Alter Eco - Truffle Thins - Classic Dark Chocolate Organics (bar) - Sept. 5, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Alter Eco
Truffle Thins Classic Organic Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.48 oz. (42 g.) / 2.96 oz. (84 g.) in total bar
Calories: 255 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $4.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: New Leaf Community Markets, Half Moon Bay, CA 

Welcome to Day #4 of Dark Chocolate Theme Week.

Today's Organic Alter Eco Truffle Thins - Classic Dark Chocolate Organics (bar) was made in Switzerland and distributed by Alter Eco Foods (San Francisco, CA). 

The company describes themselves having some of the cleanest, greenest (certified Organic) chocolate bars and confections available. E.g., they actively support regenerative agricultural methods** where cacao is grown. 

Aroma notes included: smooth dark chocolate (chocolate ganache, mousse) with faint citrus (lemon) + green herb (oxalis); faint brown sugar; vanilla; and barely detectable botanical (very light, woody-nutty plant stalk/husk).

There are dark chocolate bars and dark chocolate filled confections. Today's 60% filled chocolate bar was both...organic dark chocolate filled with ganache..."part truffle, part chocolate bar."

The dual construction of this bar--dark chocolate bar filled with a softer, creamy chocolate ganache inside--resulted in a smooth, almost buttery melt and mouthfeel, with subtle textural depth.

Flavor notes included: smooth, creamy and sweet dark chocolate (dark chocolate mousse, ganache, torte) with fleeting fruit (berry jam) and lemon herb (oxalis), and faint vanilla.

This certified organic and gluten free, rich filled chocolate tasted like sweet, creamy cool chocolate ice cream or warm, thick, drinking chocolate. Yes, it was sweet (which I sometimes don't care for); but it was also quite tasty and a little addictive.

Ingredients: Organic dark chocolate (*organic cacao beans, *organic raw cane sugar, *organic cocoa butter, *organic vanilla beans), chocolate creme filling (organic coconut oil, *organic raw cane sugar, *organic cacao beans, *organic cocoa butter, organic whole milk, natural flavor, *organic vanilla beans).

Allergen-related information: "Contains milk and coconut. May contain hazelnuts, almonds, and soy. Individuals who are allergic to these should not consume this product."

*Fair for Life Fair Trade certified. Contains 86% Fair Trade ingredients. (Cacao: 60% minimum.)

**Regenerative farming for cacao involves planting a diverse mix of trees around the (often smaller) cacao trees to "mimic an abundant forest ecosystem." These methods can allow the planting of more trees per acre, increase carbon absorption and biodiversity (habitat), soil fertility, drought resistance and can provide shade for the cacao trees and the farmers.

Taza Chocolate - 70% Dark Chocolate "Deliciously Dark" (bar) - Sept. 4, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Taza Chocolate 
70% Dark Chocolate "Deliciously Dark" (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.25 oz. (35 g.) / 2.5 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 190 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $1.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #3 of Dark Chocolate Week.

Today's 70% Dark Chocolate "Deliciously Dark" (bar) was made from bean-to-bar by Taza Chocolate (Somerville, MA). 

The company offers a variety of bars, drinking chocolates and confections. Several years ago, I sampled another "plain" 70% dark chocolate. However, this had a slightly different title, and likely was made with a different cacao blend (different cacao growing regions, farms) and different harvest years.

Aroma notes for this vegan and dairy-free bar included: dark chocolate (deep, rich chocolate cookie/warm drinking chocolate); sweet green floral/botanical; subtle, balanced earth; and dried fruit (plum, banana).

Taza Chocolate is known for its slightly rougher texture. Their description notes that this chocolate "isn't silky smooth--on purpose." This 70% dark bar had a stone-ground, slightly granular texture--that wasn't objectionable to me because the company delivered (once again) on their promise of chocolate with texture and "bright, bold flavor that is...unique...never boring and always satisfying." 

Shorter cacao bean grind/processing times can mean a rougher texture; but you also get a more flavorful chocolate. And if makers purchase/start with high-quality cacao, why wouldn't they want to preserve great flavors--not to mention more of the nutrients, like polyphenol/flavonols and trace B and C vitamins?

If you prefer silky, buttery texture over flavor, there are plenty of good options out there. But, either way, if you're a dark chocolate fan, I recommend giving Taza Chocolate dark chocolate a try. (The company has also focused on cacao sourcing practices and partnering with farmers in cacao growing countries since their inception.)

Flavor notes for this 70% "Deliciously Dark" bar included: hearty, authentic cacao flavor with deep, dark chocolate and mild, well-balanced earth notes and very subtle green floral and fruit notes similar to the aroma notes (listed above). It also was relatively sweet for a 70% dark chocolate -- perhaps due to some of these naturally sweet-tasting flavor notes and being able to "taste" the rougher grains of sugar more. I'm not sure.

I enjoy well-executed, complex dark chocolates, where you can taste the variety(ies) of cacao that were used. Today's chocolate had cacao flavor notes I associated with bold Forastero (deep, dark cocoa)--with a little Trinitario (fruit) and possibly Arriba or Nacional (green, floral) cacao varieties blended in for good measure.)

