Small Planet Foods - Cascadian Farm Chocolate Lover's Granola - Oct. 11, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

Small Planet Foods Inc.
Cascadian Farm Organic
Chocolate Lover's - "Premium Organic Chocolate Granola"
Good
Weight: 1/8 cup serving (22.25 g.) / 11.2 oz. (317 g.) in total package
Calories: 55 calories in 1/8 cup serving
Cost: $3.50 (sale) for 1 package
Purchased from: Safeway, Menlo Park, CA

Today was Day #3 of Chocolate, Grains and Grasses Theme Week.

With a theme week like this, chocolate cereal seemed like a good fit. And, so, the featured cereal today was: Cascadian Farm Organic Chocolate Lover's Chocolate Granola.

This oat and rice containing blend from Small Planet Foods Inc. (a division of General Mills, Minneapolis, MN) technically was not gluten free*. (It contained malted barley extract, and the label also advised that it might contain traces of wheat.)

This Chocolate Lover's granola tasted fresh and crunchy with a uniform chocolate flavor; and it was sweet, without being too sweet.

*Those that follow this blog may know that I don't eat wheat or gluten. Therefore I appreciate labeling with advisories like this. Depending on what's listed as included (or what might be included) on the label, I can decide whether I want to try a small taste or not.

The content and images on this post belong to ChocolateBanquet.com.

CeMoi - Nature Dark 64% Quinoa bar - Oct. 10, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

CeMoi Chocolatier Francais
Nature Dark (Noir) 64% Quinoa bar
 Good - Good +
Weight: .7 oz. (20 g.) / 3.52 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 110 calories in 1/5 bar
Cost: $1.49 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA


Bienvenue a Day #2 of Chocolate, Grains and Grasses Theme Week. This week I've chosen to explore and feature chocolates with gluten-free grain or grass-like inclusions, starting with two quinoa* bars.

Today's Nature Dark (Noir) 64% cacao Quinoa bar from CeMoi Chocolatier Francais (Perpignan, France) follows yesterday's 75% Quinoa Coconut bar from Theo Chocolate. Both contained organic ingredients, dark chocolate and quinoa. Both bars had their strong points.

Today's CeMoi bar was a bit sweeter and earthier than yesterday's bar. There also seemed to be more quinoa in today's bar -- in the form of embedded "quinoa crispy cereals coated with caramel" (that also contained rice and oats); and the higher percent of quinoa likely contributed to a slightly lower percentage of cacao (64% vs. 75%).

Yesterday's bar had a slight coconut aroma, whereas today's bar allowed more of the quinoa cereal and chocolate to shine through. The CeMoi dark chocolate bar base was made of unsweetened chocolate.

*Quinoa is technically neither grain nor grass. It is sometimes dubbed a pseudo-cereal. It is often cooked and eaten like a cereal grain, but it is more closely related to beets, swiss chard and spinach.

The content and images on this post belong to ChocolateBanquet.com.

Theo Chocolate - Quinoa Coconut bar - Oct. 9, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

Theo Chocolate, Inc.
Quinoa Coconut 75% Dark Super Chocolate bar
Good - Good +
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42.5 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 250 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $5.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: REI, San Carlos, CA


Today was Day #1 of Chocolate, Grasses and Grains Theme Week (part two).

Earlier this year I ran part one of this theme week, with chocolates that contained grass and grain-related inclusions. These chocolates also needed to be gluten free. I hunted for chocolate items with wheat and barley alternatives, such as quinoa, corn, rice and oats; and I eventually acquired enough bars, confections, cakes and cereals for a sequel. This week is that sequel.

Theo Chocolate (Seattle, WA) founders were part of an early wave of new American craft chocolate makers in the early 2000s that embraced the connections between enlightened supply chain practices, healthy eating and successful, quality product.

The success of Theo and other craft chocolate makers also hinged on enlightened consumers who would value what they were doing and who would pay a bit more for good chocolate. Thankfully the market for better chocolate has continued to grow.

Today's Theo Chocolate Quinoa Coconut bar was made with "fair for life" cocoa, and was certified organic. It contained high "nutrient-rich quinoa" and a Theo cocoa extract...

...I admit to raising an eyebrow when I read the reference to Super Chocolate and a "uniquely formulated cocoa extract" on the packaging. Cacao mass, cocoa powder and dark chocolate already naturally contain antioxidants (e.g. flavonoids or flavanols), minerals such as magnesium and iron, and other substances of interest to one's health and/or well-being.

