The Grenada Chocolate Co. - 100% Cacao bar - Feb. 20, 2018

Chocolate of the Day:

The Grenada Chocolate Company

100% Cacao bar

Good - Good +

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

Calories: 143 calories in 1/3 bar

Cost: $10.00 for 1 bar

Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate, Enchanted Islands and Pirates Theme Week.

Today's 100% Cacao bar  from The Grenada Chocolate Company (Grenada) was made in the same country ("in-country" or "on island" in this case) where the cacao was grown. This pioneering tree-to-bar company was found in 1999.

The thick chocolate bar had a slightly graduated melt and texture (thick and creamy, then almost gummy, with a very slightly granular finish).

The dairy free, gluten free, nut free and organic bar had a subtle dark chocolate aroma, and (as one would expect from a 100% cacao bar with no sugar) some bold, dark taste with acidic/tart/sour and bitter notes, and no real "off" notes.

Chocolat Bonnat - Ceylan 75% Chocolat Noir bar - Feb. 19, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

Chocolat Bonnat

Ceylan 75% Chocolat Noir (Dark Chocolate) bar

Good +++ - Very Good

Weight: .7 oz. (20 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar

Calories: 121.2 calories in 1/5 bar

Cost: $13.00 (estimate) for 1 bar

Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate, Enchanted Islands and Pirates Theme Week.

Today's Ceylan 75% Cacao Chocolat Noir (Dark Chocolate) bar was made by Chocolat Bonnat (Voiron, France) and distributed by Custom Source LLC (Worcester, MA).

Every Bonnat dark chocolate bar I recall tasting has had a luscious buttery, creamy texture. This gluten free bar made with cacao beans grown in Ceylan* was no exception. It had a faint sweet leather aroma note, a rich, full chocolatey flavor, a faint sour cherry note and a slightly bittersweet finish. 

Tasting notes described this Ceylan bar has having Asian flavors. Not sure what that meant exactly. I didn't pick up any spice or other notes I associated with SE Asia chocolate or cuisine.

*The name Ceylan (Ceylon) is an island nation located in the Indian Ocean, south of India. 

The people of this island have felt the presence of European nations: first, the Portuguese in the early 1500s and then the Dutch (Dutch India Company), before falling under British rule from 1815 to 1948. 

The British brought a variety of plantation crops to grow on the island, including tea, rubber, coffee and presumably cacao. Ceylon became known for its lush tea plantations under British rule. Were it not for labor practices there, more of the people might have experienced its enchanted isle status. 

Concerns over foreign powers, and pirates in the Indian Ocean, have been a part of the region for some time. In the early 1940s Japan was said to have designs on Ceylon. And occasional incidents of piracy (e.g., raids on commercial/trading ships) in the surrounding seas continue to the present decade.

The country eventually re-gained its independence; and in 1972, it became the Republic of Sri Lanka. Ceylon has continued to be influenced by India, China and other larger trading partners as they participate in the global economy, with exports like tea, textiles, rice and other agricultural products, like cacao.

Chocolat Bonnat - Dark Chocolate Haiti 75% Cacao bar - Feb. 18, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

Chocolat Bonnat 

Dark Chocolate Haiti 75% Cacao bar

Very Good

Weight: 1.16 oz. (33.3 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar

Calories: 175 calories in 1/3 bar

Cost: $16.00 for 1 bar

Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate, Enchanted Islands and Pirates Theme Week.

Today's Haiti 75% Cacao Dark Chocolate bar from Chocolat Bonnat (Voiron, France). This product of France was distributed by Custom Source LLC (Worcester, MA).


This chocolate had dried fruit and light spice notes. Like other Chocolat Bonnat bars, this three-ingredient (cocoa beans, cocoa butter, sugar) bar had buttery, creamy texture, and a pleasing finish.

Tasting notes on the packaging included this semi-awkwardly translated description: "...this rich and fragrant cocoa offers very chocolate flavors sliding toward a tangy citrus edge."

