jcoco - Mango Plantain 47% Cacao (bar) & Edamame Sea Salt 47% (bar) - Feb. 18, 2024

Chocolate(s) of the Day 

jcoco
Mango Plantain 47% Cacao Peruvian milk chocolate (bar)
Good +
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) in total bar
Calories: 160 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $3.49 for 1 bar
Purchased from: jcoco, online order

jcoco
Edamame Sea Salt 47% Cacao Peruvian milk chocolate (bar)
Good +
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) in total bar
Calories: 160 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $3.49 for 1 bar
Purchased from: jcoco, online order

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate and Sea Salt Theme Week.

Today's jcoco Mango Plantain 47% Cacao and Edamame Sea Salt 47% Cacao Peruvian milk chocolate bars were from Seattle Chocolate Company (Seattle, WA).*

Mango Plantain (bar)

Aroma notes included: sweet milk chocolate and subtle, diffuse tropical fruit(s).

Texture: chewy dried mango and crunchy bits of plantain chips in a creamy smooth milk chocolate base.

Flavor notes included: creamy, sweet milk chocolate and hints of dried tropical fruit (dried mango) and plantain chips. Subtle sea salt helped balance the sugar content of the 47% milk chocolate.

Edamame Sea Salt (bar)

Aroma: sweet milk chocolate with very faint, diffuse, aromatic and almost perfumed (tropical) fruit. 

Texture: a blend of creamy milk chocolate and toasted edamame with a soft crunch.

Flavor notes included: sweet, creamy milk chocolate and salted, toasted edamame (young, more tender soybeans). The salt in the edamame provided a welcome counterbalance to the sugar/sweetness of the chocolate for me.

*The jcoco brand (created in 2012) and line of bars are part of Seattle Chocolate Company. A portion of the sales of jcoco bars go toward feeding people in need. (The company describes the jcoco line as: "Chocolate that feeds"...the farmer, your neighbor and yourself.)

Alfred Ritter GmbH - Cacao Selection Dark Chocolate 74% Cacao Intense Peru (bar) - March 30, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Alfred Ritter GmbH and Co.
Cacao Selection - Dark Chocolate 74% Cacao Intense with cacao from Peru (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.75 oz. (50 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 296.8 calories (per label) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $3.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Mollie Stone's, Sausalito, CA 

Welcome to Day #9 of Chocolate and NOPQ Theme Week, featuring chocolates with flavor inclusions and origin locations that start with the letters N, O, P and/or Q. 

Today's "Cacao Selection - Dark Chocolate 74% Cacao Intense with Cacao from Peru" (bar) was from Alfred Ritter GmbH and Co. (Waldenbuch, Germany). 

The company has offered a wide variety of bars with different flavor inclusions for many years. In 2019, they launched a series of Ritter-Sport "Cacao Selection" (selected origin) bars made with just 3-4 ingredients.

Today's thick, dark "intense" bar consisted of squares that could be broken off, to create a preferred serving size. It was made with Peruvian cacao beans,* and had fairly deep dark, roasted cacao flavor. However, this chocolate was not blandly uniform. It also possessed some pleasingly complex cacao aroma and flavor nuances.

The aroma had hints of concentrated fruit (dried plums, apricots), and fleeting aromatic, green-floral-fruit cocoa notes (hibiscus/rose, light cherry, hot chocolate) in the tasting experience.

Ingredients: Chocolate liquor (made from cocoa beans from Peru), sugar, cocoa butter.

Allergen information: "May contain traces of peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, milk, soy and egg."

*Rainforest Alliance Certified cocoa sourcing. "We purchase a volume of UTZ and/or Rainforest Alliance Certified (tm) cocoa equivalent to the volume used in this product. www.ra.org/mb."

Chatfield's - Organic Bittersweet Chocolate 70% Cacao - Premium Baking Bar - Nov. 21, 2020

Chocolate of the Day

Chatfield's 
Organic Bittersweet Chocolate 70% Cacao - Premium Baking Bar
Good +
Weight: 1.17 oz. (33.3 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 200 calories in 1/3 bar
Cost: $0.99 (sale) for 1 bar 
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA 

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

Today's Chatfield's Organic Bittersweet Chocolate 70% Cacao bar was manufactured for Panos Brands (Rochelle Park, NJ)), in Peru.

