Elemental Superfoods - Double Chocolate Reishi, Chaga & Cordyceps Superfood Adaptogen Seed Bar - July 5, 2026

Chocolate of The Day

Elemental Superfoods
Double Chocolate Reishi, Chaga & Cordyceps (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.8 oz. (51 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 230 calories in 1 bar
Purchased from: Elemental Superfood, online order

Welcome to Day #9 of Chocolate and Mushrooms Week.

Today's Double Chocolate Reishi, Chaga & Cordyceps (bar) was distributed by Elemental Superfood, Inc. (Torrance, CA).

Aroma and flavor notes included: seedy, nutty and chocolate-y with faint, balanced earth and umami.

Texture: a blend of crunchy (buckwheat, flax seeds, nuts) and creamy, binding elements (almond butter, chocolate) 

This substantial energy seed, nut, chocolate and mushroom bar contained 8 grams of protein; and the relatively long list of flavors harmonized fairly well with each other.

Ingredients: Organic Buckwheat, Organic Almond Butter, Organic Dark Chocolate (Organic Coconut Sugar, Organic Chocolate Liquor, Organic Cocoa Butter, Organic Vanilla Powder), Organic Cacao Powder, Organic Raw Honey, Organic Flaxseeds, Organic Coconut, Organic Sunflower Seeds, Organic Pumpkin Seeds, Brazil Nuts, Organic Sesame Seeds, Cacao Butter, Organic Reishi, Organic Chaga, Organic Cordyceps, Organic Vanilla Extract, Pink Himalayan Salt

Allergen-related information: Contains Nuts (Almonds, Brazil Nuts) and Coconut (Sugar)

Mashpi Chocolate - Chocolate Bar with Lupine Milk (bar) - Sept. 30, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Mashpi Chocolate 
Chocolate Bar with Lupine Milk
Good ++
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 150 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Choiba Agroforestry Products, online order

Welcome to Day #9 of Chocolate and Ecuador Theme Week.

Today's Chocolate Bar with Lupine Milk was made by Mashpi Chocolate (Quito, Ecuador); and imported and distributed by Andean Ecocrafts, LLC (Reno, NV).

The cacao variety used to make this bar was "Cacao Nacional Fino de Aroma." (There was no cacao percentage listed.)

Many lupine varieties may have originated in the Mediterranean; but lupine also has a long history in the Andes of South America. The Lupinus mutabilis (aka Andean Lupin(e) or Tarwi) in this bar has been cultivated and processed to be edible--with the end product being a flour and/or milky beverage. Domestication by pre-Incan inhabitants has been traced back 2,600 years. 

Domesticated and/or Sweet lupine milk contains, as the name implies, fewer bitter (and potentially toxic) plant alkaloids.* A cream-colored lupine "milk" is made by crushing/blending lupine plants' seeds (that look like small, flattened circular light beige beans)--that often have been soaked in salty water to reduce bitterness as part of the process.

Aroma and flavor notes for this chocolate included: pleasantly smooth dark chocolate with very subtle diffuse fruit, slightly floral and brown sugar notes -- softened by a light, plant "milk" taste similar to a very slightly floral (and less granular) rice milk.

Texture: pleasantly smooth dark chocolate with only one very tiny, dark lupine/lupine seed particle (that could have been a cacao nib).

I enjoyed the opportunity to try this unique and special bar. It had an intriguing, gently complex flavor.

I appreciated: the short list of authentic and quality ingredients; as well as the company's commitment to sourcing cacao from farmers who practice regenerative agriculture.

Ingredients: "Cacao mass, pulverized lupine, raw sugar cane, cacao butter"

Allergen-related information: (None listed on the package that I could see.) 

*Personal note: Stick with commercially produced "sweet" lupine flour and seeds ("beans"). Please do not try to eat wild/any foraged lupine flower seeds--that may be higher in bitter and potentially toxic alkaloids. Also, lupines are legumes; and there may be a chance of a sensitivity if you have an allergy to other legumes (like peanuts). As with trying any new food if you have allergies, research product ingredients and safe sources, then try a small quantity first and wait before eating more.

Cacao & Cardamom - Health Freak Tumaco Colombia 85% Cacao (bar) - Sept. 14, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Cacao & Cardamom
"Health Freak" Single Origin Tumaco Colombia 85% Cacao (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 3.52 oz. (100 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 546 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Cacao & Cardamom, online order

Welcome to Day #2 of Chocolate and Colombia Theme Week, and one last doff of the hat to Chocolate and Seeds Theme Week. (Find the hidden six seeds in this bar.*)

Today's "Health Freak" Single Origin Tumaco Colombia 85% Cacao (bar) was from Cacao & Cardamom (Houston, TX).

