Vosges - Mash Bill Collection - November 19, 2012

Chocolate(s) of the Day:

Vosges Haut Chocolat
1.) Bourbon Truffle - Good
2.) Whiskey Truffle - Very Good
3.) Scotch Truffle - Good
Weight: 1.13 oz. (32.3 g.) / 3.42 oz. (97 g.) in 9-piece box
Calories: 157 calories for 3 truffles
Cost: $26.00 for total 9-piece box
Purchased from: Vosges.com, Chicago, IL

Today was Day #2 of Chocolate and Sea Salt Theme Week. Some chocolates are decorated with a visible dash of salt crystals. Other chocolates, like some of today's, contain just a trace, or can benefit from a tiny dash of tasting salt on the side.

The ingredients list printed on the Mash Bill Truffle Collection from Vosges Haut Chocolat (Chicago, IL), contained sea salt as an ingredient, but it was unclear which of the four* flavored truffles contained salt; it was very subtle. No matter. I found a pinch of (additional) sea salt was especially good with the deep milk chocolate (45%) Four Roses Single Barrel Bourbon Truffle that was topped with finely chopped pecan bits.


My favorite of the three truffles I tried was the dark chocolate (62% cacao) Templeton Rye Whiskey Truffle with tart cherry (which I particularly liked) and tobacco. The whiskey also harmonized well with the dark chocolate ganache.

The deep milk (45%) Bruichladdich Port Charlotte Scotch truffle contained traces of coconut, cocoa nib caramel and pineapple, a bold combinations of flavors.

* Note: I did not sample the Rogue Chocolate Stout Truffle, the fourth in this collection, due to concerns about possible wheat/gluten.

Fruition Chocolate - Milk Fleur de Sel bar - November 18, 2012

Chocolate of the Day:

Fruition Chocolate
Dark Milk Chocolate with Fleur de Sel (bar)
Good + - Very Good
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2.11 oz. (60 g.) total bar
Calories: 150 calories (estimate) in 1 oz. (28.3 g.) serving
Cost: $6.67 (approximate subscription cost per bar)
Purchased from: Standard Cocoa, New York, NY

Today's chocolate was a Dark Milk Chocolate bar with Fleur de Sel from bean-to-bar maker, Fruition Chocolate (Shokan, NY). This dark milk (56%) bar, made from Peru cacao, was a good choice for Day #7 of Chocolate and Peru Theme Week, and Day #1 of Chocolate and Sea Salt Theme Week.

The fleur de sel (salt), and perhaps the whole milk powder, in this bar seemed to nicely soften out or balance some of the acidity I've tasted in other Fruition chocolate bars.

Acidity is a very general term. Some is needed to make fine chocolate interesting, but a high acid level can overwhelm other natural flavor notes. Like many craft or artisan foods and beverages, especially where fermentation and drying and/or roasting processes have occurred, care must be taken; and many wonderful, and occasionally surprising, results are possible. Combine chocolates with other complex food and drink, and you multiply the possibility of interesting interactions.

Thankfully, Bryan Graham, the force behind the small batch workshop in the Catskill Mountains of New York that is Fruition Chocolate, pays attention to slow roasting and stone grinding of small batches of beans. While other notes may occasionally take a back seat when milk and salt are added, this bar is well balanced.

Monique's - Peru truffle, drink - November 17, 2012

Chocolate of the Day:

Monique's Chocolates
1.) Peru truffle
Good +
Weight: .48 oz.  (13.5 g.) (estimate) for 1 truffle
Calories: 75 calories (estimate) for 1 truffle
Cost: $2.00 (estimate) for 1 piece
Purchased from: Monique's Chocolates, Palo Alto, CA


2.) Liquid Chocolate made with Peru chocolate
Very Good
Weight: 6 oz. cup (estimate)
Calories: 150 calories (estimate)
Cost: $4.00 for 1 cup
Purchased from: Monique's Chocolates, Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #6 of Chocolate and Peru Theme Week. And, it was a great, Peru-inspired day. My quest for new chocolates frequently allows me to travel to different parts of the globe, without leaving home to do so.

Earlier in the day, I took a hike in the hills, and photographed a tule boat building workshop (and paddled around in a finished boat at the end). While these boats (example pictured above right) were native to California, one might see similar boats on Lakes in Peru.

On the way home from the tule boat workshop, I enjoyed a nice Peruvian dinner at Estampas Peruanas restaurant (Redwood City, CA) that included a refreshing deep purple glass of chicha morada (a non-alcoholic drink made from purple corn and usually topped with diced apple, pineapple or other fruit). Their postres (desserts) looked delicious. I took home some rice pudding and mazamorra morada (Peruvian purple corn pudding, similar to the purple drink described above, only in thicker form), layered the two desserts in a glass, and topped with a sprinkle of Peruvian cocoa nibs for a dessert deluxe.

And, last, but certainly not least, I stopped at Monique's Chocolates (Palo Alto, CA) for Peruvian chocolate. Mark West at Monique's specializes in single origin truffles from various countries. He also makes specialty confections and very nice drinking, or liquid chocolate (served hot or cold, your choice). I enjoyed a Peru truffle and a cup of iced liquid chocolate made from Peru chocolate and 1% milk.

