Fossa Chocolate - 60% Milk Pistachio Rose Cranberry bar - June 3, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Fossa Chocolate
60% Milk Pistachio Rose Cranberry bar
Good +++ - Very Good
Weight: 1.41 oz. (40 g.) in total bar
Calories: 212 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $14.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

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

Today's 60% Milk Pistachio Rose Cranberry bar was crafted by Fossa Chocolate in Singapore.

The dark milk chocolate (made with cacao from Fossa friend Pak Eddy's single estate farm in Indonesia) was well tempered, had a smooth and creamy melt and pleasing, slightly nutty and complex, but well balanced cacao flavor and depth (unusual in most milk chocolate bars).

The flavor inclusions (pistachios, rose and cranberries) created an attractive field of color (and texture), and were well balanced with respect to each other.

California pistachio nut pieces added pale green color and nutty texture and flavor. French rose petals imparted a subtle, lighter floral accent than found in many rose-infused bars. And the ruby-colored, cranberries* were not overly sweet or dominating (thank you) but added refreshing, mildly tart, naturally sweet, red fruit/berry flavor.

This was a very nicely executed dark milk bar. Tasters notes printed on the bar's packaging included this text: "Nutty and floral with bits of cranberries" and "We like it with a cup of tea on a slow afternoon."

*Ingredients: "Cacao beans, cocoa butter, cane sugar, milk powder, pistachio, dehydrated cranberries, rose petals."

Maison Bouche - Fleur de Pecher Milk Chocolate bar - June 2, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Maison Bouche
Fleur de Pecher (Peach Blossom) Milk Chocolate Bar
Good +
Weight: .55 oz. (15.5 g.) / 2.2 oz. (62 g.) in total bar
Calories: 82.5 calories (estimate) in 1/4 bar
Cost: $6.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA


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

Today's Fleur de Pecher (peach blossom) Milk Chocolate bar was from Maison Bouche (Oakland, CA).

Maison Bouche is a small batch, made to order, chocolatier and bakery in the San Francisco Bay Area. The packaging design for their bars continues to be classic, retro French with curved script lettering against muted colors.

This thick 40% cacao milk chocolate bar had a peach parfum aroma. The melt and texture was creamy smooth. The chocolate had sweet milk chocolate and natural peach flavor. It was a satisfying sweet confection that allowed one to fantasize what Paris in spring might have been like this year.*

Note: This bar contained a whisp of brown sugar and vanilla. Unfortunately it also contained barley malt extract, meaning it was not gluten free.

*The last few days Paris temperatures have reached highs of approx. 68 F (20 C) degrees. It's been about 12 degrees warmer in the SF Bay Area and our fruit tree blossoms had largely fluttered to the ground by early April. (Rosy notions of spring aside, I like being active outdoors and hiking, so I'd be quite happy with 68 F any day.)

Mirzam Chocolate Makers - 62% Dark Chocolate Halwa (bar) with saffron and rose - June 1, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Mirzam Chocolate Makers
Kakaw Manufacturing Co. LLC
62% Dark Chocolate Halwa (bar) with saffron and rose
Good+ - Good ++
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 132 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $12.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Village Market, San Francisco, CA

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

Today's 62% Dark Chocolate with Halwa (bar) with saffron and rose was from Mirzam Chocolate Makers (Dubai, United Arab Emirates) in conjunction with Kakaw Manufacturing Co. LLC (Dubai).

This bar was part of an Emirati collection of chocolates inspired by "treasured recipes" and the "rich cultural landscape of U.A.E."

The name Mirzam refers to a bright star,* itself a reference to stars that may have guided travelers and merchants along fabled Arab trading routes, by land and sea. The flavor inclusions in Mirzam chocolate bars are largely items that would have been traded along these routes.

Today's 62% dark bar had a rich saffron and light rose floral aroma. (Saffron threads come from purple saffron crocus flowers.) The base dark chocolate was smooth, and a mix of halwa** inspired flavor inclusions*** transported one. Sticky, crunchy bits of saffron- and rose-infused caramel brittle and nutty bits of pistachios, almonds and dates added rich flavors and textural contrast.

*Mirzam, also known as Murzim, is a bright, beta star in the constellation Canis Major. 

**Halwa, also known as halva, halvah and other variations, is a dense, sweet confection from the Middle East, that can be sliced into pieces. Ingredients may include flour or nut butter, sugar/honey, nuts, rosewater, saffron, and other floral and seed (notably sesame) ingredients.*** Variations abound across Central and Southern Asia and up into the Mediterranean region.

***Ingredients in this bar: Cocoa beans, cocoa butter, unrefined cane sugar, almonds, pistachio, dates, rose, saffron.

Markham and Fitz - Ooh La Lavender 64% bar - May 31, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Markham and Fitz Chocolate Makers
Ooh La Lavender - Lavender, honey, vanilla, nibs 64% dark chocolate bar
Good +++ - Very Good
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar
Calories: 130 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA


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

Today's Ooh La Lavender bar was made by Markham and Fitz Chocolate Makers (Bentonville, AK).

