O'ahu Island Waimanalo 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) - Aug. 25, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Manoa Chocolate
O'ahu Island Waimanalo 70% Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.05 oz. (30 g.) / 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 180 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Manoa Chocolate, online order

Aloha, and welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate and Hawaii Theme Week.

Today's O'ahu Island Waimanalo 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) was from Manoa Chocolate (Kailua, O'ahu, HI). 

The cacao beans used to make this bar were grown on the makers' farm on O'ahu--making this not just single origin, bean-to-bar chocolate, but also single island, tree-to-bar chocolate from Hawaii. It was exciting to taste this. It's quite an accomplishment for those few makers in the U.S. (almost all in Hawaii) who have the work ethic, desire and know-how to pull this off.

Aroma notes included: green (maple), fermentation (fermented, bright fruit - grapes, goji berries, faint pineapple and even fainter sweet tangerine), followed by sweet green dark chocolate again.

The flavor notes resembled the aroma notes listed above. In addition, there were lots of rich, smooth chocolate notes (fudge brownie), more bright, naturally sweet and nuanced layers of fruit, and faintly green/maple, sweet earth notes.

Manoa maker's description: "Waimanalo is a small town just 15 minutes from our Kailua based factory. It is home to our very own cacao farm, a parcel with about 130 mature cacao trees. In 2021 we had three bountiful harvests from this orchard, providing us with enough cacao to make the first Single Origin Waimanalo Bar -- grown and made by us!"

Manoa suggested beverage pairings: Wine: Dry Rose; Beer: Berry Lambics; Liquor: Gin

Ingredients: Cacao, organic cane sugar, cocoa butter 

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

Manoa Chocolate - Goat Milk 69% Dark Milk Chocolate - Aug. 24, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Manoa Chocolate
Goat Milk 69% Dark Milk Chocolate (bar) 
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.05 oz. (30 g.) / 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 180 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $10.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Manoa Chocolate, online order

Aloha, and welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate and Hawaii Theme Week.

Today's Goat Milk 69% Dark Milk Chocolate (bar) was from Manoa Chocolate (Kailua, O'ahu, HI). 

The initial (just-opened) aroma for this bar was relatively strong with some goat (lightly gamey, waxy, milky) and dark milk chocolate notes. 

For more sensitive palettes, I recommend letting this creamy, buttery chocolate "breathe" a little after unsealing the inner wrapper. (The aroma settled down, mellowing very nicely after about 30 minutes.) 

The texture was luxurious and lovely, and the chocolate flavor had some depth with fun, fleeting fruit notes (some berry, some yellow stone fruit, some tropical), lush true chocolate (brownie, dark ganache) and very faint earth.

What a fun and special bar to try. It was a whisker under 70% cacao, but not too sweet. Thank you Manoa!

Manoa maker's description: "This bar has a unique flavor that reminds us of a dark chocolate cheesecake. With only 20% sugar and 11% goat milk powder, it has both the characteristics of a bold dark chocolate and the rich creaminess of a milk chocolate."

Manoa suggested beverage pairings: Wine: Sauvignon Blanc; Beer: Nitro Stout; Liquor: Rye Whiskey.

Ingredients: Cacao, organic cane sugar, cocoa butter and goat milk powder.

Allergen-related information: Contains milk. "Made in a facility that processes milk powder and nuts."

Maverick Chocolate - Big Island Hawaii Dark Chocolate (bar) - Aug. 23, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Maverick Chocolate Co.
Big Island Hawaii Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.15 oz. (32.5 g.) / 2.3 oz. (65 g.) in total bar
Calories: 180 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $ Missing information
Purchased from: Missing information

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

Today's Big Island Hawaii Dark Chocolate (bar) was from Maverick Chocolate Co. (Cincinnati, OH). 

The aroma notes (in order of appearance) for this Big Island dark bar included: fermentation (very faint fruit/grape vinegar), smooth dark chocolate, fruit (tart sweet berries, stone fruit (subtle honey-ed nectarines and peaches, mango)) and warm spice. 

Note: the fruity fermentation aroma note(s) were balanced and not objectionable, and receded a bit after the inner sealed packaging had been open for several minutes. This aspect added a little extra oomph to a solidly pleasant, uniform, relatively thick and smooth 70% dark chocolate bar.

The flavor notes for this chocolate, that broke with a well-tempered snap, mirrored the aroma notes above (with fewer faint fermentation notes and more rich chocolate notes).

This Good Food Awards winner (2018) provided some fuel for imaginary virtual travel. It was an enjoyable bar to sample, and less expensive than jumping on a plane to visit the Big Island.

Ingredients: Organic cocoa beans (100% Hawaiian), organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter.

Allergen-related information: "May contain traces of peanuts, tree nuts, wheat and milk products due to shared equipment. Soy free. Vegan."

