Christopher Elbow Craft Chocolate - Tanzania 72% Dark (bar) - May 5, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Christopher Elbow Craft Chocolate

Tanzania 72% Dark (bar)

Good ++

Weight: 1.15 oz. (32.5 g.) / 2.3 oz. (65 g.) in total bar

Calories: 160 calories (per label) in 1/2 bar

Cost: $9.95 + shipping for 1 bar

Purchased from: Christopher Elbow, online order

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

Today's Tanzania 72% Dark (bar) was from Christopher Elbow Craft Chocolate (Kansas City, MO). Christopher Elbow creates a range of high-end chocolate confections and a line of single origin, craft chocolate bars. 

The aroma of today's chocolate was subtle with faint fruit (fig) and Boston brown bread (a steamed dark, quick bread with rye flour, corn meal, molasses and raisins) notes. The taste was similar to these aroma notes, with more chocolate and fruit/fruit acidity (cherry, sweet lemon tea) flavor. A trace of the latter fruit acidity lingered in a long, slow finish.

The Tanzania cacao beans (Kokoa Kamili, 2017 Harvest) behind this bar were blessed with a natural fruit sweetness and low bitterness. (This has been the case for all the Tanzania bars tasted so far this week.) The results: 70% cacao bars taste almost too sweet. (Even this 72% bar was quite sweet.) And higher percentage bars taste sweeter, without as much sugar.

Skilled chocolate makers like Christopher Elbow, and others this week, have also been able to highlight this cacao's endearing, subtle fruit cheeriness--making this bar appealing for those put off by bolder, darker flavors.

Christopher Elbow tasting notes read as follows: "Flavor notes are cherry, coffee, and lemon."

Ingredients: Organic cacao (2017 Harvest), organic cane sugar, cocoa butter.

Allergen-related information: "Vegan and gluten free...May contain traces of peanuts, tree nuts, soy, wheat and milk products." 

The Swedish Cacao Company - "Darkness" Tanzania Kokoa Kamili 100% (bar) - May 4, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

The Swedish Cacao Company / Svenska Kakaobolaget

Darkness - Tanzania Kokoa Kamili, 2017 Harvest, 100% (bar)

Good ++

Weight: .85 oz. (25 g.) / 1.7 oz. (50 g.) in total bar

Calories: 152.5 calories in 1/2 bar

Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA 

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

Today's Darkness Tanzania Kokoa Kamili (2017 Harvest) 100% bar was made, from bean-to-bar, in a small town in rural, southern Sweden by Svenska Kakaobolaget, aka The Swedish Cacao Company. 

This well-executed, "Darkness" bar had a lighter, subtler aroma and flavor than most 100%ers, including fruit, and faint green, nut and floral notes. 

The one-ingredient (100% cacao) chocolate was unsweetened but had a touch of natural, "fruit" sweetness. 

As with a few other Tanzania bars sampled this week, the "fruit" notes were subtle yet relatively bright and sweet (red apple, fig, ripe red berry/pomegranate); and there was a very faint, fleeting, and balanced, baked yeast bread/buckwheat pancake note.

The texture was almost silky smooth, and there was a very slight hint of fruit astringency toward the end of the first few bites. The latter (something you might experience with wine and tea) was subtle and also present in other Tanzania bars this week.

The maker's tasting notes read as follows: "An extra dark chocolate with intensive notes of nuts, raisins and dried figs. One ingredient. No sugar or any sweeteners. For the true enthusiast."

Ingredients: "100% Cacao"

Allergen-related information: "Vegan; Gluten Free; No Lecithin"  "Made in a facility that handles tree nuts, wheat, milk, eggs, peanuts and soy."

OmNom Chocolate - Dark Milk of Tanzania 65% (bar) - May 3, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

OmNom Chocolate
Dark Milk of Tanzania 65% (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.05 oz. (30 g.) / 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 174.5 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

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

Today's Dark Milk of Tanzania 65% (bar) was from OmNom Chocolate (Reykjavik, Iceland).

The cacao used to make this chocolate bar was grown in Tanzania in Africa. And Icelandic milk (powder) contributed to the aroma, texture and flavor of this 65% dark milk chocolate bar. 

The aroma had cream, ripe fruit and chocolate caramel notes. 

The melt and texture were smooth and substantial; there was a very slight fruit astringency toward the finish.

