A. Morin - Venezuela Porcelana Noir 70% (bar) - June 22, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

A. Morin
Venezuela Porcelana Noir 70% (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.17 oz. (33.3 g.) / 3.52 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 194.4 calories in 1/3 bar
Cost: $13.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order 

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

Venezuela has historically produced some of the best tasting cacao in the world. It's one of the "cradle" regions where cacao originated* (along with Peru, Colombia, Ecuador and parts of Central America). 

Economic and political changes in Venezuela in the past decade have been challenging at times. Thankfully there are still Venezuelan cacao-based chocolates available; and I still look forward to featuring Venezuela origin weeks, every year or so, or when I find seven new chocolates to feature.

Today's Venezuela Porcelana Noir (Dark) 70% (bar) was from A. Morin (Donzere, France). The company's chocolate making legacy "has been passed from father to son since 1884."

Aroma notes for this well-executed single origin chocolate included: dark chocolate (ganache, fudge brownie) and faint fruit (blackberry).

This bar had a smooth, almost creamy melt. 

Flavor notes included: dark chocolate (rich, dark, hot drinking chocolate); complex, subtle fruit: dark berry (ripe blackberry) and faint fleeting tropical (passion fruit); and very faint, balanced earth (dark forest loam) toward the finish.

A. Morin (maker's) notes: "This cocoa, with porcelain colored pods, is grown in the Maracaibo** region. A chocolate with roasted aromas before nuts come and complete the vegetal notes, and then ends on a hot chocolate savor."

I enjoyed the subtle complexity and appreciated the treatment of the deep rich, natural flavor notes in this Venezuelan chocolate. 

Ingredients: Cocoa beans, cane sugar, cocoa butter, sunflower lecithin

Allergen-related information: "May contain traces of milk, nuts and sesame"

*Cacao trees (Theobroma cacao) trees are believed to have evolved in the Amazon rain forests of northern South America approximately 10 million years ago. Evidence of human cultivation of cacao goes back 5,300 years ago. I can't help but wonder if wild foraging could have started earlier to that.

**The Maracaibo region in NW Venezuela where today's cacao (used to make this chocolate) originated is steeped with fascinating natural phenomena (Catumbo lightning strikes over a large pendant shaped lake) and interesting history (surrounding indigenous peoples, cacao's genetic diversity, pirates, and oil exploration). I'd enjoy a short visit there if it were more feasible. In the meantime, I'll have to be content with reading stories, watching YouTube videos, and tasting chocolate with roots in this region.

Perugina - Dark Chocolate 51% Cacao Premium Chocolate (bar) - June 21, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Perugina
Dark Chocolate 51% Cacao Premium Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.5 oz. (43 g.) / 3 oz. (86 g.) in total bar
Calories: 225 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $4.39 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Market at Edgewood, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #10 of Chocolate and Italy Theme Week.

Today's Perugina Dark Chocolate 51% Cacao Premium Chocolate (bar) was manufactured by Nestle Italiana S.p.A., Milano, IT).*

Aroma notes for this chocolate included: smooth, sweet dark chocolate (sweet green floral, vanilla, marshmallow, roasted cocoa, and very faint aromatic smoke/tobacco and malted crisped rice).

The bar had a creamy melt and thick, almost velvety texture.

Flavor notes included: sweet cocoa; chocolate-y (dark chocolate mousse, torte, ganache); sweet vanilla; creamy, sweet hot cocoa/drinking chocolate; and an almost undetectable (very faint, balanced) earth/dense forest (Forastero-like cacao variety) note in the finish.

This chocolate was described on the label as "...a surprisingly gentle and aromatic dark chocolate." 

A gentler flavor and/or smoother texture can be created from a more intense cacao variety in several ways: 1.) alkalize the cacao (neutralizing/reducing natural acidity and bitterness); 2.) conch/grind cacao mass for a longer period of time (reducing particle size and yielding a smoother flavor and texture); 3.) add cocoa butter for natural creaminess and vanilla to mellow/sweeten flavor.

