MacSpam Caramels - April 1, 2013

Chocolate of the Day:

Elena Chocolate
MacSpam Caramels
Good +
Weight: .47 oz. (13.3 g.) (estimate) for 1 piece / 5-piece container
Calories: 70 calories (estimate) for 1 piece
Cost: $13.50 for container of 5 pieces
Purchased from: Elena Chocolate (online order), Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

Today was Day #7 of Chocolate and Hawaii Theme Week, and Day #1 of Chocolate and Pig Theme Week. Oh yes, and Happy April 1st, also known as April Fool's Day in the U.S. What chocolate would possibly fit into all three of these thematic categories?

The answer: MacSpam Caramels from Elena Chocolate, straight from the Big Island of Hawaii. Only I'm not fooling, these dark chocolate covered gems contained roasted organic Macadamia nuts, Kona sea salt, soft caramel, and "crispy Spambits" to amp up the savory factor a notch.

Packaged in a Spam tin, these clever, well executed and attractively wrapped caramels tasted better than I would have expected. For those who might be a bit squeamish about pork products with your chocolate, the Spam flavor was very subtle.

Congratulations to Elena at Elena Chocolate on your award last week at the Big Island Chocolate Festival for best bon bon. Well deserved.

Chocolate Macadamia ice cream - March 31, 2013

Chocolate of the Day:

Lappert's Ice Cream
Chocolate Macadamia ice cream
Good + - Very Good
Weight: 1/4 cup serving / 1 Pint container
Calories: 265 calories (estimate) in 1/4 cup serving
Cost: $7.99 (estimate) for 1 pint
Purchased from: Lappert's Ice Cream, Sausalito, CA

Today was Day #6 of Chocolate and Hawaii Theme Week. It was also Easter Sunday, a holiday often celebrated with chocolate eggs, rabbits, and baby chickens.

However, instead of indulging in chocolate bunnies this year, my Easter egg (bowl) filled with Hawaiian chocolate ice cream. After a holiday meal with family and friends, I enjoyed a scoop of Chocolate Macadamia ice cream from Lappert's, a family owned business that started in Hawaii.

Like yesterday's Lappert's flavor (Kauai Pie), today's rich, creamy ice cream was chock full of good-sized macadamia nuts. Sometimes it's easy to forget, with so many exotic ice cream flavors available, just how good just plain chocolate ice cream can be. The soft crunch of the mac nuts complemented the chocolate nicely. No other additions were necessary.

Kauai Pie ice cream - March 30, 2013

Chocolate(s) of the Day:

Lappert's Ice Cream
Kauai Pie ice cream
Good + - Very Good
Weight: 1/4 cup in dish / 1 Pint container
Calories: 265 calories (estimate) in 1/4 cup
Cost: $7.99 (estimate)
Purchased from: Lappert's ice cream store, Sausalito, CA

Today was Day #5 of Chocolate and Hawaii Theme Week, and time for some Kauai Pie ice cream from Lappert's (Sausalito, CA, location).

What is Kauai Pie ice cream you ask? At Lappert's ice cream shops, it is one of their most popular flavors, made with Kona coffee ice cream, macadamia nuts, shredded and lightly roasted coconut, and chocolate fudge. A winning combination.

I enjoyed pairing a small scoop of Kauai Pie ice cream with a small, sweet banana that had a light floral flavor note. (I saw more than a dozen different banana varieties being grown on the Big Island of Hawaii during a recent visit. I should have done more banana tastings while I was there, with chocolates. We're more limited in our choices of bananas here on the mainland.)

On a Mission: San Francisco
From Hawaii to San Francisco...All in a day's work.

This afternoon I took a field trip to the Mission district of San Francisco with a friend. In addition to gawking at murals and street art, we made numerous stops to shops, galleries and a park. But, let's talk chocolate.

Bi-Rite
After a stop to ogle Bi-Rite Market's impressive chocolate selection (not to mention cheeses, deli items, produce and other artisan items), we crossed the street to sample ice cream at Bi-Rite Creamery (Hazelnut with Dandelion Chocolate Cocoa Nibs; Salted Caramel; Lemon Lavender; Chocolate; other). The Bi-Rite stops alone justified the entire trip, even though we arrived too early for the high-end, soft-serve ice cream. (Creme Fraiche + Chocolate anyone?)

