ChocolateBet: May 27, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
.3 oz.
Jade Chocolates
Krakatoa bar
Very Good - Very Good +
Weight: .3 oz. (8.49 g.)/ 2 oz. (58 g.) in total bar
Calories: 44 calories for .3 oz. (estimate)
Cost: $5.50 for total bar
Purchased from: Jade Chocolates, tasting event, in San Francisco, CA

Sometimes you just have to eat truffles for dinner. Tonight was such an occasion. I attended a Jade Chocolates truffle tasting event, held at Leland Tea Company, in San Francisco this evening. Samples of new Jade chocolate bars were also available. The Krakatoa bar (63% cacao, bittersweet), flavored with black pepper and lemongrass, was one of these new bars (shown above right).

My favorite Jade Chocolates truffle was the Jasmine Tea truffle. I am a sucker for good jasmine chocolates. The other truffle flavors (passion fruit; mint; peanut butter mango; pandan; and several others) were also quite good. Unfortunately, these truffles are not available for sale in stores at this time.

ChocolateBet: May 26, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:

1 piece
Alaska Jack's (manufactured for)
Polar Bear Smooch
Good + - Very Good
Weight: .75 oz. (21.2 g.) in 1 piece
Calories: 112.5 calories (estimate)
Cost: $ 0.60
Purchased from: Alaska Wild Berry store, in 5th Ave. Mall, downtown Anchorage, Alaska

The Polar Bear Smooch contained "two types of chocolate" and had a peppermint center (shown).

This was the last chocolate I took home with me from a recent trip to Alaska. I found more chocolates there than I thought I would; however, I was not surprised. I have yet to travel to a destination where chocolate is not present in some form.

ChocolateBet: May 25, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
1 1/2 pieces
Alaska Jack's
Bear Berry Clusters
Good - Good +
Weight: 1.125 oz. (31.8 g.) for 1.5 pieces / 6 oz. (170 g.) total box/package of 8 pieces
Calories: 150 calories for 1 1/2 pieces
Cost: $12.95 for total box of 8 pieces
Purchased from: gift shop in Ted Stevens airport, Anchorage, Alaska

These dark chocolate clusters, with caramel, small bits of pecan and dried cranberries were an Alaska Jack creation. I didn't care for the hydrogenated palm oil, but the Alaska Jack Harper story was interesting. Apparently he got the idea for adding cranberries by watching grizzlies in Denali eat them. I didn't see any live bears in Alaska when I was there earlier this month, but I made up for that by eating quite a few chocolate bear chocsimiles (chocolate facsimiles).

ChocolateBet: May 24, 2010

Chocolate(s) of the Day:

Alaska Wild Berry Products
1.) Cub Crunch - Milk Chocolate and Almond Toffee
Good + - Very Good
Weight: .459 oz. (13 g.) in 1 small package/piece
Calories: 69 calories (estimate)
Cost: $
Purchased from: downtown Anchorage, Alaska

2.) Alaska Grizzly/Brown Bear - (molded, milk chocolate)
Good + - Very Good
Weight: .55 oz. (15.56 g.) (estimate)
Calories: 82.5 calories (estimate)
Cost: 75 cents ($1.50 for 2 pieces)
Purchased from: Alaska Wild Berry Products, in downtown Anchorage, Alaska

3.) Alaska Salmon - (molded, dark chocolate)
Good + - Very Good
Weight: .55 oz. (15.56 g.) (estimate)
Calories: 82.5 calories (estimate)
Cost: 75 cents ($1.50 for 2 pieces)
Purchased from: Alaska Wild Berry Products, in downtown Anchorage, Alaska

The grizzly and salmon chocolates (shown above right) were part of the Alaska Wildlife in Chocolate series, or line, from Alaska Wild Berry Products. I missed seeing either one of these species live, in the wild, during my trip -- so, I took these two chocsimiles (chocolate facsimiles) home with me. Thanks to the staff at Alaska Wild Berry for your help in picking out these chocolates.

ChocolateBet: May 23, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
9 small pieces (rocks)
Manufactured for and Distributed by Alaska Jack's
Chocolate River Rocks
Good +
Weight: .5 oz. (14.1 g.)/6.75 oz. (191 g.) total plastic jar
Calories: 75 calories
Cost: $8.95 total jar
Purchased from: gift store at Ted Stevens Airport in Anchorage, Alaska

I wasn't able to visit Alaska Jack's while I was in Anchorage, but the company seemed to have a fair number of products available in stores there. The Alaska Jack's brand included an image of a grizzled prospector (Jack?) -- that evoked the gold rush in the Yukon era.

ChocolateBet: May 22, 2010

Chocolate(s) of the Day:
Novelty Mints/Distrib. Tweedie and Storter (Alaska)

1.) Alaska - Milk Chocolate bar (with art from Alaskan artist Jon Van Zyle)
Good - Good +
Weight: .33 oz. (9.3 g.)/ 2 oz. (56 g.) total bar
Calories: 55 calories in 1/6 bar
Cost: $3.50 for total bar
Purchased from: Cabin Fever, in downtown Anchorage, Alaska

2.) Gourmet Milk Chocolate bar - with The Alaska Art of Barbra Lavallee
Good - Good +
Weight: .375 oz. (10.6 g.)/ 2.25 oz. (64 g.) ttl bar
Calories: 56 calories in 1/6 bar
Cost: $3.50 for total bar
Purchased from: Cabin Fever, in downtown Anchorage, Alaska

I enjoyed finding out more about local Alaska artists when I purchased these two chocolate bars at the Cabin Fever gift shop, in downtown Anchorage.

ChocolateBet: May 21, 2010

Chocolate(s) of the Day
Wild Berry Products of Alaska

1.) Mt. McKinley - Very Good
1/2 piece
Weight: .7 oz. (19.81 g.)/1.4 oz. (39.62 g.) in 1 whole piece
Calories: 105 calories (estimate)
Cost:
Purchased from: Alaska Wild Berry Products, in downtown Anchorage, Alaska

2.) Chocolate Covered (polar, brown and black) Gummy Bears - Good +
6 small bears (2 polar bears, 2 brown bears, 2 black bears)
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) (estimate)
Calories: 135 calories (estimate)
Cost:
Purchased from: Alaska Wild Berry Products, in downtown Anchorage, Alaska

3.) Dark Strawberry Rhubarb chocolate - Good + - Very Good
1 piece
Weight: .4 oz. (11.3 g.) (estimate) 1 piece
Calories: 59 calories (estimate)
Cost:
Purchased from: Alaska Wild Berry Products, in downtown Anchorage, Alaska