Madhu Chocolate - Idukki Black Pepper 68% Cacao (bar) - Mar. 7, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Madhu Chocolate
Idukki Black Pepper 68% Cacao (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 1.3 oz. (37 g.) / 2.6 oz. (74 g.) in total bar
Calories: 195 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.29 for 1 bar (part of a larger order - 7 bars for $65.00 USD)
Purchased from: Good Food Awards Marketplace, online order

Welcome to Day #15 of Chocolate and Spices and Day #2 of India Theme Week.

Today's Idukki Black Pepper 68% Cacao (bar) was from Madhu Chocolate* (Austin, TX). 

The company offers bean-to-bar chocolates with India-inspired flavors. Several bars include spices or spice blends. Packaging is inspired by Indian textiles. They source cacao from Tumaco, Colombia and the Idukki region of India.

This Good Food Awards 2022 winner was made using Idukki cacao and Aranya single origin black pepper (sourced by Diaspora Co.) from the state of Kerala in southwestern coastal India.

The complex aroma notes for this bar unfolded to reveal: spiced fruit (ginger, cardamom, berry, stone fruit), faint citrus and pepper.

This well-tempered chocolate had a smooth texture and mouthfeel. The black pepper used for this bar was ground and fully incorporated into the chocolate. 

Flavor notes were similar to the aroma notes, and included: complex spiced fruit (diffuse red berry, blackberry, citrus, red apple, red wine grapes) and sweet, rich dark chocolate melded with balanced, complex black pepper flavors (with some pepper heat). The finish had faint, fleeting notes that included: dairy butter, implied umami (grilled black pepper steak) and earth. 

This Idukki Black Pepper 68% cacao chocolate tasted like a satisfying, four-course meal in a bar. It also exemplified just how complex and wonderful high-quality, single origin black pepper and cacao can be. 

The "Malabar Coast" (spice gardens) in SW India (with latitudes that overlap with cacao growing regions in Kerala and Karnataka) have been famous for world-famous Tellicherry pepper and spices for thousands of years, for good reason.)

Ingredients: Cacao, organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter, black pepper

Allergen-related information: (Vegan. Gluten free.) "Prepared in a facility that also processes nuts and dairy."

*The word Madhu translates as honey or sweet. It is also the name of co-founder Harshit Gupta's mother. (English "mead" (aka honey wine) may be from the same root.)

  

Chocolarder - Gingerbread 55% Milk Chocolate India (bar) - Mar. 6, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Chocolarder
Gingerbread 55% Milk Chocolate India (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 200 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $10.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #14 of Chocolate and Spices Theme Weeks, and Day #1 of Chocolate and India Theme Week. 

When I first started Chocolate Banquet in 2006 I could not find Indian cacao; and even Indian-inspired flavor additions (usually chai blends) to chocolates were rare. Happily, that's changed. 

Today's well-tempered bar was made with ginger from the Kamthana Village in the State of Karnataka--located on the (south)western coast of India. Spices and India are forever linked in my mind. And what little flour this chocolate contained was gram (chickpea) flour--a possible nod to Indian cuisine.*

Today's Gingerbread 55% Milk Chocolate India (bar) was made by Chocolarder (Falmouth, Cornwall, UK). 

This milk chocolate bar had an aroma with chocolate (cake) and authentic gingerbread spice (star anise, ginger, cinnamon, clove) notes. 

The texture and flavor notes were also a thoughtful homage** to favorite ginger-spiced "breads" (more accurately, cookies/biscuits and cakes). Tiny grains of sugar and sea salt added interest to this smooth, spiced chocolate--reminding me of large, soft-ish, gingerbread people (cookies). Smelling of ginger and molasses right out of the oven, they were sprinkled with granulated sugar. If they lasted that long, sugar icing smiles and buttons were later applied. 

Maker's tasting notes: "Flavours of fudge and brasil nuts with pockets of fiery ginger and dark molasses."

Ingredients: Cocoa beans, unrefined raw sugar, whole milk powder, gingerbread (oats, gram flour, butter(milk), ginger, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, sea salt).

