Chuao Chocolatier - Dark Chocolate Organic Blueberry Lavender 72% - March 31, 2018

Chocolate of the Day:

Chuao Chocolatier

Dark Chocolate Organic Blueberry Lavender 72% 

Enamored Collection

Good - Good +

Weight: 1.05 oz. (30 g.) / 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total bar

Calories: 143 calories in 1/2 bar 

Cost: $2.99 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #9 of Chocolate and Flowers Theme Week. We're sampling another chocolate with blueberry and lavender today.

Today's Dark Chocolate Organic Blueberry Lavender 72% bar from Chuao Chocolatier (Carlsbad, CA) contained whole wild, organic blueberries infused with lavender flavor. (The blueberries were more visible when the bar was broken into pieces.)

Like most of the other blueberry + lavender blends this week, this chocolate tasted fairly sweet for a 72% dark chocolate bar.

Dagoba - Organic Lavender Blueberry Cacao Gems - March 30, 2018

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

Dagoba Organic Chocolate
Organic Lavender Blueberry Cacao Gems - Good
Organic Picante Chocolate Cacao Gems - Good +
Weight: .706 oz. (20 g.) / 4.2 oz. (119 g.) in total package of  pieces/3 flavors
Calories: 100 calories in 2-piece serving
Cost: $2.99 (estimate) for 1 package
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate and Flowers Theme Week.

What chocolate will be in your Easter basket this Sunday? How about today's Organic Lavender Blueberry or Picante Chocolate Cacao Gems, from Dagoba Organic Chocolate* (Ashland, OR)? 

Today's three-flavor variety pack included Picante Chocolate, Lavender Blueberry, and Ginger Lime chocolates. We're featuring the first two of these three individually-wrapped chocolates.

Made with Rainforest Alliance Certified Cacao, these chocolates were linked with "The One for All Cacao Project: Inspired Chocolate Empowering Women." Dagoba established this project in 2016; and the goal of this program is to "strengthen cacao communities by advancing the role of women in cacao production worldwide," a laudable goal.

The Organic Picante Chocolate cacao gem may have been "74% extra dark," but the facet-cut dark chocolate (adorned with an image of a cacao pod) tasted very sweet. The smooth, dark chocolate had a slight, soft crunch from a cacao nib or two, and hot chili kick that you could feel as you swallowed a bite, but it wasn't overwhelming.

As one might expect, the Organic Lavender Blueberry Cacao Gem had more of an aroma—lavender and blueberry. And, though it was only 59% cacao, this gem seemed to have about the same level of sweetness as the Picante Chocolate Cacao Gem. (It also contained milk.)

*Dagoba Organic Chocolate is a division of the Artisans Confection Company—which is owned by The Hershey Company.

Violet Sky - Star Brightened Day Dark Blueberries and Flowers bar - March 29, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

Violet Sky

Star Brightened Day

77% Dark Chocolate with Blueberries and Flowers bar

Good - Good +

Weight: 1.236 oz. (35 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar

Calories: 185 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar

Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA
 

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate and Flowers Theme Week.

Today's Star Brightened Day 77% Dark Chocolate with Blueberries and Flowers bar was the creation of Violet Sky, an American Craft Chocolate maker based in South Bend, IN.

Most of the chocolates featured in this chocolate and flower-themed week contain some combination of blueberries and lavender. I'm not sure where this trend started, but it's certainly popular this year. I prefer just lavender and chocolate, as the blueberry flavoring varies in different bars, and seems to mute the lavender and the chocolate.

However, today's flavorful bar* at least contained more authentic blueberry flavor than most (with a hint of natural berry tartness/acidity).

Jasmine flowers and powdered honey amped up the floral profile a bit—a fun blend if you like floral flavors.

*Ingredients: Cocoa beans, cane sugar, blueberries, lavender flowers, powdered honey, jasmine flowers

Chocolita - Moontime Rose 78% - March 28, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

Chocolita 

Moontime Rose 78% raw dark chocolate

Good 

Weight: .625 oz. (17.5 g.) / 1.25 oz. (35 g.) in 1 bar

Calories: 80 calories in 1/2 bar

Cost: $4.59 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Country Sun Natural Foods, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's Moontime Rose 78% raw dark chocolate was from Chocolita (Sedona, AZ).

The company offers several dark bars that "utilize chocolate as a medium for delivery of herbs."

The blend of ground pink rose petals, chocolate and herbs* in this bar were designed to help balance hormones. Like other Chocolita bars sampled this week, today's raw, dark chocolate bar had a slightly bitter medicinal aroma and flavor.

The rose flavor appeared as a nice aftertaste, but was largely overshadowed in the beginning by chocolate and herbs.

The base dark chocolate was made with organic, fair trade, stoneground, Arriba Nacional Ecuadorian Fino de Aroma Cacao. The gluten-free, vegan bar was sweetened with coconut sugar and also contained a hint of vanilla.