The fruit flavor notes (red apple, ripe red berry, ripe stone fruit, faint apricot-peach jam) were very pleasant. The chocolate also had balanced chocolate caramel taste, and a faint, fleeting earth note that was politely muzzled by milk and sugar.

Ingredients: Organic cocoa beans from Tanzania; organic cane sugar; cocoa butter; Icelandic milk powder; sunflower lecithin (E322).

OmNom Chocolate tasting notes for this bar read as follows: "fudgey, brownie, pear"

Allergen-related information: "Contains dairy. Made in Iceland, in a facility that handles gluten, nuts and milk."

OmNom Chocolate - Tanzania 70% (bar) - May 2, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

OmNom Chocolate
Tanzania 70% (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 316.8 calories in 1 bar 
Cost: $9.00 for 1 bar (dark blue dot)
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

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

Today's Tanzania 70% (bar) was from OmNom Chocolate (Reykjavik, Iceland).

This bar had some very interesting, sophisticated and relatively subtle aroma and flavor notes. The aroma included well-behaved fresh baked dark chocolate cake, fresh bread and creamy butter, rich, hot chocolate and warm spice notes.

The melt and texture were pleasing and smooth, with a very light astringency - (slight perception of dryness/throat tickle).

The flavor had a very smooth, nicely balanced bittersweet dark chocolate flavor with the following notes: very subtle, fleeting warm spice/floral (saffron); smooth, sweet citrus fruit (lemon-lime candy) and bright fruit (sweet red berry, red apple, sweet stone fruit); and a hint of cream.

OmNom Chocolate tasting notes: "apricots, raisins, hazelnuts"

Ingredients: "Organic cocoa beans from Tanzania, organic cane sugar, cocoa butter, sunflower lecithin (E322)." 

Allergen-related information: "Made in Iceland, in a facility that handles gluten, nuts and milk." 

*Some of the Tanzanian chocolates this week have had a "warm" quality. Why? 

Temperature and certain additions (like sugar, salt, certain spices and berries ("Miracle berries"** in particular) can alter or enhance flavors. 

I've tasted this week's chocolates about the same time in the morning, and at room temperature, between 65-75 degrees F. (18.3 - 23.8 degrees C.) as in previous weeks and months. So, the actual temperature of the chocolate is not a factor in this case.

Sometimes (other, local) fruits are added to fermenting cacao to add flavor(s).) However, I have no information about a possible double/second fermentation or co-fermentation that might have taken place with this cacao in Tanzania, so I'd rather not speculate. (Some chocolate makers (e.g. Valrhona Chocolate) have talked openly about developing this technique.)

Alas, I have no chemistry lab to test all aspects of cocoa and chocolate (and fermentation) components that might cause the sensation of "warmth."

Sometimes a "warmer" flavor experience is nuanced and hard to explain without extensive research and/or writing a long, boring thesis about a topic. So, uncharacteristically, I have chosen just to relax and enjoy tasting these Tanzania bars this week. In the last several years, some very fine bars have come from this country of origin. 

Thank you to all who have made this possible, from the cacao farmers and fermenteries in Tanzania to OmNom chocolate makers in Iceland.

**Miracle berries (Synsepalum dulcificum) grow on an evergreen shrub, and have been used as a sweetener and medicinal plant in West Africa for centuries. The berries are also used in other parts of the world (Asia) as an alternative sweetener. (They can make bitter/sour foods, like limes and lemons or unsweetened chocolate, taste sweeter. As I recall, they can make make ultra-dark chocolate taste slightly (5-10%) sweeter; but my tasting experience, almost a decade ago, with this berry was very limited.)

 

Moka Origins - Tanzania 72% Dark Chocolate, (bar) - May 1, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Moka Origins
72% Tanzania Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 2.4 oz. (67.9 g.) in total bar
Calories: 372 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $12.00 (plus shipping) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Moka Origins (online order)

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

Today's Tanzania 72% Dark Chocolate (bar) was from Moka Origins (Honesdale, PA).

If you want to experience a warm, flavorful, sweet dark chocolate embrace, try this bar. It had an inviting aroma with warm spice (cinnamon, cloves), and freshly baked dark chocolate cake notes. The melt and texture were smooth.

The flavor had a warm and bright sweet taste, with fruity (red apple, peach, nectarine, red berry) and true chocolate (devil's food cake + rich, hot drinking chocolate) flavor and finish. 

