Dr. Bronner's - Salted Whole Almonds Dark Chocolate 70% (bar) - Jan. 30, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Dr. Bronner's

Salted Whole Almonds Dark Chocolate 70% Cocoa (bar)

Good +

Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar

Calories: 170 calories in 1/3 bar
Cost: $3.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Sprouts, Mountain View, CA

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate and Ghana Theme Week.

Today's Salted Whole Almonds Dark Chocolate 70% Cocoa (bar) was made in Switzerland, and distributed by Dr. Bronner's (Vista, CA). 

Dr. Bronner's is perhaps better known in the U.S. for their line of environmentally and socially conscious soaps. But, they've caught the "Cocoa Magic" bug, and have extended a passion for regenerative organic agriculture into chocolate.* 

The company is sourcing organic, fairly traded cocoa from Ghana and Ivory Coast and partnering with Swiss maker(s) to offer a line of 70% dark chocolate bars.

Aroma notes for this Organic and Fair Trade Certified bar included: true chocolate (brownie, chocolate cake), green citrus herb (oxalis, sorrel) and faint lightly earthy, faintly smokey, vanilla bean spice.

Flavor notes mirrored the aroma notes (above) with a deeper, richer immersion into the chocolate flavors that were accented with authentic vanilla and an occasional uptick of salt--that, along with the lightly roasted almonds, helped balance the sweetness provided by coconut sugar. 

The green citrus note (likely from oxalic acid) and a very faint fruit and/or citrus quality yielded a balanced chocolate acidity that lingered lightly in the finish.

Ingredients: Fair Trade Organic cocoa beans, Fair Trade Organic coconut sugar, organic almonds, Fair Trade Organic cocoa butter, sea salt, Fair Trade Organic Bourbon vanilla bean.

Allergen-related information: "Made on equipment that also processes almonds, hazelnuts, milk, coconut and soy."

*I first discovered Dr. Bronner's bars in local stores in December 2020. Already being a fan of their soaps, I was delighted to try this new line of dark chocolates. A bright spot of good news in challenging times (recent passing of a parent and ongoing Covid-19 related limitations on travel, work and social get-togethers.) Thankfully there is still much to feel very grateful about. 

Moka Origins - Sea Salt Dark Chocolate 72% Cacao Ghana (bar) - Jan. 29, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Moka Origins
Sea Salt Dark Chocolate 72% Cacao Ghana (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.2 oz. (34 g.) / 2.4 oz. (68 g.) in total bar
Calories: 160 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $7.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Sigona's Market, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate and Ghana Theme Week.

Today's Sea Salt Dark Chocolate 72% Cacao Ghana (bar) was made, from bean-to-bar, by Moka Origins (Honesdale, PA). The company specializes in single origin, small batch chocolates (and coffees).

The balanced bouquet of aroma notes of this chocolate included: dark chocolate (ultra-dark chocolate torte), fruit (berry, and later, faint ripe kiwi), a fleeting, pleasant botanical floral spice (green tea + vanilla, white pepper), and a very faint, fleeting salt and black pepper potato (chip) note.

Flavor notes included: flavorful dark chocolate (ultra-dark chocolate torte), fruit (red berry, currant), sea salt, and very faint, green, floral black pepper and earth.

The well-tempered bar broke with a snap, and it had a smooth melt and creamy texture with micro crystals of sea salt.

Similar to yesterday's Ghana-grown cacao 58% dark milk chocolate (Moka Origins sibling), today's Ghana 72% dark chocolate sea salt bar was crafted using a blend of Amelonado and Trinitario cacao beans, from ABOCFA--an Organic and Fair Trade certified cacao co-operative that maintains "complete traceability for its cacao and their farmers." (Sourcing partner: Uncommon Cacao.)*

Maker's description: "Dark chocolate finished with hand-harvested sea salt"

Ingredients: Organic cocoa beans, organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter, Kosher flake sea salt. (Over 67% Fair Trade Certified Ingredients) USDA Organic certified; Fair Trade Certified by Fair Trade USA

Allergen-related information: "Gluten free, vegan, soy free." "Made in a facility that handles dairy, gluten, coconut, and tree nuts."

