Primo Chocolate - Shadow Panther 92% Chocolate with Wild Vanilla Bean (bar) - June 22, 2026

Chocolate of The Day

Primo Chocolate
Shadow Panther Mysteriously Dark 92% Chocolate With Wild Vanilla Bean (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 139 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Xocolatl Garden, Carmel, CA 

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate & Earth, Mountains, Forests and Gardens Theme Week--part of a month long series on chocolates related to the elements: earth, water and fire.

Today's Shadow Panther Mysteriously Dark 92% Chocolate With Wild Vanilla Bean (bar) was from Primo Chocolate. 

The vanilla beans in this bar were "sourced directly from a biodynamic forestry project in Chiapas, Mexico: the native origin of vanilla." 

Aroma and flavor notes included: dark, relatively smooth-flavored ultra-dark (92% cacao) chocolate and warm, aromatic vanilla. Vanilla casts a warm, heavenly and naturally sweet halo over the darkest of chocolates. And so it was here. It emitted pure rays of vanilla sunshine, throughout this ultra-dark chocolate.

Texture: relatively smooth

I enjoyed the uplifting vanilla and the balanced ultra-dark blend, and appreciated the thoughtfully sourced short list of single origin ingredients.

Ingredients: Cacao Nibs, Organic Panela (Cane Sugar,) Cocoa Butter,

Allergen-related information: Contains Coconut. "Made in a facility that also processes nuts"

Mandela Chocolate - Vanilla Orchid Raw Dark Chocolate (bar) - Apr. 18, 2026

Chocolate of the Day

Mandala Chocolate
Vanilla Orchid Raw Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 1.15 oz. (32.5 g.) / 2.3 oz. (65 g.) in total bar
Calories: 162 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $10.80 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Xocolatl Garden, Carmel, CA

Welcome to Day #10 of Chocolate & Flowers Theme Week. This week includes a variety of floral ingredients, including today's vanilla bar. Vanilla is a spice derived from a pod of a Vanilla orchid flower.

Today's Vanilla Orchid Raw Dark Chocolate (bar) was from Mandala Naturals, LLC (Barnardsville, NC).

Aroma and flavor notes for this Organic, Raw 77% dark chocolate bar included: smooth dark chocolate and warm vanilla bean.

Texture: smooth, relatively creamy, dark chocolate with no graininess

I appreciated the warm vanilla (and coconut sugar) flavors in this dark chocolate, as well as Mandala's short list of quality, authentic and organic ingredients used in this bar and their other chocolates.

Ingredients: *Cacao, *Coconut Sugar, *Raw Tahitian Vanilla Bean, Celtic Sea Salt(TM) (* Organic & Raw)

Allergen-related information: (No allergen warnings were found on packaging.)

L'Amourette Chocolatier - Chocolat Noir English Toffee 72% Dark Chocolate with almonds (bar) - Mar. 10, 2026

Chocolate of the Day

L'Amourette Chocolatier
Chocolat Noir English Toffee 72% Dark Chocolate with almonds (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 1.75 oz. (50 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 300 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $6.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: L'Amourette, online order 

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate, Pistachio, Hazelnut & Almond Theme Week.

Today's English Toffee 72% Dark Chocolate with almonds (bar) was from L'Amourette Chocolat LLC (San Francisco, CA).

Most toffee chocolates are quite sweet and are made with somewhat flat (boring) chocolate. Thankfully, this was not true for today's bar.

Aroma notes included: flavorful, very slightly fruity, dark chocolate, sweet green botanical (green walnuts in syrup), faint toffee, nut and vanilla. (Hurray, some complex, layered flavors/dark chocolate ahead.)

Texture: smooth, substantial dark chocolate, with layered, crunchy toffee and almonds. The embedded  warm-tasting hunks of buttery toffee were just right, i.e. not too hard, and not too soft. 

Flavor notes included: hearty, balanced dark chocolate with faint fleeting diffuse, tart-sweet fruit (citrus, dried plum, berry), balanced earth, and botanical (vanilla, sweet green walnuts in syrup). 

The buttery, sweet toffee, bold, flavorful dark chocolate and vanilla beans not only balanced and complemented each other nicely, but resulted in a bar that had the addictive quality of a toffee confection and the deeply satisfying, complex and hearty flavor of a single origin/single variety 72% dark chocolate. (The almonds and sea salt played a background role, but mellowed and rounded out this trio very nicely.)

This is a well-executed toffee chocolate I would recommend to dark chocolate lovers.

Ingredients: Cocoa Beans (Trinitario), Cocoa Butter, Cane Sugar (Vegan), Toffee (Butter (Milk), Sugar, Almonds, Vanilla Paste & Sea Salt), Vanilla Beans.

