The Organic House - Viral Dubai Kanef with Raspberry Drizzle - July 27, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

The Organic House
Viral Dubai Kanef with Raspberry Drizzle
Good ++ 
Weight: 2 oz. (56.6 g.) / 15.68 oz. (444 g.) in a large bar
Calories: 310 calories (estimate) in 2 oz. serving 
Cost: $29.00 for 1 large bar 
Purchased from: The Organic House, online order

Welcome to Day #11 of Chocolate and Nuts and Day #1 of Chocolate, Cherry and Berries Theme Week.

Today's Viral Dubai Kanef with Raspberry Drizzle was from The Organic House (Burlington, ON, Canada).

Aroma notes included: subtle dark chocolate; flavorful sweeteners; maple sugar and coconut flower nectar; and a slight nuttiness.

This hearty, satisfying filled pistachio bar was similar to a Dubai-style chocolate made with shredded pastry. Instead crunchy bits of gluten-free corn flakes mingled with ground pistachios and maple and coconut sugar this large confection. The dark chocolate shell/coating was smooth and balanced (and securely contained the substantial/generous filling). 

A drizzle of raspberry added a subtle, refreshing red berry accent flavor; and a bit of sea salt rounded things out. 

I enjoyed finding and trying this gluten-free version of a Dubai-style filled chocolate bar. I also appreciated the relatively short list of high-quality, authentic ingredients. I'm always glad to find chocolates without additives, gums or "natural flavors."

Ingredients: "Pistachios, GF corn flakes, cacao beans, maple sugar, coconut flower nectar, cacao butter, pear juice, sea salt"

Allergen-related information: Contains: Pistachios.

Mezcla - Puff-Crispy Bar - Italian Pistachio Chocolate - June 5, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Mezcla 
Puff-Crispy Bar - Italian Pistachio Chocolate
Good + - Good ++ 
Weight: 1.40 oz. (40 g.) in 1 bar/package
Calories: 170 calories in 1 bar/package 
Cost: $2.99 for 1 bar/package

Purchased from: Whole Foods Market, Fremont, CA

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

Today's Mezcla Puff-Crispy (TM) Bar Italian Pistachio Chocolate with pea protein, almond butter & quinoa (bar) was distributed by Eat Mezcla Inc. (NY, NY).

Aroma and flavor notes included: chocolate, sweetened cereal, seed, nut, and very faint vanilla/cookie.

Texture: satisfying crispy and crunchy texture. It was light, yet I had a substantial feeling of satiety that comes with a higher protein offering. Smooth almond butter and dark chocolate complemented the crunchy pea protein and quinoa crisps.

This attractively packaged bar provided a convenient source of portable protein (10 grams in 1 bar). 

The pistachio nuts (and hazelnuts) were very subtle; so much so that I almost missed them; but (along with the almond butter) these nuts contributed a nutty background flavor. Other than possibly the "Natural Flavor",* the ingredients list looked quite healthy and authentic.

Ingredients: Pea Crisps (pea protein, rice starch), Tapioca Syrup, Organic Dark Chocolate (Organic Cane Sugar, Organic Chocolate Liquor, Organic Cocoa Butter, Organic Vanilla Powder), Vegetable Glycerine, Almond Butter, Quinoa Crisps (Quinoa), Prebiotic Soluble Tapioca Fiber, Tapioca Fiber, Pistachios, Pea Protein, Coconut Oil, Vanilla Extract, Natural Flavor, Sea Salt, Hazelnuts.

Allergen-related information: "Contains Tree Nuts (Almond, Coconut, Hazelnut, Pistachio). Manufactured on Equipment That Processes Dairy, Peanut, Sesame, Soy, Tree Nuts, and Egg."

*Natural Flavor(s) includes a broad category of additives derived from plants and animals and are often added to processed foods. Apologies to the maker, but I find bars with added "Natural Flavor(s)" do not taste as good.

