Spinnaker Chocolate - 70% Madagascar (bar) - Sept. 18, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Spinnaker Chocolate
70% Madagascar (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar
Calories: 120 calories (per label) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $10.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Spinnaker Chocolate, online order 

"Tonga soa" (welcome) to Day #6 of Chocolate and Madagascar Theme Week.

Today's 70% Madagascar (bar) was made by Spinnaker Chocolate (Seattle, WA).

Aroma notes for this bar included: chocolate (ganache); sweet, subtle, honey-ed floral; and diffuse light fruit (dried melon, jackfruit, mild tangerine, dried cacao fruit/pulp). In a re-tasting (several hours later), I experienced peach-mango fruit aroma notes.

This well-tempered chocolate had a smooth, relatively slow melt (at room temperature), allowing a rainbow of bright fruit flavors to unfold.

Flavor notes included rich cocoa, followed by a rapid blooming of a bouquet of tart-sweet fruits (sour cherry, jackfruit (pineapple, mango), sweet citrus, tart-sweet red and dark berry, other), that leveled off after about 10 seconds and lingered into the finish. 

After about a minute (long after swallowing this chocolate) there were two fleeting, barely-there chocolate (very faint, balanced earth and warm spice) notes--revealed after the fruit flavors had receded. (Later in the day, after the bar had been opened for several hours, the fruit "punch" had mellowed just a little.)

This well-executed, 70% Madagascar dark chocolate bar offered a bright and fruit-forward rocket ride with no off notes. This would be fun to add to a chocolate tasting flight to illustrate naturally occurring fruit notes in a two-ingredient chocolate bar.

Maker's tasting notes: "Madagascar beans are famous for being full of bright, cherry notes. This bar packs a fruity punch."

Ingredients: Cacao, Organic cane sugar

Allergen-related information: "Processed in a facility that uses milk powder and nuts."

Mission Chocolate - Two Rivers 70% (bar) - June 8, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Mission Chocolate 

Two Rivers 70% (bar)

Good + - Good ++

Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.12 oz. (60 g.) in total bar

Calories: 162 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.50 (+ summer shipping) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #12 of Chocolate and Brazil Theme Week.

Today's Two Rivers (bar) was the creation of Mission Chocolate by Arcelia Gallardo (Sao Paolo, Brazil).

This chocolate bar was a melding of two 70% cacao Brazilian origin chocolates fused together. Today's two-hue chocolate evoked the moment when two mighty rivers (one lighter and one darker in color) come together before the two colors combine into the Amazon River.* 

This was a very creative product idea that related to the cacao's Amazon origins. It also made me think about lighter and darker cacao beans--and, more metaphorically, the yin and yang of chocolate. Below is a review of both sides:

The lighter side had an aroma with faint savory, light leather, dark milk chocolate, faint tart green and ripe sweet red berry. Texture was thick and creamy. Taste: The first bite was tart sweet (lemon balm, sour grass), rich, dark milk chocolate with raspberry jam and peanut butter notes. Note: Although this half of the chocolate bar looked and tasted like a dark milk chocolate, there were just three ingredients listed on the packaging: cacao, organic sugar and cocoa butter for this fusion bar. No milk. 

The darker (ebony-colored) side to this bar broke with a snap; had smooth, dark chocolate texture and flavor; and had notes of faint spice, dark molasses and earth. It also had faint, fleeting notes of tart green-citrus sweetness and peanut butter in the second half of the tasting.

Like many other Brazil bars this week, both the lighter and darker sides of this bar possessed a significant level of natural sweetness, and could easily be mistaken for a 55% and 60-65%% cacao chocolates, respectively.

Ingredients: Cacao, organic sugar, cocoa butter

Allergen-related information: No gluten, soy or milk ingredients. "May contain traces of milk, peanut, coconut, tree nuts, and wheat due to shared equipment.")

