Continental Best - Vanuato Kakaw - Cinnamon Dark Chocolate bar - July 23, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Continental Best
Vanuato Kakaw
Cinnamon Dark Chocolate bar
OK+++ - Good
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 3.53 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 140 calories (estimate) in 1/4 bar
Cost: $4.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Stars USA, online order

Hola and bienvenidos a (hello and welcome to) Day #1 of Chocolate and Mexico Theme Week.

Today's Vanuato Kakow Cinnamon Dark Chocolate bar was made in Mexico with sweet 60% cacao chocolate and tiny embedded bits of cinnamon. Despite the micro-spice shreds, the cinnamon flavor was quite subtle.

3 Drinking Chocolates with Spices Trio - July 22, 2017

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

Welcome to the last day (Day #10) of Chocolate and Spices Theme Week. Today's trio of spiced chocolate beverages included drinking chocolates and a chocolate tea.

Holy Chocolate
European - Dark Chocolate with Cinnamon and Spices
Good+
Weight: .83 oz. (23.5 g.) / 1.66 oz. (47 g.)  in total packet
Calories: 94.5 calories in 1/2 packet serving
Cost: $1.99 for 1 package/packet
Purchased from: Piazza's Fine Foods, Palo Alto, CA


This mix contained "real milk, real cocoa and cane sugar" (and a Psalm from the Bible) and had very smooth almost creamy hot chocolate flavor with a warm but light spice accent. All round; no sharp edges; it was a crowd pleaser.

Numi Organic Tea
Chocolate Spice Tea
Good - Good +
Calories: < 5 calories in 3/4 cup
Cost: $3.00 (estimate) for 1 box
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

This spiced tea with cocoa powder and carob had a beautiful, fragrant aroma. Some may prefer to add milk and sugar to this tea. By itself it's good, but had a very slight bitter finish. I may have had this (or a similar) tea several years ago in a Numi Tea retail space in Oakland, CA.

Cacoco, Inc.
Global Warrior Herbal Dark Chocolate Blend
Good
Weight: 4 TB (21 g.) / 7.11 oz. (202 g.) in total package
Calories: 120 calories in 1 (4 TB) serving
Cost: $12.99 for 1 package/box
Purchased from: Piazza's Fine Foods, Palo Alto, CA

This offering from Cacoco, Inc. (Santa Cruz, CA) could be used for drinking chocolate or as a mix-in for ice cream, desserts and blended smoothies.

Described as an "energizing chocolate blend of superfood herbs and spices," this mix was made with "ethically sourced, unroasted Arriba Nacional Ecuadorian cacao...and maca, turmeric and shilajit (an herbal blend).

This was the most robust of the three cocoa and spice beverages today. The flavor was rich, dark and interesting, with a slight vegetable note. This bold dark chocolate mix was dairy free, so there was no (powdered) milk to soften the flavors like the European blend above.

Trader Joe's - Golden Spiced Milk Chocolate Bar - July 21, 2017

Chocolate of the Day:

Trader Joe's
Golden Spiced Milk Chocolate Bar
Good
Weight: .65 oz. (19 g.) / 2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar
Calories: 110 calories in 1/3 bar
Cost: $2.99 (estimate) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Trader Joe's, Carlsbad, CA

Welcome to Day #9 of Chocolate and Spices Theme Week.

Trader Joe's (Monrovia, CA) has sourced a variety of chocolates for their label that are accessible in terms of price and availability throughout their chain of retail stores in the U.S.

Most of their dark chocolates have been quite good. Great milk chocolates are harder to find in general, not just at Trader Joe's. Today's Golden Spiced Milk Chocolate Bar had its strong points, but was not one of my favorites.

The texture was smooth with a slightly creamy melt. And crisped quinoa provided some nice texture. The list of spices was impressive and included curry powder, ginger, powder, turmeric, cardamom, nutmeg and black pepper.

The resulting blend was fairly balanced; i.e., it was not too strong or weak; however it was not completely harmonious; and there was a slight artificial flavor. The bar also contained "natural coconut flavor" and vanilla extract. That's a lot of flavor components to juggle.

The bar was fairly sweet, as most milk chocolates are.

Le Chocolats de Pauline - Dark Ginger - July 20, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Le Chocolats de Pauline
Dark Ginger - Candied Ginger
Good +
Weight: .615 oz. (17.5 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 95 calories in 1/4 bar
Cost: $ missing information
Purchased from: Chocolate Stars USA, online order

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

Today's Dark Ginger was from Les Chocolats de Pauline (France), inported to the U.S. by Chocolate Stars USA.

This rich tasting dark bar with finely ground flecks of candied ginger was 100% Organic and Certified Gluten Free. Just a few squares (each adorned with an attractive cacao pod pattern) proved to be very satisfying.

Pacari - Organic Chocolate with Ginger and Chia bar - July 19, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Pacari
Organic Chocolate with Ginger and Chia bar
Good+
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 150 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $7.95 for 1 bar
Purchased from: missing information

Hola (Hello) and Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate and Spices Theme Week.

Today's Organic Chocolate with Ginger and Chia bar from Pacari* (Quito, Ecuador) was made from "tree to bar" in Ecuador, where cacao has been grown for centuries. Chia seeds also are from South America.

The chocolate had a buttery melt and a delicious and subtle natural ginger flavor; and the chia provided a hint of texture.

Labeled as organic, soy free, gluten free and vegan, this bar was made with arriba nacional cacao--a type of fine flavored cacao grown in South America.

*Pacari works with Kiwa BCS Oko-Garantie GmbH on organic certification.

The Xocolate Bar - Cardamom Crunch bar - July 18, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

The Xocolate Bar
Cardamom Crunch 70% Cacao bar
Good +++
Weight: 1.1 oz. (31.13 g.) / 2.2 oz. (62.26 g.) in total bar
Calories: 155 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $6.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: SweetE Organic, Mill Valley, CA

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

Today's Cardamom Crunch bar from The Xocolate Bar (Berkeley, CA) delivered one of the tastiest chocolate and spice renditions to date.

This organic dark chocolate bar with caramelized cardamom seeds was composed of a flavorful, smooth, not too sweet 70% cacao chocolate base with fudge brownie flavor notes.

The caramelized seeds provided tiny bursts of crunchy texture and wonderfully authentic sweet cardamom spice flavor.

This bar was organic and vegan.

World Market - Milk Chocolate Chai Spice Filled bar - July 17, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Cost Plus, Inc. World Market
Milk Chocolate with Chai Spice Filling bar
Good
Weight: 1.16 oz. (33 g.) / 3.5 oz. (99.2 g.) in total bar
Calories: 153.3 calories in 1/3 bar
Cost: $4.00 (estimate) for 1 bar
Purchased from: World Market/Cost Plus, Mountain View, CA

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

This Milk Chocolate with Chai Spice Filling bar from Cost Plus, Inc. (Oakland, CA) was packaged in a colorful and fun wrapper. (A monkey holding an umbrella was riding on a festively decorated elephant.)

This thick, sweet bar filled with a caramel-like center had a relatively soft and smooth texture and melt. The chai spices were so light that they were undetectable. Might be a good bar if you have a sweet tooth.

For those watching ingredients: This bar did contain milk, soy, carrageenan and polysorbate. It also carried the notice: "may contain wheat, peanuts, tree nuts."