Dandelion Chocolate
After walking off some of the sugar rush, we visited Dandelion Chocolate's new digs on Valencia Street. We appreciated samples of single origin Dandelion dark chocolate bars, cacao beans, and homemade marshmallows there and seeing glimpses of bean-to-bar chocolate making. It was also wonderful to try a smoothie made with the white pulpy cacao fruit -- difficult to find in the U.S.

Chocolate Skull Hunt
Later we stopped for a raclette and potato plate at Mission Cheese (we had to balance out some of that sugar with a salty, savory item). And we located a potential source of chocolate skulls (used to commemorate The Day of the Dead) in one of the traditional Latin shops in the neighborhood. Sugar candy skulls were out on display in another shop, as were candy skull molds. Perhaps I'll make some chocolate skeletons this fall.

San Francisco loves the off-beat. We missed the "hunky Jesus" contest by one day, but we did spot a unicorn, a jackalope and many odd little animal skeletons at one shop (Paxton Gate); vintage luggage made into boom boxes in another shop; and creatively recycled items in thrift shop windows. No sign of wooden molinillos (used to make hot chocolate). That will have to wait until next trip.

For a unique and interesting take on neighborhood information in the Mission District, check out this atlas/set of maps (e.g., "Mission: Gangs and Cupcakes") at MissionPossibleSF.org.

Madre - All Hawaiian Bar - March 29, 2013

Chocolate of the Day:

Madre Chocolate
70% Hawaiian Dark Chocolate bar
Weight: 1.5 oz. (43 g.) total bar
Calories: 225 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $8.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Madre Chocolate, Honolulu, HI (online)

I have many good things to say about Madre Chocolate (Honolulu, HI), and the company's founders, David Elliott and Dr. Nat Bletter. However, today I focused on their chocolate, specifically their 70% Hawaiian Dark Chocolate bar -- a 1st Place 2012 Winner at the Big Island Chocolate Festival.

This hand-crafted bar was smooth, with mild fruit and almost-floral notes. I wondered what the interesting string of glyphs/picture language imprinted across the bar meant. The Madre Chocolate logo image (a modified Maya glyph for cacao) is explained on Madre Chocolate's About page on their website. I'm sure there is an interesting history and origin story behind the characters on this bar.

Ingredients and Origins 
The origins of the four ingredients that made up this bar were close to home:
1.) Cacao from the Hamakua coast (on the Northeast side of the Big Island)
2.) Organic sugar
3.) Organic cocoa butter
4.) Hawaii whole vanilla bean from Kona (on the West side on the Big Island, with rich volcanic slopes known for high-quality Kona coffee)

I spoke to Nat Bletter when I was in Hawaii last month; we spoke about the direct connections with farmers made possible when making a unique bar like this with all Hawaiian ingredients.

Typically cacao and other ingredients are grown in tropical climates in countries outside the U.S., and chocolate makers have to fly great distances to connect with farmers in person. Likewise, farmers may never have an opportunity to taste a finished chocolate bar.

Hawaii is a unique location in the U.S. where both these worlds -- that of the grower and the manufacturer -- can overlap. More about this in an interview I'll publish shortly.

Today was Day #4 of Chocolate and Hawaii Theme Week.

Milk Chocolate Tiny Balls - March 28, 2013

Chocolate of the Day:

KRM Distributors, LLC
Milk Chocolate Tiny Balls - Donkey Balls
Good - Good+
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) (estimate) for 4 balls / 4 oz. (114 g.) in total package
Calories: 150 calories (estimate) in 4 balls
Cost: $ N/A
Purchased from: Donkey Balls store, in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

Today was Day #3 of Chocolate and Hawaii Theme Week.

You can't visit the Big Island of Hawaii without catching a glimpse of Donkey Balls. Sold in several stores, bags of these chocolate covered macadamia nuts were adorned with pictures of Keoki, the Hawaiian shirt clad cartoon donkey.

Donkey Balls can be immersed in 20 layers of chocolate, resulting in a softer, rich chocolate version of a large, round candy jaw-breaker.

Today's "Tiny Balls" were smaller than standard size Donkey Balls, and were covered with milk chocolate. (Donkey Balls were also available in at least a dozen other flavor variations, some with dark chocolate.) Made with fewer layers than their larger siblings, these tinier balls allowed easier access to crunchy macadamia nut centers.

