Standout Chocolate - Nordic Nature Sugar Kelp & Sea Salt 66% (bar) - July 15, 2026

Chocolate of The Day

Standout Craft Chocolate
Nordic Nature Sugar Kelp & Sea Salt 66% (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar 
Calories: 297.5 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $12.49 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Caputo's, online order 

Welcome to Day #10 of Chocolate & Water Theme Week--including a variety of items ranging from chocolates with connections to bodies of water (lakes, rivers, oceans) to more literal objects like chocolate surfboards and chocolate fish.

Today's Nordic Nature Sugar Kelp & Sea Salt 66% (bar) was from Standout Craft Chocolate (Goteborg, Sweden).

The cacao used to make this bar was from Oko Caribe (a cacao producer) in The Dominican Republic.

Aroma and flavor notes included: pleasing dark chocolate with a satisfying light floral green tea; subtle umami; light salt; and warm spice (very faint ginger graham cracker cookie).

Texture: smooth texture and mouthfeel

Maker's Tasting Notes: "Rose Hip, Green Tea, Sea Breeze"

I liked the smooth blend of balanced flavors and appreciated the short list of organic ingredients.

Ingredients: Cacao beans*, Sugar*, Cacao butter*, Sugar Kelp*, Sea Salt. 

Allergen-related information: "May Contain Traces of MILK."

Antidote - "Mermaid" Seaweed + Toasted Black Sesame Milk Chocolate 56% cacao (bar) - Sept. 4, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Antidote
Mermaid - Seaweed + Toasted Black Sesame Milk Chocolate 56% cacao (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: $10.00 (estimate) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Antidote Chocolate, online order 

Ahoy, and welcome to Day #11 of Chocolate and The Sea Theme Week; and Day #1 of Chocolate and Seeds Theme Week.

Today's Antidote Mermaid - Seaweed + Toasted Black Sesame Milk Chocolate 56% cacao (bar) was made in Ecuador. Antidote Creative Director, CEO, and self-described chocolate dreamer, Ms. Red Thalhammer, is Austrian and is based in the U.S.

Aroma notes for this bar included: dark milk chocolate; fruit (sweet, diffuse, dried fig, citrus, berry); and faint umami (sesame, seaweed) and muted fresh wood shavings (cedar). Arriba Nacional (variety) cacao was used to make this 56% cacao milk chocolate.

This smooth (light/fluffy and creamy) dark milk chocolate yielded to a generous field of tiny, crunchy black sesame seeds. 

Flavor notes included: sweet-ish, dark milk chocolate with nutty/seedy (sesame), and faint, fleeting umami, seaweed (think very lightly salted nori), and barely detectable, pleasant wood. These flavors politely lingered into the finish, with an occasional very tiny pops of authentic sesame or seaweed flavor breaking through. 

I always enjoy trying chocolate and umami flavor blends. I was expecting more salt (which often accompanies umami/savory flavors) in today's bar. There was very little. This milk chocolate was neither ultra sweet nor too salty--or heavy in any way. The flavors were complex but almost delicate. These flavors and the salt were made much more low-key by the milk.

Maker's description: "...brings...all the flavor--without all the sugar."..."In just one bite you'll encounter what we like to call "an experiential escape."

Ingredients: "cacao beans, cacao butter, milk powder, whole cane sugar, black sesame seeds, nori seaweed, sunflower lecithin."

Allergen-related information: Contains milk, sesame. "Made in a facility that handles soy and nuts."

NearyNogs - Wild Irish Dulaman Gorse Flower & Irish Seaweed (bar) - May 25, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

NearyNogs
Wild Irish Dulaman Gorse Flower & Irish Seaweed (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: .705 oz. (20 g.) / 1.41 oz. (40 g.) in total bar
Calories: 109 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

Welcome to Day #11 of Chocolate and Flowers Week, and Day #2 of Chocolate and Dominican Republic Theme Week.

Today's Wild Irish Dulaman Gorse Flower and Irish Seaweed (bar) was from NearyNogs Chocolate Makers (in their Mourne Coast facility/Newry, Northern Ireland -- with views of the Mourne mountains and the Irish Sea). The company produces a line of small batch, bean-to-bar, stoneground chocolates, some with locally-inspired flavors. 

The two Irish flavor inclusions: 1.) Edible Gorse flowers (Aiteann gallda) seen as small, dried yellow petals) Some species have a faint coconut scent., and 2.) Irish seaweed that added a light salty/umami note. Together, these two unique flavor inclusions were skillfully harmonized with each other-- and with the fruit (red fruit) flavors in the dark chocolate. 

Aroma notes for this well-tempered 70% dark chocolate included: dark chocolate, diffuse red fruit (red grape), evasive floral and very faint salt/savory notes

Flavor and finish notes were subtly complex, with an appealing, smooth but hearty, dark chocolate base (made with single estate cacao from Zorzal, in the Dominican Republic) with natural, balanced ripe fruit sweetness, sweet floral, very faint salt/savory and light caramel tones. 

