Alec's Ice Cream - Chocolate Organic Ice Cream (+ fruits) - Dec. 8, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Alec's Ice Cream
Chocolate Organic Ice Cream (+ fruits)
Good ++
Weight: 1/2 cup (92 g.) / 1 Pint (473 mL) in total container
Calories: 250 calories in 1/2 cup
Cost: $2.99 for 1 container (pint)
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #17 of Chocolate and Fruits Theme Weeks.

Today's Chocolate Organic Ice Cream was made by Alec's Ice Cream (Petaluma, CA).

This chocolate ice cream was quite tasty, with a creamy melt and texture, and rich chocolate, cream caramel, and fleeting fudge-y earth, faint salt, nut and dark chocolate cookie aroma and flavor notes. 

I tried this ice cream by itself--and with a banana split, with sliced banana and two other ice cream flavors (strawberry and passion fruit). It was good both ways; but I liked it best a la carte. A great, flavorful chocolate ice cream will not let you down.

Ingredients: *Cream, *skim milk, *cane sugar, *bittersweet chocolate (*cacao beans, *cane sugar, *cocoa butter, sunflower lecithin), *cocoa (processed with alkali), *egg yolks. Less than 2% of: *locust bean gum, *guar gum. (*Organic)

Allergen-related information: "Contains: dairy and eggs." "Manufactured on equipment that also processes tree nuts, peanuts and soy."

Chocolate Naive - Soursop Fruit Chocolate 67% (bar) - Dec. 7, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Chocolate Naive
Soursop Fruit Chocolate 67% (bar) 
Good ++
Weight: 2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar
Calories: 316.96 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $10.00 (+ summer shipping) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #16 of Chocolate and Fruits Theme Weeks.

Today's Soursop Fruit Chocolate 67% (bar) was from Chocolate Naive (Vilnius, Lithuania).

Aroma notes for this bar included: rich, slightly earthy chocolate with diffuse fruit and very faint nut/buttery seed notes.

The chocolate had a smooth texture, with a slight fruit astringency (faint grainy, dryness).

The flavor had a lovely blooming quality upon the first bite. Notes included buttery chocolate and tart-sweet soursop fruit (complex, fluxing notes of plum; custard apple; ripe, sweet fuyu persimmon; very faint strawberry; very faint ripe, sweet pineapple; very faint, sweet kiwi)--and a fleeting faint, sweet parsnip/sweet potato note. 

What a fun, intricate and interesting fruit and chocolate ride--made possible by Chocolate Naive chocolate maker, Domantas Uzpalis, who skillfully showcased soursop*, and enabled us to experience this unique tasty fruit shape-shifter.

Ingredients: "Specialty cacao*, cane sugar*, pure cacao butter*, soursop* (7%). *Wild or all-natural farming"

Allergen-related information: May contain traces of treenuts, peanuts, wheat, milk.

*There are many varieties of soursop (also known as graviola (Brazilian Portuguese) and guanabana (Spanish)). Native to the tropical Americas, soursop (Annona muricata) is related to other "custard apple" fruits, and to fruits like the Brazilian pawpaw, the North American pawpaw, and the cherimoya. (Laxmanphal in India.) Sapote fruits are often included in this broader group. All of these are relatively rare in U.S. markets.

While I don't know exactly which variety of soursop was incorporated into this bar, I enjoyed reading the maker's description (below):

"Healthy doesn't have to mean boring, and this miracle fruit bar sure has its place for the picky chocolate aficionado who plans to live a long, unmiserable, and vigorous life. There are fruits, superfruits, and super mega fruits, but they all bite the dust compared to soursop. Behind the warty spines and thick leathery skin hides the succulent pulp, and oh boy is it delicious! Open your mouth and get ready to heal."

The illustration on this bar's packaging depicted a soursop fruit with a spiky green exterior, and a light-colored interior (fruit pulp) with relatively large, dark seeds.

Raven Rising - 76% Tanzanie Dark Chocolate and Red Plum (bar) - Dec. 6, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Raven Rising
76% Tanzanie Dark Chocolate and Red Plum (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.76 oz. (50 g.) / 3.71 oz. (105 g.) (estimate) in total bar
Calories: 280 calories in 50 g. piece of bar (approx. 1/2 bar)
Cost: $13.75 (+ shipping) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Raven Rising, via invoice 

Welcome to Day #15 of Chocolate and Fruits Theme Weeks.

