Larabar - Chocolate Hazelnut Bites - Sept. 6, 2018

Chocolate of the Day:

Distributed by Small Planet Foods, Inc.
Larabar Bites - Chocolate Hazelnut
Good
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 5.3 oz. (150 g.) in total package
Calories: 130 calories in 1 serving (4 pieces)
Cost: $8.99 for 1 package
Purchased from: Country Sun Natural Foods, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's Larabar Chocolate Hazelnut Bites were distributed by Small Planet Foods, Inc. (Minneapolis, MN).

These soft, flavorful Bites had a distinct date* flavor and subtle chocolate and nut notes. They were gluten free, non-dairy, vegan and Non-GMO Project Verified.

*Ingredients: Dates, Almonds, Semisweet Chocolate Chips (unsweetened chocolate, sugar, cocoa butter, vanilla extract), hazelnuts, coconut flour, cocoa powder, vanilla extract. 

Trader Joe's - Nothing but Fruit and Nuts: Date, Hazelnut, Cacao - Sept. 7, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

Trader Joe's
Nothing but Fruit and Nuts - Date - Hazelnut - Cacao
Good
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 7.04 oz. (200 g.) in package
Calories: 80 calories in 1 piece
Cost: $3.99 for 1 package of 8 pieces
Purchased from: Trader Joe's, Mountain View, CA

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

Today's package of individually-wrapped "Nothing but Fruit and Nuts: Hazelnut - Date - Cacao" pieces were from Trader Joe's (Monrovia, CA).

Dates tend to impart a distinctive fruity sweetness and moist, dense texture. The cacao and hazelnuts took a back seat to the dates.

These flavorful snack rounds were "nothing but" three ingredients: dates (date paste), hazelnuts and cacao. Refreshing (and unusual for packaged foods).

Loving Earth - Berry Crunch Hazelnut Mylk bar - Sept. 5, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

Loving Earth Inc.
Organic Bean to Bar - Berry Crunch Hazelnut Mylk bar
Good
Weight: 1.25 oz. (35 g.) / 2.5 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 190 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $2.99 (estimate) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #2 of Chocolate and Hazelnut Theme Week,

Today's Berry Crunch Hazelnut Mylk Chocolate 30% cacao bar was from Loving Earth Inc. (Upper St. Clair, PA).* The company specializes in raw, Organic chocolate.

This vegan bean-to-bar, "mylk" chocolate had a different melt and mouthfeel than traditional dairy milk chocolate. The "fat" was provided by organic cocoa butter and raw creamed hazelnuts. These two combined with other ingredients gave the bar a quicker melt and and slightly more granular texture.

Two other things influenced the texture: sugar and temperature. The bar was made with coconut sugar (no cane sugar) and it was relatively cold (about 65 degrees F.) when I ate it.

The raw cacao used to make the bar was sourced from the Ashaninka community in the Amazon; and the relatively low percentage (30% cacao solids) made the cacao flavor relatively faint. There was also no identifiable hazelnut flavor from the raw, creamed hazelnuts. (Hazelnuts often pick up a lot of their characteristic flavor when roasted.)

Berry Crunch was the right name for this bar. The emphasis was more on the berries and sprouted buckwheat. The tart-sweet (apple juice sweetened) cranberries provided an occasional spike of pleasing dried fruit sweetness. And the buckwheat provided some soft crunchiness in the background.

*The bar was made in Melbourne, Australia.

Lindt - Bugs and Bees - Milk Chocolate Hazelnut Crisp novelties - Sept. 4, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

Lindt
Bugs and Bees - Milk Chocolate with Hazelnut and Crisp Filling
Good
Weight: .68 oz. (10 g.) / 1.7 oz. (50 g.) in total package
Calories: 105 calories in 2 pieces
Cost: $4.49 for 1 package of five pieces
Purchased from: CVS/pharmacy, Palo Alto, CA 

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

Today's individually-wrapped bees and beetles were composed of smooth, sweet milk chocolate with slight crispy texture and a touch of hazelnut flavor.

These Milk Chocolate Bugs and Bees with Hazelnut and Crisp Filling were distributed by Lindt USA (Stratham, NH).