*The famous and colorful "meeting of waters" east of Manaus, Brazil, happens when the darker Rio Negro (black water) joins the lighter, latte-colored Solimoes River. These two, different, liquid bands of color flow side by side for a few miles before the two colors blend together, due to their differences in temperature, density, speed and composition. (Waters can be darker if they've picked up plant tannins from slow travel through tree, forests or bogs; and waters can look lighter if they've rapidly run through areas with fine silt/clay/mud particles that have been stirred up.) 

Chocolate Naive - Kilimamwenza Congo Dark Chocolate 70% (bar) - March 10, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Chocolate Naive

Kilimamwenza Congo 70% Nano_Lot Dark Chocolate (bar)

Good ++ - Good +++

Weight: 2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar

Calories: 366 calories in 1 bar

Cost: $15.00 for 1 bar

Purchased from: missing information 

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate and JKLM Theme Week, where chocolate flavor inclusions-- or in today's case, origins--that begin with the letters J,K,L and/or M are featured. 

Today's Kilimamwenza Congo Dark Chocolate 70% (bar) was crafted by Domantus Uzpalis at Chocolate Naive (Zietelos, Lithuania).*

African cacao cannot be easily summarized. But when people hear African cacao, what comes to mind is typically bold, deep, dark forastero cacao beans grown in a few countries in West Africa and chocolate made using a relatively heavy roast profile. 

Today's award-winning dark chocolate was a relatively eloquent, soft-spoken entree, made with a lighter Trinitario-Forastero hybrid variety of cacao grown on Kilimamwenza farm in Mambasa, Ituri province, located in the Democratic Republic of Congo, in central, sub-Saharan Africa.

This chocolate had a smooth but relatively complex dark chocolate aroma--with light, balanced, fermentation and umami (leather), and very faint fruit and green-floral notes.

The melt and initial texture were fairy uniform and creamy. A mild astringency in the finish led to a mouthfeel with a slight dryness/graininess. This astringency comes from polyphenols and tannins (as in unripe fruits (bananas, persimmons, olives, avocado), tea or red wine). 

While polyphenols have health benefits they also need to be balanced for a positive tasting experience. Heating/roasting/processing tends to diminish their presence.

The lightly roasted (110 degrees C./230 degrees F.) dark chocolate flavor was smooth, with a touch of honey-like sweetness, and a light, lingering finish with delicate green-floral, honey and fruit notes. (A lighter roast helps preserve lighter, more volatile flavor compounds (e.g. floral notes) as well as the polyphenols mentioned above.)

Ingredients: cacao, cane sugar, pure cacao butter

**Sometimes a chocolate maker has a rare, time-limited opportunity to purchase a small amount (a micro-lot) of cacao beans from a certain farm, origin and/or harvest year. This Chocolate Naive Kilimamwenza nano-lot, micro-batch bar was born from such an opportunity. 

Often there are small cacao fermenteries and co-ops involved in small, high-quality batches of bean output as well. This is not dissimilar to coffee projects and co-ops (usually not far from where cacao grows) in equatorial regions. (Chocolate Naive's chief chocolate maker does mention he was inspired by an individual(s) who helped local coffee co-ops export beans and to break into the specialty coffee market.) Who knows how many other pockets of great cacao in the massive continent of Africa are out there, waiting to be discovered?

Armstrong - Jamaica 70% (bar) - Feb. 28, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Armstrong Chocolate
Jamaica 70% (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.05 oz. (29.7 g.) / 2.1 oz. (59.4 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 167 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $13.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA 

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

Today's Jamaica 70% (bar) was made by Armstrong Chocolate (Chico, CA). Matthew Armstrong produced this bar, and other micro-batch, bean-to-bar, single origin bars as well as chocolates with flavor inclusions.*

This bar was made using cacao grown at Bachelors Hall Estate in Jamaica. The cacao beans used in this bar, and most of the other Jamaica single origin bars featured this week, came from the same estate/farm (and the same farmer)--located in St. Thomas Parish in eastern Jamaica. Armstrong describes the bar's origins this way:

"The beans are ethically sourced from Desmond Jadusingh and his 300 acre cacao estate in Jamaica. With exceptional post-harvest management, Desmond's cacao has gained high praise within the fine chocolate community. These exclusive beans are carefully roasted, refined and tempered for your enjoyment."

