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"

Karu - Pure Cacao 100% Cacao Dark Chocolate Single Region Tumaco Colombia (bar) - May 9, 2026

Chocolate of the Day

Karu 
Pure Cacao 100% Cacao Dark Chocolate Single Region Tumaco Colombia (bar)
Good ++
Weight: .53 oz. (15 g.) / 2.12 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 70 calories in 1 square of bar (1/4 bar)
Cost: $13.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Xocolatl Garden, Carmel, CA

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

Today's Karu Pure Cacao 100% Cacao Dark Chocolate Single Region Tumaco Colombia (bar) was made in Bogota, Colombia and distributed in the USA and Canada by Tropicalia LLC.

The maker behind Karu is Maria Leja Villarreal, who created her company in Dubai. She specializes in Colombian cacao chocolates.

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate, with faint, slightly fruity/tangy chili peppers (chipotle) and bell pepper.

Texture: relatively smooth with a slight astringency, but relatively creamy melt and mouthfeel

Flavor notes included: bitter then sour then a fainter, creamier bitter + sour and slight chili pepper/savory (mole sauce) that flowed into a balanced, very long, and ultimately clean (and not that bitter) finish. 

I enjoyed the faint, slightly savory chili/bell pepper/mole notes--and could see melting a square of this chocolate into a barbeque or savory chili sauce or marinade. 

When a maker crafts a bar with 100% cacao, there is no sugar or milk or other ingredients to hide behind. So I always respect this choice that allows us to taste the pure original flavor of cacao. No two origins will taste exactly the same. 

Early on in my chocolate journey I tasted some 100% bars with some "off" flavors that might have been covered up if the bar had been 50% sugar. There were no earthy/moldy botanical or other funky notes in this chocolate.

This single-ingredient bar is not for everyone, and you won't be tempted to eat too much. (I felt happy and satisfied with one square.) But I enjoyed the ride, and kept thinking of possible dishes with this chocolate (vegetable, chili beans, chicken) as well as savory-sweet items (chipotle brownies or spiced chocolate ice cream).

I would include this in a 100%er tasting flight to compare with others single ingredient, single origin cacao bars.

Ingredients: Cacao

Allergen-related information: Produced in facilities processing milk and nuts

Taza Chocolate - 95% Dark Chocolate Wicked Dark Ginger (bar) - Apr. 24, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Taza Chocolate
95% Dark Chocolate Wicked Dark Ginger (bar)
Good + - Good ++ 
Weight: 1.25 oz. (35 g.) / 2.5 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 200 calories (per label) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $5.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Taza Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #9 of Chocolate, Cardamom & Ginger Theme Week.

Today's 95% Dark Chocolate Wicked Dark Ginger (bar) was made from bean to bar by Taza Chocolate (Somerville, MA).

Aroma notes for this "perfectly unrefined" bar included: dark chocolate (drinking chocolate), fresh baked bread and ginger.

Texture: stoneground ultra-dark chocolate and candied ginger bits. These two were fully blended into each other, but the chocolate was less refined/processed (not velvety smooth). Why stonegrind cacao other than it is a time-honored technique? More flavors tend to be preserved with stoneground/less processed chocolate. Some will love this. Others who prefer softer, more diffuse end results may not. 

Flavor notes included: ultra-dark, relatively bitter (initially quite strong) chocolate, but with pleasing (almost, but not quite fully integrated ginger); however, as long as you're not ultra-sensitive to bitter flavors, you may enjoy this bar more than you think you would. Just eat this bar slowly. The bitterness tends to recede after the first few bites and you'll find authentic cacao and ginger flavors that melt together and are worth the time.

I appreciated being able to taste this 95% organic dark chocolate bar. Sometimes I prefer a small piece of very flavorful, high-percentage (cacao) dark chocolate--as long as it's balanced, without all the sugar. Would I include this in a chocolate tasting for the general public? Probably not. This one might be too much for more delicate palettes, or for those seeking sweet solace.

Ingredients: Organic Cacao Beans, Organic Candied Ginger (Organic Ginger, Organic Cane Sugar), Organic Cane Sugar. 

Allergen-related information: "May Contain Traces of Tree Nuts and Sesame Seeds."

