ChocolateBet: March 30, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:
2 pieces
Charles Chocolates
I had one Meyer Lemon Yankee, and one Meyer Lemon Marzipan (2 pcs total)
1) Meyer Lemon Yankee - Very Good - everyone else could taste lemon in the dark chocolate ganache/filling; I could not. This is too bad, because I tend to enjoy lemon and dark chocolate flavors together.
2) Meyer Lemon Marzipan - Very Good+ - I could definitely taste the lemon in this one, and I like their version of marzipan - less sweet, more almonds.
Wt: ~ .8 oz.
Calories: ~145 calories
Cost: ~$2.70 for 2 pcs.
Purchased from: Charles Chocolates (HQ) in Emeryville, CA

I visited the Charles Chocolates factory, and enjoyed looking through the glass at their operation. It's not a full factory tour in the sense that you're within touching distance of any chocolate in different rooms/stages, but you do get to see most all of their operation and machinery from the viewing area/chocolate bar. They also do tea and chocolate pairings once a month; I hope to attend one of these in the future. Below is some information from their web site on where they are located for those interested in paying them a visit. (Tour is free; tour and tasting is $10.)

Charles Chocolates Store & Chocolate Bar
6529 Hollis St.
Emeryville, CA 94608
510.652.4412 x311
Description Every Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at 11:30 am and 2:30 pm, we will offer a guided factory tour of our production facility. You'll be able to watch as our chocolatiers are in full production in our kitchen, observe various chocolates being made, and learn how hand-crafted, artisan chocolates and confections are made at Charles Chocolates. The tour will end with an interactive question and answer session.

You may make a reservation online via Brown Paper Tickets until 2 hours prior to the tour.

ChocolateBet: March 29, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:

1 cookie
Nana's
No Gluten Chocolate Crunch (gluten-free) cookie
Very Good - healthy: no gluten, no trans fats or refined sugar
Wt: 3.5 oz. (99 grams)
Calories: 360 calories in 1 cookie
Cost: $1.79
Purchased from: Whole Foods market in Los Altos, CA

ChocolateBet: March 28, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:

1/4 bar
Coco-luxe Confections
Happy Trails (Drk Choc Bar with Trail Mix)
Good - vaguely chemical taste
Wt: ~.6 oz. (~17 g.); 2.5 oz. (70 g.) total
Calories: ~90 calories
Cost: $ 4.99
Purchased from: Andronicos market, in Palo Alto, CA

Fun concept -- chocolate + trail mix (goji berries, pumpkin seeds), in a dark chocolate bar, called "Happy Trails," dressed in Western style font and package design. 

ChocolateBet: March 27, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:

1 serving
World's Finest Chocolate
Mint Meltaways
Good + - nice classic chocolate mint combination; a little sweet, but good.
Wt. 1.375 oz. (39 grams) for 1 serving; 2.75 oz. (78 g) total pkg.
Calories: 230 calories
Cost $2.00?
Purchased from: Colleague at work (thanks Bao!); fundraiser

ChocolateBet: March 26, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:

1 piece
GuyLian
Belgian Chocolate Twists
Extra Dark - 70% cocoa
(Dark chocolates with a dark chocolate filling)
Very Good
Weight: ~9 grams per piece (total package is 4.9 oz. (139 g))
Calories: 50 calories in one piece
Cost: $3.99 for total package of 16 pieces
Purchased from: Fry's Electronics, in Palo Alto, CA

I liked these individually-wrapped, dark chocolate (70% cocoa) seahorse-shaped chocolates with the smooth dark filling.

ChocolateBet: March 25, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:

1/2 bar
Michel Cluizel (Paris)
Noir Infini 99% cacao
Very Good
Wt. ~.5 oz. (~15 g.) in 1/2 bar; 1.05 oz. (30 grams) total
Calories: not clear (~72 calories for 1/2 bar)
Cost: $0 (gift)
Purchased from: (don't know as it was a gift; possibly Dean and DeLuca)

Thank you George for sharing this find!

A hard wax-brittle start gave way to rich flavors (think unsweetened baker's chocolate and you'll get the general idea).

The very high 99% cacao content was achieved by adding just a small pinch of cane sugar, and omitting milk or any other fillers that might dilute the chocolate. The absence of sugar lets the cacao flavors and maker's skill shine through.

ChocolateBet: March 24, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:

1 chocolate egg
Dove/Mars
Smooth Milk Chocolate Truffle Egg
Very Good - Dove chocolates have a nice richness and smooth texture that balances out the sweetness in a way that is not always achieved with other chocolates.
Wt. 0.90 oz. (25.5 grams)
Calories: 150 calories
Cost: $ 0.79
Purchased from: Walgreens, in Palo Alto, CA

This chocolate egg will be the last (I think) in the Easter-related chocolates this week. Chocolate "theme weeks" are always fun.

Chocolate Eggs in the News
Reports of very large chocolate Easter eggs surface from time to time. Apparently the largest egg to date was made in Belgium. The egg measured 8.32 meters (27 ft) high and was made of at least 50,000 bars or around 2,000 kg of chocolate. (This fact appeared in a 3/24/08 article entitled "Giant chocolate Easter egg made in Brazil" about a slightly smaller 160 kg (352 lb.) Brazilian egg, courtesy of the Russian News Information Agency.)