Garden of Life - Organic Whey Protein Grass Fed Certified Fair Trade Organic Chocolate Cacao - Oct. 7, 2020

Chocolate of the Day

Garden of Life LLC
Organic Whey Protein Grass Fed Certified Fair Trade Organic Chocolate Cacao
Good
Weight: 1.16 oz. (33 g.) in 1 package
Calories: 130 calories in 1 package
Cost: $ missing information
Purchased from: Rainbow Grocery, San Francisco, CA

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate and Grass Fed Milk Theme Week.

Today's Organic Fair Trade Chocolate Cacao Grass Fed Whey Protein was from Garden of Life (Palm Beach Gardens, Florida).*

Milk adds protein. Today's single serving package provided an impressive 21 grams of protein (42% of daily value), and only 7 grams of total carbohydrate.

Once mixed (thoroughly stirred) with water, the texture was smooth. The (de-acidified) cocoa used to supply the "chocolate cacao" flavor provided a chocolatey aroma and uniform cocoa flavor. 

The flavor was sweet, but a bit too (slightly artificially) sweet for me. This mix did not contain sugar, and was sweetened with erythritol and stevia extract (leaf).  

As an added bonus, this contained 2 billion colony forming units (CFUs) worth of a strain of beneficial (probiotic) bacteria thought to improve immune function.

*Note: Garden of Life became part of Nestle Health Sciences in 2017.

Ingredients: Organic Whey Protein Concentrate, Certified Fair Trade Organic Cacao, Organic Creamer Flavor, Organic Erythritol, Organic Chocolate Flavor, Sea Salt, Organic Stevia Extract (leaf), 2 billion CFU Bifidobacterium lactis B1-04.
 

Tera's Whey - Grass Fed Organic Whey Protein - Dark Chocolate - Oct. 6, 2020

Chocolate of the Day

Tera's Whey
Grass Fed Organic Whey Protein - Dark Chocolate 
Good
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) in total package
Calories: 110 calories in 1 package
Cost: $ missing information
Purchased from: Rainbow Grocery, San Francisco, CA

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate and Grass-Fed Milk Theme Week.

Today's Tera's Whey Grass Fed Organic Whey Protein was from Wisconsin Specialty Protein (Reedsburg, WI).

The 20 grams of protein in this single-serving packet was supplied by, presumably, dairy cows in Wisconsin. 

The cocoa powder had been de-acidified (processed with alkali), so the flavor was relatively mild. The sweetness level was about right. There was no sugar, just stevia leaf extract, which tasted fairly natural.

Ingredients: Organic dairy whey protein concentrate, organic cocoa (processed with alkali), organic stevia leaf extract, sunflower lecithin.

Alter Eco Foods - Organic Chocolate Grass Fed Milk with rice crunch - 46% cacao (bar) - Oct. 5, 2020

Chocolate of the Day

Alter Eco Foods
Organic Chocolate Grass Fed Milk with rice crunch 46% cacao (bar)
Good - Good +
Weight: 1.325 oz. (37.5 g.) / 2.65 oz. (75 g.) in total bar
Calories: 205 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $ missing information
Purchased from: Rainbow Grocery, San Francisco, CA

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate and Grass-Fed Milk Theme Week.

Today's Organic Chocolate Grass Fed Milk with rice crunch 46% cacao (bar) was made in Switzerland and distributed by Alter Eco Foods (San Francisco, CA). This bar was third in a series of three organic, grass fed milk chocolate bars from the company.

As was the case for the first two grass fed milk bars, the milk was supplied by cows grazing in Swiss Alpine pastures; and the cacao was from farmers in Peru. 

Also, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the long history of Swiss milk chocolate. There was something akin to the space race in the 1800s to arrive at the formula for a shelf-stable, milk chocolate bar. The Swiss, French and British were all in hot pursuit of the process that would allow for successful melding of these two edibles--that was first achieved in beverage form (perhaps by a Brit in Jamaica as early as the 1600s). 

But to create a more durable milk chocolate bar took a bit more tinkering. Although others were involved, Swiss chocolatier Daniel Peter receives a large measure of the credit for solving this problem in 1875-6, using powdered milk developed by Henri Nestle--whose creamery was near Peter's factory.