Ingredients: Organic Cacao Beans, Organic Cane Sugar, Organic Cocoa Butter. 

Allergen-related information: "May Contain Traces of Tree Nuts and Sesame Seeds."

Miss Jones Baking Co. - Keto Double Chocolate Fudge Ready-to-Bake Cookies - Sept. 3, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Miss Jones Baking Co.
Keto Double Chocolate Fudge Ready-to-Bake Cookies
Good + - Good ++
Weight: .99 oz. (28 g.) / 11.84 oz. (336 g.) in 1 package of 12 cookies
Calories: 110 calories in 1 cookie
Cost: $3.99 for 1 package of 12
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA 

Welcome to Day #2 of Dark Chocolate Theme Week.

Today's Keto Double Chocolate Fudge Ready-to-Bake Cookies were from Miss Jones Baking Co. (San Francisco, CA), and distributed by The Purple Mixer, Inc. (Corte Madera, CA).

Aroma notes for these grain-free chocolate cookies included: chocolate (brownie) and faint nut (almond) and vanilla. The fact that these cookies emerged freshly baked from the oven enhanced the aroma quite a bit. Nothing like the smell of freshly baked cookies. 

Texture for these chewy-crunchy cookies varied slightly depending on how/how long they were cooked. They got crunchier when I let them cool down a bit.

Flavor notes included: chocolate-y, nutty, brownie cookie, very faint vanilla, and a very slight non-sugar sweetener (erythritol) note. (I'm not a fan of erythritol; at least the taste wasn't too strong.)

It can be tough to make a truly wonderful gluten-free cookie. It's great to see more Keto-friendly and lower sugar options out there for gluten-free cookies--that are tasty and not too crumbly. I look forward to tasting the other gluten-free cookie offerings from Miss Jones.

Ingredients: "Almond Flour, Erythritol, Butter, Chocolate Chips (Unsweetened Chocolate, Cane Sugar, Cocoa Butter), Water, Cocoa Powder, Tapioca Fiber, Tapioca Starch, Salt, Natural Flavor, Baking Soda, Monk Fruit Extract."

Allergen-related information: Contains almonds, milk. May contain: peanuts, eggs, soy.  

Chocolate Naive - "Molecules" - Bioactive 75% Dark Chocolate (bar) - Sept. 2, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Chocolate Naive 
"Molecules" - Bioactive 75% Chocolate (bar) 
Good +
Weight: .5 oz. (14.1 g.) / 2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar
Calories: 85.36 calories in 1/4 bar 
Cost: Missing information (Currently available at Bar & Cocoa for $15 USD)
Purchased from: Missing information

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate and Lithuania Theme Week, and Day #1 of Dark Chocolate Theme Week.

Today's "Molecules" (tm) Bioactive 75% Dark Chocolate (bar) was created by chocolatier Domantus Uzpalis and team at Chocolate Naive (Vilnius, Lithuania). 

Aroma notes include: chocolate (dark milk* chocolate ganache) faint tart fruit (fruit vinegar), faint minerality, very faint (barely detectable) spice (black/white peppercorn).

Flavor notes included: smooth, relatively mild (for 75%) dark chocolate and an uptick in sweetness that had a slight menthol/cool edge (erythritol).** I am not a huge fan of erythritol, but I understand the desire to find a sugar substitute. Thankfully, this chocolate was not overly sweetened with this sugar replacement.**

In fairness to Chocolate Naive, this bar was expired by the time I tasted it. There were no off flavors. But, freshly made chocolate yields the most vibrant, authentic taste experience, with subtle aroma and texture qualities most intact.

Speaking of technical characteristics...It was interesting that research into naturally occurring active components of cacao--and how to best preserve certain cacao components--inspired this Chocolate Naive "Molecules" (tm) chocolate.

I would love to hear more on this subject. Cacao contains chemicals/compounds that are stimulants (theobromine and small amounts of caffeine), polyphenolic antioxidants (flavonoids), as well as "feel good" chemicals (e.g. anandamide), and satisfying mineral content (magnesium, iron, copper, zinc, etc.). Preserving, even optimizing, beneficial compounds would interest those trying to maximize good health.

Ingredients: "Molecules (TM) cacao, erytriol*, pure cacao butter*, zinc.  (*organic)"

Allergen-related information: "May contain traces of milk, barley or nuts."

*Note: these are my tasting notes/observations. There are no milk ingredients listed for this chocolate; although it does say it may contain traces of milk.

** Artificial/synthetic sweeteners like Erythritol can cause an upset stomach in some people. It also alters the taste of chocolate(s).

Taitau - No Sugar Added 46% Milk Chocolate (bar) - Sept. 1, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Taitau (Tai Tau)
No Sugar Added 46% Milk Chocolate (bar)
Good 
Weight: .706 oz. (20 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 100 in 1 serving (3 squares)
Cost: $3.39 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Crossroads Specialty Market, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's No Sugar 46% Milk Chocolate (bar) from Taitau (Tai Tau) Exclusive Selection (Lietuva, Lithuania) was imported into the U.S. by B&I Overseas Trading Inc. (Van Nuys, CA).

