Marou - Dak Lak 70% dark chocolate bar - April 1, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Marou Faiseurs de Chocolat
Dak Lak 70 percent dark chocolate bar
Good ++ - Very Good
Weight: 1.4 oz. (40 g.) / 2.8 oz. (80 g.) in total bar
Calories: 242 calories (per label) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Cacao at The Heathman, Portland, OR

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate and Vietnam Theme Week.

Today's beautifully packaged Dak Lak 70 percent dark chocolate bar from Marou Faiseurs de Chocolat (Ho Chi Minh City/Saigon) was made from cacao grown in Vietnam.

It had a subtle chocolate aroma with honey, light spice and faint green forest/wood and fruit notes.

And the flavors I tasted ranged from chocolate cake to hints of tart sweet red fruit headed toward sweet berries/cranberries/cherries.

As is often the case with craft chocolate, I tasted this bar three different times today and each time I picked up a few different flavor notes.

Hats off to the maker for carefully capturing and cultivating the flavor profile of these cacao beans from the Dak Lak province, in central Vietnam.*



*Dak Lak is in the Central Highlands, in an area where coffee, pepper and tea are also grown. It is north of Lam Dong province and most other cacao-growing regions that are further south (closer to the Mekong River Delta). 

Arete - Viet Nam Tien Giang 73% dark bar - Mar. 31, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Arete Fine Chocolate
Viet Nam Tien Giang 73 percent Dark Chocolate bar
Very Good
Weight: 1.15 oz. (32.5 g.) / 2.3 oz. (65 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 172.5 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $15.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's Viet Nam Tien Giang 73 percent Dark Chocolate bar was artfully made by David and Leslie Senk of Arete Fine Chocolate (Milpitas, CA), a small batch, bean-to-bar maker in the Silicon Valley area.

They named their company Arete, and the definition (excellence, virtue, striving to meet one's fullest potential, reaching for the stars) does seem to be a great fit. The chocolate offerings they have carefully crafted—including today's Vietnam (or Viet Nam) dark bar—are proof of that.

I could eat this bar on a regular basis very easily. The aroma was very pleasing with delicate, naturally sweet citrus, floral and fruit notes. The melt and texture were even and smooth.

The bar had a light green, forest* in spring flavor with mild dried fruit and faint raisin toast notes, with a clean finish.


Note: Arete recently began offering a Viet Nam Lam Dong 73 percent dark chocolate, single origin bar. I look forward to trying this bar in the future.

*It may have been my imagination, but the aroma reminded me of the lovely citrus, floral highlights in Juniper Ridge Douglas Fir tea. New growth, or tips, appear at the end of Douglas Fir branches in the spring and are quite tasty. You might be surprised by their delicate flavor. 

Humphry Slocombe - Vietnamese Coffee sundae - Mar. 30, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Humphry Slocombe Ice Cream
Vietnamese Coffee Hot Fudge Sundae
Very Good
Weight: unknown
Calories: unknown
Cost: $8.75 for one 2-scoop sundae

Welcome to Day #5 Chocolate and Vietnam Theme Week.

Today's chocolate came in the form of an ice cream sundae. The original plan for today was to make a Vietnamese Coffee-Mocha drink; but a trip to the San Francisco Ferry Building (a food lovers playground) changed all that.

A quick walk by Humphry Slocombe Ice Cream (San Francisco, CA) caused a double take, when I saw "Blue Bottle* Vietnamese Coffee ice cream" on their menu.

Minutes later, I was ordering: "One scoop of Blue Bottle Vietnamese Coffee ice cream sundae + a second scoop of Tahitian V*n!ll@ ice cream + Hot Fudge and Bourbon Caramel toppings, please." All these ingredients added up to one delicious sundae.

This may not have been a traditional Vietnamese coffee drink, but I hope you'll cut me some ice cream slack here.

*Blue Bottle (Oakland, CA) is a Bay Area-based coffee company.