There are other examples of sought-after farmers/farms like this in the craft chocolate world. It's nice when makers give them public credit. Makers need great beans to make great chocolates. 

The resulting 70% cacao Armstrong bar offered true chocolate (fudge brownie) and bright, red fruit (red cherry, sweet red banana, lightly fermented cacao fruit/pulp**) aroma and flavor notes. The same balanced, chocolate brownie batter + tart-sweet fruit flavor lingered a bit into the finish.

Ingredients: Organic cacao, organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter.

*Unfortunately, it appears that Armstrong paused or ceased production last year (2020). We hope that he decides to return to chocolate-making in the future.

**Cacao fruit (or more accurately pulp) surrounds a core of large cacao seeds (aka the cacao beans) in cacao fruit (pods). Once pods are harvested and split open, the ivory-colored fruit pulp starts to ferment very quickly, making it tough to transport. And so (unless flash frozen on-site) few people will get to taste this lovely fruit with tangy citrus, floral and fruit candy notes. 

I've tasted cacao pulp that was a dead ringer for watermelon Jolly Rancher candy, while other cacao fruit pulp had decidedly milder citrus (tangerine), lighter mango-melon, and/or citrus-floral notes. Flavors vary with cacao variety and origin.

Chapon - Bolivie Tranquilidad 70% (small bar) - Aug. 30, 2020

Chocolate of the Day

Chapon Chocolatier 
Bolivie Tranquilidad 70% (small bars)
Good ++
Weight: .352 oz. (10 g.) in 2 bars / 6.35 oz. (180 g.) in total assortment box
Calories: 55.4 calories in 2 small bars
Cost: $45.00 for 1 assortment box - 36 small bars 

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate and Bolivia Theme Week. 

Today's Bolivie (Bolivia) Tranquilidad 70% small bars were part of a single origin chocolate assortment box from Chapon Chocolatier (Chelles and Paris, France). These tiny individually-wrapped bars were attractively-packaged miniature works of art. (The Bolivia bars were adorned with a beautiful peacock.)

Cacao beans used to make this bar were from Hacienda Tranquilidad, in northern Bolivia, known for its historic and wild cacao.

This chocolate had a creamy smooth melt and a sweet, rich dark chocolate aroma and flavor with nutty and light fruit tart astringency and malt/cereal notes, and a very faint, very balanced earthiness. 

Ingredients: Pate de cacao (cocoa mass/liquor), cane sugar, cocoa butter.

Marou - Treasure Island 3/4 Dark Chocolate bar - Feb. 13, 2016

www.marouchocolate.com

Chocolate of the Day: 

Marou Faiseurs de Chocolat
Treasure Island 3/4 Cacao Limited Edition Dark Chocolate bar
Good ++
Weight: .93 oz. (26.6 g.) / 2.8 oz. (80 g.) in total bar
Calories: 140 calories (estimate) in 1/3 bar
Cost: $10.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to the final day of Chocolate and Some Enchanted Islands Theme Week. Today's "island" was located in the Mekong River Delta in Vietnam.

Historic tales, like Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson, feature pirate-filled quests for treasure chests of gold, coins and ill-gotten gains, often buried on exotic islands.

Island treasures also can include fragrant spices, exotic fruits—and flavorful cacao wrapped in beautifully designed packaging.

The image (upper right -- from Marou Chocolate website) is one I love. It shows the range of colors in cacao fruit (pods), and correlates these colors with some of the company's bars.

Marou Faiseurs de Chocolat is a bean-to-bar chocolate maker based in Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon), Vietnam. The two founders, Samuel Mourou and Vincent Maruta, have been making chocolate from Vietnam cacao since 2011.

