Fjak Chocolate - Black Forest Cherry Cake Milk Chocolate (bar) - Nov. 19, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Fjak Chocolate AS
Black Forest Cherry Cake Milk Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: ~1.055 oz. (30 g.) / ~2.11 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 176 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 Cherries Theme Week. 

Today's Limited Edition Black Forest Cherry Cake Milk Chocolate (bar) was from Fjak Chocolate AS (Eidfjord, Norway). The woman-owned, small-batch, bean-to-bar maker offers a variety of single origin bars and confections. Many include local, Hardangerfjord-inspired fruit and flavor inclusions.*

This Limited Edition 50% cacao, gluten free, Black Forest Cake-inspired bar (part of Fjak's "The Cake Series") harnessed the power of locally grown sour cherries to spark memories of this German cake. 

Aroma notes included: dark milk chocolate, tart lemon-green herb (oxalis), and tart fruit (sour cherry).

Texture: smooth, relatively creamy dark milk chocolate. (The cherries were fully incorporated into the chocolate.)

Flavor notes included: dark milk chocolate; authentic, tart-sweet sour cherry; and very faint, tart lemon-green herb (sour grass, oxalis). The vibrant sour cherry animated this sweet, and flavorful chocolate, creating a slight, pleasing, undulation in the taste.

Ingredients: Cocoa Beans*, Cocoa Butter*, Cane Sugar*, Milk Powder*, Sour Cherry*, Vanilla* (Min. 50% cocoa) * = Organic

Allergen-related information: (Contains: milk.) "Certified Organic; Gluten free"

*Hardangerfjord is a large, scenic fjord in southwestern Norway. In the warmer months, apples, cherries and other crops grow here in/on strips of green land between mountains and water. Waterfalls drip off the mountains.

Ranger Chocolate - Thai Chocolate Bar - Nov. 18, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Ranger Chocolate
Thai Chocolate Bar
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.125 oz. (32 g.) / 2.25 oz. (64 g.) in total bar
Calories: 175 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $10.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's Thai Chocolate Bar (Batch 13) was from Ranger Chocolate Co. (Portland, OR). This Thai-inspired blend of sweet and savory flavor inclusions was part of the company's Adventure Series chocolate bar series. 

Aroma notes for this exotic bar included: chocolate, coconut milk, and very faint rice, diffuse fruit and warm spice.

The texture was creamy (coconut milk, cocoa butter) and crunchy (tiny bits of rice). The crispy-crunchy texture of the crushed rice was just right--not too firm and chewy, not too soft.

Flavor notes included: sweet coconut milk chocolate, rice (identified more by its texture than mild (almost salted buttery) flavor), and very faint warm spice (very mild galangal (aka Thai ginger)). The coconut milk muted stronger flavors (cacao, spices) that might have been present in this creamy homage to sweet and savory Thai cuisine. The flavors were well executed; and there weren't too many elements competing for attention, which made this chocolate taste more like Thai comfort food than a spicy, sizzling entree.

Maker's notes: "Our Adventure Series explores our desire to always try something new. This bar is influenced by our love for Thai cuisine--blending savory and sweet..."

Ingredients: "Organic cacao, coconut milk, organic sugar, cacao butter, rice, sea salt, galangal, white pepper"

Allergen-related information: "Contains: tree nuts (coconut)" "Manufactured in a facility that uses gluten, milk, egg...tree nuts ingredients" 

Kad Kokoa - Chiang Mai 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) - Nov. 17, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Kad Kokoa 
Chiang Mai 70% Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: .97 oz. (27.5 g.) / 1.94 oz. (55 g.) in total bar
Calories: 155 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $13.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

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

Today's Chiang Mai 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) was from bean-to-bar chocolate maker Kad Kokoa (Bangkok, Thailand). The company offers chocolate bars made with Thai cacao beans grown in different regions (terroirs) of Thailand. 

The organic cacao beans used to make this Chiang Mai dark chocolate were grown on a privately contracted farm in Pa Pae, Mae Tang, Chiang Mai, in northern Thailand.

Aroma notes for this bar included: rich chocolate (fudge brownie, smooth, flavorful drinking chocolate) with very faint, diffuse fruit, brown sugar (molasses), spice and nut notes.

Texture: Smooth dark chocolate with an almost buttery melt--with a very faint (barely noticeable) fruit astringency in the finish. 