Presumably this Theo extract* boosts levels of desirable, health supporting qualities? Apparently it does. But, how this post-harvest related process(ing) or extract was incorporated wasn't 100% clear from the packaging, in part because it's part of the company's own proprietary process. This is all well and good, but I've appreciated this newer generation of American chocolate makers' tendency to be more transparent about their supply chain and to fiddle less with ingredients. I hope Theo will continue to remain so as they grow their company and offerings.

Yes, but how did the bar taste...
For those readers who couldn't care less about polyphenols or processes, and who tuned in to find out how this chocolate tasted, let me get to that.

I broke off the first "Theo" embossed square of this bar and gave it a sniff. The bar broke with a hard snap,** and gave off a mild aroma of coconut, sweet chocolate, and a very subtle hint of sesame or seed brittle confection with a touch of vanilla.

The dark chocolate (75% cacao) base had an even, smooth dark flavor and the tiny roundish bits of quinoa gave the bar a pleasant, subtle crunch.

*In 2014, Theo Chocolate announced Violetamine (tm), the first in a line of "functional" ingredients, manufactured by Theo Innovations. It wasn't clear if the extract in this bar is the same, or whether it relies on similar processes.

**A chocolate bar that breaks with a hard snap is thought to have been well tempered. Tempering is a process (that falls toward the end of the multi-step chocolate making process) that involves precise heating and cooling of chocolate and that leads to bars that have a desirable and relatively stable crystalline structure. Tempering, or an ideal temper, will not always be correlated with flavor or taste but has long been considered desirable and may affect the appearance and texture of a bar.

The content and images on this post belong to ChocolateBanquet.com.

Blanxart - Chocolate a la Taza, Criollo (Peru) - Oct. 8, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

Blanxart
Chocolate a la Taza - Criollo de Alto Piura - Peru
Good +
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 7 oz. (200 g.) in total package
Calories: 150 calories (estimate) in 1 serving
Cost: $8.95 for 1 package
Purchased from: Chocosphere, online order

Welcome to the last day (Day #7) of Chocolate and Peru Theme Week.

Chocolate a la Taza is a thick, rustic-rich style of Spanish drinking chocolate. Bars can be eaten, grated onto other dishes, or melted into hot chocolate. And as the leaves start to turn scarlet and days get shorter this month, the thought of preparing a cup of rich cinnamon hot chocolate sounds more appealing.

Today's Chocolate a la Taza with Criollo de Alto Piura (from Peru) hailed from Spain—specifically from Blanxart (Barcelona, Spain).

After unwrapping the hefty*, 12-square tablet, I used a sharp knife to very carefully saw through this 15 mm (almost 5/8 of an inch) bar. I'm not saying my method is the best way to obtain a single square or two. You'll end up with tiny piles of shavings as if a large termite had been helping you. However, it got the job done; and you can always use those shavings for something else.

A little goes a long way. I poured a small amount of boiling water over the chocolate square in a tiny espresso cup and stirred with a tiny spoon until the result was a thick, sweet hot chocolate. (Then I poured the warm, velvety viscous chocolate into another tiny cup to get a more polished look for this photo, after all that stirring left chocolate marks on the side of the first cup.)

The square had a lovely chocolate brownie or chocolate cookie aroma and flavor, and the resulting hot chocolate was smooth and rich; I liked it a bit better than other similar a la taza style chocolates I've tried. Because it was hot drinking chocolate and had quite a bit of sugar in it (you can almost feel the crystals melting in your mouth with rustic style chocolate), it was more difficult to tease out the more subtle Criollo flavors of this Peruvian cacao, but the overall pleasing results speaks for itself I think.

*This generous block of chocolate will last me quite awhile as my drinking chocolate cups tend to be quite small. But no worries, I can always grate some and sprinkle atop some gluten-free scones or churros.

The content and images on this post belong to ChocolateBanquet.com.

Cocoa Parlor - Royal Dark 88 Peruvian Single Origin bar - Oct. 7, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

Cocoa Parlor
Royal Dark 88 Peruvian Single Origin bar
Good ++
Weight: .705 oz. (20 g.) / 2.82 oz. (80 g.) in total bar
Calories: 106 calories (estimate) in 1/4 bar
Cost: $4.99 in 1 bar
Purchased from: Piazza's Fine Foods, Palo Alto, CA


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

High-percentage (greater than 80% cacao) dark chocolates offer a unique, concentrated taste experience. Today's 88% cacao bar contained just two-ingredients—organic cocoa mass from Peru and organic raw cane sugar.

