Chocolaterie Robert - Organic 70% Madagascar bar - Feb. 15, 2016

Chocolate of the Day: 

Chocolaterie Robert
Chocolat Madagascar Organic 70% Cocoa bar
Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 150 calories (estimate) in 1/3 bar
Cost: $N/A - part of a larger subscription box
Purchased from: Cocoa Runners (online order)

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

This Chocolat Madagascar Organic 70% Cocoa bar was made by Chocolaterie Robert ("Malagasy cocoa farmers and chocolatier" based in Antananarivo, Madagascar).

Cocoa beans are often shipped to Europe or North America for processing into chocolate. However, this company makes their chocolate in the same country as the beans of origin.

This particular 70% organic bar contained two ingredients: Madagascar cocoa beans and Madagascar organic cane sugar.

The bar was flavorful—with characteristic fruity Madagascar (citrus, red fruit) acidity, and a touch of balanced bitterness and earthiness.

Nutrition Facts - Theobromine
Another unique thing about this bar was the "Nutrition Facts" information posted on the back of the packaging. In addition to info about carbohydrate, protein and fat percentages—and certain mineral content (Magnesium and Phosphorus)—the amount of theobromine was listed.

Theobromine is a stimulant (similar to caffeine) found in cacao (Theobroma cacao) and chocolate. Today's (entire) bar contained 680 mg. of Theobromine (800 mg per 100 g.). For those sensitive to Theobromine, information about levels would be useful. Hats off to Chocolaterie Robert for including this.

The content and images in this post belong to ChocolateBanquet.com.

Pump Street Bakery - Madagascar 72% bar - Feb. 14, 2016

Chocolate of the Day: 

Pump Street Bakery Chocolate
Madagascar 72% Ambanja 2014 bar
Very Good - Very Good +
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.45 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 184 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $13.95 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Zombie Runner, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #1 of Chocolate and Madagascar Theme Week.

We're landing on this large island nation just in time to celebrate a big chocolate holiday—Valentines Day.

Madagascar is located off the Eastern coast of Africa. Most of the cacao grown here comes from the Northwest part of the island, near the Sambirano Valley, part of (or near) the district and city of Ambanja.

Today's Madagascar 72% Ambanja 2014 bar was crafted, from bean-to-bar*, by makers at Pump Street Bakery (Orford, Suffolk, UK). They make baked goods, bread and chocolate.

More specifically, this bar represents Batch No. 5201—from the Pump Street chocolate makers. I mention this, because if you taste a bar you really like, a batch number helps you find the same bar again (if it's still available). Or, making notes on various batches can help you to request a bar with similar flavor characteristics.

I'd like to re-order this three-ingredient bar (cocoa beans, cane sugar, and cocoa butter). It was a great bar for Valentines Day, with or without hearts and flowers.

• My tasting notes: "Broke with a hard snap. Aroma and flavor: Green coconut and papaya, spice, shading into grapefruit (nicely balanced acidity) and deep but warm spice (cinnamon) finish. Interesting and enjoyable flavor arc. Not one "off" note in the bar."

• Pump Street notes: "A dark chocolate packed with flavour (sic) brought out of the fruity Madagascan beans. This chocolate has high notes of citrus mellowing intro tropical fruits and ending with balanced acidity."

*"Each bar is made from beans imported directly from farms or cooperatives in the country of origin. We then clean, roast in our bread ovens, grind and conch at our bakery in Orford, Suffolk."

The content and images in this post belong to ChocolateBanquet.com.

Marou - Treasure Island 3/4 Dark Chocolate bar - Feb. 13, 2016

www.marouchocolate.com

Chocolate of the Day: 

Marou Faiseurs de Chocolat
Treasure Island 3/4 Cacao Limited Edition Dark Chocolate bar
Good ++
Weight: .93 oz. (26.6 g.) / 2.8 oz. (80 g.) in total bar
Calories: 140 calories (estimate) in 1/3 bar
Cost: $10.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to the final day of Chocolate and Some Enchanted Islands Theme Week. Today's "island" was located in the Mekong River Delta in Vietnam.

Historic tales, like Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson, feature pirate-filled quests for treasure chests of gold, coins and ill-gotten gains, often buried on exotic islands.

