Cemoi Chocolatier - Sao Tome 66% Cocoa (bar) - Mar. 6, 2020

Chocolate of the Day: 

Cemoi Chocolatier
Sao Tome 66% Cocoa (bar)
Good - Good +
Weight: 1.2 oz. (34 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 200 calories in 4 squares of bar
Cost: $1.49 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

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

Why focus on West Africa? Because chances are that the bulk of the chocolate you've eaten in your lifetime was made using cacao grown in West Africa (most of it from Ghana and the Ivory Coast). Cacao was brought from the New World to West Africa in the early to mid 1800s, and ramped up from there. But the first country where cacao likely made landfall was the island nation of Sao Tome and Principe (in 1822), that earned the nickname "chocolate islands."

Today's Sao Tome 66 percent Cocoa bar was made in France and distributed by Cemoi Inc. (Pittsburgh, PA). Cemoi cocoa comes from thousands of farmers (an estimated 60,000 worldwide) and "is collected in fair trade conditions." Cocoa for this chocolate was Non GMO Project Verified.

This smooth chocolate bar's aroma and flavor had roasted earthy, loamy notes and a light bitterness, with a touch of honey and faint cinnamon.

Letterpress Chocolate - Ashanti Ghana 100% Dark Chocolate Cacao (bar) - Mar. 5, 2020

Chocolate of the Day: 

LetterPress Chocolate LLC
Ashanti Ghana 100% Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 158 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

Welcome to Day #7 of 100% Chocolate Theme Week; and Day #1 of Chocolate and West Africa Theme Week.

Today's Ashanti Ghana 100 percent Dark Chocolate bar was made by LetterPress Chocolate LLC (Los Angeles, CA).

According to the write-up that accompanied this bar, "Ashanti is a cocoa growing region of Ghana that has been plagued with slave labor and poor prices for farmers." The makers note they paid twice the commodity price for cacao beans used to make this bar to "help farmers make a living wage."

This single ingredient* bar had an even, smooth melt, and consistent and pleasing chocolate brownie and subtle fruit/fruit pie notes in the aroma, flavor and finish. It was also less bitter than many other 100% bars. A very edible 100% chocolate bar indeed.

Letterpress tasting notes read: "brownie crust, graham cracker."

*Ingredients: Cacao Beans

Momotombo Chocolate - Roasted whole cacao beans - Mar. 4, 2020

Chocolate of the Day: 

Momotombo Chocolate
Roasted (whole) cacao beans (seeds)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 15 grams (estimate)/ 8.8 oz. (250 g.) in 1 package
Calories: 15 calories (estimate) in 4 cacao beans
Cost: $ lost information
Purchased from: missing information

Welcome to Day #6 of 100% Chocolate Theme Week.

Today's roasted, whole cacao beans (or seeds) from Nicaragua were from Momotombo Chocolate (Managua, Nicaragua).

Momotombo founder, Carlos Mann, has done a lot for chocolate in Nicaragua. His bars and confections reflect a superior chocolate flavor that has been enriched by the country's rich, native volcanic soil.

These roasted cacao beans (or seeds) were very good. Roasted just to perfection and mellow and rich in flavor without off-flavors or bitterness.

The only challenge may be how to find these beans if you live outside of Nicaragua. You may have to do some careful online searching.

Sirene - Pure Cacaco Pur 100% Ecuador (Costa Esmeraldas) bar - March 3, 2020

Chocolate of the Day:

Sirene Chocolate
Pur Chocolate Pure - 100% bar
Good - Good +
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.12 oz. (60 g.) pkg. of 2 bars
Calories: 165 calories (estimate) in 1 small bar
Cost: $ missing information
Purchased from: missing information

Welcome to Day #5 of 100% Chocolate Theme Week.

Today's 100% Cacao Pure Cacao Pur Ecuador (Costa Esmeraldas Plantation) bar from Sirene Chocolate (Victoria, B.C., Canada) had a relatively mild dark chocolate, a faint, soft green aroma and flavor, and a relatively thick, uniform, creamy melt. The ultra-dark bar had dense dark, roasted cacao flavor with an occasional light earthy/loamy note, and a well-balanced bitterness that lingered in the finish.

