ChocolateBet: May 5, 2011

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 


Organic Nectars
Raw Cacao Bar
54% cacao
Very Good - Very Good +
Weight: .7 oz. (20 g.) / 1.4 oz. (40 g.) total bar
Calories: 100 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: Approx. $4.83 per bar ($29 sampler 6-bar pack)
Purchased from: Organic Nectars via Chocolate.com

Organic Nectars 
Raw Cacao Bar
70% cacao
Very Good
Weight: .7 oz. (20 g.) / 1.4 oz. (40 g.) total bar
Calories: 105 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: Approx. $4.83 per bar ($29 sampler 6-bar pack)

Today was Day #5 of Organic Chocolate Theme Week. Hats off to Organic Nectars (based in Malden, NY, New York's Hudson Valley area) for their line of raw, organic (Organic Certification by NFC) vegan bars made with the company's PalmSweet palm coconut nectar and kosher parve ingredients.

Chocolate Banquet is all about the abundance of good foods available -- even if you, or someone close to you, is "living without" gluten, or dairy, soy, refined sugar, etc. Organic Nectars bars do not contain these ingredients, and are well made with a smooth texture (without being oily), and interesting flavors. Cocoa butter and a touch of non GMO sunflower lecithin are used, rather than soy, to help achieve a pleasant consistency and mouth feel.

The 54% cacao, raw cacao bar, was particularly intriguing, with its smoky, sweet tobacco notes. Normally, higher cacao content bars get all the interesting flavors and any milder notes are often overwhelmed by darker, or heavily roasted bars. So it was a treat to taste some rich flavor notes in a bar with lower cacao content.

The 70% raw cacao bar had a nice snap to it, and was smooth and just slightly richer/darker in taste than the 54% bar, with a much fainter smoky note than the 54% bar.

ChocolateBet: May 4, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:
1 serving
Green and Black's Organic
Milk Chocolate bar
Good + - Very Good
Weight: 1.4 oz. (40 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) total bar
Calories: 220 calories
Cost: $2.29 total bar
Purchased from: Piazza's Fine Foods, Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #4 of Organic Chocolate Theme Week, and today's chocolate comes from Green and Black's, a company that has been committed to using organic ingredients from the company's formation (in 1991).

This unadorned, Milk Chocolate (34% cocoa content) bar was made with higher quality (Trinitario) cacao beans than is found on most store shelves. It had a smooth consistency and taste, and would be fine for those who might not like the stronger flavor characteristics associated with many dark chocolate bars. I plan to re-taste this bar, later this month, alongside Green and Black's darker bars. 

ChocolateBet: May 3, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:
1/6 bar
Equal Exchange Chocolates
Organic and fairly traded
Dark Chocolate with Almonds bar
Good + - Very Good
Weight: .583 oz. (16.6 g.) /  3.5 oz. (100 g.) total bar
Calories: 92 calories
Cost: $4.50 total bar
Purchased from: Calafia Market a Go-Go, in Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #3 of Organic Chocolate Theme Week. Several companies are producing or making chocolate using at least some organic ingredients -- some offerings are certified organic and others may not be. A look into the chocolate "supply chain" generally goes back to cacao growers in other parts of the world. Equal Exchange's Dark Chocolate with Almonds bar (55% cacao content) was USDA Certified Organic; also on the bar's label: "Fair Trade and Social Certified by IMO."

Equal Exchange (based in West Bridgewater, MA) is a somewhat unique company. It is a "worker owned Fair Trade company founded in 1986," and is focused on "building equitable trade relationships with co-ops of small-scale farmers."

Today's Organic and fairly traded Dark Chocolate with Almonds bar was made with organic chocolate, organic sugar, organic vanilla and organic chopped almonds, and was produced in Switzerland for Equal Exchange.

ChocolateBet: May 2, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:
1 oz. (28 g.) serving
Kopali Organics
Very Good
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (57 g.) total package
Calories: 140 calories
Cost: $N/A - sample
Purchased from: N/A - sample; from Kopali Organics, based in Miami FL.

Today was Day #2 of Organic Chocolate Theme Week. These slightly irregular shaped, rich, dark chocolate covered cacao nibs from Kopali Organics were quite good. The smooth, organic dark chocolate coating enveloped slightly crunchy nib centers; these tasted rich and nutty, with a few fruit notes. I think I have a new Kopali favorite (although I still like the chocolate covered mulberries almost as much). Thank you Kelly.

