Gnosis Chocolate - Salted Caramel Filled Raw Chocolate Bar - May 20, 2024

Chocolate of The Day

Gnosis Chocolate 
Salted Caramel Filled Raw Chocolate Bar
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.25 oz. (35 g.) / 2.5 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 193 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $14.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Gnosis Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #10 of Chocolate and Dates Theme Week(s).

Today's Salted Caramel Filled Raw Chocolate Bar was from Gnosis Chocolate (Astoria, NY).

Aroma notes behind this thoughtfully crafted bar included: dark chocolate, very faint fruit (date), and very faint caramel and botanicals.

Texture: smooth (dark chocolate and velvety caramel), yet it was also slightly granular. 

Flavor notes included: dark chocolate and caramel with very faint nut and slightly sweet botanicals (consistent with maca, lucuma).

The sweetness level was relatively high; but it was less than most caramel filled chocolates. And it had less of a sugar buzz. (Thank you!) The salt was very subtle.

Ingredients: "raw cacao beans*, medjool dates*, raw cashews*, virgin coconut oil*, coconut sugar*, raw blue agave*, lucuma*, Balinese pyramid salt, maca root*, Love (* - organic)"

Allergen-related information: (contains cashews; coconut (oil, sugar))

Gnosis Chocolate - "Eighty Nibs" Limited Edition 80% Dark Raw Chocolate w/ Raw Cacao Nibs (bar) - Jan. 28, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Gnosis Chocolate
"Eighty Nibs" 80% Dark Raw Chocolate w/ Raw Cacao Nibs (Madagascar) (bar)
Good ++
Weight: .9 oz. (25 g.) / 1.8 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 139 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $10.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Gnosis Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #4 of Cacao Nibs Theme Week. 

Today's "Eighty Nibs" Limited Edition 80% Dark Raw Chocolate with Raw Cacao Nibs (Madagascar) bar was from Gnosis Chocolate (NYC, NY). The company worked with Francois Pralus (chocolaterie in France) to obtain the only raw cacao nibs available from Madagascar.

Aroma notes included: dark smooth chocolate with very faint dried fruit, light brown sugar, and fleeting smooth aromatic tobacco and sweet green.

Texture: a pleasing blend of creamy and crunchy 

Flavor notes included: smooth dark chocolate (chocolate-y, ultra dark fudge brownie) that was relatively mellow (low in acidity and bitterness) for an 80% dark chocolate + cacao nibs--with some of the same nuanced notes as the aroma notes mentioned above. 

Raw chocolate can taste more mellow (less roasted) and less processed--because it is. Some more volatile notes (e.g. easily lost with heat) and some nutrients may be better preserved using raw cacao. 

That said, raw chocolate is the exception in chocolate sales. Some prefer roasting and roasted flavors. Roasting and processing times can vary tremendously in chocolate making; and a maker's choices will depend on a number of factors, including the cacao source, variety, fermentation results, flavors (present and potential/possible), etc. 

What I liked about this bar: 1.) smooth, ultra-dark rich flavor; 2.) thoughtfully made raw chocolate; and 3.) well-balanced blend of cacao flavors and textures.

Ingredients: "80% raw chocolate* (raw cacao beans*, coconut sugar*), raw cacao nibs, Love. *organic"

Allergen-related information: (None found on label.)

Gnosis Chocolate - Raw Trail Mix "Immunity" - Dec. 8, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Gnosis Chocolate 
"Immunity" Raw Trail Mix
Good ++
Weight: 2 oz.  (56.6 g.) / 8 oz. (227 g.) in total package
Calories: 300 calories (estimate) in 2 oz. serving
Cost: $15.00 for 1 package
Purchased from: Gnosis Chocolate (online order)

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

Today's Immunity Raw Trail Mix was made by Gnosis Chocolate (Astoria, NY).

Aroma notes for this gluten free, vegan and raw offering included: aromatic dried fruits (persimmon, currant, golden berry/golden raisin), and subtle nut, seed and dark chocolate.

