Rowe of Venice - Cacao Nibs superfood snack - Mar. 23, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Rowe of Venice 
Cacao Nibs superfood snack
Good ++
Weight: .75 oz. (21.25 g.) / 1.5 oz. (42.5 g.) in total package
Calories: 80 calories in 1/2 package 
Cost: $5.99 for 1 package
Purchased from: FarmFresh to You CSA box, add-on item 

Welcome to Day #2 of Chocolate and NOPQ Theme Week, in which chocolate items are featured with flavor inclusions and origins that begin with the letters of N, O, P and/or Q.

Today's organic, Cacao Nibs raw, vegan superfood snack squares were from Rowe of Venice (Los Angeles, CA).

Cacao nibs are the essence of cacao. They are pieces of cacao bean used to make chocolate. And as long as they are high-quality (well sorted) nibs, they are great a la carte too. They add true chocolate (brownie), almost nutty, and occasionally fruity/fermented flavor--as well as a soft, crunchy texture to any chocolate item. 

This was absolutely true for today's Cacao Nibs "superfood snack." The small squares were peppered with nibs, and offered a super-sized, substantial, satisfying tasting experience. (*The fact that they were made with organic ingredients was an added bonus.)

These squares had a rich, authentic cocoa and coconut aroma, and flavor. The nibs, together with cocoa powder, created divinely true cacao/chocolate flavor with very slight earth, cream and fermented flavor notes. 

*Ground almonds added protein. And nibs, nuts and coconut all contributed some natural plant fat/oils. A little fat and protein makes chocolate snacks more filling, and more satisfying than items that are high in sugars or carbohydrate content. For me, this holds true whether I'm on a walk in the hills, or sitting around indoors.

Last, but not least, these agave nectar-sweetened snack squares weren't too sweet (thank you!).

*Ingredients: "Organic almonds, organic unsweetened shredded coconut, organic cacao powder, organic raw blue agave nectar, organic raw cacao nibs, organic cold-pressed virgin coconut oil, Himalayan Pink Salt. Gratitude."

Valrhona - Noir Orange Flavored Chocolate 56% Cacao - Mar. 22, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Valrhona Chocolate

Noir (Dark) Orange-Flavoured Chocolate 56% Cacao (block) 

Good +

Weight: 1.41 oz. (40 g.) / 7.06 oz. (200 g.) in total bar/block

Calories: 230 calories in 1 segment of bar

Cost: $ missing information

Purchased from: missing information

Welcome to Day #1 of Chocolate and NOPQ Theme Week, where chocolates with flavor inclusions and origins starting with the letters N, O, P and/or Q.

Today's Noir Orange Gastronomie (Baking) Chocolate 56% Cacao (block) was from Valrhona Chocolate. Varhona has been producing premium chocolate in the small village of Tain-l'Heritage, France, in a wine-growing region near Lyon, since 1922.*

This smooth, dark chocolate was perfumed with a balanced, natural orange aroma. A hint of vanilla added warmth, for eating and baking. And, happily, it was not too sweet for a 56% cacao chocolate (thank you!). 

When I started my Chocolate Banquet journey in 2006, I noticed I was gravitating more toward baking, i.e. less sweet, chocolate. There were fewer dark chocolate options back then. French chocolate had a certain cachet; and Valrhona chocolate was one of the first dark chocolates I remember really liking.

Today's orange-flavored French chocolate offered both a pleasing, high-end eating and baking/dessert experience. This would be great choice for chocolate mousse (regular or non-dairy versions), brownies (regular or gluten-free versions), melted over ice cream or in a smoothie, drizzled over a croissant or crepe, made into chocolate fondue, etc. 

The chocolate had a uniform undercurrent of rich, velvety, sophisticated, true chocolate (dark chocolate fudge brownie) from start to finish. The orange evolved during the tasting experience, from neroli (orange blossom)-like scent, to a slightly tart-sweet, true orange citrus flavor finish.

Ingredients: "sugar, cocoa beans, cocoa butter, emulsifier (soy lecithin), orange flavor, natural vanilla extract."

Allergen information: "This product might contain traces of nuts, milk and egg proteins, gluten and peanut."

