Chocolates of Asheville, NC - April 4, 2016

Chocolates in Asheville, North Carolina

Chocolate Field Trip - April 2016

Below is a summary of findings from a recent chocolate field trip to Asheville, North Carolina.

Asheville's downtown area has an active street life. I'd been told it was a great food and art city, and that seemed true. There were healthy cafes and restaurants, as well as breweries and pubs that reminded me of a mix of Portland, OR, Austin, TX, and Santa Cruz, CA—but with a relaxed, Southern college town spin.

Below is a partial list of places I visited:

French Broad Chocolates
I visited the French Broad Chocolates Chocolate Lounge and Chocolate + Milk retail location (where they sell a variety of their bars including their own). I was also able to pick up a dark bar from Videri (Raleigh, NC), and a Toasted Sesame bar from Woodblock Chocolate (Portland, OR), as well as chocolate covered caramels, ice cream, and a single origin Nicaragua bar made by French Broad Chocolates.

Later this week, I'll be featuring interviews with co-founder, Dan Rattigan, as well as one of their cacao suppliers (Cacao Bisiesto) in Nicaragua.

Chocolate Fetish
Chocolate Fetish offered a variety of truffles, confections and some holiday-themed and other novelty chocolate sculptures. I picked up several, including a Cashew Turtle that I'll be featuring later today as part of Cashew Theme Week. Thank you to Anna for her help.

Unique flavor combinations included the company's "Blossom" chocolate (flavored with saffron, lemon and ginger).

Also, I saw what looked to be a chocolate cake (really a hollow chocolate shell) filled with small treats. Each "cake" comes with a hammer so you can put it on a plate and break it open to enjoy the treats inside—pinata style. And the store had a whole shelf dedicated to high-heeled shoes, rendered in chocolate.

Chocolate Gems
Another interesting downtown Asheville chocolatier was Chocolate Gems. I sampled a Juniper Berry truffle that was fresh, balanced and flavorful, and brought home a few other items to try. Thanks to Isabel for her help.

They also offered some sculpted chocolate novelty items, such as a beautifully rendered cacao pod. The kitchen set caught my eye (that included a chocolate saucepan with lid).

Black Mountain Chocolate
Black Mountain Chocolate (formerly just outside of Asheville) moved to Winston Salem, NC. Although quite a few places in downtown Asheville seemed to carry their bars. I bought one of their Sea Salt bars at Green Sage Cafe (downtown Asheville location).

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

Living Intentions - Gone Nuts! White Chocolate - Apr. 4, 2016

Chocolate of the Day:

Living Intentions
Gone Nuts! - White Chocolate
Good
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42.5 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total package
Calories: 210 calories in 1/2 package
Cost: $3.99 (estimate) need to confirm
Purchased from: Safeway, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate and Cashew Theme Week.

The "Gone Nuts!" family of healthy snack products from Living Intentions (Point Richmond, CA) include various combinations of raw and sprouted nuts combined with other flavors--like today's White Chocolate blend.

The cashews were raw, not roasted. (They were air dried.) The almonds were sprouted.

This White Chocolate mix had a mild, naturally crunchy texture, with a subtle, balanced salty and sweet taste.

The nuts were "coated with a premium clear agave nectar, coconut powder, cocoa butter and mesquite pod powder," and seasoned with sea salt.

However, unlike most white chocolate offerings, this mix also had cocoa nibs--not just cocoa butter--for some tiny bursts of rich and "real"* (albeit faint) chocolate flavor.

*I taste some white chocolate items; but haven't counted them as my chocolate of the day unless they also contain some cocoa solids (cocoa nibs, milk or dark chocolate, cocoa mass or liquor, etc.).

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

Peeled Inc. - Mango Staycation - Apr. 3, 2016

Chocolate of the Day:

Peeled Inc.
Mango Staycation - Trail Mix + dark chocolate
Good
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 6 oz. (170 g.) in 1 package
Calories: 120 calories in 1 serving (approx. 1/4 cup)
Cost: $2.99 for 1 package
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate and Cashew Theme Week.

