ChocolateBet: April 27, 2009

Chocolate of the Day:
2 pieces
Bedre Fine Chocolate
Crisps - Dark Chocolate (covered potato crisps/chips)
Good +
Weight: .88 oz.(25 g.) for 2 Crisps/5 oz. (142 g.) in total container
Calories: 180 calories for 2 pieces
Cost: $4.75 for 1 container (+shipping for online order)
Purchased from: Bedre Fine Chocolate, Oklahoma (online order) owned by Chickasaw Nation

I like chocolate and I like potato chips, so I have tried several combinations of these two ingredients. (I also like chocolate and nuts, chocolate and bacon, and salt chocolate caramels -- so salt seems to be another common theme here.) Anyway, I've found it's tough to get the right balance with chocolate-covered chips - often the chocolate seems to overwhelm the chips. These Crisps tasted like they were made from high-quality chocolate, and they were good. Note: these are not gluten-free, as they do have some wheat/starch in them.

ChocolateBet: April 26, 2009

Chocolate of the Day:

2 pieces
Tokyo Nostalgie/Nostalgy
(Distributed by Noda USA)
Chocolate Mochi
Good - Good +
Weight: .706 oz. (20 g.)/ 3.53 oz. (100 g.) total box of 10
Calories: 105 calories (estimate)
Cost: $4.50
Purchased from: nippon-ya, in Japantown area of San Francisco, CA

This box was adorned with night-time and sunset city scenes of a bridge (not sure which one). "Please have memories of the travel all together" the wrapper states.

I'm guessing this "Rare Chocolate Mochi" item was packaged for Japanese people living in the U.S. who may be thinking fondly of home, or Japanese tourists who visit San Francisco and who find mochi more difficult to find in the U.S. Or, for anyone that might like mochi or chocolate, like me.

Mochi is a sweet, slightly starchy and gelatinous item -- the gnocchi of the dessert world. Ingredients include vegetable starch syrups (corn, potato, and/or sweet potato), sugar, rice (cake) powder, oils, and albumen. It is usually gluten-free as well.

Mochi is somewhat difficult to find, even in west coast cities like San Francisco that have a Japantown. And, chooclate mochi is, indeed, even rarer.

ChocolateBet: April 25, 2009

Chocolate of the Day:
10 pieces
Hori Confectionery (Hokkaido)
"Corn Chocolate" (aka Milk Chocolate Corn Puffs)
Very Good
Weight: 2.82 oz. (80 grams) in total pkg of 10 indiv. wrapped pcs.
Calories: ~395 calories (estimate)
Cost:$1.49 in total package
Purchased from: nippon-ya (store) in Japantown area of San Francisco, CA

Today, I was in the Japantown area of San Francisco to attend a film festival. I just missed the cherry blossom festivities (that was last weekend). While I was there I ate some sushi and udon for lunch and admired some cherry trees still in bloom. And, I looked for Japanese chocolates. I found two different kinds; this is the first of the two. "Corn Chocolate" is fairly crunchy and light, and not bad at all. In fact, I managed to polish off all 10 pieces in this package.

ChocolateBet: April 24, 2009

Chocolate of the Day:

5 servings
Bedre Fine Chocolate
Clusters - Roasted Peanuts in Milk Chocolate
Very Good
Weight: 5 oz. (142 grams) in one can
Calories: 765 calories
Cost: $6.75 (plus shipping for online order)
Purchased from: Bedre Fine Chocolate, Pauls Valley, Oklahoma

Bedre Fine Chocolates is owned by the Chickasaw Nation. While I was unable to travel to Oklahoma to try these, ordering chocolates online is a great way to sample chocolate from far-away places. One only has to take care when ordering chocolate during the warmer/summer months.

Fortunately, I put this order in before the spell of hot weather around here. Although the box I received was packed with plenty of styrofoam packing to help ensure against possible meltage along the way.

ChocolateBet: April 23, 2009

Chocolate of the Day:
1 serving
Colombo (frozen yogurt)
Chocolate (nonfat) and Simply Vanilla (lowfat) swirled together in a cup
Good +
Weight: ~ 8 oz. total
Calories: ~ 250
Cost: $3.39
Purchased from: RLW, Inc. Snack Bar in Mc Carran International Airport, Las Vegas, NV

ChocolateBet: April 22, 2009

Chocolate of the Day:

6 pieces
SunSpire (The Hain Celestial Group, Inc.)
Earth Balls (Fair Trade) Milk Chocolate
Good + - Very Good
Weight: ~1.41 oz. (40 g.)/5 oz. (141 g.) ttl pkg
Calories: 210 calories in 6 pieces
Cost: $4.99 total pkg.
Purchased from: Piazza's Fine Foods in Palo Alto, CA

Happy Earth Day, April 22, to all in the U.S. These Earth Ball chocolates seemed like the right choice to celebrate this occasion.

------------------------------*------------------------------*---------------------------------

Today, I also enjoyed an assortment of milk and dark chocolates from The Chocolate Tree, in Beaufort, South Carolina. This box included milk and dark chocolate-covered brazil nuts; milk chocolate coconut; milk and dark chocolate-covered peanut clusters; milk chocolate peanut butter; and a milk chocolate toffee crunch. Also included in this half-pound assortment box were milk and dark chocolate sand dollars, chocolates with raisins, and a few others. I ate about 4 oz. (of the 8 oz. box), about 610 calories worth. We had a hot spell this week - so it was necessary to eat some of these chocolates before they melted. (Yep, that's my excuse, and I'm sticking to it.)

I was able to order this assortment box over the phone. Thanks to the Chocolate Tree for putting this order together. It's great to have tried some chocolates from South Carolina.

ChocolateBet: April 21, 2009

Chocolate of the Day:

8 small squares
Gnosis Chocolate
SuperChoc
Very Good - Very Good +
Weight: 1.77 oz. (49.77 g.)/2 oz. (56 g.) in total bar/box
Calories: ~267 calories (estimate)
Cost: $0 (sample)
Purchased from: N/A - received sample during visit Gnosis made to San Francisco

I have to admit some earlier raw chocolate items I've tasted were just so-so. So, I was very pleasantly surprised with SuperChoc's great taste and consistency, as well as the healthy back-story associated with this bar. I'm looking forward to trying the other flavors from Gnosis this year.

Gnosis Chocolate was founded by Vanessa Barg, who brings with her a substantial health counseling background. She and her team are engaged in making each batch by hand - without the help of large machinery normally associated with bulk manufacturers. She explained that there is no milk (that can bind to antioxidants - which might normally bind with free radicals, neutralizing some of the chocolate's beneficial properties). And, instead of sugar, she uses agave syrup, a boon to diabetics and those watching their blood sugar levels. This chocolate is also gluten-free. Thank you to Sarah for tipping me off about Gnosis.