Cabruca Chocolates - Coconut Kiss - April 8, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

Cabruca Chocolates, llc
Coconut Kiss
Good - Good +
Weight: .7 oz. (19.8 g.) (estimate) in 1 piece
Calories: 105 calories (estimate) in 1 piece
Cost: $ box includes other flavors; 14.00 for a box of 6 chocolates
Purchased from: Cabruca Chocolates, online order

Welcome to Day #1 of Chocolate and Brazil Theme Weeks.

Happily there are several talented chocolatiers from Brazil in the U.S. who are incorporating Brazil-inspired flavors into confections.

Today's Coconut Kiss Brigadeiro Truffle was part of an assortment box from Juliana Bounds, chief chocolatier for Cabruca* Chocolates (Winchester, OR). Juliana grew up experimenting with chocolate and food recipes in the family kitchen in Brazil. She produces chocolates with caramel ganaches, Brigadeiro truffles, and chocolates with traditional ganaches.

A white chocolate coconut core was surrounded with chocolate; and the outside was sprinkled with coconut flakes, creating some layered tropical flavor.

*"Cabruca" is a Brazilian (Portugese) term that refers to growing cacao in a forest -- a shaded canopy setting -- that helps preserve natural ecosystems (wildlife, other trees).

Momotombo - Coconut - April 7, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

Momotombo Chocolate
Coconut
Good ++
Weight: .45 oz. (12.7 g.) (estimate) in 1 piece
Calories: 68 calories (estimate) for 1 piece
Cost: $N/A - cost of larger assortment previously recorded
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #7 of Chocolate and Nicaragua Theme Week. I'm finishing this off with a coconut bonbon from Momotombo Chocolate (Managua, Nicaragua) that had been carefully stored away in our chocolate vault.

I had previously sampled a trio of these bonbon style chocolates made with Nicaraguan cacao, in Nicaragua, back in 2012; but I hadn't featured the Coconut flavor, that was rolled in toasted coconut bits.

Flavorful, and temporarily transporting... I enjoyed imagining I was on vacation near the ocean and coconut trees in Central America.

Momotombo - dark chocolate covered cacao seeds - April 6, 2015

Chocolate of the Day:

Momotombo Chocolate
dark chocolate covered cacao seeds
Very Good+
Weight: .6 oz. (17 g.) in 3 pieces
Calories: 90 calories (estimate) in 3 pieces
Cost: $20.00 (estimate) for 1 bag
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

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

Don't let these simple, bean-shaped individually-wrapped chocolates from Momotombo Chocolate (Managua, Nicaragua) fool you.

These were made "in country" in Nicaragua, from earthy, chocolatey Nicaraguan cacao. Each dark chocolate contains a crunchy, hand-peeled cacao bean (or seed) -- giving them a delicious, double cacao wallop.

Warning, these can be addictive. However, they are are so satisfying that two or three can easily propel you through the day.

What Columbus missed...

The story goes that Christopher Columbus, in his final voyage, landed off the east (Caribbean) coast of Nicaragua in 1502. He and his crew made several observations about the country, and noticed people using cacao beans. But these European explorers were too focused on searching for gold in the New World to pay much attention to cacao or to consider it precious. (Hernan Cortez, who arrived later, would change that by taking beans back to Spain.)

Had Columbus had the opportunity to taste Nicaraguan cacao in the form of today's Momotombo dark chocolate covered cacao seeds, perhaps he would have reconsidered.

Thank you to Sunita at The Chocolate Garage for distributing these in the U.S.

Momotombo - Toffee with cacao nibs - April 5, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

Momotombo Chocolate
Toffee with cacao nibs
Weight: 3 oz. (84.9 g.) / 20.9 oz. (591.47 g.) in total package of two bars
Calories: 450 calories (estimate) in 3 oz. (84.9 g.) serving of slices
Cost: $25.00 (estimate) for 1 package of 2 bars
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #5 of Chocolate and Nicaragua Theme Week, which fell on a weekend. A Passover and Easter weekend. Instead of chocolate bunnies, eggs and chicks, this year we celebrated with this rich offering from The Chocolate Garage and Momotombo Chocolate (Managua, Nicaragua).