Zotter - Strawberry Pistachio 50% Milk Chocolate (bar) - June 5, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Zotter
Strawberry Pistachio 50% Milk Chocolate (bar)
Good + - Good ++

Weight: 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 390 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $8.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Zotter, online order

Welcome to Day #11 of Chocolate and Fruit Theme Week.

Today's Strawberry Pistachio 50% Milk Chocolate filled strawberry marzipan and pistachio almond praline (bar) was made in Austria and distributed by Zotter Chocolates US LLC (Fort Myers, FL).

Aroma notes for this filled fruit and nut milk chocolate bar included: berry (strawberry fruit leather, strawberry jam and nut cookie); chocolate; and very faint vanilla and spice.

The sweet, soft nougat center had two distinct layers (strawberry marzipan and pistachio-almond praline). I enjoy layered textures and flavors in desserts. Both layers were a pleasant match with the sweet, creamy milk chocolate outer covering. This bar had an upbeat (bright sweet) summer berry flavor and a sweet nutty layer; and the nuts helped balance the sugar(s) a bit.

The sugar level in today's layered bar was high. (I like to taste the chocolate and fruit flavors. And it's harder to do that when sugar is the number one ingredient.) But that didn't stop me from eating the entire fruit and nut milk chocolate confection.

Ingredients: Cane Sugar**, Marzipan* (Almonds*, Sugar*, Invert Sugar Syrup*), Cocoa Butter, Almonds, Cocoa Mass, Dry Whole Milk, Pistachios (5%), Strawberries (4%), Strawberry Concentrate (4%), Dried Strawberries (4%), Dry Skim Milk, Dry Sweet Whey, Butter (Cream), Dark Brown Cane Sugar, Lemon Juice, Lemon Juice Concentrate, Lecithin (Soy), Salt, Vanilla Bean Powder, Lemon Powder (Lemon Juice Concentrate, Corn Starch, Sugar), Rose Petals, Cinnamon.

* = Organic (91% Organic)

Allergen-related information: Contains: Almonds, Milk, Pistachios, Soy. Manufactured on equipment that processes other tree nuts, peanuts, eggs, sesame and gluten.

Puna Chocolate Company - Rose Cardamom Pistachio (bar) - Jan. 19, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Puna Chocolate Company
Rose Cardamom Pistachio 70% Dark Chocolate Bar 
Good ++ 
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) total bar
Calories: 180 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $5.95 for 1 bar + shipping
Purchased from Puna Chocolate, online order

Aloha, and welcome to Day #19 of Chocolate and Hawaii Theme Week(s). 

Today's Rose Cardamom Pistachio 70% Dark Chocolate Bar was from Puna Chocolate Company (Kailua-Kona, HI). The family-owned company uses Hawaiian chocolate and coffee to craft their bars and beverages.

Aroma notes included: nut (pistachio), floral (red rose), faint strawberry jam cookie, and subtle chocolate (chocolate torte). 

The well-tempered dark chocolate broke with a snap and had a smooth dark texture. The green pistachio bits and magenta rose petals on the back side created a very pretty field of (chocolate) dreams; and the nut bits added light crunchy texture.  

Flavor notes included: rich dark chocolate (chocolate torte, brownie) and light warm spice (cardamom), followed by light pistachio nut. The rose petal flavor was fleeting and very subtle.

Ingredients: Whole Hawaiian Cacao Beans, Cane Sugar, Pistachio, Rose Petals, Ground Cardamom 

Allergen-related information: Contains Pistachios. Manufactured in a facility that also processes milk, peanuts, tree nuts

Rimini - Hazelnut, Sicilian Pistachio & Italian Espresso Chocolates - June 13, 2023

Chocolate(s) of the Day

Rimini Chocolate
1.) Hazelnut - Good ++ - Good +++
2.) Sicilian Pistachio - Good ++ 
3.) Italian Espresso - Good ++ - Good +++

Weight: 3 pieces out of a total 25-piece box
Calories: (No information; this was a gift)
Cost: $ N/A - gift from family (Thank you Megan!)
Purchased from: N/A - Mother's Day gift

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

Today's Hazelnut, Sicilian Pistachio and Italian Espresso chocolates were from Rimini Chocolate (Colorado). 