I enjoyed this bar, with rich, pleasing flavors that included a light touch of endemic Irish floral and marine elements.

Maker's description: "Local foraged Irish channel wrack seaweed, just like the ancients foraged, paired with gorse ("whin") flowers, Irish bean to bar, craft chocolate"

Ingredients: 70% Organic Dominican Republic Chocolate, (70% cacao beans and sugar) seaweed and dried gorse flowers.

Allergen-related information: (None listed on packaging.) 

Zotter - Seaweed Caramel Pineapple (bar) - Nov. 3, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Zotter

Seaweed Caramel Pineapple (bar)

Good + - Good ++

Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar

Calories: 190 calories in 1/2 bar

Cost: $4.99 (sale) for 1 bar

Purchased from: Zotter, online order

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

Today's Seaweed Caramel Pineapple (bar) was made in Austria and distributed by Zotter Chocolates US LLC (Cape Coral, FL).

Edible seaweeds can be good examples umami flavors. Today was a rare opportunity to taste a chocolate that included seaweed as a flavor inclusion.

Aroma notes for this bar included: cocoa, slightly savory, graham cracker, fresh sweet green, and very faint fleeting sweet fruit (pineapple), and dark chocolate cake.

A thin crispy dark chocolate shell enclosed a soft, substantial, two-layered filling - one layer was ivory colored and one layer was more caramel in color.

Flavor notes were similar to the aroma notes (above) with fleeting sweet, chewy pineapple fruit bits. The flavors and the sweetness level were well balanced and complementary. The dulse* seaweed flakes offered a satisfying, very soft and subtle, umami flavor presence.

Ingredients: Organic cane sugar, organic cocoa mass, organic cocoa butter, organic almonds, organic pineapple concentrate, organic dried pineapples, organic rice syrup, milk, dry skim milk, caramelized dry milk (dry skim milk powder, sugar), butter (cream), organic dulse seaweed flakes, organic lemon juice concentrate, dry whole milk, organic soy lecithin, organic dark brown cane sugar, salt, dry sweet whey, organic lemon powder (organic lemon juice concentrate, organic corn starch, organic sugar), organic vanilla bean powder, organic rose petals, organic cinnamon.

Allergen-related information: "Contains: Almonds, milk, soy." "Manufactured on equipment that processes other tree nuts, peanuts, eggs and sesame."

*Dulse (Palmaria palmata) is an edible (red algae) seaweed (think red sea lettuce) that grows on the northern coasts of the Pacific and the Atlantic Oceans. 

TCHO - Deep, Dark and Salty (bar) Monterey Bay Seaweed Big Sur Sea Salt - May 20, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

TCHO Ventures, Inc.
Deep, Dark and Salty (bar) with Monterey Bay Seaweed, Big Sur Sea Salt
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.25 oz. (35 g.) / 2.5 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 180 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $ N/A - sample from TCHO
Purchased from: N/A - sample from TCHO (thank you Alana?)

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate and The Sea Theme Week.

Today's Deep, Dark and Salty Monterey Bay Seaweed + Big Sur Sea Salt was from TCHO Ventures, Inc. (Berkeley, CA). 

This 74% cacao bar, made in Berkeley, was a collaboration between TCHO Chief Chocolate Officer, Brad Kintzer, and Monterey Bay Aquarium's Executive Chef, Matthew Beaudin.*

As advertised, this umami** bar had a "deep, dark" chocolate aroma. (Disclosure: I really enjoy trying well-crafted, savory chocolate blends. People who prefer sweeter, milder chocolates may not be as adventurous.)

Texture: The chocolate had a relatively thick, even melt at room temperature (67 degrees F./19.4 degrees C.) and a slightly crunchy texture (similar to very small pieces of crisped rice--I'm assuming from the seaweed). 

Flavor: A relatively uniform, bold, base 74% cacao chocolate with densely dark and slightly earthy (clay) flavor with micro upticks in salt. There was also a faint fleeting brine-soaked and dried olive note. The salty flavors were balanced (detectable, but not too-heavy handed).

I enjoyed tasting this dark bar with sea-inspired flavors from the California (Pacific Ocean) coast.

TCHO tasting notes/description: "...dark chocolate with locally sourced sea lettuce from Monterey Bay Seaweeds and sea salt from Big Sur Salts."

Ingredients: Organic and fair trade cacao beans, organic cane sugar, organic and fair trade cocoa butter, dried seaweed, sea salt, soy lecithin, organic vanilla beans.

Allergen-related information: "May contain milk and tree nuts. Seaweed used in this product may contain shellfish from ocean water."