*I remember as a child growing up in the U.S. in the 1900s, Valrhona chocolates, and French chocolates in general, were spoken about with great reverence.

My young siblings and I were chocolate monkeys back then. I can remember climbing up on the counter to investigate baking chocolate in the cupboards above. Most of the American baking chocolates were too bitter. But, Swiss-processed (alkalized) varieties were more approachable. A few pieces of the dark stuff would fuel tree-climbing, bicycling and swimming adventures for hours in the summers. 

And, for outdoor sun protection and trips to the beach, squares of ivory-colored cocoa butter were rubbed on and applied. The smell was heavenly, even if these 100% cacao fat squares weren't particularly edible. 

Chocolarder - Millot Farm - 80% Dark Chocolate Sambirano Valley, Madagascar (bar) - Mar. 21, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Chocolarder

Millot Farm - 80% Dark Chocolate Sambirano Valley, Madagascar (bar)

Good ++ 
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.46 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 198 calories in 1/2 bar 
Cost: $9.25 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order 

Welcome to Day #10 of Chocolate and Madagascar Theme Week.

Today's Millot Farm 80% Dark Chocolate Sambirano Valley, Madagascar (bar) was from Chocolarder (Falmouth, Cornwall, United Kingdom).

Chocolarder crafts single origin bars, from bean-to-bar, using single estate/plantation cacao(s) from countries including Venezuela, Java, Madagascar, Peru and the Dominican Republic. And they also offer small batch bars with intriguing flavor inclusions (gorse flower, cinnamon toasted cacao nibs, Cornish honeycomb), as well as confections.

The company's Millot Farm Madagascar 80% chocolate bar today was made using cacao grown on a Malagasy farm (established in 1904, that also produces spices and essential oils) located in the Sambirano Valley in northwest Madagascar, a region known for great cacao, like today's "fine flavour" Trinitario hybrid cacao strain that originated in Java.

This bar had aroma notes that included: deep dark chocolate, green sencha (roasted brown rice) tea, wood, brown sugar and very faint spice.

This 80% cacao chocolate was made with less sugar (less than a 70% cacao bar, that might be 30% sugar). It wasn't too sweet (thank you)!* 

I applaud the chocolate makers this week who were bold enough to go with 80%+ cacao Madagascar bars. Great choice for this origin. (Note: Chocolarder also offers a 74% Ottange Farm, Madagascar bar if you're looking for an interesting side-by-side tasting pairing.)

The first bite of this two-ingredient bar was full of pleasing dark chocolate flavor. I enjoyed this chocolate's light, balanced fruit (golden raisin, and aromatic, sweet white wine grape) flavor notes. There was also a faint, fleeting tart sweet stone/red fruit astringency, and a balanced, very faint, woodsy earth tone/note. 

 

The makers' tasting notes read as follows: "Bursting with tart cherry and sweet raisin flavours with hints of sandalwood."

Ingredients: cacao beans, unrefined raw sugar

Allergen information: "Made in a factory that also handles tree nuts."

*Why does the sugar content matter? Sugar can amplify or obscure/overpower certain cacao flavors in chocolate. Madagascar-grown cacao is known for its very bright, tart-sweet fruit (typically citrus and berry) flavors that blossom with, or soon after, the first bite. (Now, think fresh berry lemonade with a little white grape and maybe some orange, grapefruit, peach and cherry juices thrown in. And imagine adding 30% sugar. Do your teeth hurt yet?). 

I'm here for the cacao, and not the sugar; and I love experiencing (Sambirano Valley's) Malagasy cacao fruit notes with a bit less added sugar. Anyone who has slowly savored the flavors in a ripe mango, or peach, or has enjoyed the fruit pulp that surrounds cacao seeds/beans, will know what I mean. 

Fjak Sjokolade - Single Origin 70% Mork (Dark) Madagascar (bar) - Mar. 20, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Fjak Sjokolade 
Single Origin 70% Mork (Dark) Madagascar (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 1.87 oz. (53 g.) in total bar
Calories: 295 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $9.50 (+ shipping) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #9 of Chocolate and Madagascar Theme Week.

