Exquisito Chocolates - Produits Des Iles SA, Haiti 73% bar - May 23, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Exquisito Chocolates
73% Haiti Organic - Produits Des Iles SA (Haiti) bar
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.25 oz. (35 g.) / 2.5 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 194 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Exquisito Chocolates, online order 

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate and The Sea Theme Week, involving for the most part chocolates with varying forms of sea salt, and sometimes other marine-related elements.

Today's 73% Haiti Organic Produits Des Iles SA (bar) was from Exquisito Chocolates (Little Havana, Miami, FL). The company offers a range of bars and confections and makes bean-to-bar, and single origin chocolate.

This bar was wrapped in a maritime-themed red paper with navy (boat) anchors. The packaging relates to an origin story that is close to the sea. The cacao was grown on a Caribbean Sea island nation (Haiti) and was made--not that far away by chocolate making standards--in southern Florida, close to the Atlantic Ocean/Biscayne Bay.*

The subtle aroma of this bar was one of dark, sweet chocolate. The melt was even and texture was smooth. The taste was uniform with balanced dark flavor. The cacao used to make this bar was from Produits des Iles SA (PISA), a Haiti food products company that supplies cacao to several specialty chocolate makers.

I ate this bar with a Japanese style (savory) "breakfast" that included a small side dish of roasted almonds, nori (seaweed) and sea salt. I found this savory, sea-related pairing brought out a subtle fruitiness in the dark chocolate that was not noticeable when the dark chocolate was tasted alone. (When tasted alone, the chocolate had a faint earth note, but not bright, diffuse sweet-tart fruit--that arguably was a sweet-salt contrast effect.)

Ingredients: Cacao beans, unrefined cane sugar, cocoa butter

Allergen-related information: (No information listed on package.)

*Arguably, Exquisito Chocolates (Little Havana, Miami, FL) is one of the closest U.S. bean-to-bar chocolate makers to Caribbean cacao growing nations.

Exquisito Chocolates - "Don't Be Salty" 73% Dark Chocolate with Sea Salt (bar) - May 22, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Exquisito Chocolates
"Don't Be Salty" - 73% Dark Chocolate with Sea Salt (bar)
Good +
Weight: 1.25 oz. (35 g.) / 2.5 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 194 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Exquisito Chocolates, online order 

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate and The Sea Theme Week.

Today's "Don't Be Salty" 73% Dark Chocolate with Sea Salt (bar) was from Exquisito Chocolates (Little Havana, Miami, FL). The company offers a range of bars and confections and makes bean-to-bar, and single origin chocolate.

Wrapped in white paper with "cartoon" black mustaches, this chocolate had a fun look. It was made in Miami--an important port city in the southeastern U.S. where the Miami River empties into Biscayne Bay and the Atlantic Ocean.

Today's salt-forward bar had a relatively uniform sweet, dark chocolate aroma with very faint salt caramel notes. A generous sprinkle of sea salt resulted in a fairly salty dark chocolate flavor, that also balanced the sweetness. 

Ingredients: Cacao beans, unrefined cane sugar, cocoa butter, sea salt

Allergen-related information: (No information listed on package.)

Exquisito Chocolates - Sea Salt Caramels - May 21, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Exquisito Chocolates
Sea Salt Caramels
Good + 
Weight: .975 oz. (27.5 g.) / 3.9 oz. (110 g.) (estimate) in total box of 8 caramels
Calories: 151 calories (estimate) in 2 caramels
Cost: $20.00 for 1 box of 8 caramels
Purchased from: Exquisito Chocolates, online order 

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate and The Sea Theme Week.

Today's Sea Salt Caramels were from Exquisito Chocolates (Little Havana, Miami, FL). The company offers a range of bars and confections and makes bean-to-bar, and single origin, "farm to table" chocolates.

I was a bit of a sugar hunter when young. (Less so now.) Trips to the beach included childhood memories of sea salted confections--primarily a wonderful range of salt water taffy flavors, and salt caramels. 

Today's sea salt caramels had an aroma with faint, sweet chocolate and caramel notes.

The caramel filling had a creamy melt and an almost fluffy soft, slightly flowing caramel chew, and very sweet caramel taste. 

The soft, velvety sweet caramel was enrobed in 73% cacao dark chocolate; and this dark chocolate added richness and depth. Tiny crystals of sea salt helped provide balance and contrast to the sweetness.

