Definite Chocolate - Jalao Chocolate with Coconut & Ginger (bar) - Jan. 30, 2026

Chocolate of the Day

Definite Chocolate
Jalao Chocolate with Coconut & Ginger (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 240 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $9.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Definite Chocolate, online order 

Welcome to Day #10 of Chocolate, Warm Spices & Maple Theme Week.

Today's Jalao* Chocolate with Coconut & Ginger (bar) was from Definite Chocolate, S.R.L. (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic).

The company is a family-run business that makes bean-to-bar chocolate. They source their cacao from local producers in the Dominican Republic.

The packaging for this bar was adorned with colorful images of "Diablos Cojuelos" (aka catarrones) wearing colorful, fierce and smiling masks. These characters have roots in Santa Domingo as far back as the 1500s; and today they can be spotted during Dominican carnivals. I'm hoping these spirits--and the warm ginger--can help me kick the cold/flu I have to the curb.

Aroma and flavor notes for this DR bar included warm cocoa; smooth coconut milk chocolate; and warm spices (ginger).

Texture: smooth, relatively creamy base chocolate with tiny, chewy bits of coconut and candied ginger.

Ingredients: Cacao, cane sugar, coconut sugar, coconut, cacao butter, coconut milk, candied ginger.

Allergen-related information: "Contains: Coconut. Made in a facility that handles nuts & milk."

*Jalao is "a Dominican sweet typically made with coconut, honey and ginger. There are also variations with molasses or cinnamon."

Compartes - Eggnog Milk Chocolate 44% Cacao (bar) - Jan. 29, 2026

Chocolate of the Day

Compartes
Eggnog Milk Chocolate 44% Cacao (bar)
Good +
Weight: 1.4 oz. (39.5 g.) / 2.8 oz. (79 g.) total bar
Calories: 190 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.95 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Compartes, online order

Welcome to Day #9 of Chocolate, Warm Spices & Maple Theme Week.

Aroma and flavor notes included: an initial "artificial" flavor, dark milk chocolate; fruit (strong pear, faint kiwi and barely detectable green grape + celery); as well as vanillin/vanilla, egg, cream and warm spice flavorings. 

Given the initial strong, sharp/tangy pear-like flavor, I wondered if this bar (that was in a sealed inner wrapper) was "off" or had expired. (I couldn't find any expiration date on the package.)

Happily, after re-tasting this bar a few hours after the package had been opened, this chocolate got tastier with more authentic eggnog flavor taking center stage after the "pear" flavors receded.

Texture: smooth, relatively creamy texture with no detectable spice particles (spice "grit").

I appreciated the attractive packaging and the fact this chocolate was gluten free. 

Ingredients: Milk Chocolate (Cocoa Mass, Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Milk, Soy Lecithin as an Emulsifier, Vanilla), Egg, Sugar, Milk, Cloves, Cinnamon, Cream, Nutmeg, Vanilla

Allergen-related information: (Contains: Soy (lecithin), Egg, Milk and Cream)

Choco Del Mar - Maple Goat 65% Cocoa (bar) - Jan. 28, 2026

Chocolate of the Day

Choco Del Mar
Maple Goat 65% Cocoa (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 300 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Choco Del Mar, online order 

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate & Colombia Theme Week.

Today's Maple Goat 65% Cocoa (bar) was made by Choco Del Mar (Los Altos, CA).

Aroma and flavor notes for this goat milk chocolate included: chocolate-y dark milk chocolate (dark ganache; faint and fleeting sweet-tart fruit (raisin, berry); and tangy goat milk caramel sweetened with maple/brown sugar. 

Texture: smooth texture, thick and creamy melt and rich mouthfeel.

I enjoyed the melding of sweet, dark milk chocolate with rich maple sugar cream caramel flavors. The slight tang helped add flavor depth and interest, and balanced out the sugar. And I appreciated the short list of quality ingredients.

Maker's description: "Tangy, Maple, Creamy" ..."...an initial burst of goat milk and rich cacao, followed by the warm, lingering sweetness of maple."

Ingredients: Cocoa Nibs, Maple Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Whole Powdered Goat Milk (Whole Goat Milk, Vitamin D3)

Allergen-related information: Contains goat milk. "Made in a facility that processes milk, nuts, and other common allergens."

Sted Foods - Almond Maple Brittle 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) - Jan. 27, 2026

Chocolate of the Day

Sted Foods  
Almond Maple Brittle 70% Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (56.6 g.) in total bar
Calories: 170 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $8.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Sted Foods, online order

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate, Warm Spices & Maple Theme Week.

Today's Sted Foods Organic Almond Maple Brittle 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) was made by TC Foods, LLC (Fergus Falls, MN).

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate (fudge-y, chocolate chips, roast-y), warm toffee and maple, and faint fruit (cherry).