This generous, foot long package contained two generously sized bars of buttery toffee with cacao nibs. Just one bar was enough to slice up and share with a large group of family and friends.

I managed to enjoy several slices. Probably a bit too much. But, the toffee and the cacao nibs had a soft crunch and were buttery, nutty, flavorful and delicious.

Momotombo - Caribbean Butter Toffee - April 4, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

Momotombo Chocolate
Caribbean Butter Toffee
(Toffee de mantequilla con especies del caribe)
Good +
Weight: 1.548 oz. (43.8 g.) / 4.65 oz. (131.6 g.) (estimate) in total box of 15 pieces
Calories: 233 calories (estimate) in 5 pieces (1/3 box)
Cost: $22.00 for 1 box of 15 pieces
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

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

I felt like I was on a tropical vacation eating these Caribbean Butter Toffee chocolates from Momotombo Chocolate (Managua, Nicaragua).

Eastern Nicaragua borders on the Caribbean Sea, and like many of its Latin American neighbors shares a Caribbean influence. The chocolate covering came from Nicaraguan cacao, and the toffee was infused with Caribbean inspired spices: cloves, cinnamon and pimienta de Chiapas.*

Both the Nicaraguan chocolate around the toffee and the spices were wonderful.

*Pimienta de Chiapas is a spice that grows on a tree. Its dark, aromatic peppercorn-like berries are used in foods and for medicinal uses. The tree's leaves are sometimes used to make a tea.

Momotombo - Tropicality chocolates - April 3, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

Momotombo Chocolate
Tropicality chocolate(s)
Good +
Weight: 4.4 oz. (124.5 g.) in total box of 15 pieces
Calories: 638 calories (estimate) in 15 pieces (1 box)
Cost: $22.00 for 1 box of 15 pieces
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

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

This 15-piece box of "Tropicalidad" (Tropicality) chocolates from Chocolate Momotombo (Managua, Nicaragua) contained rich, layered flavors.

At the heart of each chocolate covered, bean-shaped confection, was a center full of authentic, tropical fruit: moist dried banana, passion fruit, and pineapple.

Momotombo - Quetzal chocolates - April 2, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

Momotombo Chocolate
Quetzal chocolates
Good+
Weight: 4.3 oz. (121.7 g.) in total box of 15 pieces
Calories: 620 calories (estimate) in 15 pieces (1 box)
Cost: $22 for 1 box of 15 pieces
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

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

It's difficult to find Nicaraguan chocolate in the U.S., so I'm happy live near The Chocolate Garage (Palo Alto, CA). They carry a full line of Momotombo chocolates (including some made just for the Garage). I purchased several for this theme week.

Carlos Mann at Momotombo works to honor and preserve fine Nicaraguan cacao, and also provides training to locals who work in the company's small artisan factory.

Momotombo's Quetzal* chocolates, like yesterday's Fiery Jungle Queen chocolates, came packaged 15 bean-shaped, chocolate covered pieces to a box.

I was surprised when I bit into the first piece. Instead of a soft or gooey center like you might find in other confections or filled chocolates, a tiny shower of seeds (chia, sesame, linseed (aka flaxseeds)) and coconut tumbled out. This unique, malty flavored seed mix was very satisfying -- and was refreshingly cereal-like and un-sweet. I found myself eating the whole box for breakfast. Expensive breakfast, but I'd like to think one that a quetzal bird might approve of.

*The Quetzal bird was a sacred symbol to the Aztecs and Maya peoples. The Resplendent Quetzal (one of five species of  Quetzal (part of the Trogon family) in Central America) is said to be one of the most beautiful birds in the Americas. This bird with bright green plumage can be found in the cloud forests (tree canopies) of Nicaragua and neighboring countries.