Moka Origins - Uganda Dark Chocolate 72% Cacao Semuliki Forest (bar) - July 27, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Moka Origins
Uganda Dark Chocolate 72% Cacao Semuliki Forest (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 1.2 oz. (34 g.) / 2.4 oz. (68 g.) in total bar
Calories: 160 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $7.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Sigona's Market, Palo Alto, CA 

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

Today's Uganda Dark Chocolate 72% Cacao Semuliki Forest (bar) was created by Moka Origins (Honesdale, PA). The company offers small-batch, single origin chocolates and coffees, as well as drinking chocolates.

The (Forastero variety) cacao that Moka Origins used to make this Uganda bar was from Latitude Trade Company (a fermentation facility in Uganda). Latitude pays cocoa farmers 10% above market price for freshly harvested ("wet") cacao (beans with cacao fruit pulp). An estimated 50% of these 1,002 smallholder farmers are women.

Aroma notes for this bar included: subtle red fruit (diffuse red berry, red apple), smooth, creamy dark chocolate, and very faint warm spice.

This Organic dark chocolate had a smooth texture with a velvety melt and mouthfeel.

Flavors were similar to the aroma (i.e. faint red fruit and true chocolate). As is usually the case, the chocolate tasted even more chocolate-y (ultra-dark chocolate pudding/mousse) than the aroma. The taste also revealed a pleasant, faint (but bright), sweet green (floral green tea, kiwi) note. 

Minutes after the last bite, I tasted a very faint, slightly fruity/jammy finish (red berry and red apple--with a whisper of cherry, fresh nectarine and apricot--the kind of fruit plate that would be equally at home paired with a sip of high-end champagne or a graham cracker). 

This bar will please dark chocolate lovers who love a nice smooth, flavorful chocolate with sophisticated texture, flavor depth, and complexity (that may include a genteel fresh fruit finish). Nothing too wild or too cluttered; but like an elegant black dress in your closet, it's certainly not boring either.

Maker's description: "Rich dark chocolate with tasting notes of red berry and chocolate ganache"

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

Allergen-related information: "Gluten Free, Vegan, Soy Free. Made in a facility that handles tree nuts."

Beyond Good - Uganda Single Origin Chocolate Toasted Hazelnut 73% Cocoa (bar) - July 26, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Beyond Good  

Uganda Single Origin Chocolate Toasted Hazelnut 73% Cocoa (bar)

Good +++ 

Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 2.64 oz. (75 g.) in total bar

Calories: 160 calories in 1/3 bar

Cost: $3.99 for 1 bar

Purchased from: New Leaf Community Markets, Half Moon Bay, CA

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

Today's Beyond Good Uganda Single Origin Chocolate Toasted Hazelnut 73% Cocoa (bar) was produced in Italy and distributed by Madecasse LLC (Brooklyn, NY). It was the third of three different Beyond Good Uganda cacao bars featured this week. And it may have been my favorite.

All three bars were made with "Beyond Good direct trade certified cocoa." The company has a long history of working directly with cocoa farmers in Madagascar (where they have a factory that employs local people); and they've been ramping up their commitment in Uganda, with possible plans for a second small factory there as well.*

Toasted Hazelnut 73% Cocoa (bar)

This fragrant bar had aroma notes that included bold, smooth dark chocolate with balanced subtle earth notes and ground hazelnut (gianduja). 

Likely inspired by the great, classic Italian/European marriage of hazelnuts + chocolate (gianduia/gianduja confections, hazelnut chocolate spreads), today's chocolate and hazelnut blend resulted in a bar that was somehow greater than its individual ingredients. 

The hazelnuts benefited from the single origin Uganda cacao chocolate (that was more flavorful than the average, smooth Italian dark chocolate) and the high quality hazelnut pieces added a mellow, well-rounded nutty flavor to the chocolate. Sparkles of sea salt and lovely light, authentic vanilla added the perfect finishing touches.

This bar hit a sweet spot for me. It was a beautifully orchestrated blend of high-quality, classic flavors. It wasn't too sweet (thank you!) so I could really enjoy the complex, layered chocolatey and nutty flavor and textures: creamy (chocolate and hazelnut paste) and crunchy (hazelnut bits and salt crystals). 

Maker's tasting notes/description: "Rich and chocolatey with crunchy hazelnuts"

Ingredients: Cocoa beans, cane sugar, hazelnut nibs, cocoa butter, hazelnut paste, sea salt, vanilla extract.

Allergen-related information: (Contained tree nuts - hazelnuts.) "May contain traces of milk (and) tree nuts." ("gluten free, soy free, vegan")

*Producing the chocolate we enjoy involves many steps and typically spans a long, geographically-distributed supply chain. 

Chocolate made entirely (from bean-to-bar) in the same country where the cacao is grown is still rare; but being able to perform more chocolate manufacturing steps (or adding more value) "in-country" (e.g., fermentation, drying, roasting, making cocoa nibs, manufacturing) helps to create more income for those who live in the country of cacao origin. 