The chocolate, designed for baking or eating, satisfied a number of dietary and consumer concerns/preferences. This vegan, fair trade certified chocolate was organic, and certified free of common allergens: "wheat, dairy, peanut, tree nut, egg, soy, fish, shellfish."

The aroma had true chocolate (fudge brownie) notes with hints of earth, green and faint smoke/umami. The melt and texture were smooth, lighter (almost fluffier) in texture than many hand-crafted dark chocolate bars. The finish was fairly balanced, chocolate brownie, without being overly sweet.

Looking at the ingredients list, the bar did have some cocoa powder added. (Sometimes added cocoa powder simply enhances "true" chocolate flavor, or it can be dutched/alkalized to create a milder, smoother chocolate flavor. It was not clear if the cocoa powder in this case was dutched or not.)

This 70% bar seemed like a reasonably priced choice for baking--that could also be eaten, or cut into pieces and enjoyed as an addition to oatmeal or trail mix.

Ingredients: Organic bittersweet chocolate (organic unsweetened chocolate, organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter, organic cocoa powder). 

Sol Cacao Craft Chocolate - 70% Peru (bar) - Apr. 19, 2020

Chocolate of the Day: 

Sol Cacao Craft Chocolate
70% Peru (bar)
Good +
Weight: 1.86 oz. (52.7 g.) in total bar
Calories: 279 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $7.75 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocosphere.com, online order

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

Today's 70% Peru (bar) was from bean-to-bar maker Sol Cacao Craft Chocolate (Bronx, New York).

This bar had bolder flavors than some others made with Peruvian cacao this week. The dark, complex chocolate flavors spanned fruity (citrus, red berry) tart bitterness with balanced fermented milk, earth, and slightly green nut astringency notes and a very faint whisp of star anise. The bar had a lingering finish as well.

Maker's tasting notes for this bar (Batch #7A) read as follows: Sweet floral notes, almonds and walnut.

I find complex, balanced flavor profiles in chocolate interesting and satisfying. A small square is worth eating slowly, contemplating and enjoying. Thank you Maloney Brothers.

Ingredients: All this flavor came from just two ingredients: cacao (from Oro Verde, Peru) and cane sugar.

Chapon Chocolatier - Perou Gran Blanco mini bar - Apr. 18, 2020

Chocolate of the Day:

Chapon Chocolatier
Perou Gran Blanco mini bar
Good +
Weight: .176 oz. (5 g.) in 1 mini bar / 6.35 oz. (180 g.) in box of 36 mini bars
Calories: 27.7 calories for 1 mini bar
Cost: $45.00 for 1 box of 36 mini bars
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

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

Today's Perou Gran Blanco* 70% dark miniature bar was from Chapon Chocolatier (Paris, France). This smooth, chocolate morsel had fruit, balanced earth and true chocolate flavor notes. (*"Blanco" likely refers to ivory or white-colored Criollo variety cacao beans used to make this bar.)

As usual, Chapon packaging--and every illustrations in miniature, printed on tiny individual wrappers--was exquisite. These colorful, nature-oriented and lushly exotic scenes are the best kind of escape in today's world. On today's Perou (Peru) bar wrapper, indigenous people on horses become almost invisible against towering tropical foliage.

Marana Craft Chocolate - Cusco, Peru 50% Milk Chocolate (bar) - Apr. 17, 2020

Chocolate of the Day: 

Marana Craft Chocolate
Cusco, Peru Single Origin - 50% Milk Chocolate (bar)
Good +++
Weight: 1.25 oz. (35 g.) / 2.5 oz. (70 g.) total bar
Calories: 200 calories (per packaging) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $7.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocosphere.com, online order

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

Today's Cusco, Peru Single Origin 50% Cacao Milk Chocolate (bar) was made in Peru by Cacao Valley E.I.R.L./Marana Craft Chocolate (Lima, Peru).

