Askinosie Chocolate - San Jose Del Tambo, Ecuador 70% Dark Chocolate + Cocoa Nibs (bar) - June 27, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Askinosie Chocolate
San Jose Del Tambo, Ecuador 70% Dark Chocolate + Cocoa Nibs (bar)
Good +++
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42.5 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 240 calories (per label) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $8.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Askinosie.com, online order

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

Today's San Jose Del Tambo, Ecuador 70% Dark Chocolate + Cocoa Nibs (bar) was from Askinosie Chocolate (Springfield, MO).

Askinosie founder and CEO, Shawn Askinosie, continues to make great chocolate. Faces of cacao farmers are displayed on the company's brown paper outer wrappers. A simple, effective way to show understanding and respect for cacao origins.

I've never had an Askinosie bar I didn't like; and I've been featuring their chocolates since 2007 here on Chocolate Banquet.

Fortunately for us, after spending 20 years as a criminal defense attorney, Mr. Askinosie turned to chocolate making. 

The aroma of today's bar evoked: concentrated, sweet fermented, dried fruit (fig, date), light spice, sweet green shading into rich dark chocolate (fudge brownie, drinking chocolate/hot chocolate) notes.

The flavor notes included a sweet cola nut/drink, faint brown sugar, rich, concentrated dark chocolate (brownie, roasted cacao nibs), light woody nut (hazelnut, pecan), and a beautiful, fleeting floral note from this cacao/nibs.

Speaking of nibs...The back of this bar was jam-packed with high-quality, crunchy cacao nibs. Only a few precious crunchy cacao seed (bean) pieces rattled onto the dinner plate I'd put underneath to catch any strays. Most of the nibs were well anchored. 

The complex cacao flavors these nibs contributed was wonderful; there were no off flavors or funky bits.* And, best of all, they added extra cacao flavor depth without any sugar, giving the chocolate a "darker" flavor/feel than most 70% cacao chocolate bars. 

The cacao used to make this bar was grown in the San Jose Del Tambo region, in Bolivar province in the highlands of central Ecuador. (Ecuador is divided into 24 provinces.)

Ingredients: "Del Tambo Ecuador cocoa beans (Arriba Nacional), Organic cane sugar, roasted cocoa nibs, cocoa butter (made in our factory with Del Tambo beans)."

Allergen-related information: "Processed in a facility that also processes milk, peanuts, tree nuts, and wheat." 

*The overall quality of cacao nibs has improved over the last few decades. A decade ago, it was not unusual to find a few nibs that were either rock hard, stale, over- or under-roasted, or a bit funky or moldy in some craft chocolate offerings. Better bean/nib sorting and quality control, higher expectations, greater experience, and availability of good bean sources seem to have solved most of these issues.

Askinosie Chocolate - The Zeke Bar - 76% Chinchipe Ecuador (bar) - June 26, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Askinosie Chocolate
The Zeke Bar - 76% Chinchipe, Ecuador Dark Chocolate (bar) 
Good ++ 
Weight: 2 oz. (56.6 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 340 calories in 2/3 bar
Cost: $8.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Askinosie.com, online order

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

Today's "The Zeke Bar" 76% Chinchipe, Ecuador dark chocolate (bar) was from Askinosie Chocolate (Springfield, MO).

Aroma: dark chocolate (fudge brownie), roasted coffee and faint green (orchid) notes.

The melt and texture were thick and smooth.

The flavor notes were very similar to the aroma and included dark chocolate (fudge brownie), and light roasted coffee and green notes. Well-executed, hearty, satisfying dark chocolate flavor. 

The smooth boldness was almost surprising for the cocoa variety listed (Criollo)--that is often thought to be limited to shy and delicate flavors.

"The Zeke Bar" origins

Askinosie founder and CEO, Shawn Askinosie, explained the bar's origin this way: "We partnered with Zeke Emanuel, chocolate aficionado and healthcare policy expert (and guest chocolate maker), to create this dynamic limited edition criollo chocolate bar." (The cocoa farmer was a 70-year old woman named Leonor.)

Askinosie founder and CEO, Shawn Askinosie, has been doing business with farmers in countries of origin (including Ecuador) for many years. Images of these cacao farmers on packaging and mentions of farmer(s) by name have been the rule, not the exception.

The cacao used to make this bar was grown in southeastern Ecuador.

Ingredients: Chinchipe (Ecuador) cocoa beans (Criollo), cocoa butter (made in our factory with single origin cocoa beans), Organic cane sugar, Organic Sucanat cane sugar.

Allergen-related information: "Processed in a facility that also processes milk, peanuts, tree nuts, and wheat." 

