Vintage Plantations 90% Dark bar; Valenza Chocolatier Sesamo Milk Bar - Mar. 14, 2017

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

Vintage Plantations
90 percent Dark Chocolate bar
Good +
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 3.2 oz. (90 g.) in total bar
Calories: 159 calories (estimate) in 1/3 bar
Cost: $ missing information
Purchased from: missing information

Valenza Chocolatier, Inc.
Sesamo Venezuelan Milk Chocolate Bar
Good +
Weight: 1.03 oz. (30 g.) / 3.1 oz. (90 g.) in total bar
Calories: 155 calories (estimate) in 1/3 bar
Cost: $N/A sample from Valenza (included in a larger order)
Purchased from: (part of a larger order from Valenza Chocolatier, Inc. (Costa Mesa, CA)

Welcome to Chocolate and STUVWXYZ Theme Week. Today we focus on two companies that start with the letter "v": Vintage Plantations and Valenza Chocolatier, Inc.

Both companies have founders with European ties/heritage, who are creative and passionate about origins and quality and who have an appreciation of single origin chocolate.

Both have offered chocolates made from Venezuelan beans (or chocolate), a venerable origin, vraiment, veramente (truly in French and Italian). And both offer a variety of chocolate bars as well as very enticing confections/truffles.

These two companies also exemplify two different approaches to making chocolates: that of a bean-to-bar chocolate maker (Vintage) and a chocolatier (Valenza).

Today's two bars also represented two points along the cocoa content spectrum: Vintage Plantations' 90 percent almost pure Dark Chocolate crafted from scratch, and Valenza Chocolatier's flavorful Sesamo light milk chocolate with sesame seeds. One's a bean-to-bar maker, and the other is a chocolatier who uses premium sourced chocolate. Each is making unique chocolates with well-balanced layers of flavor.

Now, let's taste some chocolate...

Vintage Plantations
The 90 percent Dark Chocolate bar from Vintage Plantations (Costa Mesa, CA) had a sweet cocoa, fruity (fig, goji berries, banana) aroma with very faint green notes. And the first taste was one I'd also associate with a bar with more sweetness (lower cocoa solids and more sugar).

However, like virtually all of my favorite ultra-dark bars, this bar was full of complex flavor. The initial flavor gave way to slightly sharper fruit notes and the sweet flavor transformed into deeper, richer, well-balanced slightly bitter flavor.

I've had a Vintage Plantations 90 percent dark bar before back in 2010, made with a slightly different batch of beans. The previous bar was made with Ecuadorian cacao I believe. (There was no origin or plantation listed for this bar.) Vintage has worked with beans from different origins, including Ecuador, Venezuela and Peru.

As the description on the packaging explains, chocolate makers assess cacao each year, and the chocolate may vary from year to year and from harvest to harvest. This bar was gluten free, vegan and soy lecithin free.

Valenza Chocolatier - Sesamo bar
The Sesamo bar from Valenza Chocolatier, Inc. (Costa Mesa, CA) was made from a blend of two chocolates: a white chocolate (cocoa butter) and a single origin Venezuela milk chocolate "with a slash of 61% dark chocolate."

The resulting bar had a cocoa butter aroma and a creamy, velvety chocolate base that was lighter not only in cocoa solids but also in appearance. (It had a lovely light caramel color.) A generous helping of embedded, roasted sesame seeds provided crunchiness in every bite.

And a touch of Sicilian sea salt tied everything together. It balanced the sweetness as well as the slight seed aftertaste from the sesame seeds in this bar.

*Don't leave this bar (or any chocolate bar) in direct sun. This bar softened very quickly. I offer as proof my fingerprints that I accidentally left on this bar, as I was holding it to take a photo.

Mama Ganache - Tasting Kit - Uganda tasting bits - Mar. 13, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Mama Ganache Chocolates
Tasting Kit - Uganda
Good+
Weight: .43 oz. (12.8 g.) approx. for 6 pieces /.5 oz. (15 g. per label) in per origin packet
(Entire tasting kit box was 2.5 oz. (75 g.) (per label) with 5 different single origin packets)
Calories: 72 calories (estimate) in six tasting "bits"
Cost: N/A - gift from family member ($8.95 for 1 tasting kit)
Purchased from: N/A gift from family member (Mama Ganache Chocolates, San Luis Obispo, CA)

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate and STUVWXYZ Theme Week. This is the last week of the chocolate alphabet series, and today we explore the letter "u," as in Uganda.