*"10% of sales (of this bar) benefit the Monterey Bay Aquarium"

**Umami, a Japanese word--sometimes called the fifth sense of taste (in addition to sweet, salty, bitter, sour)--refers to savory, glutamate-rich foods including: fish, bacon, meat broths, seaweeds, certain mushrooms, tomatoes, cheeses, olives and other fermented foods.

Bigger, bolder dark chocolates (made using Forastero, Amelonado and some Trinitario cacao varieties) can pair well with salt, smoked salt, salted nuts/nut butters and seed butters (sesame, tahini), bacon, savory seasonings/herbs, and even marine items (seaweeds, smoked/salted dried fish). 

At the other end of the cacao spectrum would be the delicate fruity/floral heritage cacaos (e.g. Criollo), which I tend not to want to pair with salt/savory items, as I enjoy savoring and being able to detect these lighter, nuanced notes.

Jasper + Myrtle - Himalayan Rock Salt and Wakame Dark Chocolate 70% (bar) - Dec. 29, 2020

Chocolate of the Day

Jasper + Myrtle 
Himalayan Rock Salt and Wakame Dark Chocolate 70% (bar)

Good ++ 

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

Calories: 163 calories (per label, looks too low) in 1 bar (679.7 kj in 70 g. bar)

Cost: $9.75 + shipping for 1 bar

Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate and South Pacific Islands Theme Week.

Today's Himalayan Rock Salt and Wakame Dark Chocolate 70% (bar) was from Jasper + Myrtle Premium Handmade Chocolate (based in Fyshwick, in Australian Capital Territory (ACT)--Australia's smallest territory and home to Australia's capital city Canberra and surrounding townships). 

ACT may be a small territory, but it's culturally rich and, if today's bar is any indication, it has some great chocolate.

Jasper and Myrtle was created by Li Peng Monroe. Li Peng and partner Peter make bean-to-bar chocolate using cacao beans from Peru, Papua New Guinea (PNG) and Vietnam. It's no accident that several of the craft chocolate bars featured in this Chocolate and South Pacific Theme Week are being produced by Australian makers, who are geographically closer to these growing regions.

Today's well-rounded, flavorful and very slightly savory 70% Himalayan salt and wakame (seaweed) chocolate bar was crafted using stoneground cacao. Beans were sourced by the owners from Bouganville, Papua New Guinea.

This bar had faint, balanced fermented cacao and savory, nutty, earthy (woodsy) and clean green aroma and flavor notes. The texture was smooth yet robust with soft crunchy flecks. A judicious amount of Himalayan rock salt, and a smattering of wakame bits (that were faintly visible on the back side of the bar), added a delicious, delicate infusion of well-rounded, hearty savory flavor. 

I like savory chocolates, and this one was quite good. I'd also be curious to see what a 75% cacao version of this 70% bar (with a bit less sugar) might taste like. It may or may not taste better (I trust the maker's judgment here); but I'm often interested in seeing how much one can reduce sugar and still have something that works as sugar can obfuscate some flavors.

Ingredients: cocoa beans, cocoa butter, wakame, Himalayan rock salt, sugar.

Chugach Chocolates - Dark Chocolate Alaskan Kelp & Cayenne (bar) - July 14, 2020

Chocolate of the Day: 

Chugach Chocolates and Confections
Rich Dark Chocolate with Alaskan Kelp and Cayenne (bar)
(Made with Barnacle Foods Bull Kelp)
Good 
Weight: 1.75 oz. (49.6 g.) in total bar
Calories: 263 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $N/A - gift (thank you Megan!)
Purchased from: N/A - gift

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

Today's Rich Dark Chocolate with Alaskan Kelp and Cayenne bar was from Chugach Chocolates and Confections (Girdwood, Alaska).

When I opened the packaging, I was greeted by the sweet childhood smells of chocolate: Swiss Miss* hot cocoa, Cocoa Puffs* and other chocolate breakfast cereals, i.e. the aroma of alkalized cocoa** -- cocoa that has been treated to make it less acid and/or bitter. 

There was no cacao/cocoa percentage listed on this bar. I'm guessing, by the sweetness level, it was made with less than 50% cacao dark chocolate. (In the U.S. dark chocolate needs to contain at least 15% chocolate liquor or cocoa mass from ground cocoa bean pieces or nibs. The mildest dark chocolate might only contain 15-34% cacao.)

The sweet chocolate had a smooth melt and creamy mouthfeel (butterfat) that was accented by crunchy bits of dried kelp (from Barnacle Foods in Juneau, AK) that had a very mild, salty flavor (that helped balance out the sweetness). And a friendly, soft tingle of cayenne pepper rounded things out. Overall, this was a fun bar to try; and, surprisingly, it stimulated many childhood memories.

Kelp (seaweed) is quite edible and nutritious. It's a good natural source of iodine and other minerals and vitamins. I first tried it during a Girl Scout outing on the beach (it was boiled in a large pot for us children to try) in the late 1960s after a long hike to the sea. 