Ingredients: (Information taken from Exquisito website) "Cacao, unrefined cane sugar, cocoa butter, cream, butter, evaporated milk, glucose." 

Allergen-related information: (Information from Exquisito website) "Contains cow's milk. Processed in a facility that also processes milk, peanuts, tree nuts and wheat."

TCHO - Deep, Dark and Salty (bar) Monterey Bay Seaweed Big Sur Sea Salt - May 20, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

TCHO Ventures, Inc.
Deep, Dark and Salty (bar) with Monterey Bay Seaweed, Big Sur Sea Salt
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.25 oz. (35 g.) / 2.5 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 180 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $ N/A - sample from TCHO
Purchased from: N/A - sample from TCHO (thank you Alana?)

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate and The Sea Theme Week.

Today's Deep, Dark and Salty Monterey Bay Seaweed + Big Sur Sea Salt was from TCHO Ventures, Inc. (Berkeley, CA). 

This 74% cacao bar, made in Berkeley, was a collaboration between TCHO Chief Chocolate Officer, Brad Kintzer, and Monterey Bay Aquarium's Executive Chef, Matthew Beaudin.*

As advertised, this umami** bar had a "deep, dark" chocolate aroma. (Disclosure: I really enjoy trying well-crafted, savory chocolate blends. People who prefer sweeter, milder chocolates may not be as adventurous.)

Texture: The chocolate had a relatively thick, even melt at room temperature (67 degrees F./19.4 degrees C.) and a slightly crunchy texture (similar to very small pieces of crisped rice--I'm assuming from the seaweed). 

Flavor: A relatively uniform, bold, base 74% cacao chocolate with densely dark and slightly earthy (clay) flavor with micro upticks in salt. There was also a faint fleeting brine-soaked and dried olive note. The salty flavors were balanced (detectable, but not too-heavy handed).

I enjoyed tasting this dark bar with sea-inspired flavors from the California (Pacific Ocean) coast.

TCHO tasting notes/description: "...dark chocolate with locally sourced sea lettuce from Monterey Bay Seaweeds and sea salt from Big Sur Salts."

Ingredients: Organic and fair trade cacao beans, organic cane sugar, organic and fair trade cocoa butter, dried seaweed, sea salt, soy lecithin, organic vanilla beans.

Allergen-related information: "May contain milk and tree nuts. Seaweed used in this product may contain shellfish from ocean water."

*"10% of sales (of this bar) benefit the Monterey Bay Aquarium"

**Umami, a Japanese word--sometimes called the fifth sense of taste (in addition to sweet, salty, bitter, sour)--refers to savory, glutamate-rich foods including: fish, bacon, meat broths, seaweeds, certain mushrooms, tomatoes, cheeses, olives and other fermented foods.

Bigger, bolder dark chocolates (made using Forastero, Amelonado and some Trinitario cacao varieties) can pair well with salt, smoked salt, salted nuts/nut butters and seed butters (sesame, tahini), bacon, savory seasonings/herbs, and even marine items (seaweeds, smoked/salted dried fish). 

At the other end of the cacao spectrum would be the delicate fruity/floral heritage cacaos (e.g. Criollo), which I tend not to want to pair with salt/savory items, as I enjoy savoring and being able to detect these lighter, nuanced notes.

Dick Taylor - Single Origin Milk Chocolate Fish with Fleur de Sel - May 19, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Dick Taylor Craft Chocolate
Single Origin Milk Chocolate Fish with Fleur de Sel - 55% Brazil Milk Chocolate
Good ++
Weight: .9 oz. (12.75 g.) / 1.8 oz. (25.5 g.) in total package
Calories: 142 calories (estimate) in 2 fish
Cost: $10.00 for 1 package of 4 dark chocolate fish
Purchased from: Dick Taylor, online order

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate and The Sea Theme Week.

Today's catch: Single Origin Milk Chocolate Fish with Fleur de Sel from Dick Taylor Craft Chocolate were handcrafted in Eureka, California.

Aroma notes for these 55% milk chocolate fish included: bold dark chocolate and faint salty chocolate and vanilla cookie.

The balanced, bold, very slightly earthy, creamy 55% cacao dark chocolate had a thick rich melt--and tasted refreshingly un-sweet for even a darker milk bar. A judicious amount of vanilla bean and a light sprinkle of sea salt (flecks of fleur de sel on the back of the fish) rounded out the cacao flavor(s).

The maker's description of today's sea-inspired chocolate (below) mentions their proximity to the Pacific Ocean in Northern California.

