Kad Kokoa - Andaman Blue (bar) - Nov. 15, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Kad Kokoa 
Andaman Blue (bar)
Good +
Weight: .97 oz. (27.5 g.) / 1.94 oz. (55 g.) in total bar
Calories: 165 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $13.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

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

Kad Kokoa - Andaman Blue

Today's Andaman Blue (bar) was from Kad Kokoa (Bangkok, Thailand). This bean-to-bar maker is dedicated to offering chocolates made with local (Thai grown) cacao beans, including some bars with Thai-inspired flavor inclusions.

This blue-gray hued (white) chocolate was a tribute to the beautiful, blue Andaman Sea--located west of Thailand.

Aroma notes for this bar included: sweet white chocolate, seed/grain (rice, very faint sesame*), faint coconut milk, and very faint botanical (green). 

The relatively smooth bar had a slightly grainy texture (finely ground toasted rice).

Flavor notes included: white chocolate, subtle coconut milk, rice (mostly textural), and a very faint green note (perhaps the blue spirulina, used for coloration). Overall it had a relatively gentle, sweet flavor, in part due to the absence of cocoa solids.

Nature's Organic Ice Cream - Chocolate Chocolate Chip 

Later, to ensure I had a daily dose of cocoa solids, I enjoyed a scoop of Chocolate Chocolate Chip ice cream from Nature's Organic Ice Cream (Fremont, CA), and a small handful of Thai spiced peanuts.

This local northern California, San Francisco Bay Area-based ice cream maker offers a few exotic southeast Asian and floral flavors as well. They offer high-quality ice cream flavors (dairy and non-dairy options) that don't contain extra additives (e.g. gums or carrageenan). (Thank you!) They also use organic ingredients in this chocolate flavor.

Ingredients: Cocoa Butter, Coconut Milk Powder, White Sugar, Toasted Rice, Blue Spirulina

Allergen-related information: "Made in a facility that handles nuts, dairy, and gluten."

*There was no sesame in this chocolate. Like many tasters (think wine, coffee, craft beer tasting), I may smell or taste things that may activate sense memories, or detect substances that are similar to, but don't reflect exact/literal ingredients. People have different memories and abilities in what they taste, so your experience may differ from mine.

Elemental Superfood, Inc. - Mulberry Cacao + Spirulina - June 2, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Elemental Superfood, Inc.

Mulberry Cacao + Spirulina (bar)

Good +

Weight: 1.8 oz. (51 g.) in total bar

Calories: 200 calories in 1 bar

Cost: $3.29 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Country Sun Natural Foods, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #9 of Chocolate and Fruit Theme Week, featuring a variety of chocolate and fruit blends.

Today's Organic Mulberry Cacao + Spirulina bar was from Elemental Superfood, Inc. (Torrance, CA).

Aroma notes for this bar included: soft, botanical sweetness, subtle fruit (red berry + light fig) and floral (honey), and faint seed, nut and cacao notes.

This very textural bar was multi-seeded, nutty, cacao nib-by and buckwheat bit-ted, woven together with softer bits of dried berry fruit; and, surprisingly it had a relatively light (but substantial), integrated chew.

The taste was a tapestry of plant-based ingredients--diverse roughly-ground, largely intact textures that harmonized. The minimally processed ingredients had more layered flavors than a more processed, highly compressed bar would have. 

Happily, this filling, gluten-free bar also wasn't too sweet (thank you!). The bar contained a judicious amount of "organic, raw honey and no refined sugar."

Ingredients: Organic buckwheat, organic almonds, organic raw honey, organic flaxseeds, organic coconut, organic cacao nibs, organic sunflower seeds, organic pumpkin seeds, organic Brazil nuts, organic mulberries, organic sesame seeds, organic cacao butter, organic spirulina, organic vanilla bean, organic vanilla extract, pink Himalayan salt. 

Allergen-related information: "Contains tree nuts."

Go Raw Organic Chocolate Plant Protein bar + Spiru-Tein Chocolate Mix - Aug. 26, 2018

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

Go Raw (Freeland Foods)
Organic Dark Chocolate Sprouted Grow Raw Plant Protein Bar
Good
Weight: 1.9 oz. (55 g.) in total bar
Calories: 240 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $2.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: New Leaf Community Market, Half Moon Bay, CA

Natures Plus
Spiru-Tein Simply Natural Chocolate (Unsweetened) Mix
OK +++ - Good
Weight: .4 oz. (11.5 g.) / .8 oz. (23 g.) packet
Calories: 40 calories in 1/2 packet (dry mix)
Cost: $1.99 for 1 packet
Purchased from: Piazza's Fine Foods, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate Surprise Theme Week.

Chocolate blends well with other plants like fruits, nuts, seeds—and, surprise, even greens. Today's two chocolate items incorporate plant proteins ranging from watermelon seeds to spirulina.*

Today's first item, the Go Raw Organic Dark Chocolate plant protein bar was made by Freeland Foods (San Jose, CA). The first ingredient listed was watermelon seeds, followed by dates, cacao, chocolate extract, vanilla extract, Celtic sea salt and rosemary extract.

This vegan, gluten-free bar contained 12 grams of protein, and tasted better than many other protein bars. (I liked the short ingredient list, and I'm guessing the chocolate extract could be omitted. Quality cacao by itself is usually sufficient to impart rich flavor; but it wasn't too bad.)

The second item, was Natural Chocolate Spiru-Tein mix that contained a blend of rice, pea and soy protein (as well as spirulina, added vitamins and minerals, and a long list of other ingredients). The dry powder had a mild chocolate and vanilla aroma. It was unsweetened (which I liked) and readily mixed with liquids. The taste was slightly malty and not unpleasant.

*Spirulina is a Cyanobacteria (once classified as micro-algae) that grows in alkaline (mineral-rich) ponds and lakes in warmer climates, and is harvested and used as a food supplement.

Nature's Plus - Spiru-tein Chocolate Meal - June 7, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

Natural Organics Laboratories, Inc.
Nature's Plus
Spiru-tein Chocolate High Protein Energy Meal
OK + - Good
Weight: .5 oz. (14.1 g.) / .99 oz. (28 g.) in 1 packet
Calories: 48 calories in 1/2 packet
Cost: $ lost info
Purchased from: Piazza's Fine Foods, Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #13 of Chocolate Tea and Beverage Theme Weeks.

Nature's Plus Spiru-tein Chocolate High Protein Energy Meal was packaged as a powder that could be mixed with either water or the milk (or filk*) of your choice. The Nature's Plus line of "energy supplements" and vitamins is manufactured by Natural Organics Laboratories, Inc. (Amityville, NY).

The plusses: This mix was formulated with a Non-GMO Protein complex with spirulina and gluten-free, proteins (rice protein, pea protein and Non-GMO soy protein), and was vitamin and mineral enriched. It contained Dutch cocoa and was vegetarian and yeast free.

I mixed this powder up with water, and it tasted better than some other protein mixes I've had; although don't expect that it will come close to a chocolate milkshake in terms of flavor or texture.

*The word filk is a shortened version of "fake milk," referring to non-dairy "milks" - such as nut milks, coconut milk, soy milk, hemp milk, oat milk, etc.