Pelican Bay - Hot Chocolate for Two - Oct. 19, 2013

Chocolate of the Day: 

Pelican Bay Ltd
Hot Chocolate for Two
Good
Weight: 2.75 oz. (77.5 g.) / 5.5 oz. (155 g.) total package
Calories: 130 calories in 1/2 package (+ liquid added)
Cost: $4.99 for total package for 2 people
Purchased from: HomeGoods, San Carlos, CA

Today was Day #7 of Chocolate and Hemp Theme Week, and Day #1 of Chocolate and Cinnamon Theme Week.

The chocolate that brought these two converging theme weeks together was a cone-shaped package of "Hot Chocolate for Two" from Pelican Bay Ltd (Dunedin, FL). This hot cocoa was a perfect choice for one of the first cold evenings of the fall.

Complete with miniature marshmallows and red cinnamon-flavored candies, all this cocoa mix (powder with dark chocolate chunks) needed was some hot liquid. "How about trying a milk alternative?" I thought. Maybe some hemp milk? I remember hemp milk being one of the better tasting fake milks ("filks")* after trying some a several months ago.

*Note: Warm these filks with caution (or mix with half cow's milk initially), as heating up these alternative milks can shift flavors. Brands and formulations vary.

Vigilant Eats Maca Double Chocolate cereal - Oct. 18, 2013

Chocolate of the Day:

Vigilant Eats
Maca Double Chocolate Superfood Oat-based cereal
Good +
Weight: 3 oz. (85 oz.) in 1 container
Calories: 310 calories in 1 container
Cost: $4.19 for 1 container
Purchased from: Country Sun Natural Foods, Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #6 of Chocolate and Hemp Theme Week.

This morning I enjoyed another organic, vegan chocolate breakfast cereal (Maca Double Chocolate Superfood) from Vigilant Eats (Bloomington, IN), made with gluten-free oats and hemp powder.

I added a few walnuts, some toasted hemp seeds, and a little hemp milk, and I had a satisfying, filling breakfast guaranteed to power my activities until lunch.

Similar to the company's Goji Cacao flavor of oat-based cereal I ate earlier this week, this single-serving container was conveniently packaged with a foldable black plastic spoon. All I needed to do was to pour in some liquid (cold or warm water, milk, or alternative milk), and stir.

Criollo e Cannabis bar - Oct. 17, 2013

Chocolate of the Day: 

Antica Pasticceria Muzzi
Criollo e Cannabis bar
Good - Good +
Weight: 2.11 oz. (60 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 330 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $7.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Sigona's, Palo Alto, CA

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

Despite the inclusion of the word "Cannabis" in the name of this Criollo e Cannabis bar from Italian chocolatier Antica Pasticceria Muzzi (Roma, Italy) -- and the leafy green logo -- this 55% Criollo dark chocolate bar with toasted cannabis seeds contained no mind-altering chemicals (THC). This bar had a touch of mellow, malted grain flavor, and slight crunchiness from the tiny riot of seeds.

In the U.S., toasted hemp seeds are adding texture and flavor to an increasing variety of snacks, cereals and dishes these days.

Foodstuffs are often included under discussions about "industrial hemp" -- to differentiate some hemp products from marijuana with the active ingredient THC -- a substance subject to a ban enforced by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). Hemp seeds and hemp fiber are the main "legal" items that have emerged in the market*. And hemp seeds have been showing up in chocolates in recent years.

*For centuries, hemp was grown in the U.S. for many purposes (including fibers for rope, clothing and paper, oil, resin, pulp, fuel). 

Vigilant Eats Goji Cacao cereal - Oct. 16, 2013

Chocolate of the Day: 

Vigilant Eats
Goji Cacao Superfood oat-based cereal
Good +
Weight: 3 oz. (85 g.) in 1 container/serving
Calories: 300 calories in 1 container/serving
Cost: $4.19 for 1 container
Purchased from: Abe's Market (online order)

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

I remember enjoying muesli, the Swiss/German uncooked oat-based cold cereal that pre-dated* most granolas. Today's Goji Cacao Superfood oat cereal from Vigilant Eats (Bloomington, IN), reminded me of a hipper, gluten-free, organic version of muesli with a few more exotic ingredients thrown in for good measure: crunchy cacao nibs; chewy, slightly fruity, dried goji berries; and hemp flour -- as well as gluten-free oats and cinnamon.

All I needed to do was to add some cold water to savor the satisfying mix of flavors and textures in a conveniently packaged breakfast (single serving container with a foldable spoon). And this hearty cold cereal kept me going all morning. And, at the same time, I could, the Vigilant Eats website promised, participate in the "delicious justice"(superfood) that was helping to power the latest food revolution. It's good to see this kind of passion, as it takes a lot of energy to keep a small business going and growing. So, hats off to the gang at Vigilant Eats for making a tasty, healthy, gluten-free cereal alternative.