Years ago I featured a Chocolate and Insects Theme Week. These "bugs" were much cuter and tastier than some of the real chocolate covered insects I tried that week.*

*Some of these chocolates in this theme week were insect-shaped and not true insects; the real insects were chocolate covered, or eaten as part of a dish with chocolate or cacao. A few of the insects were awful-tasting; but some were just fine. All in the name of research.

Wild Harvest - Almond Brazilian Coast Sea Salt Belgian Milk bar - Sept. 3, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

Wild Harvest
(Supervalu Inc.)

Almond Brazilian Coast Sea Salt Belgian Milk Chocolate bar

Good 

Weight: 1.5 oz. (42.5 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar

Calories: 230 calories in 1/2 bar

Cost: $2.99 for 1 bar

Purchased from: New Leaf Community Market, Half Moon Bay, CA 

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

Today's Almond Brazilian Coast Sea Salt Belgian Milk Chocolate bar was from Wild Harvest* (brand owned by Supervalu Inc., Minneapolis area, MN). (This offering was a good example of an international supply chain(s) coming together to create a chocolate bar.)

The company is a supplier of organic, gluten-free and other foodstuffs to large grocery chain stores in the U.S. Their website extolled the virtues of their foods that are: "Full of Good; Free from Bad."

This chocolate was a bit on the salty side, but the almond and milk chocolate helped balance the salt, and nut, salt and chocolate flavors are nicely complementary.

Today was a good food day. Sticking with the Brazil theme, later I sampled some Brazilian cheese bread—oven-baked savory ball-shaped pieces. Good!

SOMA Chocolatemaker - Fazenda Boa Vista Milk Chocolate bar - Sept. 2, 2018

Chocolate of the Day:

SOMA Chocolatemaker

Fazenda Boa Vista Milk Chocolate (bar)

Good +++ - Very Good

Weight: 1.145 oz. (32.5 g.) / 2.29 oz. (65 g.) in total bar

Calories: 172 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar

Cost: $16.00 for 1 bar

Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA 

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

Today's Fazenda Boa Vista Milk Chocolate bar was from SOMA Chocolatemaker (Toronto, ON, Canada).

This Academy of Chocolate Silver Winner 2017, 55% milk chocolate bar was made from Brazilian cacao.* It had an aroma with balanced notes of dried fruit, fresh cream, light nut, and very faint mint/herb.

The chocolate had a very pleasing dark milk chocolate flavor. (SOMA tasting notes printed on the package read: "Malt, cashews, fresh cream.") And a very, very faint, fleeting, slightly herby aftertaste.

*Fazenda Boa Vista (cocoa farm) is located "on the top of the mountains of Cafundos, a...sanctuary for ancient (120-year old) Amelonado type cacao known as Parazinho."

Dick Taylor - Brazil Fazenda Camboa 75% bar - Sept. 1, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

Dick Taylor
Brazil Fazenda Camboa 75% Dark Chocolate bar
Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar
Calories: 160 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $ missing information for 1 bar
Purchased from: missing information

Bem-vindo a (Welcome to) Day #5 of Chocolate and Brazil Theme Week.

The Fazenda Camboa 75% Dark Chocolate bar was made by Dick Taylor Craft Chocolate (Eureka, CA). This single origin bar made with Brazilian cacao contained two ingredients: organic cacao and organic cane sugar.

With just two ingredients, there are no other ingredients to help "fix" flaws in flavor or texture. Don't try this at home kids. Unless you start with excellent cacao beans (seeds) and you don't mess up any of the 20 or so steps necessary to create finished chocolate.

Adam Dick and Justin Taylor (Dick Taylor) happen to be excellent craftsmen. You can see this in their chocolate and their design, packaging and printing. And, most important, their single origin (and inclusion) bars are reliably top tier.

Today's Fazenda Camboa* - Single Estate had a lovely complex aroma. I could smell the high-quality, almost-brownie chocolate and light, fresh wine grape notes. (Maker's Tasting Notes: Honeysuckle, Fresh Grape, Walnut). There was also a fleeting tart fruit (citrus-like) note in the flavor.

*Fazenda Camboa, is a large organic cocoa farm in the state of Bahia, Brazil.