Cacaosuyo - 50% Cacao Piura Milk (bar) - Nov. 11, 2020

Chocolate of the Day

Cacaosuyo 
(Produced by Theobroma Inversiones SAC)
50% Cacao Piura Milk (bar) 
Good ++
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) in total bar
Calories: 150 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $4.25 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate and Peru Theme Weeks.

Today's Cacaosuyo 50% Cacao Piura Milk (bar) was produced by Theobroma Inversiones SAC (Lima, Peru). 

The company is dedicated to making chocolate using cacao fruit/beans grown in the land of the "Four Suyos"* of Peru, a term that recalls a rich cacao history dating back to the Incan Empire. 

Today's 50% cacao bar is the first of four conveniently sized (single-serving) different Cacaosuyo bars featured this week, and was made with "white" cacao beans grown in the Piura Province of northwestern Peru. 

This chocolate had a pleasant milk chocolate aroma with a faint earth note. The bar was relatively thin, allowing great access to the texture and flavor. The first bite had a very slightly gummy melt; and the overall mouthfeel and texture were luxuriously creamy.

Flavor notes included caramel and vanilla integrated into the milk chocolate, that also had barely detectable fruit (stone fruit, nectarine) and nutty (cashew) notes. (Any faint earth that I though I detected in the aroma was not really present in the flavor.)

Ingredients: Cacao paste (Theobroma cacao L), milk, sugar, cocoa butter, vanilla

*The Four Suyos refers to Incan empire Tawantinsuyu's Four Suyos (similar to counties or regions) that surrounded Cuzco: Antisuyo (east, forest/wild area), Chinchaysuyo (northwest), Contisuyo (west) and Collasuyo (south). The Empire at its heydey occupied most of Peru, and parts of what is now Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia, Chile and Argentina.

Piura, Peru, would have been part of Chinchaysuyo. (Chinchay in Quechua means Ocelot.)

Honeymoon Chocolates - Peruvian 70% Dark Chocolate, Raspberry Raw Honey (bar) - Nov. 10, 2020

Chocolate of the Day

Honeymoon Chocolates
Peruvian 70% Dark Chocolate Raspberry Raw Honey (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: $9.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Village Market, Ferry Building, San Francisco, CA

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate, Honey and Citrus Theme Week, and Day #3 of Chocolate and Peru Theme Week.

Today's Bean-to-Bar Peruvian 70% Dark Chocolate with Raw Honey (bar) was from Honeymoon Chocolates (Saint Louis, MO).  

The company creates micro batch stone-ground chocolate bars sweetened with raw honey. A portion of the proceeds from this chocolate bar (and others) "are automatically donated to support honeybee research."

The base 70% dark chocolate had a soft melt and texture and an even, dark flavor with faint fermented, cream notes. Raspberry (fruit with seeds) added ruby red color highlights--in the bee-inspired, hexagon-patterned bar--as well as subtle pops of bright, naturally sweet and tart red berry flavor. 

A judicious amount of raw honey contributed a subtle sweetness (vs. the sugar buzz one often feels after eating more processed sugars and syrups). 

Ingredients: Organic cacao, raw honey, cacao butter, raspberry and vanilla bean.

 

Honeymoon Chocolates - Peruvian 70% Dark Chocolate with Raw Honey (bar) - Nov. 9, 2020

Chocolate of the Day

Honeymoon Chocolates
Peruvian 70% Dark Chocolate with Raw Honey (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: $9.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Village Market, Ferry Building, San Francisco, CA

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate, Honey and Citrus Theme Week, and Day #2 of Chocolate and Peru Theme Week.

Today's Bean-to-Bar Peruvian 70% Dark Chocolate with Raw Honey (bar) was from Honeymoon Chocolates (Saint Louis, MO).  

The company creates micro batch stone-ground chocolate bars sweetened with raw honey. A portion of the proceeds from this chocolate bar (and others) "are automatically donated to support honeybee research."

This chocolate had a soft, almost velvety melt and texture. The relatively robust dark chocolate with notes of cream, earth, roasted coffee, dried fruit (prune, citrus), and very faint spice and fermented cacao. The raw honey contributed a subtle sweetness.

Ingredients: Organic cacao, raw honey, cacao butter and vanilla bean.

