Venchi - Nougatine Bonbons - July 20, 2020

Chocolate of the Day:

Venchi
Nougatine Bonbons 
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: .388 oz. (11 g.) for 2 pieces (1.94 oz. (5.5 g. each))
Calories: 58 calories (estimate) in 2 pieces -- 539 cals. in 100 g.
Cost: $1.90 for 2 pieces
Purchased from: Chocosphere.com, part of online order

Welcome to Day #3 of Italian Chocolate Theme Week.

Today's Nougatine Bonbons were from Venchi (Torino (Turin), Italy).

Nougatine is an historic specialty for Venchi. The recipe for today's confection is said to date back to 1878. First, sugar is caramelized in a copper cooking pot and then bits of special, local (IGP) hazelnuts are incorporated. Then the nougat center is covered with chocolate.

The 56% dark chocolate coating around these capsule-shaped bonbons covered a hard, crunchy center of toffee-like caramelized bits of Italian IGP hazelnuts. These special hazelnuts from the Piedmont region of northwestern Italy had a special sweet, creamy roasted nutty flavor that lingered into the finish. 

Because of the capsule shape of these shiny, individually-wrapped chocolates, I was tempted to write a prescription to myself: take two of these each morning; to be taken daily, for the rest of 2020.

Ingredients: Hazelnut Piedmont i.G.P. caramelized (sugar, Piedmont hazelnut 48%) 66.2% cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa powder, cocoa butter, coating agent: gum Arabic, emulsifier: soy lecithin, natural vanilla flavor. (Venchi chocolates are "naturally gluten free;" however, (this nougatine) may contain traces of other nuts, milk, fruits.)

Guido Gobino - 80% Chontalpa dark chocolate - July 19, 2020

Chocolate of the Day: 

Guido Gobino
80% Extra Bitter Chontalpa dark chocolate
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: .58 oz. (16.5 g.) in 3 pieces
Calories: 87 calories (estimate) in 3 pieces
Cost: $0.89 x 3 = $2.67 for 3 small pieces
Purchased from: Chocosphere.com, online order

Welcome to Day #2 of Italian Chocolate Theme Week.

Today's 80% Extra Bitter Chontalpa* dark chocolate from Guido Gobino (Turin (Torino), Italy) had a relatively complex chocolate aroma and flavor with balanced, molasses spice, very faint green, lightly tart-sweet, concentrated fruit notes. 

The fruit notes--ripe, dried blackberry, goji berry, dried mulberry and golden raisin--came from the cacao type and terroir/origin environment, fermentation and subsequent processing steps; and the fruit gave this ultra-dark 80% chocolate a relatively sweet flavor--an appealing characteristic for those who like a bright fruit-sweet taste without the additional sugar.

Despite the "Extra Bitter" in the product name, this was a balanced, flavorful chocolate with relatively low bitterness.

*Note: These small disc-shaped chocolates (produced from single origin cacao in Chontalpa, Tabasco, Mexico) were made for an event (Presidio Slow Food in this case); and this size may not always be directly available to consumers.

Venchi - Granblend "Montezuma" Fruttato 65% squares - July 18, 2020

Chocolate of the Day: 

Venchi
Granblend "Montezuma" Fruttato 65% squares
Good 
Weight: .53 oz. (15 g.) in 2 squares (7.5 grams each)
Calories: 86 calories in 2 squares
Cost: $2.40 for 2 squares ($1.20 x 2) + shipping
Purchased from: Chocosphere.com, online order

Ciao and welcome to Day #1 of Italian Chocolate Theme Week.

Today's Granblend "Montezuma" Fruttato 65% squares were from Venchi, made using cacao from four plantations (primarily Madagascar and perhaps other sources). Venchi is a large, privately held chocolate manufacturer based in Castelleto Stura, Cuneo, Piedmont, Italy). 