Godavari Chocolate - Bon-fiction "An Eclipse of the Senses" 99% dark chocolate (bar) - Apr. 15, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Godavari Chocolate Inc.
Bon-fiction "An Eclipse of the Senses" 99% dark chocolate (bar)
Good +
Weight: .485 oz. (13.75 g.) / 1.94 oz. (55 g.) in total bar
Calories: 92.5 calories in 1/4 bar
Cost: $8.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Village Market, S.F. Ferry Building, San Francisco, CA 

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate and India Week.

Today's Bon-fiction "An Eclipse of the Senses" 99% dark chocolate (bar) was made from tree-to-bar in India, and imported and distributed by Godavari Chocolate Inc. (Folsom, CA).

The cacao used to make this bar was "hand-picked from farms in the Godavari region of Southern India."

Aroma notes were roast-y and chocolate-y, and relatively subdued. The intensity arrived with the first bite. The flavor notes for this single origin, tree-to-bar 99% cacao chocolate included: ultra-dark chocolate; with relatively tart (yogurt), bitter and roasted wood and earth notes.

The texture was smooth and relatively buttery/creamy. (Note: Often there is added cocoa butter, on top of what is present with the cacao beans being used in ultra-dark bars. Surprisingly, there was no added cocoa butter listed on the ingredients. I consider that a brave choice with very bold, dark cacaos like this (with strong Trinitario + Forestero qualities.)

"The Eclipse of the Senses" was a fitting name for this bar. There were very few subtleties here. But, just like an eclipse, at the very end you feel the light from the Sun/Moon coming back again. 

I could imagine small quantities of this almost unsweetened chocolate being used with other, sweeter, flavors (sauces, meats, specific vegetable dishes, spirits, smoothies/shakes, dried fruits, affogatos, etc.)--to provide some interesting contrast or flavor depth.

I liked that this was tree-to-bar chocolate (made "in country" in India where the cacao was also grown); the short list of (two) ingredients; the unapologetic darkness (in small doses); and the faint mellower chocolate note(s) that popped up briefly at the very end of a long finish.

Ingredients: "Cocoa Beans, Organic Cane Sugar."

Allergen-related information: "Manufactured in a facility that also processes: Milk, Peanuts, Almond, Cashew, Walnut, Coconut, Hazelnut, Pistachio."  

Spinnaker Chocolate - 85% Colombia (bar) - Sept. 21, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Spinnaker Chocolate
85% Colombia (bar)
Good +++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar
Calories: 130 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Spinnaker Chocolate, online order

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

Today's 85% Colombia (bar) was from Spinnaker Chocolate (Seattle, WA).

Aroma notes included: creamy dark chocolate/milk chocolate with chocolate-y; diffuse stone fruit and berry notes; and very faint clean, green, borderline floral.

Texture: smooth, even texture and thick, luxe melt.

Flavor notes included: fudge-y dark chocolate (bittersweet torte/ultra-dark ganache), diffuse dark fruit, and bitter caramel; and a light, fleeting nuttiness and fruit in the long finish. 

I enjoyed this chocolate ride! The balanced, broad variety of interesting complex cacao notes. Sweet tooth fans may not appreciate the slight bitter quality that arrives in the taste (after the promise of sweet milk, caramel and fruit in the aroma); but I love a well-executed flavor fest that honors all the wonderful aspects of cacao.

Maker's tasting notes: "Even with 85% cacao, the Colombia beans are mild, delicious, and wonderfully fudgey..."

Ingredients: Cacao, Organic Cane Sugar, Cocoa Butter

Allergen-related information: Processed in a facility that uses milk powder and nuts.

Fjak - Thailand Dark Chocolate 85% Cocoa (bar) - Nov. 13, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Fjak Chocolate
Thailand Dark Chocolate 85% Cocoa (bar)
Good +++
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.11 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 164 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #2 of Chocolate and Thailand Theme Week.

Today's Thailand Dark Chocolate 85% Cocoa (bar) was made by Fjak Chocolate AS (Hardangerfjord, Norway).

The cacao beans used to make this chocolate were from the province of Chanthaburi, in eastern Thailand, in a region known for gems, tropical fruits, and pepper.

Aroma and flavor notes for this aromatic and unique dark chocolate included: bold, dark chocolate; sharp, peppery fruit (blueberry, fig, pineapple); sweet red bell pepper; distilled spirits; and very faint tart-sweet tropical fruit (mango, passion fruit, mangosteen) vinegar.