After spending time in Rimini, Italy, owner and chocolatier Michael Schneider opened two Italian-inspired gelato and chocolate shops in Vail and Beaver Creek (CO) in the U.S.

These attractive, Italian-inspired, filled chocolates were skillfully executed blends of texture and taste. Flavor notes included rich, smooth dark/bittersweet chocolate and delicious soft, flowing caramel ganache flavored centers. 

The Hazelnut chocolate had almost impossibly silky smooth, sweet filling with authentic,  appealing hazalnut/gianduja flavor. The thin, attractively decorated dark chocolate shell had balanced boldness (very faint, fleeting earth) that helped balance the sweetness and natural nut flavor. The layered chocolate and hazelnut flavors were in perfect balance with each other.

Sicilian Pistachio very faint oxalis in aroma. Much like an excellent Italian pistachio gelato, the authentic pistachio flavor bloomed gradually after the first bite. And the texture of the filling was, like the Hazelnut, silky smooth.

 And the Italian Espresso was a faithful rendering of this most satisfying beverage.

Rimini describes their Italian Espresso filled chocolate this way: "...This...Tuscan pick-me-up presents rich caramel infused with fresh roasted Italian style espresso surrounded by dark chocolate." The texture, like almost all the chocolates in this collection was superb: silky smooth, almost whipped, yet very rich. 

This was a caramel, mocha cappuccino to remember. If I lived in Colorado, I would try out their gelato flavors as well. I'm sure they are good.

The centers were flavorful (and just a little bit salty like other ones?? or no). And the flavors were high-end, fresh and authentic.

They were well-executed, what you're more likely to see from a ?? trained chef/chocolatier. The couverture thicknesses were just right (not too thick). Everything was well-balanced--smooth yet flavorful. Not too sweet; and well balanced with salt. And their elegant, hand "painted" appearance made them well-suited for gifts.

Ingredients: (Received as a gift; outside packaging/information had been removed.)

Allergen-related information: (May have contained milk.) (No information.) 

 

Pascati Artisan Chocolate - Saffron Pistachio Dark 60% (bar) - Apr. 24, 2020

Chocolate of the Day: 

Pascati Artisan Chocolate
(Pascati Foods India LLP)
Saffron Pistachio Dark 60% Cocoa Organic Chocolate (bar)
Good - Good +
Weight: 2.65 oz. (75 g.) total bar
Calories: 396 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $8.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocosphere.com, online order

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

Today's Saffron Pistachio Dark 60% Cocoa Organic Chocolate (bar) was from Pascati Artisan Chocolate / Pascati Foods India LLP (Maharashtra, India). The company sources organic cacao from farmers in the state of Kerala in southern India and became one of the first bean-to-bar organic and fair trade chocolate makers in India less than five years ago.

More than 33 million people live in Kerala, a tropical, coastal state, including many farmers. Coconut, pepper, cashews and cassava are frequently seen crops. The number of cacao trees in India has been gradually increasing, but cocoa is still largely an imported commodity. Cacao grows from 0 to 20 degrees latitude (covering much of southern India). In India and many equatorial countries, cacao trees are a secondary or "intercrop" grown under the shade of coconut or palm oil trees.

Today's smooth, dark chocolate was not too sweet (thank you), with light floral (saffron flavor) and nut (pistachio) notes. Small bits of pistachio added occasional nutty texture as well. Like previous Pascati bars with flavor inclusions featured this past week, the 60% organic chocolate used (presumably the same in all these bars and made from the same cacao beans grown in southern India) tasted more like a 75% cacao chocolate. (I prefer a "surprise" in this direction, over a 75% bar that tastes like an ultra-sweet 60% bar, which is the case. most of the time.) If a 75% bar tastes like an 85% of the bar it's usually because of some strong or bitter note. And this definitely not the case today. So, again, thank you to the makers at Pascati.

