Fu Wan Chocolate - Taiwan #10 Ping Tung 53% Dark Milk Chocolate (bar) - Jan. 31, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Fu Wan Chocolate
Taiwan #10 Ping Tung 53% Dark Milk Chocolate (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: .795 oz. (22.5 g.) / 1.59 oz. (45 g.) in total bar
Calories: 130 calories in 1/2 bar 
Cost: $14.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order 

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

Today's Taiwan #10 Ping Tung 53% Dark Milk Chocolate (bar) was created by Fu Wan Chocolate (Pingtung County, Taiwan, R.O.C.).

This single origin bar offered a uniquely special and very subtle bouquet of chocolate aroma notes, including: chocolate (subtle milk chocolate), faint fleeting malt, faint clean mineral (clay), faint diffuse fruit (apple, raisin, peach), faint warm floral spice (soft vanilla and very faint cinnamon), very faint nut/seed, and very faint green tea floral.

The texture of this 53% dark milk chocolate was uniformly smooth and relatively creamy.

The flavor notes closely mirrored the aroma notes (above). This dark milk chocolate was filled with a very subtle array of fruit flavors. The milk (powder) softened/muted any strong fruit acidity and possibly other more subtle flavors. The chocolate was very low in bitterness. And it had a very mild, but long finish. In that finish were hidden whispers of nut (very fleeting lightly roasted peanut), and fruit (peach and light osmanthus blossom tea).

I paired this chocolate with small cups of osmanthus* oolong tea and jasmine green tea.

Some 53% cacao dark milk chocolates and confections can be very sweet. This bar was not. (Thank you!) The choice of less sugar (less than is often present here in the U.S.) made it much easier to detect the subtle flavors that were present.

I recommend trying this bar, or including it as part of a chocolate tasting flight. (Try this one first before stronger tasting chocolates, so you can still taste the softly complex notes.)

Maker's tasting notes: Apple, raisin, toffee, nuts, vanilla

Ingredients: Cacao bean, sugar, milk powder, cacao butter, vanilla pod

Allergen-related information: (Contains milk) 

*Osmanthus are aromatic flowering evergreen large shrubs/small trees native to China, Indochina and Japan. 

There are some that grow in a park near my house in California. I walked by a row of tall bushes with small clusters of tiny, fragrant, ivory-colored flowers last November; and I immediately recognized the smell as the flavoring in an Chinese tea I'd enjoyed. 

I've since been able to make my own flower-infused tea from local osmanthus blossoms, since it grows here as well as Taiwan, R.O.C.--where today's chocolate originated; and where osmanthus-infused tea is also popular.

My experience with osmanthus is that is has an apricot/peach scent and light citrus/stone fruit-floral, lightly herby flavor.

 

Patricia's Chocolate - The Tea Collection - 5.) Bumble Blossom Oolong, 6.) Hummingbird Nectar - Jan. 30, 2023

Chocolate(s) of the Day

Patricia's Chocolate

The Tea Collection 
5.) Bumble Blossom Oolong chocolate - Good + - Good ++ 

6.) Hummingbird Nectar chocolate - Good + - Good ++ 
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total box of 6 pieces
Calories: 156 calories (estimate) in 2 pieces
Cost: $16.50 for 1 box of 6 (different) pieces
Purchased from: Patricia's Chocolate, online order

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

Today I sampled the last two flavors in the Tea Collection (assortment) created by Patricia at Patricia's Chocolate (Grand Haven, Michigan), in collaboration with Michigan blended Light of Day certified organic teas and tisanes.

Bumble Blossom Oolong tea chocolate

Aroma and flavor notes for this attractive, generously-sized, filled chocolate included: chocolate; faint, lightly floral oolong tea; and diffuse, slightly sweet, slightly earthy botanical and faint fruit (stone fruit) notes. (The latter notes were likely from the red top clover, a common cover crop in Michigan, and one that attracts bumblebee pollinators.)

Maker's notes: "The delightful dark chocolate palet is infused with Shui Xiang oolong tea and herbal red top clover yielding a relaxing and lovely subtle peach note."

Hummingbird Nectar tea chocolate

Aroma and flavor notes for this Michigan-inspired tea chocolate (decorated in gold) included an intriguing blend of sweet dark chocolate and gently complex cherry and berry fruit notes (cherry, blueberry, raspberry) infused into a velvety dark chocolate ganache filling. (Note: what I think was bright red raspberry was actually part of a hibiscus flower tea with bright red fruit-floral notes.)