Allergen-related information: "Contains: Milk, Almonds. Soy & Gluten-free"

Hu - Vanilla Crunch Organic 70% Dark Chocolate (Bar) + Built - Puff Coconut with Dark Chocolaty Coating (protein bar) - Dec. 6, 2025

Chocolate(s) of the Day

Hu
Vanilla Crunch - Organic 70% Cacao Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.05 oz. (30 g.) / 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 190 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $2.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Built Brands, LLC 
Puff Coconut with Dark Chocolaty Coating (protein bar) 
Good +
Weight: 3.25 oz. (92 g.) / 1.23 lbs. (560 g.) in total package/box
Calories: 140 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $19.99 for a box of 14 bars (2 different flavors)
Purchased from: Costco, Mountain View, CA

Welcome to Day #13 of Chocolate, Movies and Entertainment Theme Week, featuring two bars--used to re-create a "Charlie Chaplin" chocolate (chocolate, marshmallow, coconut and cashews) made popular in Buffalo, New York, over a century ago. 

Buffalo was a candy hot spot in the late 1800s to early 1900s. Confectioners created promotions around their products, including an event when they invited Charlie Chaplin to open his film "The Adventurer" (1917) there. 

Chaplin was said to like marshmallow, chocolate, coconut and cashews. Buffalo responded with chocolates containing these ingredients for the occasion.

I was born in upstate New York and watched Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton films as a child. I felt moved to create a version of this confection with these four flavors. I did. And I enjoyed the results very much while watching Chaplin's "The Adventurer" (1917) and "The Circus" (1928).

Today's two bars were:

• Vanilla Crunch - Organic 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) with coconut sugar from Hu Products LLC (Austin, TX).
• Built Puff Coconut with Dark Chocolaty Coating (protein bar) from Built Brands, LLC (American Fork, UT). 

Hu Vanilla Crunch 70% Dark Chocolate (bar)

This bar provided satisfying dark chocolate flavor (flavorful but smooth). Organic vanilla beans (fully ground into the cacao) provided sunny baked goods warmth--perfect for long, snowy winters in Buffalo--and anywhere else.

This Vanilla Crunch bar was sweetened with just the right amount of organic, unrefined coconut sugar. Tiny crunchy bits of quinoa added a little texture. And the small dose of sea salt was very satisfying. 

I appreciate the makers' thoughtful sourcing and the short list of quality, organic ingredients.

Ingredients: "organic cacao*, organic unrefined coconut sugar*, organic cocoa butter*, organic quinoa*, organic vanilla bean*, sea salt" (* = Certified Fairtrade ingredients)

Allergen-related ingredients: "Contains coconut. May contain almond, cashew, hazelnut, pistachio, & dairy. Allergen cleans made prior to production, but beware that product is produced using equipment that also processes tree nuts, soy, dairy & wheat."

Built Puff Coconut Bar

This protein bar provided the marshmallow-like (and coconut flavored) filling (with a thin dark coating) that paired well with the Hu Vanilla Crunch bar and the roasted cashews in olive oil and sea salt.

The pillowy, chewy "puff" (marshmallow-like) center was infused with a gentle coconut aroma and flavor.  

Texture: fairly light and fluffy, slightly whipped, gelatin with a thin coating of smooth dark chocolate ("chocolatey coating"). 

I appreciated the 17 grams of protein. But, I prefer a bit more dark chocolate and less sweetness. But, as one of three ingredients in the Charlie Chaplin chocolate, this flavored protein bar complemented the Hu dark chocolate bar and the cashews very nicely 

I also appreciated that this bar was gluten free, and despite the fairly long list of ingredients, there were no potentially gut-disrupting vegetable gums, or artificial sweeteners. (Not wild about Natural Flavors or cultured dextrose; but there are trade-offs in life.)

Ingredients: Premium Collagen Protein Blend (Partially Hydrolyzed Whey Protein Isolate, Collagen), Glycerin, Sugar, Water, Palm and Palm Kernel Oil, Cocoa Processed with Alkali, Gelatin, Natural Flavors, Cultured Dextrose, Nonfat Milk Powder, Soy Lecithin.

Allergen-related information: Contains Milk, Soy. May Contain: Peanuts and Tree Nuts

The Organic House - Vietnam Dak Lak Cacao Vanilla Bean and Sea Salt 60% Cacao (bar) - Oct. 9, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

The Organic House 
Vietnam Dak Lak Cacao Vanilla Bean and Sea Salt 60% Cacao (bar) 
Good ++ 
Weight: 1.94 oz. (55 g.) in total bar
Calories: 293 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $9.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Organic House, online order

Welcome to Day #1 of Chocolate and Vietnam Theme Week.

Today's Vietnam Dak Lak Cacao Vanilla Bean and Sea Salt 60% Cacao (bar) by The Organic House (Burlington, ON, Canada).

The cacao used to make this bar was from Dak Lak--a mountainous province in the Central Highlands of  Vietnam. (Sourced from T-BROS chocolate makers in Vietnam.*)

Aroma notes for this chocolate included: chocolate, light and bright botanical (fruit, banana floral--all infused with vanilla (and to a lesser extent vanilla marshmallow and vanilla coconut flower nectar/sugar).

Texture: This relatively thin dark chocolate bar had an almost velvety smooth melt and mouthfeel, and a fleeting texture from the generous dusting of fleur de sel flakes (if you can detect the delicate salt flakes before they quickly melt and disappear).