Ingredients: Organic cocoa beans, organic sugar, organic cocoa butter, organic pistachios, natural saffron flavor.

Note: Saffron is very expensive. While I'd prefer the real thing over natural flavor substitutes, the only other saffron chocolate bars I've tasted, made with actual saffron, were made by a company that found it hard to stay financially viable. Tough choices for makers if you want to sell bars that are under $15 USD.

Chamisa Chocolate - little fox: pistachio and cherry 71% (bar) - Aug. 31, 2019

Chocolate of the Day:

Chamisa Chocolate
little fox: pistachio and cherry 71% (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (60 g.) total bar
Calories: 150 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $10.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chamisa Chocolate, Santa Fe, NM

Welcome to Day #1 of Chamisa Chocolate Theme Week.

It's with much gratitude that I've been able to feature 4,600+ different chocolates over more than 12 years. Chocolate Banquet would not have been possible without 100+ chocolate makers and many 100s more small and large chocolatiers.

I have special respect for bean-to-bar, craft chocolate makers. Women chocolate makers make up a growing percent in this rather technical, dynamic field. And they tend to be fascinating multi-faceted (both halves of the brain) people.

As local San Francisco Bay Area chocolate maker, Nancy Nadel* once told me, "you have to be comfortable fixing broken machines along with making and selling the chocolate, and everything else that is part of running a small business."

Amanda Hatherly, Chamisa Chocolate

So, it is with much delight that I am dedicating this week to featuring a selection of bars from Amanda Hatherly, chief chocolate maker at Chamisa Chocolate (Santa Fe, New Mexico). Amanda** is very involved with energy and sustainability. And, as it turns out, she also makes great chocolate.

After a recent visit to New Mexico, Amanda's food of the gods bar made with 81% Honduras cacao (featured recently)—found at a local New Mexico shop (Cashmere + Chocolate)—got my attention.

Today's organic and vegan Chamisa Chocolate "little fox: pistachio and cherry" 71% (bar) was made with Oko Caribe (Dominican Republic) cacao. The (compostable) wrapper was adorned with a beautiful watercolor painting of a fox.

This dark bar had well balanced flavors, was not too sweet (thank you!), and an attractive smattering of light green pistachio nut and ruby colored cherry bits occupied the back of the bar. The dark chocolate was uniform and densely dark, and relatively low in fruit/acidic flavors, which gave the cherry a chance to sparkle.

*Nancy Nadel, owner and founder of The Oakland Chocolate Company (Oakland, CA), is trained as an engineer and an artist, and she has used cacao grown in St. Mary's Parish in Jamaica to make an impressive array of confections, bars and spreads for many years. (She also previously served on the Oakland City Council.)

**Amanda is the Director of a regional energy efficiency training center for the Department of Energy, and is also involved in water efficiency training. Her commitment to sustainability carries over into her chocolate making as well. (She uses organic cacao, compostable packaging, and Chamisa Chocolate is located in a solar-powered facility. Her bars are also vegan.)

Fossa Chocolate - 60% Milk Pistachio Rose Cranberry bar - June 3, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Fossa Chocolate
60% Milk Pistachio Rose Cranberry bar
Good +++ - Very Good
Weight: 1.41 oz. (40 g.) in total bar
Calories: 212 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $14.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

Welcome to Day #11 of Chocolate and Flowers Theme Week.

Today's 60% Milk Pistachio Rose Cranberry bar was crafted by Fossa Chocolate in Singapore.

The dark milk chocolate (made with cacao from Fossa friend Pak Eddy's single estate farm in Indonesia) was well tempered, had a smooth and creamy melt and pleasing, slightly nutty and complex, but well balanced cacao flavor and depth (unusual in most milk chocolate bars).

