Coconut Beach - Dark Chocolate Coconut Chips - Mar. 17, 2016

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

Coconut Beach Food and Beverage LLC
Dark Chocolate Coated Coconut Chips
Good +
Weight: 1.26 oz. (36 g.) in 1 package
Calories: 180 calories in 1 package
Cost: $0.99 for 1 package
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Today marked the fourth day of Nicaraguan chocolate field trip-related entries. However, this chocolate had more to do with Nicaraguan scenery than chocolate from Nicaragua.

Specifically, our travel group was staying next to a Nicaraguan beach, and today's Coconut Beach Dark Chocolate Coated Coconut Chips seemed like a good fit.

The Isle of Ometepe was formed by two large volcanoes. It lies in the middle of a lake in Nicaragua that's so large that you forget you're not by the ocean. You can hear the waves wash against a large sandy beach day and night; see shorebirds and seabirds skittering about near the surf-line; and you can't see anything but water on the horizon. Oh, and did I mention there were coconut palms and cacao trees not that far away?

Coconut Beach is a distributor based in San Diego, CA; and the company's crunchy coconut chips (a product of Thailand) covered with dark chocolate were satisfying, gluten free, and relatively low in fat and sodium.

Today was also the first day of Chocolate and Coconut Theme Week.

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

Nicaragua Cacao Pulp + Seeds - Mar. 17, 2016

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

Nicaraguan Farms
Cacao pulp (fruit) + seeds (beans)
Very Good
Weight: N/A
Calories: N/A
Cost: N/A
Purchased from: N/A - included in farm tours


No Nicaraguan chocolate field trip would be complete without a quick mention of the edible cacao fruit (pulp) fresh from the pod, that surrounds the seeds (beans) that are used to make chocolate.

The pulpy white fruit is a delicious tropical fruit. And this past week in Nicaragua, our group tasted fresh cacao from four different farms.

To eat the pulp, first you have to cut the thick, outer "shell" with a machete (or on a hard rock If you'd prefer). Then you scoop up the insides, and basically suck the white-ish fruit pulp off the seed/bean, which may not appeal to everyone.

But, the flavor is unique and refreshing. It can be zesty and citrus-like, or it can taste like tart-sweet and/or floral bananas, raspberries, or mangos. More than once, I've been reminded of watermelon Jolly Rancher candies.

While eating the cacao fruit isn't the same as eating finished chocolate, I couldn't resist giving a shout out to Henry Haslem's Farm, Cacao Bisiesto, and other Nicaraguan farms (or fincas) outside of Matagalpa, in the Nicaraguan highlands.

*Note: Fresh, frozen cacao fruit/pulp can also be ordered online.

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

El Castillo del Cacao - Chocolate with Roasted Cacao Nibs bar - Mar. 16, 2016

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

El Castillo del Cacao
Chocolate with Roasted Cacao Nibs bar
(Chocolate con Trozos de Cacao)
Good +
Weight: .7 oz. (20 g.) / 1.4 oz. (40 g.) in total bar
Calories: 105 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $37 (Cordobas), or approx. $1.35 (USD) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Hotel San Jose, Matagalpa, Nicaragua

This Chocolate with Roasted Cacao Nibs bar from El Castillo del Cacao (Matagalpa, Nicaragua) was the second Nicaraguan chocolate of the day, part of a chocolate field trip in Central America.

This small but substantial, 100% organic dark bar tasted relatively smooth and interesting, although the texture was somewhat rustic (in the traditional manner, where cacao is slightly more coarse).

Cacao nibs added extra crunch. The cacao beans used were local—grown and/or obtained within a few hours from El Castillo del Cacao.

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

Chocolate Momotombo - Naranja y Cafe Chocolates - Mar. 16, 2016

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

Chocolate Momotombo
1.) Naranja Chocolate
2.) Cafe Chocolate
Good ++ - Very Good
Weight: .424 oz. (12 g.) for 2 pieces (out of 3-piece box)
Calories: 64 calories (estimate) in two pieces
Cost: N/A - gift from hotel (where I was staying)
Purchased from: N/A - gift for guests at Hotel Los Robles, Managua, Nicaragua

Today was a continuation of a special Nicaraguan chocolate field trip.* This Central American country has a rich history of cacao-cultivation and consumption, dating back thousands of years.

Chocolate Momotombo is located in the capital city of Nicaragua (Managua). Our group stayed a few blocks from the Momotombo Chocolate Factory (at Hotel Los Robles) -- where last night we enjoyed a Pre-Colombian feast prepared by Momotombo founder and head chocolatemaker, Carlos Mann (see previous post).

Happily, the Hotel Los Robles supplied guests with a small, 3-piece gift box of Momotombo chocolates. So, I unwrapped and sampled the Naranja (Orange)** and Cafe (Coffee) flavors today as my first chocolates of the day. (That's right, there will be more chocolate today. See next post for the second Nicaraguan chocolate, eaten later in the day.)

There's nothing like Momotombo's slightly earthy, full-bodied dark chocolate flavor. The orange and coffee flavor additions were natural-tasting and well balanced in these individually-wrapped, cocoa bean-shaped chocolates.