Aroma notes included: smooth dark chocolate, faint fruit, nut and seed; and very faint spice. 

This striking bar was designed with a variable grid-pattern that held rows of seeds (chia, hemp, flax) as well as ruby-toned goji berries, and small pieces of coconut.

Flavor notes included: smooth dark chocolate, slightly crunchy, tiny fields of seeds and fruit. A very subtle touch of vanilla warmed up the 85% dark chocolate and complemented the other elements.

Ingredients: "85% Tumaco Dark Chocolate (cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter, soy lecithin, and vanilla extract), Chai (sic) Seeds, Hemp Seeds, Flax Seeds, Goji Berries, Coconut"

Allergen-related information: "Vegan & Gluten Free"

*Answer: cacao beans used to make the chocolate (seeds); vanilla likely used to make the extract (seeds); chia seeds, hemp seeds, flax seeds, and coconut (single seed drupe). 

  

Creo Chocolate - Dark Toasted Coconut - 73% Premium Ecuadorian Cacao (bar) - Sept. 11, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Creo Chocolate
Dark Toasted Coconut - 73% Premium Ecuadorian Cacao (bar)
Good ++
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 1.75 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 130 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $10.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Creo Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate and Seeds Theme Week. Coconuts have been labeled as fruits, nuts and...you guessed it...seeds (as in single-seed drupes). Confusing? Yes. Respect for all seeds. Now, let's taste.

Today's Toasted Coconut 73% Premium Ecuadorian Cacao (bar)--made with single-origin Ecuadorian cacao beans--was from Creo Chocolate (Portland, OR).

Aroma notes for this bar included: dark chocolate and subtle, authentic toasted coconut.

Texture: smooth dark chocolate with a luxe melt; and an attractive layer of coconut (thin ivory strips with golden brown edges) on the back side of the bar.

Flavor notes included: dark chocolate (smooth, ultra-dark flavor, extra dark ganache/fudge brownie) and coconut.

The dark chocolate was hearty and not too sweet, making it easier to enjoy the subtler cacao flavor nuances and the natural flavor of the coconut--that was also not too sweet (thank you!). 

Too much sugar in chocolates can overwhelm other flavors. Happily, this was not the case for this well-executed chocolate made with single origin Ecuadorian cacao.

Maker's flavor notes/description: "toasted coconut, nuts, fruit..." "...a crunchy piece of paradise"

Ingredients: "cacao beans, organic cane sugar, cocoa butter, organic coconut" 

Allergen-related information: "Contains: Tree nuts (coconut)" "Manufactured  on shared equipment with products containing eggs, wheat, sesame seeds, soy, peanuts & tree nuts"

Theo Chocolate - Organic Salted Cashew 85% Dark Chocolate (bar) - Sept. 10, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Theo Chocolate
Organic Salted Cashew 85% Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 170 calories in 1/3 bar
Cost: $2.79 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Piazza's, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's Organic Salted Cashew 85% Dark Chocolate (bar) was distributed by Theo Chocolate (Seattle, WA).

Aroma notes for this ultra-dark bar included: dark chocolate with very faint fruit, nut and even fainter spice (green floral, vanilla).

Texture: relatively thick (cocoa buttery) texture with a relatively rapid, smooth melt, with soft bits of nut.

Flavor notes included: smooth ultra-dark chocolate (roasted, deep, smooth fudge brownie); sparkles of sea salt; faint, mellow nut; and well-managed bitterness.

I enjoyed the salt in this bar, and the well-balanced, 85% dark chocolate--that wasn't too sweet (thank you!). 

I also appreciated the maker's short list of organic, fair trade (fair for life) ingredients (with no emulsifiers or "natural flavors"). Theo Chocolate was one of the earliest to seek out and offer organic and fair trade chocolates that I can recall in the wave of craft, bean-to-bar chocolate makers that began over two decades ago.

Ingredients: Dark Chocolate* (Cocoa Beans *+, Cane Sugar*+, Cocoa Butter*+, Ground Vanilla Bean*), Cashews*, Sea Salt. (* Organic, + Fair Trade)

Allergen-related information: Contains Tree Nuts (Cashews). "Made on equipment that also processes milk, peanuts, and other tree nuts." 

Cacao Sampaka - Chocolate Negro Pipa De Calabaza (bar) - Sept. 9, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Cacao Sampaka 
Chocolate Negro Pipa De Calabaza
(Dark Chocolate Pumpkin Seeds)
Good ++ 
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) / 2.65 oz. (75 g.) in total bar
Calories: 160 calories in 1 oz. serving
Cost: $8.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Caputo's, online order

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate and Seeds* Theme Week. This week includes chocolates with seeds--as well as seeds that we call beans or nuts.