Tasting notes: (from Marou website): "...subtle notes of liquorice (sic) and spice in this extremely delicate 75% chocolate made with cacao growing in very small quantities on Tan Phu Dong Island in the middle of the Mekong River." I also picked up a hint of raisin cinnamon toast in the aroma and flavor associated with this bar.

Unlike many chocolate bars made in North America and Europe, today's bar was made "in-country"—i.e., the chocolate was made in the same country where the cacao was grown (Vietnam in this case).

Today's Marou bar was soy, gluten and dairy free. The bar was imported into the U.S. by Dark Chocolate Imports LLC (Bloomfield Hill, MI), and sold in specialty chocolate stores (The Chocolate Garage (Palo Alto, CA) in this case).

Tomorrow we travel to Madagascar, a large island nation that's big enough to merit its own theme week.

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

Chocolat Bonnat - Trinite 75% dark bar - Feb. 7, 2016

Chocolate of the Day: 

Chocolat Bonnat
Trinite dark chocolate bar
Good ++ - Very Good
Weight: 1.16 oz. (33.3 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 176 calories (estimate) in 1/3 bar
Cost: $8.95 (estimate) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocosphere (online order)

Today was Day #5 of Chocolate and Some Enchanted Islands Theme Week.

Today's bar was made with cacao grown in Trinidad (of Trinidad and Tobago). We're still in the Caribbean, but this two-island nation is located southeast of the DR (where we were yesterday)—closer to South America

Trinite is the French translation of Trinidad. The Trinite 75% Cacao bar was from French chocolatemaker, Chocolat Bonnat (Voiron, France).

I ordered this bar from Chocosphere. Their tasting notes for this bar included: "Bonnat Trinite 75% Bittersweet Chocolate bar... Bursting with the Antilles sunshine..., its flavor becomes more and more pronounced as the chocolate melts in your mouth. A "must" in the line of great cocoas. Kosher pareve..."

This Bonnat Trinite bar had a very pleasing chocolate aroma—with well-integrated cocoa, fruit, and island spice notes. The first taste was slightly "darker" than I expected, given the relatively light, sweet aroma, but gradually unfolded to have rounder, rich notes. Added cocoa butter gave the bar a slow, thick, creamy melt that may have made this unfolding more gradual.

Our next stop in our island-themed tour will be a few thousand miles west. So, imagine if you will that we're boarding a virtual private jet to fly over the Panama Canal, and across the great, wide Pacific Ocean, to taste two bars from Papua New Guinea over the next few days.

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

Endorfin Foods - Dominican Republic 80% bar - Feb. 6, 2016

Chocolate of the Day: 

Endorfin Foods
Dominican Republic Single Origin Dark Chocolate 80% Cacao bar
Good - Good +
Weight: .7 oz. (20 g.) / 1.4 oz. (40 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 105 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $5.00 — when purchased as part of a 9-bar box
Purchased from: Endorfin Foods table at Fall Chocolate Salon, San Francisco, CA

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate and Some Enchanted Islands Theme Week. Today we move from Jamaica (yesterday's stop) back to the Dominican Republic (DR), to taste one last DR bar.

Today's Dominican Republic Single Origin bar was from Endorfin Foods (Oakland, CA). Endorfin uses unroasted cacao in their attractively packaged bars.


The 80% cacao dark bar was made with unroasted and ethically traded cacao from one or more farms in the DR, and contained just two ingredients: organic cacao beans and organic coconut sugar. (There was no dairy, soy, gluten or refined sugar in the bar.)

This ultra-dark bar had a subtle aroma, a good snap, and uniform, slightly bitter, dark flavor with a hint of earthiness. The coconut sugar gave the bar a light touch of brown sugar sweetness.

The next stop on the enchanted islands cacao tour...Trinidad.

