Sibu/Sibo Chocolate - Dark Chocolate 70% Cacao Toasted Almonds Costa Rica (bar) - Oct. 17, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Sibu/Sibo Chocolate

Dark Chocolate 70% Cacao Toasted Almonds Costa Rica (bar)

Good ++

Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar

Calories: 140 calories in 1/2 bar

Cost: $6.50 (+ shipping) for 1 bar

Purchased from: Chocosphere.com, online order

Welcome to Day #14 of Chocolate and Central America Week(s), featuring chocolates made using cacao grown in Belize, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua.

Today's Sibu/Sibo* Chocolate Dark Chocolate 70% Cacao Toasted Almonds (bar) was made in Costa Rica by Chocoindustria Cinco S.A. (Escazu in San Jose Province, Costa Rica). 

Happily, not only was the cacao used to make this chocolate grown in Costa Rica (in the Brunca region in southern Costa Rica), the chocolate bar was made (further north) in Costa Rica as well.** 

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate with diffuse concentrated/dried fruit, and roasted nut.

The texture had a smooth dark chocolate base accented with soft, cacao nib-like crunchy bits ( roasted almond pieces) with very faint earth, olive, roasted coffee, nut and malt that lingered lightly into a clean finish.

I loved the balanced dark and nut flavors; and, perhaps best of all (for my taste) this Costa Rica chocolate was refreshingly un-sweet for a 70% cacao chocolate bar. (Thank you!)

Maker's tasting notes: "Flavor profile: spice, with notes of dried fruit and a nutty finish."

Ingredients: Chocolate (cacao beans, cane sugar, cacao butter), almonds.

Allergen-related information: "Contains: almonds. May contain traces of soy, milk and cashews."

*The company name "Sibo" Chocolate (with an umlaut over the "o") seems to be used in the United States. Whereas "Sibu" may be in use in Costa Rica. An umlaut can be used over a vowel to denote a change in pronunciation.

** Chocolates made "in country" (in the same country where the cacao was grown) have gotten easier to find in the U.S. But, the vast majority of bars in stores are still manufactured in the northern hemisphere (North America or Europe). Why?

Traditionally, reasons for this have included: the need for sophisticated (more expensive) manufacturing facilities and reliable utility infrastructure (precise temperature and humidity control(s) are important in chocolate-making). 

Cooler temperatures in the northern (and southern) hemispheres help extend shelf life for chocolates. Cacao has grows plus or minus 20 degrees from the Equator. And most chocolate manufacturing seems to take place closer to 35 to 50 degrees from the Equator. 

Last, an inconvenient truth is that, wealthier chocolate consumers often live north (and south) of tropical, cacao-growing latitudes--markets closer to more sophisticated manufacturing facilities.

When cacao is/can be produced "in-country," more wealth tends to stay in the country of origin.

Valrhona - Tulakalum (Belize) 75% dark chocolate (bar) - Oct. 16, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Valrhona

Tulakalum (Belize) 75% dark chocolate (bar)

Good ++

Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.46 oz. (70 g.) in total bar

Calories: 210 calories in 1/2 bar

Cost: $7.50 (plus shipping) for 1 bar

Purchased from: Chocosphere.com, online order 

Welcome to Day #13 of Chocolate and Central America Theme Week.

Today's Tulakalum (Belize) 75% cacao dark chocolate (bar) was from Valrhona Chocolate (Tain L'Hermitage, France).*

Aroma notes (in order of appearance) included: earthy, dried fruit (fig, prune, banana), sweet cocoa and nut butter.

Texture: Thick, creamy melt and smooth mouthfeel.

Flavor notes included: chocolate-y (fudge brownie with a hint of vanilla) with bright, tart fruit (raspberry, sweet cherry, and strawberries dipped in brown sugar) that extended into the finish. 

Valrhona description/tasting notes: "Tulakalum's...fruity, tangy...nutty intensity and powerful cocoa nibs dreamily encapsulate the gorgeous biodiversity of Belize, an endlessly colorful country with multiple culture and history."

Ingredients: "Cocoa beans from Belize, brown sugar, cocoa butter, vanilla..."

Allergen-related information: "Made in a facility that uses milk." "This product may contain: gluten, nuts, soya." "May contain wheat, soy, almonds, hazelnuts, pistachios, pecans, walnuts, chestnuts, coconut and/or all their derivatives."

*Valrhona has historically (since 1922) partnered with pastry chefs and artisan chocolatiers around the world, supplying them with quality French chocolate. In recent decades they have enhanced their efforts to source sustainable cacao (traceable and sourced directly from producers). They are also a Certified B Corporation (that stipulates adherence to standards associated with social and environmental impact).

