Giraudi - Individual chocolates - July 23, 2014

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

Giraudi

1.) Cremino Chiaro - Very Good
2.) Tartufo Dolce - Extra Dark - Good + - Very Good
3.) Tartufo Dolce - Gianduja - Very Good

Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) (estimate) for 3 pieces
Calories: 150 calories (estimate) in 1 oz. (estimate for 3 pieces)
Cost: $ N/A - gift
Purchased from: Cafe Venetia, Palo Alto, CA

Giraudi Cioccolato Artigianale (Torino, Italy) offers a line of individually wrapped chocolates. The company is located in the Piedmont region ("foot of the mountains" area in Northern Italy) known for it's hazelnuts and gianduja (a hazelnut and chocolate spread said to be invented in this region, likely in the later 1700s after chocolate came to Europe from the Americas).

I chose three of these Giraudi chocolates for today, Day #5 of Chocolate and Italy Theme Week. All three chocolates had a hazelnut element.

The Cremino Chiaro small square (attractively wrapped in blue foil) was a miniature version of the large, three-layered "Cremino Dark" cake-sized masterpiece I had yesterday. Very creamy, with buttery hazelnut flavor.

The Tartufo Dolce (sweet truffle) pair were very nice also. The Extra Dark (black wrapper with a top twist) was, just that. Slightly more dark chocolate flavor, and slightly less hazelnut -- but it still had tiny crunchy bits (that I presumed with hazelnut bits). The Gianduja piece (brown wrapper with a top twist) contained slightly more milk chocolate and hazelnut flavor.

Giraudi - Dark Cremone chocolate - July 22, 2014

Chocolate of the Day: 

Giraudi
Dark Cremone chocolate (with hazelnut)
Very Good
Weight: 2 oz. (57 g.) (estimate) / 17.6 oz. (500 g.) in total package
Calories: 300 calories (estimate) in 3 slices (2 oz.)
Cost: $N/A - gift - Thank you Claudia!
Purchased from: Cafe Venetia, Palo Alto, CA

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

This princely (or princessly) block of Dark Cremone chocolate from Giraudi (Italy), was bound with twine and embossed with a red seal. It was impressive in both size and taste.

Weighing in at 500 grams (17.6 oz.), I was very happy to be able to share this with other Italian chocolate lovers. The taste...Ah, the taste. It had classic gianduja (very creamy, almost buttery smooth hazelnut and chocolate) flavor without being cloyingly sweet. This is what fudge dreams it would like to be when it grows up.

Thank you to Elana and Gigi for your expert tasting help.

Giraudi - Milk Chocolate Bar with Pine Nuts - July 21, 2014

Chocolate of the Day: 

Giraudi
Frutta Secca - Milk Chocolate Bar with Pine Nuts
Good ++
Weight: 3.53 oz. (100 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 529 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $ N/A - gift - Thank you Claudia!
Purchased from: Cafe Venetia, Palo Alto, CA

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

This smooth and creamy 36% milk chocolate bar from Giraudi (Torino, Italy) was part of the company's Frutta Secca (dried fruit and nut) line of (milk and dark) chocolate bars. The bar was peppered with a thick layer of fresh pine nuts on one side, that provided a slightly sweet, soft crunch.

We like to hear stories about our food here and where it's grown. And, these pinoli ("pine kernels") also came with an origin story. These pine nuts came from the San Rossore Park area of Pisa (in Tuscany, Central Italy).

Giraudi - white chocolate bar + Italian hot chocolate - July 20, 2014

Chocolate of the Day:

Giraudi
White chocolate bar with nuts and candied fruit
Good + - Very Good
Weight: 4.24 oz. (120 g.) in total package
Calories: 630 calories (estimate) in 1 package
Cost: N/A - gift (Thank you Claudia!)
Purchased from: Cafe Venetia, Palo Alto, CA

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

This large white chocolate bar with nuts and candied fruit from Giraudi (Torino, Italy) was sweet and very tasty. The almonds, hazelnuts, pistachio and pine nuts helped add crunchy texture and were fine counterpoints to the sweet fruits and rich and creamy white chocolate.