Kelp is still found washed up on West Coast/Pacific Ocean beaches in the U.S.; but, sadly, kelp forests (home to fish and undersea wildlife) have declined by almost 90% since I first sampled it on a Northern California beach many years ago--primarily due to rising ocean temperatures. 

Thank you to Chugach for featuring kelp (and cayenne) in today's chocolate bar--that was made with a special blend of ingredients that originated in the Americas.

--o--o--o--

*General Mills introduced Cocoa Puffs breakfast cereal back in 1956, the year I was born. Americans elevated sweet, crunchy cereals to a commercial art form in the 1900s.

Around that same time, Charles Sanna invented Swiss Miss hot cocoa mix where consumers could just add hot water to a packet of cocoa (instead of fixing it on the stove with milk). Hot chocolate on the go was made much easier for families, soldiers, field workers, campers and explorers. I remember drinking Swiss Miss on backpacking trips. (Incidentally, engineer and inventor Charles Sanna passed away in 2019 at age 101. He continued to drink hot cocoa even after the formula changed when the brand was purchased by Beatrice Foods and then Conagra over the years.)

Like it or not, these chocolate-for-breakfast items had a big influence on me. After all, I've been sampling unique chocolates in the mornings for almost 14 years now. And while I've lost my taste for overly sweet, sugary items, my love for chocolate lingered.

**Ingredients: Dark chocolate (sugar, chocolate liquor processed with alkali, chocolate liquor, cocoa butter, butterfat (milk), soy lecithin and vanilla); (Barnacle Foods) Kelp; Cayenne Pepper; Salt. 

Sea Salt Caramels + Coconut Seaweed - Mar. 19, 2016

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

Chocolate Momotombo
Caramelo y Sal de Mar
(Sea Salt Caramel) chocolate
Good
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) in 5 pieces / 3.18 oz. (90 g.) in total box of 15 pieces
Calories: 129 calories (estimate) in 5 pieces
Cost: $8.00 (estimate) for one 15-piece (90 g.) box
Purchased from: Chocolate Momotombo, Managua, Nicaragua

Today I started my journey home from Nicaragua. I'll take with me memories of mountains and water: mountain lakes, huge inland lakes, lakes inside volcanoes and waterfalls.

It was also easy to imagine the water that, during wet season, helped to nourish plants (like cacao trees) before running off to join rivers moving toward the sea.

So, I'm focusing on flavors from the sea today, lightly salted. After all, without water we wouldn't have sea salt, sea salt caramel and chocolate, or coconut roasted seaweed (see below).

I'll also remember the many good chocolate and food items from the Momotombo Chocolate Factory in Managua, Nicaragua, so let's start there.

Dulce de Leche Caramel and Sea Salt + Chocolate

The primary chocolate of the day was a sea salt caramel-filled chocolate from Chocolate Momotombo (Managua, Nicaragua). Each bean or seed-shaped, rich dark milk chocolate, contained a small, slightly chewy nugget of dulce de leche caramel with sea salt.

Dulce de leche is a popular style of cooked milk and sugar caramel/confection commonly found in Latin American countries.

These Momotombo caramel chocolates are very satisfying just by themselves, or with vanilla ice cream. Or, if you like more adventurous pairings, see below.

Coconut Oil Roasted, Seaweed + Chocolate


If you're not a mad food scientist, please stop reading here...

Now, how about some slightly sweet, small sheets of coconut oil roasted seaweed? Anyone? I like salt and umami* flavors with chocolate. And you can't get much more "umami" than seaweed (besides bacon, cheese or mushrooms perhaps).

In the U.S. might people enjoy thin sheets of dark green seaweed around sushi. This Coconut Oil Roasted Seaweed, with a hint of sea salt, from Seaweed Love (a product of Korea)—distributed by Hong Hae USA Inc. (Hayward, CA)—was also very lightly sweetened with coconut sugar.

The small sealed package of seaweed was light (in weight and calories) and perfect to bring along for a longer chocolate field trip to conduct experimental pairings with leftover chocolates. (This seaweed is also a great snack by itself, or cut up and sprinkled over rice and vegetables.)

So, I found myself at an airport, with no vegetable choices for miles around, and with 19 hours to kill. I enjoyed this seaweed snack, with and without different Nicaraguan and leftover chocolates. Coconut oil and sea salt helped tie the best combinations together. Some chocolates worked better than others. Ginger and/or wasabi chocolates might work too. I expect I'll do more experimenting with this seaweed roasted in coconut oil in the future.

*Umami is a flavor or taste associated with savory (high glutamate) foods. While many umami foods may also be salty, umami is considered a fifth sense, one of five that our taste buds can detect: sweet, sour, bitter, salty and umami).

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