Goldenberg's - Original Peanut Chews - Nov. 17, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

Goldenberg's
Original Peanut Chews
(distributed by Just Born, Inc.)
Good
Weight: 3.3 oz. (93 g.) in total package of 8 pieces
Calories: 460 calories in 1 package
Cost: $1.99 for 1 package
Purchased from: Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World, Rocklin, CA

Today was Day #13 of Chocolate and Peanuts Theme Week(s).

Goldenberg's Original Peanut Chews were created by the Goldenberg family back in 1917, and these chocolate candies were used as a WWI ration bar in the U.S.

Goldenberg's Original Peanut Chews are distributed by Just Born, Inc. (Bethlehem, PA).

Oatmega - Chocolate Peanut Crisp bar - Nov. 16, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

Boundless Nutrition LLC
Oatmega - Chocolate Peanut Crisp bar
Good
Weight: 1.8 oz. (50 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 190 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $2.19 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Piazza's Fine Foods, Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #12 of Chocolate and Peanuts Theme Week(s).

This Oatmega Chocolate Peanut Crisp bar from Boundless Nutrition LLC (Austin, TX) was pleasantly chewy and had less of the uniform, extruded look of many protein bars.*

This bar was made with gluten-free oats (thank you), and was also made with non-GMO ingredients. It contained only 5 grams of sugar and 14 grams of protein (grass-fed whey protein). The Oatmega bar also contained EPA and DHA Omega-3 fatty acids ("derived from sustainable marine resources").

*Note: I don't expect a protein bar to look like an art bar. Both types of bars are usually carefully crafted by their makers, but with different audiences in mind. One bar may need to look "healthy" and not melt on a hike or during a work-out; and another bar may need to look "pretty" and have volatile flavor elements and texture that need preserving in a cool, dark place. 

The wonderful thing is that chocolate is so versatile there is room for it to exist in many forms. More on this tomorrow, when I talk about how I evaluate chocolates across many different categories.

Fall Chocolate Salon - San Francisco - Nov. 15, 2015

Fall Chocolate Salon 2015 - San Francisco, CA
Sun., Nov. 15, 2015

This year's Fall (6th annual San Francisco) Chocolate Salon was held at a new venue—the General's Residence, in Fort Mason, San Francisco, CA.

This historic building provided an attractive, multi-room space for chocolate makers, chocolatiers, craft spirits makers, perfumers, vintners and others to display their offerings. (And the views of Aquatic Park, Alcatraz and San Francisco Bay weren't bad either.)

Amano Artisan Chocolate (Orem, UT) was displaying new packaging (and larger bars). I enjoyed discussing single origin bars and new bars with flavor inclusions with founder Art Pollard's two sons.

There were plenty of great Bay Area chocolatiers there. I picked up some velvety Pumpkin Spice Truffles and very tasty Nib Brittle from Neo Cocoa (San Francisco, CA); truffles from CocoTutti; tiny individually wrapped caramels from Kindred Cooks (Campbell, CA); creamy, flavorful chocolates from Alexander's Patisserie (Mountain View, CA); and artful pieces with layered flavors from flying noir (Oakland, CA).

While in search of some smoky and umami flavors, I picked up a bottle of great, complex Bourbon (made from corn and rye) from Raff Distillerie (Treasure Island, San Francisco). What a great aroma; and I'm looking forward to sampling it with chocolates. I also enjoyed the spirits (a crisp Gin with citrus notes; a well-rounded Rhum Agricole; and an Absinthe with French roots) from Sonoma County Distilling Co. (Rohnert Park, CA).

I enjoyed saying hello to Alter Eco (San Francisco, CA) and The Tea Room Chocolate and Tea Co. (San Leandro, CA).

And, after nine years of eating different chocolates, I still love meeting new creative people who are making chocolates. New chocolate conversations this year were had with Firefly Chocolate (Windsor, CA); Endorfin Foods (Oakland, CA); Starchild Chocolate (Willets, CA); Fera'wyn's Artisan Chocolates; and Cowboy Toffee Co. (Oakdale, CA).  

Chocolove - Milk Chocolate Honey Roasted Peanuts - Nov. 15, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

Chocolove
Milk Chocolate Covered Honey Roasted Peanuts
Good +
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42.5 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total package/box
Calories: 225 calories in 1/2 package/box
Cost: $2.99 for 1 package/box
Purchased from: Piazza's Fine Foods, Palo Alto, CA

Chocolove (Boulder, CO) includes love poems inside their line of chocolate bars.