Flavor notes included: dark chocolate with an uplifting chorus of sweet, almost floral flavors--buoyed by vanilla and coconut floral nectar. These more angelic notes were tempered with sea salt, faint smoke, and balanced, flavorful dark chocolate with medium (diffuse fruit) acidity and low-medium bitterness.

I enjoyed the texture and the lively mix of aromas and flavors in this bar. (Even though the vanilla and salt almost stole the show.) Almost everyone enjoys a gravity-defying vanilla uplift--especially warming and welcoming as the weather turns cooler.

Many chocolates have very similar aroma and flavor notes. But single origin chocolates (especially those with certain teas/herbs, coffee, fruits, flowers, spirits and authentic vanilla bean flavor inclusions) often call for additional aroma details. My advice: smell chocolates before eating them, or you may miss something very unique and special. 

Maker's tasting notes: "Vanilla bean and maple with light notes of cherry, lemon, orange, and mocha."

Ingredients: "Vietnam Dak Lak cacao beans, Coconut flower nectar, Ontario maple sugar, Peru cacao butter, Vanilla beans, Sea salt"

Allergen-related information: "May contain: Almonds, Cashews, Hazelnuts, Oats, Pistachios"

*T-BROS (aka TBROS), a bean-to-bar chocolate company, was founded in 2017 by two friends and classmates, Truong Minh Thang and Nguyen Duy Thong. They direct source cacao from farms/farmers and focus on "meticulous post-harvest cacao processing" -- resulting in award-winning chocolate bars.

Intrigue Chocolate - Bourbon & Vanilla Bean Truffle - Nov. 30, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Intrigue Chocolate Co.
Bourbon & Vanilla Bean Truffle
Good ++
Weight: .314 oz. (8.9 g.) / 4.09 oz. (116 g.) (estimate) in total box of 12 (13) truffles
Calories: 49 calories (estimate) in 1 truffle
Cost: $44.00 for 1 box of 12 (13) truffles
Purchased from: Intrigue Chocolate, online order

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

Today's Bourbon & Vanilla Bean Truffle was from Intrigue Chocolate Co. (Seattle, WA). It was part of a baker's dozen of different flavors. Each truffle was labeled with its flavor name and individually-wrapped.

Aroma and flavor notes included: smooth but rich dark chocolate, spirits (Bourbon) and vanilla, with a pleasing, light lingering (very slightly boozy) finish.

Texture: soft, creamy/buttery, very slightly fudgey, with a generous coating of cocoa powder.

I enjoyed this well-balanced, thoughtfully created adult truffle confection. This small truffle was full of flavor, not too sweet (thank you!), and very satisfying. 

Ingredients: Chocolate (cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter, vanilla, soy lecithin), Cream (milk), flavors (as described in the truffle name).

Allergen-related information: Contains Dairy, Soy. 

Intrigue Chocolate - Jamaican Hot Chocolate Truffle - Nov. 28, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Intrigue Chocolate Co.
Jamaican Hot Chocolate Truffle 
Good ++ 
Weight: .314 oz. (8.9 g.) / 4.09 oz. (116 g.) (estimate) in total box of 12 (13) truffles
Calories: 49 calories (estimate) in 1 truffle
Cost: $44.00 for 1 box of 12 (13) truffles
Purchased from: Intrigue Chocolate, online order

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

Happy Thanksgiving to all those who celebrate this holiday. Chocolate turkeys were handed a pardon this year. Instead, today's holiday chocolate treat was a small, square, spiked chocolate truffle.

Today's Jamaican Hot Chocolate Truffle was from Intrigue Chocolate Co. (Seattle, WA). 

Aroma and flavor notes for this dark rum infused truffle included: subtle, sophisticated, warm, dark chocolate with very subtle rum and warm spices (nutmeg, vanilla). An additional bit of heat came from (what was for me just the right amount of) habanero chili, mid-way through.

Texture: creamy ganache, with a generous coating of cocoa powder.

Bittersweet, and not too sugary, this blend of flavors was a perfect chocolate warmer for a cold day. Enjoyed as a small bite of joy on a Thanksgiving dessert plate, it evoked sunny, subtle Caribbean island warmth and spiced rum flavor you might hope for in a dark truffle.

Ingredients: Chocolate (cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter, vanilla, soy lecithin), Cream (milk), flavors (as described in the truffle name).

Allergen-related information: Contains Dairy, Soy.

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.

Ritter Sport - Roasted Peanut (bar) - Aug. 24, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Ritter Sport
Roasted Peanut (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.09 oz. (31 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 180 calories in 5 pieces/squares
Cost: $4.49 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Piazza's, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's Ritter Sport Roasted Peanut (bar) was from Alfred Ritter GmbH and Co. KG (Waldenbuch, Germany) was made in Austria.

Aroma notes for this bar included: sweet dark chocolate, roasted nuts and peanuts. 

The texture of the base chocolate (no cacao percentage listed on the U.S. label) was smooth, thick and creamy, and complemented by a generous dose of crunchy roasted peanuts. 

Flavor notes included: sweet dark chocolate and peanuts. Smaller amounts of almond flour and hazelnut paste were hard to detect directly, but made for a pleasant, even nuttier overall flavor. A small amount of sea salt helped balance the sweetness of the chocolate.

