Mayana - Spring Passion Bar - Aug. 2, 2026

Chocolate of The Day

Mayana Chocolate
Spring Passion Bar
Good ++
Weight: 1.4 oz. (40 g.) in total bar
Calories: 200 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $4.29 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Whole Foods, Cupertino, CA 

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate & Passion Fruit Theme Week.

Today's Spring Passion Bar was from Mayana Chocolate (Spooner, WI).

Aroma and flavor notes included: chocolate, authentic-tasting, tart-sweet passion fruit + buttery, slightly salted caramel, faint vanilla and sweet marshmallow. 

A generous layer of passion fruit-infused caramel was topped with a layer of soft, pillow-y marshmallow; and these two layers were enrobed in a chocolate shell to form a finished filled chocolate bar.

I enjoyed the soft, almost silken texture of the caramel, the slight crackle-crunch of the chocolate shell when I bit into it; and the very attractive and authentic passion fruit flavor.

Ingredients: Dark chocolate (Cocoa liquor, sugar, cocoa butter, sunflower/soy lecithin, natural vanilla, glucose syrup, sugar, heavy cream, butter (cream, salt), passion fruit puree, dextrose, sea salt, gelatin, passionfruit powder, lime powder, passion fruit extract).

Allergen-related information: "Contains Milk & soy. May contain: Traces of tree nuts, peanuts, eggs & wheat."

Stoked Chocolates - Maverick's Crunch Dark Chocolate Longboard (bar) - July 18, 2026

Chocolate of the Day

Stoked Chocolates
Maverick's Crunch Dark Chocolate Longboard (bar)
Good ++
Weight: .66 oz. (18.6 g.) / (2 oz. (56 g.) in total bar
Calories: 90 calories in 1/3 bar
Cost: $50.00 for 4-bar Gift Set

Purchased from: Stoked Chocolates, online order

Welcome to Day #13 of Chocolate and Water Theme Week. 

Today's Maverick's Crunch Dark Chocolate Longboard (bar) was from Stoked Chocolates (Hermosa Beach, CA). The company offers several surf-themed chocolates, including at least 4 different "longboard" (surfboard) shaped bars. 

Aroma and flavor notes included: smooth dark chocolate; light vanilla and sea salt; chocolate-y cacao nibs, puffed quinoa and popping candy -- the latter three being identifiable by their festive textures.

I enjoyed the packaging*, the longboard shape* of this chocolate bar and the blend of chocolate-y and crunchy ingredients that harmonized very nicely together. The sea salt balanced the sweetness. 

Ingredients: "Unsweetened Chocolate, Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Soy Lecithin, Natural Vanilla Flavor, Organic Puffed Quinoa, Lactose (milk), Corn syrup, Carbon Dioxide, Cacao Nibs, Sea Salt, Natural Colorants."

Allergen-related information: Contains Lactose (milk sugar). Made in a facility that processes nuts.

*The packaging artwork was by Amanda Davidson, and the longboard bars were "shaped by Barahona Surfboards" (a crafted-by-hand local maker--and repairer--of longboards) in Hermosa Beach, CA)

Rawmio - Hazelnut Quinoa Crunch Dairy Free Oat Milk Chocolate with Puffed Quinoa, Salt (bar) - Mar. 11, 2026

Chocolate of the Day

Rawmio 
Hazelnut Quinoa Crunch - Dairy Free Oat Milk chocolate with Puffed Quinoa, Sea Salt (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.12 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 180 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $ Missing information
Purchased from: Country Sun Natural Foods, Palo Alto, CA 

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate, Pistachios, Hazelnuts & Almonds Theme Week.

Today's Rawmio Hazelnut Quinoa Crunch - Dairy Free Oat Milk chocolate with Puffed Quinoa, Sea Salt (bar) was made by Windy City Organics, LLC (Northbrook, IL). 

This family-owned company got its start back in 2003 with an interest in raw/minimally processed cacao chocolate and healthy ingredients in mind, and offers several small-batch bars made with stoneground cacao chocolate. They source much of their fairly traded cacao from farmers in Peru.

Aroma and flavor notes included: smooth dark chocolate, nut, coconut/brown sugar, faint toffee, vanilla and malt. I like salt with nuts and chocolate, so I enjoyed the relatively generous dose of sea salt.

