Pacari - Andean Blueberry bar - Sept. 16, 2013

Chocolate of the Day: 

Pacari Chocolate
Andean Blueberry bar
Good +
Weight: 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 250 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $ N/A - sample
Purchased from: Pacari Chocolate, (event)

Today was Day #5 of Chocolate and Berry Theme Week, and the chocolate of the day was a 70% dark chocolate bar from South America, with wild Andean Blueberries, native to Ecuador.

The Andean Blueberry bar, from Pacari Chocolate, was part of an Andean flavors bar series. It was slightly crunchy, with a flavorful, natural blueberry note that harmonized well with the dark chocolate.

Pacari Chocolate (a family owned company based in Quito, Ecuador) makes a line of organic chocolate bars and chocolates -- combining Ecuador Arriba cacao with herbs, fruits, spices and other flavors in-country, via partnerships with local/regional farmers. Some of their chocolates have slight floral notes which I like. Most have a very pleasant tasting arc.

This dairy, soy and gluten free, dark bar ("Chocolate Fino Organico con Mortiño") was also made tree-to-bar, in Ecuador. (Cacao beans are often grown in one country, and processed or made into chocolate in another country.)

Donkey Bites - Blueberries - Sept. 15, 2013

Chocolate of the Day: 

KRM Distributors LLC
Donkey Bites - Dingle Berries (Blueberries)
Good
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 4 oz. (114 g.)
Calories: 150 calories (estimate)
Cost: $6.95 (estimate) for 1 package
Purchased from: Donkey Balls store, in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

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

I found these chocolates -- adorned with a Hawaiian shirt-wearing cartoon donkey -- in a Donkey Balls store in Kailua-Kona, on the Big Island of Hawaii. These, and other chocolates I purchased on the same trip, were being sold via KRM Distributors.

The distributor of Donkey Balls (a popular chocolate line from Hawaii), also offered Donkey Bites. Today's featured Bites, or Dingle Berries, were blueberry flavored. Whole blueberries in milk/white chocolate, with a confectioners glaze polish. They were sweet, berry-flavored candies, with a hint of sweet milk chocolate flavor.

Starbucks berry medley - Sept. 14, 2013

Chocolate of the Day: 

Starbucks
berry medley
Good
Weight: 2 oz. (57 g.) in one container
Calories: 270 calories in 1 container
Cost: $2.50 for 1 container
Purchased from: Starbucks, Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #3 of Chocolate and Berry Theme Week.

Inside a small plastic "berry medley" tube offered at a local Starbucks (Seattle, WA) were shiny berry colored orbs. At the core of these "Chocolate Bites" were sweetened blueberry and raspberry fruit pieces, coated with layers of dark and white chocolate, and covered with a confectioners coating.

The berry taste of these half-candy, half chocolate pieces was natural and authentic, and they hit the spot. Although they were a bit on the sweet side.

Wowza Bar, Nespresso Mousse - Sept. 13, 2013

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

Zingerman's Candy
ZZang! Candy Bars
Wowza - Raspberry
Good
Weight: 1.5 oz. (41 g.) / 3 oz. (82 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 150 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $ N/A - gift from friend
Purchased from: N/A - friend bought in Ann Arbor, MI

Thanks to a friend's recent trip to Michigan, today I was able to sample a WowZa bar from Zingerman's (deli/store in Ann Arbor, MI). The bar contained layers of raspberry chocolate ganache, raspberry preserves, and fresh raspberry marshmallow nougat, and was covered in dark chocolate. The dark chocolate helped tone down the cotton-candy level sweetness a bit.

Nestle Nespresso - San Francisco, CA

Later in the day I drove into San Francisco. The America's Cup (sailing) races were still in progress on San Francisco Bay this week/month, and Nespresso (Nestle) has been a major sponsor.

I had lunch at a Nespresso boutique and bar near Union Square, and taste-tested (for a future chocolate of the day) a duo of diminutive chocolate mousses -- one with raspberry and chocolate layers, the second mousse incorporated white chocolate and milk chocolate -- and a small shot of coffee over vanilla ice cream. The smaller portion sizes made it possible to enjoy these lovely flavor combinations without suffering from sugar overload. I'll be back.

Today was Day #2 of Chocolate and Berry Theme Week.

Donkey Balls - Dark Strawberries, Sept. 12, 2013

Chocolate of the Day: 

Donkey Balls
(Packaged by KRM Distribution LLC)
Dingle Berries - Whole Strawberries Smothered in Dark Chocolate
Good
Weight: 1.17 oz. (33 g.) / 4 oz. (114 g.) in total package
Calories: 175 calories (estimate) for 5 pieces
Cost: $6.95 for 1 package
Purchased from: Store in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

I can always count on a new chocolate in the Donkey Balls product line-up. This Hawaii-based brand started with several chocolate covered macadamia nut items and has expanded to other chocolate-covered nuts and berries, such as today's Dingle Berries -- strawberries covered in glossy dark chocolate.

Whole fresh strawberries partially dipped in melted chocolate can brighten up a lot of dessert plates. But, if its the wrong time of year for fresh berries, and you want something on the irreverent side, check out what Donkey Balls has in season.

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

Pralus - Barre Infernale - Sept. 11, 2013

Chocolate of the Day:

Francois Pralus
Barre Infernale - Lait (bar)
Very Good - Yum!
Weight: .8 oz. (22.64 g.) / 5.64 oz. (160 g.)
Calories: 124 calories (estimate) for .8 oz. (22.64 g.) serving
Cost: $25.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

Great chocolate seems to attract adjectives that involve angels and devils in equal measure. Heaven in a bar. That's a good way to describe slices of today's chocolate bar. Each piece of this bar tasted like a high end truffle with a creamy* chocolate hazelnut center. Or, one could call this French bar devilishly good -- as the name (Barre Infernale) suggests. Either way, this filled milk chocolate bar from Francois Pralus (France) was memorable and extremely good.

*Note: "Creamy" doesn't quite cover it. Think buttery, only better.

The Barre Infernale (that comes in both milk and dark chocolate versions) is a bar you take to a dinner party with very good friends, or one you save for a special occasion. (This week I reached my seventh year of eating a different chocolate every day this week; and also celebrated my birthday.)

SOMA - Pantanemo bar - Sept. 10, 2013

Chocolate of the Day:

SOMA Chocolatemaker
Patanemo (Venezuela) 70% bar
Very Good
Weight: .47 oz. (13.3 g.) / 2.82 oz. (80 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 71 calories in 1/6 bar
Cost: $14.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

This week I've been celebrating year number seven of eating a different chocolate each day, with a great line-up of dark chocolate, single origin bars from Venezuela.

People have asked me for the past seven years if I'll run out of different chocolates to sample. After more than 2,500 chocolates, I'm happy to say there are still many good bars to try. Such as today's Patanemo (Venezuela) 70% cacao bar from SOMA Chocolatemaker (Toronto, Canada).

Yesterday, I enjoyed SOMA's El Vigia (Venezuela) bar. Both bars were made using Criollo cacao beans and had smooth texture and uniformly rich, dark flavor, with a well-balanced dried fruit acidic bite.