Today's Dark Chocolate Pumpkin Seeds (bar) from Cacao Sampaka S.L. (Barcelona, Spain), and was imported into the U.S. by Forever Cheese.

The attractive outer packaging was adorned with a close-up image of colorful tiles from Barcelona.

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate, sweet seeds and vanilla.

Flavor notes included: smooth dark chocolate and satisfying crunchy whole pumpkin seeds--with authentic, fresh and relatively mild seed flavor.

I appreciated that the 43% dark chocolate used to make this bar was balanced and not too sweet. It was smooth and dark; and it tasted more like a higher percentage 55%* dark chocolate. It wasn't too bland or sugary. 

I found myself wanting to add a tiny pinch of salt; as I often do with a la carte seeds and nuts. (But, I resisted.) I taste chocolates first without any additions or pairings, to honor the choices of chocolate makers, and to prevent adding something I'll regret or that may obfuscate flavors.

Ingredients: "Sugar, cocoa mass, pumpkin seeds (14.6%), cocoa butter, emulsifier (soya lecithin), natural vanilla flavor. Cocoa 43% minimum"

Allergen-related information: "Our products may contain traces of nuts, peanuts, lactose, milk and sesame."

*Percentages can serve as guidelines when buying chocolates. But, it's not my top metric when it comes to flavor and preference. If you taste a lineup of 70% dark chocolates from different makers and origins, and made with different cacao varieties, some will taste lighter, and others darker, than their advertised percentages.

Alter Eco - 85% Cacao Almond Blackout Organic Dark Chocolate (bar) - Sept. 6, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Alter Eco
85% Cacao Almond Blackout Organic Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 1.325 oz. (37.5 g.) / 2.65 oz. (75 g.) in total bar
Calories: 190 calories in 4 sections
Cost: $0.99 for 1 bar (thank you Bill)
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate and Seeds* Theme Week. This week includes chocolates with seeds--as well as seeds that we call beans or nuts.

This bar contained cacao (seeds we call beans), almonds (seeds we call nuts) and vanilla beans (seeds we call beans). 

Today's 85% Cacao Organic Almond Blackout Organic Dark Chocolate (bar) was made in Switzerland and distributed by Alter Eco Foods (San Francisco, CA). 

The company founders have long been involved in supporting fair trade ingredients and organic and regenerative agriculture. (They were also early adopters of compostable packaging for their chocolates and quinoa many years ago.)

Aroma notes included: ultra-dark chocolate (relatively intense, roasted cocoa and nuts).

This bar had a relatively thick, hearty, cocoa-buttery dark chocolate texture with crunchy pieces of almonds and tiny, slightly crunchy, sea salt crystals.

Flavor notes included: deep, dark chocolate with a well-behaved bitterness that was also balanced with cocoa butter, almonds and salt. (Salt can also help cut bitterness.)

This ultra-dark 85% chocolate wasn't entirely "blacked out". It had just the right amount of raw cane sugar (not much) and crystalline sea salt (a judicious, sprinkle that had some flavor and detectable texture). I appreciated the smooth dark flavor and short list of organic and fair trade ingredients. 

When I went back to the store to buy more of these, there was nothing left but an empty box on the shelf--evidence of other ultra-dark chocolate fans in my neighborhood.

Ingredients: "*Organic cacao beans, *organic cocoa butter, *organic raw cane sugar, *organic almonds, sea salt (fleur de sel), *organic vanilla beans. (*Fair for Life Fair Trade certified. Contains 90% Fair Trade ingredients. Cacao: 85% minimum."

Allergen-related information: "Contains almonds. May contain milk, hazelnuts, coconut, and soy. Individuals who are allergic to these should not consume this product."

*Seeds come from mature flowering plants. Beans are a type of seeds--from the legume family. Cacao, coffee and vanilla are not members of the legume family; but we've come to call them "beans" over time. Confusing? Yes. Will this ever be corrected in our every day speech? Not likely. But, worth a mention, nonetheless.

Grandy Organics - Dark Chocolate Coconola Grain-Free Granola - Mar. 3, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Grandy Organics
Dark Chocolate Coconola Grain-Free Granola
Good ++ 
Weight: 1/4 cup (30 g.) / 9 oz. (255 g.) in total package
Calories: 160 calories in 1/4 cup (1 serving)
Cost: $10.99 for 1 package
Purchased from: The Market at Edgewood, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate and Outdoors Theme Week, featuring granolas, trail mixes, tree-shaped chocolates, and other treats enjoyed outside. 

