Mirzam Chocolate Makers - Madagascar 72% Dark Chocolate (bar) - Oct. 31, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Mirzam Chocolate Makers
Madagascar 72% Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.236 oz. (35 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 186 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Missing information

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate and Africa Theme Week, and Happy Halloween to all who celebrate this holiday.

Instead of pumpkins, witches and ghosts, this year we visited colorful orange and black butterflies and birds at the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco. (The museum also included cacao in their rainforest habitat exhibit).

Cacao often enables one to enjoy virtual travel. So true, even more with today's chocolate.

Today's Madagascar 72% Dark Chocolate (bar) was made from bean to bar by Mirzam Chocolate Makers / Kakaw Manufacturing (in Dubai, U.A.E.). Mirzam's line of chocolate (bars) and flavor inclusions are inspired by ancient Arab seafaring trade routes that resulted in the exchange of an impressive array of goods, foods, spices and currencies from many different ports and origins.

This beautifully designed Mirzam African single origin bar was great for dark chocolate lovers who wanted to aim high, and forgo chocolate tricks or inferior treats. This three-ingredient* chocolate was crafted using Criollo and Amelonado** varieties/strains of cacao grown in Madagascar.

The bar had lovely notes of rich chocolate mousse, light fruit (faint tangerine to light red berry) and brown sugar, with no off taste. It had a fairly clean finish with a barely detectable hint of green tea astringency toward the end.

Mirzam (maker's) tasting notes: caramel, chocolate, citrus, smokey; low in bitterness.

*Ingredients: cocoa beans, unrefined cane sugar, cocoa butter. This chocolate was described as gluten free and vegan-friendly.

**Amelonado is a widely planted type of cacao in West Africa. Theobroma cacao varieties originated in the Americas and were brought to (and planted in) Africa approximately 200 years ago. However, cacao may have been sampled by certain residents before then. 

At least some Dutch and other European citizens and church members/clergy traveling or living in Africa would likely have known about cacao or drinking chocolate many years before then. 

Christopher Columbus is said to have brought back cacao beans to Europe after his fourth voyage (by 1504). Spanish explorer Hernan Cortes, brought more cacao beans back a few decades later. 

However, it took a very long time for demand for drinking chocolate/cacao to pick up. E.g., there is evidence that it wasn't until 1606 when cacao was formally introduced in Italy; and more people began to drink chocolate across Europe by the mid 1600s, around the same time that coffee and tea became more popular. 

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Chapon Chocolatier - Tanzanie Kamili small bar - Oct. 30, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Chapon Chocolatier
Tanzanie Kamili (small bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: .176 oz. (5 g.) / 6.35 oz. (180 g.) in total package of 36 small bars
Calories: 27.7 calories in 1 small bar
Cost: $N/A - part of larger collection of 36 bars ($45.00 set)
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

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

Today's Tanzanie Kamili* miniature chocolate bar was part of a larger collection of small, individually-wrapped single origin bars from Chapon Chocolatier (Chelles, France).

This beautifully designed and packaged set contained 36 bars (3 each from 12 different origins).

This Tanzanie (Tanzania) bar had bright (mango, red fruit) fruit, true chocolate, and roasted aroma and flavor notes. The melt and texture were smooth. One should savor this little bar (try not eat it in one bite) to fully appreciate it.

*Kokoa Kamili means "exactly" in Swahili. The "Kamili" in the Tanzanie Kamili title of today's chocolate is Kokoa Kamili, a privately-owned fermentary and organization in the Morogoro region of Tanzania that works with hundreds of cocoa producers/farmers. 

By helping farmers and enabling improved fermentation quality and training, Kokoa Kamili has helped raise awareness about East African cacao from Tanzanie (Tanzania) with chocolate makers globally, and has led to many wonderful single origin Tanzania chocolate (bars) from different makers (and subsequently chocolatiers) as a result.

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Chapon Chocolatier - Madagascar Millot (small bar) - Oct. 29, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Chapon Chocolatier
Madagascar Millot
Good +++
Weight: .176 oz. (5 g.) in 1 small piece/bar/ 6.35 oz. (180 g.) in total collection of 36 bars
Calories: 27.7 calories in 1 small piece/bar
Cost: $45.00 for 1 set of 36 small bars
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate and Africa Theme Week.

Today's Madagascar Millot* chocolate was from Chapon Chocolatier (Chelles, France).