This four-ingredient* bar had delicious peanut/nut butter and fruit notes, melded into rich, flavorful dark milk chocolate.

The maker's description read as follows: "Our Cusco collection is made from the finest "Chuncho" variety of cacao beans., grown in the fertile valleys of Quillabamba. With this chocolate, we offer an intense, nutty flavor that will transport you to the magical land of the Incas."

*Ingredients: cocoa mass, sugar, skim milk and cocoa butter

Chocolat Bonnat - Madre de Dios 75% Cacao "Perou" (bar) - Apr. 16, 2020

Chocolate of the Day: 

Chocolat Bonnat
Madre de Dios - Chocolat noir 75% de cacao "Perou" (bar)
Good +++
Weight: 1.75 oz. (50 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 301.5 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $18.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocosphere.com, online order

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

Today's Madre de Dios Chocolat noir 75% de cacao "Perou" (bar) was from Chocolat Bonnat (Voiron, Isere, France).

Subtly complex and silky smooth, this bar had a creamy melt, with muted earth, jungle nut, and delicate fruit flavor notes.

Added cocoa butter gave this bar its classic Bonnat buttery texture and softly veiled fine cacao flavor. What came through was a subtle, complex Criollo-like variety cacao, dressed up in a fabulous, French silk evening gown that was easy on the eyes and palette.

This bar was also rather dear; at $18.50 (USD), I'm hoping that some of the proceeds went to help save the ancient, heritage cacao trees in this area--the Madre de Dios region in southeastern Peru that borders on Brazil and Bolivia, and that has a terrain described as low-lying Amazon rainforest.

It's easy to be smug about what needs to be done in a rainforest when you're eating chocolate in some far off, relatively prosperous northern city (that, sadly, was clear cut of its own native trees centuries ago). Kudos and best wishes to those working to preserve native strains of cacao and other rare and valuable trees and botanicals in the Amazon basin. Muchas gracias, merci and thank you to all who worked hard to produce today's great chocolate.

Untamed Confections - Midnight Gold Salted Dark Chocolate bar - Apr. 15, 2020

Chocolate of the Day: 

Untamed Confections
Midnight Gold Salted Dark Chocolate Bar - Organic Peruvian 72% Dark (bar)
Good - Good +
Weight: 1.2 oz. (34 g.) in total bar
Calories: 180 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $ missing information
Purchased from: Untamed Confections (small shop), Tubac, AZ

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

Today's Midnight Gold Salted Dark Chocolate Bar - Organic Peruvian 72% Dark (bar) was from Untamed Confections (Tubac, AZ).

The dark chocolate had a uniform, rich, smooth dark flavor. And, this bar was sweetened with Sonoran Desert Wildflower Honey, giving it a subtle, natural sweetness. The chocolate was not sugary sweet. (Thank you!).

Marana Craft Chocolate - San Martin Peru 70% Dark Chocolate bar - Jan. 18, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Marana Craft Chocolate
San Martin Peru 70% Dark Chocolate bar
Good - Good +
Weight: 1.25 oz. (35 g.) / 2.5 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 213.15 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $7.60 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Chocosphere.com (online order)

Welcome to Day #15 of Chocolate and Peru Theme Week.

Today's organic Marana Craft Chocolate San Martin Peru 70% Dark Chocolate bar was manufactured by Cacao Valley E.I.R.L.

This bar had a slightly green and fruity aroma, complex fruit flavor with a tiny hint of black pepper in one bite, a slight uptick in (balanced) fruit sour notes about 2/3 way through, followed by a smooth, fruitiness and a very slight astringent finish. Fun ride.

Marana Craft Chocolate - San Martin Peru 80% Dark Chocolate bar - Jan. 17, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Marana Craft Chocolate
San Martin Peru 80% Dark Chocolate bar
Good
Weight: 1.25 oz. (35 g.) / 2.5 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 225 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $6.70 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocosphere.com (online order)

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

Today's Marana Craft Chocolate San Martin Peru 80% Dark Chocolate bar was made "in country" by Cacao Valley E.I.R.L. (Lima, Peru).