If you like chocolate and peanuts (and I do), you'll enjoy this bar. Also, thank you to Ritter for continuing to advance in cocoa sourcing practices. (On the bar's label: "100% Certified Sustainable Cocoa Sourcing".)

"Sweet chocolate with roasted and salted peanut pieces, almond flour, hazelnut paste and ground vanilla beans."

Ingredients: "sugar, peanuts, cocoa butter, chocolate liquor, almond flour, hazelnut paste, salt, soy lecithin, ground vanilla beans."

Allergen-related information: (Contains: peanuts, almonds, hazelnuts, soy.) "May contain traces of other tree nuts, wheat, milk, egg and sesame seeds."

Hu - Chocolate-Covered Hunks Sour Goldenberries & Cashew Butter + Vanilla Bean 70% Chocolates - Jan. 23, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Hu Products LLC
Chocolate-Covered Hunks Sour Goldenberries
Good +
Weight: .5 oz. (14.1 g.) / 4 oz. (113 g.) in total package
Calories: 65 calories in 1/2 (oz.) serving
Cost: $7.49 (estimated discounted/sale price) for 1 package 
Purchased from: Molly Stone's Markets, Palo Alto, CA

Hu Products LLC
Cashew Butter + Pure Vanilla Bean 70% Cacao (bar)
Good +
Weight: 1.05 oz. (30 g.) / 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 190 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $4.19 total bar
Purchased from: Country Sun Natural Foods, Palo Alto, CA 

Welcome to Day #11 of Chocolate, Berries and Vanilla Theme Week.

Today's Chocolate-Covered Hunks Sour Goldenberries and Cashew Butter + Pure Vanilla Bean (bar) were distributed by Hu Products LLC (Austin, TX).

The company offers a variety of chocolate bars and confections, made with short lists of high-quality ingredients. Their products are as notable for what they don't contain (additives, allergens, refined sugar, dairy, gluten, lecithins, etc.) as what they do contain. 

Chocolate Covered Hunks Sour Goldenberries

These flavorful berry-related chocolate "hunks" (rounded pieces) were made with only four (organic) ingredients, considerably fewer than most chocolate-covered fruits or nuts.

Aroma notes for this included: dark chocolate, cookie (chocolate cookie, Fig Newton*), and sweet and sour fruit (tart orange). 

The 70% dark chocolate exterior quickly dissolved into a chewy, tart, concentrated goldenberry flavor--a tartness that lingered into the finish. 

Goldenberries (Physalis peruviana) hail from South America and look a bit like yellow cherry tomatoes inside a pale-greenish, lantern-like husk. They are occasionally seen in grocery stores here in California. 

Those who like naturally sweet and sour flavors will enjoy this pop of authentic, concentrated yellow berry flavor that tastes like a cross between a golden raisin and a dried sweet cherry tomato.*

Ingredients: Organic goldenberries; Organic, Fairtrade cacao; Organic unrefined coconut sugar; Organic, Fairtrade cocoa butter.

Allergen-related information: "Contains coconut. May contain milk, peanuts, other tree nuts (almond, cashew, hazelnut, macadamia, pecan, pistachio, walnuts). Allergen cleans are made prior to production, but beware that product is produced using equipment that also processes tree nuts, soy, peanuts, milk and wheat."

*Also known as Inca berries, Peruvian ground cherries, poha berries and cape gooseberries, goldenberries are (like tomatoes) members of the nightshade family.

Cashew Butter + Pure Vanilla Bean (bar)

Hu's Organic 70% Cacao Dark Chocolate bar filled with cashew butter and vanilla bean seemed like a good companion chocolate for the company's dark chocolate covered goldenberries.

Aroma and flavor notes included dark chocolate and baked cookie (cashew + vanilla shortbread). The chocolate was relatively bold (very slightly earthy), yet smooth. 

The cashew butter filling added appealing, mild nutty flavor. And the vanilla bean contributed upbeat floral-spice warmth that one gets when catching a whiff of fresh baked cookies.

Altogether the 70% organic bar offered a healthy and authentic tasting trio of flavors, and complemented the tartness of its 70% organic chocolate-covered goldenberries sibling.

Ingredients: Organic, Fairtrade cacao; Organic, unrefined coconut sugar; Organic, Fairtrade cashew butter; Organic, Fairtrade vanilla bean; sea salt.

Allergen-related information: "Contains cashew and coconut. May contain almond, cashew, hazelnut, pistachio and dairy."

 

Zotter - Currant 'n' Chili (filled bar) - Jan. 14, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Zotter
Currant 'n' Chili (filled) bar
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 170 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $4.99 (sale) for 1 bar
Purchased from: zotter.com, online order

Welcome to Day #2 of Chocolate, Berries and Vanilla Theme Week.

Today's Currant 'n' Chili (filled) bar was made in Austria and distributed by Zotter Chocolates US LLC (Fort Myers, FL).

The company offers a wide variety of filled chocolate bars with thinly layered creative flavors, as well as single origin chocolate bars.