*Historically, most of the cacao exported from West African countries like Ghana has not been fair trade certified (or organic certified) and has been "mostly untraceable." 

The ABOCFA cooperative in Suhum, Ghana, is one of only four certified Organic cacao providers in Ghana, and it supplies cacao from 13 local farming communities ("hamlets"). The co-op trains farmers on best practices to optimize quality (harvesting, fermentation, drying), to help ensure farmers receive a fair (higher) price for their cacao.

The organization can also provide more information to potential cacao buyers in other countries such as the U.S., which in turn can be supplied to customers. 

For example, we can read on the packaging that the cacao used to make this Moka Origins bar was from "Suhum, Ghana. Located in the Eastern Region of South Ghana, West Africa, with coordinates: 6.0413 degrees N., 0.4550 degrees W..." Cacao was grown at approximately "610 feet above sea level." And we also know that cocoa trees were likely "intercropped" (i.e. grown with) "palm trees, plantains, coconut and cassava plants."

It also should be noted that Moka Origins founders have spent time in Africa, and in fact have a farm in Cameroon (west-central Africa). They are dedicated to "ethically sourcing coffee and cacao" and supporting farmers and the environment.

Moka Origins - Dark Milk Chocolate 58% Cacao Ghana (bar) - Jan. 28, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Moka Origins
Dark Milk Chocolate 58% Cacao Ghana (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.2 oz. (34 g.) / 2.4 oz. (68 g.) in total bar
Calories: 200 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $7.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Sigona's Market, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate and Ghana Theme Week.

Today's Dark Milk Chocolate 58% Cacao Ghana (bar) was made, from bean-to-bar, by Moka Origins (Honesdale, PA). The company specializes in single origin, small batch chocolates (and coffees).

The aroma of this chocolate was one of subtle, sweet dark milk chocolate, with a very faint clean mineral note.

The well-tempered bar broke with a snap, and it had a smooth melt and creamy texture.

The flavor had notes of slightly tart (faint, diffuse fruit) and milk chocolate flavor with faint molasses spice notes. The Ghana-grown cacao used to make this bar was a blend of Amelonado and Trinitario. 

This well-executed bar was refreshingly flavorful and relatively complex for a milk chocolate bar.

Maker's description: "Creamy dark chocolate made with organic A2/A2 milk from Alexandre Family Farm."

Ingredients: Organic cocoa beans, organic cane sugar, organic milk powder, organic cocoa butter. (Over 40% Fair Trade certified ingredients. Fair Trade Certified by Fair Trade USA.)

Allergen-related information: (Contained milk.) "Gluten free, soy free" "Made in a facility that handles dairy, gluten, coconut, and tree nuts."

Ritter Sport - Cacao Selection - 81% Cacao Extra Intense Dark Chocolate (Ghana) (bar) - Jan. 27, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Ritter Sport
Cacao Selection 81% Cacao Extra Intense Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 1.16 oz. (32 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 200 calories in 8 pieces (32 g.) of bar
Cost: $2.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Piazza's, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #2 of Chocolate and Ghana Theme Week. 

Today's Ritter Sport Cacao Selection 81% Cacao Extra Intense Dark Chocolate (bar) from Alfred Ritter GmbH and Co. KG (Waldenbuch, Germany) was made with cocoa beans from Ghana.

Like other square-shaped Ritter bars, this ultra-dark chocolate (introduced in 2020) was easily divided into tinier squares for eating or sharing with others.

Aroma notes for this chocolate included bold true chocolate (deep dark brownie) with balanced tannic* earth (faint wood bark tannin, peat bog) that I associate more with Forastero cacao.

The 81% dark chocolate had a smooth, uniform melt and texture, and uniform flavor.

This chocolate had a deep dark chocolate flavor--true chocolate (deep, dark brownie), very faint dark caramel, and a sustained tannic forest earth (wood, peat bog) note. 