This trail mix was made with generous squares of raw, dark chocolate that had a smooth chocolate-y flavor and a very faint (fruit) astringency. 

The dried fruits offered a range of chewy, tart-sweet flavors. (I enjoyed the seasonal persimmon, cranberries, and the South American golden berries.) The pecans, pumpkin seeds and nibs rounded out the blend and added some softly crunchy texture.

This grain-free trail mix was balanced, flavorful and not too sweet (thank you!).

Ingredients: pecans*, raw chocolate* (raw cacao beans*, coconut sugar*), cranberries*, pumpkin seeds*, black currants*, persimmons*, goldenberries*, raw cacao nibs.* (* = organic)

Allergen-related information: Contains tree nut(s) (pecans), coconut (sugar)

  

Cacao Crudo - Raw Organic Chocolate Unroasted Criollo Cacao, Hazelnuts 65% (bar) - Sept. 27, 2020

Chocolate of the Day

Cacao Crudo 

Raw Organic Chocolate Unroasted Criollo Cacao, Granella Nocciole (Hazelnuts) 65% (bar)

Good ++ - Good +++

Weight: 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar

Calories: 280 calories (estimated) in 1 bar

Cost: $6.49 (estimate) for 1 bar

Purchased from: Rainbow Grocery, San Francisco, CA

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate, Nuts and Something More Theme Week.

Today's Raw Organic 65% Cacao Granella Nocciole (Hazelnut) bar from Cacao Crudo (Italy) was made from fine, non tostado (unroasted) criollo cacao from the Peruvian* Amazon and Italian hazelnuts.

My first impression: unroasted, delicate Criollo cacao with clean, green aroma and flavor, and low bitterness and acidity and a very slight, dry (green tea) astringency. Cacao Crudo bars offer a different way to enjoy chocolate, in the same way that a fine oolong tea is different than a fine black tea. I felt transported to eating chocolate by a pool, surrounded by green bamboo forest.

The texture was chocolatey with slight courseness due to a generous helping of chopped Italian hazelnuts (Tonda Gentile Romana, an Italian hazelnut cultivar, with trees usually found in Central Italy).

I could taste the slightly fibrous, flavorful essence of each unroasted hazelnut, because the entire bar was unencumbered by extra roasting and sugar. Much as I love the smell and flavor of toasted nuts and cacao, conventional chocolate bars often suffer from over-roasted ingredients (with an accompanying loss in subtle flavors and natural textures) and are drowning in sweetness. (This chocolate was sweetened with touch of coconut flower sap.)

The finish had light, lingering green and very faint, clean floral notes and a subtle (tea/tannic) astringency.

Today's chocolate was a welcome change of pace, offering a high-quality, raw chocolate tasting experience. I've described this 65% cacao chocolate bar as "light," but it also felt very satisfying--possibly because unroasted elements retain a higher percentage of their antioxidants or because the coconut sugar (lower on the glycemic index than processed cane sugar) did not spike my blood sugar. 

If you prefer a strong espresso and like to get a buzz from plant alkaloids like caffeine and theobromine, go for a conventional 70% cacao (roasted) bar with plenty of sugar. If you feel like a high-quality alternative, try Cacao Crudo's line of bars.

Ingredients: Organic unroasted Criollo cacao (beans) paste, organic "Tondo Gentile Romana" chopped hazelnuts (18%) criollo cacao, and organic concentrated coconut flower sap.

*Cacao Crudo is a project by Daniele Dell'Orco, a food "anthropologist and researcher" in Italy who wanted to improve on other raw/unroasted cacao offerings. In so doing, he created one of the first raw cacao manufacturing companies in Italy. The cacao used to craft this bar (and others) comes from the Junin Region (mountainous Central Highlands, westernmost area of the Peruvian Amazon), in Satipo Province, in Peru. This cacao is cultivated at high altitudes (600-1,200 meters) by small producers (native Ashanika people). The coconut palm sugar came from a co-op of Indonesian women. The hazelnuts came from the Latium plain area (of west-central Italy). 