Texture: This well-tempered bar broke with a hard snap (at room temperature (68 degrees F. / 20 degrees C.); and the chocolate had a relatively rapid, yet light buttery, melt and mouthfeel. I braced myself for some fruit astringency (puckery/dry like in some red wines), but the level was relatively low (and/or well-managed).

This, three ingredient, ultra-dark 85% single origin (single region) bar was a transporting, exotic ride. I felt grateful to be able to taste all these vibrant, complex cacao flavors that could have been lost in a more processed, over-roasted blend or a very sweet chocolate. Thank you to the makers at Fjak for a well-executed Thai chocolate, that I enjoyed more with every bite. It's rare when I'm tempted to eat an entire 85% bar; but, this was one of those times.

Fjak tasting notes: "Tropical vibes in a bar: with tasting notes of pineapple, passionfruit and rum, this might be the fruitiest 85% dark chocolate you have ever had."

Ingredients: Cacao beans, Cane Sugar*, Cocoa Butter* (*Organic)

Allergen-related information: "Processed in a facility that handles nuts, dairy and gluten." Vegan.

Marou - So Co La Den 100% Single Origin Vietnam Dark Chocolate (bar) - Oct. 12, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Marou Faiseurs de Chocolat
100% Single Origin (Vietnam) Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 1.05 oz. (30 g.) / 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 170 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's 100% Single Origin Dark Chocolate (bar) was from Marou Chocolate (Marou Faiseurs de Chocolat), based in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam.

It's worth noting up front, this ultra-dark single origin bar was crafted using one single ingredient (cocoa nibs).

Aroma notes included: subtle cocoa, dark chocolate, and very faint botanical (barely detectable floral (orchid); very faint, diffuse fruit; nut)

Flavor notes included: dark, unsweetened chocolate; subtle, unfolding fruit (pomegranate, tangerine, green fig) and fruit (pomegranate-date) molasses; and very faint nut (Brazil). 

When I take a bite of a 100% cacao bar, I brace myself for the probable disconnect between the friendly cocoa aroma--that my brain associates with something sweet--and the bitterness that may follow. There wasn't that kind of jolt this time. 

Yes, this chocolate was bitter (unsweetened), but not too bitter (or sour). It had some natural sweetness to it; and the feel of a high-quality, well-managed chocolate. This was a pleasant dragon, with gently complex cacao flavors.

Ingredients: Cocoa nibs

Allergen-related information: "Manufactured in a facility that also processes: Coconut"

Theo and Philo Chocolate Factory Inc. - 90% Dark Chocolate Philippines (bar) - Sept. 30, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Theo and Philo Chocolate Factory Inc. 
90% Dark Chocolate Philippines (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.59 oz. (45 g.) in total bar
Calories: 250 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $6.52 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order 

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

Today's 90% Dark Chocolate Philippines (bar) was manufactured by Theo and Philo Chocolate Factory Inc. (Valenzuela City, Metro Manila, Philippines), using cacao grown in the Philippines.

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate and subtle fruit (dark, sweet cherry, peach, mango).

The texture was thick and smooth.

Flavor notes included: dark chocolate (ultra-dark, dark chocolate cake with bittersweet chocolate frosting). Yes there was bitterness, but it was tolerable and it didn't block the appealing rich dark chocolate cake flavor. The maker's notes (below) may sound frightening, but (dark mythical creatures not withstanding) it rings true." The ultra-dark bitterness does not stop you from wanting to taste that chocolate cake and faint fruit.

Maker's tasting notes/description: "Black as midnight on a moonless night when aswangs* and manananggals* roam free, this chocolate bar makes true chocolate lovers quiver with glee. The bold yet delightful bitterness that is accompanied by a delicate fruitiness is enough to make the toughest man scream in relish--just ask your friendly neighborhood tikbalangi.*

Ingredients: Cacao beans, Sugar

Allergen-related information: "Processed in a facility that also processes peanuts and other tree nuts."

*Aswangs are evil, shape-shifting creatures in Filipino folk culture. Manananggals are vampire-like creatures that can separate their upper bodies from their lower bodies. And a tikbalang is a half human-half horse creature, similar to a centaur in Greek mythology.

