Tony's Chocolonely - Milk Chocolate Honey Almond Nougat - Jan. 23, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Tony's Chocolonely
Milk Chocolate Honey Almond Nougat bar
Good +
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 6.35 oz. (180 g.) in total bar
Calories: 160 calories in 1 serving (30 g.) of bar
Cost: $4.99 (estimate) for 1 bar (thank you Don!)
Purchased from: New Leaf Markets, Half Moon Bay, CA

Welcome to Day #17 of European Chocolate Vacation Theme Week.

Today's Milk Chocolate Honey Almond Nougat bar from Tony's Chocolonely Inc. (New York, NY) and was made in Belgium. 

The chocolate company was founded in the Netherlands in 2005 by three journalists with a vision to eliminate illegal child labor/slavery practices* (primarily in the (West African) cacao supply chain, where farmers are often paid very little. In addition to helping to educate consumers, Tony's Chocolonely supports and carefully sources fair trade ingredients.

As one of the last imaginary European stops via chocolate, I imagined a walk along canals in Amsterdam, a stop at the Van Gogh Museum in the city's Museum Quarter, and a search for a rumor that Tony's Chocoloney chocolate bars can be found in vending machines there. (Yes, it's true, there is a wall-sized, "mega-super" vending machine in Tony's Store in the Westerpark area of Amsterdam.)

Today's ultra-thick bar required some concentration to bite through (a bit like a large, alpine mountain shaped Swiss Toblerone bar.)

The bar had a sweet milk chocolate and nut aroma and sweet, smooth (32%) milk chocolate flavor. Honey nut nougat flecks added crunchy texture. These nougat pieces had a faint, natural honied, layered sweetness (light honied milk tea).

Ingredients: Sugar dry whole milk, cocoa butter, cocoa mass, 10% nougat (cane sugar, glucose syrup (wheat), 2% almonds, potato starch, honey, cocoa butter, egg white), soy lecithin.

Allergen-related information: (Contained milk, wheat, tree nuts (almonds), egg and soy.) "May contain tree nuts and peanut."

*A high percentage of European (and other commercial) chocolates are made using West African cacao. Tony's founders talked about how they were one of the few chocolate companies actively talking about "slave-free" chocolate in the early-mid 2000s. Hence the name Tony's "Chocolonely."

In 2021, Tony's Chocolonely made an acquisition announcement, around plans for an expanded role in an existing (Althaea-De Laet) chocolate factory (Tony's Chocolonely Chocolate Circus), on the border between Zaanstad and Amsterdam. They will become more involved in their own manufacturing and continue to pursue their goal of making "100% slave-free chocolate the norm in the industry."

Ritter - Dark Chocolate with Almond and Orange (bar) - Jan. 22, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Ritter
Dark Chocolate with Almond and Orange (bar)
Good +
Weight: 1.09 oz. (31 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) total bar
Calories: 170 calories in 1 serving (31 g.) of bar
Cost: $4.99 (estimate) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Santa Venetia Market, San Rafael, CA

Welcome to Day #16 of European Chocolate Vacation Theme Week.

Today's Ritter Sport Dark Chocolate Almond and Orange (bar) was from Afred Ritter GmbH and Co. KG (Waldenbuch, Germany). After an imagined visit to Museum Ritter in Waldenbuch, I took a virtual walk around the area. Despite foggy cool weather today in Germany, I was able to enjoy a refreshing (chocolate-powered) walk--only it was in Northern California. 

Aroma notes for this substantial (thick) Ritter bar included: bold, dark chocolate, nut (almond) and faint citrus.

Bold dark chocolate flavor was intermingled with tiny but flavorful bits of chewy, sweet orange peel(s), and small pieces of crunchy almonds.

Ingredients: Sugar, chocolate liquor, cocoa butter, almonds, orange peel, butterfat (milk), glucose, fructose syrup, soy lecithin, lemon juice concentrate, orange oil, dextrose.

Allergen-related information: (Contained tree nuts (almonds), milk, soy.) "May contain traces of peanuts and other tree nuts, wheat and egg."

Ritter - Milk Chocolate with Cocoa Mousse Filling - Jan. 21, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Ritter
Milk Chocolate with Cocoa Mousse Filling (bar)
Good - Good +
Weight: 1.16 oz. (33 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 190 calories in 3 squares of bar
Cost: $4.99 (estimate) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Santa Venetia Market, San Rafael, CA

Welcome to Day #15 of European Chocolate Vacation Theme Week. Yesterday we were (virtually) in Austria; and we now head northwest into Germany.