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

SOMA - St. Thomas Parish, 70% Jamaica bar - Feb. 5, 2016

Chocolate of the Day:

SOMA Chocolatemaker

St. Thomas Parish
Good ++ - Very Good
Weight: 1.14 oz. (32.5 g.) / 2.29 oz. (65 g.) in total bar
Calories: 173 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #3 of Chocolate and Some Enchanted Islands Theme Week.

After spending the first three days of the Enchanted Islands chocolate tour in the Dominican Republic, we're sailing west to Jamaica, to experience cacao that originated in St. Thomas Parish*.

This cacao-growing island nation produces less cacao than it used to**, and supplies of good beans have been harder to obtain in the last decade, due in part to a drop in supply.

Older farmers have retired and fewer young people have gotten into the business of growing cacao. (Also large companies have moved in to buy farmers crops. This is good for farmers who appreciate a steadier income; but it can make it more difficult for smaller bean-to-bar makers who are looking to buy high-quality Jamaican beans.)

SOMA Chocolatemaker Jamaica bar

Today's Saint Thomas Parish 70% cacao bar was made by SOMA Chocolatemaker (Toronto, Canada). SOMA has been making bean-to-bar chocolate since 2003. Today's Jamaica bar, sealed in a silver pouch, was well crafted. And it had a beautiful imprinted "map" of Toronto—where SOMA is located (in an old whisky distillery near the water). (Newer versions of the bar come with a different imprint with a label displaying Jamaican flag colors.)

Jamaica conjures up notions of bright Caribbean colors, steel drums, and spicy flavors—in short, a bold experience. Everything about today's three-ingredient single origin dark bar was smooth, consistent, well crafted and well balanced.

The SOMA bar contained Trinitario cocoa beans, organic cane sugar and added cocoa butter. The aroma and flavors had muted notes of: light jungle/forest growth, green wood or herb (I experienced a tiny hint of fresh baby green fennel shoots in cream), a mild sweetness (fresh fruit salad made with tropical fruits, raspberries, honey and cream). There wasn't one off note in the entire bar.

The added cocoa butter contributed to the bar's creamy melt, subtle flavors and mild finish. (It also made me wonder what the unadulterated beans tasted like. Were they wilder? Less balanced? What magic was necessary to transform them into this tasting experience?)

*Jamaica is divided into 14 parishes, that are in turn part of three larger counties. Saint Thomas Parish, located in Surrey County, is located at the southeast end of Jamaica. (Sugar and bananas are other export crops from this area.)

**Data from the Jamaican Cocoa Famers' Association website estimates that annual production of cocoa in Jamaica dropped from 2,522 tons in 1992 to 440 tons in 2008.

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

Hagensborg - 70% Santo Domingo dark bar - Feb. 3, 2016

Chocolate of the Day: 

Hagensborg Chocolates
70% Wild B(o)ar Santo Domingo dark bar
Good - Good +
Weight: 1.15 oz. (32 g.) / 2.3 oz. (65 g.) in total bar
Calories: 200 calories in 1/2 of bar
Cost: $ Missing info
Purchased from: Missing info

Welcome to the first day of Chocolate and Some Enchanted Islands* Theme Week.

Cacao grows in many exotic and tropical isles near the sea. Being near water helps moderate the temperature (not too cold and not too hot); and being near the Equator (plus or minus 20 degrees Latitude) helps regulate the light and heat needed for temperate forests, plantations and farms—and cacao.

First we'll visit a few islands in the Caribbean. The Dominican Republic (DR) has gone by many names in the past—including Hispaniola, an island referenced in pirate tales long ago that was (and still is) joined with Haiti.

Europeans from Spain and other nations brought cacao to Caribbean islands, where it is still grown today.

Santo Domingo is a large city, and the capital of the Dominican Republic. It's one of the oldest cities in the Americas. It's also the name of the surrounding province in the DR, where cacao is grown.

Hagensborg Chocolates - Santa Domingo bar

Today's 70% Cocoa Wild B(o)ar dark chocolate single origin bar was from Hagensborg Chocolates (Barnaby, British Columbia, Canada). This Santo Domingo bar was made from cacao beans grown in the province of the same name, on the southern side of the DR. This province borders on the Caribbean Sea.