Historically, cocoa farmers and field workers have received a very small percent of the amount charged to the end customer for a high-end chocolate bar. It's always great to see chocolate makers working directly with farmers to help them earn more for high-quality cacao. After all, when today's cocoa farmers retire, their children may not want to follow in their footsteps if they're barely able to make a living. 

  

Beyond Good - Uganda Orange Zest 73% Cocoa (bar) - July 25, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Beyond Good  

Organic Uganda Single Origin Orange Zest 73% Cocoa (bar)

Good + - Good ++

Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 2.64 oz. (75 g.) in total bar

Calories: 140 calories in 1/3 bar

Cost: $3.99 for 1 bar

Purchased from: New Leaf Community Markets, Half Moon Bay, CA

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

Today's Organic Beyond Good Uganda Orange Zest 73% Cocoa (bar) was produced in Italy and distributed by Madecasse LLC (Brooklyn, NY). It was one of a series of three Uganda 73% cocoa dark bars tasted this week, made with "Beyond Good direct trade certified cocoa."

Aroma notes for this citrus-forward chocolate included: orange oil/essence, dark chocolate and subtle vanilla.

A smooth, slightly soft, dark bittersweet (73% cacao) dark chocolate base was peppered with tiny bits of softly chewy and lightly sweetened, authentic bittersweet orange peel. 

It was difficult to detect the flavor nuances of the Uganda cacao with this much citrus (orange peel and oil); but this "chocolatey" chocolate bar offered a pleasing triad of flavors (dark chocolate, orange and vanilla). And it was refreshing to taste this judiciously sweetened version of this flavor trio. Vanilla added a slightly earthy, floral warmth one associates with desserts and baked goods.

Beyond Good tasting notes/description: "Rich and chocolatey with bursts of citrus"

Ingredients: Organic cocoa beans, organic cane sugar, organic candied orange peel (organic cane sugar, organic glucose syrup, organic orange peel), organic cocoa butter, organic orange oil, organic vanilla extract.

Allergen-related information: "May contain traces of milk (and) tree nuts." (Certified Organic, gluten free, soy free, vegan; Non-GMO Verified)

 

Beyond Good - Uganda Salted Caramel 73% Cocoa (bar) - July 24, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Beyond Good  

Organic Uganda Salted Caramel 73% Cocoa (bar)

Good ++

Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 2.64 oz. (75 g.) in total bar

Calories: 150 calories in 1/3 bar

Cost: $3.99 for 1 bar

Purchased from: New Leaf Community Markets, Half Moon Bay, CA

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

Today's Beyond Good Organic Uganda Salted Caramel 73% Cocoa (bar) was produced in Italy and distributed by Madecasse LLC (Brooklyn, NY).

Madecasse has been working with farmers in Madagascar and Uganda to source direct trade certified cocoa for many years, and has a chocolate factory in Madagascar, employing local Malagassy workers. They hope to open a second factory in Uganda. (They also offer a very nice Madagascar vanilla extract which may have been used in today's bar.) 

Aroma notes for this bar included rich dark chocolate, salty earth, brown sugar caramel.

I like well-executed complex chocolates, textures and layered flavors. This chocolate had all of the above. And this 73% cocoa chocolate wasn't too sweet (thank you).

A smooth, but flavorful dark chocolate base (that was bold, mellow as a fine whiskey might be, with gentle upticks of earth, vanilla and salt) was packed with tiny flecks of crunchy caramelized sugar. 

There was a very faint, diffuse stone fruit note, but overwhelmingly the flavor was, as promised, "chocolatey." It had a very authentic, well-rounded cacao/chocolate flavor--beyond brownies.

Beyond Good described their bar as follows: "Rich and chocolatey with a caramel crunch"

Ingredients: Organic cocoa beans, organic cane sugar, organic caramel (organic cane sugar, organic glucose syrup), organic cocoa butter, sea salt, organic vanilla extract.

Allergen-related information: "May contain traces of milk and tree nuts." Certified Organic, gluten free, soy free, vegan; Non-GMO Verified

Lumineux - Uganda 68% Dark Chocolate (bar) - July 23, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Lumineux Chocolate
Uganda 68% Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: .9 oz. (25 g.) / 1.8 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 120 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $8.00 for 1 bar ($40.00 for 5 different bars)
Purchased from: Good Food Awards Marketplace/store, online order 

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

Today's Uganda 68% Dark Chocolate (bar) was from Lumineux Chocolate (Greenville, SC). Ben and Becca Snyder founded their small-batch chocolate company to produce high-quality chocolate, and to showcase flavors in African cacao. 

Aroma and flavor notes for this Uganda bar included: dark chocolate with dark, rich stone fruit (plum, light prune), faint whiskey, very faint botanical (light green, maple, warm spice, clean mineral) and very faint graham cracker/cookie notes. 

