The Smooth Chocolator - 70% Tanzania bar - May 9, 2017

Chocolate of the Day:

The Smooth Chocolator
70% Cacao Tanzania bar
Very Good
Weight: .706 oz. (20 g.) / 2.12 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 106 calories (estimate) in 1/3 bar
Cost: $10.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate and Africa Theme Weeks. This week we're in Tanzania.

Today's 70% Cacao Tanzania bar was crafted by The Smooth Chocolator (Australia).

The maker's tasting notes on the packaging read: sour cherry, rose, coffee. My tasting notes were similar: plum, sour cherry, chocolate with a not unpleasant, subtle bittersweet roasted coffee note in the finish.

The packaging was simple, yet elegant, and the bar's design included representations of cacao fruit (cocoa pods).

Askinosie Chocolate - 60% Dark Peanut Butter bar - May 8, 2017

Chocolate of the Day:

Askinosie Chocolate
60% Dark Chocolate + Peanut Butter bar
Good +
Weight: .5 oz. (14.1 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 80 calories in 1/6 bar
Cost: $8.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Seed Bank, Petaluma, CA

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate and Africa Theme Week.

Through chocolate, we're taking a virtual voyage through the equatorial belt of Africa, traveling from east to west. For the past several days, we've sampled several chocolates made from cacao grown in Madagascar cacao. This week, we explore chocolates made with Tanzanian cacao.

Shaun Askinosie, founded Askinosie Chocolate with a social mission in mind. For example, instead of leaning on mostly anonymous cacao farmers in lesser developed countries for the lowest possible cacao prices, Askinosie features them on every bar. The emphasis is on "Real people. Real places."

Today's 60% Dark Chocolate + Peanut Butter bar was made using cacao grown, harvested and fermented by people in (Mababu) Tanzania like lead farmer Mama Mpoki (whose smiling face adorns the packaging surrounding this bar).

This bar had a creamy, thick, nut butter texture, with a subtle dark chocolate fudge aroma and a very subtle peanut butter flavor.  It was lower in fruit/acid than last week's made of Madagascar bars that were popping with classic red berry notes associated with that region.

Frederic Blondeel - Tablette III Madagascar 49% bar - May 7, 2017

Chocolate of the Day:

Frederic Blondeel
Tablette III - Madagascar 49% bar
Good - Good +
Weight: .636 oz. (18 g.) / 1.59 oz. (45 g.) in total bar
Calories: 80 calories (per label) in 2/5 bar
Cost: $6.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Stars USA, online order

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate and Africa Theme Weeks.

Today's Milk Chocolate Madagascar 49 percent bar from Frederic Blondeel (Veurne, Belgium) tasted a lot like yesterday's dark Madagascar bar from the same maker, only with milk and a bit more sugar.

It had the same (sweet cocoa, brownie, chocolate milkshake) chocolatey + berry jam aroma as yesterday's Tablette V 65 percent dark Madagascar bar, also from Frederic Blondeel. The chocolate and berry flavors were present throughout the tasting experience, and the flavor was smooth with very little acidity or bitterness.

Blondeel's relatively thin bar(s) enabled a quick and even melt and easy access to flavors (maximum surface area to mass ratio).

*Tablette is another name for a (chocolate) bar. Today's Tablette III is part of a series of single origin bars from Frederic Blondeel.

Frederic Blondeel - Tablette V 65% Madagascar bar - May 6, 2017

Chocolate of the Day:

Frederic Blondeel
Tablette (bar) V - 65% Madagascar Bar
Good - Good +
Weight: .636 oz. (18 g.) / 1.59 oz. (45 g.) bar
Calories: 70 calories (per label) in 2/5 bar
Cost: $6.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Stars USA, online order

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate and Africa Theme Weeks. As part of a planned two-week virtual trip, we've been working our way across this great continent, from East to West, starting with Madagascar.

Today's chocolate, Tablette V* Madagascar bar from Frederic Blondeel (Veurne, Belgium), weighing in at 65% cocoa solids, contained a bit more sugar than other dark bars this week.

It conjured up flavors from a sumptuously sweet breakfast: a dark chocolate milkshake with a berry waffle with a small cup of smooth coffee on the side.

