Trader Joe's - Uganda - 85% Dark Chocolate Bar - Apr. 26, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Trader Joe's 
Uganda 85% Dark Chocolate Bar
Good ++
Weight: .875 oz. (25 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 158.3 calories in 1/4 bar
Cost: N/A - gift from family member (Thank you David)
Purchased from: (Trader Joe's) gift from family member

Welcome to Day #11 of Chocolate and RSTU Theme Week, featuring items with origins or flavor inclusions that start with the letters R, S, T and/or U...such as Uganda.

Today's Uganda 85% Dark Chocolate Bar was from Trader Joe's (Monrovia, CA).

A sustained inhalation of this offering yielded deep, dark true chocolate with notes of earthy forest, leather saddle, and faint roasted, salted potato/root vegetable. It was the kind of bold aroma that I would expect when tasting an ultra-dark bar (greater than 80% cacao).

The texture of this bar was luxurious, with a thick, satisfying, creamy-chewy (nut butter-like) melt and mouthfeel. 

The flavor was hearty and bold dark chocolate, a fleeting flicker of green floral, with a subtle hint of very nicely balanced bitterness--and faint earth and true chocolate (very smooth, almost savory brownie) in the finish. A re-tasting also yielded a barely-detectable hint of warm spice (cinnamon) at the very end, and a wee bit of astringency.

Overall, this was very smooth for an 85% cacao chocolate bar. Unlike some high cacao percentage bars--that have sweet, come-hither aromas, but then pounce upon the palette like a jaguar--this was almost the opposite. The aroma was stronger/darker than the taste.

Ingredients: Cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter.

Allergen-related information: "May contain milk, soy, wheat, almond, cashew, coconut, hazelnut, pistachio."

Raaka Chocolate - Oat Milk Unroasted Dark Chocolate Uganda 58% (bar) - Apr. 25, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Raaka Chocolate
Oat Milk Unroasted Dark Chocolate Uganda 58% (bar)
Good + 
Weight: .9 oz. (25.4 g.) / 1.8 oz. (50.9 g.) in total bar
Calories: 113 calories (per label) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $6.00 (sale) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Mollie Stone's Markets, Sausalito, CA

Welcome to Day #10 of Chocolate and R,S,T,U Theme Week, featuring chocolate items with origins and/or flavor inclusions that start with the letters R, S, T and/or U--as in Uganda (Africa).

Today's Oat Milk Unroasted Dark Chocolate Uganda* 58% Cacao (bar) was from Raaka Chocolate (Brooklyn, NY). 

Raaka's chocolate makers use unroasted cacao. Skipping the roasting process can yield smoother, brighter, fruitier chocolate flavors, and can sometimes preserve more delicate notes (such as green and/or floral).

The cacao used to make this chocolate came from Semuliki Forest Cacao, Uganda* (from more than 1,000 smallholder, organic farmers--over half are women). 

This area in Western Uganda is part of a rare (for East Africa) stretch of tropical, lowland forest that includes a National Park, a Wildlife Reserve, and many endangered species. Semuliki cacao is comprised of "mostly Trinitario and Amelonado" (cacao varieties). The flavor profile is described by Cacao Services (consultants in Uganda) as: "rich base cocoa with balanced fruit acidity and sometimes notes of brown sugar and panela."

The aroma of today's Raaka bar conjured up a hot bowl of coconut oatmeal with unsweetened dark chocolate pieces and a drizzle of maple syrup. 

The 58% cacao unroasted dark chocolate had a relatively rapid melt, with a thick and creamy mouthfeel, and a very slight graininess (oat flour) in the finish.

The dark chocolate flavor (from what I could taste) seemed bright and bold, slightly fruity, without being bitter or earthy. Oat flour or oat "milk" (as well as other milks) can be used to calm (or even neutralize) feral or spiky cacao flavors; but no lion tamer services were required with this friendly vegan bar.