San Martin, located in north central Peru is one of 10 major cacao-growing regions in the country. This chocolate was made using the "Amazonica" variety of cacao beans from Tarapoto.

The bar had a pleasant aroma with green and fruit notes. The first bite yielded a bloom of flavor with more fruit acidity—and a slightly astringent (drying, almost granular) mouthfeel. The flavor was complex, fruity with faint green, sour milk and coconut notes.

White Label Chocolate - Peru Ucayali 80% bar - May 12, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

White Label Chocolate

Peru Ucayali 80% bar

Good +

Weight: 1.148 oz. (32.5 g.) / 2.29 oz. (65 g.) in total bar

Calories: 172 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar

Cost: $10.00 (estimate) for 1 bar

Purchased from: Mutari Chocolate, Santa Cruz, CA

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

This Peru Ucayali 80% bar was from White Label Chocolate (Santa Cruz, CA)

This ultra dark bar had a balanced, complex and interesting tasting art. The chocolate had a slight green aroma, dark chocolate fudge-y and earth notes, with hints of dried fruit.

There was a very slight graininess in the tail end, but the texture was smooth otherwise.

The cacao used to make this bar was grown in Peru from a 2016 Harvest. The Ucayali region is in the Amazon rainforest area of inland Peru.

Map Chocolate Co. - Mystic Eye Finca Estela 45% dark milk Champurrado style (bar) - May 11, 2018

Chocolate of the Day:

Map Chocolate Co.

Mystic Eye - Finca Estela Peru 45% dark milk Champurrado style with blue corn (bar)

Good - Good+

Weight: 1.25 oz. (35 g.) / 2.5 oz. (70 g.) in total bar

Calories: 188 calories in 1/2 bar

Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

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

Today's Mystic Eye - Finca Estela Peru 45% dark milk Champurrado* style (bar) from Map Chocolate Co. (Eugene, OR).

Finca (Santa) Estela—the farm/estate where the cacao (likely Criollo/Trinitario) used to make this bar was grown—is located in the Villa Rica district in Central Peru.

Below are notes and observations about this bar:

• Appearance: Light in color
• Aroma: light spice and toasted cake notes
• Flavor: milk chocolate with a spicy (chili) kick
• Texture: somewhat grainy, due to ground, organic blue corn bits
• Finish: sweet milk chocolate with faint fruity cacao note emerging through the burn; with delayed authentic blue corn flavor (after chili subsided) and chewy corn bits

For more on the story behind the name "Mystic Eye," make sure to read the insert by MAP founder, chocolate maker and storyteller, Mackenzie Rivers. Spoiler: it involves a grueling hike in the Grand Canyon.

*Champurrado style hot chocolate in Mexico is made with cacao and atole/corn, with spices and chile.

Vanini - Dark Chocolate 86% bar - Nov. 21, 2016

Chocolate of the Day: 

Vanini
(ICAM SpA)
Dark Chocolate 86% cocoa bar
Good+ - Good++
Weight: 1.4 oz. (40 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 240 calories in 4/10 of bar (4 squares)
Cost: $3.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Piazza's Fine Foods, Palo Alto, CA

Bienvenidos (Welcome) to Day #6 of Chocolate and Peru Theme Week.

Today's single origin Vanini Dark Chocolate 86% cocoa bar was manufactured by ICAM SpA (Orsenigo (CO), Italy) and made with Peruvian cacao.

This bittersweet bar smelled quite sweet. And it took me a few seconds to remember I was biting into an ultra-dark 86% cocoa chocolate.

The texture was thick and almost creamy with a slow melt. (The house, and therefore the bar, was cold this morning, and the cold makes bars firmer.) However, there also seemed to be a lot of added cocoa butter that seemed to muffle the dark flavor profile a bit—although cold temperatures could have influenced this perception too. (Cocoa butter is relatively solid until it warms up to body temperature.)

