Chuao Chocolatier - Salted Caramels Almond - March 2, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Chuao Chocolatier

joy-filled caramels

Good +

Weight: 2.25 oz. (64 g.) in package of 4 caramels

Calories: 320 calories in 4 pieces

Cost: N/A - gift

Purchased from: N/A - gift - Thank you Anne!

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate Gifts Theme Week.

These "ooh aah almond" sea salt caramels were part of a Chuao Chocolatier (Carlsbad, CA) family of "joy-filled caramels."

Whole crunchy almonds were surrounded by rich salted caramel and covered in dark chocolate. Great combination. It definitely worked. These disappeared in a hurry.

New flavors continue to appear each year from Chuao Chocolatier's chocolate chef (who is originally from Venezuela) and team.

Thank you Anne for your generous chocolate gifts!

Cuban handmade chocolate, drinking chocolate - Mar. 1, 2019

Chocolate of the Day:

(unidentified Cuban chocolate maker)
Chocolate ball
Good - Good +
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) (estimate) in 1 serving
Calories: 145 calories (estimate) in 1 serving
Cost: $N/A - gift
Purchased from: N/A - gift (bought in Cuba)

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate Gifts Theme Week.

Today's ball-shaped chocolate was special. It came all the way from (Baracoa) Cuba. Thank you to Sue who gifted me with this authentic chocolate.

I shaved some of this unsweetened chocolate (from this intriguing, rustic, chocolate ball) into simmering hot water and stirred into the mixture a dash of cinnamon, a few tiny bits of roasted chile, and a few drops of honey.

I stirred this drinking chocolate in a pot over the stove almost continuously for several minutes, until a few bubbles formed on the surface and the chocolate particles seemed fully dissolved.

Notes: A piece of jicama, a very small amount of corn meal and some almonds in the pot reduced acidity a bit and gave this drinking chocolate a very slightly savory and roasted flavor. These inclusions were left behind when the hot chocolate was poured off into a cup.

I enjoyed this hot beverage without any added sugar. Some may want to add a little of their sweetener of choice (honey, maple syrup, coconut sugar, etc.).

The next batch will include a few drops of Mexican vanilla extract.

Photo at top right of young Cuban woman holding chocolate ball (with cacao pods/fruits on table): Courtesy of Susan Neville, taken in Cuba. Thanks again Sue!

Auro - 64% Fine Dark Chocolate Coins - Feb. 28, 2019

Chocolate of the Day:

Auro
64% Fine Dark Chocolate Coins
Good
Weight: .5 oz. (14.1 g.) / 5.3 oz. (150 g.) in total package
Calories: 75 calories in 1/2 oz. serving
Cost: $N/A - gift
Purchased from: N/A - gift

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate Gifts Theme Week.

Today's Auro Chocolate 64% Fine Dark Chocolate Coins were produced by FODC, Inc. (Calamba City, Laguna, Philippines).

Thank you to Mike and Lawton for these high-end chocolate coins.

This chocolate had chocolatey, sweet and fruity (slight acetic acid - fruit vinegar) flavor and aroma notes.

Hacienda San Jose - 100% Dark Chocolate Los Rios Ecuador bar - Feb. 27, 2019

Chocolate of the Day:

Hacienda San Jose
100% Dark Chocolate Los Rios Ecuador bar
Good +++
Weight: .35 oz. (10 g.) / 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 57 calories in 1/5 bar
Cost: $N/A - gift
Purchased from: N/A - gift

Welcome to Day #2 of Chocolate and Gifts Theme Week.

Thank you to Mike and Lawton for their generosity in sharing this bar, which was procured at a Fancy Foods show in San Francisco.

Today's Hacienda San Jose 100% Dark Chocolate Los Rios Ecuador bar provided a wonderful flavor ride, and fulfilled a promise of what a 100% Ecuador might be.

The aroma was lovely (and worth lingering on), starting with green notes, slight floral and very light coconut notes, followed by rich freshly baked chocolate brownie aroma, that morphed into freshly baked rye, sourdough bread notes, and finally into a buckwheat pancake aroma. Lovely ride. And that was without even taking one bite.

The flavor of this chocolate was also enjoyable, especially for a 100% bar. Hundred percenters can be densely dark and impenetrable, bitter or sour. Today's bar was more approachable and friendly.

The texture was smooth, with a slightly granular texture/melt, and a balanced, very slight astringency.

Sweet55 - Dark Chocolate with Lime - Feb. 26, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Sweet55

Dark Chocolate with Lime

Good

Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) (estimate) in total bar

Calories: 145 calories (estimate) in 1 bar

Cost: N/A - gift 

Purchased from: N/A - gift 

Welcome to Day #1 of Chocolate Gifts Theme Week. 

Thank you to the team at San Mateo Convention Center and Visitors Bureau for the introduction to Sweet55 (Half Moon Bay, CA).

Today's Dark Chocolate with Lime bar was part of an assortment of Swiss Chocolate Bars with nuts and fruits created by this local coast-side Bay Area company.

The dark, sweet chocolate was interspersed with balanced upticks in natural lime citrus flavor (lime oil).

I look forward to meeting Ursula Schnyder, Sweet55's chief chocolatier in the near future. We look forward to finding out more about the "dessert buffet" mentioned on the company's website.

Cave Man Foods - Dark Chocolate Almond Coconut bar - Feb. 25, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Cave Man Foods, LLC
Dark Chocolate Almond Coconut bar
Good
Weight: 1.4 oz. (40 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 220 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $0.50 for 1 bar (2 for $1.00)
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #9 of Chocolate and Coconut Theme Week.

Today's Dark Chocolate Almond Coconut bar from Cave Man Foods, LLC (Lafayette, CA) was paleo, gluten free, dairy free, soy free and Non-GMO Project Verified—and part of the company's nutrition bar line. (They also make protein bars and other snack foods.)

This bar had a sweet,* nutty, coconut aroma, and a soft, crunchy chew. The almonds, seeds and coconut were tasty and satisfying. (A bit less sweetener would've been fine; but the syrup and the honey probably helped hold the bar together, along with the chocolate base.)

*The bar was sweetened with agave syrup and honey.

Goodio Craft Chocolate - Licorice and Sea Buckthorn bar - Feb. 24, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Goodio Craft Chocolate

Licorice and Sea Buckthorn bar

Good - Good +

Weight: .566 oz. (16 g.) / 1.7 oz. (48 g.) in total bar

Calories: 81 calories in 1/3 bar

Cost: 5.99 (Pounds) for 1 bar

Purchased from: Goodio (online order)

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

Today's Goodio Craft Chocolate Licorice and Sea Buckthorn organic, raw and vegan bar was made of stone-ground cacao by Helsinki Heaven Ltd (Helsinki, Finland).

The 53 percent cacao bar had balanced layered flavors: warm chocolate, followed by black licorice and then a hint of coconut. (Since I don't know what sea buckthorn tastes like, it was difficult to pick that out in the lineup.) Sweetened with coconut palm sugar, this was not as sweet as one might expect. (Thank you.)