Lucifer Chocolate - "Honey Bunny" Honey Almonds Milk Chocolate 38% (bar) - Feb. 4, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Lucifer Chocolate 
"Honey Bunny" Honey Almonds Milk Chocolate 38% (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 3.52 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 155? calories in 1 oz. of bar
Cost: N/A - gift from a family member
Purchased from: N/A - gift from family member (purchased in Europe)

Welcome to Day #7 of Unique Chocolates Theme Week.

Today's "Honey Bunny" Honey Almonds Milk Chocolate 38% (bar) from Lucifer Chocolate was made in Velenje, Slovenia--for me a unique company origin. I was able to taste this bar because my niece brought this back from her travels. (Thank you Monique!)

Aroma and flavor notes included: milk chocolate (rich, velvety cocoa), subtle caramel, hidden malt and toasted nut (almond), clean mineral and salt. 

Texture: creamy milk chocolate and crunchy (almonds, honey crispies and salt crystals). I enjoyed the sweet-salty and nutty flavors and textures in this bar.

Ingredients: Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Cocoa Mass, Whole Milk Powder, Honey Crispies 9% (Honey,  Maltodextrin (Wheat), Thickening Agent: E401), Caramelized Almonds 3% (Almonds, Sugar), Salt (0.9%), Emulsifier: Soy Lecithin, Natural Vanilla Aroma.

Allergen-related information: Contained Milk, Wheat, Almonds, Soy

Seattle Chocolate - Neapolitan layered truffle bar - Feb. 3, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Seattle Chocolate
Neapolitan (bar)
Good + - Good  ++
Weight: 2.5 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 400 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $4.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: FarmFresh, online order

Welcome to Day #6 of Unique Chocolates Week, including a few chocolates with a creative take on confectionery classics.

Today's Neapolitan white, pink and dark chocolate layered truffle bar was from Seattle Chocolate Company (Seattle, WA). 

Aroma and flavor notes for this three-layer chocolate bar included: ice cream sundae: white chocolate (vanilla); white chocolate infused with sweet berry (red raspberry, strawberry); and smooth dark chocolate--a blend that reminded me of neapolitan ice creams* in the U.S. constructed with layers of vanilla, strawberry and chocolate and ice creams in one container.

This truffle parfait had a rich, creamy texture and melt, and it was very sweet...like ice cream -- or a smooth, sugary confection. Great for those with a sweet tooth.

This layered chocolate was also a reminder of the different types of "chocolate" being sold today: dark chocolate, dark milk chocolate, milk chocolate, white chocolate--and (more recently) "ruby" (pink) chocolate that has a red berry flavor.

Ingredients: white chocolate (cane sugar, cocoa butter*, milk, soy lecithin, natural vanilla), dark chocolate (cocoa mass, cane sugar, cocoa butter, organic soy lecithin, natural vanilla), coconut oil, raspberry powder, beet extract (color), natural flavor, sea salt.

Allergen-related information: Contains Milk, Soy, Coconut (Oil). "This product is manufactured in a plant that processes milk, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, egg, and wheat products." "Kosher (Dairy), Gluten Free."

*Likely inspired by either Harlequin ice cream with strawberry, chocolate and vanilla flavors from Prussia....and/or by Spumoni ice cream with pistachio, cherry and chocolate flavors from Italy. Thus the reference to Neapolitan-style ice cream. (A Neapolitan is someone from Napoli, Italy.)

Goodnow Farms Chocolate - Chocolate Banana Split; Ecuador, 59% Cacao (bar) - Feb. 2, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Goodnow Farms Chocolate
Chocolate Banana Split; Ecuador, 59% Cacao (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 1.94 oz. (55 g.) in total bar
Calories: 320 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $18.00 (current price) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Goodnow Farms Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #5 of Unique Chocolates Week.

Today's Chocolate Banana Split; Bean Origin: Ecuador, 59% Cacao (bar) was from Goodnow Farms Chocolate (Sudbury, MA). 

I loved that the makers took advantage of a cacao with slightly fruity (red fruit/berry) notes and leveraged that in creating today's banana split (ice cream sundae-inspired) chocolate. The vanilla and banana flavors (added to the cacao and berry notes) were subtle; and the final blend was creamy and delicious.

Warning: addictive, especially if you're hungry.

Thank you to the makers at Goodnow Farms for their thoughtful process and creations, short list of quality ingredients, and for using organic ingredients.

Ingredients: "Single Origin Cacao Beans, Organic Cane Sugar, Single Origin Cocoa Butter, Organic Whole Milk Powder, Organic Bananas, Salt, Single Origin Vanilla Beans"

Allergen-related information: Contains Milk. "Soy Free, Gluten Free"

Emerald City Foods - Hot Salted Sriracha Chocolate - 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) - Feb. 1, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Huy Fong Foods, Inc.
(Owned and distributed by Emerald City Foods)
Hot Salted Sriracha Chocolate - 70% Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) / 2.5 oz. (71 g.) in total bar
Calories: 149 calories in 1 oz. of bar (1 serving)
Cost: $5.29 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Market at Edgewood, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #4 of Unique Chocolates Week.

Today's Hot Salted Sriracha Chocolate - 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) was owned and distributed by Emerald City Foods (Seattle, WA).

Aroma and flavor notes for this sriracha and sea salt bar included dark chocolate (deep cocoa), faint umami, salt, and subtle spicy heat; vanilla; and very faint, balanced sauce-y vinegar/sriracha sauce.

The bar broke with a well-tempered snap, and the texture was smooth and relatively creamy.