*Most credit a Swiss physician for developing and popularizing muesli, around 1899-1900. 

Chocolate Kalenola - Oct. 15, 2013

Chocolate of the Day:

Just Pure Foods
KALEnola - Chocolate
Good
Weight: 3 oz. (85 g.) in 1 package
Calories: 270 calories in 1 package
Cost: $7.00 (on sale) for 1 package
Purchased from: Whole Foods, Palo Alto, CA

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

There are several different chocolate breakfast cereals available in the U.S. However, very few of them are made of leafy greens -- in this case, kale.

I enjoyed my bowl of vegan and gluten-free "Just Pure Foods" Chocolate Kalenola with cashew milk. This nutritious "green granola" was full of crunchy texture, from hemp, sunflower and pumpkin seeds, as well as sprouted buckwheat and shredded coconut.

Suitable for either a cereal or a snack, the Kalenola was lightly sweetened with coconut palm sugar. Not too sweet, it was just about right for my taste.

Askinosie - Happy Hemp Seeds bar - Oct. 14, 2013

Chocolate of the Day: 

Askinosie Chocolate
Toasted Happy Hemp Seeds and Roasted Cocoa Beans bar
Good +
Weight: .75 oz. (21.25 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 120 calories in 1/4 bar
Cost: $9.00 (estimate) for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

Today was the second day of Chocolate and Hemp Theme Week.

The full name of today's CollaBARation bar from Askinosie Chocolate (Springfield, MO), was the "Toasted Happy Hemp Seeds and Roasted Cocoa Beans Become Best Buds in a Chill Chocolate Bar." A long name. But it did accurately describe the texture and flavor of this bar.

The toasted hemp seeds (from Happy Hemp in Austin, TX) added a substantial crunch; and the roasted cacao beans infused the dark chocolate base with a smoky, well-done taste. Lots of flavor for a four-ingredient bar (cocoa beans, organic cane sugar, toasted hemp seeds, cocoa butter). I thought there might be just a faint hint of sea salt, but there was no salt listed in the ingredients.

Thunderbird Energetica - Cacao Hemp Mint bar - Oct. 13, 2013

Chocolate of the Day: 

Thunderbird Energetica
Cacao Hemp Walnut bar with mint
Good - Good +
Weight: 1.7 oz. (48 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 195 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $ 2.39 in 1 bar
Purchased from: Whole Foods, Los Altos, CA

Today was Day #7 of Chocolate and Mint Theme Week, and Day #1 of Chocolate and Hemp Theme Week.

Did you say Hemp?

Yes, but let me be clear. When I said hemp, I'm referring to hemp seeds, hemp milk and/or hemp fiber used to make clothing, twine and other goods.

I won't be featuring a recipe for Alice Toklas brownies, or psychoactive chocolate bars riddled with THC this week. Some of you will be disappointed by this clarification, others relieved. Chocolate has enough interesting chemical properties related to pleasure receptors that I believe it can stand on its own in this regard.

Industrial hemp (the "it's-not-marijuana" description currently in vogue) has been in the news lately. Last month (September 2013), the U.S. Department of Justice appeared to be relaxing its stance on states growing industrial hemp. It may become legal again to practice non-drug cannabis cultivation in the U.S. in the future. (According to one article I read, the U.S. currently imports $300 million worth of industrial hemp. So, why not grow it in ex-tobacco states like Kentucky and create jobs here, the logic goes.)

This may be good news, as toasted hemp seeds can be tasty; and hemp milk (made from hemp seeds) is one of the better tasting "filks" (fake milks) on the market. So, could we see hemp seeds in more chocolate bars in the future? Maybe.

Back to Thunderbird Energetica

Today's Cacao Hemp Walnut with Mint bar, from Thunderbird Energetica (Austin, TX), was loaded with complex flavors: the moist texture, and slightly fruity flavor of dates, the rich flavors of cacao and coconut, the satisfying small chunks of walnut, and an occasional sparkle of fresh mint. The hemp seeds may have lent a mild nutty taste to this bar. It was difficult to pick them out specifically.

The Thunderbird Energetica line of energy bars is the creation of Taylor and Katie Thunder, and they've been offering a range of vegan, dairy free, soy-free and gluten-free bars -- with mostly organic ingredients. The text on the (compostable) wrapper on my bar also indicated that this batch contained no added sugars, was all natural and non-GMO,...and was shaman-blessed and agave-free.

That's a lot of "non's" on one wrapper -- and a good example of how new health foods become established in the early stages. "We're against, or not like, the established products!" they seem to shout. I'm grateful for healthy, good-tasting food. I'm also waiting for the "with" language, and healthier products for all, to become the new norm.