Texture: smooth dark milk chocolate, crunchy quinoa, with soft crunchy whole hazelnuts

I liked that I couldn't taste the oats (oat milk).* balance? sweetness level? use of organic ingredients/organic certified? 

I enjoyed the blend of textures and the tiny crunchy quinoa bits in every bite. And I appreciated the choice of organic and fairly traded ingredients and the lack of emulsifiers.

Ingredients: Oat Milk Chocolate* (Raw Cacao Butter*, Coconut Sugar*, Raw Cacao Nibs*, Oat Milk Powder*, Lucuma Powder*, Vanilla Bean Powder*, Sea Salt), Toasted Hazelnuts*, Puffed Quinoa*, Celtic Sea Salt (* Certified Organic)

Allergen-related information: Contains hazelnuts. Crafted in a facility that also handles Tree Nuts and Sesame but does not process any soy, dairy, or gluten. May contain naturally occurring shell and pit fragments.

*Nothing personal about oat milk; but I'm not always a fan of oat-y texture or flavor in chocolates. Happily there are now several good oat milk chocolates. That wasn't always the case a decade ago.

Sted Foods - Peppermint Candy Cane 50% Dark Milk Chocolate bar - Feb. 20, 2026

Chocolate of the Day

Sted Foods
Peppermint Candy Cane 50% Dark Milk Chocolate (Seasonal)
Good ++
Weight: .5 oz. (14.1 g.) / 5 oz. (141.5 g.) in pack of 10 small bars
Calories: 78 calories (estimate) in 1 small bar
Cost: $23.00 for pack of 10 small bars 
Purchased from: Sted Foods, online order

Welcome to Day #2 of Chocolate & Mint Theme Week.

Today's Sted Foods Peppermint Candy Cane 50% Dark Milk Chocolate bar was made by TC Foods, LLC (Fergus Falls, MN).

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate and mint/peppermint.

Texture: smooth, creamy dark chocolate with tiny, crunchy, peppermint candy bits. 

Flavor notes included: rich, flavorful and smooth, chocolate-y, dark milk chocolate--matched with just the right amount of authentic-tasting peppermint. This 50% cacao chocolate was sweet, but without being overly so--even though we tiptoed back into December candy cane territory.

I liked being able to share bars from this pack of 10 small peppermint candy cane bars over the winter holidays. And today I enjoyed this cheerful mint mini bar myself on a cold, crisp day.

Thank you to Sted Foods for their choice of quality/natural and organic ingredients.

Ingredients: organic cocoa beans, organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter, organic whole milk powder, organic peppermint candy (organic cane sugar, organic brown rice syrup, natural peppermint flavor, organic vegetable and fruit concentrate for color (radish, apple and black currant).

Allergen-related information: Contains Milk. "Made in a facility that uses sesame seeds, pecans, almonds, coconut, cashews, hazelnuts, and milk."

Eigen Chocolate - Peppermint Chocolate Seasonal Swirl Bar - Feb. 19, 2026

Chocolate of the Day

Eigen Chocolate
Peppermint Chocolate Seasonal Swirl Bar
Good ++ 
Weight: 1.74 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 270 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $12.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar & Cocoa, online order 

Welcome to Day #1 of Chocolate & Mint Theme Week.

Today's Peppermint Chocolate Seasonal Swirl Bar was from Eigen Chocolate (High Point, NC).

Aroma notes for this attractive bar included: sweet and aromatic mint (think of your favorite dark chocolate peppermint cups/candies) with subtle dark chocolate.

Texture: smooth, almost buttery, with a thick melt and mouthfeel in a cool room.

Flavor notes included: pleasantly minty, smooth chocolate. This bar was not labeled "dark" chocolate, but it had a nice, mild dark flavor.

I was impressed with this well-executed chocolate.  The oats were smoothly incorporated (no oat grit/odd texture), helped balance the mint and chocolate, and created a lovely swirl pattern with the dark chocolate on the back side of the bar. (The front side was molded to create a hexagonal shaped (honeycomb) pattern.)

The touch of vanilla seemed just right: it added a bit of warmth, but wasn't too much.

I appreciated the makers' short list of organic and higher-quality ingredients.