The GMO-free, gluten-free bar had very dark and even flavor, with a steady, mild undercurrent of roasted coffee and very mild wood or tobacco. The hint of sweetness was more plant-like, closer to green banana than ripe fruit. Eating the bar felt like gliding in an ebony canoe on a very still, dark river, through thick, dark woods.

The tasting notes (printed on the bar's packaging) also mentioned "persistent tannins.*" I braced myself for a good tooth-coating, but any tannins in this bar seemed relatively mild and friendly.

*Relatively high levels of tannins are naturally found in tea, red wine, berries and cocoa—foods known for mild astringency and the presence of desirable polyphenols. 

Higher levels of tannic acid, found in trees and plants, helps to protect against predation (insects) and harmful bacteria. And in the case of redwood tree bark, tannic acid can even help protect the trees against fire apparently.

Frederic Blondeel - Peru Brutus 75% bar - Nov. 20, 2016

Chocolate of the Day: 

Frederic Blondeel
Peru Brutus 75% bar - VIII Tablette
Good ++
Weight: .79 oz. (22.5 g.) / 1.59 oz. (45 g.) in total bar
Calories: 119 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $8.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Draeger's, San Mateo, CA

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

Today's bar made with Peuvian cacao was made by Frederic Blondeel Belgium.* The Peru Brutus 75% bar (VIII Tablette) was one of ten single origin bars from the company—and one of three Peru 75% bars (or tablettes).**

This bar had a faint, pleasant green aroma and flavor that unfolded into a smooth dark chocolate with fruit notes.

However, what was most remarkable was the stone-ground texture. I am used to biting into Belgian and Swiss bars that are super smooth (where the chocolate has been conched/ground for days, creating a tiny particle size and creamy texture).

The sophisticated, more traditional European packaging and bar appearance fooled me (despite the stone-ground seal). I was not expecting rustic, crystal-like texture. This bar was truly crunchy and full of flavor, with an even melt, smooth dark flavor and a clean finish.

Most chocolatiers buy their chocolate in blocks from larger, bean-to-bar chocolate makers, melt them down and mold them into bars and confections. However, Frederic Blondeel Chocolatier is a bean-to-bar chocolatier who starts with the bean—and roasts their own cocoa beans. (Blondeel grew up in a coffee roasting family.) The chocolate maker also controls how they process the bean and so can make stone-ground or finer-ground chocolate as they please.

*Frederic Blondeel also has a Hong Kong office.
** The three Peru single origin bars were: today's Brutus Peru 75% bar (Tablette VIII) with "high acidity, very powerful, distinctive aromas;" the Peru 75% (Tablette VII) with "high acidity, notes of flowers, long finish"; and a new raw Peru 75% bar.

Blanxart - Chocolate a la Taza, Criollo (Peru) - Oct. 8, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

Blanxart
Chocolate a la Taza - Criollo de Alto Piura - Peru
Good +
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 7 oz. (200 g.) in total package
Calories: 150 calories (estimate) in 1 serving
Cost: $8.95 for 1 package
Purchased from: Chocosphere, online order

Welcome to the last day (Day #7) of Chocolate and Peru Theme Week.

Chocolate a la Taza is a thick, rustic-rich style of Spanish drinking chocolate. Bars can be eaten, grated onto other dishes, or melted into hot chocolate. And as the leaves start to turn scarlet and days get shorter this month, the thought of preparing a cup of rich cinnamon hot chocolate sounds more appealing.

Today's Chocolate a la Taza with Criollo de Alto Piura (from Peru) hailed from Spain—specifically from Blanxart (Barcelona, Spain).

After unwrapping the hefty*, 12-square tablet, I used a sharp knife to very carefully saw through this 15 mm (almost 5/8 of an inch) bar. I'm not saying my method is the best way to obtain a single square or two. You'll end up with tiny piles of shavings as if a large termite had been helping you. However, it got the job done; and you can always use those shavings for something else.