Today's Ritter Sport Milk Chocolate with Cocoa Mousse Filling bar was from Alfred Ritter GmbH and Co. KG (Waldenbuch, Germany).

Waldenbuch is a small city in the Stuttgart region of southeastern Germany. I imagined visiting the Museum Ritter--a modern white building with beautiful, colorful stained glass--to look at the exhibits and to enjoy a cup of hot chocolate at the museum cafe.

The aroma notes for today's thick, sweet chocolate bar included: pfeffernusse cookies and chocolate hazelnut butter cookies with chocolate milk. The milk chocolate surrounded a darker chocolate "mousse" filling. 

Ingredients: Sugar, milk, palm fat, cocoa butter, chocolate liquor, cocoa, skim milk, butterfat (milk), hazelnut paste, soy lecithin.

Allergen-related information: May contain traces of peanuts, other tree nuts, wheat and egg.

Zotter - Milk Chocolate Dark Style, no sugar 70% Cocoa/30% Milk (bars) - Jan. 20, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Zotter
Milk Chocolate Dark Style, no sugar added (bars)
Good ++ 
Weight: 1.145 oz. (32.5 g.) / 2.29 oz. (65 g.) total bar
Calories: 200 calories in 1 bar (of 2)
Cost: $7.99 (estimate) for 1 package of 2 bars
Purchased from: Zotterusa.com, online order

Welcome to Day #14 of European Chocolate Vacation Theme Week. 

The aroma notes of for this bar included creamy chocolate ice cream, and buttery chocolate cookie (pecan shortbread).

The relatively bold, smooth dark flavor of this bar was blended with a creamy, smooth texture and taste. It was a delicious implementation of a relatively deep, dark chocolate--made without sugar--mellowed by milk that also added enough natural sweetness to be just right. (A judicious touch of vanilla added a little bit of implied baked goods sweetness.)

I would definitely include this bar in a tasting flight (side-by-side chocolate tasting), to introduce people this 70% sugar free dark (with milk) offering with no added sweeteners (artificial or otherwise).

Maker's notes: "...offers an impressive nougat waffle aroma. Intense notes of milk and cream accompanied by a subtle fruitiness..." "...an obvious waffle aroma carried by a mountain of nougat develops after initial notes of lightly salted nuts."

Ingredients: Cocoa mass, dry whole milk, cocoa butter, organic vanilla bean powder.

Allergen-related information: "Contains milk." "Manufactured on equipment that processes tree nuts, soy, sesame and peanuts." "Fair traded, fair trade content in total: 70%"

Zotter - Labooko - Opus 5 Cuvee 72% Cacao Dark Chocolate bar(s) - Jan. 19, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Zotter

Labooko - Opus 5 Cuvee 72% Dark Chocolate bar(s)

Good +

Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.46 oz. (70 g.) in total package of 2 bars
Calories: 190 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $7.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Zotterusa.com, online order

Welcome to Day #13 of European Chocolate Vacation Theme Week. Having dipped down as far south as Spain and Italy, we've returned to Austria for more Zotter bars.

Today's Opus 5 bar from Zotter was made in Austria and distributed by Zotter Chocolates US LLC (Cape Coral, FL). The company offers hundreds of different bars--some are filled, and some, like today's, are solid chocolate and part of the company's Labooko line. This group includes many single origin and single origin blend bars.

This Opus 5 Cuvee 72% dark chocolate had a subtle aroma, smooth texture and uniform, deep dark, smooth 72% chocolate flavor with very faint fruit (berry, cranberry), and a barely there waxy fruit (star fruit) note. (I imagined a visit this month (January) to Florida to visit Zotter's US headquarters, and to feast on exotic fruits (including cacao fruit, flown in from the Caribbean.*

The number "5" in the name "Opus 5" refers to the fact that this chocolate was a blend of five cacaos from five different countries of origins: Madagascar, Sao Tome, India, Uganda and Panama. 

Maker's Notes: A "world tour" in a bar. Cacaos were selected (from five origins) for their fruit notes. Each origin was roasted separately; and then they were combined. "Taste profile: Madagascar: berry aroma, caramel; Sao Tome: fruity, red cherries; India: cherries, plum puree, peach; Uganda: red fruit, berries, fudge; Panama: cherries and almonds."