Maker's tasting notes: "Cocoa, Mint, Cream"

Ingredients: Cacao, cocoa butter*, cane sugar*, gluten free oats*, Madagascar vanilla, peppermint oil (* = Organic)

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

Chocolate Spiel - Peanut Butter (bar) - Feb. 22, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Chocolate Spiel
Peanut Butter (bar) 
Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (27 g.) in total bar
Calories: 155 calories (estimate) for 1 bar
Cost: $8.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Spiel, online order 

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

Today's Peanut Butter (bar) was from Chocolate Spiel (Edmonds/Seattle, WA). 

Aroma notes included: subtle milk chocolate and nut (peanut). (Note: there were no milk ingredients listed.)

Texture: creamy, uniform melt and mouthfeel with soft nuttiness from peanut halves.

Flavor notes included: smooth, creamy dark chocolate with smooth creamy peanut butter and softly crunchy peanuts. The flavors in this bar were closest to peanut butter cup flavors so far this week -- without the extra sugar, salt or emulsifiers. 

I liked the near perfect, classic blend of peanuts and smooth dark chocolate in this bar. Not ultra sweet (thank you). It was just right for me (a dark chocolate lover).

The painted (colored cocoa butter) dotted patterns on this bar created a festive, upbeat visual appearance.

Ingredients: "cocoa, peanuts, sugar, cocoa butter, colored cocoa butter (yellow 5)."

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

Fjak Chocolate - Limited Edition - Glogg (Mulled Wine) (bar) - Jan. 8, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Fjak Chocolate AS
Limited Edition - Glogg (Mulled Wine) (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 2.11 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 352 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $15.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order 

Welcome to Day #14 of Chocolate, Tea, Herbs and Spices Theme Week(s).

Today's Limited Edition - Glogg (Mulled Wine) (bar) was from Fjak Chocolate AS (Eidfjord, Hardangerfjord, Norway).

Crafted in Norway, Fjak's small batch chocolates often include Nordic/European and seasonal flavor inclusions. 

Aroma and flavor notes for this mulled wine bar included: sweet dark chocolate and red fruit (red wine, red grape juice) infused with citrus (orange), apple, and a warm spice blend.

This was a festive and relatively addictive chocolate, that I found very satisfying after being outdoors on a winter day. I paired this chocolate with a hot cup of Wild Sweet Orange tea from Tazo Tea Company.

The interplay of sweet yet sophisticated flavors in this bar evoked an authentic mulled/spiced wine. This was an enjoyable bar to taste, and fun to share with others.

The 60% cacao dark chocolate (made with Tanzania cacao) was relatively sweet. And that sweetness was amplified by the sweet orange (peel), apple, and warm spice notes. (It was comparable to what you'd taste in a sweet mulled/spiced wine.) 

This harmonious blend made me wonder: why haven't I tried a similar chocolate like this before? Where cocoa beans are soaked in red wine and blended with spices. 

Speaking of spices, I really enjoyed tasting all the spices. The short list of quality spices and other ingredients really made a difference.

Maker's tasting notes: "Made with cocoa beans from the wonderful Kokoa Kamili in the Kilombero Valley, Tanzania. We have infused this fine cocoa with our organic mulled wine recipe, creating a "Bold and Boozy" chocolate bar, with the distinctively spicy and fruity taste, of this seasons winter warmer."

Ingredients: "Cocoa beans* infused with mulled wine (red wine*, apples*, orange peel*, cardamom*, cinnamon*, anise*, cloves*), cane sugar*, cocoa butter*, cardamom*, cinnamon*, anise*, cloves* (* = Organic)"

Allergen-related information: Certified Organic; Vegan; dairy and gluten free. "Processed in a facility that handles nuts, dairy & gluten"

Intrigue Chocolate - Lavender, Coffee, Long Pepper (bar) - Nov. 3, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Intrigue Chocolate
Lavender, Coffee, Long Pepper 64% Dark (bar) 
Good ++
Weight: 1.25 oz. (35.5) / 2.5 (71 g.) in total bar
Calories: 194 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $13.00 for 1 bar + shipping
Purchased from: Intrigue Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate and the Mint Family Theme Week--featuring several days of chocolates flavored with different members of the very large mint family: peppermint, yerba buena, basil, rosemary, lavender and more.

Today's Lavender, Coffee, Long Pepper 64% Dark (bar) was from Intrigue Chocolate Co. (Seattle, WA), a small-batch maker offering bars and confections--most with at least one local, Pacific Northwest flavor inclusion. 

