Qantu - Ho Ho Ho! 45% (bar) & SOMA Ginger Milk Pudding (bar) - Jan. 26, 2026

Chocolate(s) of the Day

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate, Warm Spices & Maple Theme Week.

Today's two winter holiday bars were from chocolate makers in Canada (Montreal and Toronto, respectively) -- where chocolates (hot and cold) bring warmth.

1.) 45% dark milk chocolate with black walnuts and cranberries from Christmas (last month)

2.) White chocolate ginger milk pudding--in time for Chinese New Year (next month) 

Qantu 
Ho Ho Ho! 45% Chocolat au Lait, Noix de noyer noir, Atoca (tablette)
(45% Milk Chocolate, Black Walnut, Cranberries (bar))
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 306 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $18.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar & Cocoa, online order 

This bar was made by Qantu Cacao et Chocolat Inc (Montreal, QC, Canada), using white cacao (beans) from Piura, Peru.

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate, dried fruits (cranberries, currants); very slight bitter/earthy nuts (walnuts); and very faint spices and maple, and barely there black olive (likely from the black walnut).

Texture: smooth dark chocolate interspersed with chewy, dried cranberries and embedded walnut pieces.

Flavor notes included: rich blend of dark chocolate, dried cranberry and black walnut. The rich flavors lingered into a pleasing finish.

This well-balanced and well-executed bar exceeded my expectations. The black walnut added elegant complexity and complementary dark notes--making this 45% dark milk fudge-y chocolate seem darker than it was (more like a 65% bar). These darker cacao and nut notes complemented the dried cranberry very well. Neither fruit nor chocolate was too sweet. 

As a dark chocolate fan I found this 45% cacao seasonal bar to be right in the Goldilocks zone -- just right. I hope Qantu will offer this bar again in the future.

This dark walnut and cranberry bar was also a great pairing with today's second chocolate: a Ginger Milk pudding (white chocolate) bar.

Qantu Maker's Tasting Notes: "Ice Cider, creme brulee, fudge"

Ingredients: "cane sugar, black walnut, cocoa beans, whole milk powder, cocoa butter, dried cranberries"

Allergen-related information: "Contains milk and nuts"

SOMA chocolatemaker

Ginger Milk Pudding (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.166 oz. (33 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 200 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar & Cocoa, online order

Today's Ginger Milk Pudding (bar) from SOMA chocolatemaker (Toronto, ON, Canada) was inspired by a warm dessert from Southern China (Guangdong Province). 

Ginger milk pudding (aka ginger milk curd)* is popular in Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Foshan and other cities. It's typically made from a short list of ingredients: milk, ginger juice and sugar.

Aroma notes for this (white chocolate) bar included: milky pudding infused with mild, aromatic ginger.

Texture: smooth and creamy with softly chewy pieces of candied ginger.

I enjoyed this rich creamy white chocolate enlivened with tiny cubes of sassy, warm and spicy candied ginger. Loved the punch of the sweet, authentic ginger and the short list of just four ingredients. A great homage to Ginger Milk Pudding.*

SOMA tasting notes/description: "...peppery and spicy, with a custardy cream melt"

Ingredients: "Cacao Butter, Milk Powder, Organic Cane Sugar, Ginger"

Allergen-related information: Contains Milk. "May contain traces of peanuts, tree nuts, and wheat."

*SOMA kindly added a note about ginger milk pudding (that, made correctly, will not curdle but rather will thicken and resolve into a dessert with a creamy pudding-like texture). 

"..The magic comes from a bit of science--when ginger juice and warm milk are mixed, the enzymes and proteins react to create an impossibly delicate, silky-smooth curd that eats like a dream..."

Marana - Chocotejas Guindon (Dry Plum), Lucuma y Nuez (Lucuma & Walnut); Sugar Plums - Nov. 25, 2023

Chocolate(s) of the Day

Marana Craft Chocolate

1.) Chocotejas - Guindon (Dry Plum)
Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) / 17.82 oz. (504 g.) in total box of 18
Calories: 145 calories in 1 piece 
Cost: $52.00 for 1 box of 18 pieces (6 flavors)
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

2.) Chocotejas - Lucuma y Nuez (Lucuma and Walnut)
Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) / 17.82 oz. (504 g.) in total box of 18
Calories: 145 calories in 1 piece
Cost: $52.00 for 1 box of 18 pieces (6 flavors)
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order?