Coconut added naturally sweet flavor as did a judicious amount of maple sugar. Vanilla bean added a bit of warmth.

Raaka tasting notes for the cacao/chocolate in this bar: "Chocolatey, panela, fig, cinnamon." 

Note: the inside of this Raaka Chocolate Semuliki Forest Cacao bar wrapper also included transparent trade information for the cacao, including the price paid to farmers: $4.50 per kilogram in 2020. This price includes post-harvest processes and transportation to the departure port in Africa.

Ingredients: Organic cacao beans, organic maple sugar, organic oat flour, organic coconut, organic cacao butter, organic vanilla bean.

Allergen-related information: Vegan, gluten free, soy free; Certified Organic and Kosher by NFC. 

* Uganda is smaller in size than the U.S. state of Michigan, but has a larger population than New York and Florida put together. Agricultural exports include: cotton, tea, tobacco...and cacao. 

Most cacao grown in Africa comes from West Africa, specifically Ivory Coast and Ghana. However, cacao is also grown further east, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Tanzania, as well as Uganda.

Theo Chocolate - Organic Coffee Toffee 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) - Apr. 24, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Theo Chocolate 

Organic Coffee Toffee 70% Dark Chocolate (bar)

Good +

Weight: 1.5 oz. (42.5 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar

Calories: 240 calories in 1/2 bar

Cost: $3.99 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Farm Fresh To You CSA box, add-on item 

Welcome to Day #9 of Chocolate and R,S,T,U Theme Week, featuring chocolate items with origins and flavor inclusions that start with the letters R, S, T and/or U, e.g. toffee. 

Today's Organic Coffee Toffee 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) was created by Theo Chocolate (Seattle, WA).

I used to drink coffee. I loved the taste, and especially the aroma. And the aroma of this chocolate evoked that memory. The aroma: ground coffee, cocoa, fruit, and butter, followed by balanced savory/leather, shading into earthy cocoa notes. 

The base dark chocolate was smooth. (The source of the cacao was Democratic Republic of Congo and Peru; and the coffee was grown in Peru.)

Bits of sweet toffee and coffee yielded textural contrast and flavor (including ground coffee flavor without ground coffee grit). The rich, gem-like, softly crunchy bits of sweet toffee sparkled against a backdrop of bold, deep dark chocolate with a balanced earthiness. This rich mix of flavors lingered into the finish.

Theo Chocolate's description of this bar: "Coffee perks up your body. Chocolate perks up your soul. There's nothing better than this blend of crunchy toffee, dark chocolate, and rich coffee made with organic ingredients."

Ingredients: Organic, fair trade cocoa beans; organic, fair trade cane sugar; organic toffee (organic, fair trade cane sugar, organic butter, organic dried corn syrup, water, sea salt); organic, fair trade cocoa butter; organic, fair trade ground coffee beans. Contains 95% Fair Trade Ingredients.

Allergen-related information: Contains milk. Made in a facility that handles peanuts, eggs and sesame and on equipment that also processes milk, wheat and tree nuts. (No soy, gluten-free, Kosher dairy.)

 

Theo Chocolate - Organic Salted Toffee 55% Dark Chocolate (bar) - Apr. 23, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Theo Chocolate 

Organic Salted Toffee 55% Dark Chocolate (bar)

Good +

Weight: 1.5 oz. (42.5 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar

Calories: 240 calories in 1/2 bar

Cost: $3.99 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Farm Fresh To You CSA box, add-on item 

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate and R,S,T,U Theme Week, featuring chocolate items with origins or flavor inclusions that start with the letters R, S, T and/or U, such as salt and toffee. 

Today's Organic Salted Toffee 55% Dark Chocolate (bar) was from Theo Chocolate (Seattle, WA). The company offers a wide variety of bars and confections made with organic and fair trade chocolate.

This bar had an earthy dark chocolate and salted toffee aroma and flavor. Smooth dark chocolate enveloped crunchy toffee bits with tiny sea salt sparkles. The earthiness helped keep the sweetness in check and paired well with the salt. 