Today's generous helping of embedded crisped rice in the Alter Eco 46% milk bar balanced the relatively bold chocolate aroma and flavor (similar to yesterday's Alter Eco grass fed milk chocolate bar with salted almonds). Although yesterday's salt and almond inclusions helped balance the milk and cacao and sugar. Today's crisp rice acted as a very pleasing crunchy counterpart to the smooth Swiss milk chocolate, but did not tap the brakes on the sugar as successfully as the salted almonds did.

Ingredients: Organic raw cane sugar, organic cacao beans, organic cocoa butter, rice crisp (organic rice, organic raw cane sugar) organic whole milk, organic butterfat.

Alter Eco Foods - Organic Chocolate Grass Fed Milk with salted almonds (bar) - Oct. 4, 2020

Chocolate of the Day

Alter Eco Foods
Organic Chocolate Grass Fed Milk with salted almonds (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 2.65 oz. (75 g.) in total bar
Calories: 440 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $ missing information
Purchased from: Rainbow Grocery, San Francisco, CA

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate and Grass-Fed Milk Theme Week.

Today's Organic Chocolate Grass Fed Milk with salted almonds (bar) was made in Switzerland and distributed by Alter Eco Foods (San Francisco, CA).

The bar was part of a series of organic, grass fed milk chocolate bars from the company, with the milk coming from Alpine pastured cows in Switzerland, and the cacao from farmers in Peru.

All three grass fed bars featured this week had a similar slightly earthy, gamey, balanced bitter aroma. The milk tempered sharp edges, but today's salted almonds, a single flavor inclusion, magically balanced everything. (Today's salted almond version was my favorite of the three bars in the series that I sampled.)

The salt, nut and malt flavor nuts almonds created a great balance, creating hearty, milk chocolate flavors, even for a 46% cacao (dark) milk bar.

Ingredients: Organic raw cane sugar, organic

Alter Eco Foods - Organic Chocolate Grass Fed Milk 46% Cocoa (bar) - Oct. 3, 2020

Chocolate of the Day

Alter Eco Foods
Organic Chocolate Grass Fed Milk 46% Cocoa (bar)  
Good - Good +
Weight: 1.325 oz. (37.5 g.) / 2.65 oz. (75 g.) in total bar
Calories: 215 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $4.00 (estimate) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Rainbow Grocery, San Francisco, CA

Welcome to Day #2 of Chocolate and Grass-Fed Milk Theme Week.

Today's Organic Chocolate Grass Fed Milk 46% Cocoa (bar) was made in Switzerland and distributed by Alter Eco Foods (San Francisco, CA). 

Full fat milk powder melds with cacao in a satisfying way. Milk softens cacao flavors and often the reverse is true as well (if there are flavors still left in the milk after processing).

This Alter Eco dark milk bar (made with Peruvian cacao) had a smooth texture and melt, and was unapologetically bold (Forastero-like) from the start, with only the sharpest edges burnished down. The aroma of this rich, robust milk chocolate bar had a faint gamey and rich, earthy bitter-bold aroma and flavor. 

The chocolate did have a darker/bolder flavor than one would expect for a 46% cacao milk chocolate and/or Peruvian cacao origin bars we've tasted in recent years. 

The rich, deep flavor notes initially held the bright, sugar taste in check, and were eventually overtaken by the raw cane sugar, and a sweet finish. 

It would be interesting to try versions of this chocolate with different types of milk powder to more accurately determine the milk's flavor contribution. Extra points for going with organic grass fed milk, and for providing an interesting tasting experience.

Ingredients: *Organic raw cane sugar, organic cacao beans, organic cocoa butter, organic whole milk, organic butterfat.

Dick Taylor Craft Chocolate - Hazelnut Milk Chocolate 55% (bar) - Oct. 2, 2020

Chocolate of the Day

Dick Taylor Craft Chocolate

Hazelnut Milk Chocolate 55% with Alexandre Family Farm A2/A2 Milk

Good ++

Weight: 2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar

Calories: 300 calories (estimate) in 1 bar

Cost: $9.50 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

Welcome to Day #12 of Chocolate, Nuts and Something More Theme Week.

