Marou - Ginger and Lime 69% Ba Ria Vietnamese Chocolate (bar) - Sept. 29, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Marou Faiseurs de Chocolat
Ginger and Lime 69% Ba Ria Single Origin Vietnamese Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.4 oz. (40 g.) / 2.8 oz. (80 g.) in total bar
Calories: 220 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $8.50 (estimate) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's Ginger and Lime 69% Ba Ria bar was from /made by Marou Faiseurs de Chocolate (Chocolate Makers) based in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

Aromas for this Vietnam bar included faint, warm ginger, dark chocolate and faint citrus.

This 69% dark chocolate had gentle swells of warm spice (ginger), dark chocolate and fresh lime citrus flavor notes. The flavor emphasis was on the smooth dark chocolate; and the other accent flavors were balanced, authentic-tasting and complementary.

The makers found all three flavors (cacao, ginger and lime) in Ba Ria, a southeastern, coastal province in southern Vietnam.

Maker's notes: "...the perfect harmony between the bitterness of cacao, the spiciness of ginger and the sweet acidity of lime."

Ingredients: Cacao nibs (65.5%), cane sugar (29.5%). Soy, gluten, nuts, and dairy free.

Allergen-related information: Manufactured in a facility that also processes coconut.

 

Marou Bar - Dark Chocolate 64% Tropical Fruits and Roasted Cashews - Sept. 29, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Marou Faiseurs de Chocolat
Marou Bar - Dark Chocolate 64% Tropical Fruits and Roasted Cashews 
Good ++
Weight: 1.2 oz. (35 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 200 calories in 1 snack bar
Cost: $3.20 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #1 of Chocolate and Vietnam Theme Week. 

Today's Dark Chocolate 64% Tropical Fruits and Roasted Cashews Marou Bar was from Marou Faiseurs de Chocolat (Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam), and Imported by A Priori Specialty Food (Salt Lake City, UT) into the U.S. 

Founded in 2011, by Samuel Maruta and Vincent Mourou, team Marou (a name that blends the founders' surnames) sources cacao from several provinces in southern Vietnam.

Aroma notes for this "bite-sized adventure," single origin (Vietnam) chocolate bar included: complex, high-end dark chocolate and fruit (citrus, mango, other diffuse tropical fruit, berry and very faint fruity floral).

The textural blend of smooth, rich dark chocolate was interspersed with chewy, flavorful fruits and small chunks of crunchy nutty pieces was satisfying, as were the flavors.

While the well-sealed package looked like a fancy "snack bar" this was truly a high-end single origin craft chocolate bar (dark, smooth, with a faint, fleeting and balanced earth note) with flavor inclusions: roasted nuts (cashews) and dried fruits (mango, faint passion fruit and citrus (kumquat). The latter contributed bursts of tart sweet flavors that complemented the nuts and chocolate very nicely. 

This 64% cacao chocolate was not too sweet (thank you). The dried tropical fruits provided the touch of bright sweet orange sunshine, just as the orange and gold packaging colors suggested might be the case.

Ingredients: Cacao nibs, cane sugar, cashews, cacao butter, dried mango, dried passion fruit,  dried kumquat.

Allergen-related information: Contains cashews. "Manufactured in a facility that also processes milk, tree nuts, peanuts, eggs."

Zotter - Dark Choco with Coconut and Mango (bar) - Sept. 28, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Zotter
Dark Choco with Coconut and Mango (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 210 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $8.49 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Zotterusa.com

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate and Mango Week, and Day #1 of Chocolate and Coconut Theme Week. 

This Zotter Dark Choco with Coconut and Mango bar ("Sweetened only by Fruit") was made in Austria and distributed by Zotter Chocolates US LLC (Cape Coral, FL).

This uniquely-shaped ("Squaring the Circle") bar was both circle and square (one shape melded in with the other) and was adorned with circles and squares in a grid pattern, with a hole in the middle. 

The chocolate also had a unique, uniform thick, creamy smooth texture. More on that below.

The aroma and flavor notes for this bar were similar, and included: chocolate, various shades of nuanced and unsweetened coconut, faint coconut cookie, and subtle, green fruit (citrus, orange stone fruit).

In addition to the creative, geometric shape(s), I enjoyed two other unique aspects of today's chocolate: 1.) the texture, and 2.) the lack of cane (or other non-fruit) sugar. 

The thick, creamy texture went beyond the usual cocoa buttery (or cocoa butter and coconut milk) smoothness and was enhanced with coconut powder (see ingredients list below). This coconut powder blend contributed texture with thick and creamy heft; and richly nuanced--subtle not sweet--coconut taste. 

