ChocolateBet: May 20, 2011

Chocolate(s) of the Day:

1.) Chuao Chocolatier 
1 small bar
Coco - dark chocolate
Very Good
Weight: .39 oz. (11 g.)
Calories: 69 calories (estimate)
Cost: $ lost receipt
Purchased from: lost receipt

2.) Joy's Place Live
1 container
Chocolate Mousse
Good + - Very Good
Weight: 6.7 oz.
Calories: unknown
Cost: $5.29
Purchased from: Whole Foods, in Kahului, Maui; in Hawaii

Today was the last day (Day #7) of Chocolate and Coconut Theme Week, which entailed eating a small Coco Choco Pod from Chuao Chocolatier -- a small dark chocolate with coconut, almond, cinnamon and coriander. Perfect size for a high-end, satisfying, bite-sized chocolate snack.

The second chocolate was a Chocolate Mousse, made with nut milk and coconut, and sweetened with local (Hawaiian) honey, from Joy's Place Live! (Maui, Hawaii), found in the local Whole Foods market in Kahului, Hawaii, near where we were staying.

Wow, all these great flavors, and it's not even lunch yet. Have to save room for what's to come.

Following the chocolate trail in Hawaii. Aloha.

Chocolate Story: May 19, 2011

Maui Chocolate Story:

As an extension of Chocolate and Coconut Theme Week, today we explored other examples of the convergence of these two flavors.

Surfing Goats
Our first stop was the Surfing Goat Dairy in Kula. Yes, we learned, you can made chocolate truffles with goat cheese. But, no coconuts here, just surfboards.

Flowers and Coconuts, But no Cacao Trees
A trip to the Botanic garden in Kula, located on the lush, green slopes of Mount Haleakala in Maui, yielded views of beautiful flowers and coconuts, but no cacao trees (although we'd heard growing evidence of more trees being planted in nearby areas).

Ali'i Kula Lavender Farm
Our last Kula stop was at a lavender farm. More on that next week. Think lavender chocolate bars and brownies, lavender scones, and chocolate lavender gelato. No coconuts though.

Wow Wee Maui

This evening we visited the original home of the Wow Wee Maui chocolate bar line -- the Wow Wee Maui Grill and Kava Bar in Kahului, Maui, in Hawaii. The original owner sold the grill and bar, and is focusing on making chocolate bars; but the bars are still sold at the bar). After dinner, I enjoyed an icy Kava colada (served in a coconut shell with a straw), and a small bite of a Wow Wee Maui Coffee with Toffee chocolate bar.

Aloha.

ChocolateBet: May 19, 2011

Chocolate(s) of the Day:
Sweet Paradise Chocolatier

1.) Coconut Truffle
Good + - Very Good
Weight: .5 oz. (14 g.) (estimate)

Calories: 75 calories (estimate)

Cost: $2.83

Purchased from: Whole Foods, in Kahului, Maui; Hawaii

2.) Coconut Curry
Good + - Very Good
Weight: .5 oz. (14 g.) (estimate)
Calories: 75 calories (estimate)
Cost: $2.83

Purchased from: Whole Foods, in Kahului, Maui; Hawaii

Today was Day #6 of Chocolate and Coconut Theme Week. No better place to celebrate the fusion of these two flavors than a tropical island like Maui (Hawaii). Today's Coconut Truffle (with a sweet coconut ganache) and the Coconut Curry chocolate (with a nice savory sweet blend of coconut and curry spices) were from Hawaii-based Sweet Paradise Chocolatier. Aloha all -- pictures may be delayed this week due to travel and restricted Internet access.

ChocolateBet: May 18, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

2 oz.
Earthling Organics
Rawnola
Good +
Weight: 2 oz. (56 g.) / 8 oz. (227 g.) total package/bag
Calories: 300 calories
Cost: $11.59 total bag
Purchased from: Country Sun Natural Foods, in Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #5 of Chocolate and Coconut Theme Week and, so far this week, I've sampled beverages, bars and bonbons that contain blends of these two flavors. Today's chocolate falls into the cereal category. Earthling Organics Rawnola contained Arriba Criollo "heirloom cacao" beans (that were roasted in the sun), and coconut.

