Company founder and CEO, Lisa Curtis, developed the idea for the moringa*-based products company after working with moringa in the Peace Corps in West Africa. The company offers a variety of products, including moringa leaf powder and teas.

The aroma for these (gluten free, vegan and keto-friendly) dark chocolate snacks included: dark chocolate, red raspberry, seed/grain (quinoa), and green botanical notes.

There was a lot packed into these snack squares including moringa, baobab fruit** and hibiscus powders. The latter (flower) contributed a faint, red-fruity tartness--as did dried and powdered red raspberry. Chia seeds and puffed quinoa added crunchy texture.

These squares were refreshingly un-sweet, with no refined sugars. (They were sweetened with erythritol, stevia and the above-mentioned fruit powders.)

I paired this with a chilled, iced hibiscus tea. Perfect refresher for a hot day and it meshed well with this snack.

Ingredients: Chocolate liquor, erythritol, inulin (extract of chicory root), cocoa butter, Kuli Kuli proprietary blend (organic black chia seeds, puffed quinoa, organic moringa powder, organic hibiscus flower powder, organic baobab fruit powder), dried raspberry pieces, dried raspberry powder (dried raspberries), Natural Flavor, soy lecithin, sea salt, vanilla, Reb A (extract of stevia).

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

*Moringa (Moringa oleifera) is a leafy green plant--from Southeast Asia, India and Africa--that is relatively high in Vitamin C and anti-oxidants. The "green" flavor is often likened to matcha green tea and spirulina. 

**The Baobab (Andansonia) is a tree that is perhaps most closely associated with the African island nation of Madagascar. The brown-skinned baobab fruit has a tart, relatively dry, white fruit interior with a taste some have likened to a lightly grainy, lemony-pear yogurt. 

Baobab trees are also part of the very large malva (mallow) genus/family that includes cacao as well as hibiscus, okra, cotton and durian. Today's treat contained three members of this malva-lous group.

Elements Truffles - Maple Toffee Crunch infused with Moringa - April 16, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Elements Truffles
Maple Toffee Crunch infused with Moringa (bar)
Good
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) in total bar
Calories: 150 calories in 1 serving (per label)
Cost: $3.39 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Country Sun Natural Foods, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #2 of Chocolate, Plant and Herb Theme Week.

Maple Toffee Crunch infused with Moringa from Elements Truffles (Kearny, NJ)

The aroma was mild and pleasant, as was the tasting experience. The unwrapped bar displayed an intriguing constellation of inclusion bits on the back side.

This 70% cacao bar was made from cacao sourced from Ecuador and had a creamy melt. (In very cold weather, you might notice the melt is slightly waxy, as the number one ingredient is cocoa butter—not a bad thing.) The flavors were mild (muted somewhat by the cocoa butter).

As with other bars from this same company, it felt very balanced and relaxing. Their bars are slightly lower in cocoa solids (that contain the stimulant portion of cacao) than some other bars and lack refined sugar. (Bars are, instead, lightly sweetened with honey and, in today's case, also with a bit of organic maple syrup.) The organic powdered moringa* was very subtle, and would have been hard to pick out in a blind taste test.

This Ayurveda-inspired chocolate made me feel more serene than hyped up. I feel I could meditate or enjoy a peaceful conversation or walk after this company's chocolate. Again, a good thing, in a world that can often feel too hectic or busy.

*Moringa (Moringa oleifera) comes from the Moringa tree native to India, Pakistan and Bangladesh and is cultivated in Asia and Africa. Moringa has been used for medicinal purposes. (It has anti-fungal, anti-bacterial and other properties.) The pods, seeds, leaves and roots are all edible.

Kuli Kuli Moringa Superfood bar - Aug. 2, 2014

Chocolate of the Day: 

Kuli Kuli, Inc.
Moringa Superfood - Dark Chocolate bar
Good
Weight: 1.6 oz. (45 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 190 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $3.79 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Country Sun Natural Foods, Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #1 of Chocolate and Health Theme Week, with a focus on superfoods, and nutrient-dense inclusions.

What Are Superfoods?
Superfoods are nutrient-dense edible plants, fruits and vegetables that can contribute to human health. Cacao is often on the superfood list. It's high in antioxidants, and contains magnesium, iron and other nutrients and active substances. Berries (e.g. blueberries, goji berries) also appear on top 5 superfoods lists. Admittedly, "superfood" is also a word or phrase used to sell products -- a short-hand term in a complex world that says, you should eat this. It's good for you.

Most people in the U.S. could benefit from inclusion of more fresh fruit and vegetable items into a balanced diet. But, I'm not an expert in these matters, and individual health conditions need to be considered. (Bananas full of potassium may be great for some athletes, but not for others on restricted diets, or failing kidneys.)

Every few years, a new exotic item will appear on this growing list of superfoods.

What is Moringa?

kulikulifoods.com/moringa

A few years ago, I started hearing about moringa, from the Moringa Oleifera, a tree that grows in hot climates (e.g. Africa, Southern California, or Florida). Often available as a green powder, moringa is relatively high in calcium, Vitamin A and Vitamin C (see graphic from Kuli Kuli at right). (Note: Cacao contains oxalic acid, which can inhibit calcium absorption so, I'm thinking, the calcium in moringa might be beneficial in a chocolate bar. I don't know if cacao would neutralize this calcium or not.)

I first read about today's Moringa Superfood bar from Kuli Kuli Inc. (Oakland, CA) in this article-post by Courtney Rubin on the "Details" website. Moringa comes from the leaves of a tree that grows in hot climates (e.g. Africa, Southern California, or Florida).

Kuli Kuli and Moringa
Kuli Kuli imports moringa from womens co-ops in West Africa, to make their line of gluten-free, vegan bars. Today's Dark Chocolate Moringa bar was made with a short list of ingredients -- all of which could be illustrated with picture icons: dates, almonds, cherries, dark chocolate, agave and moringa. (No pictures of test tubes or fillers here. So far, so good.)

How did the bar taste? Earthy, moist and chewy, slightly crunchy and sweet, with occasional bursts of chocolate (chips/chunks), and a green powder (the moringa) I could only identify as a plant of some sort, that looked and tasted a bit like a matcha green tea salad. Not bad. (I like matcha, and salads.)