The flavor inclusions (pistachios, rose and cranberries) created an attractive field of color (and texture), and were well balanced with respect to each other.

California pistachio nut pieces added pale green color and nutty texture and flavor. French rose petals imparted a subtle, lighter floral accent than found in many rose-infused bars. And the ruby-colored, cranberries* were not overly sweet or dominating (thank you) but added refreshing, mildly tart, naturally sweet, red fruit/berry flavor.

This was a very nicely executed dark milk bar. Tasters notes printed on the bar's packaging included this text: "Nutty and floral with bits of cranberries" and "We like it with a cup of tea on a slow afternoon."

*Ingredients: "Cacao beans, cocoa butter, cane sugar, milk powder, pistachio, dehydrated cranberries, rose petals."

Bovetti Chocolats - Dark bar with dried fruits - April 20, 2014

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

Bovetti Chocolats
Dark Chocolate Bar with Dried Fruits
Good
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) total bar
Calories: 150 calories (estimate) in 1 oz. (28.3 g.) piece
Cost: $9.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Draeger's Market, San Mateo, CA

Today was Day #7 of Chocolate and Pistachio Theme Week.

Happy Easter Sunday to those who celebrate this spring holiday that speaks of resurrection. Today we celebrated with a great lunch, colorful fruit sorbets, and pieces of this Dark Chocolate (73% cocoa) with Dried Fruits and Nuts (hazelnuts, almonds, pistachios) bar from Bovetti Artisan Chocolatier/Bovetti Chocolats (France). It was all good. I felt thankful to be able to sit down with family and enjoy a meal together.

Earlier in the day I also sampled a lovely pastel green-colored pistachio gelato (that likely had a little almond extract in it as well), with some gluten-free pistachio and cranberry biscotti, and pistachio nuts. Perhaps having three Easter Sunday desserts today was excessive, but small portions allowed for more variety.

Fiorello's - Toni Spumoni Gelato - April 19, 2014

Chocolate of the Day: 

Fiorello's Artisan Gelato
Tony Spumoni gelato
Good + - Very Good
Weight: 1/2 cup (130 g.) / 1 Pint (473 mL) container
Calories: 320 calories in 1/2 cup serving
Cost: $7.99 for 1 Pint container
Purchased from: Piazza's Fine Foods, Palo Alto, CA

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

This pint container of "Tony Spumoni" gelato contained a melange of chocolate, almond and pistachio gelato(s) from Fiorello's Artisan Gelato (San Rafael, CA). A pistachio butter (with ground pistachios and almonds) provided a rich, sweet, nutty flavor to the combined flavor mixture.

I sprinkled my little dish of gelato with some green, shelled, lightly salted pistachio nuts and a spritz of rosewater, and I had one heckavu Tony Spumoni sundae.

Lindt - Milk Chocolate Pistachio bar - April 18, 2014

Chocolate of the Day: 

Lindt
Pistachio bar
Good
Weight: .875 oz. (25 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 150 calories in 3 pieces (per label)
Cost: $3.19 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Piazza's Fine Foods, Palo Alto, CA

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

Each rectangular piece of the Lindt Pistachio bar contained an embedded capsule filled with "white almond creme" and pistachio nut(s), covered in Swiss Milk Chocolate -- giving the bar a unique and fun look.

This bar looked and tasted fresh; and freshness and previous storage and handling is important for chocolates. So, I'm always thankful for a good distribution supply chain and good practices at stores. (Thank you Piazza's!)

I admit, I thought this bar was going to be too sweet for me. As I've commented before, I generally like less sugar (and lactose) in my chocolates. However, the flavor and texture were good -- and the sugar level was consistent with what I imagined a sweeter, creme-filled milk chocolate bar should taste like.