Today I sampled a handful of organic, gluten-free and kosher Mango Staycation Trail Mix + dark chocolate, from Peeled Inc. (Brooklyn, NY).

Loved the title -- Mango Staycation. Curl up on the coach, and let your trail mix transport you, or go out on a hike or an adventure. Either way, you're covered.

This trail mix consisted of chewy pieces of dried fruit (banana, raisins and mango), heart-healthy nuts (organic, dry roasted salted peanuts, organic cashews, organic dry roasted salted almonds), and dark chocolate chips.

This all-in-the-family mix (mangoes and cashews are in the same family (Anacardiaceae), tasted fairly light, and authentically fruity without being too sweet. The nuts balanced the fruit with some crunchy texture, protein, and a faint hint of salt.

The chocolate chips were an accent flavor, and not the main dish; but the mix was balanced and satisfying.

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

Amy's Kitchen - Andy's Dandy Lucky Candy Bar - Apr. 2, 2016

Chocolate of the Day:

Amy's Kitchen Inc.
Andy's Dandy Candy Bars
Lucky bar
Good
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (57 g.) in total package of 2 bars
Calories: 130 calories in 1 bar (1/2 package)
Cost: $ need to find receipt
Purchased from: Country Sun Natural Foods, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate and Cashew Theme Week.

Today's gluten-free "Lucky" candy bar was from Amy's Kitchen Inc. (Petaluma, CA).

Part of the company's Andy's Dandy Candy Bars* line, this Lucky chocolate candy bar was filled with nougat, caramel and a blend of chopped pecans, walnuts and...cashews.

*The Andy's Dandy Candy Bars line was named for Amy's father Andy.

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

21st Century - Milk Chocolate Cashews - April 1, 2016

Chocolate of the Day: 

21st Century Snack Foods
Milk Chocolate Cashews
Good
Weight: 1.48 oz. (42 g.) / 7 oz. (198 g.) in total package
Calories: 220 calories in 1 serving of 9 pieces
Cost: $5.99 for 1 package
Purchased from: Marshalls, Mountain View, CA

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate and Cashew Theme Week, and Happy April Fool's Day.

Today's Milk Chocolate Cashews were distributed by 21st Century Snack Foods (Ronkonkoma, NY). Yes, West Coasters, there really is a hamlet named Ronkonkoma, and it's located in Islip, on Long Island.

Today's roasted cashew nuts were covered in milk chocolate -- giving them a fairly creamy melt and pleasant, traditional milk chocolate flavor. The cashews provided a crunchy center.

Roasting cashews can give them a bit more flavor; but more subtle nut flavors can be harder to taste in chocolate confections.

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

Core Foods - Cashew Cacao bar - Mar. 31, 2016

Chocolate of the Day: 

Core Foods
Cashew Cacao bar
Good
Weight: 3 oz. (85 g.) in 1 package/bar
Calories: 370 calories for 1 package/bar
Cost: $ lost receipt
Purchased from: Country Sun Natural Foods, Palo Alto, CA

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

This Cashew Cacao Core Meal bar from Core Foods (Oakland, CA) had a substantial heft and texture to it.

It was (very credibly) billed as as a "hearty oatmeal on the go" meal. The vegan, organic and gluten-free bar contained: gluten-free oats, raw cashews, raisins, raw flaxseed, cacao mass, filtered water and vanilla beans.

Core Foods is a not-for-profit company, based in the San Francisco Bay Area, with a mission to support people with healthy, nourishing food.

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

Momotombo - Maranon (Cashews) Milk Chocolate bar - Mar. 30, 2016

Chocolate of the Day: 

Chocolate Momotombo S.A.