*This trip was organized by The Chocolate Garage (Palo Alto, CA). Just as this retail operation offers a carefully curated collection of high-quality, "happy chocolate," the trip offered an expert view into the cacao in Nicaragua, with visits to local cacao farms and a fermentary, as well as meetings with chocolatemakers, and more.

** I featured the Momotombo Orange chocolate a few years ago, but am mentioning it again with the company's Coffee chocolate. The two flavors complemented each other nicely.

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

Chocolate Momotombo - Pre-Colombian Feast - Mar. 15, 2016

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

Fabrica de Chocolate Momotombo (Momotombo Chocolate Factory)
(tour and Pre-Colombian feast)
Very Good
Weight: unknown feast weight
Calories: unknown feast calories
Cost: $ N/A - part of a larger trip package
Purchased from: N/A - part of a larger trip package

Today the Chocolate Banquet Nicaragua Series continues with the second of two chocolate write-ups from this Central American country*. This evening I was fortunate to be part of a small group of people that visited the Momotombo Chocolate Factory in Managua, Nicaragua.

After seeing, smelling and tasting chocolates as part of a tour of the Momotombo Chocolate Factory, our group sat down to a pre-Colombian inspired dinner, under a giant lantern-lit mango tree (in the factory's back yard). The food was fresh, and amazingly good.

The chocolates and the entire feast was planned out and executed by Momotombo owner and founder, Carlos Mann. More about Carlos later this week. His factory turns out fresh (stovetop-cooked) chocolates, filled chocolate confections and bars.

Feast menu items this evening included: fresh corn tortillas with guacamole (avocado flavored with passion fruit), chicken mole, tamales, and many other dishes; and it was topped off by a fantastic fresh fruit plate. (I've never tasted sapote or pineapple like this where I live.)

Bravo Carlos, and thank you to Sunita and team at the Chocolate Garage for setting up this tour.

*Nicaragua is a cacao "origin" country, i.e. one of the Central American countries where cacao grew and was cultivated--dating back thousands of years, to the Olmec civilization.

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

El Castillo del Cacao - Coffee and Cashew bar - Mar. 15, 2016

Chocolate of the Day: 

El Castillo del Cacao
Coffee and Cashew (Cafe y Maranon) bar
Good - Good +
Weight: .7 oz. (20 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 105 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: 24.00 Cordobas (Nicaragua) or approx. $0.88 (USD)
Purchased from: Hotel San Jose, Matagalpa, Nicaragua

This week I've launched a Nicaragua Edition Series of chocolates, that reflects real-time travel through this Central American country of cacao origin.

I'll be featuring multiple chocolates per day, which may be a bit confusing. Basically this week/trip will entail sampling at least seven+ local chocolates, some of which will be surprise discoveries, like today's bar.

El Castillo del Cacao (cocoa castle) is a local chocolatemaker in the Matagalpa, Nicaragua area. Today's Cafe y Maranon (Coffee and Cashew) bar was one of two El Castillo bars I purchased at our hotel--Hotel San Jose (in downtown Matagalpa).

This chocolate bar was made from local (Nicaraguan), organic cacao. It had a touch of well-balanced coffee flavor, a slightly gritty (stoneground sugar and cacao) texture, and was marked with what looked to be an embossed bike symbol across the top.

Stoneground or lightly conched bars (made in a traditional manner that pre-dates large manufacturing facilities filled with stainless steel equipment) may lack the buttery smooth texture that some European-made bars have from hours or days of grinding down cacao bean pieces into micro-particle sized velvety bits; however, this rustic style with more substantial flavor and almost crunchy texture has its virtues and fans too.

*Apologies for the blurry photos, taken on a moving bus.

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

Kiss Me - Helado con un trago de ron - Mar. 14, 2016

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

Kiss Me
Chocolate helado (con almendras y malvaviscos) con un trago de ron
Very Good
Weight: unknown
Calories: unknown (estimate about 300 calories for amount I had)
Cost: $4.00 (estimate) for 1 serving of ice cream + rum
Purchased from: Kiss Me, Matagalpa, Nicaragua

Hola (hello). Astute readers may have noticed that this ice cream was the second "Chocolate of the Day."

We were strolling around a new town, intending to eat a real dinner, but ran into this great ice cream store, which delayed dinner, and created an opportunity for a Nicaraguan (second) chocolate of the day.

This evening's chocolate ice cream with almond and marshmallow pieces was from Kiss Me (Matagalpa, Nicaragua). The ice cream was scooped into a large brandy snifter (glass) and served with a generous shot of Nicaraguan Flor de Cana rum on the side. Both were served on a small, hardwood, cutting board, rustic style.

This evening's treat also marked the beginning of an accelerated series of chocolates from Nicaragua over the next few days.

When traveling through a new country, it's good to be flexible and open to surprises like this pink and white corner store in downtown Matagalpa. They had some great flavors.

Try a scoop of Kiss Me's passion fruit (Maracuya) yogurt on top of a scoop of the shop's caramel ice cream if you have chocolate fatigue.

Note: Thanks very much to Olga who very kindly provided the photos for this post!

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