This bar was made using "premium quality Granada cocoa beans." 

Aroma notes for this bar included: dark chocolate, subtle vanilla, very faint light spice (cinnamon), and even fainter spice-wood.  

The texture was uniformly smooth and creamy, almost buttery.

Flavor notes were similar to the aroma notes, and included: balanced, dark milk chocolate (cocoa, ganache), subtle vanilla, followed by a sizable uptick in erythritol (slight menthol sensation, overly sweet).

I'd hoped this might be a milk chocolate bar without any sweeteners, i.e. where only the natural sugars in the milk supply the sweetness. (I love the few chocolates that offer this experience.) This chocolate may be a welcome offering for those who can't have sugar; but the taste of erythritol (alternative sweetener) was too strong for me to enjoy.

Ingredients: "Cocoa butter, sweetener - erythritol, skimmed milk powder, cocoa mass, emulsifier - rapeseed (canola) lecithin, flavouring vanillin. Contains naturally occurring sugars. Contains at least 46% of cocoa solids, and 22% of dry milk solids."

Allergen-related information: "Contains milk." "This product may contain traces of hazelnuts and wheat gluten." "Excessive consumption may cause laxative effects."

Taitau - 82% Dark Chocolate (bar) - Aug. 31, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Taitau (Tai Tau)
82% Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.41 oz. (40 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 240 calories in 2 servings (6 squares) of bar
Cost: $3.39 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Crossroads Specialty Market, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's 82% Dark Chocolate (bar) from Taitau (Tai Tau) Exclusive Selection (Lietuva, Lithuania) was imported into the U.S. by B&I Overseas Trading Inc. (Van Nuys, CA).

This bar was made using "premium quality Granada, Ghanian and Arriba cocoa beans." 

Aroma notes for this bar included: dark chocolate (rich cocoa, ganache); sweet green/botanical (sugar cane/brown sugar/maple, sweet tart lemon herb - oxalis); caramel macchiato; and very faint (barely detectable) dried fruit.  

Flavor notes were similar to the aroma notes, and included: bold, balanced, deep, dark cacao (Forastero cacao from Ghana); sweet green botanicals, including green floral, light marshmallow (perhaps from Arriba Nacional cacao and a hint of vanillin); caramel; coffee; and very faint, fleeting (and very diffuse) stone fruit and red berry jam (perhaps from Trinitario-related varieties of cacao in Grenada).

The makers have done a great job at balancing and blending cacao varieties from three different cacao growing regions of the world in their chocolate bars. I felt I could almost taste each contribution and cacao variety in their bars featured this week that varied from 46% - 99% cacao content. My favorites were the 72% and 82% cacao chocolates; but it was educational and fun to taste all of them within days of each other. 

The information provided on the packaging was much appreciated and the tasting experiences were much enjoyed. 

Ingredients: "Cocoa mass (made from premium quality Grenada, Ghanian and Arriba cocoa beans), sugar, cocoa butter, emulsifier - rape (canola) lecithin, flavoring vanillin."

Allergen-related information: "This product may contain traces of peanuts, hazelnuts, gluten and milk."

Taitau - 52% Dark Chocolate (bar) - Aug. 30, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Taitau (Tai Tau)
52% Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good +
Weight: .706 oz. (20 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 110 calories in 1 serving of bar
Cost: $3.39 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Crossroads Specialty Market, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's 52% Dark Chocolate (bar) from Taitau (Tai Tau) Exclusive Selection (Lietuva, Lithuania) was imported into the U.S. by B&I Overseas Trading Inc. (Van Nuys, CA).

This bar was "made from premium quality Ghanian cocoa beans." Ghana, in recent years, has been the number two exporter of cocoa beans in the world (right behind Ivory Coast). The top three export markets (in 2020-2021) for Ghana cacaco were: 1.) Netherlands, 2.) Malaysia, and 3.) United States. 

Most of the world's chocolate from Northern Europe (and the Western world) is made using West African cacao--and most cacao trees are Forastero (variety). Forastero cacao beans typically have a deep, dense, chocolate-y flavor.

Aroma notes for today's (Ghana) bar included: sweet dark chocolate; faint, warm nutty spice; subtle caramel macchiato (light coffee).  

The texture was uniformly smooth, with a creamy melt.

Flavor notes were similar to the aroma notes, and included: rich, very sweet dark chocolate. Sugar was the number one ingredient, and it dominated the tasting experience. This 52% chocolate was too sweet for me; but otherwise it had a pleasing aroma, well-executed texture and rich, underlying chocolate-y flavor.

Ingredients: "Sugar, cocoa mass (made from premium quality Ghanian cocoa beans), cocoa butter,  emulsifier - rape (canola) lecithin." 

Allergen-related information: "This product may contain traces of peanuts, hazelnuts, gluten and milk."