Bravo Chapon. This was a beautifully packaged collection of single origin chocolates. An array of tiny individually-wrapped bars were displayed like a deck of exquisitely small collectible chocolate playing cards, or an exotic, miniature chocolate tarot deck.

Each bar's label was a work of art—a miniature version of a full-sized Chapon origin bar. This collection would make a dream-come-true gift for art and chocolate lovers.

A menu inside conveyed which flavors might be expected from each bar in the collection

Today's Madagascar Millot chocolate had a tasty, outsized aroma and flavor. The first whiff transmitted an exotic sweet scent of molasses, maca, maple syrup and coconut palm sugar notes all blended seamlessly together and inhabiting a rich, complex dark chocolate.

The relatively bright and bold chocolate flavor blossomed into a rich citrus/red fruit/plum bouquet.

This was a very nice, satisfying petite Madagascar Millot* bar.

*Millot Plantation(s) in Ambanja, Madagascar, was established in 1904 and produces cacao, spices and essential oils. Millot is a leading producer of organic cacao in Madagascar as well. (According to online sources, French chocolate maker Valrhona has had a partnership with Millot Plantation for 20 years.)

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Latitude Trade Company - 70% Dark Bean-to-Bar Chocolate Semuliki Forest 2017 Harvest (bar) - Oct. 28, 2019

Chocolate of the Day:

Latitude Trade Company
70% Dark Bean-to-Bar Chocolate Semuliki Forest 2017 Harvest (bar)
Good ++
Weight: .795 oz. (22.5 g.) / 1.59 oz. (45 g.) in total bar
Calories: 120 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $8.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's 70% Dark Bean-to-Bar Chocolate Semuliki Forest 2017 Harvest (bar) was from Latitude Trade Company (Bundibugyo and Kasese, Uganda) and was made, from bean to bar, in Uganda, using just two ingredients: cocoa beans and sugar.

Latitude Trade Co. is a self-described "...agricultural development and sourcing company active in the cocoa value chain in Uganda." They are helping to bridge "the gap between rural farmers in East Africa and consumers throughout the world." Their goals include more economic development in country and putting Uganda on the map for great cacao.*

And speaking of latitude, cacao only grows approximately twenty degrees above and below the Equator—an invisible band around the middle of our planet. The world's most delicious ingredients used to make award-winning chocolate are found only in this zone in Africa, South America, Asia and certain Pacific island nations. The Equator runs through Uganda, in the south above Lake Victoria, offering strong geographic potential for fine cacao.

This simply packaged, single origin dark chocolate had a rich aroma with sweet chocolate, slight green vegetation/forest and light spice and fruit notes, with a bit of faint earth.

The bar had a smooth, even texture and taste with well-rounded, complex yet friendly, upbeat chocolate flavor and a pleasing finish with no off notes.

The cacao, harvested in 2017 (and is the custom in chocolate making is often allowed to rest a bit before making it into bars) came from Semuliki, a forested preserve area near a large lake (Lake Albert), near the DRC border, in western Uganda.*

*The Republic of Uganda (about the size of the U.S. State of Oregon, but more heavily populated) is located in East-Central Africa, north of Tanzania—another country that has become known for its cacao; west of Kenya; and east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). 

Many in Uganda earn less than one U.S. dollar a day, so adding value in country that leads to economic development/prosperity for local farmers and workers is important.

Agricultural crops (about 25 percent of GDP) in Uganda include tea, coffee, tobacco and cotton. And in regions where tea and coffee are grown...you can generally find or grow cacao.

Ghana and Ivory Coast are currently the top cacao producing countries in Africa. These two West African nations together supply half the world's cacao. If you include neighboring countries, Nigeria and Cameroon, this 50% number jumps to 70%. Millions of people enjoy chocolate made with cacao grown in Africa.

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Dandelion Chocolate - 70% Gola Rainforest Sierra Leone (bar) - Oct. 27, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Dandelion Chocolate
70% Gola Rainforest Sierra Leone (2017 Harvest) (bar)
Good +
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) / 2 oz. (56 g.) in total bar
Calories: 150 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $12.00 (estimate) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Dandelion Chocolate, Manufactory and Cafe, San Francisco, CA

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

It's difficult to "do" an African theme week justice.* But we'll try. Africa is comprised of 54 countries. And this large continent produces, collectively, more than half of the cocoa beans on the planet.*

Today's 70% Gola Rainforest, Sierra Leone (2017 Harvest) (bar) was made by Dandelion Chocolate (San Francisco, CA), and purchased at the company's relatively new cafe and manufactory location in San Francisco.