Like all 100% cacao offerings with a deep bass ebony color and flavor, today's bar was not for those who prefer sweet or delicate chocolate. However, if you savor and appreciate the unadulterated essence of 100% cacao, you'll want to include this Sirene bar in your personal lineup.

Koko Samoa - drinking chocolate - March 2, 2020

Chocolate of the Day: 

Koko Samoa
Imported by American Samoa Cacao
(drinking chocolate)
Good
Weight: 8 oz. cup (88 or 86? g.) / 5.6 oz. (158 g.) in total package
Calories: 196 calories in 1 cup serving
Cost: $ N/A - gift (Thank you Eric!)
Purchased from: N/A - gift

Welcome to Day #4 of 100% Chocolate Theme Week.

If you travel to cacao-growing countries you may find unprocessed rounds of 100% cacao drinking chocolate that can be shaved to create a hot drinking chocolate beverage, generally be adding boiling water and stirring until the cocoa is fully dissolved. This is one way to taste the native flavor of cacao and to support local chocolate-making activity.

Generally a sweetener is added to the rustic drinking chocolate to balance any bitterness. (This is not your mild, dutched* hot cocoa, and just how rustic the chocolate flavors are will depend greatly on local conditions.)

It had authentic cacao flavor with a touch of rich earthiness/loam.

*The Dutch process involves alkalinizing cocoa to reduce acidity and bitterness found in some unprocessed cocoa powders and is frequently used in hot cocoa mixes, baking chocolate, ice cream and other chocolate offerings. Dutched cocoa powder also tends to have a richer, darker and slightly more auburn color to it.

Pascha Chocolate Co. - Black Chocolate 100% Cacao with Nibs bar - March 1, 2020

Chocolate of the Day: 

Pascha Chocolate Co.
Pascha Organic Black Chocolate 100% Cacao Dark Chocolate with Crunchy Cacao Nibs bar
Good - Good +
Weight: 1.41 oz. (40 g.) / 2.82 oz. (80 g.) in total bar
Calories: 255 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $4.97 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Piazza's Fine Foods, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #3 of 100% Chocolate Theme Week.

Today's Black Chocolate 100% Cacao Dark Chocolate with Crunchy Cacao Nibs bar was from Pascha Chocolate Co. and was made from bean-to-bar, using organic cacao "at the source" in Peru.

Pascha offers a line of organic chocolate bars (chocolate chips and spreads) that are allergen free. This 100% bar was vegan, organic and "Keto Friendly," and made without gluten/wheat, dairy, soy or any added sugar or sweetener.

This chocolate had a dark roasted cocoa bean aroma with a creamy, nutty texture and flavor; a very faint tropical/lychee fruit note; crunchy cocoa nib bits; and a light lingering finish with an echo of the above flavors and textures.

French Broad Chocolate - 100% Cacao (bar) - Feb. 29, 2020

Chocolate of the Day: 

French Broad Chocolate
100 - 100% Cacao (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) in total bar
Calories: 160 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $8.00 (wild guess) in 1 bar
Purchased from: COA Chocolate, Sausalito, CA

Happy Leap Year* and Welcome to Day #2 of 100 percent Chocolate Theme Week.

Today's 100 - 100% Cacao bar was made by French Broad Chocolate (Ashville, NC).

This chocolate had an aroma of mixed fruits very light molasses and very faint incense, and a creamy, fudgey melt and mouthfeel. The maker's tasting notes called out wild grape and lime. I would agree with that description. The resulting chocolate had a very nicely balanced bright fruit and citrus tang to it. Not bad for chocolate with one ingredient: "cacao."

The maker's description of this bar also likens the strength of this chocolate to a "freshly pulled espresso shot." That may be true for those expecting at least some sugar in every bite of chocolate. But, for a 100% cacao bar, this was well-crafted, flavorful, bold and smooth, with a lingering, complex and well-rounded finish..and maybe a faint intermittent wisp of fruits mentioned above and green (tea).

*French Broad Chocolate works closely with partners in cacao-growing countries such as Cacao Bisiesto in Nicaragua -- Biseisto means leap year; and French Broad was celebrating their partner's founding date (on leap day, 8 years ago) with special filled chocolate frogs (putting the leap in leap year). Thank you for great work also Cacao Bisiesto!