Veggimins - CBD Chocolate Bar - Organic 70% Raw Cacao - Apr. 20, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Windy City Organics, LLC
Veggimins - CBD Chocolate Bar - Organic 70% Raw Cacao
Good
Weight: 1.1 oz. (30 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 170 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $6.95 for 1 bar
Purchased from: SweetE Organic, Mill Valley, CA

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate, Plants and Herbs Theme Week.

Today's Veggimins CBD Chocolate Bar was produced by Windy City Organics, LLC (Northbrook, IL). This family-owned company is committed to making sustainable, healthy foods, included several different items with cacao.

The raw,* organic, chocolate was made with stoneground cacao and was sweetened with coconut sugar. This bar may have contained CBD (the component in hemp without the psychoactive properties of THC), but all we could taste was a pleasant, stoneground, raw 70% cacao bars with coconut sugar.

That is, CBD did not impart flavor or any obvious effect. Why include it? It's thought that CBD may have the ability to relax the consumer. One wonders, might this counteract the stimulants (theobromine, caffeine) in chocolate? The idea of balancing or package a stimulant with a relaxant is not a new concept, but it's an interesting one when you think about it.

*Raw chocolate has a slightly different taste profile than chocolate made with roasted cacao beans. Roasting cacao can impart strong, roasted and bitter notes. Some like the stronger flavors of espresso roast coffee beans, and roasted cacao; taste preferences may vary in cacao just like coffee or wine. 

Unroasted cacao can be slightly milder (although raw cacao may have earthy or other flavor notes). Although flavors differ, most raw cacao illustrates a preference for preservation of certain compounds and flavor notes.

Addictive Wellness - Beauty, Tranquility chocolates - Jan. 24, 2017

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

Addictive Wellness

1.) Beauty
Good - Good +
Weight: .65 oz. (19 g.) / 1.3 oz. (38 g.) in total package of 4 pieces
Calories: 120 calories in 2 pieces
Cost: $7.73 for 1 box of 4 pieces
Purchased from: Country Sun, Palo Alto, CA


2.) Tranquility
Good
Weight: .65 oz. (19 g.) / 1.3 oz. (38 g.) in total package of 4 pieces
Calories: 120 calories in 2 pieces
Cost: $7.73 for 1 box of 4 pieces
Purchased from: Country Sun, Palo Alto, CA


Welcome to Day #9 of Chocolate and Alternative Sweetener Theme Week. I'm featuring two more raw chocolates from Addictive Wellness (Beverly Hills, CA) that included both alternative plant-based sweeteners as well as somewhat unique plant inclusions (herbs).

Addictive Wellness chocolatiers created both of today's dark (83% cacao) chocolates using fair trade Arriba Nacional Cacao. And both chocolates were sweetened with a combination of birch xylitol and stevia, with lucuma likely providing a small touch of additional sweetness.

One might argue that chocolate by itself includes the ability to pep one up a bit. However, using it as a carrier or medium for additional plant-based substances goes back many centuries.

Today's "Beauty" chocolates contained tremella (mushrooms), chaga (mushrooms) and horsetail (Equisetum arvense). It had a pleasing, subtle chocolate aroma, and nutty, slightly earthy flavor. The texture was firm (like you'd expect from solid chocolate) with a very slight grittiness (like you'd expect from less processed chocolate), while still remaining fairly smooth. It was described as "the perfect balance between sexy, stunning and sweet." And, in fact I think it was the tastiest of the three Addictive Wellness chocolates I tried this week.

The "Tranquility" chocolates contained ashwagandha, reishi (mushrooms) and He Shou Wu.*
It had a similar, subtle, pleasant chocolate aroma and similar solid chocolate texture (as other Addictive Wellness chocolates). It had a very faint sour-bitter plant note, but it was nothing distressing. (I look forward to the implied bliss effect that may kick in later. Just the absence of a sugar buzz may qualify.)

Addictive Wellness chocolates are not only sugar free, but also vegan, gluten free, trans fat free, nut free, soy free, dairy free and GMO free.