Taitau - 99% Extra Dark Chocolate (bar) - Aug. 28, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Taitau (Tai Tau)
99% Extra Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good + - Good ++ 
Weight: 1.75 oz. (50 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 120 calories in 1 serving (3 squares) of bar
Cost: $3.39 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Crossroads Specialty Market, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's 99% Extra Dark Chocolate (bar) from Taitau (Tai Tau) Exclusive Selection (Lietuva, Lithuania) was imported into the U.S. by B&I Overseas Trading Inc. (Van Nuys, CA).

The company produces single origin bars as well as other chocolate confections. This 99% cacao chocolate was made using "premium quality Ghana cocoa beans." And each square of the bar was adorned with a sea shell, sea star or sea horse.

Aroma notes for this bar included: bold, deep dark chocolate (Forastero cacao variety-like), and very faint vanilla.

The texture was thick, smooth and uniform.

Flavor notes were similar to the aroma notes: deep, dark chocolate with balanced bitterness (not as much as some 99% chocolates). It was what I would expect from an ultra-dark, almost unsweetened chocolate made with (medium-dark roast) Forastero cacao beans. It was bold, dense and smooth without any detectable lighter (fruit, floral) notes. 

If you enjoy sipping a small serving of espresso roast coffee with very little sugar, you may enjoy this chocolate. It is all about bold flavor. It is perhaps the opposite of a 32-oz. sweetened and flavored coffee drink with milk and whipped cream.

Chocolates this dark are relatively satisfying, i.e. I don't find myself wanting to eat more than a few squares. They satisfy my cacao craving, and serve as a reminder that sugar (or sugar + salt) are the ingredients behind those "more, more, more" impulses to eat more than one should.

Ingredients: "Cocoa mass (made from premium quality Ghanian and Grenada cocoa beans), cocoa butter, sugar, emulsifier - rape (canola) lecithin, flavoring vanillin."

Allergen-related information: "This product may contain traces of peanuts, hazelnuts, gluten and milk." 

 

Taitau - 90% Extra Dark Chocolate (bar) - Aug. 27, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Taitau (Tai Tau) 
90% Extra Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: .706 oz. (20 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 120 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $3.39 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Crossroads Specialty Market, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #2 of Chocolate and Lithuania Theme Week.

Today's 90% Extra Dark Chocolate (bar) from Taitau (Tai Tau) Exclusive Selection (Lietuva, Lithuania) was imported into the U.S. by B&I Overseas Trading Inc. (Van Nuys, CA).

This chocolate was made using "premium quality Arriba and Ghana cocoa beans." And each square of the bar was adorned with an embossed shell, sea star or sea horse shape.

Aroma notes for this bar included: dark chocolate; vanillin; very faint (barely detectable) aromatic (vanilla-infused) tobacco, cappuccino and caramel; and faint sweet, almost floral green.

This ultra-dark chocolate had a thick, smooth texture, with a very faint astringency (sensation of dryness, slight graininess).

Flavor notes were similar to the aroma notes (above), and included: balanced, bold cacao (Forastero cacao from Ghana), dark chocolate and vanillin; very faint, smooth aromatic wood, smoke and caramel; and very faint, fleeting sweet green and floral (Arriba cacao from Ecuador).

Ingredients: "Cocoa mass (made from premium quality Ghanian and Arriba cocoa beans), sugar, cocoa butter, emulsifier - rape (canola) lecithin, flavoring vanillin."

Allergen-related information: "This product may contain traces of peanuts, hazelnuts, gluten and milk."

 

Karuna Chocolate - Date Sugar Dolcificante Ai Datteri Dark Chocolate 80% (bar) - June 15, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Karuna Chocolate 
Date Sugar Dolcificante Ai Datteri Dark Chocolate 80% (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.12 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 154 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $14.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

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

Today's Date Sugar Dolcificante Ai Datteri Dark Chocolate 80% (bar) was from Karuna Chocolate (Velturno, Belzano/South Tyrol, in northern Italy).  

The cacao used to make this bold dark chocolate was from Oko Caribe in El Cibao Region, Duarte Province, in north central Dominican Republic.

Aroma notes included: bold dark chocolate and very faint dried fruit (date and very faint caramelized dried, green banana), and very faint brown sugar.

The chocolate had a creamy, thick melt and smooth texture.

Flavor notes included: dark chocolate (deep, dark fudge, subtle earth, roasted cacao), faint dried fruit, and very faint sparkles of clean mineral water and barely there dark, bitter stout and dark roasted nuts. Instead of being sweetened with cane sugar, the maker(s) chose to use date powder, giving it a very faint date/brown sugar flavor. 