Enna Chocolate - La Mosquitia, Wampusirpi Honduras 75% Dark Chocolate (bar) - Oct. 15, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Enna Chocolate

La Mosquitia, Wampusirpi Honduras 75% Dark Chocolate (bar)

Good ++

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

Calories: 162 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar

Cost: $11.00 (estimate) for 1 bar

Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #12 of Chocolate and Central America Theme Week, featuring chocolates made with cacao from Belize, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua.

Today's La Mosquitia, Wampusirpi Honduras 75% Dark Chocolate (bar) was made by Enna Chocolate (Exeter, New Hampshire).* La Mosquitia is along the "mosquito coast," in eastern Honduras. The closest town might be Wampusirpi in a relatively remote, agricultural area in northeastern Honduras in the department of Gracias a Dios ("Thanks to God").

Aroma notes for today's bar included: dark chocolate, subtle savory (smoked salt) and faint brown sugar/molasses with very faint, diffuse concentrated fruit (faint plum/prune).

The texture had a satisfying hearty, smoothness with a very faint (barely there) mineral quality.

Flavor notes included deep, chocolate-y (lightly smoked sea salt, dark fudge brownies); with fleeting balanced bitter and earth. and a clean mineral chocolate finish--a balanced, malty, almost calcium-like mineral quality that cushioned sweetness (vs. an acidic, sugary finish) and other flavors, and allowed for a soft close.

I found this a relatively bold, balanced and enjoyable chocolate. The boldness was less dense and more flavorful than most Forastero cacao varieties, and more like a Trinitario variety grown in rich and interesting soil. And the choice of a 75% cacao (vs. 70% cacao) bar helped boost the rich cacao flavors. Regardless of the cacao variety, it was handled/managed well by the chocolate maker.

Ingredients: "roasted cacao, cane sugar, cocoa butter"

Allergen-related information: "Made in a facility that processes tree nuts, peanuts, and milk."

*Chocolate maker Enna Grazier makes small batch, bean-to-bar chocolate in a small factory and retail space in Exeter, New Hampshire. Like many craft chocolate makers she switched to chocolate making from another profession--in this case wedding and food photography. While I've never met Enna, I am guessing her desire to make high-quality products, share stories and create community were there all along her journey.

Exeter is a coastal town in the northeast United States lies about 8 miles inland from the Atlantic Coast/beach. Enna Chocolate's logo includes a Maya glyph of an oyster. 

I live on the other (Pacific) side of the U.S. near San Francisco Bay, that also has its own oyster stories. But, I'll save those for another time. Suffice to say that both oysters and chocolate, from an edible, cultural and sustainability standpoint, are of interest to me as well.

Goodnow Farms Chocolate - Guatemala Asochivite 77% (bar) - Oct. 14, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Goodnow Farms Chocolate

Guatemala Asochivite 77% (bar)

Good ++ - Good +++

Weight: .97 oz. (27.5 g.) / 1.94 oz. (55 g.) in total bar

Calories: 165 calories in 1/2 bar

Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #11 of Chocolate and Central America Week, featuring chocolates made with cacao from Belize, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua.

Today's Guatemala Asochivite 77% (bar) was from Goodnow Farms Chocolate (Sudbury, MA). 

The single origin chocolate makers discovered this "surprisingly bright bean" when they traveled to the Alta Verapaz region of Guatemala. The cacao was "grown and harvested by Q'eqchi Maya farmers."

Aroma notes included: subtle, tart sweet fruit (ripe persimmon, apple) and very faint (almost inferred)* warm spice.

The bar had a creamy melt and texture.

Flavor notes included: sustained, balanced tart sweet fruit, acidic fruit (peach, apple, mango). Sweet and fruit notes were well balanced, like a good cider. Low in bitterness.

This bright fruit session was followed by a gentle wall of more opaque creamy, soft dark chocolate and a fade at the finish--conjuring the image of an autumn fog descending softly onto an apple orchard.

The makers press their own single origin cocoa butter to match it with the cocoa beans from the same origin to help reinforce the aroma and flavor notes of the particular region.

Maker's tasting notes: "green banana and mango"

Ingredients: Single origin cacao beans, organic cane sugar, single origin cacao butter

Allergen related information: "May contain trace amounts of peanuts and tree nuts." "Soy free, vegan, gluten free."

*What do I mean by "almost inferred"? When I detect a "warm spice" note on the heels of a fruit or brown sugar/molasses note, my palette may be triggered into thinking of baked goods, baked apples or warm fruit compote with warm spices (like cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and ginger). It's hard to be sure if this warm spice note is truly inherent in the item I'm tasting, or whether my brain is filling in the blanks, and recalling an association with a related flavor memory.