Allergen-related information: (Contains milk/dairy.) "Made in a factory that also handles tree nuts."

* India produces the most chickpeas (garbanzo beans). Although they may have originated closer to the Mediterranean Sea. There are two main types of this legume (desi and kabuli). Gram flour (besan) is often made with the smaller, browner desi chickpeas. (We see primarily the larger, lighter-colored kabuli type in the US--unless you're enjoying some authentic Indian chana dal perhaps.)

**The inside (plastic-free) packaging for this bar contained the following gingerbread history and description of today's chocolate:

"It is believed that the first gingerbread recipe originated in Greece in around 2400 BC. From there, Chinese recipes were developed in the 10th century and by the late middle ages, Europeans had their own version of the biscuit.

The hard cookies, sometimes gilded with gold leaf and shaped like animals, kings and queens, were a staple at Medieval fairs in England, France, Holland and Germany. 

Now in the 21st century, here is our own grown up take on Gingerbread, made exclusively in house, using exceptional ginger sourced from Kamthana village, India."

Raaka Chocolate - Pumpkin Swirl Unroasted Dark Chocolate 60% Cacao (bar) - Mar. 5, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Raaka Chocolate
Pumpkin Swirl Unroasted Dark Chocolate 60% Cacao (bar)
Good +
Weight: .9 oz. (25.5 g.) / 1.8 oz. (50 g.) in total bar 
Calories: 134 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $8.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Raaka, online order

Welcome to Day #13 of Chocolate and Spices Theme Weeks.

Today's Pumpkin Swirl Unroasted Dark Chocolate 60% cacao bar was made by Raaka Chocolate (Brooklyn, NY), and included Oat Haus (maple-sweetened) Granola Butter. 

Today's Pumpkin Swirl had a very subtle cacao aroma* with warm spice (maple, cinnamon, pumpkin pie and oatmeal) notes.

The dark chocolate was fully blended with the warm spice blend that was blended with a swirl white chocolate and pumpkin powder, adding even further flavor depth and complexity.

The spice-infused chocolate was sweet but the pumpkin powder, dark chocolate and perhaps some of the "butter" and spices helped balance the sweetness in the well-executed, overall blend. The pumpkin, spice and granola flavors played well together in this, and there were no off notes in this dairy-free and gluten-free bar. 

Ingredients: Organic cacao beans, organic cane sugar, organic cacao butter, organic coconut, organic Oat Haus Granola Butter** (organic, gluten-free oats; organic flaxseed, organic olive oil, organic maple syrup, organic coconut oil, organic cinnamon, salt, organic allspice, organic cardamom, organic ginger); organic pumpkin powder; organic sunflower lecithin; organic cinnamon; organic ginger; organic allspice; organic cardamom; organic nutmeg.

Allergen-related information: (Contained coconut.) Certified Organic and Kosher. Vegan, Gluten free. Soy free.

*Un-roasted cacao beans can be milder/smoother than roasted cacao(s). However, there were a lot of other flavors in today's Pumpkin Swirl chocolate, making it more difficult to discern the cacao notes from the Zoral Cacao, Dominican Republic cacao used to make this bar. The dark chocolate clearly helped anchor the sweet and spice flavors though.

Bixby and Co. - 20 Karat Primo Bar - 70% DR Dark Chocolate Spiced Primo Almonds - Mar. 4, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Bixby and Co.

20 Karat Primo Bar
70% Dominican Republic Dark Chocolate Spiced Primo Almonds 
Good + - Good ++

Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) / 2 oz. (56 g.) in total bar
Calories: 155 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.50 for 1 bar ($46 for 4-bar assortment)
Purchased from: Good Food Awards Marketplace, online order

Welcome to Day #12 of Chocolate and Spices Theme Weeks.

Today's "20 Karat Primo Bar"--70% Dominican Republic Dark Chocolate with Spiced Primo Almonds (bar)--was created by Bixby and Co. (Rockland, ME) to celebrate Rockland neighbor Primo Restaurant's 20th anniversary. 

