Tiny House - 68% Sarsaparilla Dark Chocolate bar - April 10, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Tiny House Chocolate Artisans
68% Sarsaparilla Dark Chocolate bar
Good + - Good ++
Weight: .705 oz. (20 g.) / 1.41 oz. (40 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 112 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

Welcome to Day #13 of Chocolate and Spice Theme Week.

Today's 68% Sarsaparilla Dark Chocolate bar was from Tiny House Chocolate Artisans (Santa Cruz, CA).

The makers, originally from Brazil, crafted this bar using three ingredients: organic cacao, sugar and sarsaparilla. The cacao was sourced from the Dominican Republic. And the cacao bean type was listed as: "Criollo, Nacional."

The melt was smooth and creamy. There was a light smoky/botanical/woodsy earth taste to this chocolate. However, the most obvious aroma and taste was that of root beer or sarsaparilla. The chocolate and the inclusion paired well together. And this bar was not too sweet (thank you!). The flavor was unique deceptively complex; and it became more intriguing and interesting with subsequent bites during the morning.

With its relatively dark, complex flavor and aroma profile I couldn't help but wonder what an adult beverage/beer version of this might taste like. In the meantime, it's a beautiful spring day and we're taking the rest of this bar to the park with us to enjoy later.

Theo Chocolate - Root Beer Barrel 55% Dark Chocolate bar - April 9, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Theo Chocolate, Inc.

Root Beer Barrel 55% Dark Chocolate bar

Good - Good +

Weight: .95 oz. (26.5 g.) / 1.9 oz. (53 g.) in total bar

Calories: 145 calories in 1/2 bar

Cost: $2.99 for 1 bar

Purchased from: World Market, North Scottsdale, AZ

Welcome to Day #12 of Chocolate and Spice Theme Week.

Today's Organic Root Beer Barrel 55% Dark Chocolate bar was from Theo Chocolate, Inc. (Seattle, WA).

Fifty-five percent cacao fair trade chocolate was full of tiny bits of root beer flavored brittle (flavored with a "Root Beer Oil Blend"*).

The brittle created authentic sparkles of root beer flavor. Yes, this bar was sweet; but positive memories of drinking root beer floats as a child helped uplift this tasting experience.

Ground vanilla bean helped provide extra flavor and warmth to this blend.

Spices can come from seeds, pods, roots and other plant parts. Root beer became an almost uniquely American flavor. (Beverages made from dandelion and burdock in the U.K. were the closest we could find across the pond. We're sure there are others in the world that date back to ancient times.)

*Old-fashioned root beer recipes in North America date back at least to the 1800s. Root beer beverages were flavored primarily with sassafras, and other herbs, roots and bark (e.g. birch oil). Sassafras is a deciduous tree native to North America. The roots of this tree apparently have a sweet, spicy flavor to them. Roots and bark from this tree were used to make "tea" and beverages.

Subsequent concerns about a substance (safrole) found in sassafras led to restrictions on its use. Most root beer beverages today use the root of/extracts from the sarsaparilla vine and other flavorings (wintergreen, cloves, anise, etc.) instead.

Theo Chocolate - Grapefruit Ginger bar - April 8, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Theo Chocolate, Inc.
Grapefruit Ginger 55% Dark Chocolate bar
Good
Weight: .95 oz. (26.5 g.) / 1.9 oz. (53 g.) in total bar
Calories: 150 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $2.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: World Market, North Scottsdale, AZ

Welcome to Day #11 of Chocolate and Spice Theme Week.

Today's Organic Grapefruit Ginger 55% Dark Chocolate bar was made by Theo Chocolate, Inc. (Seattle, WA).

It had a candied citrus and spice (ginger) aroma.

This sweet chocolate bar had a smooth melt punctuated with tiny specks of almost crunchy crystallized ginger. Grapefruit oil lent a subtle, balanced citrus touch. The ginger finish lingered slightly.

Today's bar was certified fair for life, Kosher Dairy, and did not list gluten- or soy-containing ingredients.