Today's Organic Dark Chocolate Coconola Grain-Free Granola was made by Grandy Organics (Hiram, ME) and was part of a day full of alternating rain and sun 

Aroma notes for this granola included: coconut, sweet green, subtle seeds and nuts, and chocolate.

This granola had a pleasing, satisfying crunchy, baked texture. Crunchy coconut clusters were balanced by the seeds (pumpkin, sunflower and sesame) and nuts (pecans, cashews); enriched by smooth dark chocolate chips/pieces; and seasoned with maple syrup. 

I liked the texture (crunchy, without being too hard); the addition of the sesame seeds to the seed and nut blend; the fact that it was Organic and grain-free; the dark chocolate; and that it was sweetened with sugars that were relatively lower on the glycemic* index (and more flavorful).

Ingredients: Organic Unsweetened Coconut*, Organic Coconut Nectar, Organic Pumpkin Seeds, Organic Sunflower Seeds, Organic Dark Chocolate* (Organic Cane Sugar, Organic Cocoa Liquor, Organic Cocoa Butter), Organic Sesame Seeds, Organic Pecans, Organic Cashews*, and Organic Maple Syrup. (* = Fair Trade Certified (tm) by Fair Trade USA (R); 33.9% Fair Trade Ingredients.)

Allergen-related information: "Contains: Coconut, sesame, pecans, and cashews." "Allergen Advisory: Created in a bakery that uses peanuts, tree nuts, soy, wheat, and sesame."

*The Glycemic Index Scale (0 to 100) measures how much a food raises blood sugar. (Pure glucose is at the top of this scale with a score of 100. Sucrose (sugar) is scored at approximately 68.) Pure honey: 58. Coconut sugar: 50 - 54. Maple syrup: 54.

Nu-Trail - Cacao Nut Granola - Mar. 2, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Nu-Trail 
Cacao Nut Granola
Good + - Good ++ 
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 8 oz. (227 g.) in total package
Calories: 160 calories in 1 serving
Cost: $10.99 for 1 package
Purchased from: The Market at Edgewood, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate and Outdoors Theme Week -- including granolas, trail mixes, tree-shaped chocolates, and an outdoor spring egg hot cocoa experience.

Today's (gluten-free and keto certified) Nu-Trail Cacao Nut Granola was manufactured for Snacks Generation Inc. (Miami, FL).

Aroma notes for this "no sugar added" granola included: sweet coconut, cacao and very faint (barely detectable) sweet green, botanical extracts, nuts and seeds.

Flavor notes for this crunchy granola included: coconut, nut, cacao/chocolate, seed, and nut.

Ingredients: Sunflower Seeds, Pumpkin Seeds, Coconut, Erythritol, Pecans, Almonds, Butter (Pasteurized Cream, Natural Flavor), Unsweetened Chocolate, Whey Protein Concentrate, Salt, Natural Flavors, Monkfruit Extract

Allergen-related information: "Contains: Milk, Tree Nuts (Almond, Coconut, Pecan)." "Processed in a Facility That Also Processes Dairy, Wheat, Tree Nuts, Sesame, and Soy."

Castronovo Chocolate - Sacha Inchi Bark - Feb. 13, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Castronovo Chocolate
Sacha Inchi Bark
Good ++ 
Weight: 3 oz. (85 g.) / 4 oz. (113 g.) in total bar
Calories: 455 calories (estimate) in 3 oz. (85 g.) serving
Cost: $12.00 for 1 package
Purchased from: Castronovo Chocolate, online order

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

Today's dark chocolate covered Sacha Inchi Bark was from Castronovo Chocolate (Stuart, FL). 

Thank you to chocolate maker Denise Castronovo, who is currently offering bars and confections made with cacaos from at least three different growing locations in Peru. She has also been developing chocolate offerings with today's indigenous Amazonian flavor inclusion--sacha inchi--to help introduce these tasty South American seeds to U.S. consumers.

Aroma notes included: roasted nuts/seeds (similar to roasted pumpkin seeds + roasted peanuts); faint dark chocolate.

These thick mini slabs of flavorful dark chocolate bark were chock full of whole, roasted sacha inchi* seeds. The seeds contributed a "roasty", nutty flavor and texture that complemented the dark chocolate nicely.

Flavor notes included: rich dark chocolate with faint tropical fruit (citrus, cacao fruit, berry) notes, and roasted sacha inchi seeds (similar to a blend of roasted large squash/pumpkin seeds + peanuts). 