Perhaps the Republic of Haiti was once an enchanted isle in the distant past. It's easy to forget slavery and the violent side of piracy. Privateer Henry Morgan and other pirates once plied the waters and Morgan worked with the French. Ultimately, one positive historic development that grew out of that era was that the French brought cacao to Haiti in the early 1700s.

And, a few hundred year later, we are enjoying chocolate made from cacao raised and harvested by Haitian cacao farmers. Hurricane Matthew (2016) notwithstanding, the cacao production has been growing in recent years. Today's bar is a positive sign of what might be.

*Haiti is the western half of larger island that is Hispaniola. The eastern half is the Dominican Republic. Haitian cacao represents a fraction of the total cacao production from the total island that is Haiti and the Dominican Republic; but this may grow in the future with organizations like PISA (See yesterday's entry for more on PISA.)

Pirate Brands - Chocolate Granola Fruit Coins - Feb. 16, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

Pirate Brands, LLC

Chocolate Granola Fruit Coins

Good 

Weight: .8 oz. (23 g.) / 4 oz. (115 g.) in total box of 5 bags

Calories: 80 calories in 1 bag 

Cost: $1.99 for 1 box of 5 bags

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

Welcome to Day #2 of Chocolate, Enchanted Islands and Pirates Theme Week.

These pirate-themed Chocolate Granola Fruit Coins—made in Canada and distributed by Pirate Brands, LLC (Parsippany, NJ)—were small compressed disks made of dates, raisins, oats, chocolate chips, dried coconut and quinoa. Each coin had a denomination (number) stamped on it. (Date doubloons?)

"Thar be chewy!" the pirate on the label advised. Aye, indeed they were, in a good way. The oats and quinoa helped give these snack pieces shape, and balanced out the sweetness from the dates and raisins. And the chocolate chips lent a rich flavor that tied together fruit and grain ingredients.

These fruit granola snack pieces contained "no artificial colors, preservatives or flavorings."

Cocopotamus - Razzmanian Devil + Yo-Ho-Ho - Dec. 31, 2013

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

NYDC Chocolate, LLC
Cocopotamus

1.) Razzmanian Devil
Good+ - Very Good
Weight: .5 oz. (14 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) for 1 box of 5 pieces
Calories: 78 calories in 1 piece
Cost: $11.95 for 1 box of 5 pieces
Purchased from: SweetE Organic, Mill Valley, CA

2.) Yo-Ho-Ho 
Good
Weight: .5 oz. (14 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) for 1 box of 5 pieces
Calories: 82 calories in 1 piece
Cost: $12.00 for 1 box of 5 pieces
Purchased from: Cocopotamus (website, online order)

Happy last day of 2013, and a Very Happy New Year's Eve to all. Today was Day #7 of Chocolate and Holiday Spirits Theme Week.

Rather than go with champagne and chocolate, I opted for four "fs" -- feisty, fun, fantastic and fudge: Cocopotamus dark chocolate fudge balls, individually wrapped in festive foil, and infused with spirits.

The Cocopotamus Razzmanian Devil dark chocolate fudge balls were bouncing with delicious, sweet black raspberry and raspberry brandy flavor. And the Cocopotamus Yo-Ho-Ho fudge balls were infused with jolly shot of Caribbean rum, lightly frosted with a gold shimmer, and rolled in crunchy, sweet grains of caramel colored Turbinado sugar.

Here's a fifth "f": fearless. I hope you live joyfully and fearlessly in 2014. May all your dreams come true -- chocolate and otherwise.

ChocolateBet: September 20, 2009

Chocolate of the Day:

1 bar
B.T. McElrath Chocolatier, Inc.
Salty Dog Chocolate Bar
Very Good
Weight: 3.0 oz. (85 grams) in 1 bar
Calories: ~420 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $5.50
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, in San Francisco, CA

Arghh. I missed the opportunity to eat this yesterday, September 19, which was Talk Like A Pirate Day. It's hard to keep track of all the interesting holidays (that provide creative fodder for eating different chocolates). This was good. However, as much as I enjoy good dark chocolate, a version of this bar with 60% cacao (vs. 70%) would probably make it easier to taste the nice, embedded toffee bits and sea salt.