Origin story: The cacao ("mostly Trinitario and Amelonado") used to make this chocolate was from Uganda, Rwenzururu, Semuliki Forest. And the lavender was from B&B Family Lavender Farm (Sequim, WA).

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate, slightly woodsy, distinctive floral (lavender) with light menthol (mint), sweet green, and very faint and harmonious savory (pepper). I could not smell the coffee, but I think it added a richness and a grounded quality, and somehow tied together these 4+ flavors in an unexpectedly successful way.

Texture: smooth, well-tempered dark chocolate with both a very slight crunchiness (likely coffee), and a relatively creamy texture and melt.  

Flavor notes included: dark chocolate (chocolate-y, dark ganache), with a blend of authentic lavender, faint fruit (blueberry), and very faint savory (pepper) and barely detectable (in most bites) coffee.

This 64% cacao bar was sweet without being overly so--allowing one to really appreciate a skillfully executed blend of complex, bold flavors--that could've been pulled in many directions; but instead the finished blend was almost smoother and greater than the sum of its parts. 

Makers tasting notes: "Medium-roast coffee draws together the perfume of the lavender and the musky bite of the long pepper."

Ingredients: "Chocolate (cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter, soy lecithin [emulsifier], natural vanilla flavoring), lavender, coffee, long pepper"

Allergen-related information: "Processed in a facility with milk, soy and nuts."

    

LOVO - Hazelnut Milk Chocolate (bar) - Mar. 12, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

LOVO
Hazelnut Milk Chocolate (bar)
Good - Good +
Weight: 1.41 oz. (40 g.) / 2.82 oz. (80 g.) in total bar
Calories: 220 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $5.79 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Country Sun Natural Foods, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's LOVO Hazelnut Milk Chocolate bar was manufactured (in Switzerland) for Radically Good Food Co. (Toronto, ON, Canada).

Aroma notes included: very subtle chocolate (cocoa), and almost undetectable nut/oat sweet cereal.

This oat milk chocolate was relatively smooth and creamy. (Zero oat particles/grit detected.) I liked the almost silken mouthfeel--not always easy to achieve with plant milks. (The Swiss know a thing or two about how to achieve smooth chocolates.) 

Flavor notes included: uniform, very sweet plant-milk chocolate, faint vanilla frosting, and very faint nut and oat. 

There were no "off" (or bold) flavors that stood out. However, the almost overwhelming sweetness of this chocolate also eclipsed subtle flavors. There was too much sugar for me; but candy fans and those looking for a non-dairy (alternative milk) chocolate confection with a nice smooth texture might like this.

Ingredients: Sugar, cocoa mass*, hazelnuts, cocoa butter*, sunflower lecithin, organic vanilla extract. (*Rainforest Alliance Certified. "Find out more at ra.org.") 

Allergen-related information: Contains hazelnuts. "Produced on equipment that also processes products containing milk, almonds, coconut and peanuts."

Gnosis Chocolate - Everything Will Be Ok! raw, vegan botanical truffle bar - Dec. 28, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Gnosis Chocolate 
Everything Will Be Ok! raw vegan infused botanical truffle bar
Good ++
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42 g.) /3 oz. (84 g.) in total bar
Calories: 232.5 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $17.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Gnosis Chocolate, online order 

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate Truffle Bars Week.

Today's "Everything Will Be Ok!" raw vegan infused botanical truffle bar was created by Vanessa Berg (aka Chocolate Girl) at Gnosis Chocolate (NYC, NY). Vanessa is a passionate certified health practitioner.

Aroma notes included: smooth dark chocolate; very faint, diffuse fruits and light herbs; very faint coconut; and, oddly, a breath of fresh air in a pine forest. 

Texture: a solid, raw* dark chocolate shell gave way to a soft, fudge-y, truffle-style filling.

Flavor notes included: very smooth dark chocolate, faint, fleeting dried fruit (fig, date), sweet herb, nut (walnut), and diffuse, very subtle fresh fruit (red apple, berry), sweet root, and light earth. The flavors were smooth, well-balanced and harmonized with a slightly undulating complexity.

I really enjoyed the gentle, yet rich and transporting, flavors in this truffle-style filled bar.

