Disidente, Colombian Craft Chocolate - Nibs (bar) - Sept. 2, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

(Cacao) Disidente 
Colombian Cacao Taxonomy (Manufactured by El Colaboratorio)
Nibs dark chocolate (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.41 oz. (40 g.) in total bar
Calories: 191 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $6.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's Disidente Nibs Colombian craft chocolate (bar) was manufactured by El Colaboratorio (Bogota, Colombia). 

(Cacao) Disidente creates bean-to-bar chocolates that celebrate the agricultural biodiversity of Colombia. They use Colombian-grown cacao(s)--sourced from cacao co-operatives and organizations/fermenteries in different regions of Colombia. 

Aroma notes for this Nibs bar (in order of appearance) included: faint fruit (berry, apple), herbal citrus (tart lemony green, found in sorrel, sour grass, oxalis*), dark chocolate cookie, and maple/brown sugar. 

Cacao nibs (pieces of cacao seed or bean) added a soft crunchy element and this bar a boost of authentic cacao flavor (unsweetened, true chocolate with brownie, nutty, mild earth, faint green and leather notes). All this flavor in a bar made using just three ingredients: cacao beans, sugar and cocoa butter. This chocolate and nibs blend offered true chocolate notes that lingered into the finish.

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

Allergen-related information: (No information listed on label.)

*Oxalic acid is a naturally occurring compound found in many plants, including greens (notably: spinach, rhubarb and beet greens), cacao (and other seeds), and nuts. Edible forms of wood sorrels,"sour grass" and other forms of oxalis have a tart, almost lemony green flavor--similar to what can be detected in some dark chocolates.

  

Disidente, Colombian Craft Chocolate - Maranot (bar) - Sept. 1, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

(Cacao) Disidente 
Colombian Cacao Taxonomy (Manufactured by El Colaboratorio)
Maranot (cashew) (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.41 oz. (40 g.) in total bar
Calories: 206 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $5.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's Disidente Maranot* (Cashew) (bar) was manufactured by El Colaboratorio in Bogota, Colombia. 

(Cacao) Disidente creates bean-to-bar, craft chocolate(s) that celebrate the agricultural biodiversity of Colombia. They use Colombian-grown cacao(s)--sourced from cacao co-operatives and organizations/fermenteries in different regions of Colombia. Many bars also contain fruit and/or nut flavor inclusions. 

My favorite quote on the company's website read:

"The best certification is taste. It means that behind, there are people working together, there are relationships, there is collaboration and respect for the environment." 

This Disidente "Maranot" (cashew) bar offered a great bouquet of of scents. Aroma notes (in order of appearance) included: fruity (apple jelly mixed with fig and red berry jam), nutty (peanuts** and cashews), fresh cut flowers (faint marigold, poppy, dressed with sweet greens) and chocolate (brownie, dark chocolate cookie with lightly smoked sea salt, and a barely there whisp of faint leather). 

The texture was incredibly buttery, with a luxurious melt and velvety ganache-like mouthfeel. (It really felt like eating light, freshly churned butter.)

The flavor was relatively mild and a bit more uniform than the aroma--conveying the essence of cashew and cacao in hushed, creamy tones. Faint, fleeting muffled notes of cream/milk/yogurt and light earth came and went.

U.S. distributor, Bar and Cocoa, offered this description: "If the great master chocolatiers of the old world had the idea of combining chocolate and hazelnut to conceive the famous Gianduja, Disidente has developed their own tropical version that brings together cocoa and cashew from the Orinoquia in a harmonious creation."

Ingredients: "Cashews, cacao beans, organic cane sugar"

Allergen-related information: "May contain traces of milk or nuts."

 **While searching for the origin of the bar's name "Marinot" (which I did not find), I did enjoy reading about the different meanings of the word maranon. 

The Spanish word for cashew is maranon--a word that can also refer to the poppy/paprika red color of the cashew "fruit/apple" from which the nut hangs. 

On a related note, one of the most significant rivers (Amazon tributaries) in South America is the Maranon River. The Maranon River joins the Uyacali River to form the Amazon that continues its journey east through Brazil and toward the Atlantic Ocean.

And it is a name associated with a variety of cacao in Peru (including the Maranon River Valley) and surrounding areas. 

**Note: There were no peanut ingredients in this bar. 

Disidente - Pina (Pineapple) Colombian Craft Chocolate (bar) - Aug. 31, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

(Cacao) Disidente
Colombian Cacao Taxonomy
(Manufactured by El Colaboratorio)
Pina (Pineapple)
Good +
Weight: 1.41 oz. (40 g.) in total bar
Calories: 191 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $6.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's Disidente Pina (Pineapple) Colombian craft chocolate (bar) was manufactured by El Colaboratorio (Bogota, Colombia). 

Disidente creates bean-to-bar chocolates that celebrate the agricultural biodiversity of Colombia. They use Colombian-grown cacao(s)--sourced from cacao co-operatives and organizations/fermenteries in different regions of Colombia. Many bars also contain fruit and/or nut flavor inclusions.