"Using our Single Origin 55% Milk Chocolate made with organic A2/A2 whole milk by Alexandre Family Farm, we have created a delicious Chocolate Fish confection in honor of our coastal home on the Humboldt Bay. Each fish has been delicately topped with a light sprinkling of Fleur de Sel."

Ingredients: Organic cacao (cocoa solids 55% minimum), Organic cane sugar, Organic A2/A2 whole milk powder, Organic cocoa butter, Fleur de Sel, Organic vanilla bean

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

*Dick Taylor's operation in Eureka is close to the Pacific Ocean in northern California.

Dick Taylor - 72% Belize Dark Chocolate Fish with Fleur de Sel - May 18, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Dick Taylor Craft Chocolate
72% Belize Dark Chocolate Fish with Fleur de Sel
Good ++
Weight: .9 oz. (12.75 g.) / 1.8 oz. (25.5 g.) in total package
Calories: 140 calories (estimate) in 2 fish
Cost: $10.00 for 1 package of 4 dark chocolate fish
Purchased from: Dick Taylor, online order

Welcome to Day #2 of Chocolate and The Sea Theme Week.

Today's catch: 72% Belize Dark Chocolate with Fleur de Sel fish-shaped chocolates from Dick Taylor Craft Chocolate were handcrafted in Eureka, California.

Aroma notes for these tasty "fish" included: bold dark chocolate, faint molasses/maple syrup, and very faint tart green herb (oxalis, sorrel), salty chocolate cookie, and floral.

Unlike the last (ocean-caught) salmon fish I tasted, these high-end dark chocolate novelty (species unknown) fish broke with a well-tempered snap. 

The taste was a blend of balanced bold chocolate with faint diffuse fruit (citrus), molasses and barely there green botanical notes. The Belize dark chocolate tasted darker than 72% cacao (closer to 76% - 80% cacao) and was refreshingly un-sweet.

A judicious sprinkle of sea salt (flecks of fleur de sel on the back of the fish) rounded out the flavors. 

The maker's description of today's marine-inspired chocolate (below) reveals their close connection to the sea.*

"Our Single Origin Chocolate Fish are made in celebration of our coastal home on the historic Humboldt Bay. 72% Belize chocolate is topped with a light sprinkling of Fleur De Sel sea salt, creating the perfect blend of rich dark chocolate and the subtle sharpness of the salty sea air."

Ingredients: Organic cacao (Cacao solids 72% minimum), Organic cane sugar, sea salt

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

*Dick Taylor's multi-talented founders (Adam Dick and Dustin Taylor) have impressive skills that include boat building and being musicians.

Simply Super Organic Superfoods - Organic Cacao Nibs - May 17, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Simply Super Organic Superfoods
Organic Cacao Nibs
Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) / 6 oz. (170 g.) in total package 
Calories: 180 calories in 3 Tablespoons (28 g.)
Cost: $ missing information
Purchased from: missing information

Welcome to Day #12 of Chocolate, Nuts and Nibs Theme Week, and Day #1 of Chocolate and the Sea Theme Week. Ahoy! The Research Vessel "Chocolate Banquet" is now underway with some nuts, nibs and galley-assembled cacao treasures.

Today's Simply Super Organic Superfoods, Organic Cacao Nibs were distributed by OMG! Food Company LLC (Rancho Dominguez, CA).

I tried some of these organic cacao nibs, by themselves, first. 

Most, however, were used to make four small dark chocolate sea stars (one with cacao nibs, two with nibs and sea salt, one with nibs and kelp seasoning*), to kick off Chocolate and The Sea Theme Week. These chocolates were floating on a frozen "sea" of Tillamook Salted Caramel Frozen Custard, topped with a trail of roasted nut flotsam and jetsam.

First, the nibs...

These nibs had a complex, intriguing aroma and flavor with sweet tree sap (maple), green (tea), coffee, vaguely fruit-floral (light citrus, orange blossom) and chocolate (brownie) notes. The nibs had a satisfying crunchy texture.

The chocolate sea stars that incorporated these nibs as well as some sea salt (and one with kelp seasoning and sea salt) were enjoyable as well.

Ingredients for Cacao Nibs: Organic cacao nibs

Allergen-related information: (None listed on package.)

*Barnacle Foods Alaskan "Everything" Kelp Seasoning blend ingredients: Onion, garlic,  sesame seed, Alaskan kelp, and Kosher salt, poppy seed.