Ragged Coast Chocolates - Lavender Blossom - Bittersweet Chocolate (bark) - Oct. 10, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Ragged Coast Chocolates 
Lavender Blossom - Bittersweet Chocolate (bark) 
Good ++ 
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) / 2 oz. (56 g.) in total bar
Calories: 145 calories in 1/2 package and 290 calories in 1 package
Cost: $5.95 for 1 bar + shipping
Purchased from: Ragged Coast Chocolates, online order 

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

Today's Lavender Blossom - Bittersweet Chocolate, Lavender & Vanilla-Dusted Sugar Dust (bark) was from Ragged Coast Chocolates (Westbrook, ME).

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate (with subtle stone fruit, cream, faint ripe floral berry (pomegranate + lilac + lavender), and vanilla.

Texture for this relatively thick bark/bar: smooth chocolate with barely detectable vanilla shimmer and tiny, soft lavender buds.

Flavor notes included: rich, nuanced dark chocolate (very faint, diffuse fruit; cream; balanced earth/loam). Floral notes included: vanilla, with occasional tiny bursts of lovely Maine lavender (buds).

I enjoyed the fleeting floral and complex chocolate aroma and flavor notes. The bittersweet dark chocolate tasted more nuanced than most, and this was due in part to the blend of floral (vanilla and lavender) inclusions.

Maker's description: "No one anticipates those first buds of the new season more eagerly than a Mainer. Our lavender bark honors our passion for spring by capturing the subtle, citrus notes of delicate lavender blooms." 

I'm saving a few floral and fruity chocolates to enjoy in December. But our winter is short in the San Francisco Bay Area. Camellias, daffodils and California poppies are back in February; and winter months bring welcome rains and green hills. Our coasts are rugged; but unlike the great northeast, the winters are more welcome here.

*Ingredients: Latin American Bittersweet Chocolate (cocoa liquor, sugar, cocoa butter, soy lecithin, natural vanilla), Maine lavender, organic cane sugar, vanilla beans. 

Allergen-related information: "Allergens: Soy, Nuts, Milk, and Coconut."

Elements Truffles - Almond Crunch Dark Chocolate with saffron (bar) - Oct. 9, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Elements Truffles

Almond Crunch Dark Chocolate with saffron (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: .9 oz. (25 g.) / 1.8 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 140 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $7.50 (estimate) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Amazon, online order (4 bars)

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

Today's Almond Crunch Dark Chocolate (bar) was from Elements Truffles (Union City, NJ). 

The company offers attractively packaged chocolates "powered by the 5,000 year old science of Ayurveda..." And today's floral ingredient--saffron (from crocus flowers)--was called out as an "Ayurveda Superfood."

Aroma notes for this bar included: roasted cacao, floral (sweet saffron, chrysanthemum), and faint nut (almond).

Texture: relatively soft texture and melt with small, crunchy almond bits. 

Flavor notes included: mild-tasting dark chocolate, almond, and faint floral (chrysanthemum, saffron). The mild cacao/dark chocolate tasted authentic, and was relatively low in bitterness and acidity.

The sweetness (raw honey) tasted natural, authentic and slightly muted. (I enjoyed the lack of sugar buzz.)

Ingredients: "Organic Raw Cacao Paste, Raw Honey, Organic Cacao Butter, Organic Almonds, Saffron"

Allergen-related information: "Made in a facility that processes nuts"

Cacao Sampaka: Dark Chocolate Pistachio 44% (bar) & White Chocolate Roses & Strawberries (bar) - Oct. 8, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Cacao Sampaka
Dark Chocolate Pistachio 44% (bar)
Good ++

Weight: 2 oz. (56 g.) / 2.64 oz. (75 g.) in total bar

Calories: 320 calories in 2 oz. of bar
Cost: $8.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Caputo's, online order

Cacao Sampaka
White Chocolate - Roses and Strawberries (bar)
Good ++

Weight: 2 oz. (56 g.) / 2.64 oz. (75 g.) in total bar

Calories: 330 calories in 2 oz. of bar
Cost: $7.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Caputo's, online order

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

Today's attractively packaged tabletas (bars): Dark Chocolate Pistachio 44% (bar) and a White Chocolate Roses and Strawberries (bar)--were from Cacao Sampaka S.L. (Barcelona, Spain). 

Both packages were adorned with images of colorful ceramic tiles designed by architect (and some would say tile-obsessed) Antoni Gaudi over a century ago.

