9th and Larkin - Fiji Matasawalevu 74% Dark Chocolate bar - July 8, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

9th and Larkin Corporation
Fiji Matasawalevu 74% Cacao, Single Origin Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.25 oz. (35 g.) / 2.5 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 188 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Miette Bakery, Oakland, CA

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate and Island Nations Theme Week.

Today's Fiji Matasawalevu 74% Cacao Single Origin Dark Chocolate bar was crafted by 9th and Larkin Corporation (San Francisco,  CA).

9th and Larkin produces bean-to-bar chocolate and sources cacao from diff. countries around the world.

This chocolate had a warm chocolate aroma with light spice, balanced earth and refreshing fruit and faint green tea notes.

P.S. We also enjoyed pieces of this bar with some almonds, in honor of today's chocolate holiday: National Chocolate and Almonds Day.

Chapon Chocolatier - Fidji Chocolat Noir bar - July 7, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Chapon Chocolatier
Fidji Chocolat Noir bar
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 1.325 oz. (37.5 g.) / 2.65 oz. (75 g.) in total bar
Calories: 208 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $14.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate and Island Nations Theme Week.

Today's Fidji Chocolat Noir (Dark Chocolate) bar was from Chapon Chocolatier (Chelles, France).

The packaging of Chapon's bars are adorned with an amazing amalgam of beautiful exotic, modern retro, images and designs. Today's "Fidji" bar was no exception. It included what looked to be an India-inspired scene.

This dark bar (no percentage listed) had a compelling chocolatey and malt aroma, with a creamy melt and texture, and chocolate brownie flavor. There was one tiny earthy uptick in one bite, but other than that, it was luscious smooth dark brownie-time in every bite.

The chocolate was made with a "Torrecaction Courte" (a short, specific roasting process in which some pyrolysis occurs), and a "Conchage Long" (long conche). The latter gives one a creamy mouthfeel (resulting from smaller, polished particles).

And while you do lose some more delicate or volatile (e.g. floral) flavors with conching* (a form of grinding and mixing) cacao paste over time, generally it is a smooth flavor that remains, often with any rough edges/flavors worn down.

*Conching come from the French/Italian (Latin root) word for (conch) shell. The equipment used for conching can resemble a conch or periwinkle shell.

Sirene Chocolate - Vanua Levu, Fiji 73% Dark Chocolate bar - July 6, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Sirene Chocolate
Vanua Levu, Fiji, 73% Dark Chocolate bar
Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar
Calories: 155 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.00 (estimate) for 1 bar
Purchased from: missing information

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate and Island Nations Theme Week.

Today's Vanua Levu, Fiji, 73% Dark Chocolate bar was crafted at Sirene Chocolate (Victoria, British Columbia (located on Vancouver island), Canada).

Cacao used in this bar came from the Dreketi Cocoa Farm (Vanua Levu, Fiji), that raises Amelonado cocoa. Vanua Levu is one of the two largest islands in Fiji* located in the South Pacific.

This bar had a smooth texture, well-balanced dark chocolate, dried fruit (light raisin, mango, other) flavor notes with a hint of green (tea), and a pleasant, lingering finish.

*Fiji is an island nation comprised of 330 islands. Vanua Levu, located in Northern Fiji, is the second largest island, and is also one of the more populated islands. Cacao cultivation in Fiji dates back to the 1800s, when the British likely brought cacao seeds or trees from Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) and Trinidad.

The Matasawalevu Cocoa Farm in Dreketi, Makuata, in Vauua Levu, and other farms and groups like Cacao Fiji, are working to spread the word and expand Fiji cacao production and exports. And chocolate makers around the world who make nice bars like this one will also help increase demand for cacao in this island nation.

Dick Taylor - Fiji Vanua Levu Limited Release 80% Dark Chocolate bar - July 5, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Dick Taylor 

Fiji Vanua Levu Limited Release 80% Dark Chocolate bar

Good +

Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar

Calories: 170 calories in 1/2 bar

Cost: $ missing information

Purchased from: missing information

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate and Island Nations Theme Week. 

Today's Fiji Vanua Levu Limited Release 80% Dark Chocolate bar was made from scratch by Dick Taylor Craft Chocolate* (Eureka, CA).**

The back of this attractively packaged bar had a map and notes about its origin.

This creamy, flavorful ultra-dark bar was made with two ingredients: Single Estate Matasawalevu cacao grown in Fiji, and organic cane sugar. The chocolate had fruit and faint green notes* and a certain balanced sharpness. Maker's tasting notes read: green tea, cocoa, pear, malt

*Dick Taylor is named for the creative duo: Adam Dick and Dustin Taylor, who perform various feats of magic in their small factory in Northern California (Eureka, CA), not far from the ocean. 

**Eureka is the largest Pacific coast city between San Francisco, CA and Portland, OR. To cover the same distance that separates these two great cities in a sailboat might take 2-3 weeks, or if you go by land, this is a car trip of about 635 miles. 