Many bars include (overly) sweetened coconut that can mask underlying flavors and textural possibilities. Thankfully this bar did not.

Coconut and mango (and the implied baked good sweetness of the added vanilla) added natural sweetness as well as flavor depth. Yes, added sugar can add brightness. But, I'll take nuanced, more "authentic" flavors any day.

Ingredients: Organic, fair trade cocoa mass; organic, fair trade toasted coconut (21%); organic dried mangos (10%); organic coconut powder 8% (organic coconut paste, organic coconut cream, organic coconut flour); organic vanilla bean powder, salt.

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

Theo and Philo - Mango and Coconut Chocolate Crunch - Sept. 27, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Theo and Philo 

Mango and Coconut Chocolate Crunch 

Good ++

Weight: .848 oz. (24 g.) / 5.3 oz. (150 g.) in total container

Calories: 128 calories in 1 serving (3 pieces)

Cost: $13.00 for 1 container

Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate and Mango Theme Week. 

Today's Mango and Coconut Chocolate Crunch was created by Theo and Philo Chocolate Factory Inc. (San Juan, Metro Manila, Philippines).

Aroma notes for these chocolate confections included: toasted coconut, macaroon, chocolate, fresh sweet green and very faint sweet fruit. 

These two-bite sized, petite chocolate macaroon-like haystack scooped confections were light and crunchy. The small bits of different textures all played nicely together; and the rice crispies added textural interest and an airiness to these treats.

Texturally, this was a complex blend of chewy toasted coconut flakes, crunchy rice crispies, tender dried mango bits, and smooth dark chocolate. 

All these flavors were balanced and harmonized well--offering a pleasant, not too sweet (thank you) treat. These small snacks were not quick cookies, not quite confections. They were a welcome, high-end relative of small coconut macaroons, with a Philippine twist.

Ingredients: 65% dark chocolate (cacao beans, sugar, cocoa butter), desiccated coconut, dried mango, and rice crispies. (Cacao origin: Philippines)

Allergen-related information: "Processed in a facility that also processes peanuts and other tree nuts."

Amano Chocolate - Mango Chili 65% Cocoa Dark Chocolate (bar) - Sept. 26, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Amano Chocolate Company
Mango Chili 65% Cocoa Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good - Good+
Weight: 1.4 oz. (40 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 206 calories in 1 serving of bar
Cost: $10.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate and Mango Theme Week.

Today's Mango Chili 65% Cocoa Dark Chocolate (bar) was handcrafted by Amano Chocolate Company (Orem, UT).

Aroma notes for this bar included: sweet chocolate and very, very faint, light aromatic tobacco (smokey vanilla).

This bar had a relatively smooth texture. As I bit into a small square--concentrating on detecting any flavor nuances in the smooth, sweet dark chocolate--my taste buds experienced rapid bursts of fresh mango and hot, spicy chili flavors--that may have been complementary flavors to the chocolate, but the somewhat overpowering chili spike made that hard to determine. (The heat also diminished fairly rapidly but it lingered a bit.)

For some reason, I found myself wanting to add a pinch of sea salt. I also wondered if I could stir a few squares of this Aztec-inspired* bar into a savory mole sauce and serve it over a Mexican entree or enchilada.

If you like sweet chocolate spiked with hot spicy chili pepper (tempered by a little mellow, warm vanilla spice), you may enjoy this chocolate.

The cacao was sourced "directly from farmers in the Guayas River Basin in Ecuador."

Maker's description: "Rich chocolate flavor from the Ecuadorian cocoa breaks in waves, followed by the arbol chili's smokey warmth. The calming fruitiness of mango finishes."

Ingredients: Cocoa beans, pure cane sugar, cocoa butter, mango, arbol chilies, whole vanilla beans

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

*As chocolate maker Art Pollard at Amano Chocolate notes, cacao and chili "have been paired together since the time of the Aztecs" (over 700 years ago) "when they were used to create a wonderful drink."

Mexican Chiles de Arbol (Arbol chilis/chiles), used in today's chocolate, may be small (only about 2-3 inches long); but they pack some substantial heat, and have a Scoville Scale "heat" rating above cayenne and below habanero in the realm of common peppers. (Bell peppers are considered mild at the low end of the scale, and ghost peppers are at the top.)

The mango was likely brought to Mexico (via Spanish galleon trade routes, between Manila in the Philippines and Acapulco in Mexico) over 300 years ago.