Italian Chocolate Overview
The first chocolate makers in Italy date back to the late 1700s. Italy is also home to some of the longest running chocolate businesses in the world. There are still several family and privately held chocolate companies in existence after more than a century.* 

In the 1800s, companies like Caffarel, Pernigotti, Streglio, Peyrano and Venchi got their start. Venchi was founded in 1878 in Torino (Turin), Italy, by chocolatier Silviano Venchi, and became well-known for their chocolate and hazelnut nougatine candies.

Fruttato Squares
Today's Venchi dark chocolate 65% cocoa squares had an attractive circle of pink (flavored white chocolate?) on each square. The individually-wrapped squares had a subtle chocolate and fruit (strawberry - strawberry rose-vanilla aroma) and flavor.

The inclusion of whole milk powder yielded a smooth, creamy melt and mouthfeel. The milk may also have muted the sweetness a bit (OK by me) and mellowed flavors (maybe not so good, depending on the flavors that were muted). 

Madagascar cacao is often associated with red berry and citrus notes. A touch of "vanilla in ground berries"** and an acidifier (citric acid)** were added to this chocolate--perhaps to enhance the berry and citrus notes. (A salute to Madagascar terroir perhaps?)

In any case, the subtle flavors were nicely balanced, and we're asked to accept the trade-off of adding milk to dark chocolate, i.e. you get creamier texture but tamer flavors. This could well have been a good choice; but we'll never know. 

Venchi tasting notes: "Grand blend Montezuma*** with four plantations that combine to give off unique sensations of exotic fruit, bananas and vanilla, a prized plantation from Madagascar with aromas of ripe fruit and plane tree centrally embeds a citrus-fermented rosacea chocolate to preserve its characteristics."

*In the U.S., U.K. and other countries large, historic chocolate makers' operations are now primarily owned by, or are managed as, large, publicly-traded corporations with brand portfolios. Cailler, one of the oldest chocolate companies, founded in 1819, in Switzerland, now is part of Nestle. One notable local exception where I live in Northern California is: Guittard Chocolate, founded in the 1800s south of San Francisco and the company is still going strong in 2020 with descendants from the original founder.

**Ingredients: "Madagascar cocoa mass 44.2%, sugar, cocoa butter, whole milk powder, cocoa mass, emulsifier: soy lecithin, acidifier: citric acid, vanilla in ground berries, natural vanilla flavor." 

***Montezuma

The "Montezuma" name on the label was a bit of a puzzle. Montezuma was the name of a hero-god in Indian (extending up into SW U.S.) mythology; and he was the Aztec chief  that ruled over a mighty empire in what is now Mexico in the 1500s). Montezuma is said to have consumed a large amount of cacao. This leader eventually met his downfall when forces led by Spanish conquistador, Hernan Cortes (Cortez) arrived looking for wealth and gold. And, Cortez brought some of the first cacao back to Spain with him. Cacao would eventually made its way to Italy and the rest of Europe as well. And, given the wonders of today's complex food supply chains, today's chocolate ended up in Northern California, closer to the original source of cacao (Central and South America).

Safeway - Signature Reserve Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Caramel - July 17, 2020

Chocolate of the Day: 

Safeway
Signature Reserve Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Caramel
Good 
Weight: .81 oz. (23 g.) in 1 piece
Calories: 100 calories in 1 piece
Cost: $0.60 for 1 piece
Purchased from: Safeway, Mountain View, CA

Welcome to Day #8 of Savory Chocolate Theme Week.

Today's Signature Reserve Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Caramel was from Safeway (Pleasanton, CA).

The square-shaped, chocolate covered confection had a pleasant chocolate aroma; and each bite yielded a soft swoon into a caramel center punctuated by a few crunchy sea salt crystals. A classic high-end candy combination for a very reasonable price; and just the right size--hearty enough for a tidy, 3 bite serving of sweet, yet small enough to avoid a sugar avalanche.

Sea salt + caramel + chocolate. Adding two addictive substances to a third, and one of the most common example of a savory chocolate. I also sampled this Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Caramel with a small fruit and cheese plate, and the two items paired together very nicely.

