Cluizel Paris - Ourson Guimauve Orange & Cannelle Marshmallow Bear - June 7, 2026

Chocolate of the Day

Cluizel
Ourson Guimauve Orange & Cannelle Marshmallow Bear
Good ++ 
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bear
Calories: 191 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bear
Cost: $16.00 for 1 bear
Purchased from: Bar & Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate & Bears Theme Week. 

Today's Ourson Guimauve Orange & Cannelle (Orange & Cinnamon) Marshmallow Bear was from Cluizel (Paris, France).

This little French bear was last seen (in one piece) in my house in California this morning. By evening, only the memory of chocolate, bergamot orange and cinnamon remained. Quel dommage. (What a shame.)

Aroma and flavor notes for this dark chocolate coated marshmallow confection included: subtle dark chocolate, very slightly bitter (bergamot) orange and warm cinnamon and sweet marshmallow.

Texture: a thin layer of smooth dark chocolate surrounded a fluffy, very slightly chewy marshmallow filling 

Ingredients: Sugar, Cocoa Bean, Water, Glucose Syrup, Inverted Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Setting Agent (bovine gelatin), Orange for decoration, Bergamot Powder, Emulsifier (rapeseed lecithin), Cinnamon, Bourbon Vanilla Pod. 

Allergen-related information: "May contain traces of shelled tree nuts, milk, gluten"

Harbor Sweets - Dark Chocolate Lobster - Aug. 28, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Harbor Sweets
Dark Chocolate Lobster
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 3.32 oz. (94 g.) in 1 lobster
Calories: 480 calories (estimate) in 1 lobster
Cost: $13.95 (+ shipping) for 1 lobster
Purchased from: Harbor Sweets, online order

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate and The Sea Theme Week, including craft chocolate bars and a few novelty sea-themed chocolates.

Today's Dark Chocolate Lobster was from Harbor Sweets (Salem, MA). The company offers a variety of sea-themed chocolate confections.

Aroma and flavor notes for this generously-sized, dark chocolate replica of a salt water crustacean included: deep, dark, fudge-y chocolate (dark chocolate candy, dark chocolate syrup), very slightly smoke-y vanilla, and very faint caramel and nut notes.

The dark chocolate had a uniform texture and flavor, and was interspersed with soft and slightly crunchy elements. Embedded in the solid chocolate center there were pieces of caramel with pecan, toasted almonds, and "almond buttercrunch toffee."

This lobster was sweet, but not ultra-sweet (thank you). The dark chocolate had a little roasted oomph and vanilla to it, and wasn't too bitter. (The cocoa used was alkalized, to control acidity and bitterness. This relatively common process is used to tame dark chocolates and mellow hot cocoa mixes, especially if some of the cacao is not of the highest quality.)*

I enjoyed the realistic lobster shape, posing this on a plate with garnishes, and the fact that I didn't have to drop a real live lobster in a pot (a traumatic childhood experience for me) to imagine this wondrous creature roaming around the sea bottom. 

I was less fond of the additives and emulsifiers in the ingredient list. (But the touch of honey was nice.)

Ingredients: Dark Chocolate (Sugar, Chocolate Liquor processed with Alkali, Chocolate Liquor, Cocoa Butter, Butterfat (Milk), Soy Lecithin, Vanilla), Sugar, Butter (Cream (Milk), Salt), Pecans, Almonds, Cream (Light Cream and Disodium Phosphate), Tapioca Syrup (Tapioca Starch), Evaporated Milk (Milk, 0.5% or less of: Dipotassium Phosphate, Carrageenan, Vitamin D3), Light Brown Sugar, Wildflower Honey, Vanilla, Salt, Soy Lecithin, Baking Soda. 

Allergen-related information: Contains Milk, Almonds, Pecans and Soy. This product is prepared in a facility that handles soy, milk, peanuts, wheat, tree nuts and sesame.

*People often ask me why they should spend $13 on a bar of chocolate. In today's case, you're paying for the novelty shape, and 94 grams  (a lot) of chocolate. 

Taste a few single origin dark bars (made with just two ingredients) side-by-side with dark chocolate blends that have been more highly processed, and contain emulsifiers, additives and preservatives, and let me know if you can tell the difference.