3.) Andy's Orchard 
Sugar Plums
Good ++
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42.45 g.) (estimate) /9 oz. (estimate) for box of 6
Calories: (No information listed)
Cost: $24.00 for 1 box 
Purchased from: Andy's Orchard, Morgan Hill, CA

4.) Brandy cherries with cinnamon, cocoa
(Small batch - homemade)

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate and Cherries Theme Week. Today's four items featured holiday fruit (including cherries) and nut blends with chocolate(s).

Today's bountiful chocolate plate was heaped with two special Peruvian chocotejas confections: (1.) Dry Plum and 2.) Lucuma and Walnut) from Marana Craft Chocolate (Lima, Peru); 3.) "Sugar Plums" (with cherries and walnuts) from Andy's Orchard (Morgan Hill, CA); and 4.) homemade brandied cherries with cinnamon and cocoa.

Marana - Guindon (Dry Plum)
Aroma notes for this large, individually-wrapped, Peruvian bon bon included: dark chocolate and a complex, savory-sweet plum sauce (sweet and lightly salted plum, tomato cream sauce).

This substantial, filled confection's flavor notes included: rich, naturally sweet dark chocolate; and a diffuse blend of very faint salt brown sugar caramel and dried fruit (very lightly salted plum, then a deep dive into moist, delicious prune) that blended with the pieces of melting dark chocolate outer coating.

The moist prunes (dry plums) rocketed me back to childhood memories of Bee Ritchie's chocolate-covered prunes--from the formerly agricultural fruit basket region in the San Francisco Bay Area (South Bay).*  Dark chocolate with dry/dried stone fruit: a robust flavor blend.

Marana - Lucuma y Nuez (Lucuma and Walnut)

Aroma notes for this generously sized confection included: dark chocolate, botanical and rich nut (sweet green walnut, maple-like syrup), and very faint tart green-lemony herb (oxalis, wood sorrel, sour grass).

A creamy, rich, dark chocolate shell surrounded a soft fudge like center with large pieces of soft walnut. Flavor notes included: dark chocolate; brown sugar; faint dried fruit (fig); diffuse, sweet botanical; light caramel; and subtle, authentic walnut.

Andy's Orchard - Sugar Plums

Andy Mariani knows fruit; and his fruit orchard is one of the last of its kind in Santa Clara County. Perhaps best known for their Blenheim Apricots, the company's small orchard-adjacent store also stocks seasonal favorites, like today's wooden box of gold foil-wrapped "Sugar Plums" dried fruit and nut holiday confections.

Moist, tart sweet apricot layered over a plum, was topped with a layer of chopped walnuts and almonds and candied cherry. Sorry cherry, the apricot stole the show.

These Sugar Plums did not contain chocolate but were paired with chocolate(s). 

Homemade Brandied Cherries

Not much to say other than these cherries, soaked in brandy with a pinch of cinnamon and cocoa powder, can be a nice, rich addition to a holiday table or dessert. The alcohol in the brandy evaporates over time and some residual flavor remains.

*In the 1900s, Silicon Valley was known as the Valley of Heart's Delight. Gone are 90%+ of all those apricot, cherry, plum, walnut and almond orchards--replaced by office/technology buildings and homes. Happily Andy's Orchard is one of the few places one can still find chocolate-covered, locally-grown fruits in the South Bay/Santa Clara County.

 

Vosges - Parmesan Walnut and Fig 67% Cacao (bar) - June 7, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Vosges IP, LLC
Parmesan Walnut and Fig 67% Cacao (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 140 calories in 1/3 bar
Cost: $9.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Vosges website, online order

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

Today's Parmesan Walnut and Fig 67% Cacao (bar) was created by Vosges IP, LLC (Chicago, IL).

Aroma notes included: chocolate, faint dried fruit, saltines (crackers) and nuts.

As with yesterday's Vosges 45% Cheddar and Apple chocolate bar, today's 67% aged Parmigiano Reggiano, California walnut and Turkish fig chocolate was smooth with a soft crunch. Particles of authentic cheese and dried fruit items were fully incorporated into a chocolate base.

Flavor notes included sweet dark chocolate, parmesan cheese, walnuts and dried fruit (figs). Very subtle spices (salt, pepper, peppercorns) rounded out this savory chocolate blend.