Ingredients: "raw cacao beans, raw blue agave nectar, virgin coconut oil, coconut sugar, Lung Blend (elecampane, grindelia, horehound, lobelia, mullein, osha, pine bark, pleurisy, yerba santa), Immunity Blend (burdock, cat's claw, echinacea purpea (sic), echinacea angustifolia, elderberry, ginger, pau d'arco, shilajit), Medicinal Mushroom Blend (chaga, cordyceps, reishi), Adaptogenic Herbs (ashwagandha, rhodiola, schizandra) Calming Herbs (passionflower, tulsi, valerian), Vitamin C Blend (camu camu berry, rose hips), chlorella, spirulina, Love."

Allergen-related information: (None listed on packaging.) "Free of Dairy, Soy, Gluten, GMO, Refined Sugar"

*The cacao used to make this chocolate was not heated above 118 degrees (F) to "maintain integrity of flavor and nutrition." Well-executed raw chocolate tends to be a little smoother than cacao processed at higher temperatures. I've found high-quality raw chocolates to be less bitter, with fewer "roasted" notes. (Think: very light roast coffee vs. intense espresso roast.)

Nobo Ltd. - Irish Sea Salt (bar) - Sept. 22, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Nobo Ltd.
Irish Sea Salt (bar)
Good ++
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 159 calories in 1 bar
Cost: 2.25 Euros ($2.25 (estim.) USD) for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Loop, Dublin Airport shop

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

Today's Irish Sea Salt (bar) was from Nobo Ltd. (Ranelagh, Ireland). The company produces a variety of gluten free, plant-based treats, confections, bars and spreads.

Aroma and taste notes were a pleasing blend of gentle sweet and salty/savory flavors, that included very faint cashew coconut shortbread cookie; soft fruit (grape/raisin); and sea salt.

This chocolate bar did not break with a snap. Instead the texture was cohesive, smooth and softly creamy--with a distinctive, smooth melt. (Cocoa butter was the number one ingredient.)

A lower cacao percentage chocolate is often very sweet but may still have some detectable (diluted) sour/bitter cacao notes. This 48% cocoa plant-based chocolate bar--made with single origin Colombian cacao--was very smooth and low in bitterness, and it was not (surprisingly) too sweet. 

Nut butters (in this case cashew butter) helped mellow/dilute flavors 

Coconut sugar was the number two ingredient (after cocoa butter). It added an authentic "warm" (brown/coconut sugar) flavor, while being less "buzzy" (lower on the glycemic index) than processed sugars. 

Last, but not least, I loved the Irish sea salt. It created a very satisfying, integrated sense of healthy snack balance. 

Ingredients: Cocoa butter, coconut sugar, cocoa mass, cashew nut butter, coconut, Irish sea salt (0.5%).

Allergen-related information: Contains cashews, coconut. Made on equipment that handles milk, soya, peanuts and other nuts. (Made in the EU.)

Sabadi - Zen, Zenzero Cioccolato Di Modica I.G.P. Biologico (bar) - June 16, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Sabadi srl
Zen - Zenzero Cioccolato Di Modica I.G.P. Biologico 
(Zen - Organic Modica Chocolate with Ginger (bar))
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 118 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $8.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

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

Today's Zen - Zenzero Cioccolato Di Modica I.GP. Biologico (bar) was from Sabadi srl (Modica, Italy), and imported into the U.S. by A. Priori Specialty Food Importing and Distribution (Salt Lake City, UT).

The dark chocolate had a smooth/even flavor, and a crunchy texture--from tiny sugar crystals, giving this bar a stoneground texture, and slightly more layered sweet taste.

Aroma and flavor notes included: sweet, dark chocolate; subtle warm ginger; and very faint malt.

Ingredients: Cocoa mass, cane sugar, ginger (0.6%). Cocoa 60% minimum.

Allergen-related information: "Manufactured in a facility that also processes: nuts, milk and soy"

Endangered Species - Caramel Spiced Apple Natural Flavor + Dark Chocolate 60% (bar) - Feb. 22, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Endangered Species Chocolate
Caramel Spiced Apple Natural Flavor + Dark Chocolate 60% Cocoa (bar)
Good +
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 170 calories in 1/3 bar 
Cost: $1.48 (sale) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Cost Plus World Market, Mountain View, CA

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate and Golden Sugars Theme Week, including several chocolates with caramel and/or toffee. 