Note: this bark may no longer be available; but chocolate-covered sacha inchi were on the website. I look forward to trying other sacha inchi and chocolate blends from Castronovo in the future.

Ingredients: "dark chocolate (cocoa beans, organic cane sugar, cocoa butter), Sacha inchi (roasted)"

Allergen-related information: Made in a nut-free facility.

*Sachi Inchi (Plukenetia volubilis) seeds come from six-pointed star-shaped seed pods (that look a bit like tiny green pumpkins--hanging off vines) in the Amazon rainforests of Peru and Northern Brazil. (Sacha Inchi are also found in Colombia, Venezuela, Bolivia and Ecuador.) These seeds are also known as Inca peanuts, Peruvian peanuts, jungle peanuts and mountain peanuts. 

  

Sesame Plus - Dark Chocolate Sesame Plus (bar) - Aug. 8, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Sesame Plus Inc.
Sesame Plus Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good +
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) in total bar
Calories: 160 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $1.49 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Market at Edgewood, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate Surprise Theme Week.

Today's Crunchy with Dark Chocolate Sesame Plus bar(s) were made in Greece and imported into the U.S. by Sesame Plus Inc. (Burlingame, CA). 

Aroma notes for these gluten free bars included: subtle sesame seed candy, (faint roasted, sweet, nutty, seedy, malty) and faint chocolate (cocoa).

The package contained two thin corrugated bars ("slices") that had a delicate crunch. After I opened the package, I was surprised to see that the small amount of dark chocolate (about 10% of total content) was not coating the reverse side, but rather was thoroughly incorporated into these sesame seed bars--all but invisible except for a slight golden brown hue (and a very faint chocolate flavor) compared with the plain and honey Sesame Plus bars the company offers.

These thin bars ("slices") tasted light and crunchy. They were also very lightly sweetened with glucose syrup and honey (thank you!)--especially when compared with other, heavily-sweetened, thicker (teeth-grabbing) sesame candies I've tasted in the past.

Ingredients: Sesame seeds, glucose syrup, sugar, 10% dark chocolate (cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter, soya lecithin - as emulsifier), honey.

Allergen-related information: "Contains soya. May Contain peanut and other tree nuts." "Non-GMO, Dairy Free, Gluten Free"

Munk Pack - Keto Nut and Seed - Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate (bar) - Mar. 1, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Munk Pack
Keto Nut and Seed - Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 150 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $2.79 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Market at Edgewood, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's Keto Nut and Seed Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate (bar) was manufactured for Munk Pack (Greenwich, CT). The company offers a variety of low/no sugar granolas and snack bars.

Aroma notes for this bar included: peanuts, chocolate, vanilla cookie and faint seed(s).

This gluten free bar had a satisfying texture, with crunchy peanuts, crispy (rice), softly chewy seeds, and smooth rich dark chocolate and peanut butter elements.

The balanced flavors for this plant-based, gluten-free bar included: subtle pumpkin and sunflower seed. But it was the blend of peanut butter and dark chocolate--a classic flavor duo--took center stage.

This snack bar was sweetened with allulose and monk fruit.

Ingredients: Peanuts, allulose, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, soluable tapioca fiber and/or Non-GMO corn fiber, peanut butter, palm kernel oil ("responsibly sourced"), rice flour, alkalized cocoa powder, sea salt, unsweetened chocolate, natural flavor, sunflower lecithin, mixed tocopherols (Vitamin E) for freshness, coconut oil, monk fruit extract

Allergen-related information: Contains peanuts, almonds, coconut, macadamia, traces of milk and other tree nuts. Made on equipment that processes soy, egg, sesame. May contain nut shell fragments.

*Note from Munk Pack: "Allulose is a sweetener found naturally in small amounts in maple syrup, figs and raisins. Our source is produced from non-bioengineered corn. Allulose has virtually no impact on blood sugar and insulin."

 

Zego LLC - Chocolate Chip Mix-Ins (Nut Free Trail Mix) - Feb. 28, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Zego LLC
Chocolate Chip Mix-Ins (Nut Free Trail Mix)
Good + 
Weight: 2 oz. (57 g.) / 7 oz. (196 g.) in total package
Calories: 280 calories in 2 servings
Cost: $11.09 for 1 package
Purchased from: The Market at Edgewood, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate and Seeds Series.

Today's Chocolate Chip Mix-Ins (Nut Free Trail Mix) were distributed by Zego Foods (Zego LLC), based in San Francisco, CA.

Aroma and flavor notes for this Organic, Certified Gluten Free trail mix with a soft, seedy crunch included: faint oatmeal cookie, dates, and even fainter seed, chocolate and vanilla. 