To put this in island perspective...Fiji is comprised of a very impressive 330 islands over an area of 1.3 million square kilometers in the South Pacific Ocean. About 1/3 of these islands are inhabited by people. Most of Fiji's citizens live on the two largest islands: Viti Levu and Vanua Levu (formerly called Sandalwood Island, and where the cacao for today's bar was grown). These two larger islands are about 40 miles apart from each other, and more than 5,000 miles (by air) from California's Pacific Ocean coast.

Haagen-Dazs - Belgian Chocolate Vanilla and Blackberry Ice Cream - July 4, 2019

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

Haagen-Dazs
Crispy Trio Layers Belgian Chocolate Vanilla and Blackberry Ice Cream
Good +
Weight: 1/3 cup (62 g.) / 14 fl. oz. (414 mL) total container
Calories: 180 calories in 1/3 cup
Cost: $1.99 for 1 container
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate and Island Nations Theme Week.

Happy 4th of July!—also known as Independence Day in the U.S. It was a great evening to see fireworks, on an island.

To honor the red, white and blue today, an appropriately tri-colored ice cream sundae was created and eaten, starting with Crispy Trio Layers Belgian Chocolate Vanilla and Blackberry Ice cream from Haagen-Dazs (distributed by Nestle Dreyer's Ice Cream Company in Oakland, CA).

This ice cream was topped with fresh blueberries, red raspberries, and a drizzle of Raspberry Aqua Perfecta from St. George's Distillery (based in Alameda, CA, Island #1). It was a great dessert for a backyard, pre-fireworks meal, and it was followed by a chocolate cigar.

Venchi Cuba Chocolate Cigar

Today we also celebrated Independence Day with a Venchi Cuba (Island #2) chocolate and hazelnut cigar, made with cacao from New Guinea (Island #3).

Mirzam Chocolate Makers - 85% Dark Chocolate from Cuba bar - July 3, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Mirzam Chocolate Makers
Kakaw Manufacturing Co. LLC
85% Dark Chocolate from Cuba bar
Good ++
Weight: 1.236 oz. (35 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 148 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate and Island Nations Theme Week. The focus this week is on chocolate made with cacao grown in island nations, such as Grenada, The Philippines, Fiji and, in today's case, Cuba.

Many of these countries have been gradually increasing their exports of high-end cacao beans and could be poised to increase their market share in the future; but have also faced challenges.*

Today's Mirzam Chocolate Makers 85% Dark Chocolate from Cuba bar was manufactured by Kakaw Manufacturing Co. LLC (Dubai, UAE). The cacao used to make this bar was likely grown in Cuba's Baracoa* area, a coastal area on the eastern end of this island nation.

This well-balanced and well-crafted ultra dark bar had an even, smooth melt, and had a smooth, complex bold flavor with light bitterness and relatively low acidity, light musk, red fruit, earthy dark chocolate flavor with subtle green, spice, floral and nutty flavor notes.

The finish had a mild touch of astringency. The chocolate was refreshingly not too sweet (expected for an 85% bar), but also we were grateful that the maker did such a nice job with other aspects as well.

*Baracoa is a city in the Guantanamo Province in eastern Cuba that is favorable for cacao cultivation. Unfortunately, this area is also susceptible to hurricane damage, affecting people and cacao production. Best wishes for calm weather this season.

Jouvay Chocolate - Granada Cocoa Farmers' Coop - Jouvay 60% Cocoa with Nutmeg (bar) - July 2, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Jouvay Chocolate
Grenada Cocoa Farmers' Coop - Jouvay 60% Cocoa - touch of Nutmeg (bar)
Good +
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42.5 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 210 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $ missing information
Purchased from: missing information


Welcome to Day #2 of Chocolate and Island Nations Theme Week.

Today's Jouvay Chocolate 60% Cocoa (with a) Touch of Nutmeg bar was made with cacao from the Grenada Cocoa Farmers' Coop (Grenada, West Indies). Grenada is a lush tropical island in the Caribbean Sea known for its cacao and spices.

Jouvay Chocolate is a partnership between Grenada cacao farmers and LA Burdick Grenada. The company is majority-owned by the cacao growers who are also involved in the manufacturing process, doing "value-added processing" (several steps further than the fermentation of beans) in-country, where the beans are grown—vs. shipping cacao beans to other countries (U.S., Europe, Australia, etc.) for chocolate making, as is often the case.

The base chocolate in this four-ingredient** bar was sweet and pure. However, it was difficult not to be swept away by the presence of nutmeg, which made itself known in the aroma and flavor.

Nutmeg

This bar had a sustained spike of nutmeg* flavor throughout. Like vanilla, saffron, and many other flowers and "baking" spices, there is a happy warmth that comes with tasting nutmeg—an uplifting spice with a faint hint of aromatic peppercorn. (If you've never tried grating fresh nutmeg into a beverage or dish, I highly recommend trying this.)

*Nutmeg (Myristica fragrans) is a ground or grated spice from a seed of an evergreen tree, that originated in the Moluccas (Banda), or Spice Islands, in Indonesia. The British removed nutmeg trees from Indonesia and spread them to British colonies with similar climates in the early 1800s. Today, nutmeg is widely cultivated in Indonesia, Malaysia, India, Sri Lanka, and in the West Indies (especially in Grenada).

**Ingredients: cacao beans, cane sugar, cocoa butter, nutmeg.