The complexity was enjoyable, flavors were well balanced and this chocolate was not too sweet (thank you!).

Hats off to Vosges for continuing to create new and wonderful flavor combinations, including a line of chocolates blended with cheeses (parmesan, cheddar, manchego, other). Some of these "cheese" bars also have fruits and/or nuts. 

I love sampling savory chocolate flavors, and creating chocolate and cheese pairings. Blends like this are hard to find.

Ingredients: Bittersweet chocolate (unsweetened chocolate, cane sugar, cocoa butter, vanilla bean seeds), chocolate (unsweetened chocolate, cane sugar, cocoa butter, vanilla bean seeds), walnuts, dried figs, parmesan cheese (raw milk, rennet, salt enzymes), sea salt, pepper, pink peppercorns.

Allergen-related information: Contains milk, walnuts. "Processed on equipment that also processes milk, soy, wheat, eggs, peanuts and tree nuts."

 

Whole Foods - 70% Dark Chocolate Walnuts - May 8, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

Whole Foods
70% Dark Chocolate Walnuts
Good +
Weight: 2.5 oz. (71 g.) / 10 oz. (284 g.) in total container
Calories: 375 calories (estimate) in 1/4 container
Cost: $7.99 for 1 container
Purchased from: Whole Foods Market, Los Altos, CA

Today was Day #3 of Chocolate and Walnut Theme Week.

Immersing walnut halves in dark chocolate is a simple and direct way to enjoy this bittersweet combination.

These glossy, generously sized 70% Dark Chocolate Walnuts from Whole Foods Market (Austin, TX) were surrounded by a generous coating of smooth dark chocolate. The soft crunchy walnuts inside tasted fresh and added satisfying nutty texture.

Julian Bakery - Paleo Ecuador bar - May 7, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

Julian Bakery
Paleo Chocolate Ecuador 82% bar
Good
Weight: 1.125 oz. (32 g.) / 2.25 oz. (64 g.) total bar
Calories: 120 calories (estimate) for 1/2 bar
Cost: $4.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Sprouts Farmers Market, Mountain View, CA

Today was Day #2 of Chocolate and Walnut Theme Week.

Today's single origin Paleo Chocolate Ecuador bar from Julian Bakery, Inc. (Oceanside, CA) didn't contain any walnuts, but the tasting notes did. The description read: "Hints of Walnut, Banana and Toffee."

Julian Bakery is to be commended for creating several paleo chocolate (and other food) offerings -- that are lower in certain sugars and carbohydrates, and made from relatively unadulterated ingredients. For example, there was no added soy or other lecithin or preservatives added to this bar.

This 82% cacao, dairy-, soy- and gluten-free, stevia*-sweetened bar was bittersweet. The erythritol, stevia and vanilla bean made it difficult to taste the precise nuances of the underlying cacao, and may have contributed to a slight bitter note (also a common aftertaste in walnuts, in part due to beneficial phenolic acids, tannins and other substances/flavonoids/anti-oxidants).

This chocolate was also undeniably sweet, with a hint of banana-floral-marshmallow taste and texture (sometimes associated with some Ecuador cacao). You'll definitely get a sweet fix, for fewer calories and less sugar with this bar.

*Stevia is a great plant-based natural sweetener, but can be challenging to work with re: flavor profile.

Cabruca - Banana-Walnut Brigadeiro Truffle - April 15, 2015

Chocolate of the Day:

Cabruca Chocolates
Banana-Walnut Brigadeiro Truffles
Good ++
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42.45 g.) (estimate) in 2 pieces
Calories: 225 calories (estimate) in 2 pieces
Cost: $34.00 for 15-piece assortment box  (includes shipping)
Purchased from: Cabruca Chocolates, online order

Today's Banana-Walnut Brigadeiro Truffles were the last in a series of Brazil-inspired chocolates from Cabruca Chocolates (Winchester, OR).

Juliana Bounds, who grew up in Brazil, created this piece that she described as a: "Dark chocolate with caramelized bananas, cinnamon and walnut-cocoa pralines; Sprinkled with cinnamon sugar."

The walnut and banana flavors were subtle, and the hint of cinnamon created a slight warmth. I feel I have a much better understanding of Brigadeiro chocolates after working my way through this dark chocolate assortment this week. Thank you Juliana!