A package insert (inside shipping box) showed Kopali Organics' five different organic chocolate covered items, and five different organic fruit items.

ChocolateBet: May 1, 2011

Chocolate(s) of the Day:

Several pieces
Kopali Organics

1.) Dark Chocolate Covered Mulberries
Very Good
Weight: 2 oz. (56 g.) in 1 package
Calories: 260 calories
Cost: N/A - sample
Purchased from: N/A - sample from Kopali Organics

2.) Dark Chocolate Covered Espresso
Good +
Weight: .2 oz. (5.6g g.) / 2 oz. (57 g.) total package
Calories: 30 calories (estimate)
Cost: N/A - sample
Purchased from: N/A - sample, from Kopali Organics, Miami, FL (via Kelly in NYC)

Thank you to Kopali Organics for shipping samples of several organic, dark chocolate covered items. I had previously tried the company's Dark Chocolate Covered Mulberries, and these chocolates are my favorite item so far. So, in addition to re-tasting the Kopali Mulberries today, I tried the company's Organic Dark Chocolate Covered Espresso beans. (Certified Organic by BCS OKO-Garantie GMBH)

Today was Day #1 of Organic Chocolate Theme Week. Organic certification is often discussed in the chocolate/foodie community. While Organic food items are sought after by many buyers, many small or poor cacao farmers (who may indeed be farming organically, and not using any pesticides) may not be able to afford the costs associated with organic certification. Some chocolate vendors are working to help support farmers, and in addition to helping provide a market for their cacao crops, may indirectly or directly support sustainable farming and organic certification. I am a consumer, and not a farmer, so I can only speculate on organic farming practices far from home; however, it's good to see vendors like Kopali supporting farmers, sustainable products and communities.

Kopali Organics sells organic fruit and chocolates, and is also involved with promoting a sustainable community in Costa Rica.

ChocolateBet: April 30, 2011

Chocolate(s) of the Day:

1.) 1 Ice Cream Sundae
Skates on the Bay Restaurant
Vanilla ice cream, Pecans, Chocolate Fudge Sauce, Butterscotch Sauce + additions (dashes of Cointreau, Glenmorangie Scotch whiskey, and salt)
Very Good
$8.00
Purchased from: Skates on the Bay Restaurant, Berkeley, CA

2.) 5 small eggs
Dove (Mars)
Silky Smooth Dark Chocolate Eggs
Very Good
Weight: 1.26 oz. (35.8 g.) / 8.87 oz. (251.5 g.) total bag/package
Calories: 183 calories
Cost: $
Purchased from: Piazza's Fine Foods, Palo Alto, CA

For the first chocolate of the day, after a long walk, I had a very nice variation on an ice cream sundae at Skates on the Bay restaurant near the Berkeley Marina. I had a table by the window with views of San Francisco Bay, the Berkeley pier, and the Golden Gate Bridge in the distance. (Picture shown is from the restaurang parking lot.) It doesn't get much better than this. But, I had more chocolate to eat!

Today was the last day of Chocolate Egg Appreciation Month (Day #32 to be precise), and I finished up the month by appreciating some Dove "Silky Smooth Dark Chocolate Eggs." These solid, egg-shaped bullets of substantial, dark chocolate goodness were satisfying.

Finding a new chocolate egg to try for a month had been wonderful, but now it's time to jolt forward into another aspect of chocolate with Organic Chocolate Theme Week, starting tomorrow.

ChocolateBet: April 29, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:
3 eggs
See's Candies
Dark Chocolate Foil Eggs
Very Good
Weight: .759 oz. (21.49 g.) for 3 eggs/ 8 oz. (227 g.) total package/bag
Calories: 120 calories
Cost: $6.00 (estimate)

Purchased from: See's Candies, in Los Altos, CA

Today was Day #31 of Chocolate Egg Appreciation Month, and San Francisco Bay Area-based See's Candies wins another spotlight this month with their Dark Chocolate Foil Eggs. These small, solid dark eggs were dark chocolate fudge brownie-rich. These might be a good Easter/post-Easter egg choice for those with more discerning palettes, while still being appreciated by those who liked sweeter, smoother, dark fare.