The relatively complex aroma of today's Currant 'n' Chili bar included: dark chocolate, roasted coffee (there was no actual coffee), slightly savory chili powder and salt, and very faint dried fruit (dark berry) and vanilla.

Soft layers revealed many flavors. The relatively thin, outer envelope of smooth dark chocolate had brownie and very light and balanced earth notes, and contributed a steady taste "center," while a cast of different, complementary, flavors took the stage: rich brown sugar, tart sweet berries (with imagined sweet, tart berry lemonade), very subtle chili blend with warm spice + very faint salt.

I enjoyed the layered, complex flavors in this Zotter filled bar. It was almost jammy fruit sweet, but the dark chocolate and chili-salt balanced out the sweetness. Bold, skillfully orchestrated, festive flavors in this creation offered a unique and delightful variation on the chocolate, berry and vanilla blends often found in bars and confections.

Ingredients: Organic, fair traded cane sugar; organic, fair traded cocoa mass; organic, fair traded cocoa butter; organic redcurrant concentrate; milk; organic glucose syrup; dry skim milk, dry whole milk, organic dried blackcurrants; dry sweet whey; organic, fair traded dark brown cane sugar; organic soy lecithin; organic vanilla bean powder; salt; organic chili ("bird's eye"), organic cinnamon. (85% organic)

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

Isey Skyr - Dark Chocolate and Vanilla Skyr - Dec. 13, 2022

Chocolate(s) of the Day

Isey Skyr
Dark Chocolate and Vanilla Skyr 
Good - Good +
Weight: 6 oz. (170 g.) in one container
Calories: 173 calories (estimate) in 1 container
Cost: 232 ISK (approx.) (145 ISK (Icelandic Kronur) = $1 USD)
Purchased from: Bonus (store), Reykjavik (Harbor area), Iceland 

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

Today's Dark Chocolate and Vanilla Skyr was from Isey Skyr (Reykjavik, Iceland).

Skyr is an Icelandic cultured dairy product that is high in protein. It is similar to Greek-style yogurt in the U.S., but it's less tart and has a thick, almost silky texture and creamy flavor. (The heirloom Icelandic cultures used to make skyr are said to date back several centuries.*)

I enjoyed the skyr offerings in Iceland--none more so than a bowl in a small restaurant in the middle of the countryside. After that experience, I bought four types of skyr for a side-by-side breakfast tasting--including this Isey Skyr single-serving container with chocolate.

This skyr (made with skimmed milk) was flavored with dark chocolate and vanilla. Small chocolate flavored pieces/flecks contributed light chocolate chip type flavor. And faint vanilla added warmth and implied sweetness.

 Overall, this skyr was creamy and smooth and not too sweet (thank you).

See the next two posts for the 2nd (lunch) and 3rd (dinner) chocolates I also enjoyed today (Dec. 13, 2022).

Ingredients: Skimmed milk, chocolate chips (3%) (cocoa, cocoa butter, sugar), corn starch, binder (pectin), flavoring, sweetener (sucralose, acesulfame-K), vanilla bean, skim bacteria.

Allergen-related information: Contains milk. Does not contain wheat. (Contains artificial sweeteners: sucralose, acesulfame-K.)

Note: This post was delayed due to international travel in Iceland and elsewhere.

* Isey Skyr uses the "original Icelandic skyr cultures from MS Iceland Dairies," a large dairy co-op with more than 500 farms.

Homemade - Chocolate Vanilla Rose Milk - Apr. 22, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Artisan Kettle Organic Chocolate

58% Cacao Organic Semisweet Chocolate Baking Bar
Good + 
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 4 oz. (113.5 g.) in total bar
Calories: 160 calories in 1 oz. (28.3 g.) (2 squares) 
Cost: $1.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's homemade chocolate, vanilla and rose milk beverage was based on squares of a 58% Organic Semisweet Chocolate Baking Bar--made for Artisan Kettle Organic Chocolate (Madison, WI). 

A few times a year I make/create homemade chocolate items (brownies, confections, desserts, beverages, entrees, side dishes, etc.). Today's beverage blend was one of those days. 

I used this relatively bold 58% Cacao Artisan Kettle Organic Chocolate to add rich flavor to a vanilla milk and rosewater beverage (fancy chocolate milk). 

I first gently heated Organic A2/A2 Vanilla Milk (whole milk) from Alexandre Family Farms (Crescent City, CA), and stirred in 2 squares of today's dark chocolate. After cooling and chilling this mixture (with one small, dried tart cherry), I stirred in several drops of rosewater before drinking. Because this was a relatively flavorful dark chocolate, I had to add a bit more milk as I went, so the rosewater would be detectable.

The chocolate (by itself) had faint warm spice (cinnamon) and vanilla-botanical (very faint green and floral botanical) notes and a rich, true chocolate (brownie) flavor. (Cacao source was identified as "small family-owned farms in South America" on packaging.)

This organic baking chocolate made for a good eating chocolate. After tasting this, I felt this would have been great for chocolate brownies with cinnamon. In fact, upon closer examination, the inner packaging included a recipe for "Artisan Kettle Mexican Hot Chocolate Spicy Brownies." This, intuitively, seemed like a great match with/for this chocolate.