This raw version of granola cereal was dense with ingredients like soaked nuts and seeds, and figs, but retained a lighter weight than I expected. It was good as a snack or breakfast cereal, and with or without milk. Flavored with agave, it was sweet, but not overly so, which I liked. My only challenge: the large hunks of cereal in the bag were difficult to break apart with the side of my spoon, even after sitting in some milk for a minute. Attempts to chisel the larger chunks apart resulted in cereal bits taking flight in multiple directions, outside the bowl.

ChocolateBet: May 17, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:
1 truffle
The Oakland Chocolate Company
Coconut Crunch
Good + - Very Good
Weight: .5 oz. (14 g.) (estimate)
Calories: 74 calories (estimate)
Cost: $ part of larger assortment box
Purchased from: The Oakland Chocolate Co., Oakland, CA

Today was Day #4 of Chocolate and Coconut Theme Week. The Oakland Chocolate Co. (based, fittingly enough, in Oakland, CA), offers a variety of chocolates, using fresh flavors and ingredients, including at this hand-rolled Coconut Crunch truffle.

Nancy Nadel, the owner and chief chocolatier at this bean-to-bar-to-bonbon company, uses dark chocolate from a single region (St. Mary's Parish) in Jamaica, for truffles, filled and molded chocolates, drops, and chocolate dipped fruit pieces.

ChocolateBet: May 16, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:
1 bar
Stirs the Soul
coconut chocolate (bar)
Good
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) bar
Calories: 155 calories (estimate - no information listed)
Cost: $3.59
Purchased from: Country Sun Natural Foods, in Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #3 of Chocolate and Coconut Theme Week. This past weekend I went on a chocolate with coconut hunt. This "Coconuts" restaurant (sign pictured at right) looked promising, but, alas, there were no chocolate items on their menu.

So, the search continued, until I stopped at Country Sun Natural Foods store a few miles away. Here I found today's coconut chocolate dark 74% cacao (and "100% raw") bar from Stirs the Soul (a company based in Portland, OR).

The texture of this stone ground, coconut chocolate was very smooth, and not overly sweet, with a faint hint of slightly waxy, coconut soap mouthfeel. The raw, agave-sweetened (low glycemic), fairly traded, vegan bar was also manufactured in a gluten-free facility.

ChocolateBet: May 15, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:
1 bar
Cacao Atlanta Chocolate Co.
Love Bar {Hispaniola}
Cinnamon Coconut (bar)
Very Good
Weight: 1.5 oz. (50 g.)
Calories: 218 calories (estimate)
Cost: $10 (based on purchase of 2 bars for $20)
Purchased from: Cacao Atlanta booth, San Francisco International Chocolate Salon, San Francisco, CA

Trying to add flavorings to a ferociously dark 75% cacao chocolate like this is a bit like lightly placing a dainty bouquet of flowers, seeds and spices atop the back of a bucking stallion. While this analogy sounds far-fetched, the comparison is perhaps inspired by Kristen Hard (pictured), the founder of Cacao Atlanta. Hard may have roots in the genteel south, but she is passionate about her chocolate and takes pride in all aspects of cacao: from sourcing to artful presentation. Cacao Atlanta started making bean-to-bar chocolate in the company's chocolate laboratoire in 2009, and produces a line of single origin, high-quality bars -- this Hispaniola Love Bar being one of them.


The dark chocolate base (crafted from single origin beans from the Dominican Republic) had the powerful, but balanced astringency that I associate with fine espresso and monster red wines. Coming back to the flavorings in this Cinnamon Coconut bar for a moment...The cinnamon in this bar manifested as a glowing warmth, and the field of toasted coconut (coating the back side of this bar) -- normally a front-row star in less powerful chocolates -- was relegated to adding texture and subtle aroma.

Today was Day #2 of Chocolate and Coconut Theme Week.