Note: The 2-piece serving size for these chocolates seems very benign. However, as with any active substance like chocolate and/or herbs, please research before taking something in larger doses that you're not familiar with, especially if you're already taking medications for an illness. (I myself am sensitive to caffeine and would never have more than 1 cup of coffee. But, all of us are different.)

*He Shou Wu (a plant from China) is also known by several other names, including Fo-ti root, Chinese knotweed, and Tuber fleeceflower.

Honey Mama's - Peruvian Raw Cacao-Nectar Bar - Nov. 17, 2016

Chocolate of the Day: 

Honey Mama's
Peruvian Raw Cacao-Nectar Bar
Good++
Weight: .833 oz. (23.6 g.) / 2.5 oz. (70.8 g.) in total package
Calories: 117 calories in 1/3 package
Cost: $6.95 for 1 package
Purchased from: SweetE Organic, Mill Valley, CA

Welcome to the last day (Day #7) of Raw Chocolate Theme Week and the first day of Chocolate and Peru Theme Week.

Today's Peruvian Raw Cacao-Nectar Bar was from Honey Mama's (Portland, OR).

"Made with sprouted (Organic) almonds, raw Peruvian cacao and raw local honey," the raw cacao provided "an extra dose of anti-oxidants," (due to lack of processing).

Rather than added cocoa butter, Honey Mama's bars contained unrefined Organic coconut oil -- which also meant a lower melting temperature than conventional tempered dark chocolate bars. These bars should be kept refrigerated until ready to eat.

This honey-sweetened, Peruvian Cacao-Nectar bar had a coconut cookie aroma, and an even, smooth dark chocolatey melt—a healthy cookie-chocolate bar hybrid. The well-crafted, rustic bar had a satisfying, almost crunchy, coconut (and almond bit) texture—with an occasional sparkle of salt—and a chocolate coconut cookie finish.

The handmade in Portland, paleo bar was labeled as containing "no gluten, soy, dairy or grain."

*Retention of nutritive properties and a desire for less-processed food, are generally reasons behind the preference for raw chocolate.

Honey Mama's - Oregon Peppermint bar - Nov. 16, 2016

Chocolate of the Day: 

Honey Mama's
Oregon Peppermint Cacao-Nectar Bar
Good++
Weight: .833 oz. (23.6 g.) / 2.5 oz. (70.8 g.) in total package
Calories: 117 calories in 1/3 package
Cost: $6.95 for 1 package (3 pieces)
Purchased from: SweetE Organic, Mill Valley, CA

Welcome to Day #6 of Raw Chocolate Theme Week.

Today's Oregon Peppermint Cacao-Nectar Bar from Honey Mama's (Portland, OR) was a great blend of coconut, peppermint, salt and chocolate flavors.* The fact that it was slightly cool (from refrigeration) seemed to highlight the natural mint flavor a bit.

This raw, paleo, gluten-free bar was slightly soft and chewy (from the coconut).

Honey Mama's offers a line of several different raw Cacao-Nectar bars. (I'm featuring four of them this week.) All of them have coconut in them and were labeled as paleo and gluten-free, soy-free and dairy-free.

*Ingredients included: coconut meat, dark cocoa, peppermint oil and raw local (Oregon) honey.

Honey Mama's - CocoNoNut Cacao-Nectar raw bar

Chocolate of the Day: 

Honey Mama's
CocoNoNut Cacao-Nectar bar
Good+
Weight: .833 oz. (23.6 g.) / 2.5 oz. (70.8 g.) in total package
Calories: 117 calories in 1/3 package
Cost: $6.95 for 1 package (3 pieces)
Purchased from: SweetE Organic, Mill Valley, CA

Welcome to Day #5 of Raw Chocolate Theme Week.

CocoNoNut Cacao-Nectar* Bar from Honey Mama's (Portland, OR)

Today's raw, paleo chocolate bar had a subtle, slightly floral coconut aroma, an authentic rich coconut and chocolate (organic cocoa powder and organic coconut oil) flavor, and a slightly chewy texture from small coconut shreds. The bar was seasoned with a light touch Himalayan pink salt.