A little goes a long way. I poured a small amount of boiling water over the chocolate square in a tiny espresso cup and stirred with a tiny spoon until the result was a thick, sweet hot chocolate. (Then I poured the warm, velvety viscous chocolate into another tiny cup to get a more polished look for this photo, after all that stirring left chocolate marks on the side of the first cup.)

The square had a lovely chocolate brownie or chocolate cookie aroma and flavor, and the resulting hot chocolate was smooth and rich; I liked it a bit better than other similar a la taza style chocolates I've tried. Because it was hot drinking chocolate and had quite a bit of sugar in it (you can almost feel the crystals melting in your mouth with rustic style chocolate), it was more difficult to tease out the more subtle Criollo flavors of this Peruvian cacao, but the overall pleasing results speaks for itself I think.

*This generous block of chocolate will last me quite awhile as my drinking chocolate cups tend to be quite small. But no worries, I can always grate some and sprinkle atop some gluten-free scones or churros.

The content and images on this post belong to ChocolateBanquet.com.

Cocoa Parlor - Royal Dark 88 Peruvian Single Origin bar - Oct. 7, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

Cocoa Parlor
Royal Dark 88 Peruvian Single Origin bar
Good ++
Weight: .705 oz. (20 g.) / 2.82 oz. (80 g.) in total bar
Calories: 106 calories (estimate) in 1/4 bar
Cost: $4.99 in 1 bar
Purchased from: Piazza's Fine Foods, Palo Alto, CA


Today was Day #6 of Chocolate and Peru Theme Week.

High-percentage (greater than 80% cacao) dark chocolates offer a unique, concentrated taste experience. Today's 88% cacao bar contained just two-ingredients—organic cocoa mass from Peru and organic raw cane sugar.

The "Royal Dark 88 Peruvian Single Origin" bar from Cocoa Parlor (Laguna Niguel, CA) had an intriguing, sweet aroma with hints of "green" mango, fig and marshmallow, and subtle floral notes.

The aroma was so sweet that I forgot there would be very little sugar when I took a bite. That's not a bad thing. In fact, I think this chocolate would make an interesting addition to any side-by-side, "ultra-dark" tasting plate. Speaking of sugar, the raw sugar in this bar might have imparted a bit more flavor (than processed/white cane sugar), but it was hard to tell.

After taking a bite, I enjoyed this bar's almost buttery melt. The creamy smoothness was followed by a slight bitterness. (Again, I had to remember, this was an 88% cacao bar.) There was a very light graininess and astringency toward the end (I could feel those polyphenols in the back of my throat). However, the interesting aroma and flavor up front—combined with the that fact that this chocolate wasn't ultra bitter—won me over.

This Cocoa Parlor Royal Dark 88 Peru bar was organic, vegan, gluten free and made with non-GMO ingredients. Many of the company's bars and other chocolate items contain organic Peruvian chocolate as well.

The content and images on this post belong to ChocolateBanquet.com.

Arete - Peru Nacional 66% bar - Oct. 6, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

Arete Fine Chocolate
Peru Nacional 66% bar
Very Good
Weight: 2.2 oz. (61 g.) in total bar
Calories: 330 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Maya, Santa Barbara, CA


Today was Day #5 of Chocolate and Peru Theme Week.

This unique and special 66% dark chocolate bar was made by Arete Fine Chocolate (Milpitas, CA). It was notable for its smooth, creamy and rich, yet relatively mild, flavor. I picked up hints of dried fruit (raisin), caramel and cream in this even, well balanced bar.

Source: Peru.org 

The was a relatively small production, craft bar, not found in too many places. I was fortunate to buy this bar in Santa Barbara, and to have met Arete's founders (David and Leslie Senk) at The Chocolate Garage -- a unique place in the San Francisco Bay Area where "Garage" members/subscribers are often able to meet the makers behind great tasting chocolate.

Peruvian Cacao
There are 196 provinces in Peru, and these provinces are grouped into 25 regions. Cacao is being grown/produced in 10 regions (shown in brown on the illustration) according to a report ("Cacao in Peru: A Rising Star") I found on the peru.org website. Growing areas can be found in coastal, Amazon and rainforest regions. Collectively growers produce more than 40,000 cacao hectares.

