Cadbury - Fruit and Nut small bars - Oct. 3, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Mondelez U.K.
Cadbury Dairy Milk Fruit and Nut bar
Good
Weight: 1.27 oz. (36 g.) / 5.5 oz. (153 g.) in total package of 12
Calories: 180 calories in 1 serving (3 packets)
Cost: $3.50 for 1 package (2 for $7.00)
Purchased from: Safeway, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #3 of Cadbury Chocolate Theme Week.

Today's package contained individually-wrapped small Cadbury Fruit and Nut milk chocolates (from Mondelez International/U.K.*).

The small 2-square, segmented rectangular pieces, stamped with the Cadbury logo, contained bits of raisins and almonds. (Early recipes apparently also contained Brasil nuts.)

These chocolates were a variation on the classic Fruit and Nut milk chocolate bar that was first introduced in the 1926 as Cadbury's Fruit and Nut bar. (In 2003 the company added the "Dairy Milk" designation.)

It's hard to write about long-lived, large companies like Cadbury without delving into history. Like many purveyors of cocoa in the early 1800s, John Cadbury and his brother started with tea, coffee and drinking chocolate.

Chocolate bars came later. And today's milk chocolate bar as we know it was not perfected yet; although the Swiss, French, British and others (including, later, Milton S. Hershey in the U.S.) were all vying for the a milk chocolate formula that would result in a viable milk chocolate bar.

Cadbury announced their first milk chocolate bar in 1897 (one of the first in the U.K.) and the Dairy Milk chocolate brand followed in 1905.)

Interestingly, today's product was distributed in the U.S. by The Hershey Company (Hershey, PA), under license from Cadbury UK Ltd. Hershey founder, Milton S. Hershey, traveled to Europe and the U.K. and would have seen what the Cadburys were doing. Hershey's development of a "model town", and boys school in Hershey, PA was likely modeled, at least in part, after Cadbury worker housing and other community projects for less well-to-do citizens.

*Mondelez International (formerly known as Kraft/Kraft Foods) has owned the British confectionery company since 2010. 

Cadbury - Picnic bar - Oct. 2, 2017

Chocolate of the Day:

Mondelez U.K.
Cadbury Picnic bar
Good
Weight: 1.71 oz. (48.4 g.) in total bar
Calories: 232 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $2.29 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Rocket Fizz, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #2 of Cadbury Chocolate Theme Week.

This Cadbury Picnic candy bar/chocolate bar (from Mondelez International) was stuffed with peanuts, a sort of chewy, crunchy, caramely nougat with raisins somewhere in the mix; and it was covered with milk chocolate.

It was a handy bar to bring along on a hike near San Francisco bay and a climb up a mountain to see a great view after, you guessed it, a short picnic lunch.

The Cadbury Picnic bar was launched in the U.K. in 1958, and decades later (around 2000) was marketed as being "Deliciously ugly." Today's tagline read: "Shake it up with Picnic." How about "Enjoy a great view with Picnic?"

Cadbury - Dairy Milk Whole Nut bar - Oct. 1, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Mondelez UK
Cadbury Dairy Milk Whole Nut bar
Good
Weight: 1.59 oz. (45 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 246 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $2.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Rocket Fizz, Palo Alto, CA

Happy October to you all, and welcome to Day #1 of Chocolate and Cadbury Theme Week.

The Cadbury chocolate brand is owned by a large corporation (Mondelez International, fomerly Kraft). However, it was founded in the 1800s by members of the Cadbury family, who made some substantial contributions to chocolate. I've chosen to feature Cadbury items this week because of their history* as well as their market reach.

The Cadbury Dairy Milk product line has been a chocolate bar staple for many years in many countries. Today I sampled the Cadbury Milk Whole Nut bar, a sweet, segmented milk chocolate bar studded with whole hazelnuts.

It also had a long list of ingredients (including emulsifiers, chemicals and flavors) that made me a little uncomfortable, even if they weren't identifiable when tasting this chocolate. I doubt most of these were around in the 1800s or even when some of the original candy/chocolate bar formulas were created. Things do evolve over 100+ years.

Companies in the 19th century were using cereal fillers and other substances in their chocolate (some less palatable than those listed in today's bar); but the early Cadbury founders often felt that their recipes for their chocolate were purer than others.

*For anyone wanting to know more about Cadbury history, check out the book Chocolate Wars by author Deborah Cadbury. (And yes, Deborah happens to be related to the famous family, but she's also an author of many interesting non-chocolate, non-fiction books.)