This raw chocolate bar was sweetened with honey** and made with "No Gluten, Soy, Dairy or Grain"—making it, as advertised, a suitable paleo chocolate offering.

Make sure to keep this 3-piece bar refrigerated, as it starts melting if the temperature exceeds 76 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit.

*Cacao-nectar in this case does not mean honey or nectar collected from tiny cacao flowers or plants, but rather a name for a bar that contains both cocoa powder and honey.

**The honey came from Mickelberry Gardens (Troutdale, OR). Honey Mama's list of relationships with local (Oregon and Washington) ingredient suppliers on their website is not only commendably transparent, but also impressive. 

Honey Mama's - Lavender Red Rose Cacao-Nectar Bar - Nov. 14, 2016

Chocolate of the Day: 

Honey Mama's
Lavender Red Rose Cacao-Nectar Bar
Good+
Weight: .833 oz. (23.6 g.) / 2.5 oz. (70.8 g.) in total package/bar
Calories: 117 calories in 1/3 package
Cost: $6.95 for 1 package (3 pieces?)
Purchased from: SweetE Organic, Mill Valley, CA

Welcome to Day #3 of Raw Chocolate Theme Week.

I first tasted a samples of several raw Honey Mama's (Portland, OR) chocolates at SweetE Organic (Mill Valley, CA), and was impressed by some of the flavor combinations.

Today's honey-sweetened, Honey Mama's Lavender Red Rose Cacao-Nectar Bar was full of natural lavender and rose flavor (and adorned with red rose petals); and it was seasoned with Himalayan pink salt. The chocolate had a slightly soft chew with undertones of coconut.

This paleo bar was made with "coconut meat," coconut oil, and dark cocoa powder, in a dedicated gluten-free facility.

Raw chocolates really have gotten more interesting and less iffy over the past several years. As with any product, know what you're buying; but I recommend trying the refrigerated raw chocolates I'm featuring this week.

New Earth Superfoods - Hazelnut Nougat - Nov. 13, 2016

Chocolate of the Day:

New Earth Superfoods
Hazelnut Nougat with Cream
Good - Good+
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) serving
Calories: 150 calories (estimate) for 1 oz. (28.3 g.) of package/bar
Cost: $ N/A - gift (Thank you David)
Purchased from: N/A gift

Today was the third day of Raw Chocolate Theme Week.

Family members brought to my attention probiotic chocolates from New Earth Superfoods (San Luis Obispo, CA). Thank you to my brother David (and my sister, Katy).

Today's Hazelnut Nougat with Cream was in bar form in a sealed package (refrigerate for best results). The "Cream" in this case was not conventional cream, but rather dairy-free coconut (kefir) probiotic yogurt.

This raw, organic filled chocolate bar had a subtle sweet, fermented, ripe fruit aroma and initial spiced berry flavor. (Normally raw chocolate has a "flatter" taste profile; but the filling in this one helped add a bit of zest.) The chocolate had a rapid and smooth melt and texture.

I didn't taste hazelnut specifically, but the filling in this probiotic bar was made with coconut probiotic yogurt, ground nuts and a variety of spices and seasonings. So having the nut flavor get a little lost was not a complete surprise. Overall, this was an interesting, satisfying bar.

This chocolate was labeled as Gluten Free, Soy Free, and with No GMOs.

Rawmio Organic Salted Coconut Caramel Cashew Raw Bark - Nov. 12, 2016

Chocolate of the Day:

Rawmio
Organic Salted Coconut Caramel Crushed Cashew Raw Chocolate Bark
Good - Good +
Weight: 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 126 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $7.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: SweetE Organic, Mill Valley, CA

Welcome to Day #2 of Raw Chocolate Theme Week.

Today's bar has a long name. The rawmio Organic Gourmet Salted Coconut Caramel and Crushed Cashew Raw Chocolate Bark (bar) was manufactured by Windy City Organics, LLC (Northbrook, IL).

The 70% cacao raw, stone-ground dark chocolate base was made from raw Peruvian cacao nibs.
The bar had an appealing rich chocolate aroma. It lacked some of the stronger/developed flavors and acidity found in roasted cacao bars. However, some may prefer the smoothness, punctuated by hints of earthiness and mellow sweet and salty flavor notes.