Flavor notes included: rich dark chocolate (freshly baked fudge brownie, with warm dark chocolate sauce). This dark chocolate was relatively sweet, and had a pleasing, dark chocolate-y flavor--with a slight undulating quality (that I liked). It also had very faint stone fruit (plum, nectarine), brown sugar and earth notes; but it was primarily in the rich "chocolate-y" taste category.

Today's Chiang Mai chocolate was slightly less complex than its regional 70% dark chocolate siblings featured this week (not quite as many delicate floral and fruit notes); but like the other single region, dark chocolate bars from Kad Kokoa, I experienced an abundance of well-balanced, well-executed, chocolate flavor(s)--all emanating from just two ingredients.

Maker's tasting notes: "...slight floral notes and a delicate exotic fruitiness in the background of a strong earthy body."

Ingredients: "70% Cocoa Beans (and) 30% Organic Sugar"

Allergen-related information: (No allergy-related information listed on packaging.)

Kad Kokoa - Chumphon 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) - Nov. 16, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Kad Kokoa 
Chumphon 70% Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good +++
Weight: .97 oz. (27.5 g.) / 1.94 oz. (55 g.) in total bar
Calories: 155 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $13.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

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

Today's Chumphon* 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) was from Kad Kokoa (Bangkok, Thailand). The company is dedicated to making premium, bean-to-bar chocolate made with locally grown cacao beans--"to introduce our wonderful Thai terroirs and their unique flavors to the world."

Intriguing and complex aroma notes for this bar included: dark chocolate (chocolate brownie); fruit (very faint, pleasing, savory tomato and red bell pepper sauce (that faded quickly); even fainter, fleeting cooked plum and berry); and faint sweet green, almost floral, botanical; very faint sweet tea (green, oolong); fleeting woodsy.

This well-tempered bar broke with a snap and had a relatively smooth, almost buttery melt.

Flavor notes for this unique and special chameleon-like bar included: chocolate (brownie, dark chocolate torte) and a unique, warming, blooming sensation that included, warm sweet molasses, very faint ginger snap cookies; faint vanilla-like green/floral; and...a luscious dive into rich, tasty chocolate.

This well-executed, balanced, complex, Thai-cacao based dark chocolate was sweet, but not overly so (thank you). And even the sweetness had some ice depth and complexity to it. I am a sucker for high-quality chocolate that has a sense of movement and depth to it. 

My favorite chocolates are transporting; and I feel like I took a wonderful, sensory field trip today. This rare travel experience is possible thanks to dedicated makers of single origin/single region chocolates.

Ingredients: "70% Cocoa Beans (and) 30% Organic Sugar"

Allergen-related information: (No allergy-related information listed on packaging.)

*Kad Kokoa provided the following background for this local cacao origin: "Chumphon, the gateway to the south of Thailand, accommodates the Horticultural Research Centre responsible for the R&D of national robusta coffee, coconuts, and cacao beans. We work with the Centre in exchanging the post-harvesting know-how so the farmers in the region can learn from the Centre to improve their production and thus, their quality of life. Strong cacao body with notes of ripe grapes and red berries."

Kad Kokoa - Andaman Blue (bar) - Nov. 15, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Kad Kokoa 
Andaman Blue (bar)
Good +
Weight: .97 oz. (27.5 g.) / 1.94 oz. (55 g.) in total bar
Calories: 165 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $13.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

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

Kad Kokoa - Andaman Blue

Today's Andaman Blue (bar) was from Kad Kokoa (Bangkok, Thailand). This bean-to-bar maker is dedicated to offering chocolates made with local (Thai grown) cacao beans, including some bars with Thai-inspired flavor inclusions.

This blue-gray hued (white) chocolate was a tribute to the beautiful, blue Andaman Sea--located west of Thailand.

Aroma notes for this bar included: sweet white chocolate, seed/grain (rice, very faint sesame*), faint coconut milk, and very faint botanical (green). 

The relatively smooth bar had a slightly grainy texture (finely ground toasted rice).

Flavor notes included: white chocolate, subtle coconut milk, rice (mostly textural), and a very faint green note (perhaps the blue spirulina, used for coloration). Overall it had a relatively gentle, sweet flavor, in part due to the absence of cocoa solids.