This made "without added sugar" ultra-dark bar had a balanced bitterness, and a relatively subtle fruit acidity.

Ingredients: Cocoa beans*, date powder*, cocoa butter*; Cocoa min. 80% (* certified organic)

Allergen-related information:  "It may contain traces of nuts."

Zazubean - Buff'd Strong Chocolate with Coconut Sugar 90% Cacao (bar) - Apr. 10, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Zazubean Organic Chocolate
Buff'd Strong Chocolate with Coconut Sugar 90% Cacao (bar)
Good + - Good ++ 
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42.5 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 270 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $ Missing information
Purchased from: Missing information

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate and Coconut Theme Week, featuring chocolates with coconut sugar, milk, and meat inclusions.

Today's Buff'd Strong Chocolate with Coconut Sugar 90% Cacao (bar) was manufactured (in Switzerland) for Zazubean Organic Chocolate (Vancouver, B.C., Canada).

Aroma notes included: light citrus (lemony green herb, oxalis), faint vanilla coconut graham cracker.

This well-tempered bar had a relatively thick, almost creamy smooth, texture and an attractive, rich, semi-bitter flavor (like a good cup of roasted coffee). 

The 90% ultra-dark bar was, as expected, not too sweet (thank you!). A light touch of coconut sugar provided sweetness. And chocolate flavor notes included very faint, balanced earth and very faint, diffuse red fruit (berry) notes.

Certified organic and fair trade (made with "100% Fair Trade certified ingredients"*), this chocolate will appeal to ultra-dark chocolate fans who enjoy a smooth sophisticated blend, made with a short list of thoughtfully specified ingredients. (Cacao beans are sourced from "Dominican (Republic), Ecuador and Panama.")

*Ingredients: Organic, Fair Trade cocoa mass; Organic and Fair Trade cocoa butter; Organic and Fair Trade coconut blossom sugar; Organic and Fair Trade vanilla

Allergen-related information: (Contained coconut.) May contain milk, tree nuts and peanuts. Gluten free, soy free, vegan, kosher and "paleo friendly."

Akesson's - Brazil Fazenda Sempre Firme 100% Forastero Cocoa & Cocoa Nibs (bar) - Nov. 13, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Akesson's
Brazil Fazenda Sempre Firme 100% Forastero Cocoa and Cocoa Nibs (bar)
Good +
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.12 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 182.9 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $8.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Bem-vindo (welcome) to Day #8 of Chocolate and Brazil Theme Week.

Today's Akesson's Brazil Fazenda Sempre Firme 100% Forastero Cocoa and Cocoa Nibs (bar) was from AO Global (Uccle, Belgium).

Made in France, this 100% cacao chocolate was created from a "parasinho" Forastero variety cacao grown on the Fazenda Sempre Firme (plantation) in Bahia, Brazil. (The Fazenda has been called paradise, or paraiso, thus the cacao name parasinho (little paradise.)

Aroma notes for this unsweetened ultra-dark bar included: dark chocolate, sweet green, dried fruit, and sweet bread notes. 

The thick bar was a textural blend of relatively dark, dense smooth chocolate + crunchy nibs.

The bold, dense dark chocolate (Forastero) flavor was relatively acidic (citrus, acidic/tannic wood) flavor with sustained but balanced dark forest/earth notes. About 20 seconds after the finish receded there was another very faint, diffuse uptick of tobacco. 

This is what I'd refer to as a "monster" dark bar, comparable to very bold, acidic/tannic red yet still high-end wines. A small group of people will enjoy the sheer strength of these flavors, just as a select group might with a monster zin(fandel) wine that used to come out of California a few decades ago. (My dad, a tannic-phile) loved bringing these home from (at that time small) local wineries.)

I love flavor complexity and depth (and do enjoy many 100% cacao bars), but perhaps on a slightly more gentle scale. It's a bold choice using a feisty 100% Forastero for a 100% unsweetened bar. I will enjoy trying it different ways with other foods and beverages.

Maker's tasting notes: "...The chocolate we developed from these (Parasinho Forastero) beans is smooth, woody and earthy. It has also expressive notes that evoke autumn scents, tobacco and the local pitanga fruit."