The aroma for this bar encompassed bold, flavorful dark chocolate, salt/savory snack, roasted nut, and raw sugar notes--and the scent of a potentially addictive, high-end, savory-sweet snack mixes with spices and herbs (rosemary) as well.

 

The flavors did deliver on the promise of a seductive and satisfying, salty-sweet nut mix. This 70% dark chocolate bar was a balanced blend of bold flavors and smooth and crunchy textures. 

The spices (salt, red and black peppers and rosemary) were a great match with (and elevated) the roasted nuts and chocolate. I detected to a very faint tingle of ginger spice; however, there was no mention of ginger in the ingredients list. Probably the pepper and sugar. It was hard to tell if there might have been a warm spice note also in the single origin DR chocolate.

Bixby notes for the spicy almond pieces adhered to the back: "...Primo's iconic recipe for roasted rosemary almonds, a snack that's typically served with drinks and cocktails." The Mediterranean-themed, almond blend helped balance the sweetness and added sassy savory depth.

Ingredients: Organic cacao beans, organic cane sugar, almonds, rosemary, crushed red pepper, salt, black pepper.

Allergen-related information: "(Contains) Tree Nuts. Manufactured in a facility that also processes Peanut and Milk products."

Pump Street Chocolate - 60% Grenada Milk and Nutmeg (bar) - Mar. 3, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Pump Street Chocolate
60% Limited Edition Grenada Milk and Nutmeg (bar)

Good + - Good ++

Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar

Calories: 195 calories in 1/2 bar

Cost: $10.50 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #11 of Chocolate and Spices Theme Weeks.

Today's 60% Limited Edition Grenada Milk and Nutmeg (bar) was from Pump Street Chocolate (Suffolk, UK). The founders built an award-winning bakery and expanded their (naturally-leavened) bread making skills into chocolate making. They make chocolate from cacao beans they import from single estates and cooperatives.

Aroma notes for this dark milk chocolate bar first evoked memories of savory dishes with spices (nutmeg), such as certain curries, creamed spinach, brown sauces. This note morphed to include spiced, creamy hot chocolate.  

The whole milk powder influenced the aroma, texture and flavor of today's limited edition bar. The texture was creamy and milky; and the overall flavor was less sweet than expected (thank you). The taste also evoked a savory cream bechamel sauce (even though there was no added salt or salty flavor--due to shared spice (nutmeg) ingredients in both foods). 

Pleasant, true chocolate/cacao notes (very faint or diffuse nut and fruit) were relatively muffled (cushioned by milk (milk hugged) and cocoa butter). The cacao was from Crayfish Bay Organic Estate (Saint Mark), Grenada ("2019 Crop").

The authentic (Grenada) nutmeg was complex, subtle and wonderful. It was in the background (peeking out from behind the curtains), but it still managed to steal the show. (Nutmeg, the product of an evergreen tree, like cinnamon, came to the Americas from south/SE Asia (e.g. Indonesia (Spice Islands)--and Sri Lanka/India, Myanmar in the case of cinnamon), often via spice traders/merchants interested in growing these valuable crops elsewhere. Nutmeg grows well in Grenada (a large exporter of nutmeg), and in other humid, tropical nations/islands with sandy soil.

Maker's tasting notes: "A high cocoa (60%) milk chocolate, offering subtle undertones of the fruit flavours characteristic of the Crayfish Bay (cacao) beans and gently scented with the warmth of Grenadian nutmeg."

Ingredients: Organic cocoa beans, cane sugar, organic cocoa butter, milk powder and nutmeg.

Allergen-related information: (Contained milk.) "We also handle dairy, gluten, nuts and seeds on the premises."

Ingredients: Organic cocoa beans, cane sugar, organic cocoa butter, milk powder and nutmeg

Crow and Moss - Vanilla Smoke Chocolate 69% (bar) - Mar. 2, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Crow and Moss

Vanilla Smoke Chocolate 69% (bar)

Good +++

Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar

Calories: 150 calories in 1/2 bar

Cost: $9.25 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #10 of Chocolate and Spices Theme Weeks.