Most small-batch, bean-to-bar chocolate makers who source high-quality (and typically more expensive) single origin cacao beans may add cocoa butter (the fat portion of the cacao bean); but they rarely alkalize cacao or add vanilla to their single origin chocolate bars. As with wine, these makers aim to showcase unique and special varietal flavors, not to produce a uniform flavor year over year.

However, if you've ever done a side-by-side tasting of hot chocolates (made with processed (dry) cocoa powders with and without alkalizing) you'll understand why higher-volume manufacturers choose to "smooth out the rough edges" across different cacao batches/harvests/origins. There are more customers who prefer sweet and smooth cocoa (made with "tamed" cacao that was rougher (or occasionally lower quality) to start with) and at a more affordable price point. 

Today's skillfully executed 51% chocolate falls at the high-end of high-volume chocolate.

Ingredients: Sugar, chocolate** (processed with alkali), cocoa butter**, sunflower lecithin, natural vanilla flavor. (** Rainforest Alliance Certified)

Allergen-related information: "May contain milk and tree nuts."

*Perugina chocolates date back to 1907. Baci-Perugina was created by Luisa Spagnoli in the early 1900s; and the company was acquired by Nestle S.A. (Vevey, Switzerland) in 1988.

Karuna Chocolate - Raspberries and Dark Chocolate 70% (bar) - June 20, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Karuna Chocolate 
Raspberries and dark chocolate 70% (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.12 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 151.8 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $13.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

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

Today's Raspberries and dark chocolate 70% (bar) was from Karuna Chocolate (Velturno, Belzano/South Tyrol, in northern Italy).  

Aroma notes included: relatively bold, balanced dark chocolate with authentic red berry (red raspberry).

Flavor notes for this vegan chocolate included: bold dark chocolate (very faint roasted cacao/nut), authentic red raspberry--complete with dried raspberry fruit flecks, and tiny upticks in tart-sweet berry flavor.

Dark chocolate fans will appreciate the deep dense cacao flavor (with faint balanced forest/earth notes), and a 70% cacao + fruit chocolate that wasn't too sweet (thank you!).

Ingredients: Cocoa beans*, raw cane sugar*, cocoa butter*, freeze dried raspberries* (1%). Cocoa min. 70%. (*certified organic)

Allergen-related information: "It may contain traces of nuts."

Aruntam - Caffe Latte 48% Caffe Napoletano & Latte Italiano (bar) - June 19, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Aruntam Sensory Chocolate
Caffe Latte Dark Milk 48% Caffe Napoletano and Latte Italiano (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 145 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $13.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate and Italy Theme Week.

Today's Caffe Latte Dark Milk 48% Caffe Napoletano and Latte Italiano (bar) from Aruntam Sensory Chocolate (made at JoyFlor srl in Milano, Italia).

The company describes this "Italian Life Style" milk chocolate this way: "Esteemed Coffee from India with delicate chocolate notes, roasted in Naples, and united with the best Italian milk, creates a chocolate bar that will delight your palette."

Aroma notes for this bean to bar craft chocolate bar included: fresh coffee (cappuccino) blended with subtle sweet, rich cocoa; and very faint salt caramel.

The texture and melt were creamy. There was a very slight dryness (astringency) about 4 seconds in my mouth; otherwise is was quite smooth.

The 48% milk chocolate had smooth cocoa and fudge flavor with very faint nut and earth notes. This well-balanced blend was relatively complex and rich for a lower-percentage (<50%) cacao chocolate, and wasn't overly sweet (thank you!). The coffee and whole milk added authentic flavor and helped balance the sweetness.

Ingredients: "organic cacao beans, Italian whole milk, organic cane sugar, organic cacao butter, coffee (4%); Emulsifier: organic sunflower lecithin." (Cacao: 48% min.)

Allergen-related information: Contains milk and may contain traces of nuts.

Sabadi srl - Prickly Pear Peels & Marjoram (bar) - June 18, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Sabadi srl
Prickly Pear Peels and Marjoram (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 120.75 calories in 1/2 bar 
Cost: $9.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA 

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

Today's Prickly Pear Peels and Marjoram (bar) was from Sabadi srl (Modica, Italy).