Aroma notes for this Pina (Pineapple) bar (in order of appearance) included: chocolate (implied Criollo*), fruit, pineapple, vanilla,* cake. 

Flavor notes were more chocolate-forward initially, followed by a blooming of concentrated (dried), authentic pineapple flavor that became dominant in the blend and extended into the finish. The base chocolate (from what I could tell) had mild notes of stone fruit, milk/cream,* very faint light bitter earth (although the pineapple may have influenced, or even created the latter), and very fleeting, very faint molasses/brown sugar.

The cacao percentage was no listed on the label. I thought it might be 60-65% cacao chocolate. (The current version of this Pina bar on company's website lists it as a 70% bar when I checked today.) It was hard to determine, as the pineapple added natural sweetness. (Also, if the makers used a more delicate heritage Criollo or similar cacao, and a lighter roast, the resulting chocolate might have tasted milder or lighter.) 

Ingredients: Cocoa beans, organic cane sugar, cocoa butter (and pineapple pieces). 

Allergen-related information: (No information listed on label.)

*There were no vanilla or milk ingredients listed in this bar. The pineapple and sugar may have evoked memories of pineapple upside down (vanilla) cake. As for the "milk/cream" notes, Criollo (variety of cacao) will sometimes have notes of milk or cream.

  

Mid-Day Squares - Functional Chocolate Bar - Almond Crunch - Aug. 30, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Mid-Day Squares

Functional Chocolate Bar - Almond Crunch

Good +

Weight: 2.33 oz. (66 g.) in total pkg. of 2 squares 

Calories: 340 calories in 2 squares (1 package)

Cost: $3.69 for 1 package of 2 squares

Purchased from: Sprouts Farmers Market, Mountain View, CA

Welcome to Day #8 of Cold Chocolate Theme Week, featuring frozen and refrigerated chocolate items.

Today's Almond Crunch Functional Chocolate Bar (2 bar-like squares in one package) hailed from Mid-Day Squares (Montreal, Canada). 

The company offers refrigerated bars/squares (including today's Almond Crunch--and two Squares product line sibling flavors: "Fudge Yah" and "Peanut Butta").

This square duo had a pleasing aroma with fudge nut brownie and chocolate almond granola notes; and had more (visible) layered soft and crunchy textures and flavors than a conventional chocolate bar, making it more complex and interesting. (It was topped with a layer of raw, dark chocolate.)

Flavor notes included: chocolate brownie with crunchy, nutty almond bits, and natural, sweet green and maple/caramelized brown sugar and nuts and crispy (implied flour-free chocolate, almond lace) cookie notes.

Seeking to transcend traditional snacks and traditional powdery/dry protein bars, these functional chocolates were defined as: "a chocolate bar with the functions of a protein bar."

Each package/pair of 2 refrigerated organic, gluten-free squares contained 12 g. of "clean" plant protein (almonds, brown rice, sacha inchi,* hemp, etc.--with no soy or dairy), and fiber, yet tasted like a "real" dark chocolate bar with crushed almonds that just happened to be more filling.

Ingredients: Organic roasted almonds, semi-sweet chocolate, (chocolate, cocoa butter, cocoa powder (processed with alkali), coconut sugar, 

Allergen-related information: "Contains almonds, coconut...May contain hazelnuts, peanuts."

*Sacha Inca protein comes from edible seeds from a shrubby plant (Plukenetia volubilis) that grows in Peru and other Amazon-proximate South American countries. These nut-like seeds are also known as sacha, mountain or Inca peanuts. 

The seeds develop inside unique, flower- or star-shaped pods; and each of the four or five "petals" contain a nut-like seed. 

Perfect Bar - Dark Chocolate with Sea Salt Refrigerated Peanut Butter Cups - Aug. 29, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Perfect Bar LLC

Dark Chocolate with Sea Salt Refrigerated Peanut Butter Cups

Good +

Weight: 1.4 oz. (40 g.) in total package of 2 cups

Calories: 210 calories in 2 cups

Cost: $2.00 (sale) for 1 package of 2 cups

Purchased from: Sprouts Farmers Market, Mountain View, CA

Welcome to Day #7 of Cold Chocolate Theme Week.

Today's Perfect Snacks Dark Chocolate with Sea Salt Refrigerated Peanut Butter Cups were from Perfect Bar LLC, a family-founded company based in San Diego, CA.

These dark chocolate round mounds (cups) had an aroma with naturally sweet plant (green, maple) and nutty notes. The filled cups had a smooth outer dark chocolate coating with visible tiny, sparkling salt crystals, and a substantial, chunky filling (coarsely ground peanut butter + "superfood" powders).

If you're in the mood for a more savory than sweet treat, this "Perfect Snack" with satisfying sea salt and nut flavor might be perfect for you. The 7 grams of protein in 1 package of 2 cups (primarily from peanuts, milk, egg and rice protein) made this snack feel filling (closer to a meal replacement/protein bar than a dessert).

