Arete - 75% dark Brazil bar - April 21, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

Arete Fine Chocolate
Brasil Fazenda Camboa 75% Organic Dark Chocolate bar
Good ++ - Very Good
Weight: 1.1 oz. (31.13 g.) / 2.2 oz. (61 g.) in total bar
Calories: 165 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #14 of Chocolate and Brazil Theme Weeks.

Arete Fine Chocolate (Milpitas, CA) recently launched their bean-to-bar chocolate offerings. This week I tried both of the company's single origin dark chocolate bars carefully crafted from Brazilian cacao beans.

Today's Arete 75% cacao dark bar was made with organic cacao beans from Fazenda Camboa (a large organic farm/plantation in the state of Bahia, Brazil). This bar was made with the same beans as yesterday's 70% dark roast bar, but tasted slightly less sweet, and slightly darker. Hard to tell them apart unless you're eating them side by side.

Both Arete Brazil bars had a pleasing chocolatey aroma, broke with a hard snap, and had a complex but well-balanced flavor profile.

As I re-tasted this 75% medium roast bar throughout the day and evening, different flavor notes came forward. I got more of a slightly bitter jungle flavor than yesterday's 70% deep roast bar. And at certain times I picked up a few tropical fruit notes (lychee + peach/nectarine), citrus caramel.

Cacao beans are a bit like coffee beans -- both are surrounded by a fruit, and are fermented, roasted and ground before they are consumed. However, cacao beans need to be roasted more carefully -- often at slightly lower temperatures and for less time than coffee beans. Also cacao beans have a light husk surrounding them that can be flammable, and that isn't winnowed away until after beans are finished roasting. 

Arete - Brasil 70% dark bar - April 20, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

Arete Fine Chocolate
Brasil Fazenda Camboa 70% Organic Dark Chocolate bar
Very Good
Weight: 1.1 oz. (31.13 g.) / 2.2 oz. (61 g.) in total bar
Calories: 165 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #13 of Chocolate and Brazil Theme Weeks.

Arete Fine Chocolate (Milpitas, CA) is a relatively new entrant to the bean-to-bar chocolate scene in the San Francisco Bay Area. The owners, David and Leslie, have been working to perfect their chocolate for some time, and started selling their bars earlier this year (2015).

I was able to pick up two Arete bars, made from Brasil Fazenda Camboa organic cacao beans, from The Chocolate Garage, near where I live.

These two Arete bars were made with the same beans (from the same large farm or plantation in Brazil), yet were created with different roasts and percentages, yielding noticeably different results in terms of flavor profile.

Today I'm featuring their 70% dark roast bar; and tomorrow I'll try the 75% medium roast bar. I've learned a lot about the complexities of chocolate (and roasting) by eating two similar bars like this side-by-side. I highly recommend doing so if you're interested in learning more about how chocolate is made.

Today's 70% darker roast bar had a pleasant chocolatey, almost fruity aroma. The flavor profile: malty, well balanced fruit-acid, nutty. Very nicely done. 

Brazil Sundae + Fox's U-Bet Chocolate Syrup - April 19, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

H. Fox and Co., Inc. (aka Fox's)
U-Bet Original Chocolate Flavor Syrup
Good
Weight: 1 teaspoon / 22 oz. (624 g.) in 1 bottle
Calories: 20 calories in 1 teaspoon
Cost: $2.00 (estimate) for 1 bottle of syrup
Purchased from: Saul's Restaurant and Deli, Berkeley, CA

Today was Day #12 of Chocolate and Brazil Theme Weeks.

When the weather gets hot, I start thinking about ice cream. What would a Brazilian-inspired acai ice cream, or a Brazilian ice cream sundae taste like? I wondered. Since it was Sunday, I made the latter.

The "Brazil" sundae had layers of coconut granola and chopped Brazil nuts, chocolate coconut ice cream, caramel rum tres leches ice cream, and coffee liqueur from Latin America. It was topped with a light drizzle of American-made Fox's U-Bet chocolate syrup.*

*H. Fox and Co., Inc. (Brooklyn, NY) is a century-old company that makes ice cream syrups and several other items. I had picked up a plastic squeeze bottle of Fox's U-Bet Original Chocolate Flavor Syrup during a deli visit in Berkeley, CA. U-Bet chocolate syrup is also famous for being a key ingredient in chocolate egg cream sodas.

New York Egg Cream
In a tall glass, pour...
1/2 inch of Fox's U-Bet Chocolate Syrup
3/4 inch of whole milk
Add carbonated water, and mix briskly

Coastal Mist Fine Chocolates - Caipirinha, Black Currant - April 18, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

Coastal Mist Fine Chocolates and Desserts
Caipirinha
Black Currant
Good - Good +
Weight: .5 oz. (14.1 g.) (estimate) in 1 piece
Calories: 75 calories (estimate) in 1 piece
Cost: $17.00 + $15.64 (shipping) = $24.35 for a box of 8 chocolates 
Purchased from: Coastal Mist Fine Chocolates and Desserts, online order

Today was Day #11 of Chocolate and Brazil Theme Weeks.

