Taitau - 99% Extra Dark Chocolate (bar) - Aug. 28, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Taitau (Tai Tau)
99% Extra Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good + - Good ++ 
Weight: 1.75 oz. (50 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 120 calories in 1 serving (3 squares) of bar
Cost: $3.39 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Crossroads Specialty Market, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's 99% Extra Dark Chocolate (bar) from Taitau (Tai Tau) Exclusive Selection (Lietuva, Lithuania) was imported into the U.S. by B&I Overseas Trading Inc. (Van Nuys, CA).

The company produces single origin bars as well as other chocolate confections. This 99% cacao chocolate was made using "premium quality Ghana cocoa beans." And each square of the bar was adorned with a sea shell, sea star or sea horse.

Aroma notes for this bar included: bold, deep dark chocolate (Forastero cacao variety-like), and very faint vanilla.

The texture was thick, smooth and uniform.

Flavor notes were similar to the aroma notes: deep, dark chocolate with balanced bitterness (not as much as some 99% chocolates). It was what I would expect from an ultra-dark, almost unsweetened chocolate made with (medium-dark roast) Forastero cacao beans. It was bold, dense and smooth without any detectable lighter (fruit, floral) notes. 

If you enjoy sipping a small serving of espresso roast coffee with very little sugar, you may enjoy this chocolate. It is all about bold flavor. It is perhaps the opposite of a 32-oz. sweetened and flavored coffee drink with milk and whipped cream.

Chocolates this dark are relatively satisfying, i.e. I don't find myself wanting to eat more than a few squares. They satisfy my cacao craving, and serve as a reminder that sugar (or sugar + salt) are the ingredients behind those "more, more, more" impulses to eat more than one should.

Ingredients: "Cocoa mass (made from premium quality Ghanian and Grenada cocoa beans), cocoa butter, sugar, emulsifier - rape (canola) lecithin, flavoring vanillin."

Allergen-related information: "This product may contain traces of peanuts, hazelnuts, gluten and milk." 

 

Taitau - 90% Extra Dark Chocolate (bar) - Aug. 27, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Taitau (Tai Tau) 
90% Extra Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: .706 oz. (20 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 120 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $3.39 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Crossroads Specialty Market, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's 90% Extra Dark Chocolate (bar) from Taitau (Tai Tau) Exclusive Selection (Lietuva, Lithuania) was imported into the U.S. by B&I Overseas Trading Inc. (Van Nuys, CA).

This chocolate was made using "premium quality Arriba and Ghana cocoa beans." And each square of the bar was adorned with an embossed shell, sea star or sea horse shape.

Aroma notes for this bar included: dark chocolate; vanillin; very faint (barely detectable) aromatic (vanilla-infused) tobacco, cappuccino and caramel; and faint sweet, almost floral green.

This ultra-dark chocolate had a thick, smooth texture, with a very faint astringency (sensation of dryness, slight graininess).

Flavor notes were similar to the aroma notes (above), and included: balanced, bold cacao (Forastero cacao from Ghana), dark chocolate and vanillin; very faint, smooth aromatic wood, smoke and caramel; and very faint, fleeting sweet green and floral (Arriba cacao from Ecuador).

Ingredients: "Cocoa mass (made from premium quality Ghanian and Arriba cocoa beans), sugar, cocoa butter, emulsifier - rape (canola) lecithin, flavoring vanillin."

Allergen-related information: "This product may contain traces of peanuts, hazelnuts, gluten and milk."

 

Taitau - 72% Dark Chocolate (bar) - Aug. 26, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Taitau (Tai Tau)
72% Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.75 oz. (50 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 300 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $3.39 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Crossroads Specialty Market, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's 72% Dark Chocolate (bar) from the Taitau (Tai Tau) Exclusive Selection line (Lietuva, Lithuania) was imported into the U.S. by B&I Overseas Trading Inc. (Van Nuys, CA).

The company offers a variety of chocolate confections and bars--made with single origin (or blends of identified) single origin cacaos, e.g. "Ghana, Arriba, and/or Granada." This bar was made using "premium quality Ghana and Granada cocoa beans."