Today's 76% Tanzanie Dark Chocolate and Red Plum (bar) was from Raven Rising (Sudbury, Ontario, Canada). Chief chocolatier, Chef Tammy Maki, uses chocolate(s) from Barry Callebaut for her creations. 

This beautiful dark bar was adorned with colorful (deep purple shading into magenta), thick, luscious (freeze-dried) plum slices. Aroma notes for this thick chocolate bar included very subtle dark chocolate and fragrant, spiced plum notes. 

Flavor notes included: hearty, smooth, dark chocolate and delicious, tart-sweet, ripe plum. 

Ingredients: "Tanzania 75% (unsweetened chocolate, sugar, cocoa butter, natural vanilla flavor), Freeze-dried plum (black doris plums)."

Allergen-related information: "Contains: Soy."

Raaka - French Apple Tart - unroasted dark chocolate (bar) - Dec. 5, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Raaka Chocolate
French Apple Tart unroasted dark chocolate 67% cacao (bar)
Good +
Weight: .9 oz. (25.4 g.) / 1.8 oz. (50.9 g.) in total bar
Calories: 140 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $8.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Raaka.com, online order

Welcome to Day #14 of Chocolate and Fruits Theme Weeks.

Today's French Apple Tart unroasted dark chocolate 67% cacao (bar) was from Raaka Chocolate (Brooklyn, NY). 

The company offers a wide variety of bars made with cacao that is not roasted--a choice made to capture "the brighter, bolder, and fruitier side of cacao."

Aroma notes included bittersweet dark chocolate and diffuse fruit. The (unroasted) cacao used to make this dark bar was from Kokoa Kamili (cacao producers in Tanzania) and was relatively smooth in aroma, texture and flavor.

Flavor notes included subtle, tart fruit (apple and stone fruit (cherry) tart/pie) with floral (vanilla) and very faint (possibly implied) spice--all melded with dark chocolate that lingered a bit in the finish. It was easy to imagine sitting outside a cafe in Paris on a sunny autumn day, enjoying a luscious bit of tart apple fruit pastry--with flaky crust edges rimmed in dark chocolate.

The 67% chocolate had rich dark flavor (smooth, and not too sweet); and overall bar had a balanced, but relatively high (fruit) acidity, and low-medium (and quite smooth) bitterness.

Maker's tasting notes: "Tarte aux pommes gets a chocolatey twist in this tart, apple and apricot infused Tanzanian dark chocolate. A dash of star anise and vanilla bean nod to apple brandy."

Ingredients: Organic cacao, organic cacao butter, organic cane sugar, organic green apple, organic apricot, organic star anise, organic vanilla 

Allergen-related information: "vegan, gluten free, soy free, nut free"

 

Oodaalolly - Lina's Langka Milk Chocolate (bar) - Dec. 4, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Oodaalolly, LLC
Lina's Langka Milk Chocolate (bar)
Good +
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) in total bar
Calories: 136 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $5.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Oadaalolly, online order 

Welcome to Day #13 of Chocolate and Fruit Theme Week.

Today's Lina's Langka* Milk Chocolate (bar) was from Oodaalolly, LLC (El Cerrito, CA). 

The focus for chocolate maker and founder Hernan Lauber (and new business partner/maker Jeremy Burnich) has been on producing bean to bar chocolates made with cacao (and flavor inclusions) from the Philippines.

Aroma notes for today's jackfruit milk chocolate bar included: sweet milk chocolate (caramel), and fruit (bright, sweet mango fruit and cacao fruit pulp).

Flavor notes for this bar included milk chocolate (cream caramel, light butterscotch, faint brown sugar); tropical fruit (light pineapple, faint mango, very light citrus); and a very faint fleeting mint/pine note.

This was a sweet chocolate, but not cloying. The raw cane sugar and jackfruit added natural sweetness and flavor depth. Thank you to the maker for the opportunity to enjoy a skillfully executed and rare blend of jackfruit and chocolate.

Maker's notes: "A well-balanced and unusual flavor profile of pineapple, banana, and peanuts with minimal sweetness." (At the request of chocolate maker (Jeremy's) "mother-in-law, Lina, who loves langka, we combined it with non-traditional low-sugar milk chocolate.")

Ingredients: Cacao, cocoa butter, whole milk powder, raw cane sugar, jackfruit.

Allergen-related information: Contains milk 

*"In the Philippines, jackfruit is known as langka in Tagalog and nangku in Cebuanu." Jackfruit has a relatively strong smell and taste, and is often likened to pineapple. 