Caipirinha is considered the national cocktail of Brazil. The drink is made with Brazilian sugar cane brandy, lime and cane sugar (or sugar cane juice).

So, I was excited to feature a Caipirinha-inspired chocolate as part of Chocolate and Brazil Theme Weeks.

I got close, but unfortunately, Coastal Mist was out of their Caipirinha confection -- filled with a "dark Belgian chocolate ganache mixed with muddled fresh limes and Brazilian cachaca."

Instead I was able to try two other filled Coastal Mist chocolates: a "Black and Gold" (six types of chocolate + nibs) and a "Black Currant." I had the latter today. I enjoyed the creamy milk chocolate ganache that was infused with a subtle black currant flavor.

And, as a consolation, I made my own version of a Caipirinha later in the day, with the ingredients I had on hand. (Rum, brandy, cane sugar, lime, and chocolate bitters.) Saude! (a salute to your health) to all.

Coastal Mist Fine Chocolates - Brazil Nuts Caramel - April 17, 2015

Chocolate of the Day:

Coastal Mist Fine Chocolates and Desserts
Alderwood Smoked Sea Salt Caramels with Brazil Nuts
Good ++ - Very Good
Weight: .85 oz. (24 g.) (estimate) in 2 pieces / 4 oz. (113 g.) in total box of 8 pieces
Calories: 128 calories (estimate) for 2 pieces
Cost: $24.35 for a 8-piece assortment box (includes shipping)
Purchased from: Coastal Mist Fine Chocolates and Desserts, online order

Welcome to Day #10 of Chocolate and Brazil Theme Weeks.

Today's filled chocolates -- two Alderwood Smoked Sea Salt Caramels with Brazil Nuts, were created by the Coastal Mist team that includes Nicole Malloy (owner, chocolatier) at Coastal Mist Fine Chocolates and Desserts (Bandon, OR).

This attractive, curved teardrop (paisley-shaped) chocolate was embossed with a CM (Coastal Mist) logo.

Equally attractive was the flavorful, flowing smoked salt caramel filling, with tiny bits of Brazil nuts, beneath the dark Belgian chocolate shell. (I am a sucker for Alderwood smoked sea salt -- in things savory or sweet.)

Kika's Treats - Salted P'nutty Caramels - April 16, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

Kika's Treats
Salted P'nutty Caramels
Good++
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42 g.) in total box of 3 pieces
Calories: 225 calories (estimate) in 3 pieces
Cost: $4.99 for 1 box of 3 pieces
Purchased from: Piazza's Fine Foods, Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #9 of Chocolate and Brazil Theme Weeks.

Kika's Treats (San Francisco, CA) owner and chocolatier, Cristina Arantes, was born and raised in Brazil. I've had the pleasure of speaking with her, and talking about treats from Brazil (avocado pies, cheese bread, and other lovelies). A few years ago I ordered a batch of custom palm sugar caramels (made with local SF Bay salt) from her for an event. They were a big hit.

So I was looking forward to today's caramels; and I wasn't disappointed. These GMO and gluten-free, Salted P'nutty Caramels were -- exactly as advertised. Peanut-ty, slightly chewy, coconut palm sugar caramels covered with bittersweet, dark chocolate, with just the right touch of salt across the top. Great combination.

How were these caramels different from traditional caramels made in the U.S.?

Coconut palm sugar* caramels seem to have a richer flavor than caramels made with refined white sugar and corn syrup. And I get less of a sugar buzz after eating them -- not surprising given that coconut palm sugar has a lower glycemic index rating.

*Coconut palm sugar is made from coconut palm tree sap. It is golden in color (more similar to brown sugar), and is lower in fructose than cane sugar.

Cabruca - Banana-Walnut Brigadeiro Truffle - April 15, 2015

Chocolate of the Day:

Cabruca Chocolates
Banana-Walnut Brigadeiro Truffles
Good ++
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42.45 g.) (estimate) in 2 pieces
Calories: 225 calories (estimate) in 2 pieces
Cost: $34.00 for 15-piece assortment box  (includes shipping)
Purchased from: Cabruca Chocolates, online order

Today's Banana-Walnut Brigadeiro Truffles were the last in a series of Brazil-inspired chocolates from Cabruca Chocolates (Winchester, OR).

Juliana Bounds, who grew up in Brazil, created this piece that she described as a: "Dark chocolate with caramelized bananas, cinnamon and walnut-cocoa pralines; Sprinkled with cinnamon sugar."

The walnut and banana flavors were subtle, and the hint of cinnamon created a slight warmth. I feel I have a much better understanding of Brigadeiro chocolates after working my way through this dark chocolate assortment this week. Thank you Juliana!

Today was Day #8 of Chocolate and Brazil Theme Weeks.