Today's Single Origin 70% Mork (Dark) Madagascar small batch chocolate (bar) was handcrafted, from bean-to-bar, in (Hardangerfjord) Norway by the maker(s) at Fjak Sjokolade. 

The organic cacao used to make this bar was from Akesson's Bejofo Estate in the Sambirano Valley in northwestern Madagascar.

A wealth of enjoyable aroma notes over a period of minutes included: dried fruits: (fig, date, raisins), fleeting fermentation, sweet cocoa, whipped cream, and spice cake.

The melt and texture: smooth, even, thick, and almost creamy with a light, tart astringency. (My teeth also felt the presence of citric/citrus acid, tannins* and sugar in many of this week's fruity Madagascar chocolate bars.) 

Flavor notes included satisfying chocolate flavor, a blend of acidic fruits (sweet lemon, sweet cranberry, cacao pulp, faint sweet-tart melon, tart cherry), and subtle hints of cream and earth. Late in the post-finish there was a brief, fleeting sparkle of dried plum and goji berry notes. 

All these tart sweet fruit notes made this bar taste more like a sweeter, 60% or 65% cacao, bar.  Again, a relatively common experience with Madagascar bars. 

Fjak maker's tasting notes read as follows: "Bold dark chocolate with rich notes of black cherry and citrus."

Ingredients: "Cocoa beans, cane sugar and cocoa butter;" Allergen notes: "Processed in a facility that handles nuts, dairy and gluten"

*Tannins are polyphenolic compounds that have health properties; but they can also be bitter and astringent (dry mouthfeel, slightly grainy coating on teeth), and can cause an upset stomach if consumed in excess. Tea, coffee, wine, chocolate, fruits and berries (unripe bananas and  persimmons, grapes, cranberries, blueberries), and certain leaves and spices, all contain relatively high levels of tannins.

Christopher Elbow - Madagascar 70% dark (bar) - Mar. 19, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Christopher Elbow Chocolates
Madagascar 70% dark bar
Good ++
Weight: 1.15 oz. (32.5 g.) / 2.3 oz. (65 g.) in total bar
Calories: 160 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.95 (+ shipping) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Christopher Elbow, online order

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate and Madagascar Theme Week.

Today's Madagascar 70% bar was from Christopher Elbow Chocolates (Saint Louis, MO).

The organic cacao used to make this bar was from the Akesson Estate in the Sambirano Valley in northwest Madagascar, known for great cacao. 

The initial aroma: sweet white, aromatic dessert wine (Gewurztraminer) and very faint maple syrup, followed by a slight shift toward brown sugar and fruit notes. 

The flavor notes were more complex. Traces of the (above mentioned) sweet aroma notes bloomed into tart sweet fruit (white grapes, nectarine, tart cherry, faint citrus), chocolate, faint earth and cream. There was a slight (persimmon) astringency; and a honeyed white grape/fruit note lightly lingered into the finish. 

Ingredients: Organic cacao, organic cane sugar, cacao butter

 

Firetree Chocolate - Madagscar Sambirano Valley 84% Cocoa (bar) - Mar. 18, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Firetree Chocolate Limited

Single Estate Madagascar Sambirano Valley 84% Cacao (bar)

Good ++ - Good +++

Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) in total bar

Calories: 147 calories in 1 bar

Cost: $4.00 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's Madagascar Sambirano Valley 84% Cocoa (bar) was made by Firetree Chocolate Limited (Peterborough, U.K.). The company offers a line of single origin bars made with cacao directly traded (with farmers).

Volcanoes and chocolate?

Firetree describes their lineup as "rich volcanic chocolates." Several of their bars are crafted from cacao grown on South Pacific islands that are part of (or are close to) the "ring of fire," known for its volcanic and seismic activity. (This "ring" also extends over to the Americas bordering the Pacific and Nazca plates, and near the origins of cacao.)

How do volcanoes relate to chocolate? When absorbed over time into soils, volcanic lava, ash and debris can contribute key plant nutrients like potassium, phosphorus, magnesium and iron--needed to cultivate crops and trees, including cacao trees. (Some of the best cacao and coffee we enjoy are grown in volcanic soils.)