Penzeys Hot Chocolate with Vietnamese Cinnamon - Mar. 29, 2017

Chocolate(s) of the Day:

Penzeys Spices
Drinking chocolate with Vietnamese Cinnamon

Natural High Fat Cocoa
Good - Good +
Weight: .5 oz. (14 g.) / 1 oz. (28 g.) in 1 small jar
Calories: 40 calories in 2 TB serving
Cost: $2.95 for 1 jar
Purchased from: Penzeys Spices, Menlo Park, CA

Dutch Process High Fat Cocoa
Good+
Weight: .45 oz. (12.5 g.) / .9 oz. (25 g.) in 1 small jar
Calories: 40 calories in 2 TB serving
Cost: $2.95 for 1 small jar
Purchased from: Penzeys Spices, Menlo Park, CA

Vietnamese Cinnamon Extra Fancy
Good ++ - Very Good
Weight: .001 oz. (estimate) / .7 oz. (1/4 cup) (19 g.) in small jar
Calories: 1 calorie (estimate) in 1 good sprinkle
Cost: $3.95 for 1 small jar
Purchased from: Penzeys Spices, Menlo Park, CA

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

The hunt was on this week for a drinking chocolate seasoned with flavorful Vietnamese cinnamon (Cassia). Having no luck finding this on a local menu, I decided to make my own. To obtain the cinnamon and chocolate, I visited Penzeys Spices in Menlo Park, CA.

Penzeys Spices (Wauwatosa, WI), was founded in 1957, as a coffee and spice company, and has dozens of locations in the U.S. The local shop I visited carried five different cinnamons: four single origin cinnamons from different countries: Ceylon, Vietnam, Indonesia and China—and a fifth special Penzeys cinnamon blend.

The staff allowed customers to enjoy careful sniffing and appreciation of cinnamon samples. And after discussion of natural vs. dutched cocoa powders, two jars of chocolate and one small jar of Vietnamese Cinnamon - Extra Fancy were procured.

In truth, the Vietnamese Cinnamon made the "true" (Ceylon) cinnamon smell mild-mannered by comparison.* (The Vietnamese cinnamon reminded me more of intense red hot cinnamon candies of childhood vs. a blander apple pie.) But, there are those who swear only by the true cinnamon. (Later in the year I'll feature a chocolate and spice week and we can continue this discussion.)

As stated on Penzeys Spices website: "Vietnamese Cinnamon is the strongest, richest, and sweetest cinnamon around."

Now, on to the two cocoa powders—Penzeys Natural and Dutch Process (Alkalinized) High Fat Cocoas are both possible drinking chocolates. Both were heated with milk and spiced with Vietnamese Cinnamon, with a very light touch of coconut palm sugar.

Separately, the Natural Cocoa had a fainter aroma, but a more powerful (slightly richer, more acidic flavor). The Dutch Process Cocoa had a wonderful fudge brownie aroma, and a slightly milder flavor. I blended the two, and split the difference.

The cocoa blend with Vietnamese Cinnamon was heated with milk and a touch of coconut palm syrup with vanilla. The cinnamon added rich spicy warmth without being overpowering.

Nice flavors. However, I might strain this concentrated drinking chocolate in the future (or stir it longer over slightly higher heat), as the leftover residue on the cups was fairly considerable. My fault here.

*I will feature Penzeys hot chocolate cocoa powder with Ceylon cinnamon in the future.

The Smooth Chocolator - 70% Vietnam Tien Giang bar - Mar. 28, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

The Smooth Chocolator
70% Cacao Vietnam Tien Giang bar
Good ++
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.12 oz. (60 g.) total bar
Calories: 144.3 calories (604 kJ per label) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $10.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate and Vietnam Theme Week.

What a pleasure to sample chocolate created half-way around the globe. Today's Vietnam Tien Giang 70 percent bar was from small batch, bean-to-bar maker The Smooth Chocolator (Geelong, Australia; SE of Melbourne on Port Phillip Bay).

The cacao beans used to make this bar traveled over 6,437 km (4,000+ miles) from southern Vietnam to Geelong, Australia (to be crafted into chocolate). They then traveled (in finished form) an additional 12,176 km or 7,901 miles to Palo Alto, CA. Amazing.

Tasting chocolates made in other countries can be a wonderful form of virtual travel and education. My appreciation has only grown for the chocolate makers, their craft, and the abundance of good things in the world.

Speaking of people, Yoon Kim, a pastry chef and chocolatier, founded The Smooth Chocolator in 2015, after taking a course in bean-to-bar chocolate making. Her husband, an engineer, provides valuable technical design and support. In 2016, the company won an International Chocolate Award for one of their bars.