Mama Ganache Chocolates (San Luis Obispo, CA) has come up with a great tasting kit containing different single origin chocolate samples.* In addition to the five packets of (mostly organic, fair trade) bean-shaped tasting bits, this box came with instructions on how to taste chocolate, and information about the country(ies) of origin.

Each packet was also labeled with a price, nutritional content and calories—information you don't always receive from craft chocolate makers.

Today's tasting bits were created with organic cocoa nibs (primarily Trinitario) from Uganda (in eastern Africa); and the chocolate contained just two other ingredients: organic sugar and organic cocoa butter.

The chocolate had smooth, sweet, warm red fruit/wine notes.

*This tasting kit contained tasting bits from Bali, Belize, Bolivia, Peru and Uganda.

Trader Joe's - Buttercream Truffles - Mar. 12, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Trader Joe's
Buttercream Truffles
Good
Weight: 1.2 oz. (33.75 g.) / 1.6 oz. (45 g.) in box of 4 truffles
Calories: 405 calories for 3 truffles
Cost: $1.49 for 1 box of 4 truffles
Purchased from: Trader Joe's

Welcome to Day #2 of Chocolate and STUVWXYZ Theme Week. Today we've moved on to the letter "t"—as in truffles.

This attractively designed box of 4 Buttercream Truffles was made for Trader Joe's (Monrovia, CA) for the holidays.* The truffles were a product of Belgium.


The white buttercream filling inside these velvety, dome-shaped truffles presented a visual contrast to the cocoa-dusted milk chocolate exterior, and was flavored with Madagascar vanilla bean.


Note: These 4-piece truffle gift boxes were available for the holiday season, and may no longer be available.

Seattle Chocolates - Whidbey Wildberry Dark Truffle Bar - Mar. 11, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Seattle Chocolate Company
Whidbey Wildberry
Dark Chocolate Truffle Bar with Cherries and Strawberries
Good
Weight: 1.25 oz. (35 g.) / 2.5 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 180 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $3.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Pebble Beach Market,  Pebble Beach, CA

Welcome to Chocolate and STUVWXYZ Theme Week. Over the next several days, we'll finish up the alphabet, beginning with a chocolate related to the letter "s."

Let's start with a day, a destination and a fruit. Happy Saturday to you all! How about we take a virtual trip to Seattle and sample a bar with some Strawberries?

Today's Whidbey Wildberry Dark Chocolate Truffle Bar was from Seattle Chocolate Company (Seattle, WA).  This bar contained cherries (dried cherries, cane sugar, sunflower oil) and strawberries (strawberry jellies with apple juice and strawberry puree*)—two fruits that shine in late spring and summer.

The gluten-free and vegan Whidbey Wildberry truffle bar was made with smooth and sweet chocolate, punctuated by bits and tiny bursts of strawberry and cherry fruit texture and flavor.

Seattle Chocolate Company makes a variety of thick truffle bars that are almost velvety, and today's bar was no exception.

Other Seattle Chocolates/truffle bars w/ "s" in titles include:
- A Super Dark Chocolate Truffle Bar (powered by coffee and cocoa nibs)
- San Juan Sea Salt Truffle Bar (w/ milk chocolate)
- Dark San Juan Sea Salt Truffle Bar

On a sunny day, Seattle sparkles. However, this Northwestern U.S. city is better known for long gray season, and the company offers bars with titles that play off the weather:

- Overcast Sea Salt Truffle Bar
- Rainy Day Espresso Truffle Bar
- Sunny Salted Almond Truffle Bar

I'll take the Sunny Salted Almond bar.

**Some "W" back-story
Washington state produces large quantities of fruits and berries, including apples, cherries, blueberries, pears and strawberries. Whidbey Island, close to Seattle, is a popular source of fresh fruits, vegetables, flowers and other seasonal foods, including berries. Today's Whidbey Wildberry truffle bar is, in part, a tribute to the wonderful abundance of this area.

Nourish Snacks - Monkey Love and Miss Popular snacks - Mar. 10, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Nourish Snacks, Inc.