Dark Chocolate Pistachio

Aroma notes included: pleasing dark chocolate (cocoa) and very faint nut.

Texture: smooth dark chocolate with embedded fresh-tasting, softly crunchy pistachio nuts. 

Flavor notes included: dark chocolate (dark cocoa with a hint of vanilla, fudge brownie) with perfectly salted (at least for me) green pistachio nuts. The base chocolate was low in acidity and bitterness, and had a pleasing smooth dark chocolate flavor.

I loved the pretty, mostly whole, green pistachios, the added salt, and the 44% dark chocolate that tasted more like a smooth 65% cacao dark chocolate.   

Ingredients: "Sugar, cocoa mass, pistachio (16.5%), cocoa butter, emulsifier (soya lecithin), natural vanilla flavor."

Allergen-related information: Contained pistachios. "Our products may contain traces of nuts, peanuts, lactose, milk and sesame."

White Chocolate Roses and Strawberries

Aroma notes included: aromatic sweet roses, red berry (strawberry) and very faint strawberry and vanilla milkshake/frappe. 

Texture: creamy, luxurious texture (but without being too heavy), interspersed with bits of crunchy, freeze-dried strawberry fruit. 

Flavor notes included: creamy and sweet white chocolate, lovely rose and strawberry.

Surprisingly, I did not find either one of today's chocolates--the 44% dark pistachio bar or this white chocolate bar--too sweet. The high-quality rose and strawberry inclusions helped balance the vanilla-tinged wall of authentic cocoa butter and sugar. Notably, cocoa butter was the number one ingredient and not sugar (thank you!).

Ingredients: "Cocoa butter, sugar, skimmed milk powder, strawberry crispy (12%) (strawberry, sucrose, fructose, acidity regulator (citric acid), reinforced by natural flavors), anhydrous milk fat, rose flavor (0.1%), emulsifier (soya lecithin), natural vanilla flavor, flavor. Cocoa 33% minimum."

Allergen-related information: "Our products may contain traces of nuts, peanuts, lactose, milk and sesame.

Ocelot Chocolate - Violet Milk - 50% Milk Chocolate (bar) - Oct. 7, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Ocelot Chocolate
Violet Milk - 50% Milk Chocolate (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 199.5 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $7.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Caputo's, online order

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

Today's Violet Milk - 50% Milk Chocolate (bar) was from Ocelot Craft Chocolate Limited (Dundee, UK), and Imported by Original Beans BV (Amsterdam, NL).

While not specifically written on the package, I believe the cacao used to make this bar was an Amelonado cacao from a women's cooperative (Femme de Virunga) in Eastern Congo, and that Organic Swiss milk was used.

Aroma notes included: dark milk chocolate, fruit (red raspberry), and candied floral.

Texture: appealing smooth and creamy texture with a very faint astringency/graininess toward the end.

Flavor notes included: rich, sweet, dark (robust but smooth, maybe with some very faint earth) milk chocolate, fruit (red berry, raspberry) with subtle floral. 

This dark milk chocolate was hearty and naturally sweet and floral, with a fun, uplifting red berry note as well.

Ingredients: cacao mass*, raw cane sugar*, cacao butter*, whole milk powder*, natural violet flavour* (<1%). Milk solids: 15% minimum, cacao solids: 50% minimum. (* = Certified organic)

Allergen-related information: Contains Milk. "May contain almonds and hazelnuts."

To'ak Chocolate - Malva Flowers 65% Cacao (bar) - Oct. 6, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

To'ak Chocolate
Malva Flowers 65% Cacao (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) / 2 oz. (56 g.) in total bar 
Calories: 168 calories in 1/2 bar -- 336 cals. for 1 whole bar
Cost: $16.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: To'ak Chocolate, online order

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

Today's Chocolate Alchemy Malva Flowers 65% Cacao (bar) was from To'ak (Tierra & Arbol S.A.S.) / To'ak International Inc. (Quito, Ecuador).

The heirloom cacao used to make this bar was sourced from Piedra de Plata, Manabi, Ecuador. The Malva* olorosa flowers used in this chocolate are native to the Andes mountains in South America. 

Aroma and flavor notes included: smooth dark chocolate (very slightly earthy, but well-balanced) and aromatic (and flavorful) floral (rose-geranium-like).

Texture: relatively smooth, almost creamy, with occasional micro-tiny, slightly crunchy particles.