Today was Day #8 of Chocolate and Brazil Theme Weeks.

Odwalla - Dark Chocolate Chip Walnut bar - January 10, 2013

Chocolate of the Day: 

Odwalla, Inc.
Dark Chocolate Chip Walnut - Fiber Bar
Good
Weight: 2 oz. (56 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 220 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $0.99
Purchased from: Miki's Farm Fresh Market, Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #3 of Chocolate, Seeds and Berries Theme Week. Featured in an all California product line-up today: Dark Chocolate Chip Walnut Fiber Bar from Odwalla, Inc. (Half Moon Bay, CA, with a plant in Dinuba, CA). Also included today as a companion dish: a raspberry yogurt sundae.

The Odwalla fiber bar was "made with fruit and whole cereal grains." The good news for those eating gluten free: no wheat or barley. The bar is made with plenty of oats (rolled oats, oat fiber, organic oat flour); and it contains flaxseed, as well as plum and date purees. I found it to be chewy, without being too dry.

The semisweet chocolate chips took a backseat to the other flavors and textures, which was fine in this case. I enjoyed the fact that the bar was not overly sweet (not too much brown rice syrup). The fiber in the oats left me feeling satisfied.

Thank you to Odwalla for their "No GMO" choice on this bar, and for including organic fruits and grains where possible (36% organic ingredients in this bar).

As a complement to this dark chocolate chip bar, I enjoyed a Straus organic, nonfat Greek yogurt sundae -- topped with organic Seedless Red Raspberry (gluten-free) fruit spread from Santa Cruz Organics and a few organic, fresh red raspberries. Who says healthy food doesn't taste good?

Note: Odwalla also produces a Berries GoMega juice smoothie, with Omega 3 from flaxseed, (and a Berries GoMega bar), that would be berry nice companion(s) to the Dark Chocolate Chip Walnut bar.

ChocolateBet: November 29, 2010

Chocolate(s) of the Day:
2 pieces
Moonstruck Chocolatier/Moonstruck Chocolate Co.
From 6-piece Flavors of Fall Collection box

1.) Maple Walnut Mousse Truffle
Good + - Very Good
Weight: .515 oz. (14.6 g.) / 3.09 oz. (88 g.) total 6-piece box
Calories: 75 calories

Cost: $16.99 for total 6-piece box

Purchased from: Draegers, in San Mateo, CA

2.) Pfeffernusse Spice Truffle
Good
Weight: .515 oz. (14.6 g.) / 3.09 oz. (88 g.) total 6-piece box
Calories: 75 calories
Cost: $16.99 for total 6-piece box
Purchased from: Draegers, in San Mateo, CA

The Maple Walnut Mousse Truffle was very attractive -- a perfect half walnut, perched on top of a molded chocolate, realistic-looking walnut half shell. And the maple filling blended well with both of these other elements.

I was less sure about the Pfeffernusse Spice Truffle. This acorn-shaped, all-chocolate truffle, was decorated with tiny chocolate pieces (dark vermicelli) at one end; and the chocolate filling was flavored with a spice combination that may have included cloves and black pepper. However, I am not familiar enough with Pfeffernusse items to judge whether it tasted "authentic" or not.

Today was Day #6 of Chocolate and Fall Flavors Theme Week.

ChocolateBet: August 26, 2009

Chocolate of the Day:

1 bar
Weil by Nature's Path (Organic)
Chocolada Walnut
Good +
Weight: 1.6 oz. (45 g.)
Calories: 190 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $3.58 ($3.29 + NYC tax)
Purchased from: Cibo Market, JFK Airport, New York

The Chocolada Walnut bar label stated that it was organic, vegan, and had no added sugars or artificial ingredients or GMOs. This bar from Nature's Path (Blaine, WA), co-branded/adorned with a photo of health guru Andrew Weil, certainly tasted healthy.

The faint, not unpleasant, fermented fruit flavor I tasted may have resulted from my traveling with this bar across country during hot weather, or it could have been the natural flavor of the dried fruit. I couldn't taste the walnuts; the almond and walnut bits were finely chopped and well mixed into this dark cocoa-colored bar.

ChocolateBet: January 3, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:

1 piece
Godiva

Maple Walnut truffle

Very Good

Wt: .5 oz. (14.1 g.) (estimate)

Calories: ?

$ 0 (gift)

Purchased/sent from: Godiva online