Tannic acids in green plants and fruits can be acidic and astringent (e.g. red wines, black tea, unripe pomegranate or persimmon); however, this tannin note conjured up visions of deep, ancient woods/earth, with a very subtle aged black walnut note. 

This did not taste acidic. In fact, while related, tannins are not the same as tannic acid.* And while I was expecting (from the aroma) to run into acid or astringency (or bitterness) in the flavor, this didn't really happen. 

The "peat" flavor was more organic and less acidic. And it was also less smokey/carbon-y than, say, peat bog water and/or peat bog fire smoke associated with drying barley used to make Scotch Islay whiskey (ies); but it did invite this comparison, as I was fishing around for how to describe this chocolate.

Ingredients: Chocolate liquor (made from cocoa beans from Ghana), sugar, cocoa butter. 

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

*Tannins are plant (polyphenolic) compounds found in roots, barks and leaves of plants and trees. (Cocoa beans contain tannins. More robust, bold Forastero varieties of cacao grown in West African countries like Ghana can contain higher amounts of tannins than some other, more "delicate" fine-flavored cacao varieties.)

Tannic acid is a specific form of tannin, that can be found in soils or compost where plants and trees have decomposed near water (swamps). Peat bogs tend to be acidic and high in tannins. Waters with tannic acid are often dark brown in color. 

Ritter Sport - Dark Milk Chocolate 55% Cacao (bar) - Jan. 26, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Ritter Sport
Cacao Selection Dark Milk Chocolate 55% Cacao (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.16 oz. (32 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 190 calories in 8 pieces (32 g.) of bar
Cost: $4.99 (estimate) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Missing information

Welcome to Day #1 of Chocolate and Ghana Theme Week. Ghana is one of the largest cacao producers. This West African nation exported an estimated 900,000 tonnes of cocoa in the 2020/2021 season.*

Today's Ritter Sport Cacao Selection Dark Milk Chocolate 55% Cacao (bar) from Alfred Ritter GmbH and Co. KG (Waldenbuch, Germany) was made with cocoa mass from Ghana.

Like all square-shaped Ritter bars, this chocolate was easily divisible (easy to break) into tinier squares for eating or sharing with others.

Aroma notes for this chocolate included chocolate mousse, faint diffuse fruit (berry, sweet banana, citrus, tropical fruit), and fleeting, faint, balanced tannic earth (that dissipated rapidly after the package had been opened for a minute or two)

The 55% dark milk chocolate had a smooth, uniform melt and texture. A judicious amount of milk yielded some creaminess, soothed any possible unruly earth notes, and added a hint of caramel; but it was not so much milk that it obscured the cacao notes. (Thank you.)

This chocolate had a sweet dark chocolate flavor--true chocolate (faint chocolate mousse cake, faint brownie), subtle dark caramel, a barely there, diffuse fruit note, and a very faint, balanced tannic forest earth note that kicked in about half-way through with another small uptick in the finish.

Ingredients: Chocolate liquor, sugar, cocoa butter, milk. 

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

*This according to Ghana Cocoa Board (Cocobod), as reported by Confectionery News.

Chocolate Naive - Rough-Ground Rustic Dark Chocolate 75% (bar) - Jan. 25, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Chocolate Naive
Rough-Ground Rustic Dark Chocolate 75% (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar
Calories: 169.5 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $10.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Sveiki (hello) and welcome to last day (Day #19) of European Chocolate Vacation. 

Today's Rough-Ground Rustic Dark Chocolate 75% (bar) was from Chocolate Naive (Vilnius, Lithuania). 

I imagined strolling along the Neris River near the Vilnius city center in Lithuania, making quick stops in Uzupis Republic and Old Town, and then paying respects to creative, award-winning, bean-to-bar chocolate maker Domantas Uzpalis at Chocolate Naive. 

Since founding the company in 2011, Uzpalis has been producing wonderful original origin and flavored bars (Soursop, Porcini, and BBQ Spices to name a few). If I'm in luck, I'll be able to try some ice cream there too. (Parsley ice cream perhaps?) Even his "plain" chocolate bars often have a unique twist.