Texture: smooth dark chocolate with a quiet riot of tiny, embedded crunchy-crispy bits (maple toffee).

Flavor notes included: smooth dark chocolate with a faint, balanced and muffled earthiness; smooth, mellow and faint nut (almond); and micro-bursts of warm and slightly buttery brown/maple sugar toffee.  Seasoned, very judiciously, with just the right dose of salt. Warning: this bar was relatively addictive (more-ish).

I really appreciated the thinness of this bar--that enabled easy access to the gently complex dark chocolate flavors, and the multitude of impossibly tiny sparkles of maple toffee embedded into the chocolate. I also liked the choice of quality, organic ingredients.

Maker's Tasting Notes: "Nutty, Hardy + Lakeside Bonfire"

Ingredients: organic cocoa beans, organic cane sugar, organic almonds, organic MN maple toffee (organic cane sugar, organic butter, organic maple syrup, sea salt), organic cocoa butter, sea salt

Allergen-related information: "Contains almonds and milk. Made in a facility that uses coconut, macadamia, almonds, pecans, and milk." 

Qantu - Ho Ho Ho! 45% (bar) & SOMA Ginger Milk Pudding (bar) - Jan. 26, 2026

Chocolate(s) of the Day

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate, Warm Spices & Maple Theme Week.

Today's two winter holiday bars were from chocolate makers in Canada (Montreal and Toronto, respectively) -- where chocolates (hot and cold) bring warmth.

1.) 45% dark milk chocolate with black walnuts and cranberries from Christmas (last month)

2.) White chocolate ginger milk pudding--in time for Chinese New Year (next month) 

Qantu 
Ho Ho Ho! 45% Chocolat au Lait, Noix de noyer noir, Atoca (tablette)
(45% Milk Chocolate, Black Walnut, Cranberries (bar))
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 306 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $18.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar & Cocoa, online order 

This bar was made by Qantu Cacao et Chocolat Inc (Montreal, QC, Canada), using white cacao (beans) from Piura, Peru.

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate, dried fruits (cranberries, currants); very slight bitter/earthy nuts (walnuts); and very faint spices and maple, and barely there black olive (likely from the black walnut).

Texture: smooth dark chocolate interspersed with chewy, dried cranberries and embedded walnut pieces.

Flavor notes included: rich blend of dark chocolate, dried cranberry and black walnut. The rich flavors lingered into a pleasing finish.

This well-balanced and well-executed bar exceeded my expectations. The black walnut added elegant complexity and complementary dark notes--making this 45% dark milk fudge-y chocolate seem darker than it was (more like a 65% bar). These darker cacao and nut notes complemented the dried cranberry very well. Neither fruit nor chocolate was too sweet. 

As a dark chocolate fan I found this 45% cacao seasonal bar to be right in the Goldilocks zone -- just right. I hope Qantu will offer this bar again in the future.

This dark walnut and cranberry bar was also a great pairing with today's second chocolate: a Ginger Milk pudding (white chocolate) bar.

Qantu Maker's Tasting Notes: "Ice Cider, creme brulee, fudge"

Ingredients: "cane sugar, black walnut, cocoa beans, whole milk powder, cocoa butter, dried cranberries"

Allergen-related information: "Contains milk and nuts"

SOMA chocolatemaker

Ginger Milk Pudding (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.166 oz. (33 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 200 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar & Cocoa, online order

Today's Ginger Milk Pudding (bar) from SOMA chocolatemaker (Toronto, ON, Canada) was inspired by a warm dessert from Southern China (Guangdong Province). 

Ginger milk pudding (aka ginger milk curd)* is popular in Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Foshan and other cities. It's typically made from a short list of ingredients: milk, ginger juice and sugar.

Aroma notes for this (white chocolate) bar included: milky pudding infused with mild, aromatic ginger.

Texture: smooth and creamy with softly chewy pieces of candied ginger.

I enjoyed this rich creamy white chocolate enlivened with tiny cubes of sassy, warm and spicy candied ginger. Loved the punch of the sweet, authentic ginger and the short list of just four ingredients. A great homage to Ginger Milk Pudding.*

SOMA tasting notes/description: "...peppery and spicy, with a custardy cream melt"

Ingredients: "Cacao Butter, Milk Powder, Organic Cane Sugar, Ginger"

Allergen-related information: Contains Milk. "May contain traces of peanuts, tree nuts, and wheat."

*SOMA kindly added a note about ginger milk pudding (that, made correctly, will not curdle but rather will thicken and resolve into a dessert with a creamy pudding-like texture). 

"..The magic comes from a bit of science--when ginger juice and warm milk are mixed, the enzymes and proteins react to create an impossibly delicate, silky-smooth curd that eats like a dream..."