Navitas Naturals - Cacao Nibs - November 16, 2012

Chocolate of the Day:

Navitas Naturals
Cacao Nibs
Very Good
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 8 oz. (227 g.) total package
Calories: 140 calories (estimate) in 1 oz. serving

Behold the humble cacao nib. These tiny, ragged pebble-sized raw ingredients are behind finished chocolate products, popular bars and confections. Unsweetened cacao nibs are also wonderful all by themselves or as a rich, crunchy topping for desserts, salads and savory dishes.

Today's Mayan Superfood, Organic Raw Cacao Nibs were from Navitas Naturals (Novato, CA). The company obtained their cacao beans from farmers in the Amazonian lowlands of Peru.

I crunched on a small handful of these nibs plain; they had a very nice nutty, earthy flavor. I also sprinkled some on top of ice cream. And, I made a gluten-free, distant frozen relative of a Peruvian sandwich cookies (with dulce de leche ice cream filling).

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

Castle Rock - Chocolate Paddington Bear November 15, 2012

Chocolate of the Day:

Chocolate Paddington Bear Lollipop
Good - Good +
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42.4 g.) (estimate) for 1 lollipop
Calories: 225 calories (estimate) for 1 lollipop
Cost: $1.65 plus shipping
Purchased from: Castle Rock Chocolatier (eBay store), Cody, WY

It was Day #4 of Chocolate and Peru Theme Week; and time to talk about Paddington Bear. If you've never read the popular childhood stories about this small stuffed bear (that first appeared in 1958),  you're missing out.

Paddington Bear (and his trademark hat) hailed from deepest, darkest Peru, and was so named because his debut as a character occurred when he arrived at Paddington Station in London.

The bear's favorite foods included hot chocolate and orange marmalade. So, I enjoyed a plate with these items, after I'd eaten a Chocolate Paddington Bear Lollipop from Castle Rock Chocolatier (Cody, WY).

The lollipop had a satisfying chocolatey flavor. Cheers Paddington, and happy 54th birthday to you this past month.

Thank you to Chauntelle at Castle Rock for a careful packing job, and for two chocolate Thanksgiving pilgrim lollipops who accompanied Paddington on his journey to California.

Fruition Chocolate - 70% dark bar - November 14, 2012

Chocolate of the Day: 

Fruition Chocolate
70% Cacao Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good +
Weight: .696 oz. (20 g.) / 2.11 oz. (60 g.) total bar
Calories: 104 calories (estimate) for 1/3 bar
Cost: $6.67 (approximate) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Standard Cocoa, New York, NY

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate and Peru Theme Week. You may notice that today's bar was the third chocolate this week from Fruition Chocolate (Shokan, NY).

Fruition Chocolate Works and Confectionery, is a bean-to-bar operation. They roast and stone grind organic and fairly traded cacao beans and make their chocolate from "scratch" vs. buying pre-made chocolate as most chocolatiers do. Founder Bryan Graham has specialized in single origin chocolate from Peru.

This 70% cacao bar was smooth, with a rich acidic bite and array of flavor notes. The tasting notes on the bar's label read:
"A roller coaster of flavors, bright and assertive with a lengthy dark roast finish."

I received this Fruition Chocolate bar (1 of 3) as part of a subscription offered through Standard Cocoa, a company that will send you new craft chocolate bars each month. What's not to like about receiving a box of good chocolate on a regular basis?

Fruition Chocolate - Jalapeno Corn Nuts - November 13, 2012

Chocolate of the Day: 

Fruition Chocolate
Dark Chocolate Coated Jalapeno Dusted Corn Nuts
Good + - Very Good
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 4 oz. (113 g.) total package
Calories: 138 calories (estimate) for 1 oz. (28.3 g.) serving
Cost: $15.00 for 1 package
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #2 of Chocolate and Peru Theme Week. Toasted corn, peppers, chocolate...I can imagine eating all these foods in Peru, or a local Peruvian restaurant. How wonderful that they all came together in the form of today's Dark Chocolate Coated Jalapeno Dusted Corn Nuts from Fruition Chocolate (Shokan, NY).

Similar in style and execution to Fruition's dark chocolate coated orange scented cranberries (featured yesterday), the 66% Peruvian chocolate did not dominate, but rather enhanced the core ingredients and well balanced flavors. Slightly savory, salty and spicy, these hit the spot. In an all-chocolate dinner (yes, these dinners do exist), these corn nuts would be a nice appetizer, tapas plate, or side dish.

For many centuries, cacao, corn and peppers have evolved together in Latin/South American countries that spanned lowland jungles and coastal regions to the foothills of the Andes mountains. All this, long before chocolate was being made in Europe. These foods were commonly found together in hot and cold thick beverage form originally. Peruvians have long enjoyed canchas (large kernels of toasted maiz (corn)), and likely some form of popcorn. So, today's snack seemed like a natural fusion of "New World" ingredients, now made by Fruition Chocolate in small batches in the Catskill Mountains of New York, that were shipped out to California.

www.worldatlas.com

Someday I will do a theme week on chocolate and transportation. Chocsimiles (chocolate facsimiles) of trucks, ships and trains are but a few possibilities for this week. But, in the meantime, I am focused on Peruvian chocolate, and the coat of arms (shown at right) in the center of the Peruvian state flag. The horn of plenty (golden shape under the llama and chichona tree), dovetails with my feeling that life is filled with natural beauty (not to mention chocolate). May it ever be so.