Today's Vanilla Smoke Chocolate 69% small batch (bar) was from Crow and Moss (Petoskey, MI).

This dark chocolate bar had a prominent vanilla aroma, and true to it's name, it had a balanced, subtle smokey fragrance and faint green floral notes.*

This well-tempered, bean-to-bar chocolate had smooth texture, an thick buttery melt, and a complex flavor bouquet that included dark chocolate, green, floral (white flowers), spice and faint, very slightly astringent tropical fruit and green notes (persimmon and green mango meet jasmine and orchid). 

Re-tasting this bar yielded even more subtley complex green notes (green tea, green-lemon herb (sorrel) and very faint and fleeting vegetable (Miner's Lettuce (Claytonia perfoliata) + baked potato). 

The faint (or perhaps implied) fruit note was difficult to nail down. Can a flavor come to life and refuse to be captured and fully analyzed? I was happy to chase this white (vanilla) rabbit through the hickory forest. 

I applaud the skills that went into melding the hickory-smoked cacao and vanilla bean together. Both these flavors stood proud and tall on their own; and the lovely nuances of each were highlighted and celebrated. There was also a barely detectable quantity of salt in this bar, that seemed just right.

Together, this pied piper of a partnership seemed to take flight. A sense of motion--an elegant flavor flux--created a highly satisfying ride, and kept me coming back for just one more piece. Nicely balanced, not too sweet. Highly complementary chocolate and vanilla flavors sparked a winter fire, while invisible grains of salt nodded in grounded approval, and floral notes looked at cherry trees blooming and whispered that spring is here.*

Maker's tasting notes: "We've taken whole vanilla beans and paired them with a hint of hickory smoked cacao and salt to create a fruity, floral twist with a nostalgic campfire finish."

Ingredients: "Cacao blend, organic cane sugar, vanilla beans, salt, hickory smoke."

Allergen-related information: "Processed in a facility that also handles nuts and dairy"

*I like floral, balanced umami and subtlely smokey and savory flavors in single origin chocolate. It's hard to find these flavors, and even harder to discover all these skillfully blended in one bar. Hats off that Cross and Moss makers for even attempting this bar when there are some critics who view umami, smokey (and, surprisingly, even floral) notes as possible "flaws" in cacao processing. Apologies: Happiness over this bar did lead to some wordy poetic celebration.

Endorfin Foods - Vanilla Bean Dark Chocolate Coconut Cream 70% Cacao (bar) - Mar. 1, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Endorfin Foods

Vanilla Bean Dark Chocolate Coconut Cream 70% Cacao (bar)

Good ++

Weight: 1.4 oz. (40 g.) in total bar

Calories: 210 calories in 1 bar

Cost: $6.50 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #9 of Chocolate and Spices Theme Week.

Today's Organic Vanilla Bean Dark Chocolate Coconut Cream 70% Cacao (bar) was distributed by Endorfin Foods (San Francisco, CA). 

Aroma notes for this (70% cacao 30% coconut) bar rich blend of dark chocolate (deep dark chocolate cake/torte) and warm, authentic vanilla bean blended with caramel overtones and very faint coffee and coconut cookie. 

The chocolate had a smooth, even texture, facilitated by cocoa "coconut mylk" and cocoa butter.

Flavor notes were similar to the aroma notes (above). Rich dark chocolate, caramelized coconut milk and lovely pure and pulsing vanilla all harmonized to create a great blend of flavors. Just the right amount of sweetness (not too much), and well-executed flavor depth and complexity.

Note: This Limited Edition Vanilla Bean bar was sold out at the time of this post (3/1/22).

Ingredients: Cacao, coconut sugar, caramelized coconut, cacao butter, single origin Madagascar Bourbon vanilla

Allergen-related information: (Contained coconut.) "No dairy, soy, refined sugar, gluten, GMO, or sugar alcohols