This lovely 64% dark chocolate bar contained the aforementioned lavender (lavender oil); Patagonia honey (a floral honey sustainably produced by Patagonia Bee Products); cacao nibs and vanilla.

The single origin chocolate was made using organic cacao that was grown in Oko Caribe, Dominican Republic. (The makers work with importing partners, such as Uncommon Cacao.)

The bar had a great lavender floral aroma—made extra beautiful with honey and an almost invisible but very effective touch of vanilla.

Honey itself can provide a subdued floral note or two. This bar was sweetened with honey and cane sugar. Using honey in this bar added great complementary flavor and, when combined with the DR cacao, the 64% cacao chocolate (that tasted more like a 75% bar), was not too sugary sweet (thank you!).

Why don't more makers choose to work with honey? Not everyone wants floral or honey flavors added to their chocolate, however subtle they may be. And refined cane sugar is considered more "neutral" as well as being less expensive. Honey can be more challenging to work with than cane sugar.*

The texture was smooth and the flavor was the realization of aromas promised, punctuated by crunchy cacao nibs. The chocolate had a bold, smooth dark flavor that the makers balanced very nicely with the other flavors.

This Ooh La Lavender bar had a very pleasant, very light lingering honey and lavender finish that felt both refreshing and calming. Overall it was a very well executed bar, and a well-deserved Good Food Awards** win.

*Unlike cane sugar which is fairly dry, honey is about 20 percent water, and is considered a humectant (meaning it acts to preserve moisture). Chocolate generally reacts poorly to water or moisture and can "seize up" in its melted form (when be made into chocolate bars) if one adds water. Not a great thing to happen in the manufacturing process, which is also why powdered milk (and not fresh milk) is added directly to chocolate in the making of milk chocolate. 

**The Good Food Awards have roots in the slow food and sustainability movements in the San Francisco Bay Area and New York City. If you're looking for great chocolates, peruse their list of winners. 

Choquiero Chocolate - Mayan Rose with Cinnamon and Maca 75% bar - May 30, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Choquiero Chocolate
Mayan Rose with Cinnamon and Maca Root bar
Good++
Weight: .8 oz. (22.5 g.) / 1.6 oz. (45 g.) in total bar
Calories: 120 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $5.59 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Country Sun Natural Foods, Palo Alto, CA

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

The aroma of today's Mayan Rose with Cinnamon and Maca Root bar from Choquiero Chocolate (Grass Valley, CA / Santa Cruz, CA) promised a wonderful balance between the chocolate and flavor inclusions.

And this organic, vegan, fair trade 75% cacao bar delivered. The chocolate had smooth and soft (added cocoa butter) flavors and texture. Barely detectable hints of cinnamon, vanilla and salt gave it a lift. Sweetened with coconut sugar, the dark chocolate was sweet, but without a sugar buzz (thank you!).

Ingredients: (All Organic): Cacao paste, cacao butter, coconut sugar, vanilla bean, maca, Himalayan salt, rose "pedal," rose "essene" and cinnamon.

Mirzam Chocolate Makers - 62% Dark Chocolate with Rose bar - May 29, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Mirzam Chocolate Makers
(Kakaw Manufacturing LLC)
62% Dark Chocolate with Rose bar
Good++
Weight: 1.235 oz. (35 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 229 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

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

Today's Mirzam Chocolate Makers 62% Dark Chocolate with Rose bar was made, from bean-to-bar, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

This elegantly designed, ebony-colored chocolate broke with a well-tempered snap and gave off a lovely rose aroma.

The 62% cacao dark chocolate (made with cacao grown in Ghana, with a bold, smooth and slightly earthy flavor) was an interesting choice to pair with a delicate floral infusion (Bulgarian rose oil).

However, the rose oil was strong enough to stand up for itself. And its beautiful rose scent and flavor was a successful match the the bolder dark chocolate made by a talented chocolate maker. Had this same bar been made with a 75% or higher cacao solids percentage, the floral notes likely would have been overpowered.

Antidote Chocolate - Lavender Flowers + Red Salt slow roasted 84% bar - May 28, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Antidote Chocolate
Lavender Flowers + Red Salt 84% slow roasted cacao, low sugar bar
Good
Weight: 1.15 oz. (32.5 g.) / 2.3 oz. (65 g.) in total bar
Calories: 200 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $6.99 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 Flowers + Red Salt slow roasted cacao bar was from Antidote Chocolate (Brooklyn, NY).

The chocolate, made with cacao grown in Ecuador, had a relatively creamy melt and texture. The bar had a green plant aroma which softened into lavender flower bud flavors after the first bite. A balanced amount of red salt added some mellow contrast.

The lower sugar level in this vegan, 84 percent cacao bar (and no attempt to add alternative sweeteners) was refreshing.