Sted Foods - Maple Toffee with Cacoa Nibs - Jan. 25, 2026

Chocolate of the Day

Sted Foods  
Maple Toffee with Cacoa Nibs (box)
Good ++ 
Weight: (unknown, not found on box)
Calories: (unknown, not listed)
Cost: $12.00 for 1 box of toffee pieces
Purchased from: Sted Foods, online order

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate, Warm Spices & Maple Theme Week.

Today's Sted Foods Maple Toffee with Cacao Nibs offering was manufactured by TC Foods, LLC (Fergus Falls, MN).

Aroma and flavor notes for this box of tasty toffee pieces included: buttery toffee brittle, lightly browned maple sugar, cacao (nibs, dark chocolate) and very faint nut (almond) and seed (cacao nibs).

Texture: crunchy-crispy shards of delicious maple toffee, covered with a layer of smooth dark chocolate, topped with a sprinkling of softly crunchy nibs.

I loved this balanced, well-executed brittle. The pieces were just the right size (not too big, not too little). The brittle was just the right thickness (not too thick and hard; not so thin that it shattered on contact; it was just right). It was made with real butter, real maple syrup,  and judiciously seasoned with a faint dose of sea salt.

The thin layer of creamy dark chocolate and the "cacao" bean nibs provided a grounded, authentic cacao flavor that balanced out the sweet brittle. And there were no "off" notes in the nibs (thank you).*

Ingredients: "organic cocoa beans, organic cane sugar, organic almonds, organic MN maple toffee (organic cane sugar, organic butter, organic maple syrup, sea salt)."

Allergen-related information: "Contains almonds and milk. Made in a facility that uses coconut, macadamia, almonds, pecans, and milk."

*Nibs from different cacao origins may taste quite different from each other. Some may have a slightly fermented (wine) aroma, others might be slightly earthy or roast-y. Some will have floral, nut or seed notes. Generally the taste will correlate with the chocolate made from the nibs. Roasting times selected by the chocolate maker will also affect flavor and aroma.

Raaka - Gingerbread Hot Chocolate Unroasted Dark Chocolate (mix) - Jan. 24, 2026

Chocolate of the Day

Raaka Chocolate
Gingerbread Hot Chocolate Unroasted Dark Chocolate (mix)
Good ++
Weight: 3 TB (.918 oz. (26 g.)) / 5 oz. (142 g.) total package
Calories: 113 calories in 1 serving
Cost: $13.99 for 1 package 
Purchased from: Bar & Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate, Warm Spices & Maple Theme Week.

Today's Limited Batch Gingerbread Hot Chocolate Unroasted Dark Chocolate (mix) was manufactured by Raaka Chocolate (Brooklyn, NY).

Most hot chocolates aren't made with a single origin cacao. This hot chocolate mix was made using unroasted cacao from Zorzal Cacao -- a 1,000-acre private bird sanctuary and organic cacao farm in the Dominican Republic.

Aroma notes included: smooth, authentic hot chocolate; aromatic sweet and sassy gingerbread cookie; and subtle coconut.

Texture: When this finely ground cacao powder, coconut milk powder and warm spice blend was mixed with hot water and stirred for a few minutes it created a relatively smooth hot chocolate (but with a little bit of spice grit). When I make this again, I'll let it sit in hot water for a few more minutes to let the spices diffuse, then blend and/or filter it before drinking. (I probably rushed the process. The Spanish children's song "Bate, Bate Chocolate" came to mind; where patience and process are reinforced by singing a song about chocolate beverage making.)

This warming hot beverage had a touch of the spicy zing of a homemade ginger molasses cookie, with a splash of warm coconut and hot cocoa--all in a satisfying hot beverage. Great for a winter morning.

This quality, base blend could be adorned with more items if desired. Want to add milk, cream, or more coconut milk (or milk of your choice) to this hot chocolate? Marshmallows? Go right ahead. 

The sweetness level was just right for me (not overly sweet). But for those with a sweet tooth, you could try adding a little fresh ginger and molasses syrup (for a real waker-upper); brown sugar; coconut nectar or honey...Customize as you wish.

 

I appreciated the use of organic and gluten free ingredients...and that the company is committed to transparent trade and testing for heavy metals (results can be viewed on their website).

Ingredients: "organic cane sugar, organic cacao powder, organic coconut milk powder, organic cacao butter, organic ginger, organic cinnamon, organic nutmeg"

Allergen-related information: None listed on package. Contains: Coconut. 

*I learned this song in Spanish class in elementary school decades ago. The teacher brought in a hand-carved wooden molinillo from Mexico (a whisk-like device introduced by the Spanish for stirring and "beating"/frothing hot chocolate beverages). The molinillo was rotated/rolled between ones hands and used as a prop during the song.