Maranon (Cashews) Fine Milk Chocolate bar
Good ++
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 3.18 oz. (90 g.) in total bar
Calories: 160 calories (estimate) in 1/3 bar
Cost: $3.75 (estimate) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Momotombo; Managua, Nicaragua

Maranon (Cashew) y Canela (Cinnamon) Chocolates
Good ++ - Very Good
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 3.18 oz. (90 g.) in total box
Calories: 160 calories (estimate) in 5 pieces
Cost: $8.00 (estimate) for 1 box
Purchased from: Chocolate Momotombo, Managua, Nicaragua

Fresh Chocolate with Maranon y Ron (Cashew and Rum)
Good ++ - Very Good
Weight: .5 oz. (14.1 g.) slice
Calories: 75 calories (estimate) in 1 small piece
Cost: $5.95 (estimate) for 1 package
Purchased from: Chocolate Momotombo, Managua, Nicaragua

Welcome to the first day of Chocolate and Cashew Theme Week.

I've come to equate Chocolate Momotombo (Managua, Nicaragua) with good chocolate. Happily, this bean-to-bar maker offers several chocolates that are blended with cashew (maranon, or anacardo, in Spanish), including today's Maranon (Cashews) fine milk chocolate bar; maranon (cashew) and canela (cinnamon) chocolates, and fresh chocolate with maranon (cashews) and ron (rum).

The company specializes in cacao from Nicaragua and local flavor additions (seeds, nuts, fruits). The fresh chocolate is more perishable than a bar, but is unique and worth trying. Looks like fudge, but a bit moister and more fresh tasting.

Read on if you'd like to know more about cacao and cashews...

More about Cacao and Cashews

Cashews

• The cashew tree is a tropical evergreen tree that produces an edible cashew seed (nut), attached to the cashew "apple"
• Cashew fruit (apples) look like an upside down reddish-orange bell pepper - with a greenish "comma" growing out of the bottom.
• It can grow as high as 14 meters, but the dwarf cashew, growing up to 6 meters, has proved more profitable, with earlier maturity and higher yields.

Chocolate and cashews have several things in common; for example:

• Cacao "beans" and cashew "nuts" are both, in fact, seeds. 
• Both grow on trees, and are associated with a unique-looking fruit.
• Cacao and cashews both grow on tropical evergreen trees within 20 or so degrees from the Equator. 
• Cacao trees originally came from Central and South America. Cashew trees likely originated in Brazil. Both trees are now grown and processed in other countries—primarily in Africa and Southeast Asia/India.
• Both seeds are rich (containing 45-50% fat) and delicious, if they are processed correctly.
• Like many seeds, these two are both high in minerals, such as magnesium and iron. Per ounce*:
• Cashew nuts = Magnesium (20% of daily value), and Iron (10% of daily value)
• Dark chocolate = Magnesium (20% of daily value), and Iron (19% of daily value); dark chocolate is also high in Copper and Manganese.
• Both fruits can be seen in a range of colors (yellow, orange, red, etc.). Cacao fruit starts from tiny 5-petal white flowers that grow directly off the trunk and branches of the tree. Cashew fruit starts with a slightly larger, 5-petal, pinkish-red flower.

However, there are some differences between the two:

• A cashew is a seed that grows outside (hanging below) the cashew fruit (or "apple"); whereas cacao seeds are packed together inside a cacao pod.
• Cacao fruit (pulp) and cashew fruit are both edible, although cashew fruit + nuts should be handled with care**. While cacao is protected by a tough, thick outer rind/shell, and slightly bitter seeds, the white pulpy fruit that envelopes the cacao seeds (beans) is both edible and delicious. 

*These are approximate values. Each dark chocolate bar, e.g., varies somewhat in nutritional content, depending on percentage and source.

** In India, cashew fruit is sometimes used to make jams and spreads. However, the material around the nut is quite unpleasant (caustic). The cashew nut covering (attached to the fruit) contains a thick oil/sap (also found in poison oak and poison ivy)—that can cause an itchy skin rash.

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