The "Royal Dark 88 Peruvian Single Origin" bar from Cocoa Parlor (Laguna Niguel, CA) had an intriguing, sweet aroma with hints of "green" mango, fig and marshmallow, and subtle floral notes.

The aroma was so sweet that I forgot there would be very little sugar when I took a bite. That's not a bad thing. In fact, I think this chocolate would make an interesting addition to any side-by-side, "ultra-dark" tasting plate. Speaking of sugar, the raw sugar in this bar might have imparted a bit more flavor (than processed/white cane sugar), but it was hard to tell.

After taking a bite, I enjoyed this bar's almost buttery melt. The creamy smoothness was followed by a slight bitterness. (Again, I had to remember, this was an 88% cacao bar.) There was a very light graininess and astringency toward the end (I could feel those polyphenols in the back of my throat). However, the interesting aroma and flavor up front—combined with the that fact that this chocolate wasn't ultra bitter—won me over.

This Cocoa Parlor Royal Dark 88 Peru bar was organic, vegan, gluten free and made with non-GMO ingredients. Many of the company's bars and other chocolate items contain organic Peruvian chocolate as well.

The content and images on this post belong to ChocolateBanquet.com.

Arete - Peru Nacional 66% bar - Oct. 6, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

Arete Fine Chocolate
Peru Nacional 66% bar
Very Good
Weight: 2.2 oz. (61 g.) in total bar
Calories: 330 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Maya, Santa Barbara, CA


Today was Day #5 of Chocolate and Peru Theme Week.

This unique and special 66% dark chocolate bar was made by Arete Fine Chocolate (Milpitas, CA). It was notable for its smooth, creamy and rich, yet relatively mild, flavor. I picked up hints of dried fruit (raisin), caramel and cream in this even, well balanced bar.

Source: Peru.org 

The was a relatively small production, craft bar, not found in too many places. I was fortunate to buy this bar in Santa Barbara, and to have met Arete's founders (David and Leslie Senk) at The Chocolate Garage -- a unique place in the San Francisco Bay Area where "Garage" members/subscribers are often able to meet the makers behind great tasting chocolate.

Peruvian Cacao
There are 196 provinces in Peru, and these provinces are grouped into 25 regions. Cacao is being grown/produced in 10 regions (shown in brown on the illustration) according to a report ("Cacao in Peru: A Rising Star") I found on the peru.org website. Growing areas can be found in coastal, Amazon and rainforest regions. Collectively growers produce more than 40,000 cacao hectares.

"Nacional" cacao was a popular choice in Peru and Ecuador the 1900s. Unfortunately, diseases led to reduced supplies of this great bean for many years. The Nacional beans from this bar came from the Maranon Canyon (likely in an area in central Peru, carved out by the Maranon River*).

*While the great Amazon River is fed by many sources, the Maranon River is considered the "source of the Amazon river" by many. The Maranon River is large enough to also be associated with an area likened to the Grand Canyon in the U.S. southwest.

The content and images on this post belong to ChocolateBanquet.com. Source for map of Peru was Peru.org.

Maverick Chocolate Co. - 63% Morropon Dark Chocolate bar - Oct. 5, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

Maverick Chocolate Co.
63% Morropon Dark Chocolate bar
Good ++
Weight: .92 oz. (26 g.) / 2.3 oz. (65 g.) in total bar
Calories: 138 calories (estimate) in 2/5 bar
Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

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

The 63% Morropon Dark Chocolate bar was made by Maverick Chocolate Co., a family business based in Cincinnati, Ohio. Paul and Marlene, owners and head chocolate makers, with help from their two sons and daughter-in-law, craft their bean-to-bar, small batch chocolate bars at the historic Findlay Market in Cincinnati.

This attractively packaged bar had a smooth dark chocolate flavor with uniform ripe, red berry fruit and slight nutty flavor notes.

The cocoa beans for this three ingredient bar (organic cocoa beans, organic cane sugar and organic cocoa butter) came from a cooperative in Peru.

Cooperatives play an important role in connecting cocoa farmers with chocolate makers.  The following description appeared on the packaging for this bar: "The Norandino Co-op in Morropon, Peru unites small farmers with a common goal -- to preserve the Piura White Criollo Cacao and to improve the quality of life for their farming community."

The content and images on this post belong to ChocolateBanquet.com.