ChocolateBet: June 2, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
2/5 bar
World Market (Cost Plus)
Sea Salt Dark Chocolate (bar)
Very Good
Weight: 1.2 oz. (33.9 g.)/ 3 oz. (85 g.) total bar
Calories: 176 calories in 2/5 bar
Cost: $1.99 total bar
Purchased from: World Market (Cost Plus) store in Mountain View, CA

Today was Day #6 of Chocolate and Salt Theme Week. I've been enjoying all the different ways that chocolate creators are incorporating sodium chloride (salt) into bars, truffles, caramels, and other treats. Today's sea salt bar had crunchy crystals of salt incorporated into (64% cacao) dark chocolate. Others use colored salt as a decorative garnish. There are lots of savory chocolates and different flavors of sea salts being combined with chocolate these days. I may have to extend this theme week for, well, another week.

I give points to World Market for having one of the most accessibly priced savory chocolate bars. At $1.99, this is a bar that most people can afford.

ChocolateBet: June 1, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
1 small bar
Xocolatl de David
Raleigh Bar (pecan, nougat, bacon caramel)
Very Good
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) (estimate)
Calories: 150 calories (estimate)
Cost: $2.95
Purchased from: Fog City News, in San Francisco, CA

This wonderfully-sized (small) bar with pecans, nougat and bacon caramel, also contained a hint of butter and fleur de sel -- qualifying it for Day #5 of Chocolate and Salt Theme Week.

ChocolateBet: May 31, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
3 oz. (89.9 g.)
Trader Joe's
Dark Chocolate Nutty Bits
Very Good +
Weight: 3 oz. (84.9 g.)/ 7 oz. (198 g.) total package
Calories: 450 calories (estimate)
Cost: $3.99 for total package
Purchased from: Trader Joe's, in Menlo Park, CA

These bite-sized, dark chocolate coated nut nuggets were crisp, light and delicious -- and not too sweet (an added bonus). The "nutty bits" ingredients included: almonds, cachews, pumpkin seeds, pistachios, sweet toffee, a dark chocolate coating, and "just a touch of Fleur de Sel."

Today was Day #4 of Chocolate and Salt Theme Week.

ChocolateBet: May 30, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
1/2 bar
Jade Chocolates
Terracotta (bar) (41% cacao)
Very Good
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (58 g.) total bar
Calories: 150 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $5.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Jade Chocolates, in San Francisco, CA

This (new) Terracotta milk chocolate bar from Jade Chocolates, with tamari almonds and pink sea salt, came carefully swaddled in handmade lokta paper from Nepal. The salt mixed in with the chocolate was very subtle, but it was enough to qualify this bar as today's choice for Day #3 of Chocolate and Salt Theme Week.

The story behind the mixture of chocolate, tamari almonds and sea salt (the salty and the sweet) is discussed on the back of the wrapper: "The legacy of the terracotta warriors is a tribute to China's first emperor who united the feuding states as one country. To honor him, the opposing flavors of salty and sweet come together in harmony."

ChocolateBet: May 29, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
1 cupcake
Kara's Cupcakes
Chocolate Velvet (gluten-free) cupcake
Very Good
Weight: 2.5 oz. (70.75 g.) (estimate) in 1 cupcake
Calories: 350 calories (estimate)
Cost: $3.25 for 1 cupcake
Purchased from: Kara's Cupcakes store in Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #2 of Chocolate and Salt Theme Week -- and, also, a big, double-milestone birthday celebration (for my dad and my daughter); so there was a lot of and eating, music, dancing, and general family fun. On the dessert menu this evening were some gluten-free cupcakes. Thank you to Kara's Cupcakes for offering this non-wheat option. I ate this Chocolate Velvet cupcake with some slivered almonds and just a hint of salt, along with some fresh strawberries and a little bit of ice cream.

It was a good thing I got up early this morning to go walking up in Napa wine country. Even so, as I write this, I feel as if I'm about to drop off into a food coma right...about...now.....

ChocolateBet: May 28, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:

2 tiles/pieces
Poco Dolce
Very Good
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42.45 g.)/6 oz. (170 g.) total 8-pc. box
Calories: 225 calories (estimate)
Cost: $ (could not find receipt)
Purchased from: Poco Dolce, in San Francisco, CA

Chocolate, almonds and a hint of salt. It's hard to go wrong with this combination. I've been working my way through this variety box (4 flavors).  I'm saving the ginger tiles for last (for ginger theme week).

Today was Day #1 of Chocolate and Salt Theme Week.

ChocolateBet: May 27, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
.3 oz.
Jade Chocolates
Krakatoa bar
Very Good - Very Good +
Weight: .3 oz. (8.49 g.)/ 2 oz. (58 g.) in total bar
Calories: 44 calories for .3 oz. (estimate)
Cost: $5.50 for total bar
Purchased from: Jade Chocolates, tasting event, in San Francisco, CA

Sometimes you just have to eat truffles for dinner. Tonight was such an occasion. I attended a Jade Chocolates truffle tasting event, held at Leland Tea Company, in San Francisco this evening. Samples of new Jade chocolate bars were also available. The Krakatoa bar (63% cacao, bittersweet), flavored with black pepper and lemongrass, was one of these new bars (shown above right).

My favorite Jade Chocolates truffle was the Jasmine Tea truffle. I am a sucker for good jasmine chocolates. The other truffle flavors (passion fruit; mint; peanut butter mango; pandan; and several others) were also quite good. Unfortunately, these truffles are not available for sale in stores at this time.