Historically, volcanic activity has existed on every continent. Madagascar, a large island nation off eastern Africa has volcano-related enriched soils, from activity 90 million years ago. 

Back to today's bar...

Many of the Madagascar chocolate bars featured this week have had delightfully complex aromas that shift and shimmer a bit as well--including today's Firetree bar.

The first whiff of today's bar had notes of aromatic red berry (musk* strawberry, raspberry) with a fleeting hint of tropical fruit (passion fruit). A few minutes later there was a tiny shift to fermented red berry (tart-sweet strawberry-raspberry fruit vinegar). And after a few more minutes, an earthy red fruit note, followed by true chocolate (raspberry + strawberry fudge brownie) notes. What a ride! Thank you.

Chocolate lovers' brains have learned to link the smell of chocolate with sugar. Ultra-dark bars (over 80% cacao and with "only" 20% sugar or less) often retain an aroma with implied sweetness, causing the brain to anticipate sugar in the first bite. Some chocolate customers suffer a disconnect when they taste darker chocolates for the first time. Some want their "missing" sugar back, especially if they're new to 80%+ bars.

So, with the above facts in mind, I am extra grateful to Firetree for making an 84% ultra-dark bar using this bright Madagascan cacao. The cacao's natural brightness and fruitiness made this a balanced treasure chest; the flavors were almost as fruity and fun as the aroma.

The flavors mirrored the layered aroma notes above, and included deep, rich and faintly earthy dark chocolate, and ripe, tart-sweet raspberry and faint strawberry. The finish lingered a bit, with the red fruit notes heading a bit more toward cherry. I highly recommend holding a piece of this chocolate in your mouth for awhile, to enjoy the warm, blooming bouquet of naturally tart-sweet fruit flavors.

Firetree's tasting notes read as follows: "Raspberry and rich red fruit tones create a zesty character. To enjoy fully, take time to let the flavours develop on the palate."

Ingredients: Cocoa mass, unrefined sugar, cocoa butter, emulsifier: sunflower lecithin.

Allergen notes: "Dairy free. Nut free factory. Kosher. Halal. Suitable for vegans."

*The musk strawberry (Fragaria moschata) is native to Europe. It is also known as bubbleberry, hautbois strawberry (France), and fragola di bosco (Italy). This aromatic strawberry (rarely seen in the U.S.) has notes of strawberry, pineapple and raspberry. Its flavor has also been described as "naturally flavored bubble gum."

Solstice Chocolate - Madagascar 70% Sambirano (bar) - Mar. 17, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Solstice Chocolate, Inc.
Madagascar 70% Sambirano (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.15 oz. (32.5 g.) / 2.3 oz. (65 g.) in total bar
Calories: 155 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.00 (+ shipping) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Solstice Chocolate, online order

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

Today's gluten-free, vegan Madagascar 70% Sambirano (bar) was from Solstice Chocolate, Inc. (Salt Lake City, UT).

The cacao that the Solstice team used to make this bar came from the Bejofo Estate, an organic cacao plantation in the Sambirano Valley in northwest Madagascar. The maker's description: "...Cacao grown here has notes of citrus and berries, which gives our chocolate its bright, fruity quality." 

This region and this cacao flavor profile will sound familiar to those who have been reading about other Madagascar bars featured this week.

Today's three-ingredient* Solstice dark bar had an aroma with bright, warm chocolate notes: grape/raisin, brown sugar/light caramel, rum when the sealed package was first opened. (After being opened for an hour, there was a slight shift that included mild red berry (goji berry) and light, fragrant oolong tea notes.)

The texture was smooth, with an almost creamy mouthfeel. 

The flavor overall was full of the expected tart, tangy-sweet, acidic fruit (Vitamin C) brightness that one often finds with Madagascar single origin bars. The sunny, natural sweetness lingered, along with cream and very faint earth notes, into the finish. 

As noted with some other 70%+ cacao Madagascar bars this week, this characteristic bright,  fruity sweet, warm flavor profile may fool you into thinking you're eating a chocolate with more sugar (that is, a 60% or 65% cacao bar). I even found myself double checking the packaging. (Yes, it did contain 70% cacao.)

*Ingredients: "Cacao bean, organic cane sugar, cocoa butter"