 

Askinosie Chocolate - Super Dark Blend Tanzania + Ecuador 88% (bar) - June 24, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Askinosie Chocolate
Super Dark Blend - Tanzania + Ecuador 88% Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 2 oz. (56.6 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 333 calories in 2/3 bar
Cost: $8.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Askinosie.com, online order

Bienvenidos (welcome) to the first day of Chocolate and Ecuador Theme Week.

Today's Super Dark Blend Tanzania + Ecuador 88% dark chocolate (bar) was made by Askinosie Chocolate (Springfield, MO).

The aroma of this 88% marriage of two bold cacaos had true chocolate (faintly savory, fudge brownie), light spice (molasses, star anise, cinnamon), light, fleeting well-balanced green, and faint leather and vanilla-tobacco notes--flavors that were all present throughout the tasting experience as well, along with deep, fudge-y, satisfying dark chocolate flavor.

This flavorful ultra-dark bar might make a good pairing with a whiskey, or the basis for brassy brownies with cocoa nibs. 

Askinosie founder and CEO, Shawn Askinosie, featured the farmers in Tanzania and Ecuador (on the bar's packaging) and expressed gratitude to them for making this blend possible.

Ingredients: Mababu, Tanzania cocoa beans (Trinitario); Del Tambo, Ecuador cocoa beans (Arriba Nacional); Organic Sucanat cane sugar; cocoa butter (made in the Askinosie factory with Mababu beans); Organic vanilla bean.

Allergen-related information: "Processed in a facility that also processes milk, peanuts, tree nuts, and wheat."

Honduran treats - Spiced banana licuado; Chocolate rice pudding; Mayan Coffee & Cacao cheese

Chocolate(s) of the Day

Homemade Honduran Chocolate items 

Spiced Chocolate Banana Licuado

with Honduran chocolate

Good + 

Chocolate and Cinnamon Rice Pudding

with Honduran chocolate

Good +

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate and Honduras Theme Week.

For the last day of this Central American theme week, I made Honduran rice pudding and spiced banana licuado (chilled banana smoothie with cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg) paired with Honduran chocolate. Combined with a slice of Mayan coffee and cacao cheese and sliced fruit, this was my idea of a proper dessert meal.

Mayan Coffee and Cocoa Fontal Cheese

The wedge of Go Board Mayan Coffee and Cocoa Fontal Cheese from the Schuman Cheese (Fairfield, NJ) had a faint spicy, mocha kick. And this cheese provided a great savory complement to the sweet, homemade sweet items above.

Ingredients: Fontal cheese (pasteurized cow's milk, cheese cultures, sea salt, enzymes), spices, cocoa, coffee, natural flavors, sweet potato, caramel color. 

Allergen-related information: "Contains milk...Manufactured in a facility that also processes tree nuts and shares equipment with an egg ingredient."

Enna Chocolate - Wampusirpi Honduras, 100% Dark Chocolate (bar) - June 23, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Enna Chocolate 

La Mosquitia, Wampusirpi, Honduras 100% Dark Chocolate (bar)

Good ++

Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) / 2 oz. (56 g.) in total bar

Calories: 155 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar

Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar (+ summer shipping)

Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's La Mosquitia, Wampusirpi 100% Dark Chocolate (bar) was made by Enna Chocolate (Exeter, NH). Founder, and chocolate maker, Enna Grazier, makes small-batch, bean-to-bar chocolate using ethically-sourced cacao.

This ultra-dark bar had a deep, dark and complex aroma with earth, leather, forest, and faint concentrated fruit (dried peach, fig), sweet green and vegetable (kiwi and cucumber), spice (licorice and cinnamon) and roasted coffee notes.

The melt and mouthfeel of this bar were smooth and creamy.

The aroma notes were pleasant and complex. However, my palette quickly registered the deep, dense, uniform, relative bitterness of a 100% cacao bar. There was no sugar to conjure up bright or sweet fruit notes. Nor were there any "off" notes in this single ingredient (roasted cacao) bar. 

With just a single ingredient, there is no safety net; nothing else to hide behind. I'm always impressed with really good 100% cacao bars. It speaks to a long chain of high-quality decisions that can be traced back to the very beginning, from the genetics of the cacao tree and the care of the farmer, and later through the labor of love and many steps of chocolate making. 

The well-executed and balanced flavor notes experienced in this single origin bar included deep, dense forest with almost savory, smooth earth (fresh mineral water, clay); true dark chocolate (fudge brownie with ground cocoa nibs without the sugar), and faint concentrated fruit and coffee. 

These notes gradually diminished into a smooth, polished dark finish.