Coconut sugar gave the bark a slight caramelized flavor. This "vanilla bean and caramel-infused" raw cashew bark (bar) had an attractive "rawmio" imprint and pattern on one side, with a scattering of cashew pieces and cacao nibs on the reverse side. The nuts and nibs offer some pleasant crunchy texture.

Thank you to Elana at SweetE Organic for her curated array of sweets. She is elevating the definition of "candy" and what many people think about "raw" chocolate.

EVO Hemp - Cashew Cacao bar - Nov. 11, 2016

Chocolate of the Day: 

EVO Hemp
(Distributed by Hemp Health)
Cashew Cacao bar
Good
Weight: 1.7 oz. (48 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 190 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $ missing information
Purchased from: missing information

Welcome to the first day of Raw Chocolate Theme Week.

Cashew Cacao bar from EVO Hemp (Boulder, CO)

Raw chocolate offerings have improved since I first started my chocolate quest more than 10 years ago. There are more raw chocolates available, and most of them taste better than the previous generation.

Today's Cashew Cacao bar from EVO Hemp (Boulder, CO) was a raw, cold-pressed, anti-oxidant bar. It was  a well-balanced bar—dried-fruit sweet, without being too cloying and acidic; chewy with just the right amount of moistness. A bit of cacao powder added richness and depth to the cold-pressed  fruit (dates, apricots, blueberries), seeds (hemp protein powder and seeds), and nuts (cashews).

This organic bar was also Non-GMO, Vegan, Paleo and Gluten-Free.

ChocolaTree - Raspberry raw chocolates - Feb. 11, 2015

Chocolate(s) of the Day:

ChocolaTree

Raspberry Mama
Good - Good +
Weight: .35 oz. (9.9 g.) (estimate) for 1 piece
Calories: 52 calories (estimate) for 1 piece
Cost: $2.22 (estimate) for 1 piece
Purchased from: ChocolaTree, Sedona, AZ

Cosmic Raspberry
Good ++ - Very Good
Weight: .35 oz. (9.9 g.) (estimate) for 1 piece
Calories: 52 calories (estimate) for 1 piece
Cost: $2.22 (estimate) for 1 piece
Purchased from: ChocolaTree, Sedona, AZ

I really enjoyed a recent stop at ChocolaTree (Sedona, AZ). The chocolate display case in this progressive cafe + marketplace oasis beckoned to us as we entered. And the wide range of raw and organic chocolates, made from Ecuadorian cacao, immediately invited a closer inspection.

The chocolates came in attractive molded shapes and natural colors, many with stencil patterns across the tops. Unique chocolates included a white chocolate elephant. This wonderful little elephant came in two flavors when we visited: a rose saffron, or infused with frankincense.* (More on this elephant and these flavors soon.)

Today, because of the proximity to Valentines Day, I selected two ChocolaTree raspberry chocolates. The faceted, dome-shaped "Raspberry Mama" was made with raspberry leaf and, like other ChocolaTree chocolates was mild but flavorful, and not too sweet. (Sorry folks, no sugar buzz, just satisfying natural flavor here.)

The "Cosmic Raspberry" had a delicate stencil pattern across the top that was a little difficult to see until I held it up to the light. It depicted what looked like a cacao pod growing on a tree.

On biting into this chocolate my taste buds were surrounded by a whirlwind of authentic raspberry flavor, and the promised "honey sunburst" came seconds later. A very nice chocolate for Valentines Day, or any other occasion.

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

*Frankincense is a fragrant gum resin from a tree (Boswellia) found on the Arabian peninsula and Northeast Africa, mentioned in the Bible as one of the gifts carried by the 3 wise men (Magi) to Jerusalem. 