Ingredients: 100% cocoa: cocoa beans, cocoa butter, cocoa nibs (7%)

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

Baiani - Dark Chocolate 100% Bahia Brazil (bar) - Nov. 12, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Chocolates Baiani 
Dark Chocolate Bahia Vale Potumuju Brazil (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.02 oz. (29 g.) / 2.04 oz. (58 g.) in total bar
Calories: 170 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order 

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

Today's Baiani Dark Chocolate 100% Bahia Vale Potumuju Brazil (bar) was produced by Kakawah Agro. Imp. Exp. e Comercio LTDA (Arataca, BA, Brazil).

The cacao used to make today's bar was grown/produced in Vale Potumuju, Bahia--a state in eastern Brazil--using an agroforestry system where cacao trees grow under/among native hardwood trees, and with other fruit trees.*

Aroma notes for this "tree to bar" chocolate included: subtle roasted cacao, mocha, very faint soft green. The texture was smooth, almost creamy.

Flavor notes included: a balanced earthiness and subtle roasted cacao. The taste was relatively tame at first (for a 100% cacao bar) with slight rise in bitter-acidity toward the finish. About 30 seconds after I thought the finish had ended, there were lingering, mellow green (matcha green tea) and faint floral notes. A pleasant ending.

This ultra-dark, unsweetened, single origin, 100% Brazil chocolate had nicely-balanced complexity. 

Ingredients: Single origin cacao beans. ("No sugar added")

Allergen-related information: "May contain traces of tree nuts and milk."

*Cacao has grown wild in parts of the Brazilian Amazon rainforest for millennia. Europeans began cultivating cacao in Bahia in the 1700s. Baiani carries on a well established cacao growing tradition in Bahia (of the Pinheiro and Aquino families) that stretches back to the 1800s.

At one time Bahia was the largest cacao producer state in Brazil. And Brazil used to be a top cacao exporting country. Unfortunately, in the late 1900s, a disease ("witches broom" resulting primarily from a fungal pathogen/infection that affects cacao and other crops) resulted in massive reductions in cacao yields in Brazil. 

In the last few decades Brazil has been building back their cacao production. And, arguably, a "cabruca" agroforestry system such as what Baiani Chocolates is using (where attention is paid to diversity and soil health) is not only an ecologically sound choice but likely offers more protection from diseases.

 

Taza Chocolate - Seriously Dark 87% Dark Chocolate (bar) - June 13, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Taza Chocolate

Seriously Dark 87% Dark Chocolate (bar)

Good +

Weight: 1.25 oz. (35 g.) / 2.5 oz. (70 g.) in total bar

Calories: 200 calories in 1/2 bar

Cost: $2.49 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA 

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate and Tea Theme Week, including chocolate items with tea, and chocolate and tea pairings.

Today's "Seriously Dark" 87% Dark Chocolate (bar) was from Taza Chocolate (Somerville, MA). The company specializes in minimally processed, stoneground chocolate and offers a variety of bars, discs, barks and chocolate covered nuts.

Taza's Seriously Dark bar was made using direct trade certified cacao; and the aroma had relatively bold dark chocolate, floral and vanilla, diffuse ripe fruit, and tropical forest notes. Taza is known for less processed, flavorful chocolate--flavors preserved in part due to short(er) grinding and conching times in large stainless steel machines.

Today's 87% bar did not contain tea. Instead I searched for three different teas to find the best pairing with this chocolate. 

I knew this bold dark chocolate might not pair easily with teas....But, the perils of pairing be damned; the hunt was on for a match.

Tea partners for Taza: Matcha (ice cream bar), ginger, grapefruit leaf...

I first tried pairing today's Taza Chocolate ultra-dark bar with its apparent opposite: a frozen, creamy, smooth, delicate, grassy Matcha (green tea) Brown Sugar Boba ice cream bar -- inspired by popular boba (tapioca pearl/mini-mochi) tea drinks from Taiwan. The refreshing, matcha tea bar (like green tea ice cream or an iced matcha latte) was perfect for today's hot weather.

However, the pairing of a Matcha ice cream boba bar with the Taza 87% chocolate was a study in contrasts. They each had unique, enjoyable aromas and flavors. Unfortunately, the combined array of vibrant taste and texture (and temperature) sensations failed to mesh harmoniously.