Ingredients: Organic peanut butter, organic and fair trade dark chocolate (organic cacao beans, organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter, sunflower lecithin), organic honey, organic nonfat dry milk, organic rice protein, organic dried whole egg powder, sea salt, dried whole food powders (organic kale, organic flax seed, organic rose hip, organic orange, organic lemon, organic papaya, organic tomato, organic apple, organic alfalfa, organic celery, organic kelp, organic dulse, organic carrot, organic spinach), organic sunflower lecithin, organic flax seed oil, organic sunflower oil, organic sesame seed oil, organic olive oil, organic pumpkin seed oil.

Allergen-related information: "Contains peanuts, milk, and eggs." (Also contains sesame.) "Processed on equipment also handling tree nuts. May contain occasional nut shells."

Perfect Bar - Dark Chocolate Mint Refrigerated Peanut Butter Cups - Aug. 28, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Perfect Bar LLC

Dark Chocolate Mint Refrigerated Peanut Butter Cups

Good +

Weight: 1.4 oz. (40 g.) in total package of 2 cups

Calories: 210 calories in 2 cups

Cost: $2.00 (sale) for 1 package of 2 cups

Purchased from: Sprouts Farmers Market, Mountain View, CA

Welcome to Day #6 of Cold Chocolate Theme Week.

Today's "Perfect Snacks" Dark Chocolate Mint Refrigerated Peanut Butter Cups were from Perfect Bar LLC (San Diego, CA).

These cool, filled chocolates had a pleasing peppermint-infused chocolate aroma.

Smooth dark chocolate surrounded a thick, coarsely ground, authentic-tasting nutty center with myriad tiny peanut bits and other ingredients (see below). 

The refreshing dark chocolate mint flavor was made moreso because the cups were refrigerated. These cool chocolates were perfect for eating during a heat wave. (And we are having one this week; so cold chocolates have been extra enjoyable.)

The chocolate, mint and peanut flavors were nicely balanced, and harmonized well. These cups were not too sweet or salty, and that allowed for greater enjoyment of the underlying flavors (thank you).

The decision to incorporate 7 grams of protein (in 2 cups), primarily from peanuts, milk and rice protein--as well as the inclusion of various "superfood" powders and oils (from fruits, vegetables, seeds)--made these cups a substantial and satisfying (more filling) snack as well. 

Ingredients: Organic peanut butter, organic and fair trade dark chocolate (organic cacao beans, organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter, sunflower lecithin), organic honey, organic non-fat dry milk, organic cocoa, organic rice protein, organic dried whole egg powder, organic vanilla extract, dried whole food powders (organic kale, organic flax seed, organic rose hip, organic orange, organic lemon, organic papaya, organic tomato, organic apple, organic alfalfa, organic celery, organic kelp, organic dulse*, organic carrot, organic spinach), organic sunflower lecithin, peppermint oil, organic flax seed oil, organic sunflower oil, organic sesame seed oil.organic olive oil, organic pumpkin seed oil. 

Allergen-related information: "Contains peanuts, milk, and eggs." (Also some sesame.) "Produced on equipment also handling tree nuts. May contain occasional nut shells."

*Dulse is a dark red, edible seaweed that contains minerals (iodine, potassium) and omega-3 fatty acids.

Graeter's - Black Raspberry Chocolate Chip Ice Cream - Aug. 27, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Graeter's Ice Cream Co. 
Black Raspberry Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
Good +
Weight: 2/3 cup (144 g.) / 1 Pint (473 mL) in total container
Calories: 390 calories in 2/3 cup serving
Cost: $8.49 for 1 container
Purchased from: Piazza's, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #5 of Cold Chocolate Theme Week, featuring frozen and refrigerated items with chocolate.

Today's Black Raspberry Chocolate Chip Ice Cream is from Graeter's Ice Cream Co. (Cincinnati, OH). 

The family-owned company's origins stretch back five generations to 1870. They still use a "French Pot Process" where small batches are made in small, very cold pots (and stirred by hand with a paddle, if the picture on the website is correct).

I have fond childhood memories of eating black raspberry chocolate chip ice cream in the back yard in the summer. So, I may be biased. I really enjoyed this version--made with real black raspberries grown in Oregon's Willamette Valley. (The company cites today's flavor as their "signature" and "most beloved" flavor.)

Tart sweet, dark berry flavor (and lovely dark berry color) harmonized with a sweet creamy base (cream is the first ingredient listed) and dark chocolate chips that were dark enough to create a pleasing, satisfying contrast.

Ingredients: Cream, milk, cane sugar, black raspberry puree, chocolate chips (sugar, chocolate liquor processed with alkali, cocoa butter, expeller-pressed non-GMO soy oil, milk fat, soy lecithin, natural flavors), skim milk, eggs, carob bean gum, guar gum, citric acid.

Allergen-related information: "Contains milk, egg, and soy." "Gluten Free" and "Star D (dairy) Kosher Certified"