SOMA - El Vigia bar - Sept. 9, 2013

Chocolate of the Day: 

SOMA Chocolatemaker
El Vigia 70% bar
Very Good
Weight: .353 oz. (10 g.) / 2.82 oz. (80 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 53 calories (estimate) in 1/8 bar
Cost: $14.00 in 1 bar
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #7 of Chocolate and Venezuela Theme Week. This smooth, rich El Vigia 70% bar from SOMA Chocolatemaker (Toronto, Canada) was made with Criollo and Criollo-related cacao beans. "Vigia cocoa is produced in the area southeast of Lake Maracaibo (a large lake in Venezuela)."

Tasting notes printed on the label, affixed to a silver packet, read as follows: "Notes of cream, cashews, and raisins." I would agree with this. The taste and texture was fairly creamy and smooth. There was a well-balanced, somewhat sharp, fruit acid taste (that was raisin-like). And there was an harmonious rich, earthy flavor undercurrent as well.

This bar was made for/in collaboration with The Chocolate Garage, in Palo Alto, CA.

Francois Pralus Caracas bar - Sept. 8, 2013

Chocolate of the Day: 

Francois Pralus
Caracas Trinitario 75% bar
Good ++
Weight: .4 oz. (12.6 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 66 calories (estimate) in 4 small squares (1/8 bar)
Cost: $10.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

There is a lot to like about the smooth, European-style, chocolate from Francois Pralus (Roanne, France). Unlike some, more rustic (cocoa beans + sugar) single origin dark chocolate bars, today's bar had a buttery mouthfeel - thanks to a bit of added cocoa butter and non-GMO soy lecithin.

Other contributing factors to a smoother texture lie in decisions made in the chocolate-making process.  Conching chocolate for long periods, yields a smaller ground cacao bean particle size. However, this extra processing may also allow certain volatile flavor compounds to escape, so care must be taken.

Today's Caracas 75% bar made with beans from Venezuela, had both smoothness and relatively robust flavor that I associated with Trinitario cacao beans from South America.

Today was Day #6 of Chocolate and Venezuela Theme Week. 

Dandelion Cumbato bar - Sept. 6, 2013

Chocolate of the Day: 

Dandelion Chocolate
70% Cumboto, Venezuela, Dark Chocolate bar
Very Good
Weight: .44 oz. (12.6 g.) / 2 oz. (57 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 66 calories (estimate) in 4 squares (1/9 of bar)
Cost: $9.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

This 70% dark chocolate bar made from beans from the Cumboto region of Venezuela, had a very pleasing slightly smokey, earthy, strong, well balanced satisfying flavor.

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

Dandelion Rio Caribe bar - Sept. 5, 2013

Chocolate of the Day: 

Dandelion Chocolate
70% Rio Caribe, Venezuela bar
Good +
Weight: .44 oz. (12.57 g.) - 4 of 18 square bar / 2 oz. (56 g.) total bar
Calories: 66 calories (estimate) in 4 squares
Cost: $9.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

I first became acquainted with Dandelion Chocolate at The Chocolate Garage (Palo Alto, CA). The Garage (aptly named for a 3-year old startup in Silicon Valley) is a great place to meet interesting people and to sample chocolates that have been carefully curated by Chief Garagista, Sunita de Tourreil.

Sunita carries many great chocolates from Venezuela, most (but not all) made by American craft chocolate makers. Dandelion Chocolate (San Francisco, CA) is one such maker.

I sampled the first of three Dandelion bars from Venezuela this morning. All three were made from cacao beans from 2012 harvests. Today's 70% Rio Caribe, Venezuela, bar dates back to Batch #1. (Dandelion indicates the Batch # on their carefully and beautifully-wrapped bars.)

Because this was an older bar (probably squirreled away for too long in my chocolate vault, waiting eagerly for Venezuela week), it had taken on a very slightly chalky texture. However, as I held a bite in my mouth to dissolve, I enjoyed the rich, acidic chocolate flavor with a hint of an earthy finish.

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

No. 11 White Nib bar - Sept. 4, 2013

Chocolate of the Day: 

Christopher Elbow
No. 11 White Nib bar
Good
Weight: 1.16 oz. (33.3 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 178 calories (estimate) for 1/3 bar
Cost: $7.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: CocoaBella Chocolates, San Francisco, CA

White chocolate doesn't usually "count" as a Chocolate of the Day for me. It generally is too sweet for my taste, and any cocoa flavor or aroma is often lost in the processing.

However, this No. 11 White Nib bar from Christopher Elbow Chocolates (St. Louis, MO) contained Venezuelan white chocolate and roasted cacao nibs -- and nibs contain cocoa solids (that give chocolate its deep brown color). The cacao nibs embedded in this bar added some crunchy texture and their stronger, slightly more acidic bite helped temper the sweet white creamy cocoa butter, sugar and milk powder that made up the white chocolate base.

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

Woodblock Venezuela bar - Sept. 3, 2013

Chocolate of the Day: 

Woodblock Chocolate
Venezuela - Ocumare 70% cacao bar
Very Good
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 134 calories (estimate) for 1 bar
Cost: $4.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

Today marked the beginning (Day #1) of Chocolate and Venezuela Theme Week. I've been looking forward getting back to featuring plain (unflavored), single origin bars for some time. First, it's interesting to see what flavors predominate in, or are unique to, a single region or country. Second, I enjoy seeing what different chocolate makers are able to produce, using similar cacao beans.

High-quality beans from Venezuela, in the hands of a good maker, yield dark chocolate bars that I can only compare to fine, full-bodied red wines, with a well balanced, fruit/acidic bite to them. Such was the case today, with this dark, slightly fudgey bar that was made, bean-to-bar, by family-run Woodblock Chocolate manufactory (in Portland, OR).

The small, dark 70% cacao bar from the Ocumare region of Venezuela packed a big flavor punch. And, without any effort at all, I savored each bite of this rich tasting, two-ingredient bar (cocoa beans, sugar).

Patric - Black Licorice bar - Sept. 2, 2013

Chocolate of the Day: 

Patric Chocolate
Black Licorice bar
Good + - Very Good
Weight: .76 oz. (21.6 g.) / 2.3 oz. (65 g.) in total bar
Calories: 114 calories (estimate) in 1/3 bar
Cost: $8.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Patric Chocolate, Columbia, MO

Today was the last day (Day #7) of Chocolate and Fig Theme Week, and I indulged a whim to pair chocolate with licorice and figs.

The result: a plate of fresh figs marinated in Pastis (a French anise flavored apertif), sherry, saffron-infused honey and lemon peel -- paired with pieces of a Black Licorice Bar from American craft chocolate maker, Patric Chocolate (Columbia, MO).

Patric Chocolate's Limited Edition (from July 2013) licorice bar was full of flavor and smooth in texture. This bar was infused with organic anise seed, house-made licorice extract from organic licorice root, and a touch of sea salt. The bar was soy and gluten free.