Blue Bunny Cocoa Pistachio ice cream - April 17, 2014

Chocolate of the Day: 

Blue Bunny
Cocoa Pistachio Ice Cream
Good
Weight: 5.5 fl. oz. (162.6 mL)(103 g.) in 1 container
Calories: 230 calories in 1 serving/container
Cost: $0.99 for 1 small container
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

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

The weather has been getting warmer this week, so I found an ice cream that combined chocolate with pistachio nuts. The single-serving container (complete with white plastic spoon) of Blue Bunny Cocoa Pistachio Premium ice cream contained cocoa (chocolate) ice cream with bits of pistachio nuts.

I topped this ice cream with an extra handful of green pistachios, for some extra crunch and nutty flavor.

With added pistachio nuts

Blue Bunny is part of Wells* Enterprises Inc. (Le Mars, Iowa). The company has been making dozens of ice cream flavors and similar offerings for many years.

*Wells is one of the largest privately held and family-owned ice cream makers in the U.S. The business was founded in 1913. The Blue Bunny brand was born in 1935.

Sucre - Pistachio Rose Petal bar - April 14, 2014

Chocolate of the Day: 

Sucre
Sicilian Pistachio and Rose Petal bar
Good
Weight: 1.34 oz. (38 g.) / 3.5 oz. (99 g.) in total bar
Calories: 200 calories in 1/3 bar
Cost: $7.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Piazza's Fine Foods, Palo Alto, CA

Today was the last day (Day #7) of Chocolate and Flowers Theme Week, and the first day (Day #1) of Chocolate and Pistachio Theme Week.

How fortunate that I found a Sucre (New Orleans, LA) bar that incorporated both of these themes! Sucre is powered by Executive Pastry Chef Tariq Hanna and Founder Joel Dondis, who combined forces to offer chocolates, macarons, caramels and other treats for the great city of New Orleans and beyond.

The pink candied rose petals from Europe and light green Sicilian pistachio nuts were very attractive, and added some hints of crunchy texture.

The sweet, Swiss milk chocolate (38% cacao) dominated the taste experience. These subtle flavor additions would have been lost altogether in a dark chocolate base; however, the milk chocolate was so sweet (fine for some, perhaps not for others) that these lovely petals were overpowered by the sugar. It's a delicate balancing act with milder floral and nut items like this.

ChocolateBet: December 14, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:

1 serving (4 pieces)
choxie (Target)
dark chocolate nut truffle meltaways
1.) peanut brittle - Good +
2.) pecan praline - Very Good
3.) honey glazed almond - Good + - Very Good
4.) toffee pistachio - Good +
Wt.: 29 grams for one each of the 4 above/8 oz. (226 g.) in total pkg.
Calories: 210 calories for one 4-pc. serving
Cost: $5.00
Purchased from: Target, in Mountain View, CA

This package of choxie (Target brand) chocolates contained four different "dark chocolate nut truffle meltaways" -- all with some type of nut, or nut brittle. The pecan praline flavor was a favorite.

ChocolateBet: October 23, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:

1 piece
Laura Secord
Pistachio Marzipan
Good +
Weight: ~.4 oz.(~12 g.) piece /200 grams in total assortment box
Calories: 60 calories (estimate) in one piece
Cost: $0 (gift) Thank you Mike.
Purchased from: N/A - gift

This milk chocolate topped with toasted pistachio nut bits from Laura Secord (Canada) was a bit sweet for me, but I liked the combination of pistachio nuts, marzipan and chocolate.

ChocolateBet: October 14, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:

1 piece (bon bon)
South 'n France
Pistachio
Very Good - sweet, but nice; gluten-free
Weight: ~ 1 oz. (estimate)
Calories: 150 calories (estimate)
Cost: $0
Purchased/Sent from: South 'n France (www.southnfrance.com), in Wilmington, North Carolina

I packed this bon bon in my briefcase to accompany me on a business trip this week. It survived the flight across country relatively intact, and I continued my chocolate-before-breakfast routine this week in keeping with a full schedule. Sleep doesn't really matter when you have chocolate bon bons by your side, right?