This Tanzania cacao-based chocolate was low in bitterness; and the choice to bump up the cacao percentage (from 70% to 72%) was a good one. This bar was naturally bright and fruity; and a lower percentage of cocoa solids might have resulted in chocolate that was too sweet.

Ingredients: Cocoa beans, organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter

Allergen-related information: gluten free; vegan; soy free; made in a facility that handles tree nuts.

Raaka Chocolate - 100% Cacao Unroasted Dark Chocolate Kokoa Kamili Tanzania (bar) - April 30, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Raaka Chocolate

100% Cacao Kokoa Kamili Tanzania (bar)

Good +

Weight: .9 oz. (25.4 g.) / 1.8 oz. (50.9 g.) in total bar

Calories: 124 calories in 1/2 bar

Cost: $6.00 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Raaka Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #1 of Chocolate and Tanzania Theme Week.

Today's 100% Cacao Unroasted Dark Chocolate Kokoa Kamili Tanzania (bar) was made from bean-to-bar by Raaka Chocolate (Brooklyn, NY).

Today's bar contained just two ingredients: un-roasted, organic cacao beans from Kokoa Kamili,* Tanzania, and organic cocoa butter. No added sugar. 

Unroasted (or very lightly roasted) cacao can be a great choice for ultra high-percentage chocolate bars (85-100%) bars.

This bar had a relatively bright aroma (with an anticipation of tasting light fruit, sweet hazelnut, light spice).

It had a very smooth, slightly slow/waxy melt and texture (I was eating this bar on a cool, spring morning. I did not get the same "waxy" slow melt later in the afternoon; so this could have been temperature related.)

The flavors were subtle. The dark chocolate flavor had balanced flavor notes: buckwheat pancake, very faint green and dried fruit (prune, fig). There was a slight, fleeting astringency in the finish. And the bitterness level was quite low for a 100% cacao bar--making it a friendlier 100% bar. A faint dark chocolate and mild green note lingered in the finish.

The maker's description: "bright, not bitter." ..."Forget everything you know about 100% bars. This pure cacao bar is creamy and bright, not bitter, with a subtle, tingling fruit sweetness."

Ingredients: Organic cacao beans, organic cacao butter

Allergen-related information: Vegan, Gluten Free, Soy Free, Nut Free; Non-GMO Project Verified. USDA Organic; Transparent Trade.

*Kokoa Kamili, in the Kilombero Valley in southwest Tanzania, is a social enterprise that buys freshly harvested cacao from farmers and focuses on fermenting and drying beans in a centralized facility, to help ensure high-quality cacao for chocolate makers.

Theo Chocolate - Organic Salted Almond 45% Milk Chocolate (bar) - Apr. 29, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Theo Chocolate
Fair Trade, Organic Salted Almond 45% Milk 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 delivery service, add-on item

Welcome to Day #14 of Chocolate and RSTU Theme Week, featuring chocolates with origins and flavor inclusions that start the letters R, S, T and/or U. It seemed right to end this two-week long, alphabetic exploration with something sweet and salty.

Today's Organic Salted Almond 45% Milk Chocolate (bar) was from Theo Chocolate (Seattle, WA). The company offers a variety of organic and fair trade chocolate bars (and confections), including this one.

The aroma of this bar sent out seductive snack signals: milk chocolate, roasted nuts (hazelnut,* almond) and savory/salted notes. This smelled like high-end, grown-up candy bar territory (thankfully without the additives or preservatives).

And, sure enough, creamy, sweet milk chocolate was interspersed with crunchy almond bits, and punctuated with sparkles of sea salt--creating a rich, addictive blend of sugar salt, fat (cocoa butter, nuts), and chocolate--with a satisfying textural contrast. 

The milk, nuts and salt--present in perfect snack food proportions (heaven help the weak-willed)--outshone cacao flavor nuances that may have been present. But there were no objectionable notes.

The maker's description for this bar: "Smooth. Creamy. Salty. Crunchy. All together perfect."

Ingredients: Organic, fair trade cane sugar; organic, fair trade cocoa butter; organic, fair trade cocoa beans; organic whole milk powder; organic almonds; pink Himalayan salt.

Allergen-related information: Contains milk and tree nuts (almonds). "Made on equipment that also processes wheat and other tree nuts and in a facility that handles peanuts, eggs, and sesame. May contain shell pieces."  

*Despite the aroma, there were no hazelnut ingredients listed.