Central American Dark Chocolate Honduras Banana Bread - Oct. 13, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

(Homemade)

Central American Dark Chocolate Honduras Banana Bread

(Modified Honduran Banana Bread recipe)

Weight: 1.5 oz. (42.5 g.) serving

Calories: 165 calories (estimate) for 1 serving

Cost: $N/A - multiple items

Purchased from: N/A - multiple sources

Welcome to Day #10 of Chocolate and Central America Week(s), featuring chocolates made with cacao from Belize, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua.

Today's homemade chocolate banana batter bread was based on a Honduran banana bread recipe. I added to this recipe: a blend of 70% cacao chocolate pieces (melted and stirred in) from the five different Central American countries mentioned above.

Aroma notes for this moist, dense bread included rich chocolate, banana (bread), with traces of warm spice and nut. The pecans provided a soft, nutty chew. (Especially fragrant right out of the oven.)

I omitted from this recipe any added sugar or added oils/butter. The 70% cacao chocolates, banana and coconut provided enough natural sweetness for my taste. Eggs, kefir and nuts provided satisfying levels of protein, fat and texture. And banana (flour and fruit), eggs and kefir contributed moisture and cohesion to this gluten-free version.)

Ingredients: Banana flour, (3) eggs, kefir (in lieu of sour cream/neufchatel cheese), banana (dehydrated slices, crushed), pieces of single origin dark chocolate bars (from 5 different Central American cacao-growing countries), pecans, coconut, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg.

Allergen-related information: Contained dairy, tree nuts and eggs. (Gluten free, low sugar)

Cachet Costa Rica 71% Dark Chocolate (bar) - Oct. 12, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Cachet 

Costa Rica 71% Dark Chocolate (bar)

(Manufactured by Kim's Chocolate)

Good + - Good ++

Weight: 1.17 oz. (33.3 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar

Calories: 200 calories (per label) in 1/3 bar

Cost: $1.99 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #9 of Chocolate and Central America Week, featuring chocolates made with cacao grown in Belize, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua.

This Costa Rica 71% Dark Chocolate (bar) was manufactured in Belgium by Kim's Chocolate (Tienen, Belgium).

The aroma had smooth, dark chocolate and balanced light bitter and sweet notes.

The flavor was also even and smooth with relatively gentle dark chocolate; light, diffuse mixed fruit (syrup) with very faint maple vanilla; and subtle roasted nut butter notes.

Ingredients: Chocolate liquor, sugar, cocoa butter, cocoa powder, natural vanilla flavor. (80% Rainforest Alliance Certified Cocoa). (Dark chocolate cocoa solids minimum 71%)

Allergen related information: "May contain tree nuts, milk, eggs, wheat and soy."

Wm. Chocolate - Belize Maya Mountain 68% Dark (bar) - Oct. 11, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Wm. Chocolate LLC
Belize Maya Mountain 68% Dark (bar)
Very Good
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar
Calories: 165 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $5.95 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocosphere.com, online order

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate and Central America Theme Week, featuring chocolates made with cacao from Belize, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua.

Today's Belize Maya Mountain 68% Dark (bar) was created by chocolate maker William Marx of Wm. Chocolate LLC (Madison, WI).

The (2017 Harvest) cacao used to craft this bar was grown on "rainforest farms in (southern) Belize's Maya Mountains, where...Maya Mountain Cacao...works with growers to sustainably produce bright, luscious cacao deserving of the high prices it fetches." 

Aroma notes for this dark chocolate included a diffuse sweetness (date); red fruit (cherry, goji berry, pomegranate); and faint brown sugar, molasses with an implied warm spice.

The texture of this well-tempered and executed chocolate was pleasing, smooth and creamy.

The chocolate tasted intriguing, smooth and sophisticated. A soft, layered undulation of high-quality flavors contributed to its overall deliciousness. Flavor notes included: fruit (soft "round" white grape/raisin and goji berry); faint fleeting aromatic, sweet tobacco; creamy vanilla and warm creamy, vanilla mocha; and a reoccurring (diffuse but) identifiable tart-sweet fruit through note (including red fruit and berries with brown sugar).

Maker's tasting notes: "candied pineapple, custard, raisin"

Ingredients: Organic cocoa beans, organic whole (unrefined) cane sugar, organic cocoa butter.

Allergen-related information: "Sourced for flavor and fairness. No soy, no dairy, no nuts, no grain, no refined sugar, and no animal products."