Nature's Organic Ice Cream - Chocolate Chocolate Chip 

Later, to ensure I had a daily dose of cocoa solids, I enjoyed a scoop of Chocolate Chocolate Chip ice cream from Nature's Organic Ice Cream (Fremont, CA), and a small handful of Thai spiced peanuts.

This local northern California, San Francisco Bay Area-based ice cream maker offers a few exotic southeast Asian and floral flavors as well. They offer high-quality ice cream flavors (dairy and non-dairy options) that don't contain extra additives (e.g. gums or carrageenan). (Thank you!) They also use organic ingredients in this chocolate flavor.

Ingredients: Cocoa Butter, Coconut Milk Powder, White Sugar, Toasted Rice, Blue Spirulina

Allergen-related information: "Made in a facility that handles nuts, dairy, and gluten."

*There was no sesame in this chocolate. Like many tasters (think wine, coffee, craft beer tasting), I may smell or taste things that may activate sense memories, or detect substances that are similar to, but don't reflect exact/literal ingredients. People have different memories and abilities in what they taste, so your experience may differ from mine.

Kad Kokoa - Salted Tamarind (bar) - Nov. 14, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Kad Kokoa 
Salted Tamarind (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.45 oz. (41.25 g.) / 1.94 oz. (55 g.) in total bar
Calories: 255 calories in 3/4 bar
Cost: $13.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

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

Today's Salted Tamarind (bar) was from Kad Kokoa (Bangkok, Thailand).

Aroma notes for this bar included: smooth dark chocolate; faint tart-sweet fruit; iced tea with lemon/citrus; and very faint light green, almost floral (sweet vanilla tobacco).

Texture: Smooth dark chocolate, interspersed with small chewy salted tamarind fruit bits, and the occasional tiny fragment of chili pepper (seed, membrane).

Flavor notes included: smooth, almost delicate bittersweet chocolate (faint, light green floral/sweet botanical notes); tart-sweet chewy sweet-sour fruit with very faint salt, and chili. The dried chili contributed a strong spicy kick toward the end (especially in the bites of chocolate that contained multiple bits of chili-spiced, tamarind fruit).

I liked the incorporation of authentic Thai flavors in this chocolate and how the chocolate and the tamarind bits interacted with each other. 

Warning: The dried chili flakes in this bar packed some serious chili heat. This will warm your palette and tickle your throat on the way down.

Ingredients: "Cocoa Nibs, Organic Sugar, Salt, Cocoa Butter, Dried Tamarind, Dried Chili Flakes"

Allergen-related information: "Made in a facility that handles nuts, dairy, and gluten."

Fjak - Thailand Dark Chocolate 85% Cocoa (bar) - Nov. 13, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Fjak Chocolate
Thailand Dark Chocolate 85% Cocoa (bar)
Good +++
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.11 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 164 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's Thailand Dark Chocolate 85% Cocoa (bar) was made by Fjak Chocolate AS (Hardangerfjord, Norway).

The cacao beans used to make this chocolate were from the province of Chanthaburi, in eastern Thailand, in a region known for gems, tropical fruits, and pepper.

Aroma and flavor notes for this aromatic and unique dark chocolate included: bold, dark chocolate; sharp, peppery fruit (blueberry, fig, pineapple); sweet red bell pepper; distilled spirits; and very faint tart-sweet tropical fruit (mango, passion fruit, mangosteen) vinegar.

Texture: This well-tempered bar broke with a hard snap (at room temperature (68 degrees F. / 20 degrees C.); and the chocolate had a relatively rapid, yet light buttery, melt and mouthfeel. I braced myself for some fruit astringency (puckery/dry like in some red wines), but the level was relatively low (and/or well-managed).

This, three ingredient, ultra-dark 85% single origin (single region) bar was a transporting, exotic ride. I felt grateful to be able to taste all these vibrant, complex cacao flavors that could have been lost in a more processed, over-roasted blend or a very sweet chocolate. Thank you to the makers at Fjak for a well-executed Thai chocolate, that I enjoyed more with every bite. It's rare when I'm tempted to eat an entire 85% bar; but, this was one of those times.

Fjak tasting notes: "Tropical vibes in a bar: with tasting notes of pineapple, passionfruit and rum, this might be the fruitiest 85% dark chocolate you have ever had."

Ingredients: Cacao beans, Cane Sugar*, Cocoa Butter* (*Organic)

Allergen-related information: "Processed in a facility that handles nuts, dairy and gluten." Vegan.