The cacao used to make this chocolate was from Ecuador. The prickly pear peels were, I'm guessing, from cactus fruits (Opuntia ficus indica*, aka fico d'india) grown in Catania (Sicily). These fruits are said to symbolize life in Catania (near Mount Etna)--a life that can include adapting to tough conditions and overcoming thorny obstacles, as well as enjoying sweet fruit.

Aroma notes for this "cold-processed organic chocolate" included: smooth dark chocolate and aromatic herbal (marjoram, thyme)** notes.

The base dark chocolate--peppered with crunchy sugar crystals--was relatively sweet (60%) and smooth.

Flavor notes for this 60% cacao chocolate included: smooth dark chocolate infused with authentic marjoram herbal flavor. I couldn't really pick out prickly pear peel flavors (perhaps a mild diffuse fruit sweetness and a few tiny fibrous botanical bits. (The peels did add some fiber, if not distinct flavor.)

I enjoyed the flavors. Marjoram was the most notable flavor inclusion, but all three elements (sweet cocoa, marjoram and prickly pear peels) were blended skillfully together.

Ingredients: Cocoa mass (organic, from fair trade producers, presidio slow food) -- origin: Ecuador -- variety: Nacional Fino de Aroma; cane sugar (organic, slow food), prickly pear peels (organic) (min. 2%), marjoram (organic) (min. 0.7%). Cocoa: 60% minimum.

Allergen-related information: "May contain traces of nuts, milk and soy"

*Rose-colored when ripe, prickly pear cactus fruits in the Americas are sometimes known as cactus pears (from the nopal cactus) in English, or "tunas" in Spanish. 

**This bar contained marjoram, but no thyme to my knowledge. As always, write-ups on Chocolate Banquet include observations about and descriptions of aroma and flavor notes (like wood, nut, herb, floral). These notes are perceived/tasted, but are not necessarily literal.

Kitchen & Love - 85% Cocoa Extra Dark Chocolate Covered Almond Stuffed Dates - June 17, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Kitchen and Love
85% Cocoa Extra Dark Chocolate Covered Almond Stuffed Dates
Good + - Good ++
Weight: .89 oz. (26 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total package
Calories: 112 calories in 2 piece serving
Cost: $4.49 for 1 package of 8 pieces
Purchased from: Crossroads Specialty Market, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's 85% Cocoa Extra Dark Chocolate Covered Almond Stuffed Dates were from Kitchen and Love Foods ("Cucina et Amore"), and were imported into the U.S. by Cucina and Amore Inc (Novato, CA). They company began with Italian specialty foods and has expanded over time.

Aroma notes for these individually-wrapped treats included: dark chocolate, dried fruit (date) and nut (roasted almond).

The texture was a layered blend of thin dark chocolate shell, moist date, and crunchy almond at the center.

Flavor notes included: bold dark chocolate, date and roasted almond. I enjoyed this flavorful, complementary trio of flavors and textures. The 85% dark chocolate and the almond helped balance the sweet date fruit.

Ingredients: "Dates, Dark Chocolate [Cocoa Mass, Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Cocoa Powder, Soy Lecithin (Emulsifier), Whole Milk Powder, Natural Vanilla], Almonds, Salt."

Allergen-related information: "Contains: Tree Nuts, Milk and Soy."

Sabadi - Zen, Zenzero Cioccolato Di Modica I.G.P. Biologico (bar) - June 16, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Sabadi srl
Zen - Zenzero Cioccolato Di Modica I.G.P. Biologico 
(Zen - Organic Modica Chocolate with Ginger (bar))
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 118 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $8.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

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

Today's Zen - Zenzero Cioccolato Di Modica I.GP. Biologico (bar) was from Sabadi srl (Modica, Italy), and imported into the U.S. by A. Priori Specialty Food Importing and Distribution (Salt Lake City, UT).

The dark chocolate had a smooth/even flavor, and a crunchy texture--from tiny sugar crystals, giving this bar a stoneground texture, and slightly more layered sweet taste.

Aroma and flavor notes included: sweet, dark chocolate; subtle warm ginger; and very faint malt.

Ingredients: Cocoa mass, cane sugar, ginger (0.6%). Cocoa 60% minimum.

Allergen-related information: "Manufactured in a facility that also processes: nuts, milk and soy"