Chocolate Gallery - Chocolate Explosion - July 30, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

The Chocolate Gallery
Chocolate Explosion
Good +
Weight: .4 oz. (11.32 g.) (estimate) for 1 piece
Calories: 60 calories (estimate) for 1 piece
Cost: $1.50 (guess) for 1 piece
Purchased from: Chocolate Explosion, Goleta, CA

Today was Day #9 of Chocolate and Santa Barbara Theme Week.

During a recent trip to Santa Barbara, a friend and I visited Goleta, a community adjacent to the University of California at Santa Barbara (UCSB), and just north of Santa Barbara proper.

When we saw the "Chocolate Gallery" sign, I had to stop and check out this local shop. We wandered into store, and after admiring shelves full of different chocsimiles*, and chocolates behind glass, we talked with one of The Chocolate Gallery owners (Karen Kegg).

Karen (and husband Tim Johnson) have been in the chocolate business in the Santa Barbara area for 35+ years -- a real accomplishment for any small business. And, that's long enough time to see many trends come and go. When I asked about certain flavor combinations, she admitted that she was not a fan of a lot of exotic flavors.

Basic chocolates (perhaps molded into different shapes), and basic flavor and texture combinations were her preference. She handed me a Chocolate Explosion to taste, that had a creamy chocolate filling and crunchy cocoa nibs, and was covered in dark chocolate. Yep, that's the essence of chocolate all right. And it was pretty tasty too.

*Chocsimiles are facsimiles of objects rendered in chocolate -- think Easter bunnies and other animals, musical instruments and other shapes.

Chocolate Maya - Basil chocolate - July 29, 2015

Chocolate of the Day:

Chocolate Maya
Basil chocolate
Good ++
Weight: .4 oz. (11.32 g.) (estimate) for 1 piece
Calories: 60 calories (estimate) for 1 piece
Cost: $2.00 (estimate) for 1 piece
Purchased from: Chocolate Maya, Santa Barbara, CA

Today was Day #8 of Chocolate and Santa Barbara Theme Week.

I love flowers and herbs in filled chocolates, truffles and bonbons. So I was interested in trying this basil-flavored filled chocolate (adorned with a dark and white colored patterned stencil) from Chocolate Maya (Santa Barbara, CA).

Chocolate and mint is a popular combination. And basil is a member of the very large mint family. Both the chocolate and the basil-almost-mint herbal flavoring in the smooth ganache (filling) complemented each other nicely and the flavors were refreshingly natural and authentic.

Today's piece was one of several interesting, unique and carefully crafted filled chocolates packed into a relatively small Santa Barbara-based shop that also contained a great selection of chocolate bars from around the globe.

Chocolate Maya - Buddha in Jasmin; Ganesh chocolates - July 28, 2015

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

Chocolate Maya

Buddha in Jasmin (sic) tea
Good +
Weight: .4 oz. (11.32 g.) (estimate) in 1 piece
Calories: 60 calories (estimate) in 1 piece
Cost: $2.00 for 1 piece
Purchased from: Chocolate Maya, Santa Barbara, CA

Ganesh
Good ++
Weight: .4 oz. (11.32 g.) (estimate) in 1 piece
Calories: 60 calories (estimate) in 1 piece
Cost: $1.50 for 1 piece
Purchased from: Chocolate Maya, Santa Barbara, CA

Today was Day #7 of Chocolate and Santa Barbara Theme Week.

These two wonderful and exotic pieces, a Buddha-shaped chocolate infused with jasmine tea, and a Ganesh medallion-shaped chocolate, were from Chocolate Maya (Santa Barbara, CA).

Both were made with rich, high-quality chocolate; and buddha contained a subtle hint of floral flavored tea.

Chocolate Maya - Milk and Honey and Champagne chocolate - July 27, 2015

www.chocolatemaya.com

Chocolate of the Day: 

Chocolate Maya
Milk and Honey and Champagne chocolate
Good +
Weight: .4 oz. (11.32 g.) (estimate) for 1 piece
Calories: 60 calories (estimate) for 1 piece
Cost: $2.00 (estimate) for 1 piece
Purchased from: Chocolate Maya, Santa Barbara, CA

Today was Day #6 of Chocolate and Santa Barbara Theme Week.