Sunbiotics - Probiotic Chocolate Bar - Ginger Spice - April 7, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Sunbiotics
Probiotic Chocolate Bar - Ginger Spice
Good +
Weight: .625 oz. (17.5 g.) / 1.25 oz. (35 g.) in total bar
Calories: 82 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $3.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Country Sun Natural Foods, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #10 of Chocolate and Spices Theme Week.

Today's Ginger Spice probiotic* chocolate broke with a well-tempered snap.

This bar had a warm ginger spice aroma and flavor; and the dark chocolate was sweetened with coconut sugar. It was quite tasty.

*The probiotics did not contribute any noticeable aroma or flavor.

Choquiero Chocolate - Spicy Chipotle with Cacao Nibs and Cayenne Pepper bar - Apr. 6, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Choquiero Chocolate
Spicy Chipotle with Cacao Nibs and Cayenne Pepper 73% Cacao bar
Good - Good +
Weight: .8 oz. (22.5 g.) / 1.6 oz. (45 g.) in total bar
Calories: 135 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $5.59 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Country Sun Natural Foods, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's Spicy Chipotle with Cacao Nibs and Cayenne Pepper 73% Cacao bar was from Choquiero Chocolate (Grass Valley, CA).* The company sources "Heirloom, Wild, Arriba Criollo cacao from small farmers in Central America.

This organic, fair trade and vegan bar had a dark chocolate aroma with a hint of spicy pepper (chipotle and cayenne). It was studded with crunchy cacao nibs on the back of the bar, sweetened with coconut sugar, and there was a small heat flare in the finish from the cayenne pepper.

*Choquiero is California-based, with roots in a few locations. The company was "born in Oakland in 2013," and this bar was made in Santa Cruz, CA.

Antidote Chocolate - Ginger Pieces 77% slow roasted cacao bar - Apr. 5, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Antidote Chocolate
Ginger Pieces 77% slow roasted cacao
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.15 oz. (32.5 g.) / 2.3 oz. (65 g.) in total bar
Calories: 190 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $6.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Country Sun Natural Foods, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's Ginger Pieces 77% slow roasted cacao, low sugar bar was from Antidote Chocolate (Brooklyn, NY).

This smooth chocolate was rich, dark and flavorful (bright fruit, berry, dried fruit notes) and was interspersed with balanced, bright spice flavor from small ginger pieces.

This bar could be enjoyed year-round; however it was especially effective in brightening up a gloomy, rainy day outside.

This week's spice-themed chocolate week has been full of bars with either cinnamon or ginger—two very popular inclusions. Tomorrow we'll feature something a little on the "hotter" side.

Elements Truffles - Ecuadorian Dark infused with Turmeric - Apr. 4, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Elements Truffles
Ecuadorian Dark infused with Turmeric (bar)
Good +
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) in total bar
Calories: 130 calories in bar
Cost: $3.39 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Country Sun Natural Foods, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's Ecuadorian Dark infused with Turmeric (bar) was created by Elements Truffles (Kearny, NJ).

The dark square bar had a rich chocolate aroma with a faint hint of coconut, and a creamy, rapid melt. This 85% five-ingredient* offering was sweetened with a touch of honey rather than cane or beet sugar, so it was not too sweet (thank you).

While the golden color of the turmeric** root powder inclusion was not visible, the ultra-dark (85% cacao) chocolate had a warm, slightly bitter flavor from this spice.

Fair trade organic cacao used to make this chocolate was from Ecuador. And cocoa nibs on the back side of the bar added a light soft crunchy texture and concentrated cacao flavor in the finish.

And, like other Elements Truffles bars, it left me feeling somewhat calmer than usual. The lack of an immediate sugar buzz may be one explanation. (Reading about company founder Alak Vasa's interest in Ayurveda and her team listening to vedic chants while they make chocolates at Elements Truffles—and that 25 percent of profits go towards educating underprivileged children—may be another.)

*Ingredients: Organic raw cacao butter, raw honey, organic raw cacao powder, organic turmeric root powder, sea salt.

**Turmeric is a golden yellow spice and medicinal herb made from the orange-yellow tuberous root of the Turmeric (Curcuma longa) plant, and is commonly found in Indian/Asian cooking. It gives curry and other dishes a bright yellow color.