The cacao used to make this bar was from La Mosquitia, Wampusirpi, in northeastern Honduras, and is part of the "Mosquito Coast" (at the Western edge of the Caribbean Sea that extends SE into Nicaragua--in the Honduran department of Gracias a Dios. ("Thanks to God" indeed.) 

This is a great area for tropical rainforests, marshes, wildlife and cacao. The Mosquito Coast in the Western Caribbean Sea is a relatively wild area, it's been likened to mini-Amazon.

Ingredients: Roasted cacao

Allergen-related information: "Made in a facility that processes tree nuts, peanuts, and milk."

Cru Chocolate - Honduras 72% Dark Chocolate bar - June 22, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Cru Chocolate
Honduras 72% Dark Chocolate (bar) 
Good ++
Weight: 1.55 oz. (43 g.) in total bar
Calories: 242 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $7.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Farm Fresh to You CSA box delivery service (add-on item)

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

Today's Honduras 72% Dark Chocolate (bar) was made by Cru Chocolate (Roseville, CA).

This Honduras chocolate had an aroma with a pleasing, smooth dark chocolate aroma with a warm sugar note.

The dark chocolate was well-tempered with a smooth melt and texture.

It also had smooth, uniform dark chocolate flavor with a naturally sweet, very light molasses, and diffuse fruit (red berry, citrus) tangy sweetness.

The cacao used to make this bar was sourced from Fundacion Hondurena de Investigacion Agricola (FHIA) in La Masica in northern Honduras. (Honduras is divided into 18 departments. La Masica is a town/municipality in the department of Atlantida, inland (south of) the Caribbean/Atlantic coast.)

The maker's description read as follows: "As the Scarlet Macaw (pictured on packaging) reveals its multicolor and iridescent plumage, so does this bar take flight voicing bright citrus crescendos that gracefully land into a forest of nuanced coffee notes."

Ingredients: cacao beans, unrefined organic cane sugar

Allergen-related information: "Soy, gluten and dairy free"

Crow and Moss - Earl Grey Tea Honduras Wampusirpi 67% cacao (bar) - June 21, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Crow and Moss

Earl Grey Honduras Wampusirpi 67% cacao (bar)

Good +++

Weight: 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar

Calories: 300 calories (per label) in 1 bar

Cost: $9.25 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's Earl Grey Tea Honduras Wampusirpi* 67% cacao (bar) was from Crow and Moss  (Petoskey, MI).

When I leaned into this bar to assess the aroma, I expected to be greeted by the scent of Earl Grey tea (flavored with bergamot**). Instead, I was treated to a well-balanced, chocolate fudge brownie aroma with borderline savory, light earth and leather notes. I was able to tap into the soul of the underlying chocolate just via aroma; and it was good.

The bar had a satisfying even, smooth, fudgy melt, texture and flavor.

The flavor also embodied the fudge brownie base and undulated, evolved (with a soft currant of green (lemon balm, oxalis), and eventually resolved to include the familiar Earl Grey Tea flavored with bergamot as part of a lovely finish.

The (67% cacao) sweetness level was, surprisingly for a sub-70% bar, just about right as the dark chocolate was robust enough to prevent the bar from seeming too sweet, and to balance a light citrus cookie note.

Congratulations to the maker for this well-executed pairing of bold, but smooth, dark chocolate with a floral, citrus (bergamot) uplift/finish.

Crow and Moss (makers) tasting notes: "Get your afternoon tea fix on with this perfect fusion of fudgy, decadent Honduran Wampusirpi chocolate infused with the citrusy, floral notes of fresh Bergamot and the crisp, malty flavor of Earl Grey tea."

Ingredients: Honduran Wampusirpi cacao, organic cane sugar, organic earl grey tea

Allergen-related information: trace dairy, trace peanuts, trace tree nuts, soy free, gluten free, vegan.

*Notes on Wampusirpi cacao on the Bar and Cocoa site:

"Wampusirpi is a municipality of just under 6,000 residents, in the northeastern Honduran department of Gracias a Dios. Many parts of the region are only accessible by boat via the Patuca River, which connects the villages. The whole area is largely dependent upon agriculture, but eschews the conventional use of pesticides in favor of more traditional approaches; it's often called "organic without the certification."

**Bergamot (Citrus bergamia) is an aromatic citrus fruit (that can look a bit like a yellow-ish orange) with tart, sweet and floral notes that is used to flavor Earl Grey and Lady Grey teas, sweets (Turkish delight) and desserts. (It is also used as a perfume component and sold as an essential oil.) The citrus tree was originally from southeast Asia and is grown in the Mediterranean (particularly the Calabria area of southern Italy).