Tiny chocolate chips provided subtle, dark chocolate flavor depth. Dates provided natural sweetness. 

This trail mix was a good "mix in" with yogurt and fruit; and would be a nice addition in cereals and/or baking mixes. 

Zego also offered a "purity verified" designation -- verified for "Glyphosate and over 400 other toxins, allergens and gluten...with traceable test results." (Ingredients were sourced from "glyphosate free farms.")

Ingredients: Organic pumpkin seeds, organic dates (organic dates, gluten free oat flour), chocolate chips 

Allergen-related information: "Our facility is free from gluten and the top 14 allergens. No peanuts, no tree nuts, no soy, no milk, no eggs, no sulfites, no sea creatures, no lupin, no sesame, no mustard. Corn free equipment and packaging." "Purity Verified for Glyphosate and over 400 other toxins, allergens and gluten." 

 

Love + Chew - The Superfood Cookie - Chocolate Chia - Feb. 27, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Love + Chew 
The Superfood Cookie - Chocolate Chia
Good +
Weight: 2 oz. (57 g.) in total cookie
Calories: 270 calories in 1 cookie
Cost: Missing information
Purchased from: Country Sun Natural Foods, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate and Seeds Series.

Today's Love + Chew "The Superfood Cookie" Chocolate Chia treat was created by Lauren Chew at CompletEats, LLC, San Francisco, CA. (The company offers a family of plant-based protein cookies.)

Aroma notes included: faint date fruitcake, seed, melon, and pumpkin.

This low-sugar cookie was designed with health in mind. It had a satisfying soft chew and cohesive texture (no crumbs in lap), thanks in part to dates and almond butter.

Flavor notes included: mild dried fruit (date), cocoa and vanilla spice cake with a very faint Omega 3 (seed) finish. The flavors were balanced, the cookie was not overly sweet (thank you!). I enjoyed the subtle complexity, and the lack of a sugar rush.

Ingredients: Blanched almonds, date paste, almond butter, dark chocolate chips (organic cane sugar, organic cocoa liquor, organic cocoa butter), water, chia seeds, vegetable glycerin, baking soda (sodium bicarbonate), pure vanilla extract, sea salt.

Allergen-related information: "Contains Almonds. Manufactured in a facility that also processes tree nuts, peanuts, soy, milk, eggs, wheat, sesame seeds." (May contain date pit fragments.)

AshaPops - Dark Chocolate Popped Water Lily Seeds - Mar. 12, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

AshaPops

Dark Chocolate Popped Water Lily Seeds

Good +

Weight: 1.5 oz. (43 g.) in total package

Calories: 135 calories in 1 package

Cost: $6.99 for 1 package

Purchased from: Sigona's Farmers Market, Stanford Shopping Center, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's AshaPops - Dark Chocolate Popped Water Lily Seeds were from Asha Foods LLC (Los Angeles, CA). Asha founders are a mother and son team (Asha and Jai), and are behind these "pearls of nature." (They also intend to contribute 5% of net proceeds to their growers.)

This Ayurveda*-inspired snack had an aroma with light chocolate, warm spice (spiced chai tea, nutmeg), faint coconut, and very faint green notes.

These airy puffed seeds were light as popped popcorn, with a pleasantly crunchy texture. 

The underlying seed flavor seemed neutral; and the added flavors formed a harmonious blend of cocoa, coconut sugar and spices (cinnamon, nutmeg) that created a very appealing snack. In addition to cocoa, warm spices and faint coconut, there was also a very faint slightly musty green nut/green seed note.

Ingredients: Water lily seeds, organic coconut sugar, water, cocoa powder (processed with alkali), organic coconut oil, cinnamon, nutmeg.

Allergen-related information: "Contains coconut. Made in a facility that processes dairy, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, wheat, peanuts and soybeans. If you have nut and/or seed allergies, please check with a medical professional before eating AshaPops. Some seeds may have part of a shell on them, so chew carefully."

*Popped water lily seeds (Euryale ferox, also known as makhana) have been enjoyed in India for centuries and are a popular snack. They are grain-free and gluten-free and have more protein than popcorn. In Ayurveda (translation:"life science/knowledge")--a system of natural/holistic medicine that originated in India 3,000+ years ago--water lily seeds are considered beneficial for all body types.

The Yes Bar Co. - Dark Chocolate Chip Yes Bar - Sept. 19, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

The Yes Bar Co.

Dark Chocolate Chip Yes Bar

Good +

Weight: 1.4 oz. (40 g.) in 1 bar 

Calories: 220 calories in 1 bar

Cost: $2.49 for 1 bar 

Purchased from: Farm Fresh To You (add in to CSA box delivery service), online order 

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate and Breakfast Surprise Theme Week.