In Chocolate Wars, the author chronicles the origins of the chocolate industry in the 1800s, particularly in England, at a time when the race was on to find formulas for dark and milk chocolate, and Cadbury company practices were swayed by both by Quaker traditions and corporate imperatives. The discussions about wanting to create better labor conditions for workers and farmers echo conversations still going on today.

August Storck - Merci Hazelnut Creme bar - Sept. 30, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

August Storck
Merci Assortment - European chocolates
Hazelnut Creme (small chocolate bar)
Good
Weight: .447 oz. (12.6 g.) / 7 oz. (200 g.) in total package of 16 bars
Calories: 70 calories in 1 small bar
Cost: $N/A - gift
Purchased from: N/A - gift (Thank you Yazz!)

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

Today's August Storck Merci assortment package of European chocolates (made in Germany) contained 16 individually-wrapped small rectangular, 2-square bars. (There were 2 each of 8 different flavors.)

I enjoyed one of the Hazelnut Creme bars today—smooth, creamy and sweet milk chocolate with hazelnut cream flavor and very faint fruit and cereal notes.

Note: These may contain traces of wheat, gluten, peanuts, other tree nuts.

Endangered Species - Hazelnut Spread with Cocoa - Sept. 29, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Endangered Species Chocolate, LLC
Hazelnut Spread with Cocoa
Good
Weight: 2 TB (37 g.) / 9.7 oz. (275 g.) in total jar
Calories: 210 calories in 2 TB serving
Cost: $1.99 (estimate) for 1 jar
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's Hazelnut Spread with Cocoa from Endangered Species Chocolate (Indianapolis, IN) had the texture of light, whipped silk; and it was sweet. Sugar and vegetable oil (sunflower, palm) were the first ingredients listed.

Next, followed hazelnuts and cocoa, in terms of order on the ingredients list and flavor. Both nuts and cocoa were very finely ground to enable the light, silky texture and each helped dial down the sweetness (a good thing if you're eating this a la carte).

This Hazelnut Spread with Cocoa would be equally at home as a toast or pastry spread, a frosting, a dip for fresh fruit, or a ripple stirred into ice cream.

The Certified Gluten Free Spread was made with Non-GMO and Fairtrade cocoa, sugar and vanilla. The label on the glass jar was adorned with an image of an African Elephant.

Like other chocolate bar and bark products, Endangered Species features an animal on its products that may need human support to continue to survive. The company donates 10% of net proceeds to partners that engage in wildlife protection and/or conservation-related efforts, such as habitat preservation.

Godiva - Milk Chocolate Hazelnut Crisp bar - Sept. 28, 2017

Chocolate of the Day:

Godiva Chocolatier Inc.
Milk Chocolate Hazelnut Crisp
Good - Good +
Weight: 1.3 oz. (37.5 g.) / 2.6 oz. (75 g.) in total bar
Calories: 215 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $7.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Barnes and Noble Bookstore, El Cerrito, CA


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

Today's Milk Chocolate Hazelnut Crisp bar from Godiva Chocolatier Inc. (New York, NY).  The company was founded in 1926. Hats off to any business this close to celebrating its centennial anniversary.

The slightly fruity, relatively flavorful milk chocolate (42% Cacao) with a very faint artificial flavor note* was billed as Single Origin Mexican Chocolate.

The bar had an unmistakable hazelnut aroma and a relatively creamy sweet milk chocolate mouthfeel.

The smoothness was accented with a slightly crispy texture—accomplished with a combination of rice flour and other ingredients (milk powder, sugar, and perhaps some cocoa butter).

Godiva Chocolate,

*This bar did contain some "natural flavor," emulsifiers and possible traces of gluten (wheat, barley and/or oats).

Nutiva - Organic Hazelnut Spread - Sept. 27, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Nutiva
Organic Hazelnut Spread
Good - Good +
Weight: .78 oz. (22 g.) in 1 packet
Calories: 120 calories in 1 packet
Cost: $1.29 for 1 packet
Purchased from: Sprouts Market, Mountain View, CA

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

Today's Organic Hazelnut Spread was from Nutiva (Richmond, CA).

This organic, vegan and certified gluten free chocolate hazelnut spread had "40% sugar than the leading brand." What's not to like?

The creamy, oily spread with cocoa did have a more natural, satisfying taste than most spreads. It was chocolate and sugar forward, but lacked the consistency of hydrogenated fat with additives or emulsifiers (thank you).

The ground hazelnut flavor was less pronounced, in part due to subtle flavors of the oils (palm, coconut, chia seed) and other ingredients (flaxseed and carob flours).

The single-serving packet was a good size for a snack or lunch or trial taste. However, I was reminded, open packets with care or you may have a spray of tiny dots of Nutiva spread (or the oil portion if it's separated) on your shirt/pants.