The sweetness level of this very floral chocolate was just about right. There was enough sugar to complement, and perhaps enhance a little, the authentically sweet, floral taste--yet not so much that it eclipsed cacao and floral flavors.

Ingredients: Dark chocolate (65% heirloom cacao, 35% cane sugar), Malva olorosa, cacao butter

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

*Malva olorosa has been used as a medicinal plant in Andean cultures. The large Malvaceae (or mallow) family includes 4,000 species, spread across the globe. Other mallow plants, bushes and trees include cacao, okra, hibiscus, cotton and durian. (Most have five-petaled flowers.)

 

Goodio - Lavender 49% Cacao (bar) - Oct. 5, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Goodio Craft Chocolate x Ivana Helsiniki, Paula Suhonen
Lavender 49% Cacao (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.7 oz. (48 g.) in total bar
Calories: 270 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $8.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Caputo's Market, online order

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

Today's Goodio Craft Chocolate Lavender 49% Cacao (bar) was manufactured by Helsinki Heaven Oy (Vantaa, Finland).

Aroma and flavor notes for this vegan chocolate included: sweet chocolate and coconut (coconut fudge), faint floral; and very faint, ripe, diffuse, sweet fruit. 

I could taste the lavender more than I could smell it. (Floral and vanilla inclusions are often more detectable in the aroma.) Lavender can be strong (and soap-ish) for some; but I enjoy flower and herb flavors and I would've liked a little more lavender and less sugar. 

The coconut sugar added some authentic flavor depth and warmth. And small, ultra-thin coconut flakes added coconut flavor and natural sweetness. 

Was it a bit too sweet for me? Yes. But I live in sunny California, and not Scandinavia--where bright and sweet candy and colorful flowers might help extend summer and brighten an overcast day. (And I did end up eating the whole bar.)

Ingredients: "Cacao beans*, Coconut palm sugar*, Cacao butter*, Coconut flakes*, Birch sugar (Xylitol), Lavender*. (*Organic)."

Allergen-related information: "May contain traces of nuts (cashew). Dairy, gluten and soy free."

Goodio - Candied Chamomile 49% Cacao (bar) - Oct. 4, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Goodio x Ivana Helsiniki, Paula Suhonen
Candied Chamomile 49% Cacao (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.7 oz. (48 g.) in total bar
Calories: 270 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $8.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Caputo's Market, online order

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

Today's Goodio Craft Chocolate Candied Chamomile 49% Cacao (bar) was manufactured by Helsinki Heaven Oy (Vantaa, Finland).

Aroma and flavor notes for this vegan chocolate included: sweet chocolate; light, nuanced floral; sweet green (coconut sugar, maple), and faint fruit (candied pineapple, gentle green apple+ honey); subtle coconut; and a very faint, fleeting herbal (aromatic, fine peppercorn).

This bar had a relatively smooth, texture, with a slightly stone-ground mouthfeel. (It was not particularly rough or grainy; and it might have had more flavor because the cacao + inclusions were less processed.*)

The tiny fragments of candied chamomile flowers on the back of the bar were charming and sweet, and imparted faint, fleeting and flavorful, candied floral notes. 

I enjoyed the blend of sweet, nuanced and balanced Northern European (as well as tropical) flavors, and the fact that this was from (made in) Finland. 

The white packaging decorated with enlarged, white-petaled and yellow-centered chamomile flowers showcased these blossoms (likely especially welcome in countries with long winters). The maker's description was poetic: "candies & flowers & hazy summer hours"...It would be fitting to enjoy this in the sunny months; but it would be a cheerful bar in any season.

Was this 49% cacao organic, vegan chocolate sweet? Yes, it was. However, it was supposed to be bright and fresh like summer candy and flowers. 

The coconut sugar and maple syrup sweeteners added some flavor depth and warmth--and didn't push me all the way into the sugar buzz zone (thank you).

Ingredients: "Cacao beans*, Coconut palm sugar*, Cacao butter*, Coconut flakes*, Maple syrup*, Chamomile*. (*Organic)."

Allergen-related information: "May contain traces of nuts (cashew). Dairy, gluten and soy free."

*Shorter grinding/conching time(s), can preserve more cacao aroma and flavor notes; but longer processing times may result in a creamier, smoother chocolate. Makers have to weigh these potential trade-offs. They take into account the variety, source/origin, flavor profile and other qualities (or even shortcomings) of cacao when making these and other decisions.