*Tablette means bar; and today's Tablette V 65% Madagascar bar was number five in a series of ten single origin bars produced by Frederic Blondeel.

OmNom Chocolate - Milk of Madagascar 45% bar - May 5, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

OmNom Chocolate
Milk of Madagascar 45% bar
Good +
Weight: 1.05 oz. (30 g.) / 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 175 calories (per label) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Village Market Ferry Building, San Francisco, CA


Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate and Africa Theme Week. We're starting in Eastern Africa (with Madagascar) and moving West.

Today's OmNom Chocolate Milk of Madagascar 45% cacao bar was made in Reykjavik, Iceland.*

The bar had a subtle milk chocolate aroma and a slight fruit/berry smell and flavor to it. However, the bright red berry taste (typical of Madagascar cacao) was muted somewhat, by the addition of milk (Icelandic milk powder in this case). The fruit notes did however re-surface in a pleasing way from bite to bite.

There were also pleasant caramel and brown butter flavor notes. The texture was quite smooth, almost creamy. Added (sunflower) lecithin, made the mouthfeel a bit "gummier," which is not uncommon.

*People often ask if, after almost 4,000 chocolates, I'm running out of new chocolates to try. The short answer is no. Chocolate is a sought-after sweet in almost every country; and I've only tried chocolates from 53 countries so far. That leaves dozens more countries to investigate. 

Fresh Coast Chocolate Co. - Madagascar 70% Dark bar - May 4, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Fresh Coast Chocolate Co.
Madagascar 70% Dark handcrafted bar
Good+++ - Very Good
Weight: 1.2 oz. (35 g.) / 2.4 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 180 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $10.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #2 of Chocolate and Africa Theme Weeks.

We're continuing our exploration of chocolate made with Madagascar-grown cacao today, with this Madagascar 70 percent Dark bar from Fresh Coast Chocolate Co. (Traverse City, MI).

Fresh Coast strives to work with the "finest ethically-traded and sustainably-grown cacao." The beans for today's two-ingredient bar (cacao beans and organic cane sugar) came from the Sambirano Valley in Madagascar.

The bar's aroma was full of "singing" red berries, and the promise of tart sweet fruit often associated with Madagascar. (I'm also reminded of the smell of fresh berry jam cooking on a stove.) The melt and texture were quite smooth (especially given there didn't appear to be any added cocoa butter).

The maker's tasting notes list included: berry, dried fig and espresso. I didn't pick up on the espresso, but did taste some subtle, warm, dark roast notes.

The flavor and texture of this Good Food Awards winner was smooth and even, with no off notes.

The Smooth Chocolator - 72% Madagascar bar - May 3, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

The Smooth Chocolator
72% Cacao Madagascar bar
Good ++++ - Very Good
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.12 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 159 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $10.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Chocolate and Africa Theme Weeks. Over the next few weeks, we'll be virtually traveling across this great continent, from east to west, sampling a new chocolate made with African cacao each day.

Let's start our journey in Madagascar, a sizable island nation off the coast of Eastern Africa, also known for its fine cacao with red fruit notes and often a lighter/redder color.

Today's award-winning* 72 percent Cacao Madagascar bar was made (bean-to-bar) by The Smooth Chocolator (Australia)—from cacao beans grown at Akesson's organic estate in the Sambirano Valley area of Madagascar. Akesson's supplies several chocolate makers with beans.

However, even if different chocolate makers are using the same harvest and/or batch of cacao grown on the same land, each maker's finished chocolate will taste slightly different. This is due to the many choices and decisions made during the rather long process of making chocolate.

Tasting notes printed on the packaging for today's bar promised hints of raspberry and plum. And, in fact, this attractively designed and functionally (resealable) packaged bar delivered a very nice tart ripe plum and red raspberry ride.

It began with a complex red fruit and fig aroma and moved on to a satisfying tasting experience. There was a touch of spice flavor at the beginning, and lush plum and red berry fruit all the way through, including a lingering red fruit finish.

*This 72 percent Madagascar bar from The Smooth Chocolator earned both International Chocolate Awards Asia-Pacific 2016 Gold, and International Chocolate Awards Americas 2016 Silver.