Ingredients (in base chocolate used): Organic fair trade certified chocolate liquor, organic cane sugar, organic fair trade certified cocoa butter, organic fair trade certified cocoa butter, organic sunflower lecithin, organic vanilla extract.

Allergen-related information for all four ingredients used to make this homemade beverage. 

• Artisan Kettle 58% dark chocolate bar: "Manufactured in a peanut and tree nut free facility." (vegan, dairy free, soy free, nut free, gluten free, GMO free)
• Alexandre Family Farms Organic A2/A2 Vanilla Milk: Contains milk.
• Surabhi - Gulabjal Fresh Rose Water: (contains "preservative")
• 1 small dried tart cherry - left to infuse in the beverage blend overnight (contains sunflower oil)

Crow and Moss - Vanilla Smoke Chocolate 69% (bar) - Mar. 2, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Crow and Moss

Vanilla Smoke Chocolate 69% (bar)

Good +++

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

Calories: 150 calories in 1/2 bar

Cost: $9.25 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #10 of Chocolate and Spices Theme Weeks.

Today's Vanilla Smoke Chocolate 69% small batch (bar) was from Crow and Moss (Petoskey, MI).

This dark chocolate bar had a prominent vanilla aroma, and true to it's name, it had a balanced, subtle smokey fragrance and faint green floral notes.*

This well-tempered, bean-to-bar chocolate had smooth texture, an thick buttery melt, and a complex flavor bouquet that included dark chocolate, green, floral (white flowers), spice and faint, very slightly astringent tropical fruit and green notes (persimmon and green mango meet jasmine and orchid). 

Re-tasting this bar yielded even more subtley complex green notes (green tea, green-lemon herb (sorrel) and very faint and fleeting vegetable (Miner's Lettuce (Claytonia perfoliata) + baked potato). 

The faint (or perhaps implied) fruit note was difficult to nail down. Can a flavor come to life and refuse to be captured and fully analyzed? I was happy to chase this white (vanilla) rabbit through the hickory forest. 

I applaud the skills that went into melding the hickory-smoked cacao and vanilla bean together. Both these flavors stood proud and tall on their own; and the lovely nuances of each were highlighted and celebrated. There was also a barely detectable quantity of salt in this bar, that seemed just right.

Together, this pied piper of a partnership seemed to take flight. A sense of motion--an elegant flavor flux--created a highly satisfying ride, and kept me coming back for just one more piece. Nicely balanced, not too sweet. Highly complementary chocolate and vanilla flavors sparked a winter fire, while invisible grains of salt nodded in grounded approval, and floral notes looked at cherry trees blooming and whispered that spring is here.*

Maker's tasting notes: "We've taken whole vanilla beans and paired them with a hint of hickory smoked cacao and salt to create a fruity, floral twist with a nostalgic campfire finish."

Ingredients: "Cacao blend, organic cane sugar, vanilla beans, salt, hickory smoke."

Allergen-related information: "Processed in a facility that also handles nuts and dairy"

*I like floral, balanced umami and subtlely smokey and savory flavors in single origin chocolate. It's hard to find these flavors, and even harder to discover all these skillfully blended in one bar. Hats off that Cross and Moss makers for even attempting this bar when there are some critics who view umami, smokey (and, surprisingly, even floral) notes as possible "flaws" in cacao processing. Apologies: Happiness over this bar did lead to some wordy poetic celebration.

Hu Kitchen - Chocolate Covered Hunks, Cashew + Vanilla Bean - May 24, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Hu Products LLC
Chocolate Covered Hunks, Cashew + Vanilla Bean
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 2 oz. (56.6 g.) / 4 oz. (113 oz.) in total package
Calories: 340 calories in 2 servings
Cost: $6.49 for 1 package
Purchased from: Sprouts, Mountain View, CA 

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate and VWXYZ Theme Week, featuring chocolate items with origins or flavor inclusions that begin with the letters V, W, X, Y and/or Z.

Today's Cashew + Vanilla Bean Chocolate Covered Hunks were created by Hu Products LLC/ Hu Kitchen (Union Square, NYC, NY). 

Siblings, Jordan Brown and Jessica Karp, co-founded Hu Kitchen, a paleo-inspired restaurant in New York City. And together with Chairman and co-founder Jason Karp, the company expanded their line of chocolate bars, snacks, and other items.*

This yummy snack smelled sweet--thanks to the vanilla bean (and its implied warm, floral, spice promise of baked cakes and cookies, hot cocoa, etc.)--with notes of caramel cashew, chocolate and vanilla, and freshly baked cashew shortbread cookies. 

These chocolate covered nuts had a natural matte finish (no confectioners glaze). Don't let the short list of high-quality ingredients fool you though. This organic, vegan and paleo offering ticked every box on my "addictive chocolate snacks" checklist: authentic flavors, sweet (but not too sweet), salty (but not too salty), flavorful dark chocolate, roasted nuts, crunchy texture. So, don't be surprised if you suddenly find you've just eaten more than you thought.