As with the previous members of this Tea Collection, today's two chocolates were well-crafted, thoughtfully-balanced tea chocolates. Each element contributed bouquets of Michigan-inspired flavors. 

The choice of a dark(er) chocolate also helped prevent these two filled confections from being too sweet (thank you).

Maker's notes: "A golden ganache in every sense, this rich dark couverture is created with cream infused with a tisane of hibiscus, Montmorency cherry, blueberry, grape, currant, elderberry, and maple syrup. A luscious and creamy indulgence with an incredible and unique flavor profile."

Patricia makes "...artisan chocolates...handcrafted in the French tradition from the finest non-GMO fair trade couverture cocoas." Made without preservatives, artificial flavorings, or additives. 

Ingredients: (Ingredients listed on box, were for all six (different) chocolates. So it was difficult to determine the exact list for each individual chocolate.)

Allergen-related information: Ganache fillings contain dairy (heavy cream, unsalted butter). Some flavors may contain traces of nuts. Contact Patricia's Chocolates for more detailed information.

 

Patricia's Chocolate - The Tea Collection - "In The Mood?" - Jan. 29, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Patricia's Chocolate
The Tea Collection (assortment)

"In the Mood?" chocolate
Good - Good +
Weight: .5 oz. (14.1 g.) (estimate) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total box of 6 pieces
Calories: 78 calories (estimate) in 1 piece
Cost: $16.50 for 1 box of 6 (different) pieces
Purchased from: Patricia's Chocolate, online order

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

Today's "In the Mood?" filled chocolate was one of a 6-piece Tea Collection assortment box from Patricia's Chocolate (Grand Haven, Michigan). And the tea in this chocolate was more of a floral, berry and herbal blend.

Aroma notes for this filled chocolate included: sweet chocolate, diffuse floral (rose), mixed herbal/botanical, very subtle berry and very faint tea.

The dark chocolate outer shell was flavorful (relatively bold and well balanced cocoa) and had a "just right" thickness (thin, but thick enough to securely surround a creamy ganache (filling).

The filling components included a complex blend of diffuse fruit (berry), floral and herbal/botanical flavors. There was also a light, lingering rose note in the finish. The more bold/darker chocolate couverture helped balance the sweetness in this chocolate.

Maker's notes: "Dark couverture infused with partridge berry, rose hips, passion flower, ginger and rose. The cream is also steeped with damiana and muira pauma bark, both potent aphrodisiacs, and so the name of this most extraordinary and delectible treat." 

Ingredients: (Ingredients listed on box, were for all six (different) chocolates. So it was difficult to determine the exact list for each individual chocolate.)

Allergen-related information: Allergen-related information: Ganache fillings contain dairy (heavy cream, unsalted butter). Some flavors may contain traces of nuts. Contact Patricia's Chocolates for more detailed information. 

Leith Chocolate - Earl Grey Tea Dark Chocolate (bar) - Jan. 28, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Leith Chocolate
Earl Grey Tea Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.41 oz. (40 g.) / 2.82 oz. (80 g.) in total bar
Calories: 218 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $4.67 (sale) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Cost Plus World Market, Mountain View, CA

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

Today's Earl Grey Tea Dark Chocolate (bar) was from Leith Chocolate (South Queensferry, Scotland, with an EU office in Belfast). 

Virtual Travel via Tea and Chocolate

Like most chocolate bars, this tea chocolate had a multi-layered international supply chain and story to tell. Leith Chocolate is named after Leith, a port in north Edinburgh, in Scotland. 

The company sources cacao to make their chocolates from South America. The cacao used to create this bar was from Colombia. 

The black tea in this bar was also grown in a more tropical/equatorial locale. And the bergamot oil used to flavor said tea may have come from a Mediterranean country.*) 

This citrus-floral forward international chocolate also evoked bergamot oil scented tea memories from visits to relatives in Europe and the U.K. And, finally, this bar was shipped to U.S. locations. And I was able to purchase this chocolate in California at a World Market store location. The scent alone was uplifting and transporting.**

Aroma notes for this attractively packaged (a plum colored field covered with pale purple blossoms) dark 61% chocolate included: dark chocolate, aromatic citrus (bergamot, Earl Grey tea) and very faint vanilla.