ChocolaTree - Goji Bliss, Bee Love - Feb. 10, 2015

Chocolate(s) of the Day:

ChocolaTree

Goji Bliss
Good +
Weight: .35 oz. (9.9 g.) (estimate) in 1 piece
Calories: 52 calories (estimate) in 1 piece
Cost: $2.22 (estimate) for 1 piece
Purchased from: ChocolaTree Organic Oasis, Sedona, AZ

Bee Love
Good +
Weight: .35 oz. (9.9 g.) (estimate) in 1 piece
Calories: 52 calories (estimate) in 1 piece
Cost: $2.22 (estimate) for 1 piece
Purchased from: Chocola Tree, Sedona, AZ

What could be more appropriate than a little more bliss and love for Valentines Day week. I selected this duo -- the Goji Bliss and the Bee Love -- from ChocolaTree (Sedona, AZ) -- for Day #2 of Valentines Day Chocolates Week.

The Goji Bliss square was a pretty golden ivory (with cacao butter) and pink (goji berries) layer on a dark chocolate base.

The Bee Love square dark chocolate was dusted with tiny grains of yellow pollen and tasted like a spoonful of honey with cocoa butter -- a very pleasing sensation and taste.

Both of these chocolates had a fast, even melt and mouthfeel (think pure cocoa butter or coconut oil) and lacked the "rush" that often accompanies conventional chocolates, as ChocoloTree has sought to avoid processed sugar.

Why raw chocolate? Raw* (unroasted chocolate) typically yields a smoother flavor profile with a gentler finish, often without the more complex, high, low or bitter notes of roasted cacao. Some will like this and others may miss the roasted flavors. Also, theoretically, more of the nutritional elements in cacao are preserved when temperatures are kept lower.

The ChocolaTree Organic Oasis was a combination cafe and marketplace (shop) that offered a range of organic, gluten-free and dairy free entrees, soups, salads, drinks and desserts and -- oh yes, organic, raw* chocolates in a case by the front entrance. The shop also carried local and wild-crafted ingredients and items.

A friend and I ate dinner out back in a patio seating area. Arizona winters are generally mild enough that you can enjoy sunny, warm days and eat outside on milder evenings, while you are reading about far off cities covered in snow.

*Raw chocolate is made with unroasted cacao beans. Instead beans are ground and processed until smooth at temperatures not exceeding a certain temperature -- in this case, 115 degrees Farenheit (46.1 degrees Celsius).

RawRah - Raw Cacao Coconut Macaroon - Jan. 2, 2014

Chocolate of the Day: 

RawRah
Raw Cacao Coconut Macaroon(s)
Good - Good+
Weight: 1.2 oz. (33.96 g.) (estimate) for 1 package of 3 pieces
Calories: 150 calories (estimate) in 1 package of 3 pieces
Cost: N/A - gift
Purchased from: N/A - gift

Today was Day #2 of Chocolate and Coconut Theme Weeks.

Coconut has become a popular choice for sweets and chocolate, especially in the raw and organic world. Today's package of 3 small Raw Cacao Coconut Macaroon(s) from RawRah (Thousand Oaks, CA) were tasty and slightly chewy.

Many commercial coconut macaroons are sticky sweet. These were sweetened with shredded dried coconut and a hint of maple syrup, rather than sugar. They were satisfying in texture and flavor (enhanced by the raw cacao) without being too sweet. I'd rather savor quality ingredients than experience a sugar buzz.

These raw cacao macaroons were produced by Joy Dupuis at RawRah. Thank you to Katy who passed these on to me!

ChocolateBet: October 7, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:

2 servings; 2 ounces
Living Intentions
Gone Nuts! - Raw Cacao Almonds and Raisins
("Raw, not roasted; air-dried")
Good - Good +
Weight: 2 oz. (56 grams)/4 oz. (113 grams) in total package
Calories: 206 calories in 2 servings
Cost: $? (need to find receipt)
Purchased from: Piazza's in Palo Alto, CA (need to double-check this)

Raw chocolate. It's getting better. These Gone Nuts! Raw Cacao Almonds and Raisins from Living Intentions (SF/Richmond, CA) kind of grew on me; they tasted better as I ate more of them. These were also vegan, gluten-free, with no GMOs or trans fats.