Today's Dark Chocolate Chip Yes Bar was from The Yes Bar Co. (Oakland, CA). The company makes a line of "gourmet soft-baked nut bar(s)" with high-quality ingredients.

The Yes Bar messaging reminded the reader that it's possible to say yes..."to everything you want (and no to the things you don't)." You had me at certified gluten free, and "half the sugar of an apple."

This vegan (round cookie-shaped) bar had aroma notes (in order of appearance) with light cocoa, coconut, maple, slightly savory, mild nut and seed.

The bar had a soft, chewy texture and a hearty, satisfying feel. (This snack bar contained 5 grams of plant protein, and 17 grams of fat.)

Flavor notes included dark chocolate, coconut, nut, seed, and faint savory flavor notes.

Ingredients: "Organic almonds, organic maple syrup, organic dark chocolate (cocoa mass, coconut blossom sugar, cocoa butter), organic sunflower seeds, organic pumpkin seeds, cashews, organic coconut butter, macadamia nuts, organic coconut nectar, pecans, sesame seed butter, white chia seeds, organic ground flax seeds, Celtic sea salt, organic cinnamon, organic vanilla extract."

Allergen-related information: Contains almond, cashew, pecan, macadamia, coconut (and sesame seeds). "Made in a gluten free certified facility that handles eggs, milk, peanuts, soy, and tree nuts. May contain shell or pit fragments."

Chocolate Naive - Tahini - Organic 47% Milk Chocolate (bar) - Apr. 21, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Chocolate Naive 
Tahini - Organic 47% Milk Chocolate (bar)
Good + - Good ++ 
Weight: 2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar
Calories: 309.51 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA  

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate and RSTU Theme Week. Chocolate items with origins or flavor inclusions that start with the letters R, S, T and/or U (such as sesame seeds and tahini) are featured this week.

Today's Chocolate Naive Tahini - Organic 47% Milk Chocolate (bar) was produced by Mulate UAB (Zietelos, Lithuania).

This rich milk chocolate had a balanced, savory, nutty, roasted seed, aroma.

The base chocolate had a thick, creamy melt and mouthfeel, and rich, (relatively "dark"* but sweet) milk chocolate flavor with a (salt) caramel undertone. A careful smattering of embedded (I think toasted) whole sesame seeds added micro-bursts of crunchy texture and sesame flavor. 

Chief chocolatier, Domantas Uzpalis's inspirations for this bar include Antoine Galland's "Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves" (from a collection of tales told in 1001 Arabian Nights, with origins that stretch back centuries in the Arab world). In this story, Ali overheard a thief utter the famous secret password "Open sesame!" (that allowed access to a cave full of treasure). In this Tahini bar, sesame seeds held the key to a treasured, novel chocolate experience.

Ingredients: Organic cacao butter, organic sugar, organic specialty cacao, organic sesame seeds, organic grass-fed milk powder, sea salt. 

Allergen-related information: "May contain traces of nuts, barley, sunflowers."

*The definition of "dark milk chocolate" is a term I used here to denote more cacao flavor. Generally, it refers to milk chocolate(s) with a higher percentage of cacao (solids) than one would normally expect to find in commercial/bulk milk chocolate. ("Milk chocolate" in the U.S., needs (by law) to contain a minimum of only 10-12% cocoa liquor/solids.)

More cacao in craft chocolate bars usually means higher quality chocolate (or at least less sugar and milk solids).

Some craft/artisan chocolate makers apply the term "dark milk" to chocolate(s) containing at least 50% cacao solids, whereas a few will dip down to 45-49% cacao. Some vendors use 55% or even 60% as their definitional dividing line for their dark milk offerings.

Raaka Chocolate - Tahini Swirl Unroasted Dark Chocolate 62% Cacao (bar) - Apr. 20, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Raaka Chocolate
Tahini Swirl Unroasted Dark Chocolate 62% Cacao (bar)
Good +
Weight: 1.8 oz. (50.9 g.) in total bar
Calories: 285 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $8.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Raaka, online order

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate and RSTU Theme Week, featuring chocolates with origins and/or flavor inclusions that start with the letters R, S, T and/or U. Today was a seed celebration.

This Tahini Swirl Unroasted Dark Chocolate 62% Cacao (bar) was made by Raaka Chocolate (Red Hook, Brooklyn, NY). Raaka offers a variety of bars made with cacao that is unroasted that "captures the brighter, bolder, and fruitier side of cacao."