Aroma notes for this bar included: dark chocolate, vanilla, faint aromatic tobacco, roasted coffee, balanced earth, and subtle caramel.

The texture was uniformly fudge-y, smooth and rich.

Flavor notes were similar to the aroma notes, and included: bold, balanced, deep, dark cacao (Forastero cacao from Ghana), dark chocolate and vanillin, very faint, smooth aromatic tobacco, caramel, and very faint, fleeting stone fruit (peach jam -- perhaps a flicker of Trinitario variety cacao from Grenada).

Ingredients: "Cocoa mass (made from premium quality Ghanian and Grenada cocoa beans), sugar, emulsifier - rape (canola) lecithin, flavoring vanillin."

Allergen-related information: "This product may contain traces of peanuts, hazelnuts, gluten and milk."

Taza - Hazelnut Praline 70% Dark (bar) - Aug. 25, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Taza Chocolate
Hazelnut Praline 70% Dark (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.25 oz. (35 g.) / 2.5 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 190 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $ Missing information
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to the last day (Day #12) of Chocolate and Nuts Theme Week. 

Today's Hazelnut Praline 70% Dark (bar) was from Taza Chocolate (Somerville, MA).

Taza is known for their organic, bean-to-bar, less processed and stone-ground chocolates. (Less processing can result in more authentic flavor(s). (Some more volatile, natural aroma and flavor notes may be lost with longer processing times, even if smaller particle sizes can result in a creamier mouthfeel.)

Aroma notes for today's bar included: dark chocolate with balanced earth (peat notes that disappeared after being opened for several minutes), nuts, and brown sugar/toffee.

The texture was relatively smooth. And flavor notes included: deep, dark chocolate, balanced rich forest/earth, bitter and sweet, clean mineral, faint nut, tiny crunchy toffee bits--and a relatively long dark finish.

Ingredients: "Organic Cacao Beans, Organic Cane Sugar, Organic Toffee (Organic Evaporated Cane Juice, Sea Salt, Natural Flavor, Organic Caramel Color), Organic Hazelnuts, Organic Cocoa Butter, Sea Salt, Organic Sunflower Lecithin." 

Allergen-related information: "Contains Hazelnuts. May Contain Traces of Other Tree Nuts and Sesame Seeds."

Ritter Sport - Roasted Peanut (bar) - Aug. 24, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Ritter Sport
Roasted Peanut (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.09 oz. (31 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 180 calories in 5 pieces/squares
Cost: $4.49 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Piazza's, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #11 of Chocolate and Nuts Theme Week.

Today's Ritter Sport Roasted Peanut (bar) was from Alfred Ritter GmbH and Co. KG (Waldenbuch, Germany) was made in Austria.

Aroma notes for this bar included: sweet dark chocolate, roasted nuts and peanuts. 

The texture of the base chocolate (no cacao percentage listed on the U.S. label) was smooth, thick and creamy, and complemented by a generous dose of crunchy roasted peanuts. 

Flavor notes included: sweet dark chocolate and peanuts. Smaller amounts of almond flour and hazelnut paste were hard to detect directly, but made for a pleasant, even nuttier overall flavor. A small amount of sea salt helped balance the sweetness of the chocolate.

If you like chocolate and peanuts (and I do), you'll enjoy this bar. Also, thank you to Ritter for continuing to advance in cocoa sourcing practices. (On the bar's label: "100% Certified Sustainable Cocoa Sourcing".)

"Sweet chocolate with roasted and salted peanut pieces, almond flour, hazelnut paste and ground vanilla beans."

Ingredients: "sugar, peanuts, cocoa butter, chocolate liquor, almond flour, hazelnut paste, salt, soy lecithin, ground vanilla beans."

Allergen-related information: (Contains: peanuts, almonds, hazelnuts, soy.) "May contain traces of other tree nuts, wheat, milk, egg and sesame seeds."