Today's Caramel Spiced Apple Natural Flavor + Dark Chocolate 60% Cocoa (bar) was from Endangered Species Chocolate, LLC (Indianapolis, IN).

Aroma notes for this bar included: dark chocolate (dark chocolate torte), vanilla, light caramel and faint fruit (apple) and warm spice (cinnamon, apple pie spices).

Creamy dark chocolate contained a soft apple-infused caramel filling. 

The dark chocolate tasted darker than 60% (more like 70%) cacao. This richer, darker cacao flavor helped balance the sweetness of the caramel filling. 

Maker's description: "Dark chocolate with organic caramel and spiced apple to evoke a warm fireside."

Ingredients: Bittersweet chocolate, chocolate liquor, cane sugar, cocoa butter, soy lecithin, vanilla, organic caramel, organic tapioca syrup, organic cane sugar, organic nonfat milk, organic heavy cream, organic buttermilk, salt, pectin, sodium citrate, organic vanilla extract, 2 fold organic soy lecithin, Vitamin E mixed tocopherols to preserve freshness, natural apple flavor, cinnamon.

Allergen-related information: Contains milk, soy. "Produced on equipment that also processes products containing peanuts and tree nuts."

Momotombo - Milk Chocolate, Cranberries, Almonds, Coconut (bar) - Oct. 13, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Chocolate Momotombo
(Momotombo Chocolate Factory)
Milk Chocolate, Cranberries, Almonds, Coconut (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 1.41 oz. (40 g.) / 2.82 oz. (80 g.) in total bar
Calories: 315 calories (per label) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #9 of Chocolate and Coconut Theme Week.

Today's Milk Chocolate, Cranberries, Almonds, Coconut (bar) was from Chocolate Momotombo (Managua, Nicaragua). The company offers a variety of bean-to-bar chocolates and confections using Nicaragua-grown cacao.

Aroma notes for this bar included: chocolate (slightly earthy, buttery fudge brownie), very faint red fruit (berry) and very, very faint green (lemon-mint green tea and chocolate cookie).

This well-executed bar had a creamy, fudgey texture interspersed with tiny crunchy/crispy nut bits (almonds, coconut) and small pieces of chewy dried tart red fruit (cranberry). 

The smooth, creamy dark milk chocolate was flavorful and not overly sweet (thank you!). It contained just the right amount of nut and fruit inclusions. (The coconut was very subtle.) The results: a balanced blend of elegant, high-quality ingredients with nuanced flavor depth and pleasant (slightly addicting) complexity. 

The cranberry and faint warm spice notes (faint cinnamon and cardamom, very faint ginger) made me think of a fall/winter holiday spiced latte.

Ingredients: Cacao, powdered milk, sugar, cranberries, coconut, almonds.

Allergen-related information: Contains milk, nuts (almonds), coconut.

Exquisito Chocolates - Cafe Con Leche Per'La Coffee (bar) - July 9, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Exquisito Chocolates
Cafe Con Leche with Per'La Coffee (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.25 oz. (35.5 g.) / 2.5 oz. (71 g.) in total bar
Calories: 194 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $8.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Exquisito Chocolates, online order

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

Today's Cafe Con Leche with Per'La Coffee (bar) was handcrafted by Exquisito Chocolates (in Little Havana, Miami, FL). 

The company (a small batch chocolate factory and retail shop) offers a line of truffles, bars and confections, including bean-to-bar and single origin chocolates.*

Today's smooth, creamy and cocoa-buttery dark coffee bar was a seamless blend of sweet, authentic coffee blended with 63% cacao dark chocolate. 

The espresso used to make this bar was from Miami-based Per'La Specialty Roasters.

All five ingredients were very effectively used and were well balanced. (No preservatives or emulsifiers.)

Ingredients: Cacao beans, unrefined cane sugar, cocoa butter, milk, espresso.

Allergy-related information: (Contained milk) (No other information on package. See website more more detail.)

*Exquisito Chocolates owner/founder, Carolina Quijano, has described a chocolate maker as a "masochistic chocolatier who also self-produces chocolate from cocoa beans." 

Humorous and very true. A chocolatier can buy blocks of chocolate from a chocolate maker; but a chocolate maker (making chocolates from scratch) must go through many more steps to create bean-to-bar chocolate.