 

Zotter - In-Fusion Blackcurrant in Cacao (bar) - Dec. 3, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Zotter

In-Fusion - Blackcurrant in Cacao Dark Chocolate (bar)

Good + 

Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar 

Calories: 200 calories in 1/2 bar

Cost: $7.99 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Zotterusa.com, online order

Welcome to Day #12 of Chocolate and Fruit Theme Weeks.

Today's Zotter In-Fusion Blackcurrant in Cacao (bar) was made in Austria and distributed by Zotter Chocolates US LLC (Fort Myers, FL). 

This dark chocolate was part of a line of fruit "in-fusion" bars made with fine cacao and flavored with freeze-dried fruits that in many cases mirror naturally occurring fruit notes in cacao--a wonderful concept.

The bar had a subtle aroma with chocolate, diffuse fruit (dark sweet berry), bread and butter, and clean mineral notes.

Flavors included fruity, robust yet smooth, dark chocolate, with authentic dark berry and blackcurrant (pastille, fruit juice), and very faint, fleeting earthy fruit and black raspberry yogurt notes. A balanced, tangy black currant tartness lingered at the end and contrasted with a subtle, slightly earthy dark chocolate in the finish.

While nicely executed and well balanced, the milk powder added to this 70% dark chocolate muted what might have been bolder aroma and flavors.

Adding milk to dark chocolate can even out flavors and give them a mellow, homogeneous continuity; however the sharper and stronger notes (for better or for worse) may be neutralized in the process.

Maker's tasting notes: "...Created, bean to bar, using fine flavor cacao and freeze-dried blackcurrants. A dark chocolate with a refreshing blackcurrant flavor--a sophisticated and very berry indulgence..."

Ingredients: Organic, fair trade cocoa mass; organic, fair trade cane sugar; organic, fair trade cocoa butter; organic dried blackcurrants (4%); dry skim milk; organic soy lecithin.

Allergen-related information: "Contains milk, soy." "Manufactured on equipment that processes tree nuts, peanuts and sesame."

Zotter - In-Fusion - Raspberry in Cacao Dark Chocolate (bar) - Dec. 2, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Zotter

In-Fusion - Raspberry in Cacao Dark Chocolate (bar)

Good + - Good ++ 

Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar 

Calories: 200 calories in 1/2 bar

Cost: $7.99 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Zotterusa.com, online order

Welcome to Day #11 of Chocolate and Fruit Theme Weeks.

Today's Zotter In-Fusion Raspberry in Cacao (bar) was made in Austria and distributed by Zotter Chocolates US LLC (Fort Myers, FL). 

This dark chocolate was part of a line of fruit "in-fusion" bars made with fine cacao and flavored with ground, freeze-dried fruits that mirror/enhance naturally occurring fruit notes in cacao.

Aroma notes for this bar included: red raspberries and raspberry hot chocolate. 

Made with 40% "dark" milk chocolate, this bar had a creamy, even texture; and a smooth, sweet, chocolately hot cocoa flavor. 

Other flavor notes included red raspberry fruit and jam, faint vanilla and a very faint, fleeting earth note. 

The number one ingredient was sugar; and this bar was quite a bit sweeter than the other dark chocolate bars in this (Zotter) In-Fusion bar series tasted so far. All have contained some milk powder, but the other In-Fusion bars contained (or at least started with) 70% dark chocolate vs. today's milkier and sweeter 40% cacao bar. As a result cocoa notes were more muted.

Happily the authentic fruit aroma and flavor of the raspberries (fully incorporated and with no seed grit) were allowed to shine brightly and beautifully in this bar. A judicious amount of vanilla contributed some natural "happy" flavor (hot cocoa, baked goods), and a wee bit of salt helped balance the sweetness.

Maker's tasting notes: "Created bean-to-bar, using fine flavor cacao and freeze-dried raspberries by "Faire Beere".*

Ingredients: Organic, fair trade cane sugar; organic, fair trade cocoa butter; dry whole milk; organic, fair trade cocoa mass; dry skim milk; organic dried raspberries (2%); organic soy lecithin; organic vanilla bean powder; organic lemon powder (organic lemon juice concentrate, organic corn starch, organic sugar); salt

Allergen-related information: "Contains milk, soy." (double check all ingredients)

*Faire Beere d.o.o. is a producer of fruits and tree nuts, located in Bratunac, Bosnia-Herzegovina.