Ingredients: Caramel (corn syrup, sweetened condensed milk (milk, sugar), sugar, heavy cream, butter, brown sugar, invert sugar, sugar, vanilla extract, salt, soy lecithin; dark chocolate (chocolate liquor, sugar, cocoa butter, soy lecithin, vanilla); sea salt

K+M Extravirgin Chocolate - Dark Chocolate 75% Peru bar - July 16, 2020

Chocolate of the Day: 

K+M Extravirgin Chocolate

(Thomas Keller + Armando Manni)

Dark Chocolate 75% Cocoa Peru bar
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 2.5 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 375 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $15.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Equator Coffees, Fort Mason, San Francisco, CA

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

Today's Dark Chocolate 75% Cocoa Peru bar was from K+M Extravirgin Chocolate (Napa, CA), a collaboration between chef Thomas Keller and olive oil maker Armando Manni. The results: a series of interesting chocolates created in the heart of Northern California wine country, a region famous for fine food as well.

This single origin cacao (Peru) bean-to-bar chocolate had an earthy fruit and deep dark chocolate aroma and flavor, and a hint of very balanced bitterness. All these characteristics helped prevent the chocolate from tasting too sweet (thank you!).

The inclusion of Manni's organic, extra virgin olive oil. instead of added cocoa butter, gave this bar a silky smooth melt and mouthfeel.

This bar paired well with a savory meal and salty items. One could almost imagine it as a high-end steak sauce ingredient or accompaniment.

The maker's tasting notes read: "...notes of orange blossom and quince." 

I would agree with the description of the floral note: it was balanced but bolder (more like citrus blossom or a slightly woodsy, fermented bergamot orange) than a light, green floral note you might find, e.g., in some Ecuador cacao bars. As for the fruit note, I might go with dried cherries and pears that had been slightly aged in a barrel. Both these flavor notes had a depth and complexity you might find more in a fermented food or beverage. 

Also each olive oil contains flavor elements that would influence the overall chocolate taste. It was not clear if a smooth blend of olive oils (e.g. on the smooth, round, buttery or nutty side, or an olive oil with peppery, or grassier notes) might have been included or not. It must have been challenging, but fun, to pick the most complementary flavor blend for this particular cacao.

Ingredients: organic cocoa beans, organic cane sugar, organic Manni extra-virgin olive oil, organic soy lecithin.

Vosges - Manchego and Cherry Chocolate Bar - July 15, 2020

Chocolate of the Day: 

Vosges IP, LLC
Manchego and Cherry Chocolate Bar
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 420 calories for 1 bar
Cost: $8.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Vosges, online order

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

Today's Manchego and Cherry Chocolate Bar was from Vosges IP, LLC (Chicago, IL). Vosges founder, Katrina Markoff, has been an innovator when it comes to savory and exotic flavor inclusions. Her world travels and relationships with suppliers have continued to inspire new flavors.

Katrina founded Vosges in the late 1990s. (Vosges was one of the first premium brands to elevate sweet chocolate and savory bacon from county fair food into an art form.) Being a savory chocolate fan myself and having organized informal chocolate and cheese tastings many years ago, I was interested to read that Vosges might be launching a cheese-inspired series of chocolate bars this year (2020).

This 67% cacao bar had an aroma informed by authentic D.O.P.* 12-month aged Manchego cheese, tart Montmorency cherry fruit and chocolate--exactly what one might expect from the bar's title. 

Cheese and a bit of emulsifier gave this bar smooth, slightly oily melt with rich, smooth texture and a very slightly gummy mouthfeel with some tiny bits of slightly crunchy flavor inclusions (Was it cheese? Himalaya salt? cherries? It was hard to tell; but a few un-homogenized bits can help to layer flavors.)

The slightly buttery, nutty, salty Italian sheep's milk-based hard (Manchego) cheese, which shone in the aroma, was slightly less pronounced when chewed with a bite of chocolate. Although the cheese did mute the sweetness of the chocolate (thank you).