Thank you Hu Kitchen for going the extra mile to make this high-end treat: 1.) the organic, house-ground 70% cacao-based, flavorful, velvety dark chocolate (that coated crunchy, nutty cashews) that had a trace of earthiness in the finish; 2.) the judicious amounts of vanilla bean and sea salt; 3.) the organic cashews; and the 4.) organic, unrefined coconut sugar which added a hint of warm, caramel flavor.

Ingredients: Organic cashews, organic cacao, organic unrefined coconut sugar, organic fair-trade cocoa butter, sea salt, organic vanilla bean. 

(Note: the company has said in the past that they purchase much of their cacao from the Dominican Republic and Bolivia. Cacao origin was not identified on the packaging for this offering.)

Allergen-related information: "Contains cashew and coconut. May contain almond and hazelnut. Allergen cleans are made prior to production, but beware that product is produced using equipment that also processes tree nuts, soy, peanuts, milk and wheat."

*In January 2021, snack food giant Mondelez International (that had taken a minority stake in the company in 2019) completed an acquisition of Hu Products.

Madre Chocolate - Coffee and Cardamom Lachua Guatemala dark (bar) + Horchata bar - Dec. 9, 2020

Chocolate(s) of the Day

Madre Chocolate
Coffee and Cardamom Lachua Guatemala dark chocolate (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.5 oz. (43 g.) in total bar
Calories: 228 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $8.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Madre Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #18 of Chocolate and Hawaii Theme Weeks, and Day #1 of Chocolate and Spices Theme Week. What better confluence of these two themes than these two bars featured today from Madre Chocolate (Honolulu, HI).

Madre's Chocolate Flavormeister, Dr. Nat Bletter, strikes one as a one part explorer and life-time learner, one part botanical mad scientist-genius (in the best possible meaning of this term); and, thankfully, he loves sharing information* (and chocolate) with all the rest of us. 

He has researched, cacao, fruits and other botanical ingredients in Hawaii (and around the world) for possible inclusion in Madre chocolate offerings. I'm sure he spent time researching and gathering each of the ingredients in these two bars.

This Coffee and Cardamom chocolate (bar #1 of 2 featured today) was a study in contrasts that held my interest. A creamy velvet, medium sweet but robust 60% dark chocolate base co-existed with crunchy, coarse-ground organic Chiapas coffee bean pieces. 

The relatively "whole" inclusions (coffee, vanilla and perhaps the cardamom) created layers of bold, unique flavors. And this layering tended to hold my attention more than having everything finely ground and homogenized. For example, the whole vanilla here did not taste like manufactured vanilla extract. And while it harmonized well with the other flavors, it also had its own distinct, floral, earthy notes. 

This was a meeting of big, authentic flavors and each deserved a turn in the spotlight. A good "wake up" bar.

Ingredients for Coffee and Cardamom bar: Cacao, organic sugar, organic cocoa butter, coffee, whole vanilla, organic cardamom.

Madre Chocolate
Horchata golden chocolate (bar) 
Good +
Weight: 1.5 oz. (43 g.) in total bar
Calories: 230 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $6.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Madre Chocolate, online order

This Horchata golden chocolate bar was "inspired by the popular Spanish and Mexican drink, horchata, made from rice milk, almonds, cinnamon, and vanilla."

Madre has fused these traditional horchata flavors with coconut--a taste I associate with Hawaii and, in recent years, with dairy-free bars. The aroma of this bar had coconut, spices, (cinnamon, chai), roasted, nutty and cocoa butter notes.

The bar's base had a smooth, rich melt and texture. This complemented the soft, chewy, quiet riot of flavorful bits on (and in) the bar that yielded a "white" chocolate with its own suave personality. 

Actually this bar was not "white." It was a lovely golden brown color. White chocolate is a name given to bars and confections made with cocoa butter (the creamy ivory-colored fat from cocoa beans), but without cocoa solids (that add much of the flavor and dark brown color to chocolate). But, it's not always that, well, black and white. As today's golden chocolate shows. There can be interesting shades in between.

Shout out to the perfectly roasted rice. This added an excellent flavor note that elevated the overall blend of  coconut and almond bits, and vanilla, cinnamon, and other ingredients.

Ingredients for Horchata bar: Organic Dominican cocoa butter, organic coconut, organic sugar, roasted rice, almonds, organic cinnamon, Mexican whole vanilla. 

Note: Madre makes chocolate bars in relatively small batches. Their bars may sell out; and they may or may not be available currently. Check their website (online) store for the current line-up.

*There are more cacao farm and chocolate tour options available in Hawaii now than when I started Chocolate Banquet many years ago. If you are visiting Hawaii, you might consider looking into one of Nat's cacao farm/botanical tours--and other farm tours that are now available. You'll gain a unique appreciation of how plants/cacao grow, how plants are made into offerings like chocolate, and why chocolates/foods taste the way they do. Not to mention all the love and hard work that go into these processes.