Surprisingly, these flavors harmonized fairly well together. (Although I usually prefer darker chocolates, I I enjoyed the 55% cacao version of this bar (from the same company, tasted a few months ago) a little better than today's 70% version. (The sriracha and salt was easier to taste in the 55% version.) But, I enjoyed tasting both.

Ingredients: Dark Chocolate (Cocoa Liquor, Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Soy Lecithin, Vanilla Extract), Himalayan Sea Salt, Sriracha Seasoning: Maltrin, Sugar, Salt, Garlic, Tocopherols, Paprika Oil (for color), Sriracha Powder (Sriracha Sauce, Sodium Alginate, Carrageenan, Cellulose Gum, Silicon Dioxide, Sunflower Lecithin), Capsicum Oleoresin, Yeast Extract, Vinegar, Citric Acid"

Allergen-related information: "Contains Soy, Sulfites...This product is manufactured at a plant that processes milk, soy, tree nuts and peanuts."

Sirene Chocolate Makers - Limited Edition No Sugar Milk 60% Dark Milk (bar)

Chocolate of the Day 

Sirene Chocolate
Limited Edition - No Sugar Milk 60% Dark Milk (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 191 calories in (estimate) 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA 

Welcome to Day #3 of Unique Chocolates Theme Week.

Today's Limited Edition - No Sugar Milk 60% Dark Milk (bar) was from Sirene Chocolate (Victoria, B.C., Canada).

Why was this bar unique? It contained no added sugar, and yet it was (to my taste) sweet. It was a great opportunity to taste how sweet a dark milk chocolate can be--without added sugar(s). Surprisingly, this was only the third bar I've tried in 18 years like this.

I enjoyed the creamy texture, milk chocolate mouthfeel and melt, the authentic sweetness supplied by the milk and the very slight bitterness toward the finish. The milk mellowed any bitterness (or absence of sugar).

The claims of "no sugar" or "sugar free" chocolates in the past meant artificial sweeteners or some other sweetener sleight of hand. However, today's two-ingredient bar, let us know that the milk (lactose) alone can do the job. I hope I'm able to try more chocolates like this in the future.

Ingredients: "cacao beans, whole milk powder"

Allergen-related information: Contains Milk. "Made In A Nut Free Facility, Soy Free, Gluten Free" 

Chuao Chocolatier - Exploding Coal - popping candy and black cacao (bar) - Jan. 30, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Chuao Chocolatier
Exploding Coal - popping candy and black cacao (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.4 oz. (40 g) / 2.8 oz. (80 g.) in total bar
Calories: 210 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $5.99 (estimate) for 1 bar
Purchased from: FarmFresh, online order 

Welcome to Day #2 of Unique Chocolates Week, featuring interesting origins and form factors, as well as surprising flavor additions.

Today's Exploding Coal bar with popping candy and black cacao was created by Chef Antonorsi at Chuao Chocolatier (Carlsbad, CA). 

Drawing inspiration from a fossil fuel is unique, although the reference to coal has more to do with Christmas* than combustibles.

Aroma notes included: roasted dark chocolate and sweet vanilla.

I enjoyed the playful textures in this holiday bar: the hard snap of dark chocolate, effervescent popping candy and a constellation of tiny, crunchy sugar sparkles.

Flavor notes included: robust but friendly, toasty dark chocolate (deep but smooth cocoa) and warm sweet vanilla (marshmallow) and sweet popping candy.

This naughty (rather addicting) and nice "coal" dark chocolate would be a welcome addition to any Christmas stocking.

Ingredients: Premium 60% dark chocolate (cacao*, cane sugar*, cacao butter*, sunflower lecithin [as an emulsifier], natural vanilla), popping candy (sugar, maltose, carbon dioxide), black cacao powder*.

Allergen-related information: "Manufactured in a facility that uses milk, soy, tree nuts, and wheat on shared equipment."

*Children in the 1800s-1900s were told they would receive a lump of coal in their Christmas stocking if they landed on Santa's "naughty" list. As coal was often used to heat homes, the sight of these black lumps in a scuttle by the stove or fireplace (where Santa entered a home) made it a more credible threat back then.

Preston's Candy By Javier - Black Sesame & Pinenut Dark Chocolate (bar) - Jan. 29, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Preston's Candy By Javier
Black Sesame & Pinenut All Natural Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.16 oz. (33 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 170 calories in 1/3 bar
Cost: $6.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Sigona's Market, Stanford Shopping Center, Palo Alto, CA 

Welcome to Day #1 of Unique Chocolates Week, including chocolates with harder to find or unique origins, formulations and flavor inclusions.

Today's Black Sesame & Pinenut All Natural Dark Chocolate (bar) was from Preston's Candy By Javier (Burlingame, CA). This local (San Francisco Bay Area) shop has been selling confections and bars since 1946. 

Aroma and flavor notes included: smooth (well-roasted/tamed) bittersweet dark chocolate, subtle toffee, sesame, and faint vanilla.

This thick dark chocolate was interspersed with generous and very tasty embedded pieces of chewy-crunchy black sesame toffee brittle. I enjoyed the dark sesame brittle quite a bit; and appreciated that the dark chocolate base was not overly sweet (thank you).

Ingredients: 63% Bittersweet chocolate (cacao beans, pure cane sugar, cocoa butter, soya lecithin, vanilla beans), Pine Nuts, Black Sesame Seeds.

Allergen-related information: "Made in a facility that also makes products containing milk, soy, egg, peanuts, tree nuts, and wheat."