ChocolateBet: January 14, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:
2 oz. (57 g.) serving
Hedonist Artisan Chocolates
Pistachio Ginger Bark
Very Good +
Weight: 2 oz. (57 g.) / 5 oz. (141.5 g.) total package
Calories: 280 calories (estimate) in 2 oz. of bark
Cost: N/A - sample
Purchased from: N/A - from Hedonist Artisan Chocolates, Rochester, NY

Ginger is a good bridge from Chocolate and Chai Theme Week, covered the past week, to today's chocolate from Rochester, New York-based Hedonist Artisan Chocolates.

Fresh-tasting shards of dark chocolate were topped with crunchy, whole green pistachio nuts and glittering bits of candied/crystallized ginger. In short, it was everything I would hope for in a Pistachio Ginger Bark. Chocolate, shown above right, is on its way to being gratefully devoured.

ChocolateBet: January 13, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:
1/2 bar
Shaman Chocolates
Organic Dark Chocolate with Green Tea and Ginger
Good +
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (57 g.) total bar
Calories: 170 calories (per label)
Cost: $2.99 total bar
Purchased from: Country Sun Natural Foods, in Palo Alto, CA

Today was the last day of Chocolate and Chai Theme Week. I paired a Shaman Chocolates Green Tea and Ginger (60% cacao) bar with two different kinds of homemade, hot Chai tea.

This Organic, Fair Trade Certified Green Tea and Ginger dark bar is one of a line of different bars made exclusively for Shaman Chocolates (based in Soquel, CA). Profits from these chocolate bars support the Huichol Indians in Mexico. These descendants of the Aztec people live in the mountains of Jalisco and Nayarit, in Western Central Mexico.

According to the Shaman Chocolates site, "chocolate is sacred to the Huichols who have used it for thousands of years in their ceremonies...Shaman Chocolates gives all of its profits to support three Huichol villages. Every bar you buy helps sustain the Huichols and keeps their ancient shamanic traditions alive."

ChocolateBet: January 12, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:
1 bar
Dagoba
chai
Good +
Weight: 2 oz. (56.7 g.)
Calories: 296 calories
Cost: $2.79
Purchased from: Piazza's Fine Foods, in Palo Alto, CA

The Organic, Gluten Free Dagoba  Chai bar -- with milk chocolate (37% cacao content), crystallized ginger and spices (essential oils) -- was a great fit for Day #6 of Chocolate and Chai Theme Week.

I'd intended to eat only half this bar, but the remaining chocolate in the wrapper called out to me this afternoon. And you know the rest of the story. All gone.

ChocolateBet: January 11, 2011

Chocolate(s) of the Day:
1 serving hot chocolate beverage w/ Chai stirrer

1.) Pacific Natural Foods
Hazelnut Chocolate Non-Dairy Beverage (Gluten Free)
Good ++
Weight: 4 fl. oz. (120 mL)/ 32 fl. oz. (1 Quart) (946 mL) total container
Calories: 60 calories
Cost: $
Purchased from: Piazza's Fine Foods, Palo Alto, CA

2.) Hammond's Candies
Chai Stirrers (Gluten Free)
Good ++
Weight: .5 oz. (14 g.) / 5 oz. (141 g.) total container (~15 sticks)
Calories: 40 calories in 1 stirrer stick
Cost: $3.99 (sale/marked down price; reg. $7.00)
Purchased from: HomeGoods, in San Carlos, CA

Nut-based beverages offer some tasty non-milk alternatives for hot chocolate. For today's chocolate choice, I used a chocolate hazelnut non-dairy beverage from Pacific Natural Foods, and a Chai stirring stick from  Hammond's Candies.  I did add in a little hot milk into this cocoa as well. Note: your Chai Stirrer will melt fairly quickly if your cocoa is very hot, so stir quickly.

Today was Day #5 of Chocolate and Chai Theme Week.

ChocolateBet: January 10, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:
1 serving
Allegro Coffee Company
Drinking Chocolate
Organic Indian Spice 30 (Chai)
Very Good
Weight: 1 Tablespoon / 8 oz. (226 g.) total package/box
Calories: 95 calories total (45 calories for mix plus 50 calories for milk)
Cost: $6.99 for total box
Purchased from: Whole Foods Market, in downtown Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #4 of Chocolate and Chai Theme Week. And I'm switching from chai flavored truffles to drinking chocolate from Allegro Coffee Company today. Allegro's Organic Indian Spice 30 mix contains "...milk chocolate blended with the ginger and cardamom of classic chai." This flavor is one of several flavored drinking chocolates offered by the company.

I used hot, low-fat (cow's) milk as a base for my hot drinking chocolate; however, I'm sure one could experiment with other milks. This mix does contain dairy -- in the form of organic Fair Trade Certified milk chocolate, and organic milk powder.

ChocolateBet: January 9, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:
1/2 truffle
Coco-luxe Confections
Chai truffle
Good
Weight: .24 oz. (6.8 g.) (estimate for 1/2 pc.)
Cost: $4.00 for small bag of 2 truffles
Purchased from: Coco-luxe, (at temporary holiday shop), Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #3 of Chocolate and Chai Theme Week, and the day's chocolate choice was a Chai (dark) truffle from San Francisco, CA-based Coco-luxe Confections.

ChocolateBet: January 8, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:
1 truffle
Sweet Earth Chocolates
Chai Latte Truffle
Very Good
Weight: .48 oz. (14 g.) (estimate)
Calories: 72 calories (estimate)
Cost: $N/A - gift (thank you Alec, Ardis)
Purchased from: N/A - gift (from San Luis Obispo, CA)

Today was Day # 2 of Chocolate and Chai Theme Week. I experimented with making my own stovetop Chai (cardamom pods, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, pepper and other spices).

Today's Sweet Earth Chocolates  Chai Latte Truffle was very close to the mix of spice flavors that I like best. Sweet Earth specializes in Fair Trade, Organic chocolates.

Note: I initially photographed this little scene without a memory card in my camera. Oops. So, the little empty white paper cup is what remains after I ate Sweet Earth Chocolates Chai Latte Truffle. The image of the Chai Latte Truffle, above right, is from the Sweet Earth Chocolates truffle brochure.