 

Haagen-Daza - Spirits Bourbon Vanilla Bean Truffle Ice Cream - Aug. 12, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Haagen-Dazs
Spirits - Bourbon Vanilla Bean Truffle Ice Cream
Good ++
Weight: 2/3 cup  (132 g.) / 14 fl. oz. (414 mL) in total container
Calories: 340 calories in 1 (2/3 cup) serving
Cost: $4.99 for 1 container
Purchased from: Piazza's Fine Foods, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's Spirits - Bourbon Vanilla Bean Truffle Ice Cream was from Haagen-Dazs* (Minneapolis, MN).

This ice cream, laced with soft bits of dark chocolate, had creamy rich texture and flavor with a hint of bourbon and vanilla. (Brown sugar, molasses, maple, vanilla bean and coconut oil also gave the taste some natural flavor depth.)

*The Haagen-Dazs ice cream brand originated with Reuben and Rose Mattus in Brooklyn Heights, New York, in 1961. The couple started with three flavors: vanilla, chocolate and coffee, and opened their first retail store in Brooklyn, NY, in 1976. 

The brand was acquired and is now associated with two larger corporations (Nestle and General Mills). Somehow, thankfully, against all odds, the ingredients list has for a growing number of ice cream flavors been kept relatively short, and is usually of a higher quality than most large brand name ice creams. (Haagen-Dazs is also one of the few brands that doesn't add a lot of vegetable gums. Thank you!)

Unilever - Magnum Dark Chocolate ice cream bars - Mar. 22, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Unilever
Magnum Dark ice cream bars
Good+
Weight: 3.38 fl. oz. (100 mL) / 10.14 fl. oz. (300 mL) in total box of 3 bars
Calories: 240 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $3.99 (estimate) for 1 box of 3 bars
Purchased from: Safeway, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate and Ice Cream Bar theme week.

This week the focus is on ice cream bars from larger companies. (Smaller production run ice cream bars and paletas from local artisans will have their own week later this year.)

Large or small, companies need to make bars that won't fall apart, and that also taste good. The chocolate coating on an ice cream bar needs to be not too hard or stiff, but not too soft either. Ice cream needs to stay creamy and flavorful and not become granular if temperatures fluctuate.

Unilever (Englewood Cliffs, NJ) now owns several large ice cream brands (including Magnum) in the U.S., and has experience with these challenges. Today's Magnum Dark Chocolate bar was one of the original member of an expanding family of Magnum ice cream bars.

One can almost see and taste the evolution of this line of ice cream bars. For example, at some point several years ago, someone must have been asking: How do you take a plain, standard vanilla ice cream bar vanilla bean ice cream dipped in chocolate and make it more appealing to higher-end consumers?

Today's bar, enveloped in a golden wrapper, uses quality vanilla and chocolate: 60% cacao Belgian Chocolate, and Rainforest Certified cocoa and vanilla—not something you'd see with less expensive bars. The chocolate tasted a bit better than most chocolatey coatings  out there and the vanilla ice cream did as well.

Natural flavors and coloring agents have improved. Now, if there was a way to magically get rid of some of the additives* that seem to be in most ice cream bars, that would be a true leap forward.

*Additives include mono and diglycerides, locust bean gum, guar gum, carrageenan, and PGPR (emulsifiers).

Trader Joe's - Buttercream Truffles - Mar. 12, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Trader Joe's
Buttercream Truffles
Good
Weight: 1.2 oz. (33.75 g.) / 1.6 oz. (45 g.) in box of 4 truffles
Calories: 405 calories for 3 truffles
Cost: $1.49 for 1 box of 4 truffles
Purchased from: Trader Joe's

Welcome to Day #2 of Chocolate and STUVWXYZ Theme Week. Today we've moved on to the letter "t"—as in truffles.

This attractively designed box of 4 Buttercream Truffles was made for Trader Joe's (Monrovia, CA) for the holidays.* The truffles were a product of Belgium.


The white buttercream filling inside these velvety, dome-shaped truffles presented a visual contrast to the cocoa-dusted milk chocolate exterior, and was flavored with Madagascar vanilla bean.


Note: These 4-piece truffle gift boxes were available for the holiday season, and may no longer be available.

Theo Chocolate - Forbidden Rice bar - July 16, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

Theo Chocolate, Inc.
Forbidden Rice bar
Good
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 132 calories (estimate per label) in 1 oz. piece of bar
Cost: $3.29 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Whole Foods Market, Los Altos, CA

Today was Day #2 of Chocolate, Grains and Grasses Theme Week.

The Forbidden Rice Limited Edition bar from Theo Chocolate, Inc. (Seattle, WA) was a 65% dark chocolate bar with Lotus Foods organic Forbidden Rice, a "deep purple, iron-rich ancient grain fabled to ensure longevity."

The bar had a sweet, pleasant chocolate malt aroma. It was fun to taste what black puffed rice tasted like. The taste of this bar was interesting but had a slightly bitter flavor note. It was difficult to know if this was due to the mix of rice and puffed quinoa, or one or both of these additions interacting with the chocolate and/or vanilla beans.

The packaging was adorned with an attractive Art Nouveau style illustration of the Goddess of the Harvest.

Alas, this Limited Edition bar may no longer be available; however, I did see another Limited Edition bar -- a Quinoa Coconut bar -- on the Theo Chocolate website, that would have fit right in also with this week's theme, as a bar with a grain-alternative.