Chocolate and Love - Dark 71% Peru Dominican Republic bar - Jan. 29, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Chocolate and Love
Rich Dark 71% Dark Chocolate Peru and Dominican Republic bar
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 1.16 oz. (33.3 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 174.8 calories (estimate) in 1/3 bar
Cost: $6.79 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Piazza's Fine Foods, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #26 of Chocolate and Peru Theme Week.

Today's Organic Rich Dark 71% Dark Chocolate Peru and Dominican Republic bar from Chocolate and Love Ltd. (Crescent Perth, UK), was made in Switzerland and imported into the U.S. by Belgium's Chocolate Source (Milton, MA).

This bar was smooth, sweet and dark and had a pleasing, almost silky-creamy melt and texture.

Inside the wrapper was more detailed information about the origins of this bar. And the packaging also was printed with a photo of a farmer, from El Quinacho, Peru—presumably where the Peruvian cacao was raised.

And, that's a wrap. Twenty six bars made from Peruvian grown cacao in as many days, with several bars made in Peru as well.

Nibble Chocolate - 85% Cocoa Organic Extra Dark Peru bar - Jan. 28, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Nibble Chocolate, LLC
85% Cocoa Organic Extra Dark Peru bar
Good +
Weight: .954 oz. (27 g.) / 1.908 oz. (54 g.) in total bar
Calories: 157.5 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $6.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Nibble Chocolate (Old Town location), San Diego, CA

Welcome to Day #25 of Chocolate and Peru Theme Week.

Today's 85% Cocoa Organic Extra Dark Peru bar was from Nibble Chocolate, LLC (San Diego, CA).

This ultra-dark chocolate "Nine (square) Nibbler" bar had a fairly pronounced dried fruit (fig) aroma and flavor and very slight green and coconut notes, with a balanced bitter-sweetness.

Taste Artisan Chocolate - 75% Amazonas Dark Chocolate bar - Jan. 27, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Taste Artisan Chocolate

75% Amazonas Dark Chocolate bar

Good ++ - Good +++

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

Calories: 225 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar

Cost: $9.95 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Chocosphere.com (online order) 

Welcome to Day #24 of Chocolate and Peru Theme Week.

Today's 75% Amazonas Dark Chocolate bar came from Taste Artisan Chocolate (Provo, UT).

The chocolate maker's description of this bar read, in part, as follows: "Awajun natives harvest...fruit from deep in the Peruvian Jungles using wooden tools to avoid damage to the fresh beans. Rich flavors of blackberry and fresh cream shine in this bar."

This bar did have a hint of a deep, quiet, dark jungle in the aroma. And the melt and texture were creamy and appealing. The flavor was (similar to tasting notes above) that of a blackberry, with fruit notes that imparted balanced flavor, and not sugar in the middle and finish. This 75% chocolate offered a friendlier, subtly luscious natural flavor and finish than expected, without being too sweet or too bland

Taste Artisan Chocolate - 75% Piura Dark Chocolate bar - Jan. 26, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Taste Artisan Chocolate

75% Piura Dark Chocolate bar

Good ++

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

Calories: 225 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar

Cost: $9.95 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Chocosphere.com (online order) 

Welcome to Day #23 of Chocolate and Peru Theme Week.

Today's 75% Piura Dark Chocolate bar from Taste Artisan Chocolate (Provo, UT) had pleasant aroma and flavor notes with hints of caramel, chocolate and fruit (dried peach, apricot vs. bolder citrus or berry).

Piura is a cacao growing region (and the name of the capital of the Piura Region) in northwestern Peru.

The maker's description of this bar and tasting notes read as follows:

"Some of the rarest genotypes of heirloom cacao grow white. This bar is created using some of those rare white beans, which gives this bar a unique light color. Enjoy notes of caramel, fig and subtle melon."