Rough-Ground Rustic Dark Chocolate 75% 

The aroma notes for today's dark chocolate bar included: rich dark chocolate, balanced fruit (berry, faint citrus), licorice spice, and faint clean, sweet mineral. Even before taking a bite, I'm already appreciating the complexity of this chocolate.

The custom-shaped bar was a merger of a large and a small circle (molecules, bicycle wheels, cacao beans?) with the company's logo in the middle. The chocolate broke with a well-tempered snap, and included a flawless field of two evenly distributed textures: smooth dark chocolate and crunchy (tiny crystals of sugar perhaps).

The flavor notes included: relatively uniform with true chocolate (ultra-dark chocolate mousse) and fully incorporated, faint fruit blend (berry, tropical fruit, citrus) with medium acidity. Not too sweet (thank you). (Also, barely there: a nutty/malty note that showed up on the re-taste.)

Bumping up the cacao from 70% to 75% seemed like a great choice here. The "roughly" incorporated sugar crystals offered some textural fun, and and allowed the sugar to have enough voice to be interesting without dominating the chocolate.

The cacao origin and variety weren't specified on the package. It had a Trinitario cacao variety like flavor--less dark and dense than a Forastero variety, and with some balanced and bright "fruit" acidity (enhanced with the tiny sparkles of sugar).

Today's chocolate was a well-executed variation on a classic three-ingredient dark chocolate bar with layered aromas, textures flavors. If sophisticated can co-exist with rustic, this would be the place.

Maker's tasting notes: Fruity, nutty, toasty, honey-like; "Initial taste of fresh strawberries and cherries followed by honey and--after a few seconds--some subtle nutty notes."

Ingredients: Specialty cacao*, cane sugar*, pure cacao butter* (Cacao min. 75%) 
*Asterisk indicates: "wild or all-natural farming"

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

Francois Pralus - Barre Infernal Orange - Jan. 24, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Francois Pralus
Barre Infernale Orange (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 2 oz. (56.6 g.) / 5.29 oz. (150 g.) in total bar
Calories: 310 calories (estimate) in 2 oz. (56.6 g.) of bar
Cost: $24.00 (estimate) for 1 bar 
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Bonjour (good day) and welcome to Day #18 of European Chocolate Vacation. 

Today's Francois Pralus Barre Infernale Orange (bar) was from Patiserrie Chocolaterie S.A.S. Pralus (Roanne, France). Roanne is a commune in the Loire Department in central France. 

I took an (imagined) walk along the Loire River, and then headed back to a small auberge (inn) to enjoy this hometown bar. (And what a lovely thing it would be to living near the origin of Francois Pralus chocolates.)

Aroma notes for this chocolate converged into a magical blend of candied citrus (orange peel), roasted nuts, and spiked chocolate fruitcake. The ingredients in this bar were skillfully layered to showcase them in both aroma and flavor.

Flavorful (fruity) dark chocolate formed the outer layer of this of this gold bullion bar-shaped chocolate was filled with a satisfying, softer praline center: ground nuts (almonds, hazelnut), milk chocolate and authentic, ground sweet orange peel, with a touch of orange liqueur. (Think faint Grand Marnier. The spirits added a bit of "infernale" or adult sinfulness.)

Everything about this substantial and flavorful. Happily it was not too sweet (thank you!). Cut a piece of this chocolate as you would slice a loaf of bread. A great bar to bring to a dinner party, or to share with others.

Ingredients: Praline 50% (roasted hazelnuts, sugar, roasted almonds, cocoa butter, milk chocolate (sugar, cocoa butter, milk powder, cocoa: 45% minimum; emulsifier: sunflower lecithin); black (dark) chocolate (cocoa: 70% minimum, sugar, cocoa butter, emulsifier: sunflower lecithin); candied oranges 16% (sugar, oranges 57%, glucose, orange alcohol).

Allergen-related information: Contained tree nuts (hazelnuts, almonds), milk. "Contains nuts and may contain traces of milk."