Tasting the chocolate also yielded a richer, authentic chocolate (brownie batter) flavor.

This 68% cacao chocolate was relatively sweet (given I was tasting other 100% and 85% Ghana bars in the last few days). But the complex and balanced flavors shone through and helped balance the sweetness; and the chocolate was relatively low in acidity and bitterness. The finish was clean with lingering traces of fruit, brownie and whiskey toward the end.

So, I'd say, mission accomplished with this Ghana bar--as far as highlighting more complex and more gently nuanced fine flavors--words that in decades past weren't applied to the very bold, intense cacao often associated with African countries. The bold flavors were tamed and blended and lots of sugar was added; and farmers in Africa (and elsewhere) were not always  paid to grow and develop fine flavored cacao.

Maker's tasting notes: "Plum, Bourbon"

Ingredients: Cocoa nibs, cane sugar, cocoa butter

Allergen-related information: (No information listed that I could find.)

Fjak - 100% Organic Mork Uganda Semuliki Forest Single Origin (bar) - July 22, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Fjak Sjokolade
100% Organic Mork Uganda Semuliki Forest Single Origin (bar)
Good ++
Weight: .935 oz. (26.5 g.) / ~ 1.87 oz. (53 g.) in total bar
Calories: 155 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar 
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's 100% Mork (Dark) Uganda Semuliki Forest Single Origin (bar) was crafted by Fjak Sjokolade bean-to-bar makers in their small factory by the Hardangerfjord (a long fjord in Western Norway).

Popular with artisan chocolate makers, Semuliki Forest cacao (located in Bundibugyo, in Western Uganda), is made up of cacao from many small farms. (About half the farmers are women.) Uganda lies in east-central Africa and is about the size of the State of Kansas in the U.S.

Aroma notes detected, in order of appearance, were: peat (this faded after being opened for a few minutes), botanical (diffuse fruit, very faint green, maple), dark cocoa, and very faint sweet, smokey whiskey.

Flavor notes for this bar included: bold but balanced tobacco, cacao (ultra dark nibs, brownie), and roasted nuts. The nut notes helped to round out and balance a subtle smokey, slightly peat-like, flavor and acidity. 

This unique, 2-ingredient bar may appeal to those who enjoy a strong whiskey and/or a whiff of fine, aromatic tobacco. With 0% sugars of any kind, the taste was, as expected, very dark, but it did have its own sense of mellow, implied sweetness (as you might find in a malted whiskey). It was quite enjoyable if you enjoy these bolder flavors.

 Maker's tasting notes: Intense dark chocolate with notes of nuts and tobacco.

Ingredients: Organic cocoa beans, organic cocoa butter

Allergen-related information: "Processed in a facility that handles nuts, dairy (and) gluten." Made with certified Organic ingredients; vegan.

 

Moodify Food - "A Little Buzzed" Oatmeal Cup (chocolate + coffee item) -- July 21, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Moodify Food

"A Little Buzzed" Oatmeal Cup

Good + - Good ++

Weight: 2.06 oz. (59 g.) in total container (dry weight)

Calories: 230 calories in 1 container 

Cost: $3.99 for 1 container

Purchased from: Farm Fresh to You, produce delivery service, add-on item

Welcome to Day #20 of Chocolate and Coffee Theme Week.

Today's Moodify Food * "A Little Buzzed" Oatmeal Cup was distributed by GMF Foods LLC (Denver, CO). The brand name is a reference to how modifying your food can influence your mood and health. They offer a line of single-serving oatmeal cups with this sentiment in mind.

The pleasing aroma and flavor for today's cocoa and coffee flavored oatmeal cup included: rich, fragrant oat(meal) with cocoa, coffee and cinnamon. Cocoa nibs added bits of (softly) crunchy texture and true essential (unsweetened) cacao taste with faint roasted nutty seed and very faint green/botanical flavors.

Prepared with hot water with a short 3-minute wait time, one could easily allow less or more time, if a slightly coarser or creamier oatmeal texture is desired.

Sweetened with a judicious amount of date sugar, I found the sweetness level just right. 

This was a perfect wake up meal--not too heavy, but more substantial than a cup of coffee with the added benefits of authentic cocoa (cocoa nibs and cocoa powder) and cinnamon--as well as a touch of amaranth and ground flax seed for some extra fiber and heft. It left me feeling a little uplifted and not too "buzzed"--as promised.

Ingredients: Gluten free oats, date sugar, cocoa nibs, cocoa powder, amaranth, ground flax, ground coffee, and cinnamon.

Allergen-related information: "Manufactured in a facility that processes peanuts, tree nuts, coconut, and dairy." "Non-GMO" ingredients; (Gluten free oats were used.)

*The company, co-founded and headed by Christine Keller (San Francisco, CA) had its beginnings in 2020 and ramped up amid Covid-19 challenges. (Glad they made it work!)