French Broad Chocolates - Nicaragua bar - Apr. 8, 2016

Chocolate of the Day:

French Broad Chocolates
Cacao Bisiesto Nicaragua dark chocolate 68% cacao bar
Good ++
Weight: 1.05 oz. (30 g.) / 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 157 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: French Broad Chocolates, Asheville, NC

I picked up today's Cacao Bisiesto Nicaragua dark chocolate bar during a recent trip to Asheville, North Carolina.

This attractively packaged, single origin Nicaragua bar was made (from bean to bar) by French Broad Chocolates (Asheville, NC).

It was made in collaboration with Cacao Bisiesto -- a small organization that helps connect chocolate makers, such as Dan and Jael Rattigan at French Broad Chocolates, with cacao farmers in Nicaragua.

When I opened the well-crafted package, the stories behind both companies unfolded (literally).*

The dark, 68% cacao bar had a complex cacao aroma. The chocolate had a roasted, slight balanced bitterness, faint floral, earthy, marshmallow and raspberry flavor notes.

And, since this was Day #10 of Chocolate and Cashew Theme Week, I paired this bar with a small handful of roasted, lightly salted cashew nuts.

Note: See also interview with Dan Rattigan, co-founder/owner and chocolate maker, at French Broad Chocolates (April 10, 2016); and a post about a recent cacao farm tour with Cacao Bisiesto founders Jose Enrique Herrera and Gifford (Giff) Laube (April 11, 2016).

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

Tropical Valley Foods - Next Organics - Dark Chocolate Cashews - Apr. 7, 2016

Chocolate of the Day:

Tropical Valley Foods
Next Organics - Dark Chocolate Cashews
Good  ++ - Very Good
Weight: 1.4 oz. (40 g.) / 4 oz. (113 g.) in total package
Calories: 220 calories in 1 serving (approx. 1/3 package)
Cost: $8.99 for 1 package
Purchased from: Hudson News, San Francisco Airport, South San Francisco, CA

Welcome to Day #9 of Chocolate and Cashew Week.

It's happened again. A chocolate theme week has overflowed beyond a conventional 7-day week. The world of chocolate is full and ever-changing.

Today's Next Organics Dark Chocolate Cashews were from Tropical Valley Foods (Pittsburgh, NY).

These attractively packaged chocolates were simple and good. Organic, whole cashews were covered with gluten-free, organic, smooth dark chocolate. No preservatives or additives were added.

These did contain a very subtle hint of salt. I might have added a tiny pinch more for flavor. (I tend to favor salt and umami flavors.) However, it's best to keep them as is. One can always add salt if desired.

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

Chocolate Gems - CashMoo Cashew Round - April 6, 2016

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

Chocolate Gems
Cashmoo (Round)
Good ++ - Very Good
Weight: 2.5 oz. (70.7 g.) (estimate) for 1 round
Calories: 375 calories (estimate) for 2.5 oz. (70.7 g.) round
Cost: $3.00 (estimate)
Purchased from: Chocolate Gems, Asheville, NC

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate and Cashew Theme Week.

Today's CashMoo dark chocolate round from Chocolate Gems (Asheville, NC) was studded with chopped cashew nut pieces.

The rich, smooth dark chocolate base provided tasty chocolate flavor, and somehow managed not to extinguish the mild cashew nut flavor—a tough balancing act to pull off.

I also tried two other Chocolate Gems signature chocolates—a tall, pointed "Firecracker" chocolate with a spicy kick and fruit-flavored (strawberry I believe) pop rocks; and a Juniper Berry chocolate. The latter had an authentic, nicely balanced juniper flavor.

Chocolate Gems was/is located in an old hardware store building in downtown Asheville, NC.

Thank you to Isabel for her help in selecting chocolates.

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

The Chocolate Fetish - Milk Cashew Frog - April 5, 2016

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

The Chocolate Fetish
Milk Cashew Frog
Good
Weight: 2 oz. (57 g.) (estimate) for piece
Calories: 300 calories (estimate) for 2 oz. (57 g.) piece
Cost: $2.40 for 1 piece
Purchased from: The Chocolate Fetish, Asheville, NC


Welcome to another day of Chocolate and Cashew Week (Day #7); and we celebrated with a Milk Chocolate Cashew Frog from The Chocolate Fetish (Asheville, NC).

This substantial, round chocolate treat was purchased during a recent field trip to Asheville.

This piece was designed with layers of flavor. A round mound of milk chocolate contained an inner disk of caramel and cashews.

I also sampled (but didn't count) two more filled chocolates (not pictured):

The "Blossom" chocolate had an almost fluffy chocolate ganache (filling) lightly flavored with saffron, lemon and ginger.

And the "Midsummer's Dream" truffle with a white chocolate ganache flavored with lavender, lemon and honey. The latter was my favorite, but I loved the light floral flavors in both pieces.

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

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.