The bar had a rich, smooth, consistent, and chocolatey aroma, flavor and texture. And pre-molded bite marks around the edge of this bar (possibly from a chocolate-eating pig on the same bar) made me smile.

Hagensborg product packaging is just plain fun. Cartoon pigs lounge, cavort and frolic across bars of Hagensborg chocolate (on printed packaging and on bars). Thank you Hagensborg for some lively levity.

* Sing to the tune of "Some Enchanted Evening" from Rodgers and Hammerstein's South Pacific, if you'd like.

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

Chocolat Bonnat - M. Libânio 75% dark bar - Dec. 12, 2015

Chocolate of the Day:

Chocolat Bonnat
M. Libanio "Bresil" 75% bar
Good++ - Very Good
Weight: 1.16 oz. (33.3 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 200 calories in 1/3 bar (12 squares)
Cost: $12.25 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocosphere.com, online order

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

Today's M. Libanio "Bresil" 75% cacao bar was made by Chocolat Bonnat (France). Chief chocolate maker, Stephane Bonnat, is the chief bean-to-bar maker who carefully selects cacao beans to make a variety of creamy and flavorful single origin bars.

I was able to purchase two of Bonnat single origin Brazil bars (online) from Chocosphere (Tualatin, OR). Today's bar was the second of the two. (See yesterday's post for information on Bonnat's Vale do Juliana 75% bar.)

M. Libanio is the name of a plantation located in a coastal area of the state of Bahia, in Eastern Brazil.

Today's bar had faint coffee, spice and fruit aromas, creamy smooth texture, and a rich (complex but smooth) dark flavor.

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

Chocolat Bonnat - Vale do Juliana Bresil 75% bar - Dec. 11, 2015

Chocolate of the Day:

Chocolat Bonnat
Vale do Juliana "Bresil" 75% bar
Good++ - Very Good
Weight: 1.16 oz. (33.3 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 200 calories in 1/3 bar (12 squares)
Cost: $12.25 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocosphere.com, online order

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

Today's Vale do Juliana "Bresil" 75% cacao bar was made by Chocolat Bonnat (France). I was able to purchase two of these single origin Brazil bars (online) from Chocosphere (Tualatin, OR).

Vale do Juliana is the name of a fazienda (farm) located in the heart of coastal area Pratigi (in the municipality of Igrapiuna), in the state of Bahia, in Eastern Brazil. Chocolat Bonnat bars are known for their creamy texture and good flavor.

Today's bar had a faint aroma, a very creamy smooth texture, and a great tasting arc. The description printed on the bar's packaging reads: "This chocolate will offer the delicate fruity scents of earth and enthusiasm of character of the men who work." OK, maybe this description is not the best translation from French into English

People sometimes ask me how I evaluate chocolate. Great aroma, texture, flavor are all important. A great tasting arc is another answer I give. A fine chocolate is not overly homogenized; but rather it will give you a great ride, where beautifully complex flavors unfold, generally over a 10-15 second timeframe.

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

Harald Unique - Brazilian 63% Cocoa Bahia bar - Dec. 9, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

Harald Unique
63% Cocoa Semisweet Chocolate bar
Good - Good+
Weight: 1.4 oz. (40 g.) / 2.8 oz. (80 g.) in total bar
Calories: 210 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $1.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

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

Brazil is likely weigh in as the 6th largest producer of cacao in the world in 2015 (behind 4 African countries and Indonesia). However, until recently, there haven't been that many opportunities to sample Brazilian cacao single origin bars in the U.S.

Harald Unique (Sao Paolo, Brasil) offers a series of different chocolate bars made with cacao from Amazonia. Yesterday's 70% semisweet dark bar was made with organic cacao from the Brazilian state of Pará in northern Brazil.