This well-tempered bar broke with a snap and had a smooth creamy melt and texture.

Flavor notes included: smooth, relatively sweet dark chocolate, bergamot oil flavored Earl Grey tea, and very faint vanilla.

Overall these flavors were appealing and well-balanced. The sweetness (sugar) level for this 61% tea chocolate was a little too high for my taste, but it was quite good otherwise.

Ingredients: Dark chocolate (cocoa liquor, sugar, cocoa butter, non-GMO soy lecithin, natural vanilla extract), Earl Grey tea, bergamot oil.

Allergen-related information: Made in a factory that handles dairy, peanuts, soy and tree nuts.

* Bergamot orange (Citrus bergamia) is a hybrid citrus fruit (sour orange + lemon) cultivated in southern Italy. (Almost all citrus fruit originated from Asia/SE Asia, but various cultivars and crosses developed elsewhere over time.) Its aromatic rind, and the essential oil extracted from the peel, are what gives Earl Grey black tea its unique flavor. Bergamot is also used in perfumes, fragrances, lotions, and for other uses.

**Yes, it is sobering to think about the carbon emissions/energy involved in international agricultural and packaged goods supply chains; but, fortunately, the virtual travel imaginings and memories this tea chocolate triggered were almost 100% carbon free. 

 

Patricia's Chocolate - The Tea Collection 2.) Heartwarming Cinnamon, 3.) Peaceful Peninsulas - Jan. 27, 2023

Chocolate(s) of the Day

Patricia's Chocolate

The Tea Collection 
2.) Heartwarming Cinnamon tea chocolate - Good + - Good ++

3.) Peaceful Peninsulas tea chocolate - Good ++ 
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total box of 6 pieces
Calories: 156 calories (estimate) in 2 pieces
Cost: $16.50 for 1 box of 6 (different) pieces
Purchased from: Patricia's Chocolate, online order

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

Today I sampled two more flavors in the Tea Collection (assortment) created by Patricia at Patricia's Chocolate (Grand Haven, Michigan), in collaboration with Michigan blended Light of Day certified organic teas and tisanes.

Heartwarming Cinnamon tea chocolate

Aroma and flavor notes for this attractive, generously-sized, filled chocolate included: dark chocolate and balanced herbal/botanical spices (cinnamon bark, rooibos (herbal tea), faint star anise and clove).

Peaceful Peninsulas tea chocolate

Aroma and flavor notes for this Michigan-inspired tea chocolate included an intriguing blend of complex fruit (cherry, berry, elderberry, and apple toward the finish), faintly herbal warm spice, faint fluxing floral, and very faint green tea.

This unique and subtle blend conjured up images of sitting in a garden, surrounded by soft scents of ripe lush fruits and flowers. 

Both chocolates were well-crafted, thoughtfully-balanced tea chocolates. Each element contributed satisfying bouquets of aroma and flavor. 

The dark chocolate couverture (outer covering) for these two palet-style pieces was thin, almost softly crispy (in a cold room at 65 degrees F. (18.3 degrees C.)). The chocolate was thick enough to impart flavor, but not thick enough to overpower the more delicate tea, fruit and floral infusions in the smooth, velvety ganache fillings that were creamy and fresh tasting.

The choice of a dark(er) chocolate also helped prevent these two filled confections from being too sweet (thank you).

Maker's notes: "...artisan chocolates...handcrafted in the French tradition from the finest non-GMO fair trade couverture cocoas." Made without preservatives, artificial flavorings, or additives.

Ingredients: (Ingredients listed on box, were for all six (different) chocolates. So it was difficult to determine the exact list for each individual chocolate.)

Allergen-related information: Ganache fillings contain dairy (heavy cream, unsalted butter). Some flavors may contain traces of nuts. Contact Patricia's Chocolates for more detailed information.

 

Patricia's Chocolate - The Tea Collection (assortment box) - 1.) Earl Grey Tea - Jan. 26, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Patricia's Chocolate
Earl Grey Tea chocolate
Good ++
Weight: .5 oz. (14.1 g.) (estimate) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total box of 6 pieces
Calories: 78 calories (estimate) in 1 piece
Cost: $16.50 for 1 box of 6 (different) pieces
Purchased from: Patricia's Chocolate, online order

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

Today I sampled the first flavor in a Tea Collection assortment -- an Earl Grey Tea chocolate -- created by Patricia's Chocolate (Grand Haven, Michigan).