Recently, (early 2017) renowned chocolate expert and judge Sunita de Tourreill was impressed with Kim's efforts and began to offer her bars to customers at the exclusive The Chocolate Garage (Palo Alto, CA)—where I bought today's bar.

How did this well-traveled bar in the simple, elegant, black and tan, sealed package taste? The bar, like the packaging, focused on important basics and was well-executed. The three-ingredient bar (cocoa beans, sugar, cocoa butter) had a dried fruit (figs, dark raisins and goji berries) aroma with a faint roasted coffee note; and the chocolate had uniform, bright, sweet and concentrated fruit flavor.

The thin bar, with an attractive botanical design, yielded a quick and even melt and allowed ready access to unfolding flavor. There were no off notes; however, there was a very slight graininess in one bite. The finish was pleasant and clean.

The maker's notes printed on the package included: "Tasting Note: Honey, brown dried fruits" (i.e. brown fruits such as sultanas, currants).

Frederic Blondeel - Vietnam 80% bar - Mar. 27, 2017

Chocolate of the Day:

Frederic Blondeel
IX Tablette (Bar) - Vietnam 80% Chocolat Noir (Dark Chocolate)
Good - Good +
Weight: .636 oz. (18 g.) / 1.59 oz. (45 g.) in total bar
Calories: 60 calories (per label) in 2/5 bar
Cost: $6.99 (free shipping on large order) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Stars USA, online order

Bienvenue a (Welcome to) Day #2 of Chocolate and Vietnam Theme Week.

This 80% Vietnam bar was made from bean-to-bar in Belgium by Frederic Blondeel (Veurne, Belgium).

Blondeel, who produces bars and confections,* has created a series of ten different single origin bars. The roman numeral on today's tablette (bar) indicated that today's Vietnam bar was number IX (9) in this series.

This 80 percent bar also had one of the highest percentage of cacao solids in the Frederic Blondeel line.

A high-quality eighty or even ninety percent bar may have as fine an aroma as any seventy percent bar. This bar had a warm spice aroma (like smelling cinnamon raisin toast with melted chocolate from a few rooms away).

As happens with many ultra-dark bars, there was a step down in taste after the first bite, due to the lack of conventional use of sugar to buoy things up. Suddenly I was in deeper, darker territory than I might have expected (after days of eating much sweeter chocolates).

The only minor quibble was with the texture. The bar was mostly smooth, but had a few very tiny hard bits. The melt was a bit slow and very slightly uneven (not enough to be annoying). As each bite melted other flavor notes unfolded. The chocolate and mild spice notes were joined and/or replaced by mild hints of green wood, citrus, and earth.

And this 80% Vietnam chocolate had a unique aftertaste with a trace of espresso-like, roasted bitterness and acidity (good if you like coffee).

*Frederic Blondeel produces chocolate bars, including a series of single origin bars, confections, couvertures and other items—including "Gladiators" small single origin bars with inclusions.

Dick-Taylor - 78% Vietnam Tien Giang bar - Mar. 26, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Dick-Taylor
78 percent Vietnam Tien Giang bar
Very Good
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar
Calories: 150 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

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

Cacao growing regions in Vietnam lie to the south, in the Meking River Delta area. The cacao beans for today's single origin bar were grown in the Tien Giang Province, just north of the Mekong.

The Limited Release 78 percent Vietnam Tien Giang 78 percent dark bar from Dick Taylor was a 2017 Good Food Awards Finalist; and it contained a well-balanced, delicious mix of flavors.

Adam Dick (Owner and Head Chocolate Maker) described this bar has having a "complex blend of spice and nuts notes. " Tasting Notes printed on the packaging listed: spice cake, apricot and almond butter.

I also smelled and tasted spice cake—the kind of rich buttery spice cake that had been baked until it was caramelized around the edges. There was a mix of bright, tart, sweet-sour fruit (apricots, golden raisins, sour cherry yogurt and orange marmalade). I also noted a very faint hint of well-balanced earthiness and a faint, pleasant green note.

This bar was delightfully complex and very well executed with a pleasing, lingering finish.

With all these flavors, it may surprise some to read that there were only two ingredients in this bar: cacao and organic cane sugar.