Monkey Love Chocolate-Banana Granola Bites
Good
Weight: 1.4 oz. (39 g.) in total package
Calories: 150 calories in 1 package
Cost: $2.00 for 1 package ($4.00 for 2 packages)
Purchased from: Safeway, Palo Alto, CA

Miss Popular Half Popped Corn Kernels
Good
Weight: 1.2 oz. (33 g.) in total package
Calories: 170 calories in 1 package
Cost: $2.00 for 1 package ($4.00 for 2 packages)
Purchased from: Safeway, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to the final day (Day #8) of Chocolate and Breakfast Cereal Theme Week.

Today I'm featuring two breakfast-worthy, cereal-like offerings from Nourish Snacks, Inc. (Port Chester, NY): 1.) Monkey Love Chocolate-Banana Granola Bites, and 2.) Miss Popular Dark Chocolate Half-popped Corn Kernels.

The company, founded by Joy Bauer of NBC's Today Show, offers several different individually-wrapped, single-serving sweet and savory snacks for under 200 calories.

The Monkey Love and Miss Popular flavors had chocolate chips and chocolate morsels in them, respectively. Both were gluten free and made with Non GMO ingredients.

Monkey Love was a "gluten-free spin on the classic chocolate banana dessert combo..." Small round balls of granola (oats, banana, chocolate chips and a hint of crisp brown rice and coconut).

Miss Popular was a gluten free, dairy free, vegan sweet and salty snack. The dark chocolate pieces provided the sweet; and the half-popped, Non GMO crunchy corn kernels provided the salty—in quantities that were not overwhelming. I could see eating this snack for breakfast too.

MOM Brands - DreamWorks Penguins of Madagascar Operation Chocolate Mix cereal - Mar. 9, 2017

Chocolate of the Day:

MOM Brands
DreamWorks Penguins of Madagascar - Operation Chocolate Mix
Good - Good +
Weight: 3/4 cup (29 g.) / 14.5 oz. (411 g.) total box
Calories: 110 calories in 1 serving + milk
Cost: $missing information for 1 box
Purchased from: Missing information

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate Breakfast Cereal Theme Week.

Today's box of DreamWorks Penguins of Madagascar - Operation Chocolate Mix cereal was distributed by MOM Brands* (Lakeville, MN).

The eponymous cartoon penguins were created by artists and animators and appeared in the Madagascar series of films from DreamWorks Animation (Glendale, CA).

Operation Chocolate Mix cereal consisted of sweetened rice cereal with cocoa and marshmallows, contained natural and artificial flavors and, like many cereals, was vitamin fortified.

I enjoyed a bowl of these crispy, crunchy chocolate rice pieces with milk. The marshmallows were tiny versions of the real thing, and helped amp up the overall sweet level.

*MOM Brands merged with Post Foods, and the resulting company was Post Consumer Brands. The new consolidated company became the third largest cereal company in the U.S.

Note: While this cereal listed no wheat ingredients, it did not claim to be a gluten-free cereal.

Kellogg's - Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory - Chocolatey Almond cereal - Mar. 8, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Kellogg's
Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory Chocolatey Almond cereal
Good
Weight: 1/2 cup (27 g.) / 11.5 oz. (326 g.) in total box
Calories: 110 calories in 1/2 serving (dry cereal)
Cost: $ missing information
Purchased from: missing information

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate and Breakfast Cereal Theme Week.

Today's Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory Chocolatey Almond cereal from Kellogg's was a collaboration between two brands: the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory (Durango, CO)—a retail chain of chocolate shops in the U.S.—and Kellogg's, a leading U.S. cereal provider.

Today's "sweetened corn cereal (flakes) with chocolatey pieces and sliced almonds" was made in Mexico and distributed by Kellogg Sales Co. (Battle Creek, MI).

Think of frosted flakes with chocolate and almonds. It was slightly (and thankfully) a bit less sweet than it sounds. And the flakes and almonds in the cereal had a nice light feel and crunchy texture.

There was cocoa in this cereal and chocolatey pieces, but ingredients also included artificial colors and added flavorings.

Chocolatey
The word "chocolately" can be confusing. It can refer to an item that is like chocolate in smell, taste or color; an edible item that tastes very much like classic chocolate (think double chocolate brownies or a 70% dark chocolate bar); or a term that manufacturers use for a food, even if it may not be whole or "real" chocolate made with a certain percentage of cocoa solids and cocoa butter. (See also the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)'s pages of regulations about this if you're still curious.)

Note: While there were wheat ingredients listed in the ingredients, this was not labeled as a gluten-free cereal.