Ingredients: Organic and fair traded cocoa mass; organic and fair traded sugar; organic and fair traded cocoa butter. 

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

Laderach - "Milch" Milk Chocolate (bar) - Jan. 18, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Laderach 
Milch - Milk Chocolate (bar)

Good
Weight: 1.15 oz. (32 g) / 2.3 oz. (64 g.) in total bar
Calories: 190 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $6.90 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Laderach - Chocolatier Suisse, Stanford Shopping Center, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #12 of European Chocolate Vacation. 

Today's Milch Milk Chocolate (bar) was from Laderbach (Ennenda, Switzerland). 

Creamy and sweet, this bar was a luscious, thick milk chocolate. A bit too sweet for me, but milk chocolate lovers may appreciate this attractively-packaged, classic Swiss-style "Milch" (milk) offering.

Ingredients: Milk Chocolate, Cocoa 36% Min. Ingredients: Sugar, cocoa butter, whole milk powder, cocoa paste, skimmed milk powder, soy lecithin, Natural Flavor, Natural Flavors.

Allergen-related information: "May contain Egg, Other Gluten (Incl. Wheat), Other Nuts."

Laderach - FrischSchoggi Milk and Dark Chocolate Hazelnut "bark" pieces - Jan. 17, 2022

Chocolate(s) of the Day

Laderach Chocolate

1.) FrischSchoggi Dark Chocolate Hazelnut - Good ++

2.) FrischSchoggi "Milch" Milk Chocolate Hazelnut - Good +

Weight: .75 oz x 2 = 1.5 oz. (42.5 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total pieces/slabs

Calories: 252.5 calories (per website) in 1.5 ounce serving (.75 oz. of each, dark and milk)

Cost: $9.67 for 3 oz. (85 g.) (Sold by weight; $51.60 per lb.)

Purchased from: Laderach chocolatier suisse store, Stanford Shopping Center, Palo Alto, CA

Gruezi, and welcome to Day #11 of European Chocolate Vacation Theme Week(s), with virtual visits to several European countries via chocolate. 

Covid-19 has made travel more challenging; but, thankfully, imaginary travel via food (and a good import and distribution network in the U.S.) is possible. 

Laderach is a family-run Swiss chocolatier based in Ennenda (Glarus), Switzerland. Fortunately, they recently opened a shop nearby. And instead of boarding a plane, I drove to this local Laderach outlet to buy some Swiss-made chocolate--including today's FrischSchoggi ("fresh chocolate") Dark Chocolate and Milk Chocolate Hazelnut pieces. 

In lieu of a hike in the Swiss Alps, I took a great hike in the nearby California hills (green with recent winter rains) with friend and fellow travel lover, Toni. We were able to enjoy bites of these thick slabs of "fresh chocolate" from this Swiss chocolatier while enjoying mountain views of the Bay Area.

The aromas and flavors of both these chocolates (dark and milk) were infused with sweet cocoa and true hazelnut flavor. Whole hazelnuts played a starring role in both, adding a satisfying, hearty crunchy texture, and helping to off-set the sugar.

As expected, the dark chocolate was richer and deeper with more true cacao flavor (uniform, dark chocolate mousse, brownie, with almost invisible green and cherry notes). 

The "Milch" milk chocolate was quite sweet and creamy, providing a lush, sugary backdrop for the whole (Piedmont) hazelnuts--which tasted like they'd been very lightly roasted and tumbled in a very thin (caramelized) sugar coating. Light sweet finish with hazelnut cocoa (creamy hot chocolate) notes.

Note: Ingredients listed below for these chocolates were taken from Laderach website.

Dark Chocolate (56%) Hazelnut slab Ingredients: Sugar, hazelnuts (30%), cocoa paste, cocoa butter, emulsifier (soya, E322), vegetable oils (rapeseed), natural flavouring substances, cocoa powder, colouring (E100).

Allergen-related information: Contained nuts (hazelnuts) and soy. "May contain egg, milk, other gluten (inclu(ding) wheat), other nuts."

Milk Chocolate (36% min.) Hazelnut slab Ingredients: Hazelnuts (31%), sugar, cocoa butter, whole milk powder, cocoa powder, skimmed milk powder, vegetable oils (rapeseed), emulsifier (soya lecithin, E322), natural flavour, natural flavouring substances, cocoa powder.

Allergen-related information: Contained nuts (hazelnuts), milk and soy. "May contain egg, other gluten (inclu. wheat), other nuts."