Island treasures also can include fragrant spices, exotic fruits—and flavorful cacao wrapped in beautifully designed packaging.

The image (upper right -- from Marou Chocolate website) is one I love. It shows the range of colors in cacao fruit (pods), and correlates these colors with some of the company's bars.

Marou Faiseurs de Chocolat is a bean-to-bar chocolate maker based in Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon), Vietnam. The two founders, Samuel Mourou and Vincent Maruta, have been making chocolate from Vietnam cacao since 2011.

Tasting notes: (from Marou website): "...subtle notes of liquorice (sic) and spice in this extremely delicate 75% chocolate made with cacao growing in very small quantities on Tan Phu Dong Island in the middle of the Mekong River." I also picked up a hint of raisin cinnamon toast in the aroma and flavor associated with this bar.

Unlike many chocolate bars made in North America and Europe, today's bar was made "in-country"—i.e., the chocolate was made in the same country where the cacao was grown (Vietnam in this case).

Today's Marou bar was soy, gluten and dairy free. The bar was imported into the U.S. by Dark Chocolate Imports LLC (Bloomfield Hill, MI), and sold in specialty chocolate stores (The Chocolate Garage (Palo Alto, CA) in this case).

Tomorrow we travel to Madagascar, a large island nation that's big enough to merit its own theme week.

The content and images in this post belong to ChocolateBanquet.com.

Pura Delizia - Vietnam 75% bar - Feb. 12, 2016

Chocolate of the Day: 

Pura Delizia Packint srl
Vietnam 75% bar
Good
Weight: 1.17 oz. (33.3 g.) / 3.53 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 170.6 calories in 1/3 bar
Cost: $8.95 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocosphere, online order

Don Khach (welcome in Vietnamese) – to Day #10 of Chocolate and Some Enchanted Islands Theme Week.

Today's Vietnam 75% dark chocolate bar was from Pura Delizia Packint srl (Borgo Priolo, Italy). This Italian chocolate maker produces bean-to-bar, single origin bars, and chocolate confections (including chocolate and coffee creams and chocolate truffles with Piedmont hazelnuts and other flavor inclusions).

This Vietnam bar broke with a hard snap, and had a faint dark-roast aroma. It had a slow melt, smooth texture, and an even, dark, woodsy flavor.

Tomorrow, we celebrate our last day of Chocolate and Some Enchanted Islands Theme Week, with one last bar from Vietnam.

The content and images in this post belong to ChocolateBanquet.com.

Artisan du Chocolat - Vietnam bar - Feb. 11, 2016

Chocolate of the Day: 

Artisan du Chocolat
Vietnam bar
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.59 oz. (45 g.) in total bar
Calories: 238 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $ lost info
Purchased from: Artisan du Chocolat (online order)

Welcome to Day #9 of Chocolate and Some Enchanted Islands Theme Week.

Today we move to Vietnam—not technically an island* nation, but a country with islands, and a very long coastline bordering on The South China Sea.

I'm including three Vietnam single origin bars in this theme week, because an someone once insisted to me that Vietnam was an island. That is more than some people know about geography.

I like using chocolate to help us all learn more about the world. And, I've virtually traveled to more countries than I've actually visited; so I'm including myself in that "us".

Some of the most well-known islands off Vietnam might be in the Ha Long Bay area in the north. However, most of the cacao grown in Vietnam comes from warmer, inland South Vietnam, near the Mekong River and/or Mekong River Delta.

Artisan du Chocolat - Vietnam bar

Artisan du Chocolat (London) makes a series of bars with great flavor inclusions (e.g., Masala Chai, Orchid and Orange Blossom, Ginger and Lemongrass, Buffalo Milk, etc.) in addition to single origin bars -- such as today's Vietnam dark chocolate limited edition - 72% Cocoa bar.

The Trinitario cacao beans used to make this Vietnam dark bar were grown in the Ba Ria - Vung Tau Province, a coastal province, East of the Mekong Delta.

The bar had a pleasant sweet cocoa, spice and light fruit aroma, and flavor.

Tasting notes printed on the bar's packaging: "...Surprisingly mellow at the start, this chocolate melts with a long and slightly peppery bitter finish."

Note: Like many single origin, limited edition bars, this one may no longer be available.