Today's Hazelnut Milk Chocolate 55% cacao (bar) with A2/A2 milk from Alexandre Family Farm (Crescent City, CA) was handcrafted from bean to bar by Dick Taylor Craft Chocolate (Eureka, CA). 

Lightly roasted Oregon hazelnut bits flavored this 55% milk chocolate. The cacao used to make the base chocolate was from Brazil. Any subtleties in the cacao flavor were muted by the rich milk, the overall blend was a very harmonious one. A slight touch of vanilla added subtle warmth to the bar.

The milk really did play a starring role. A2/A2 milk comes from cows that carry A2 casein protein (rather than the more prevalent A1 casein protein milk found on most supermarket shelves). A2 milk is thought to be easier to digest and is more similar to goat's milk.

This nutty, milk chocolate bar had a soft creaminess to it. Taking a bite was like relaxing into a favorite plush sofa. It was sweet, to be sure, but the peppering of small hazelnut bits helped balance out the sweetness and added some contrasting texture.

Ingredients: Cacao, cane sugar, A2/A2 whole milk powder, cocoa butter, vanilla bean, hazelnuts.

Cacao Crudo - Nocciolato Hazelnut Crunch (Nougat aux Noisettes) (bar) - Oct. 1, 2020 (part 2/2)

Chocolate of the Day

Cacao Crudo S.r.l.

Nocciolato Hazelnut Crunch (Nougat aux Noisettes) (bar)

Good ++ - Good +++

Weight: 1.76 oz. (50 g.) / 7.065 oz. (200 g.) in total bar

Calories: 328.5 calories in 1.76 oz. (50 g.) of bar

Cost: $ N/A - sample 

Purchased from: N/A - sample from Cacao Crudo

Welcome to Day #11 of Chocolate, Nuts and More Theme Week.

Today's Nocciolato Hazelnut Crunch (Nougat aux Noisettes) (bar) was from Cacao Crudo S.r.l. (Rome, Italy).

The company produces a variety of chocolate bars. Their body of work demonstrates how far we've come in the last 20 years with unroasted cacao and raw chocolate products. The company focus is on blending high quality ingredients, such as unroasted, high-quality (Criollo) cacao with a smooth, wonderful chocolate flavor, with some wonderful, authentic-tasting flavor inclusions.

Arguably, the best hazelnuts in Europe, come from northern and central Italy. And this large, slice-able bar was packed with 71% "Tonda Gentile Romana"* hazelnuts, known for their rich, nutty and slightly sweet flavor. 

So, while the high nut content made it more difficult to pick out cacao flavor nuances, one could really enjoy both crunchy nut pieces and smooth chocolate-hazelnut base--in part because (like other Cacao Crudo bars) this one was sweetened with the perfect amount of coconut flower sap--adding a satisfying, but not overwhelming sugar buzz.

Each piece of this very creamy, soft, satisfying slab of chocolate with crunchy embedded hazelnut pieces was extra-rich and delicious, but also a bit lighter in texture than expected. (Tip: If enjoyed during the warmer months, I would chill this bar slightly before serving, to make it slightly firmer for slicing.)

*"Tonda Gentile Romano" is a hazelnut cultivar grown in the Viterbo Province of Central Italy. Here, near the mountains and blessed with rich, volcanic soil, some delicious nuts in grow in a goldilocks zone (not too cold, not too hot) for hazelnuts. 

**Today's Cacao Crudo Nougat aux Noissettes (organic, unroasted, vegan, gluten free) bar reminded me of the much sought after Francois Pralus (France) Barre Infernale (nut nougat/praline) chocolate bars, introduced in the U.S. around 2005. Both of these large nougat bars can be carved into individual servings, and are great for sharing with friends and family or bringing to a party.

Ingredients: "(not roasted) "Tonda Gentile Romana" organic hazelnut paste (43%), (not roasted "Tonda Gentile Romana" organic chopped hazelnuts (28%), not roasted, organic cacao Criollo beans paste, organic concentrated coconut flower sap, organic cacao Criollo butter from not roasted beans."