Venice Organics - Chocolate Joy (Raw Snacks) - Aug. 23, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Venice Organics
Chocolate Joy 
Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total container
Calories: 160 calories in 1/3 container
Cost: $9.00 (estimate) for 1 container
Purchased from: Part of Farm Fresh produce box, online order

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

Today's refrigerated, Organic "Chocolate Joy" raw snack offering was manufactured in California for Venice Organics (Los Angeles, CA). The company (formerly known as Rowe of Venice) offers a line of organic and raw offerings, including cacao nib-based confections and chocolate bars.

Aroma notes for this bar-shaped, raw confection included: dark chocolate/cacao nibs, soft coconut and faint nut. 

This snack had a hearty, moderately chewy texture. Ground cacao nibs, unsweetened coconut and raw almonds were melded together with coconut oil and lightly sweetened with blue agave. All these potentially crumbly elements were held together firmly, because it was refrigerated. (Coconut oil solidifies below 76 degrees F. (24 degrees C.).) Given the hot summer weather today, having a cool treat like this was an extra plus.

Flavor notes for this chilled confection included: rich cacao, fresh coconut, and ground almonds.  

I enjoyed the authentic cacao bean (cacao nibs) flavor--with no added emulsifiers, flavors, or dairy. This organic, vegan offering is also grain-free and gluten free.

Ingredients: *Raw Almonds, *Unsweetened Shredded Coconut, *Raw Blue Agave, *Virgin Coconut Oil, *Cacao Powder, *100% Cacao Chips, Himalayan Pink Salt (* = Organic)

Allergen-related information: "This product contains almonds and coconut and may contain nut shell fragments."

Golden Gobi - Chocolate with Seaberry and Milk Chocolate Yurts - Aug. 22, 2023

Chocolate(s) of the Day

Golden Gobi 

Chocolate with Seaberry
Good - Good ++
Weight: .182 oz. (5.16 g.) / 2.19 oz. (62 g.) in total box of 12 pieces
Calories: 49.2 calories (per label) in 1 piece 
Cost: $ N/A - gift from a friend
Purchased from: N/A - gift from a friend

Yurt-shaped milk chocolates
Good +
Weight: .495 oz. (14 g.) / 4.95 oz. (140 g.) in total box of 10 pieces
Calories: 49 calories (per label) in 1 piece
Cost: $ N/A - gift from a friend
Purchased from: N/A - gift from a friend

Welcome to Day #9 of Chocolate and Nuts Theme Week, featuring chocolates with a variety of nuts. 

Today's "Chocolate with Seaberry" and yurt-shaped milk chocolates from Golden Gobi were made in Mongolia. I was able to taste chocolates from one of the more remote regions of the globe, thanks to a friend who recently visited Mongolia and brought these back. Thank you Toni!

I ate today's two milk chocolates with toasted pine nuts, because I'd read that Mongolians are fond of pine nuts. (Pine "nuts" are technically seeds--as are cacao "beans"; but pine nuts are often classified as tree nuts.) 

Chocolate with Seaberry chocolates

This oval-shaped filled sweet milk chocolate confection had aroma notes that included sweet milk chocolate and very faint fruit (citrus, berry). The milk chocolate was relatively creamy and smooth, and the caramel-like (Seabuckthorn flavored with Vitamin C) filling had a tart sweet fruit (citrus) note.

Ingredients: Sugar, milk powder, vegetable fat, cacao (powder, butter), whey powder, skimmed milk powder, Emulsifier: lecithin E322, E476, flavour, vanillin.

Allergen-related information. Contains milk, possibly soy (lecithin)

Yurt-shaped chocolates

I loved the yurt shape of these chocolates--a shout out to traditional steppe dwellings.* The sweet milk chocolate was filled with a very sweet, creamy milk chocolate ganache.

Ingredients: Sugar, Cacao Butter, Full Cream Milk Powder, Cacao Mass, Skimmed Milk Powder, Whey powder, Emulsifier: Lecithin (E322), Natural Bourbon Vanilla.

Allergen-related information: milk, possibly soy (lecithin). May contain traces of other nuts or gluten.

*Yurt-style structures are home to at least half of Mongolia's residents, especially those who live in more rural areas.