These two offerings were best enjoyed separately. Blind dates don't always work out. However, after a little more tea speed dating, I did find better mates for both the chocolate and Matcha tea bars.

Cool ginger tea did not agree with this ultra-dark bar. Just when I thought this Taza 87% bar was a confirmed singleton, with its rough, almost crunchy texture, unique floral sweetness, and untameable spirit, I tried pairing it with some warm grapefruit leaf tea (made by pouring very hot water over torn grapefruit (or lemon) tree leaves and letting the infusion steep for a few minutes).

The pale, amber-hued grapefruit leaf tea had a lemony citrus flavor. And it was surprisingly harmonious with today's Seriously Dark chocolate. The warmer tea (vs. frozen tea ice cream) also made the chocolate flavors more accessible. (Frozen chocolate quickly loses textural and flavor benefits.)

And, for our Matcha Brown Sugar Boba bar, the best match was: creamy, buttery, dark chocolate truffles dusted in dark cocoa powder.

Ingredients: Organic cacao beans, organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter, organic vanilla beans.

Allergen-related: "Contains traces of almonds, cashews, coconut, hazelnuts and pecans."

TCHO - 95% deep dark (bar) - May 2, 2022

Chocolate #2 of the Day

TCHO 
95% deep dark (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.25 oz. (35 g.) / 2.5 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 220 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $ missing information
Purchased from: missing information 

As part of a Chocolate and Mother's Day Series, I'm featuring two chocolates each day of this 3-day series. One sweet, one dark. This 95% cacao chocolate is the latter.

Today's 95% deep dark (bar) was from TCHO Ventures, Inc. (Berkeley, CA). 

This bar had a deep, dark, slightly bitter aroma with green, brown/maple sugar, true chocolate (very slightly earthy, fudge brownie), very faint black licorice, and very faint diffuse (red) fruit notes.

This ultra-dark bar had a smooth, substantial texture with a very slightly oily-buttery melt.

The bold dark chocolate flavor was consistent with the aroma notes mentioned above with a roasted, ultra-dark brownie taste and a pleasant dark finish. 

Ingredients: Organic, fair trade cacao beans; organic fair trade cocoa butter; organic cane sugar

Allergen-related information: "May contain traces of milk, soy, and tree nuts."

Disidente - 100% Colombian Craft Chocolate (bar) - Mar. 22, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Disidente
("Colombian Cacao Taxonomy")
100% Colombian Craft Chocolate (bar)
Good - Good +
Weight: .525 oz. (15 g.) / 1.05 oz. (30 g.) in total bar
Calories: 101 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $6.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's Cacao Disidente 100% Colombian Craft Chocolate (bar) was manufactured by El Colaboratorio (Bogota, Colombia).

One might think that 100% cacao (all cacao, no sugar) chocolate would have a powerful, bitter, dark aroma. However, 100% bars vary tremendously in this regard. 

Today's single-ingredient (cacao beans) bar had a relatively subtle, complex bouquet that included: light cooked fruit (goji berry, red grape, lychee, faint salted/dried plum), faint green tea,  cooked rice and floral aroma notes. 

Tasting notes included many of the same cooked fruit and rice, faint floral notes noted in the aroma, plus subtle, fleeting caramel coffee candy and mild (heritage cacao, Criollo variety) chocolate flavor with mild, balanced bitterness.

The texture was a bit starchy/grainy (as if cooked rice liquid had been run through in the final refining). It had a relatively even texture and melt that was not objectionable. Just different.

I would definitely put this on a 100% bar tasting flight for its unique, subtle and mild profile.

Ingredients: Cacao beans

Allergen-related information: "May contain traces of milk and nuts"..."Store in a cool, dry place, do not refrigerate."

 

Cacaosuyo - Rupa Rupa Peru 100% (bar) - Feb. 11, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Cacaosuyo 
Discover 100% Cacao Rupa Rupa Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 224 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #8 of 100% Cacao Theme Week, and Day #3 of Chocolate and Peru Theme Week.

Today's CacaoSuyo 100% Cacao Rupa Rupa Dark Chocolate (bar) was produced by Theobroma Inversiones (Lima, Peru). 

The company makes chocolate with cacao from the Peruvian Amazon. Cacaosuyo's tagline "The best kept secret of the Incas" underscored the long history of cacao in Peru and South America. 

Rupa Rupa (aka Tingo Maria) cacao refers to a growing region in central Peru (east of the Andes).