This bar, carefully wrapped in gold and silver foil and elegant paper, had a pleasurable, sweet chocolate aroma with a faint, fleeting trace of green and vegetable latex.

The flavor was pleasant true chocolate flavor, eliciting memories of a rich chocolate mousse, topped with a slice of mild fruit (apple, light nectarine, pear), and a hint of spice. The finish was light and clean with low astringency.

The maker's tasting notes for this bar read: "flavors of molten chocolate cake, toffee and cinnamon."

*Chocolate Banquet has featured Madagascar and Tanzania Theme Weeks in the past.

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Divine - Organic Dark Chocolate Blueberry Popped Quinoa 85% Sao Tome (bar) - Oct. 26, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Divine Chocolate
Organic Rich Dark Chocolate with Blueberry and Popped Quinoa - 85% Cocoa Sao Tome (bar)
Good +
Weight: 1.4 oz. (40 g.) / 2.8 oz. (80 g.) in total bar
Calories: 226.6 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $4.75 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Easy Foods Company, Mountain View, CA

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate and Blueberry Theme Week, and Day #1 of Chocolate and Africa Theme Week.

Today's Organic Rich Dark Chocolate with Blueberry and Popped Quinoa (bar) was from Divine Chocolate (London, UK), and was made using 85% organic cacao from Sao Tome.*

Divine Chocolate, founded in the U.K. in October 1998, is an international company based in the U.K. and the U.S., and is 44%** owned by the Kuapa Kokoo farmers' co-operative in Ghana. The company is a Certified B Corp (that stresses not only revenue and profits, but also aspects of business that can benefit communities, workers and the environment).

This Divine Chocolate ultra-dark bar had deep, dark (forest) chocolate aroma with hint of sharp (citrus/bittersweet) and earth notes.

The texture evoked cacao blended with thick creamy cacao butter (first tasting on a cold morning) that was embedded with crunchy popped quinoa. The chocolate tasted surprisingly mild and smooth, with muted earth and balanced bitterness. The bar was refreshingly un-sweet (thank you!).

The blueberry fruit (also on the subtle earthy side as fruits go) played a minor role. It was more evident toward the finish, and in the few bites that emitted a tiny tangy fruity burst of dark berry flavor.

Today's bar bore the following information/seals on the label: FairTrade, USDA Organic, Non GMO Project Verified, Vegan.

*Sao Tome is part of the island nation of Sao Tome e Principe, off the West Coast of Central Africa on the Equator. Sao Tome is a forested, tropical volcanic island with a long cacao growing history.

** This bar was a product of Germany and was Distributed by Divine Chocolate Inc in the U.S.  Source for co-op ownership percentage was a May 2019 Divine Chocolate press release.

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General Mills - Chocolate Cheerios + Blueberry Cheerios - Oct. 25, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

General Mills
Chocolate Cheerios
Good
Weight: 3/4 cup (27 g.) in 1 serving / 11.25 oz. (318 g.) in total box
Calories: 100 calories in 1 serving + other cereals, nuts, blueberries
Cost: $3.00 for 1 box of Chocolate Cheerios
Purchased from: Safeway, Menlo Park, CA

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

Today's Chocolate Cheerios were from General Mills (Minneapolis, MN).

Cheerios, the classic whole grain oat "o"-shaped cereal is available in other flavors, including Honey Nut, Apple Cinnamon, Chocolate and Blueberry. Today we're featuring the latter two.

Today's bowl of Chocolate Cheerios was sampled with a small handful of Blueberry Cheerios, and some frozen blueberries. The cereal was crunchy and sweet and fairly substantial/satisfying.

While it's fun to try new flavors, I think I might prefer plain Cheerios better, for their (or at least what I remember was their) lower sugar content and flavor.

I grew up on cereals; however, I could not tolerate gluten. And when I stopped eating all gluten-containing foods, my health and quality of life improved a great deal.

Looking back, I marvel at childhood breakfasts* containing sugar-dosed breakfast cereals, toast and pastries. At least most of the cereals were (and continue to be) fortified with vitamins and minerals; and milk helped provide some protein.

That said, I am still grateful that I might occasionally enjoy some gluten-free cereals on the market.

*Today, I generally drink a glass or two of water, eat a daily dose of (usually dark) chocolate, vegetables, fresh fruit, and a piece of cheese (or other protein) in the morning. And I make my own nut and trail mixes with unsweetened cacao nibs and/or no added sugar. Times change, and will continue to do so.

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