I've been enjoying the assortment box of chocolates I purchased from Chocolate Maya (Santa Barbara, CA) recently. We knew when we peeked in the door of this small, but wonderful shop that we'd be walking out with an interesting assortment of chocolates. And we did.

Today's "Milk and Honey and Champagne" bonbon was a creamy, sweet milk chocolate round topped with tiny (crunchy), gold candy "bubbles;" and it had a very slight hint of champagne grape flavor. Great for a gift or for celebrating a festive occasion, especially if you're milk chocolate fan.

Chocolate Maya - Elderflower Liqueur chocolate - July 26, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

Chocolate Maya
Elderflower liqueur chocolate
Good ++
Weight: .37 oz. (10.4 g.) (estimate) in 1 piece
Calories: 56 calories (estimate) in 1 piece
Cost: $2.00 in 1 piece
Purchased from: Chocolate Maya, Santa Barbara, CA

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate and Santa Barbara Theme Week. I'm working my way through a few different assortment boxes of chocolates recently purchased in Santa Barbara, CA.

Today's purplish, flower-shaped confection came from Chocolate Maya (Santa Barbara, CA) and was filled with elderflower liqueur (St. Germain I believe) infused dark chocolate ganache. This filling had just the right amount (for my taste) of slightly berry-tart elderflower flavor.

Chocolate Maya - Rosewater chocolate - July 25, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

Chocolate Maya
Rose - Rosewater Dark Chocolate
Good ++ - Very Good
Weight: .4 oz. (11.32 g.) (estimate) in 1 piece
Calories: 60 calories (estimate) in 1 piece
Cost: $2.00 (estimate) for 1 piece
Purchased from: Chocolate Maya, Santa Barbara, CA

Today was Day #4 of Chocolate and Santa Barbara Theme Week.

This Rose dark chocolate from Chocolate Maya (Santa Barbara, CA) was deliciously dark and authentically rose flavored. And I loved that it wasn't overly sweet.

Unfortunately, the assortment box of great chocolates I bought at Chocolate Maya last week got squashed (my fault), so this photo does not do this lovely, heart-shaped, floral chocolate justice.

Chocolate Maya is a small shop, right off State Street, the main street running through downtown Santa Barbara. It's not far from the ocean and the Santa Barbara pier -- that offers great views of the ocean, the city and the blue and dusky beige mountains as a backdrop. But, back to the chocolate...

Swiss-born owner, Maya Schoop-Rutten uses organic cocoa from "ethical plantations" in her house-made confections. Good chocolate made a difference, as did a lighter touch of sugar. Her shop also is well-stocked with high-quality chocolate single origin bars from bean-to-bar chocolate makers.

Chocolats du CaliBressan - Kentucky Bourbon bonbon - July 24, 2015

Chocolate of the Day:

Chocolats du CaliBressan
Kentucky Bourbon bonbon
Good ++
Weight: .4 oz. (11.32 g.) (estimate) for 1 piece
Calories: 60 calories (estimate) for 1 piece
Cost: $1.80 for 1 bonbon
Purchased from: Chocolats du CaliBressan, Santa Barbara, CA

Today was Day #3 of Chocolate and Santa Barbara Theme Week.

Today's rectangular Kentucky Bourbon bonbon from Chocolats du CaliBressan (Santa Barbara, CA) was decorated with a gold, red and light blue stencil pattern -- with tiny graphic bursts and little "BAM" exclamations -- across the top. This "monthly special" chocolate for July was a good choice for celebrating Bastille Day, the 4th of July, or the summer in general.

Inside this bonbon, a chocolate ganache contained a tantalizing hint of Kentucky Bourbon that yielded a glowing warmth.

Today was the last day for featured chocolates from Chocolats du CaliBressan, but rest assured there will be more in the future, including the company's signature Limoncello truffle, and tasty "Buddha Beauty" salt caramel, and the company's Bisous bonbon (red lips filled with a tangerine liqueur infused ganache).