*Vietnamese islands include the 2,000 limestone islets that jut up from the sea in the Ha Long Bay area; Phu Quoc; Bach Long Vi; Cat Ba; the Can Dao islands; and others. 

The content and images in this post belong to ChocolateBanquet.com.

Akesson's - Bali Sukrama Farms 75% bar - Feb. 10, 2016

Chocolate of the Day:

Akesson's Organic, Ltd.
(Single Plantation Chocolate)
Bali - Sukrama Farms, 75% Trinitario Cocoa
Good ++
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.12 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories:  172.5 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $N/A - part of a subscription 
Purchased from: Cocoa Runners (subscription)

Today was Day #8 of Chocolate and Some Enchanted Islands Theme Week. As often happens when we have too many chocolates to fit into a seven-day week, we're including a few bonus days. Chocolate weeks are just more abundant.

All of our island bars featured this week have been single origin bars. Akesson's Organic, Ltd. (Notting Hill, London) goes one step further with single plantation bars.

Akesson's relationships they've built with individual plantations (such as those owned by the Sukrama family in Bali)*, help to assure desired characteristics from tree to bar.

This award-winning** 75% Trinitario Cocoa dark chocolate bar had a subtle aroma, smooth melt and texture, bold but well-balanced and even dark chocolate flavor, a very faint five-spice blend note, and a relatively clean finish.

Tasting notes: "...This bar has a masculine bitterness and expressive notes of spices."

And now we say Selamat tinggal (goodbye in Indonesian) to Bali. Next stop will be: Vietnam.

*Akesson's also has an ownership stake in plantations in Madagascar and Brazil.

**This Akesson's Bali bar was a Bronze 2014 European Chocolate Awards and Great Taste 2014 award winner.

The content and images in this post belong to ChocolateBanquet.com.

Scharffen Berger - Papua New Guinea bar - Feb. 9 , 2016

Chocolate of the Day: 

Scharffen Berger
Chocolate Maker Series
Limited Edition - Papua New Guinea bar
Good - Good +
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 140 calories in 1/3 bar
Cost: $5.95 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Scharffen Berger store (now closed) in Ferry Building, San Francisco, CA

Today was Day #7 of Chocolate and Some Enchanted Islands Theme Week; and we're enjoying a second day in Papua New Guinea.

Cacao was introduced to islands in the South Pacific, directly and indirectly, by European explorers and those seeking claim new land areas, in part to grow crops, such as tobacco, sugar and cacao.


Fast forwarding a few centuries...There was a renewed interest in making bean-to-bar chocolate by small artisan makers in the Americas. Cacao was growing on many island nations (within 20 degrees of the Equator), making some interesting single origin bars possible. Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker (founded in the San Francisco Bay Area in 1997) was an early entrant into this new market.

Later Scharffen Berger became part of Artisan Confections Company (Hershey). And, while the Bay Area Scharffen Berger factory (with excellent tour) closed, for awhile there was a small Scharffen Berger store in San Francisco's Ferry Building**—where I bought this bar a few years ago.

This bar from the past was stored in my chocolate vault until today. While plain dark bars (without flavor inclusions or preservatives) that are well-tempered can last up to two years, generally it's better to eat chocolate sooner rather than later.

Scharffen Berger Papua New Guinea bar

This Scharffen Berger semisweet 68% cacao dark bar was part of a "Chocolate Maker's Series"—a Limited Edition bar. The cacao beans used to make it were from the Markham Valley in Papua New Guinea. The company also had a Vietnam single origin bar...where we'll be traveling to the day after tomorrow. (I'm not sure if either bar is still available.)

Tasting notes: "Pleasantly creamy, notes of red fruit, cherry and raisin, with a hint of vanilla." I would add that this bar had a rich chocolate (almost fudgey) flavor, not unlike yesterday's PNG bar. "Chocolatey" is one flavor that can be more pronounced in some beans/origins than others.

*My understanding is that crops grown in Papua New Guinea today include introduced crops such as cacao, palm oil, coffee, cassava and sweet potato, as well as traditional taro, banana, sago and yam.

**This retail location/store in the Ferry Building was later closed.

The content and images in this post belong to ChocolateBanquet.com.