Guittard - Machu Picchu Peru 65% Cacao Bittersweet bar - Jan. 25, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Guittard Chocolate Company 

Machu Picchu Peru 65% Cacao Bittersweet (large) bar

Good ++

Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 1.1 pounds (500 g.) in total bar

Calories: 150 calories (estimate) in 1 oz. of large bar

Cost: $12.96 for 1 large bar

Purchased from: Chocosphere.com (online order) 

Welcome to Day #22 of Chocolate and Peru Theme Week.

Today's jumbo-sized Machu Picchu Peru 65% Cacao Bittersweet bar was from Guittard Chocolate Company (Burlingame, CA).

I was speaking with a chocolatier in Burlingame, CA, recently. And she remembers her father driving across town to Guittard to pick up the chocolate they needed to create their own chocolate confections. That was then...and Guittard has grown quite a bit since then. Still, every local chocolatier that uses Guittard chocolate that I've spoken to is very proud to tell you so. 

Guittard has been crafting chocolate in the San Francisco Bay Area since 1868, or 150 years ago. That's impressive. More remarkably, the company is still run by family members. (Gary Guittard is currently at the helm.) The company claims to be the "oldest, continuous family-owned and operated chocolate-making business in the United States."

Today's giant bar was not meant for a single consumer, but rather was an example of the bulk and couverture chocolate that Guittard sells to other businesses. This 500-gram bar is more well-suited to a restaurant, catering company or bon bon maker. But we're willing to break off a tiny piece and take a nibble.

This thick, substantial bar had a pleasing dark chocolate aroma and taste, with fruit notes, and a smooth dark cocoa finish. 

Nina Fine Chocolate - 85% Cacao bar - Jan. 24, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Nina Fine Chocolate
85% Cacao bar
Good
Weight: .4 oz. (12.5 g.) / .8 oz. (25 g.) in total bar
Calories: 75.95 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $17.50 for 4-bar assortment
Purchased from: Chocosphere.com (online order)

Welcome to Day #21 of Chocolate and Peru Theme Week.

Today's Nina Fine Chocolate 85% Cacao bar was produced and distributed by Proyecto Chazuta (Chazuta, San Martin, Peru).

This bar was part of an attractively packaged 4-bar assortment pack that contained 45, 55, 70 and 85 percent cacao bars.

Today's 85% cacao chocolate was similar to yesterday's 70% cacao bar. It had an aroma with chocolate, fruit (slight vinegar*) aroma with a very faint slightly darker, almost earthy note. And, like yesterday's bar, the flavor had a (slightly less pronounced) sweet and sour tart fruit acidity that one could feel in the throat. The bar was sweeter than many ultra-dark bars, in a pleasing, balanced way.) The finish lingered a bit with a smooth fade, and was accompanied by a very slight astringency.

Due to it's slightly higher calorie count than yesterday's 70% bar, it may have had slightly more added cocoa butter (which tends to moderate stronger flavors in ultra-dark bars).

*A high percentage of bars featured this month made with Peruvian cacao, particularly those made in-country (in Peru), have had a trace of sweet/fruit vinegar to them. 

This flavor almost always originates early in the chocolate making process, and can result from fermentation choices. In some cases flavor can be characteristic of local conditions, or it could be the result of deliberate fermentation choices (e.g. co-fermentation or secondary fermentation of cacao beans with fruit), resulting in a characteristic regional flavor profile.

Nina Fine Chocolate - 70% Cacao bar - Jan. 23, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Nina Fine Chocolate
70% Cacao bar
Good
Weight: .4 oz. (12.5 g.) / .8 oz. (25 g.) in total bar
Calories: 71.75 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $17.50 for 4-bar assortment
Purchased from: Chocosphere.com (online order)

Welcome to Day #20 of Chocolate and Peru Theme Week.

Today's Nina Fine Chocolate 70% Cacao bar was produced and distributed by Proyecto Chazuta (Chazuta, San Martin, Peru).

This bar was part of a 4-bar assortment pack that contained 45, 55, 70 and 85 percent cacao bars.

Today's 70% cacao chocolate had a chocolate, green and dried fruit aroma that blossomed into a fairly strong, sweet and sour upbeat tart fruit acidity. The same fruit sweet and sour blend tailed off in a long finish, accompanied by a slight astringency.