The combined flavor inclusions in this "proprietary bittersweet chocolate" resulted in a lingering almost honey-nutty finish with an occasional, faint squeak of cherry, and a slow receding parade of flavors. If I waited long enough I could detect a savory sparkle of cheese. (Does cheese sparkle? Well, yes, a good cheese does coat and please the palette in an exciting way.) And, as today's bar shows, the right chocolate and cheese can pair very well.

*Each country in the European Union (EU) has local food product designation guidelines. In Italy, D.O.P.  refers to a certification process that helps designate, protect and authenticate a food's origin and packaging in Italy. The literal translation in English is "Protected Designation of Origin." Manchego cheese, produced in La Mancha region of Spain (yes, home to Don Quixote), falls under these D.O.P. guidelines. 

Chugach Chocolates - Dark Chocolate Alaskan Kelp & Cayenne (bar) - July 14, 2020

Chocolate of the Day: 

Chugach Chocolates and Confections
Rich Dark Chocolate with Alaskan Kelp and Cayenne (bar)
(Made with Barnacle Foods Bull Kelp)
Good 
Weight: 1.75 oz. (49.6 g.) in total bar
Calories: 263 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $N/A - gift (thank you Megan!)
Purchased from: N/A - gift

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

Today's Rich Dark Chocolate with Alaskan Kelp and Cayenne bar was from Chugach Chocolates and Confections (Girdwood, Alaska).

When I opened the packaging, I was greeted by the sweet childhood smells of chocolate: Swiss Miss* hot cocoa, Cocoa Puffs* and other chocolate breakfast cereals, i.e. the aroma of alkalized cocoa** -- cocoa that has been treated to make it less acid and/or bitter. 

There was no cacao/cocoa percentage listed on this bar. I'm guessing, by the sweetness level, it was made with less than 50% cacao dark chocolate. (In the U.S. dark chocolate needs to contain at least 15% chocolate liquor or cocoa mass from ground cocoa bean pieces or nibs. The mildest dark chocolate might only contain 15-34% cacao.)

The sweet chocolate had a smooth melt and creamy mouthfeel (butterfat) that was accented by crunchy bits of dried kelp (from Barnacle Foods in Juneau, AK) that had a very mild, salty flavor (that helped balance out the sweetness). And a friendly, soft tingle of cayenne pepper rounded things out. Overall, this was a fun bar to try; and, surprisingly, it stimulated many childhood memories.

Kelp (seaweed) is quite edible and nutritious. It's a good natural source of iodine and other minerals and vitamins. I first tried it during a Girl Scout outing on the beach (it was boiled in a large pot for us children to try) in the late 1960s after a long hike to the sea. 

Kelp is still found washed up on West Coast/Pacific Ocean beaches in the U.S.; but, sadly, kelp forests (home to fish and undersea wildlife) have declined by almost 90% since I first sampled it on a Northern California beach many years ago--primarily due to rising ocean temperatures. 

Thank you to Chugach for featuring kelp (and cayenne) in today's chocolate bar--that was made with a special blend of ingredients that originated in the Americas.

--o--o--o--

*General Mills introduced Cocoa Puffs breakfast cereal back in 1956, the year I was born. Americans elevated sweet, crunchy cereals to a commercial art form in the 1900s.

Around that same time, Charles Sanna invented Swiss Miss hot cocoa mix where consumers could just add hot water to a packet of cocoa (instead of fixing it on the stove with milk). Hot chocolate on the go was made much easier for families, soldiers, field workers, campers and explorers. I remember drinking Swiss Miss on backpacking trips. (Incidentally, engineer and inventor Charles Sanna passed away in 2019 at age 101. He continued to drink hot cocoa even after the formula changed when the brand was purchased by Beatrice Foods and then Conagra over the years.)

Like it or not, these chocolate-for-breakfast items had a big influence on me. After all, I've been sampling unique chocolates in the mornings for almost 14 years now. And while I've lost my taste for overly sweet, sugary items, my love for chocolate lingered.

**Ingredients: Dark chocolate (sugar, chocolate liquor processed with alkali, chocolate liquor, cocoa butter, butterfat (milk), soy lecithin and vanilla); (Barnacle Foods) Kelp; Cayenne Pepper; Salt.