The company also offers bar-sized boxes of chocolate coated nuts, such as today's Milk Chocolate Covered Honey Roasted Peanuts. There was no love poem with these nuts, but there was the company's trademark "xoxox" on the packaging.

Each honey-roasted peanut had a sweet-crunchy texture and nutty flavor, which complemented the smooth (33% Cocoa) milk chocolate coating.

Made in Boulder, CO, with Belgian chocolate, the Chocolove package indicated that the cocoa had been certified "For Life" by the Institute for Marketecology (IMO)*.

*About Certifications
There are many certifications that claim to have examined whether cocoa was grown and paid for in a manner that supports ethical, socially responsible and/or sustainable criteria. Generally these certifications are to help better the lives of farmers or their communities, and to encourage practices that produce better cacao beans.

I applaud anyone who is trying to genuinely move in these directions; the challenges are often more complex than originally envisioned. 

22 Days Nutrition - PB and Chocolate Chip Nirvana bar - Nov. 14, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

22 Days Nutrition
PB and Chocolate Chip Nirvana bar
Good
Weight: 2.6 oz. (75 g.) in total bar
Calories: 280 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $2.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Sprouts Farmers Markets, Mountain View, CA

Welcome to Day #10 of Chocolate and Peanuts Theme Week(s).

Today's 22 Days* Nutrition, PB and Chocolate Chip Nirvana, organic protein bar was created by Exercise Physiologist Marco Borges (and manufactured for Co.Exist, Corp. Nutrition of Miami, FL).

The 22 Days bar had a faint aroma of cinnamon and peanut butter cookie. And, it did have a cookie sweetness from the first bite. The texture was dense and chewy; and the bar had the same, very slight graininess that I've found in many protein bars.

The bar contained 20 g. of protein (from organic brown rice protein, peanuts, sesame seeds and flaxseeds). It was made with Non-GMO ingredients and was also gluten-free and soy-free.

*The name 22 Days refers to the practice of breaking an old habit or creating a new habit by making a desired change for 21 days—with the belief that doing this will create a better result (or put one closer to a desired goal) on the 22nd day.

West Thomas Partners - The GFB Gluten Free bar - chocolate peanut butter - Nov. 13, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

West Thomas Partners LLC
The GFB Gluten Free Bar - chocolate peanut butter
Good
Weight: 2.05 oz. (58 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 240 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $1.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Sprouts Farmers Markets, Mountain View, CA

Today was Day #9 of Chocolate and Peanuts Theme Week.

I avoid gluten, so I'm always happy to find chocolate items like today's "The GFB Gluten Free Bar."  This line of gluten-free bars from West Thomas Partners LLC (Grand Rapids, MI), includes different flavors. Today's flavor was chocolate peanut butter.

It's fair to call this (vegan, non-GMO, and soy and dairy-free) bar a snack or protein bar. (It contained 12 grams of protein, primarily from brown rice and pea proteins, and from "virginia peanuts"—the number one ingredient.)

The bar had a slightly odd, smoky aroma. It had a pleasant chewiness (not to gooey and not too stiff). The flavor was similar to other protein bars with a very mild nutty taste from the peanuts and a hint of cocoa richness (from cocoa butter, cocoa mass (liquor) and cocoa powder). The texture was slightly smoother (less gritty and less dry) than many other protein bars. You might detect a golden flaxseed or two, but nothing unpleasant. And it had a relatively clean finish.

Charm School Chocolate - Coconut Milk with Peanut Butter Toffee bar - Nov. 12, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

Charm School Chocolate
Coconut Milk Chocolate bar with Peanut Butter Toffee
Good ++
Weight: 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 315 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $8.00 for 1 bar (member price)
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #8 of Chocolate and Peanuts Theme Week.

If you're a vegan who loves milk chocolate, you might be disappointed there are not more options. Not, however, if you've discovered Charm School Chocolate (Reisterstown, MD).

Charm School bars have the velvety smoothness that can be achieved with coconut milk, and the flavor of carefully and slowly roasted and processed cocoa beans. I'm partial to their "darker" bars, but today's 49% cacao bar is sure to charm those with a sweet tooth.

This bar, made from Maya Mountain Cacao,* had a faint green coconut aroma; and it was (like its siblings), nice and smooth with a clean finish. It had a generous sprinkle of carefully crafted peanut butter toffee flakes on one side, tempered with a barely discernible hint of French sea salt.

For vegans who love milk chocolate, you're in luck. But, you don't have to be a vegan to enjoy Charm School bars. Thank you to The Chocolate Garage (Palo Alto, CA) for stocking these, and many other great bars.

*Cocoa beans used for to make this chocolate were from Maya Mountain Cacao, located in southern Belize.