This single ingredient 100% cacao bar was hearty, yeasty (fresh baked bread) and earthy, with balanced bitterness (like a deep, rich ale with a citrus note).

Ingredients: Cocoa paste (Theobroma cacao)

Allergen-related information: "This product was produced in a facility that also processes milk, nuts and/or peanuts."

A. Morin - Cote d'Ivoire Guemon Noir 100% (bar) - Feb. 6, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

A. Morin
Cote d'Ivoire Guemon Noir 100% (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.17 oz. (3.3 g.) / 3.52 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 202.3 calories in 1/3 bar
Cost: $9.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order 

Welcome to Day #3 of 100% Cacao Theme Week.

Today's Cote d'Ivoire Guemon Noir 100% (bar) was from SAS Chocolaterie A. Morin (Donzere, France).

The aroma notes for this bar included: deep, dark bittersweet chocolate, faint green and molasses, a very faint fruit (red/purple grape, blueberry) and almost invisible impression of incense.

This 100% cacao chocolate (made with cocoa nibs) broke with a well-tempered snap, and had a buttery mouthfeel, melt and texture.

Flavor notes: fudgey, buttery, relatively uniform, roasty, mild* ultra-dark chocolate, and a small pop of berry (raspberry) toward the end/finish.

Ingredients: Cocoa nibs

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

*Mild meaning a relatively (for a 100% chocolate) balanced bitterness and acidity level and a lack of sharp or scary notes. 

A "milder" 100% cacao chocolate is sometimes achieved by starting with a milder variety of cacao, longer roast and grind/conche times, and/or the addition of cocoa butter. (Cacao beans are about 1/2 cocoa solids and 1/2 cocoa butter, but the proportions can vary with climate/growing latitude and cocoa variety. Cacao beans grown at the Equator might be leaner than others growing 20 degrees above or below the Equator.)

Those new to consuming any 100% chocolates may miss the sugar initially. I often see people tasting 100% chocolates with a facial expression that says: momentarily confused brain expected something sweet that wasn't there, and is trying to re-calibrate. For those already used to unsweetened cacao chocolate, a piece of today's bar might be a good addition to a 100% cacao bar tasting flight. The aroma was quite nice, and the little pop of raspberry at the end was fun.

 

Momotombo Chocolate - Dark Chocolate 100% Cacao (bar) - Feb. 4, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Momotombo Chocolate Factory
Dark Chocolate 100% Cacao (bar)
Good +++
Weight: .94 oz. (26.6 g.) / 2.82 oz. (80 g.) in total bar 
Calories: 200 calories in 1/3 bar (8 squares)
Cost: $9.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #1 of 100% Chocolate Theme Week. 

Today's Dark Chocolate 100% Cacao (bar) was from Momotombo Chocolate Factory (Managua, Nicaragua). 

In 2004, Momotombo Chocolate founder, Carlos Mann, began producing "fresh chocolate" with basic tools (pots, spoons, stove) in Nicaragua that could be easily produced by local women in their own kitchens. He helped train women to make chocolate, in their own kitchens, reclaiming, in some ways, a centuries old cacao tradition in Nicaragua.

The Momotombo Chocolate Factory today offers bonbons, bars, drinking chocolate, nibs and other chocolate treats made from fine cacao grown in Nicaragua. Today's 100% bar was made from a single ingredient: "cacao."

Aroma notes for this sophisticated 100% bar included: cacao, green, molasses, and dried fruit (date), and very faint spice (black licorice, sarsaparilla).

The well-tempered chocolate broke with a robust snap; and it had a smooth, thick buttery melt and buttery, fudgey texture.

The taste? The flavor was an incorporation of all the aroma notes (above), into a powerful dark river of deep, unsweetened chocolate. After a few bites, the subtle, clean finish grew to include a faint flicker of bright berry (fresh raspberry) accompanied by dark chocolate with faint licorice herb. 

This 100% bar had lovely, complex flavors with well-balanced bitterness--all from pure 100% cacao. No sugar. Nothing else added.

Ingredients: "Cacao"

Allergen-related information: (None were listed on bar's packaging/label.)

*Momotombo is the name of a volcanic mountain in Nicaragua. Volcanic soils impart minerals (soil nutrients) that can add ("terroir") flavor into cacao, coffee and other crops.