The deep, dark flavored cacao used to make this 55% bar will likely please dark chocolate lovers as the resulting chocolate tasted more like a 70% cacao bar. 

The finish: a mellowing deep, dark chocolate finish with faint hints of butter toffee.

Ingredients: Organic, fair trade cocoa beans; organic, fair trade cane sugar; organic, fair trade cocoa butter; organic toffee (organic, fair trade cane sugar, organic butter, organic dried corn syrup, water, sea salt); sea salt; organic ground vanilla bean. Contains 95% Fair Trade ingredients.

Allergen-related information: Contains milk. Made on equipment that also processes wheat and tree nuts and in a facility that handles peanuts, eggs, and sesame. (No soy, Kosher dairy.)

Zotter - Saffron and Pistachios milk chocolate (filled bar) - Apr. 21, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Zotter
Saffron and Pistachios Milk Chocolate (filled bar)
Good - Good +
Weight: 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 380 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $8.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate and R,S,T,U Theme Week, featuring chocolate items with origins and flavor inclusions that start with the letters R, S, T and/or U. 

Today's Zotter Saffron and Pistachios milk chocolate bar was a well-balanced, sweet celebration of flavors. The bar was filled with (as advertised) a golden-colored, saffron-infused pistachio marzipan center that was soft and moist without being too gooey-sweet. 

The flavorful center was held firmly in place by the milk chocolate coating. It offered an enjoyable, sweet and upbeat flavor on a cool, April morning. 

Could I taste the saffron,* given the sweetness and other ingredients? Happily, yes! 

And the blend of saffron, vanilla, cherry brandy and chocolate made this a festive, "happy" bar. The ground nuts (pistachios) helped balance the sugars.

Ingredients: Organic cane sugar, organic marzipan (organic almonds, organic sugar, organic invert sugar syrup), organic cocoa butter, dry whole milk, organic cocoa mass, organic rice syrup, pistachios (4%), dry skim milk, milk, butter (cream), organic raspberry vinegar, organic cherry brandy, dry sweet whey, organic anise, organic dark brown cane sugar, organic soy lecithin, organic vanilla bean powder, salt, organic saffron, organic cinnamon.

Allergen-related information: Contains milk, almonds, pistachio, soy.
Manufactured on equipment that processes other tree nuts, peanuts, eggs and sesame.

* Saffron, the pricey spice, harvested from purple saffron crocus flowers, has a very slightly earthy floral, green, slightly sweet, almost grassy-buttery flavor. Words don't do it justice. It adds a bit of heaven to desserts and savory dishes.

Chocolate Naive - Tahini - Organic 47% Milk Chocolate (bar) - Apr. 21, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Chocolate Naive 
Tahini - Organic 47% Milk Chocolate (bar)
Good + - Good ++ 
Weight: 2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar
Calories: 309.51 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA  

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate and RSTU Theme Week. Chocolate items with origins or flavor inclusions that start with the letters R, S, T and/or U (such as sesame seeds and tahini) are featured this week.

Today's Chocolate Naive Tahini - Organic 47% Milk Chocolate (bar) was produced by Mulate UAB (Zietelos, Lithuania).

This rich milk chocolate had a balanced, savory, nutty, roasted seed, aroma.

The base chocolate had a thick, creamy melt and mouthfeel, and rich, (relatively "dark"* but sweet) milk chocolate flavor with a (salt) caramel undertone. A careful smattering of embedded (I think toasted) whole sesame seeds added micro-bursts of crunchy texture and sesame flavor. 

Chief chocolatier, Domantas Uzpalis's inspirations for this bar include Antoine Galland's "Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves" (from a collection of tales told in 1001 Arabian Nights, with origins that stretch back centuries in the Arab world). In this story, Ali overheard a thief utter the famous secret password "Open sesame!" (that allowed access to a cave full of treasure). In this Tahini bar, sesame seeds held the key to a treasured, novel chocolate experience.