"Nacional" cacao was a popular choice in Peru and Ecuador the 1900s. Unfortunately, diseases led to reduced supplies of this great bean for many years. The Nacional beans from this bar came from the Maranon Canyon (likely in an area in central Peru, carved out by the Maranon River*).

*While the great Amazon River is fed by many sources, the Maranon River is considered the "source of the Amazon river" by many. The Maranon River is large enough to also be associated with an area likened to the Grand Canyon in the U.S. southwest.

The content and images on this post belong to ChocolateBanquet.com. Source for map of Peru was Peru.org.

Maverick Chocolate Co. - 63% Morropon Dark Chocolate bar - Oct. 5, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

Maverick Chocolate Co.
63% Morropon Dark Chocolate bar
Good ++
Weight: .92 oz. (26 g.) / 2.3 oz. (65 g.) in total bar
Calories: 138 calories (estimate) in 2/5 bar
Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #4 of Chocolate and Peru Theme Week.

The 63% Morropon Dark Chocolate bar was made by Maverick Chocolate Co., a family business based in Cincinnati, Ohio. Paul and Marlene, owners and head chocolate makers, with help from their two sons and daughter-in-law, craft their bean-to-bar, small batch chocolate bars at the historic Findlay Market in Cincinnati.

This attractively packaged bar had a smooth dark chocolate flavor with uniform ripe, red berry fruit and slight nutty flavor notes.

The cocoa beans for this three ingredient bar (organic cocoa beans, organic cane sugar and organic cocoa butter) came from a cooperative in Peru.

Cooperatives play an important role in connecting cocoa farmers with chocolate makers.  The following description appeared on the packaging for this bar: "The Norandino Co-op in Morropon, Peru unites small farmers with a common goal -- to preserve the Piura White Criollo Cacao and to improve the quality of life for their farming community."

The content and images on this post belong to ChocolateBanquet.com.

Pascha Chocolate - 70% Cacao Peru bar - Oct. 4, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

Pascha Chocolate Company
70% cacao bar
Good +
Weight: 1.16 oz. (33.3 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in 1/3 bar
Calories: 208 calories (per label - seems high) in 1/3 bar
Cost: $4.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Whole Foods Market, Los Altos, CA

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

Today's organic 70% cacao bar from Pascha Chocolate Company (Toronto) had uniform sweet floral, green, and marshmallow flavor notes.

This bar was made "bean-to-bar, near the source" with fine aroma cocoa beans from Peru. Ingredients: organic cocoa mass, organic sugar, organic cocoa butter and organic vanilla.

Dedication to chocolate for all
The team behind Pascha is passionate about "pure" ingredients (without additives or allergens) and taste. And those who have special dietary needs or preferences can be grateful for their vigilance in this area.

Pascha bars are made in a dedicated allergen free facility, in part due to founder, Simon Lester's, own experience of having family members with food allergies/sensitivities. The company is dedicated to "full ingredient traceability."

This bar was fair trade certified, vegan, "free from peanuts, nuts, dairy, soy, eggs, wheat and gluten," and contained no genetically modified ingredients.

The content and images on this post belong to ChocolateBanquet.com.

Maglio - Tingo Maria Peru 65% bar - Oct. 3, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

Maglio
Tingo Maria Peru - Cacao 65% bar
Good ++
Weight: 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 264 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $6.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: CocoaBella Chocolates, Westfield Centre, San Francisco, CA

Today was Day #2 of Chocolate and Peru Theme Week.

This 65% cacao Tingo Maria Peru bar was from Maglio (Italy).

Tingo Maria is the capital of Leoncio Prado province in central Peru. It's close to the mountains and is a gateway city to the Amazon rainforest. Coffee and cacao are grown here in the fertile Huallaga (River) valley area.

This bar had an even chocolately aroma and flavor, with balanced fruit (berries, melon) acidity and sweetness.

The content and images on this post belong to ChocolateBanquet.com.