Manoa Chocolate - Manako Mango 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) - Aug. 22, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Manoa Chocolate
Manako - Mango 70% Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.05 oz. (30 g.) / 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total bar 
Calories: 180 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $7.99 (estimate) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Oceana Market, Pacifica, CA 

Aloha and welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate and Hawaii Theme Week.

Today's Manako (Mango) bar was part of a "Flavors of Hawaii" collection from Manoa Chocolate* (Kailua, O'ahu, HI). Other flavors in this set included Haupia (Hawaiian coconut pudding-inspired vegan coconut milk chocolate), Liliko'i (Passion Fruit), Mai'a (Banana), Pa'akai (Sea Salt) and Kope (Coffee) and Nibs.) 

But, let's focus on mangos for a minute. Many delicious fruits grow well in Hawaii's rich volcanic soils, including 100s of mango varieties/cultivars. 

Way too much mango history...

Mangos originated in India and SE Asia thousands of years ago. The first mangos were brought to Hawaii centuries ago--perhaps by Chinese immigrants in the 1700s, or the British** who were crossing paths with (and expanding) Spanish Galleon trade routes that extended from Acapulco (Mexico) to Manila (Philippines) to ports like Macao in southeastern China. I'm not sure, but having eaten fresh mango in Hawaii, I'm just glad they're there.

Fabulous fruit freeze drying...and more history

Freeze drying has allowed us to infuse chocolate with fruit and other food flavors without vats of melted chocolate "seizing up" (which it does when exposed to watery substances). 

The Incas and a few other cultures were using a primitive form of freeze drying in the 1400s. Even though the Inca enjoyed cacao (sometimes in beverages with fruit, flowers and/or spices), I don't know if any chocolate/cacao might have been involved in these early efforts. 

Fast forwarding to the 1950s, freeze drying of foods (and other substances) became popular in the U.S. More affordable, professional equipment to freeze-dry fruit and foods became more widely available in the decades that followed. 

I'm guessing that freeze-dried and ground mango powder was used in today's bar. This preservation method has only gotten better and more accessible in the past few decades, and using the resulting finely ground fruit powder has been a great way to incorporate authentic, bright flavors into chocolate, with fresh fruit notes still largely intact.

Finally! We get back to today's delicious Mango Chocolate!

Aroma notes for this 70% dark chocolate bar included: authentic sweet, ripe fruit (mango), dark chocolate, fleeting, faint green (green tea) and very faint nutty and warm spice notes.

The flavors were skillfully integrated and flavor notes mirrored the aroma notes mentioned above. This refreshing, fruity dark chocolate was a well-executed blend of mildly-tart sweet mango fruit and rich dark chocolate.

There was a barely detectable granularity in this chocolate that I'm assuming may have been from ground mango powder. It was very subtle and not objectionable.

Manoa suggested beverage pairings: "Wine: German Riesling, Beer: IPA, Liquor: White Rum"

Ingredients: Cacao, organic cane sugar, cocoa butter, mango powder

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

*Manoa is a Hawaiian word. The English translation: thick, solid, vast, depth. This definition conjured up notions of the Pacific Ocean, Hawaiian lava beds, and great chocolate.

**One of the first documented accounts of the mango's arrival in Hawaii mentioned that Captain John Meek (1791 - 1875), an inter-island schooner captain who had come to Hawaii with his father in 1809 via Massachusetts, brought them to the Islands from Manila (Philippines) in 1824. (Meek is also is credited for introducing tortoises from Mexico and turkeys from Chile to Hawaii.)

Bubbies - Chocolate Mochi Coconut-Based Frozen Dessert- Aug. 21, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Bubbies Hawaii

Chocolate - Mochi Coconut-Based Frozen Dessert in Sweet Rice Dough

Good +

Weight: 2.5 oz. (70 g.) / 7.5 oz. (210 g.) in total package/box of 6

Calories: 160 calories in 1 piece

Cost: $ Missing information

Purchased from: Missing information

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate and Coconut Theme Week, and Day #2 of Chocolate and Hawaii Theme Week.

Today's Chocolate Mochi Coconut Based Frozen Dessert Wrapped in Sweet Rice Dough were manufactured by Bubbies Homemade Ice Cream and Desserts Inc. (Phoenix, AZ). The company started making ice cream in Hawaii in the mid 1980s, and their current mochi ice cream line includes flavors like mango, passion fruit, matcha green tea and blood orange.

These chocolate (frozen, non-dairy) mochi pieces had a very subtle (sweet) aroma. The flattened dome shape of these treats (more like a soft brownie-colored cookie than a rice ball) made them easier to hold and eat. 