Today's 63% cocoa semisweet dark bar (no milk) came from further south. This Harald Unique bar was produced from cacao grown at "João Tavares* Farm, in Uruçuca, south of Bahia state, Brazil, under the coordinates" 14 degrees 05' South and 30 degrees 3' West.

The bar was sweetly fragrant and tasted a bit like silken smooth, high-end chocolate frosting. If you're craving cake-like sweetness, this might be a great choice. The fruit and caramel notes mentioned on the packaging were edged out a bit by the frosting flavor, but still present. Flavor and texture were smooth and even, with no "off" notes.

To Harald's credit, they are one of the first Brazilian-based makers (that I'm aware of) offering single origin bars here in the U.S. (via distributor Loco Brands in Florida) that also lists details about where the cacao is grown—down to the coordinate level.

More Brazil single origin bar choices in the U.S. offers an opportunity to learn more about Brazil, Brazilian cacao (and plantations), and this large producer of chocolate.

*João Tavares is a fourth generation cacao farmer in Eastern Brazil, who uses Cabruca agroforestry methods—including the practice of growing cacao under native shade trees.

The content and images in 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.

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.

Domori - Cacao Criollo 70% Guasare Dark Chocolate bar - Oct. 1, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

Domori
Cacao Criollo 70% Guasare Dark Chocolate bar
Very Good
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) in total bar
Calories: 132 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $6.85 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocosphere (online order)


Time to bid adieu to Chocolate and Italy Theme Week with one last interesting bar, made by an Italian bean-to-bar maker who works with some of the best cacao in the world.

The Cacao Criollo 70% Guasare Dark Chocolate bar was from Domori (None, Italy) located outside of Turin (Torino).

Company founder, Gianluca Franzoni, started looking for great cacao in South America in the early 1990s. He founded Domori in 1997 with a mission to preserve the biodiversity of fine flavor Criollo cacao. (To help further this goal, he bought a plantation in Venezuela.) Domori offers a variety of single origin and Criollo bars and has been part of gruppo illy since 2006.

Most of Domori chocolate bars are made with Criollo or Criollo hybrid cacao beans. This Guasare bar was made from the "mother of all Criollo" cacao (beans), from Venezuela.

Yes, origin stories are interesting, but how did this bar made from this intriguing cacao taste?

Reviewers comments I'd read mentioned "...aromas of dried fruits and honey. Unique..." and
"cream, fruit, sweetness..." and "floral notes, toffee, cream..."

I found the flavor to be bolder (less subtle) than I supposed it would be after reading the above reviews. The 70% bar had a mild aroma, but had a uniformly full flavor, starting with red fruit, followed by fudge, nut, sweet cream notes. The second bite had a brief exotic floral flourish to it about halfway through, followed by a slight citrus woodsiness. I'm convinced if I kept eating a bit more of this bar during the day, the flavors would just keep unfolding. However, don't count on being able to do this. This bar, weighed less than 1 oz. (28.3 g.), and disappeared quickly.

Thank you to Domori and others who are helping to keep these strains of Criollo alive and well. It's a pleasure to taste bars like this.

*Guasare is a type of heritage or origin cacao, (re-)discovered near the Guasare River, in the Zulia state of western Venezuela surrounding Lake Maracaibo. 

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

Domori - Teyuna 70% Colombia bar - Sept. 25, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

Domori
Teyuna Colombia Dark Chocolate 70% bar
Good ++
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) in total bar
Calories: 132 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $N/A - sample
Purchased from: N/A - sample

Today was the last day, Day #7, of Chocolate and Colombia Theme Week, and the dawning (Day #1) of Chocolate and Italy Week.

In the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta region of (Northern) Colombia, there is a lost city (Ciudad Perdida), the site of an ancient city, older than Machu Picchu. This city is also known by local indigenous people as Teyuna.