Miette et Chocolat - Third Culture Ube Bar With Coconut - May 28, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Miette et Chocolat

Third Culture Ube Bar With Coconut 

Good +

Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) (estimate) / (total weight not listed on packaging)

Calories: 155 calories (estimate) in 1 oz. (28.3 g.) of bar

Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Third Culture, Berkeley, CA

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

Today's Third Culture Ube Bar with Coconut was from French patisserie and chocolate shop Miette et Chocolat (Aurora, CO). 

As one might expect from the name (and the subtle, beautiful purple color), this bar had an aroma with chocolate, coconut and fruit (ube, sweet purple yam and sweet black/blue berry) notes.

Ube, a starchy tuber that looks like a purple yam or sweet potato, is popular in Southeast Asia, the Philippines, Hawaii, California and elsewhere as a dessert (Ube Halaya) and ice cream flavor, often paired with coconut or coconut milk. (Ube is also the name of the African pear, a purple fruit in West Africa.*)

I'm guessing today's bar was an homage to beautifully bright purple-pink ube glazed and coconut sprinkled (gluten-free) doughnuts I thought I spotted at Third Culture in Berkeley, CA---a bakery known in the San Francisco Bay Area for their mochi muffins. 

The percentage of cocoa solids in this bar may have been relatively low; but the thick and creamy, almost fluffy, melt and texture was likely due to a generous amount of cocoa butter. It had the mouthfeel and sweetness level of a white chocolate. (I'm guessing here as there was no detailed ingredients list on the packaging.)

Flavors detected were similar to the aroma notes mentioned above. These flavors included: cocoa butter, sugar, purple sweet potato, very faint tropical fruit and coconut--and a milky, plant-based (coconut milk) chocolate.

This was a fun bar to try. (I pair this Ube bar with an unflavored dark chocolate--a single origin filled dark chocolate from Exquisito Chocolates.)

Ingredients: (Not listed on package)

Allergen-related information: (None listed on package) Contained coconut.

*The ube tuber (Dioscorea alata) here is not the same species as the African Pear aka Safou fruit (Dacryodes edulis) (an edible drupe) that grows in West Africa and also has a purple (skin) color. In Nigeria it is called "ube."

Moonstruck - Spicy Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Chai 68% Cacao (bar) - Dec. 19, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Moonstruck
Spicy Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Chai 68% Cacao (bar)
Good +
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42.5 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 215 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $3.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Andronico's Community Markets, Los Altos, CA 

Welcome to Day #10 of Chocolate and Hazelnuts Theme Week.

Today's Spicy Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Chai 68% Cacao (bar) was from Moonstruck Chocolate Co. (Portland, OR).

There was a lot going on with this bar. (See ingredients list below.) The aroma notes for this chocolate included: sweet chocolate marshmallow candy with black pepper; German pfeffernusse ("pepper nut") or Icelandic/Nordic pepperkakor cookies; and spices (salt, pepper, ginger and vanilla).

Flavor notes included the aroma notes above, but dark chocolate, and to a lesser extent hazelnut, flavors were prominent. The 68% cacao dark chocolate was relatively sweet and uniform. Bits of hazelnut, and flecks of citrus rind, salt and pepper gave off temporary tiny bursts of these flavors.

This bar grew on me as I tasted it over the course of an hour. It started out feeling a bit cluttered with so many sweet and savory elements. However, as my palette adjusted to this festive spice party, it became more appealing.

Included at no extra cost to you: thoughts of enjoying European holiday treats, while warming up around a fire in the winter with some hot spiced cider or wine. Happy Holidays.

Ingredients: Dark chocolate (unsweetened chocolate, sugar, cocoa butter, soy lecithin (emulsifier), natural vanilla flavor); roasted hazelnuts; chai spice blend (organic cardamom, organic clove, organic cinnamon, organic orange peel, organic fennel, organic ginger, organic black pepper); black tea powder; organic black pepper; organic cardamom; kosher salt.

Allergen-related information: (Contains hazelnuts, soy.) "Manufactured on shared equipment. May contain traces of milk, wheat, soy, peanuts and tree nuts."

Puchero - 55% Uganda Butter (Mountains of the Moon) - Oct. 20, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Puchero 
55% Uganda Butter (Mountains of the Moon) (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 1.235 oz. (35 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 207.9 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $10.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's 55% Uganda Butter (Mountains of the Moon) (bar) was from/made by Puchero (Tostarix S.L.) (Valladolid, Spain).

