Wowza Bar, Nespresso Mousse - Sept. 13, 2013

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

Zingerman's Candy
ZZang! Candy Bars
Wowza - Raspberry
Good
Weight: 1.5 oz. (41 g.) / 3 oz. (82 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 150 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $ N/A - gift from friend
Purchased from: N/A - friend bought in Ann Arbor, MI

Thanks to a friend's recent trip to Michigan, today I was able to sample a WowZa bar from Zingerman's (deli/store in Ann Arbor, MI). The bar contained layers of raspberry chocolate ganache, raspberry preserves, and fresh raspberry marshmallow nougat, and was covered in dark chocolate. The dark chocolate helped tone down the cotton-candy level sweetness a bit.

Nestle Nespresso - San Francisco, CA

Later in the day I drove into San Francisco. The America's Cup (sailing) races were still in progress on San Francisco Bay this week/month, and Nespresso (Nestle) has been a major sponsor.

I had lunch at a Nespresso boutique and bar near Union Square, and taste-tested (for a future chocolate of the day) a duo of diminutive chocolate mousses -- one with raspberry and chocolate layers, the second mousse incorporated white chocolate and milk chocolate -- and a small shot of coffee over vanilla ice cream. The smaller portion sizes made it possible to enjoy these lovely flavor combinations without suffering from sugar overload. I'll be back.

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

Donkey Balls - Dark Strawberries, Sept. 12, 2013

Chocolate of the Day: 

Donkey Balls
(Packaged by KRM Distribution LLC)
Dingle Berries - Whole Strawberries Smothered in Dark Chocolate
Good
Weight: 1.17 oz. (33 g.) / 4 oz. (114 g.) in total package
Calories: 175 calories (estimate) for 5 pieces
Cost: $6.95 for 1 package
Purchased from: Store in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

I can always count on a new chocolate in the Donkey Balls product line-up. This Hawaii-based brand started with several chocolate covered macadamia nut items and has expanded to other chocolate-covered nuts and berries, such as today's Dingle Berries -- strawberries covered in glossy dark chocolate.

Whole fresh strawberries partially dipped in melted chocolate can brighten up a lot of dessert plates. But, if its the wrong time of year for fresh berries, and you want something on the irreverent side, check out what Donkey Balls has in season.

Today was Day #1 of Chocolate and Berry Theme Week.

Pralus - Barre Infernale - Sept. 11, 2013

Chocolate of the Day:

Francois Pralus
Barre Infernale - Lait (bar)
Very Good - Yum!
Weight: .8 oz. (22.64 g.) / 5.64 oz. (160 g.)
Calories: 124 calories (estimate) for .8 oz. (22.64 g.) serving
Cost: $25.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

Great chocolate seems to attract adjectives that involve angels and devils in equal measure. Heaven in a bar. That's a good way to describe slices of today's chocolate bar. Each piece of this bar tasted like a high end truffle with a creamy* chocolate hazelnut center. Or, one could call this French bar devilishly good -- as the name (Barre Infernale) suggests. Either way, this filled milk chocolate bar from Francois Pralus (France) was memorable and extremely good.

*Note: "Creamy" doesn't quite cover it. Think buttery, only better.

The Barre Infernale (that comes in both milk and dark chocolate versions) is a bar you take to a dinner party with very good friends, or one you save for a special occasion. (This week I reached my seventh year of eating a different chocolate every day this week; and also celebrated my birthday.)

SOMA - Pantanemo bar - Sept. 10, 2013

Chocolate of the Day:

SOMA Chocolatemaker
Patanemo (Venezuela) 70% bar
Very Good
Weight: .47 oz. (13.3 g.) / 2.82 oz. (80 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 71 calories in 1/6 bar
Cost: $14.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

This week I've been celebrating year number seven of eating a different chocolate each day, with a great line-up of dark chocolate, single origin bars from Venezuela.

People have asked me for the past seven years if I'll run out of different chocolates to sample. After more than 2,500 chocolates, I'm happy to say there are still many good bars to try. Such as today's Patanemo (Venezuela) 70% cacao bar from SOMA Chocolatemaker (Toronto, Canada).

Yesterday, I enjoyed SOMA's El Vigia (Venezuela) bar. Both bars were made using Criollo cacao beans and had smooth texture and uniformly rich, dark flavor, with a well-balanced dried fruit acidic bite.

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.