ChocolateBet: August 5, 2009

Chocolate of the Day:
1 package
Senor Murphy
"Chamayo Red Chili Pistachio Bark"
Very Good
Weight: 3 oz. (84 grams) total package
Calories: 450 calories (estimate)
Cost: $5.25 ($1.75 per ounce)
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, in San Francisco, CA

The roasted pistachios in this dark chocolate bark were nice and crunchy. This chocolate from New Mexico was also hot and spicy. If you try some, have some milk or ice water standing by.

ChocolateBet: August 4, 2009

Chocolate of the Day:

1/2 bar
Vosges Haut-Chocolat
Organic Enchanted Mushroom bar
Good + - Very Good
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42.5 g.) in 1/2 bar / 3 oz. (85 g.) total bar
Calories: 225 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, in San Francisco, CA

This gluten-free, organic, dark chocolate (66% cacao) bar from Vosges (Chicago, IL) contained powdered organic Reishi Mushrooms and Walnuts. I was intrigued by this flavor combination and was looking forward to trying an enchanted mushroom bar.

This unique bar was quite good, although difficult to taste the powdered mushrooms; and the walnut flavor was very subtle, due to the small pieces of walnut used.

Change of Subject...
-----------------------------
The quote, below, is not about enchanted mushrooms at all, but it is chocolate-related and I thought it was worth sharing...Last week (July 31, 2009), a chocolate-related news story (by David Herszenhorn) appeared in Hill blog "The Caucus" concerning U.S. House of Representatives Speaker, Nancy Pelosi.

The title of the story was "Pelosi’s Secret Weapon in Health Care Debate: Chocolate." A quote from this story appears below:

"In an unguarded moment, Ms. Pelosi, whose deft political maneuvers catapulted her through the ranks of the House Democratic leadership to make her the first woman speaker in the United States history, shared her secret.

“Chocolate,” she said.

And she was only half-kidding. Ms. Pelosi, who represents San Francisco, keeps stashes of Ghirardelli chocolate squares strategically placed throughout her suite of offices in the Capitol."

ChocolateBet: August 3, 2009

Chocolate of the Day:

1 package
Fling Chocolate
Dark Chocolate
Good + - Very Good
Weight: 1.11 oz. (31.5 grams)
Calories: 170 calories for 1 package, 2 pieces
Cost: $0.49 (sale price)
Purchased from: Walgreens, in Palo Alto, CA

Unfortunately, due to some meltage in warm weather I had to carefully extricate the two chocolate pieces inside. But, with a little effort and some finger licking: mission accomplished.

ChocolateBet: August 2, 2009

Chocolate of the Day:

1 package
Mars, Incorporated - fling chocolate
Fling bar - Milk Chocolate
Good +
Weight: 1.11 oz. (31.5 grams)
Calories: 170 calories for 1 bar
Cost: $0.49 (sale price)
Purchased from: Walgreens, in Palo Alto, CA

ChocolateBet: August 1, 2009

Chocolate of the Day:
1 bar
Cowgirl Chocolates
Mild Dark Chocolate Lavender bar - 55% cocoa
Very Good
Weight: 1.25 oz. (35 grams) in 1 bar
Calories: ~187 calories
Cost: $4.00
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, in San Francisco, CA

This bar was a bit sweet, but it had a nice lavender flavor. Fun label design. Cowgirl Chocolates is based in Moscow, Idaho.

ChocolateBet: July 31, 2009

Chocolate of the Day:

1 bar
Askinosie Chocolate
Soconusco, Mexico, Dark Milk + Fleur de Sel bar
Very Good + - Yum
Weight: 3 oz. (85 grams)
Calories: 540 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $8.50
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, in San Francisco, CA

Thanks again to the helpful staff at Chocolate Covered in San Francisco who helped me pick out this Dark Milk bar from Askinosie Chocolate (Springfield, MO).

This single origin bar was made like a lot of the best chocolate, with a few select, local ingredients - that in this case included Trinitario cocoa beans from Mexico, organic cane juice, goat's milk powder, cocoa butter, and sea salt. And, this bar wasn't too sweet, which was a real plus for me.

ChocolateBet: July 30, 2009

Chocolate of the Day:

2/3 bar
Original Beans
Cru Virunga, D.R. Congo - 70% cacao: 20-hour conch
Very Good +
Weight: 2.37 oz. (66.6 g.)/3.57 oz. (100 g.) total bar
Calories: ~ 357 calories (estimate)
Cost: $16.00
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, in San Francisco, CA

Original Beans bars represent an example of chocolate for a good cause. If you buy a bar, you get information on a (cacao) tree that will be planted, possibly in an area that is being reforested (or restored, after the land has been clear cut).

I'm guessing the company's relationships with farmers (co-ops) in various countries, the tree planting (and the use of small batches and rarer beans) help explain the high price; although the chocolate is rich and smooth, and appears to be very high-quality chocolate.

The bean-to-bar makers carefully process their cacao beans to arrive at "a crisp snap and a luscious melt with vivid fruit notes."