This bean-to-bar chocolate made in Spain featured pasiega* cow butter. Aroma notes included: dairy butter and faint, integrated sweet chocolate. This butter was luscious and decadent although it did mute some of the single origin (Uganda) cacao nuances. 

Texture: soft melt and very buttery mouthfeel and texture.

Flavor: Truly buttery chocolate. What high quality whipped butter with chocolate might taste like.

What a unique treat. And it was not too sweet. (Thank you!)

Maker's notes: "The chocolate combines the Ugandan cacao fruity smoothness with creamy Cantabrian cow butter."

Ingredients: cacao, sugar, butter, milk, salt; Cacao 55% minimum

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

*Pasiega refers to a breed of red cattle found in the autonomous community of Cantabria in northern Spain. Their milk is used to make cheese and/or butter (usually without extra preservatives or coloring). Pasiega milk also used in quesada pasiega, a regional (Cantabria) cake (similar to a thick pudding or cheesecake) that is often flavored with lemon and cinnamon.

Trader Joe's - Organic Almond Beverage Chocolate Bar - July 22, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Trader Joe's
Organic Almond Beverage Chocolate Bar
Good - Good +
Weight: 1.25 oz. (35.5 g.) / 2.5 oz. (71 g.) in total bar
Calories: 210 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $2.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Trader Joe's, San Carlos, CA

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

Today's Organic Almond Beverage Chocolate Bar was from Trader Joe's (Monrovia, CA).

The rich aroma for this chocolate bar included prune, date, light molasses, and vanilla nut (toasted almonds and pecans*) butter cookie and very faint green (tea, nut) notes.

The non-dairy bar had a creamy (milk chocolate) texture with a relatively rapid melt after the initial tempered firmness experienced with each new bite. 

The flavor was mild dark chocolate with a very faint plant (almond) "milk" flavor. The almond beverage inclusion and a good dose of cocoa butter (the number one ingredient) contributed to a subtle chocolate flavor--and (lighter, warmer) milk chocolate color. Almonds also balanced the sugar, i.e. it was not overly sweet (thank you!).

Very light touches of sea salt and vanilla rounded out the even, subtle chocolate flavor. This pleasant, organic bar may please vegan chocolate lovers who enjoy a smooth, buttery, dairy-free chocolate, with very low cacao acidity and bitterness. 

Ingredients: Organic cocoa butter, organic cane sugar, organic cocoa beans, organic almond beverage (organic almond flour, water), organic sunflower lecithin (emulsifier), sea salt, organic ground vanilla beans. 

Allergen-related information: "Contains Almond." Certified organic and Pareve (U). Vegan, gluten free, soy free.

*This bar contained almonds but did not contain pecan nuts, even if the aroma of this bar did bring back memories of pecan shortbread cookies from childhood.

 

Hemp Love - 61% Cacao Orange/Vanilla and Hemp Seed Crunch (bar) - July 6, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Hemp Love

61% Cacao Orange/Vanilla and Hemp Seed Crunch (bar)

Good +

Weight: 2 oz. (56 g.) in total bar

Calories: 340 calories in 1 bar

Cost: $5.99 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Piazza's, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate, Fruit and Flowers Theme Week.

Today's 61% Orange/Vanilla and Hemp Seed Crunch Organic Vegan Chocolate (bar) was manufactured for Hemp Love (Malibu, CA). 

The company incorporates hemp seeds (a food relatively high in protein and rich in Omega 3 as well as Omega 6 essential fatty acids) in their line of chocolate bars.

The aroma notes for Orange Vanilla bar included: natural orange soda, sweet dark chocolate and very faint vanilla.

This smooth, sweet dark chocolate had a light, almost whipped, crunchy texture with uniform, melded smooth orange and vanilla flavor.

Flavor notes included smooth, sweet dark chocolate (cake) with orange and vanilla (frosting) notes. The bar had a light, lingering finish. 

Ingredients: Organic dark chocolate (organic cocoa liquor, organic evaporated cane sugar, organic cocoa butter, organic vanilla), organic evaporated cane sugar, organic hemp seed hearts, organic orange oil, organic vanilla.

Allergen-related information: "Produced in a Kosher vegan facility. Equipment shared with peanuts/tree nuts and soy. Ingredient suppliers may share equipment that could result in trace amounts of dairy protein."