I enjoyed a hint of malt flavor note in these diminutive Donkey Balls, and the relatively dark, rich milk chocolate -- happily, a higher quality of cacao than I've found in some other whimsical offerings, or tourist-friendly travel shops. And, who wouldn't want to take home an item that flattered potential buyers with this statement: "Chocolate People Sure Are Smart!"

Elena - More Hawaiian truffles - March 27, 2013

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

Elena Chocolate
1.) Hawaiian Chili Pepper Chinese Five Spice (truffle)
Very Good
Weight: .39 oz. (11 g.) (estimate) in 1 piece / 2.3 oz. (65 g.) (estimate) total 6-piece box
Calories: 58.5 calories (estimate) in 1 piece
Cost: Part of a $13.50 6-piece box - recorded yesterday
Purchased from: Elena Chocolate, Kailua-Kona, HI (Keauhou Farmers Market)

2.) Hawaiian Lavender (truffles)
Very Good
Weight: .77 oz. (21.7 g.) (estimate) in 2 pieces / 2.3 oz. (65 g.) (estimate) total 6-piece box
Calories: 115.5 calories (estimate) in 2 pieces
Cost: Part of a $13.50 6-piece box - recorded yesterday
Purchased from: Elena Chocolate, Kailua-Kona, HI (Keauhou Farmers Market)

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

After I celebrated my first salad made with fresh produce from the farm (that I started receiving this week), it was time for dessert. This salad reminded me of one of my favorite chocolatiers (Elena Garcia) that I've met recently (last month) at the Kaeauhou Farmers Market in Hawaii. Fresh, authentic ingredients really do matter.

Elena's Hawaiian Chili Pepper and Chinese Five Spice truffle was full of a thick, flavorful chocolate ganache. It was light on the Hawaiian Chili Pepper; and this was OK by me as this little pepper has a fiery reputation, and too much might have wiped out other more subtle flavors.

This truffle, decorated with red spots, did have the best tasting Chinese five spice flavor blend with chocolate that I've tasted.

The Hawaiian Lavender truffles had a similar, authentic tasting, thick creamy, dark center. A few seconds after my first bite, a warm wave of lavender (with its unique, warm menthol spice, herbal, floral notes) swept through my senses. Another winner from Elena Garcia.

Elena Chocolate - Hawaii - March 26, 2013

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

Elena Chocolate

1.) Ginger Cappuccino
Very Good
Weight: .4 oz. (11.32 g.) (estimate) for 1 piece
Calories: 60 calories (estimate) in 1 piece
Cost: $13.50 for a 6-piece box (add shipping for online orders)
Purchased from: Elena Chocolate, Keauhou Farmers Market, Hawaii

2.) Raspberry
Very Good
Weight: .38 oz. (10.7 g.) (estimate) in 1 piece
Calories: 57 calories (estimate) in 1 piece
Cost: $13.50 for a 6-piece box (add shipping for online orders)
Purchased from: Elena Chocolate, Keauhou Farmers Market, Hawaii

Aloha and welcome to Day #1 of Chocolate and Hawaii Theme Week.

My thoughts returned to Hawaii this week. I couldn't be there in person; however, I enjoyed two Elena Chocolate chocolates in a 6-piece box from the Big Island. I discovered Elena's chocolates when friends took me to the Keauhou Farmers Market, near Kona, where Elena Garcia had a table, near stands with exotic island-grown fruits; macadamia nuts; Hawaiian fruit jams, jellies and butters; and other treasures.

Both today's chocolates were very good, and were made with high quality chocolate, and fresh fruits, coffee, and other local ingredients from Hawaii. I was impressed with Elena's knowledge of chocolate and her talent for combining flavors.

If you like ginger, you won't mind that the fresh ginger in the Ginger Cappuccino chocolate overshadowed the Kona coffee flavor in this flavorful piece that was topped with a dab of white chocolate and ginger.

The Raspberry truffle was delicious and fresh tasting as well. It was a version of this heart-shaped beauty that grabbed my attention when I stopped at the Elena booth at the Farmers Market in Hawaii last month. It contained a skillfull blend of fresh raspberry and passion fruit (liliko'i). What a great combination, although this may have been a seasonal item for Valentines Day.