The sweet rice dough wrapper was relatively dense with a soft chewy texture; and 

these sweet rice dough confections--including the chocolate (coconut-based ice "cream") filling--had a mild, sweet cocoa/chocolate brownie flavor throughout. (Note: the coconut flavor was very subtle.)

Ingredients: Non-dairy frozen chocolate dessert (water, coconut cream (coconut extract, water, xanthan gum, carageenan, guar gum), tapioca syrup solids, cane sugar, cocoa powder (processed with alkali), agave fiber extract (inulin), citrus fiber, stabilizer (locust bean gum, guar gum, standardized with sugar), salt, natural flavor, sunflower lecithin); Mochi Dough (cane sugar, rice flour, water, tapioca syrup (tapioca, water, salt, vanilla), cocoa powder (processed with alkali)).

 

Allergen-related information: Contains coconut (tree nut). Produced in a facility that processes egg, milk, peanut, soy, tree nuts. Certified gluten free. Certified Vegan. Non-dairy, plant-based, 

Bubbies - Cookie Dough Ice Cream Bites - Aug. 20, 2022

Chocolate of the Day 

Bubbies

Cookie Dough Ice Cream Bites 

Good ++

Weight: 2.68 oz. (76 g.) / 8 oz. (228 g.) in total package/box of 6

Calories: 260 calories in 2 pieces

Cost: $3.99 for 1 box of 6 pieces

Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate and Rice Theme Week, and Day #1 of Chocolate and Hawaii Theme Week.

Today's Cookie Dough Ice Cream Bites (frozen dessert bites consisting of vanilla chocolate chip ice cream inside a rice-based cookie dough) were manufactured by Bubbies Hawaii (Bubbies Homemade Ice Cream and Desserts Inc.). The company is based in Phoenix, AZ, but got its start making ice cream in Hawaii in 1985.

These bites had a satisfyingly complex melt and texture. The outer rice dough was firm yet pliable--a well-executed rich cookie dough with some of the pillowy, springy-chewy mochi texture one finds in frozen mochi desserts.

The cold, creamy vanilla chocolate chip ice cream interior blended well with the cookie dough exterior. The taste resembled a frozen ice cream cookie sandwich, but with a more cohesive and conveniently pliable cookie component--a design that prevented sudden rupture and dribble ice cream confection accidents.

Ingredients: Cookie dough (rice flour, butter, brown sugar, tapioca syrup, chocolate flakes [sugar, unsweetened chocolate, cocoa butter, whole milk powder, milkfat, natural vanilla flavor], sweetened condensed milk [milk, cane sugar], cane sugar, xanthan gum, vanilla extract, sunflower oil, natural flavor). Vanilla ice cream (ice cream mix [nonfat milk, cream, cane sugar, locust bean gum, guar gum], chocolate chips [sugar, unsweetened chocolate, cocoa butter, dextrose], egg yolk, vanilla extract).

 

Allergen-related information: Contains milk, eggs. Produced in a facility that processes peanuts, tree nuts, and soy. 

 

Mikawaya Mochi Ice Cream - Double Chocolate Mochi - Aug. 19, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Mikawaya Mochi Ice Cream

Chocolate Chocolate (Double Chocolate) Mochi

Good + 

Weight: 3 oz. (86 g.) / 9.1 oz. (258 g.) in total package of 6 pieces

Calories: 200 calories in 2 pieces

Cost: $3.99 for 1 serving

Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's "Chocolate Chocolate" Mochi was the second frozen mochi treat (with chocolate) made by Mikawaya Mochi Ice Cream (Vernon, CA) featured this week. (The first was filled with mint chip ice cream.)

As with many frozen mochi (aka daifuku) desserts, the aroma was barely detectable. Texturally, this was a blend of refreshing, creamy, cold chocolate chocolate chip ice cream covered with a pillowy soft, lightly springy and chewy sweet rice dough. Both complemented each other well.

The chocolate ice cream, flecked with chocolate (that added some microbursts of authentic dark chocolate flavor), was flavorful and creamy with rich, smooth chocolate-y and cocoa tones. 

A light pixie dusting of rice flour adorned these pieces, enabling an effortless release of the mochi spheres from their half-dome plastic compartments. 

Ingredients: Ice Cream Ingredients: Milk, cream, cane sugar, chocolaty bits (cane sugar, coconut oil, cocoa processed with alkali, cocoa, corn starch, salt), cocoa processed with alkali, whey, nonfat dry milk, stabilizer (guar gum, locust bean gum). Mochi Dough Ingredients: Cane sugar, water, sweet rice flour, egg whites, rice flour, purple carrot juice (color), caramel color, enzyme, beet juice concentrate (color), citric acid.

Allergen-related information: Contains milk, egg. "May contain peanuts and tree nuts." (Gluten free, no soy ingredients, Kosher dairy)