To create this Tahini* bar, Raaka partnered with Seed + Mill--a New York-based, women-owned, tahini and halva maker. Seed + Mill's "extra silky tahini (was) crafted with Ethiopian sesame seeds, into (Raaka's) signature unroasted dark chocolate." 

The cacao source was: Reserva Zorzal, Dominican Republic. It had bold cacao flavor with some fruit acidity. However, because it was unroasted, more subtle green, floral and other cacao flavors were also preserved.

This unique bar had a deep dark chocolate aroma with green floral, green seed (jaguar cacao) notes. The melt and texture were smooth and the dark chocolate and tahini flavors were skillfully integrated. And the back of the bar was visually stunning with the dark brown and golden seed butter colors swirled together.

The tahini seemed to mellow and complement fruit acids in the chocolate. (Imagine nut and fruit pairings like peanut butter and jelly.) Flavors were elevated and not dimmed. Together, these two ingredients were relatively vibrant and compatible, and lasted into the finish. Pleasant green floral and green "waxy" seed notes that were detected (noted above) in the initial aroma returned toward the end of the finish. And 30 seconds after I thought the finish had ended, there was a gentle flourish of sesame seed flavor.

The Seed + Mill tahini was, thankfully, made with just roasted, ground, hulled sesame seeds and nothing else. If there was salt in this tahini bar it must have been a very small amount. Too much salt in a chocolate with a "condiment" type flavor inclusion create salty-sweet sparklers, but subtler flavors are trampled in this kind of snack food formula revelry.

This was unadulterated, great chocolate partnered with authentic tahini--resulting in a executed bar with satisfyingly nuanced flavors.

Ingredients: organic cacao, organic cane sugar, organic cacao butter, organic toasted coconut, organic tahini, organic sunflower lecithin

Allergen-related information: (Contains sesame); "Vegan, Gluten Free, Soy Free"

*Tahini is a popular condiment from north Africa and the middle east typically made with toasted, hulled sesame seeds. 

Not that different than cacao really. However, the cacao seeds (beans) are typically fermented first. Thank goodness for seeds. Chocolate Banquet, and much of life on this planet, wouldn't exist without them.

Savory ice cream coconut sundae & Safeway Milk Chocolate Sea Salt Caramel - July 10, 2020

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

Sweet and Savory Ice Cream Sundae
Peanut Butter cup ice cream, toasted coconut strips, savory seed and nut blend, cacao nibs
Good ++
(Various vendors)

Weight: Approx. 16 oz. (1 lb.)

Cost: Approx. $10.00
Purchased from: three different suppliers/stores

Safeway
Signature Reserve Milk Chocolate Sea Salt Caramel
Good
Weight: .8 oz. (23 g.) in one piece
Calories: 100 calories in 1 piece
Cost: $0.60 for 1 piece 
Purchased from: Safeway, Mountain View, CA

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate and Coconut Theme Week and Day #1 of Chocolate and Savory Theme Week.

Today's chocolate double feature, began with a large sweet and savory, homemade ice cream sundae made using ingredients from several companies.

Savory Ice Cream Sundae
The base vanilla ice cream was embedded with slightly salty flecks of chocolate peanut butter cups. And the toppings included a generous serving of organic, toasted coconut chips, a savory nut and seed blend that added crunchy texture, and a little sprinkle of cacao nibs.

The savory elements balanced out the sweetness very nicely. And layering toppings elements (vs. being homogenized together in one ice cream flavor) added flavor fun and depth and kept the topping textures fresh and crispy/crunchy. I'll be making this sundae again in the future.

Safeway - Milk Chocolate Sea Salt Caramel
I also tasted a Signature Reserve Milk Chocolate Sea Salt Caramel from Safeway (Pleasanton, CA).

Crunchy crystals of salt made this substantial milk chocolate covered caramel seem less sugary sweet--a neat trick given that caramel is mostly (heated) sugar. The caramel stretched into soft points with each new bite. 

88 Acres - the seed co. - Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Seed Bar - Nov. 23, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

88 Acres - the seed co.
Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Seed Bar
Good +
Weight: 1.6 oz. (45 g.) in total bar
Calories: 200 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $2.95 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Country Sun Natural Foods, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Seed Bar was from 88 Acres - the seed co. (Boston, MA).

This nut-free, gluten free and soy free bar had a satisfying nutty-seedy chew. The company uses a seed blend of pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and flax seeds in their bars, allowing people to satisfy their nut cravings without the nuts (which is good for people with nut allergies).

The whisper of sea salt worked nicely, adding a wee bit of flavor without overdoing it. This bar was also not too sweet (thank you!).