Because I don't "count" white chocolate, I made some Italian hot chocolate to accompany this Giraudi bar.

I swizzled in a bit of Torani Raspberry syrup into some "European" style Sipping Chocolate (from Trader Joe's), and experimented with a tiny splash of Galliano (a sweet, herbal liqueur containing vanilla and anise) from Tuscany. (Amaretto (a sweet almond liqueur from Italy) or Frangelico (a hazelnut and herb flavored liqueur produced in Canale Italy) also would have been nice mix-ins.)

Cafe Venetia, a local cafe, in Palo Alto, CA, specializes in Italian coffees, chocolates and other treats.

Lillie Belle Farms - Sicilian bon bon - July 19, 2014

Chocolate of the Day: 

Lillie Belle Farms
"Sicilian"
Very Good
Weight: .8 oz. (22.64 g.) (estimate) in 2 pieces
Calories: 115 calories (estimate) in 2 pieces
Cost: $4.00 (estimate) for 2 pieces
Purchased from: Lillie Belle Farms, Central Point, OR

This orange-foil wrapped, hat-shaped "Sicilian" bon bon from Lillie Belle Farms (Central Point, OR) unexpectedly transported me back to Southern Europe to a summer evening many years ago, where I first tasted some heavenly amaretti (almond cookies) with Sherry and Port.

The well matched layers of sweet almond paste and cherry mingled with dark chocolate. These were very satisfying, and took me even further south -- to Italy, where marzipan and Sicilian almond cookies topped with candied cherries are popular, and possible inspirations for today's chocolate.

What a great start to to (Day #1 of) Chocolate and Italy Theme Week.

Madecasse - Pink Pepper and Citrus bar - July 18, 2014

Chocolate of the Day: 

Madecasse LLC
Pink Pepper and Citrus bar
Good+ - Very Good
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) in 1 small bar
Calories: 132 calories (estimate) in 1 small bar
Cost: $ part of a larger tasting pack (previously recorded)
Purchased from: online order

Madecasse.com

Today was the last day of Chocolate Surprise Theme Week.

"Surprises" can be a mixed blessing. This morning, I found a few chocolates that were either past their prime or inedible for various reasons. (Surprise clean-out!)

However, I was very pleasantly surprised to discover that I had this Pink Pepper and Citrus bar from Madecasse, that I hadn't tasted yet.

This small-sized, 63% cocoa bar had an unexpected flavor mix, with a subtle blend of sweet pink pepper and exotic combava fruit. (I've included a screen shot of the larger version of this Madecasse bar that shows a picture of a combava, a close relative of the lime.)

This was a delightful fresh-tasting bar, with a very slight hint of molasses and a bright exotic citrus finish. For those who don't care for spicy hot, not to worry. There was just enough sweet pink peppercorn taste to make it interesting, without being hot.

Madecasse makes bean-to-bar chocolate in Madagascar (Africa). The company founders were Peace Corps volunteers in Madagascar, fell in love with the country, and wanted to work with farmers to help them get a fair price for their cacao. Making chocolate in-country (rather than overseas) allows Madecasse to make a more positive impact on the local economy.

Creme Brulee Cart - Kentucky + Chocolate - July 17, 2014

Chocolate of the Day:

The Creme Brulee Cart
Kentucky + Chocolate
Good ++ - Very Good
Weight: 1 serving
Calories: 500 calories (estimate)
Cost: $5.25
Purchased from: The Creme Brulee Cart, San Francisco, CA

Today was Day #6 of Chocolate Surprise Theme Week.

After reviewing a few ancient items in my Chocolate Vault, and deeming them unsuitable, I took a walk through the Mission District of San Francisco to hunt for a chocolate I hadn't had yet. After walking in a methodical grid pattern, I was pleasantly surprised to discover The Creme Brulee Cart (storefront -- I had previously seen only their food truck).

They had an array of creamy brulee possibilities. I ordered up a "Kentucky" creme brulee (with a sugary top torched to perfection). This vanilla creme brulee base was enhanced with bourbon butterscotch, chopped candied pecans, and added chocolate sauce. Very tasty.