Cacao Crudo - Siracusa Lemon PGI Zest 77% Dark Chocolate (bar) - Nov. 8, 2020

Chocolate of the Day

Cacao Crudo S.r.l.
Cioccolato Fondente Bio - Scorze di "Limone di Siracusa IGP" (barretta)
Dark Organic Chocolate "Siracusa Lemon PGI" Zests (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++ 
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 149 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $ N/A - sample from Cacao Crudo
Purchased from: N/A - sample from Cacao Crudo

Benvenuta! Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate, Honey and Citrus Theme Week, and Day #1 of Chocolate and Peru Theme Week.

Today's Organic Dark Chocolate "Siracusa Lemon PGI" Zests (bar) delivered bold flavors with just three ingredients: Peruvian cacao, coconut flower sap and Italian lemon zest. 

The makers at Cacao Crudo S.r.l. crafted this unroasted, Criollo chocolate (in their laboratory in Rome, Italy). The company offers raw chocolates made with fine cacao that are quite wonderful.

This bar had a lush green, sweet lemon tree scent. The 77% dark chocolate provided relatively intense and smooth dark flavor with faint green notes, and the lemon zest added a balanced bitter "bite." 

Not only has Cacao Crudo delivered on the promise of raw cacao, but also on potential existing with the marriage of high-quality cacao and high-quality lemon. (The few chocolate and lemon confections are almost always too sweet or made with lower quality ingredients.)

For those who also prefer less sugar,in your chocolate experience, the company's use of coconut flower sap sweetener and choice of a subtler sweetness level is also close to perfection in my opinion.

Chocolate Pairings

This bar was also a great chocolate to add to tasting plate/menu. I paired this intense 77% dark chocolate and lemon zest bar with the following beverages and foods: a hot coffee cocktail (with whiskey, honey and Frangelico liqueur); 3 varieties of tea (green, Fujian Oolong and smokey black teas); 3 varieties of honeys, cheeses; and warmed nuts today. 

The clean, almost green notes of the Fujian Oolong tea won out by a slim margin on the beverage pairing front.

The pairing with warm hazelnuts, almonds and walnuts (very lightly salted with sea salt and rosemary and drizzled with EVOO) was especially popular on this cold, windy day. But the pairing of this bar with cheeses was surprisingly successful as well.

*Ingredients: Unroasted, Organic Criollo cacao beans paste, Organic concentrated coconut flower sap, dried, Organic "Siracusa Lemon PGI" zests (3%).

PGI (in Italian IGP) is a special designation for Italian grown produce (grapes, hazelnuts, lemons, etc.) and foodstuffs tied to a specified region.

Dark Chocolate Honey Cured Pink and Meyer Lemon Slices; Clif Family White Chocolate Lemon & Ginger (bar) - Nov. 7, 2020

Chocolate(s) of the Day

Dark Chocolate, Honey Cured Pink and Meyer Lemon Slices

(Homemade)

Good + - Good ++

Weight: 1.6 oz. (45.28 g.) for 4 small slices

Calories: 195 calories in 4 small slices

Cost: $ N/A - various

Purchased from: N/A - various (including lemon trees in yard)

Clif Family Napa Valley

White Chocolate Lemon and Ginger (bar)

Good +

Weight: 2 oz. (56 g.) in 1 bar

Calories: 280 calories in 1 bar

Cost: $5.99 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Village Market, Ferry Building, San Francisco, CA

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate, Honey and Citrus Theme Week. 

Homemade honey and lemon dark chocolate slices

I'm drawn to pairing warm, bright flavors with chocolate as the weather cools in November. Fortunately, I live in California and Meyer lemon, sweet pink grapefruit, and other citrus trees are full of fruit now.

For today's first chocolate, I brushed ultra-thin slices of Pink Lemons and Meyer Lemons with honey and later (after a slow curing process) dipped these citrus slices into a melange of melted dark chocolates. I loved the bold bitter dark, and tart lemon flavors together with a subtle honey sweetness.

The second chocolate was a gentler, sweeter implementation of these flavors. 

Clif Family White Chocolate Lemon and Ginger (bar)

The Clif Family * winery and chocolate factory (Saint Helena, CA) are based in the Napa Valley in northern California--a region famous for wine and good food.

Today's White Chocolate Lemon and Ginger 33% Cacao Artisan Chocolate (bar) had authentic ginger flavor and subtle citrus (lemon) notes. (The Clif Family suggests pairing this bar with a Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc wine.)

High cacao (butter) percent white chocolates (sans cacao solids) provide a sweet culinary launchpad for subtle herbs, spices and fruits like saffron, pepper(s), citrus (lemon, orange, lime, kumquat, etc.), members of the mint family, honey and many other flavor inclusions. 