Ingredients: Organic cacao butter, organic sugar, organic specialty cacao, organic sesame seeds, organic grass-fed milk powder, sea salt. 

Allergen-related information: "May contain traces of nuts, barley, sunflowers."

*The definition of "dark milk chocolate" is a term I used here to denote more cacao flavor. Generally, it refers to milk chocolate(s) with a higher percentage of cacao (solids) than one would normally expect to find in commercial/bulk milk chocolate. ("Milk chocolate" in the U.S., needs (by law) to contain a minimum of only 10-12% cocoa liquor/solids.)

More cacao in craft chocolate bars usually means higher quality chocolate (or at least less sugar and milk solids).

Some craft/artisan chocolate makers apply the term "dark milk" to chocolate(s) containing at least 50% cacao solids, whereas a few will dip down to 45-49% cacao. Some vendors use 55% or even 60% as their definitional dividing line for their dark milk offerings.

Raaka Chocolate - Tahini Swirl Unroasted Dark Chocolate 62% Cacao (bar) - Apr. 20, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Raaka Chocolate
Tahini Swirl Unroasted Dark Chocolate 62% Cacao (bar)
Good +
Weight: 1.8 oz. (50.9 g.) in total bar
Calories: 285 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $8.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Raaka, online order

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate and RSTU Theme Week, featuring chocolates with origins and/or flavor inclusions that start with the letters R, S, T and/or U. Today was a seed celebration.

This Tahini Swirl Unroasted Dark Chocolate 62% Cacao (bar) was made by Raaka Chocolate (Red Hook, Brooklyn, NY). Raaka offers a variety of bars made with cacao that is unroasted that "captures the brighter, bolder, and fruitier side of cacao."

To create this Tahini* bar, Raaka partnered with Seed + Mill--a New York-based, women-owned, tahini and halva maker. Seed + Mill's "extra silky tahini (was) crafted with Ethiopian sesame seeds, into (Raaka's) signature unroasted dark chocolate." 

The cacao source was: Reserva Zorzal, Dominican Republic. It had bold cacao flavor with some fruit acidity. However, because it was unroasted, more subtle green, floral and other cacao flavors were also preserved.

This unique bar had a deep dark chocolate aroma with green floral, green seed (jaguar cacao) notes. The melt and texture were smooth and the dark chocolate and tahini flavors were skillfully integrated. And the back of the bar was visually stunning with the dark brown and golden seed butter colors swirled together.

The tahini seemed to mellow and complement fruit acids in the chocolate. (Imagine nut and fruit pairings like peanut butter and jelly.) Flavors were elevated and not dimmed. Together, these two ingredients were relatively vibrant and compatible, and lasted into the finish. Pleasant green floral and green "waxy" seed notes that were detected (noted above) in the initial aroma returned toward the end of the finish. And 30 seconds after I thought the finish had ended, there was a gentle flourish of sesame seed flavor.

The Seed + Mill tahini was, thankfully, made with just roasted, ground, hulled sesame seeds and nothing else. If there was salt in this tahini bar it must have been a very small amount. Too much salt in a chocolate with a "condiment" type flavor inclusion create salty-sweet sparklers, but subtler flavors are trampled in this kind of snack food formula revelry.

This was unadulterated, great chocolate partnered with authentic tahini--resulting in a executed bar with satisfyingly nuanced flavors.

Ingredients: organic cacao, organic cane sugar, organic cacao butter, organic toasted coconut, organic tahini, organic sunflower lecithin

Allergen-related information: (Contains sesame); "Vegan, Gluten Free, Soy Free"

*Tahini is a popular condiment from north Africa and the middle east typically made with toasted, hulled sesame seeds. 

Not that different than cacao really. However, the cacao seeds (beans) are typically fermented first. Thank goodness for seeds. Chocolate Banquet, and much of life on this planet, wouldn't exist without them.