 

Pie Ranch - Gluten Free Walnut Brownie with Mango Ice Cream - Sept. 25, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Pie Ranch

Gluten Free Walnut Brownie

Good ++ 

Weight: 2 oz. (56.6 g.) (estimate) / 4 oz. (113 g.) (estimate) in 1 brownie

Calories: Unknown

Cost: $4.50 for 1 brownie 

Purchased from: Pie Ranch, Pescadero, CA

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

Today's Gluten Free Walnut Brownie was from Pie Ranch (Pescadero, CA).* This working farm and ranch also operates a small farmstand (retail store) that sells a variety of farm-related produce, preserves, pies, ice cream and other items. (Shout out to friend Don for including a Pie Ranch stop as part of a Pacific Coast day trip.)

Aroma and flavor notes for this brownie included: true chocolate (fudge brownie, dark chocolate cake/torte) with very faint earth and nut (walnut) notes.

The brownie had a soft, dark fudgey texture, and a wafer thin crunchy surface layer. This was a nicely executed classic (dark) chocolate, gluten-free brownie with some bold chocolate flavor depth.

I paired this brownie with a side of Haagen-Dazs Mango Ice Cream that had soft, creamy sweet mango fruit notes and small bits of mango fruit. The fresh, bright, tart-sweet mango flavor of the fresh fruit got lost in the shuffle in the sweet creamy ice cream.

This brownie would have been great just by itself. However, for a fruit + brownie pairing, I think I'd prefer a few fresh mango slices; or better yet, go with fresh red fruit (cherries) or berries. Or, if you want to skip the fruit, enjoy a brownie with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream (a tried and true classic flavor pairing with brownies), and top with nuts if desired.

Ingredients: (No information; single serving sized brownie was wrapped in plastic at farmstand; but there was no label.)

Allergen-related information: Contained nuts (walnuts). Gluten free brownie, but there was no label with an ingredients or allergen list. (I forgot to ask if they could share this information.)

Mirzam - White Chocolate Alphonso Mangoes (bar) + Cacao Nib "Caviar" - Sept. 24, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Mirzam Chocolate Makers
White Chocolate with Organic Indian Alphonso Mangoes (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 158 calories in 2 servings (30 g.) of bar
Cost: $11.25 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's White Chocolate Alphonso Mangoes (bar) was from Mirzam Chocolate Makers* (Dubai, United Arab Emirates). Mirzam is the name of a star that Arab traders used for navigation centuries ago. This mango bar was part of the Emarati company's Monsoon Collection. (January to March are the wetter months in Dubai.)

Most white chocolates are very sweet, and bland. Happily this was not the case with today's offering. The surprisingly complex aroma notes for this golden-colored bar included: very subtle sweet root vegetable (parsnip, yam), faint sweet pumpkin, and bright tropical fruit ice cream fruit (mango).

The texture? It had a relatively slow, even melt and a thick, creamy mouthfeel (at a room temperature of 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21.1 degrees Celsius).

Flavor notes mirrored the fruit and sweet vegetable aroma notes mentioned above. This white chocolate was unique and flavorful and not too sweet. (Thank you!) 

The cocoa butter and milk mellowed the brightness of the bright mango fruit a bit; however,  instead of muting flavors, the overall blend was uniquely flavorful and satisfying. 

I associated the taste and texture with good, homemade cream soups made with a short list of fresh, high-end ingredients. (We're moving into pumpkin and squash soup mode here in late September, so this bar seemed a good fit given we are slouching toward soup season.) 

It's not every white chocolate bar I'd be comparing to a fine soup. This special mango bar is in the top 10% of all white chocolates I've sampled, and it deserves a place in a white chocolate tasting flight.

Cacao Nib "Caviar"
But, wait. You thought I didn't "count" white chocolate on Chocolate Banquet? You are correct. 

I paired today's white chocolate with a small dollop of cacao nib "caviar"--cacao nibs marinated in Meyer Lemon juice, fruits, sea salt and gin. (Note: any alcohol from the gin component had evaporated by the end of the marinating process. Only the faint botanical flavors were left.) 

This salty, fruity side dish was a fun (and surprisingly complementary) pairing with today's bar. But then, again, this Mirzam 4-ingredient bar wasn't your every day white chocolate.  

Ingredients: "Cocoa butter, unrefined cane sugar, skim milk powder, Alphonso mango."

Allergen-related information: Contains milk.

*Mirzam Chocolate is affiliated with Kakow Manufacturing Co. LLC.