Even ginger and stronger mints and fruits--that can hold their own with dark chocolate (high percent cacao solids)--can be intriguing when allowed to take center stage in a white chocolate base.

As long as the white chocolate is pure and not overly sweet, these flavor blends can be delicious. Today's 33% white chocolate was a balanced, warming ginger and lemon confection suffused with a touch of vanilla. 

Ingredients: "33% White Chocolate Tahitian Vanilla (organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter, organic whole milk, organic nonfat milk, organic soy lecithin, whole Tahitian vanilla beans), organic crystallized ginger, organic crystallized lemon peel, citric acid."

*The Clif Family operations in Napa are owned by Clif Bar founders, Gary Erickson and Kit Crawford.

Scharffen Berger 62% Semisweet (bar), and Christopher Elbow - Lemon Chocolates - Nov. 6, 2020

Chocolate of the Day

Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker
62% Semisweet Fine Artisan Dark Chocolate
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 9.7 oz. (275 g.) in total package
Calories: 165 calories in 1 oz. serving
Cost: $ missing information 
Purchased from: missing information

Christopher Elbow
Fresh Lemon Chocolates (white chocolate) confections
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 1.15 oz. (32 g.) / 2.3 oz. (64 g.) in total box of 6 pieces
Calories: 240 calories in 3 pieces
Cost: $12.95 (estimate) for 1 box of 6 pieces + shipping
Purchased from: Christopher Elbow, online order

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate, Honey and Citrus Theme Week. Today the weather turned cooler and I spent time indoors enjoying a chocolate, lemon and honey banquet day. 

First I sampled (and conjured chocolate treats using) a block of 62% Semisweet Fine Artisan Dark Chocolate from Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker, with "hints of citrus and honey overtones." (This chocolate is marketed as good for baking or eating. I agree.)

Scharffen Berger 62% Semisweet Dark Chocolate

The company's website suggested pairing items with their different chocolates, including wines and other beverages. The pairing suggested for this 62% dark chocolate was a fresh cup of Guatemalan coffee. Yes, I could imagine that...perhaps with a twist of lemon peel on the saucer. 

The "citrus" notes in this dark chocolate were light, balanced sweet lemon. The "honey" note was subtle and very nicely balanced. The chocolate was rich, and uniform in flavor and not too sweet (thank you!).

Instead of pairing this dark chocolate with something strong and wild, I went the other way. I paired it with two other lighter, but flavorful lemon items: hot, homemade lemon (3 different kinds, from the garden) and honey tea; and some delectable, pie-like, Fresh Lemon white chocolate filled confections.

Ingredients: cacao beans, sugar, cocoa butter. 

Christopher Elbow 

Each bright, sunny yellow Fresh Lemon confection from Christopher Elbow Chocolates (Kansas City, MO) conjured up images of lemon cream pie and freshly made lemon curd. Sweet? Yes, one or two of these white chocolate beauties will satisfy any dessert craving you might have. They had a creamy white chocolate melt and texture balanced with a tart lemon "marmalade" layer and lemon-infused white ganache.

Ingredients: "White chocolate (sugar, cocoa butter, dry whole and skim milk, soy lecithin (an emulsifier), natural vanilla); heavy cream, lemon juice, sugar, butter, glucose, invert sugar, apple pectin, citric acid, FDA approved colors."

Cemoi - Dominican Republic 70% Cocoa (bar) - Nov. 5, 2020

Chocolate of the Day

Cemoi 
Dominican Republic 70% Cocoa (bar)
Good +
Weight: 4 squares - 1.2 oz. (34 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 210 calories in 1 serving (4 squares) of bar
Cost: $1.49 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to the final day of (Day #18 of) Chocolate, Dominican Republic and Haiti Theme Weeks, and Day #2 of Chocolate, Honey and Citrus Theme Week.

Single origin chocolates featured this week with honey and citrus aroma and flavor notes usually don't contain actual honey or citrus fruit ingredients. Rather, like wine, coffee and spirits, chocolates contain complex elements that influence how we smell and taste food and beverages.

Today's Dominican Republic 70% Cocoa (bar) was produced in France and distributed by Cemoi Inc. (Pittsburgh, PA).

The chocolate had fruit (sweet citrus, light lemon and honey), woodsy and faint nut notes with one (fleeting) earth note.

Cemoi tasting notes read: Honey, Prunes, Dried Wood

Ingredients: Dominican Republic unsweetened chocolate, sugar, cocoa butter, vanilla extract.