Ingredients: Stone-ground heirloom cacao, coconut sugar, maca, Vitex, valerian, vanilla, cramp bark, sea salt

Chocolita - Lavender Dreamtime 78% - March 27, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

Chocolita

Lavender Dreamtime 78% bar

Good +

Weight: 1.25 oz. (35 g.) in total bar

Calories: 140 calories (per label) in 1 bar

Cost: $4.59 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Country Sun Natural Foods, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate and Flowers Theme Week.

Today's Lavender Dreamtime 78% raw dark chocolate bar was made by Chocolita (Sedona, AZ). The company specializes in eco-friendly, exotic chocolate products.

This gluten-free, paleo bar was made with heirloom fair trade cacao, and had a slightly bitter medicinal aroma atop a dollop of lavender fragrance. The chocolate had a buttery melt and true lavender and smooth dark chocolate flavor.

Some people find lavender to be both relaxing and invigorating. We're told today that "you'd never know there is also gotu kola and mugwort added to assist is more vivid and memorable dreams. Let lavender carry you towards relaxation and restful slumber."

I did sleep well after eating this bar.

Ingredients: cacao*, coconut palm sugar*, vanilla*, sea salt, lavender*, mugwort*, gotu kola*
*certified organic

Chocolita - Blueberry Lotus 78% bar - March 26, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

Chocolita 

Blueberry Lotus 78% bar

Good 

Weight: .625 oz. (17.5 g.) / 1.25 oz. (35 g.) in total bar

Calories: 70 calories in 1/2 bar

Cost: $4.59 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Country Sun Natural Foods, Palo Alto, CA  

Welcome to Day #4 Chocolate and Flowers Theme Week.

Today's Blueberry Lotus 78% bar was handcrafted by Chocolita (Sedona, AZ). The company, founded by Sarah Ann Lesslie, offers an interesting line of raw chocolate bars, some with exotic, botanical or floral ingredients.

This attractively packaged, gluten free and vegan dark chocolate bar was made with heirloom Arriba Nacional, fair trade cacao from Ecuador and other organic ingredients* including kava and blue lotus essential oil.

Chocolita bars are made with sweeteners, such as coconut sugar, that score lower on the glycemic index than processed, white (cane/beet) sugar. This chocolate had a slight medicinal aroma. However, the thin bar had a relatively pleasant coconut sugar and chocolate flavor. It had a smooth melt, and an almost soft, crunchy chew. (Note: there was some signs of "bloom" on this bar. This is not unusual when a bar is shipped across the U.S. and occasionally goes through different storage and temperature conditions; it did not seem to affect the flavor.)

The pleasant coconut sugar + chocolate flavor lasted most of the tasting experience. (There was a hint of earthy blueberry and a delayed herb/very slightly bitter plant aftertaste that kicked in several seconds after. That is the trade-off with some novelty inclusions. Fortunately, chocolate blends well with most mix-ins.

If you're interested in chocolate history and about the gods and goddesses who were often associated with cacao in the Americas, visit Chocolita's website. Scroll down on Chocolita's "About" page for a nice summary.

Ingredients: cacao paste*, cacao butter*, coconut sugar*, lucuma*, blueberries*, vanilla*, kava*, passionflower*, Himalayan pink salt, Blue Lotus essential oil. (A "*" denotes an organic ingredient.)

Violet Sky - Pierce the Veil Dark Chocolate with Rose Lime Leaf and Ginger bar - March 25, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

Violet Sky

Pierce The Veil

Dark Chocolate with Rose Lime Leaf and Ginger bar

Good + - Good ++

Weight: 1.236 oz. (35 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar

Calories: 185.5 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar

Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate and Flowers Theme Week.

Today's Pierce the Veil Dark Chocolate with Rose Lime Leaf and Ginger bar from Violet Sky (South Bend, IN) sounded very complex and ambitious.

Was this another delicate chocolate confection with rose essence? No. This bar had a bold underlying bean-to-bar chocolate base with the energy of a recently exploded constellation of flavors.*

Violet Sky Founder Hans Westerink produces a wide variety of craft chocolate bars (all swaddled in unique paper wrapper and colored foil wrapper combinations) with creative and interesting flavor blends and inclusions.

Today's Pierce the Veil bar's was made with a blend of Guatemalan cacao (Lachua) and Peruvian cacao (Maranon). And despite the distinctive flavor adds, the dark, fruity, acidic chocolate base shone through nicely.

Citrus notes were amplified by Kaffir lime leaf bits; and pieces of ginger dominated. The rose petals added some nice pink-purplish color to this riot of color, texture and flavor that were applied to this side of the bar. (It was all serious dark chocolate on the flip side.)

Tasting tip: If you want to taste the rose, choose a piece with less ginger (light golden-beige bits) and more of the pink (rose petal) bits.

Look forward to trying more Violet Sky bars, including those with barrel-aged components.

*Ingredients: Cocoa beans, cane sugar, ginger root, rose petals, Kaffir lime leaf