Aroma notes for this attractive, generously-sized, filled chocolate included: dark chocolate (balanced cocoa, very faint earth and oxalis (tart lemon-green herb) and very faint tea.

The dark chocolate outer shell was flavorful (bold but well balanced dark cocoa) and had a "just right" thickness (relatively thin, but thick enough to securely contain a creamy, velvety ganache (filling)--with a very pleasing Earl Grey/Lady Grey* tea infused chocolate taste.

This was a well-crafted, well-balanced tea chocolate. Each element contributed great flavor. The dark chocolate was, happily, more complex than the rather bland dark chocolate(s) that are often used for confections. 

And the tea components (which included some very light floral ingredients) still had a chance to shine. There was also a light, lingering Earl Grey tea finish. The more bold/darker chocolate also helped prevent this chocolate from being too sweet.

Maker's notes: "Our original Earl Grey ganache has blossomed into an exquisite confection with cream suffused with black tea, blue cornflowers, lavender, calendula petals, vanilla, and of course, oil of bergamot."

Ingredients: (Ingredients listed on box, were for all six (different) chocolates. So it was difficult to determine the exact list for each individual chocolate.)

Allergen-related information: Allergen-related information: Ganache fillings contain dairy (heavy cream, unsalted butter). Some flavors may contain traces of nuts. Contact Patricia's Chocolates for more detailed information.

*Lady Grey tea (named after Mary Elizabeth Grey, was introduced (and trademarked) by Twinings Tea in England in the early 1990s). This black tea contains the traditional Earl Grey bergamot (oil) flavor (derived from the aromatic bergamot orange (Citrus bergamia) citrus peel) as well as other lighter citrus (lemon, orange peel) elements. 

The bergamot citrus fruit is a cross between a bitter orange and a lemon. Other similar bergamot oil infused tea blends may also contain citrus peel(s) as well as calendula (pot marigold) flower petals and lavender buds. 

In 2016, Twinings further extended their bergamot-flavored tea portfolio, and began offering new versions of Earl Grey tea (including one with lavender).

Fu Wan Chocolate - Taiwan #1 Ping Tung Chocolate 85% (bar) - Jan. 25, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Fu Wan Chocolate
Taiwan #1 Ping Tung Chocolate 85% (bar)
Good ++
Weight: .795 oz. (22.5 g.) / 1.59 oz. (45 g.) in total bar
Calories: 130 calories in 1/2 bar 
Cost: $13.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to the first day of Chocolate and Tea Week.

Today's Taiwan #1 Ping Tung 85% (bar) was from Fu Wan Chocolate (located in Ping Tung (aka Pingtung) County, in southern Taiwan, R.O.C.).

The company makes a variety of bean-to-bar chocolates featuring local ingredients. These include tree-to-bar chocolates made using local cacao from southern Taiwan. Other chocolates have infused tea or spice flavor inclusions.

Aroma notes in today's single origin (tree-to-bar) chocolate included: chocolate (cocoa, lightly roasted coffee), faint brown sugar/molasses, fruit (goji berry, faint raisin), and green (very light algae) notes. 

This relatively thick 85% bar had smooth, uniform texture and a very light, faint (fruit) astringency. Each bite yielded rich, deep cacao flavor, and notes that mirrored aroma notes mentioned above. There was also a faint, fleeting spice note (star anise). 

This ultra dark bar had interesting, balanced complexity; and a relatively low(er) sugar percentage content enabled more direct, clear access to the natural range of cacao flavors. It was full of subtle aroma and flavor and low in bitterness.

I paired today's chocolate with a small cup of warm "Iron Goddess"* tea, a relatively straight-forward tea blend that was low in bitterness, and had pleasant green tea floral, and very faint grassy and clean mineral notes.

Ingredients: Cacao bean, sugar, cacao butter

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

*Iron Goddess Oolong tea is frequently associated with Fujian province in southeastern China--that borders the China Sea coast (across from Taiwan), where this tea is also grown. Iron Goddess tea is a tea that has typically been oxidized. (Although the degree of oxidation may range from 50 to 25 percent, depending on where it is made.)