Criollo cacao grows not too far from the ruins of this lost city. Criollo is one of the oldest types of cacao, and could have become "lost" over time. This fine flavored cacao, that bears smaller fruits, and yields light-colored beans with intriguing, subtle flavors, has survived in the forest, or "up river;" and has been re-discovered, more than once, by discriminating chocolate makers.

Most chocolate is made from more robust cacao types (Forastero, Trinitario, other hybrids). Criollo cacao represents a very small fraction of what is used in chocolate at present. However, it was used to make today's Teyuna Colombia Dark Chocolate 70% Cacao bar from Domori* (None, Italy).

This slim square bar had smooth and interesting flavor that I had a hard time identifying. The following contains the closest series of descriptors I could manage: very subtle hints of cream, fruit, cherry, very mild fruitcake, and bread.

Domori's home in None, Italy is near Turin, a city in the Piedmont region of Northern Italy that is known for chocolates and blends of hazelnuts and chocolate. (Think Nutella and Gianduja.)

From the first visit Domori founder, Gianluca Franzoni, made to a cacao plantation with rare Criollo cacao back in the 1990s, he sought to "rescue" prized, fine flavored cacao in regions of South America where cacao originated. And he"sought to bridge the gap between grower and chocolate maker." After all, you can't have great single origin bar without great cacao; and great cacao starts with the farmers and the trees.

*Domori became part of Illy SpA group in 2006.

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

Santander - Colombian Single Origin 65% bar - Sept. 24, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

Nacional de Chocolates
Chocolate Santander
Colombian Single Origin Dark Chocolate - 65% cacao bar
Good++ - Very Good
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.46 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 175 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $2.90 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocosphere (online)

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

This Chocolate Santander Colombian Single Origin bar was made by Compania Nacional de Chocolates (affiliated with food processor Grupo Nutresa, Medellin, Colombia), an organization that had its beginnings in 1920.

Today's 65% dark chocolate bar (and other Chocolate Santander bars) are made with cacao beans from many family farms across the department* of Santander in Eastern Colombia, a region known for growing fine cacao and coffee.

This thick, gluten free and kosher bar had a smooth mouthfeel and melt, and tasted like a rich, sweet, fudgey, nutty chocolate brownie. It was a "brownie" bar through and through, had a brief sweet fruit-nut brightness, and a hint of smooth earthiness toward the end.

*Colombia is divided into 32 departments and 1 capital district (Bogota) -- similar to the way that the U.S. has 50 states and our capital district area is Wash., D.C.

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

Artisan du Chocolat - Arauca, Orinoquia region, Colombia bar - Sept. 22, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

Artisan du Chocolat
Arauca - Orinoquia region, Colombia bar
Good ++
Weight: 1..59 oz. (45 g.) in total bar
Calories:  239 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $7.95 for 1 bar
Purchased from: ZombieRunner, Palo Alto, CA


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

Today's 72% cocoa, dark chocolate Aruaca (Colombia) bar from Artisan du Chocolat (Kent and London, U.K.) was made in Colombia and Great Britain.*

This Limited Edition single origin bar came with quite a bit of information (via Gerard's Notes, printed on the back of the attractive gold packaging) about its origin.

For example, "Arauca is a department of Colombia shaped by the Casanare and Meta rivers and located in the extreme north of the Orinoco region, bordering Venezuela." Beans from Trinitario hybrid cacao, that apparently have maintained some fine flavor, heritage Criollo cacao characteristics, were used to make the bar.

The chocolate was interesting and flavorful, with a honey-like sweetness; that is, it had a sweeter (almost nutty) flavor than I associated with many 72% dark chocolate bars. I got a quick hit of red fruit/berry flavor, followed by a pause, then a slight earthy note at the end.

*The common practice is to ship fermented, dried cacao beans from the growing country to chocolate makers in the Northern Hemisphere, who make the chocolate bars (involving many steps, such as conching, refining and tempering of chocolate) in their factory. This bar was produced in Bogota, Colombia, by Casa Luker (a family-owned Colombian company). It was nice to see this alliance and credit given to work being done in the country of origin. 

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