Fossa Chocolate - 44% Dark Pulut Hitam (bar) + Vanuatu lunch - Jan. 28, 2025

Chocolate(s) of the Day 

Fossa Chocolate
44% Dark Pulut Hitam (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 284 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $15.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar & Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate and Vanuatu Week. For the last day of this theme week, I enjoyed two items.

Vanuatu Laplap

First I made some "laplap." Also known as the "national dish of Vanuatu," this baked pudding contained yam, green banana, coconut milk and salt. (I also added a little cinnamon, ginger and kumquat zest.) I enjoyed it, and will likely make it again.

The laplap was followed by today's chocolate made with purple rice and coconut palm sugar--inspired by the Indonesian dessert Pulut Hitam (a black/purple rice porridge with coconut palm sugar that is also popular in Singapore and elsewhere).

Pulut Hitam (bar)

Today's 44% Dark Pulut Hitam bar was from Fossa Chocolate Pte Ltd (Singapore).

Aroma and flavor notes included: soft cocoa (luscious light cocoa, faint floral and very faint diffuse fruit); aromatic purple rice; faint coconut, cocoa butter and rice pudding notes; and (imagined) pandan leaf.

Texture: smooth, slight creamy starch, quickly followed by a rich, creamy melt and mouthfeel.

The makers successfully channeled the sweet soul of rice pudding in this chocolate, plus the subtle flavors in the cacao, the purple rice and the coconut sugar that we rarely experience with "plain" white rice pudding in the U.S.* 

Ingredients: Cacao butter, purple glutinous rice, cacao, coconut palm sugar, cane sugar.

Allergen-related information: Contains coconut (sugar). "Produced in a facility that processes nuts & dairy."

*The first rice puddings likely originated in China or India. Today we have many different versions of this dish/dessert around the world (kheer in India; sombi in Senegal; Arroz con Leche in Mexico, etc.)

Most modern American versions use white rice, milk, sugar and often egg. Occasionally we adorn our white rice pudding with raisins, cinnamon, vanilla, sweet citrus peel, or maybe a little spirits (rum, whiskey)); but most of what is sold in stores is ivory-hued, soft, comfort food.

 

Gaston Chocolate - Tree to Bar Dark 70% Chocolate Kava (bar) - Jan. 27, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Gaston Chocolat
Tree to Bar Dark 70% Chocolate Kava (bar) 
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.2 oz. (34 g.) / 2.4 oz. (68 g.) in total bar
Calories: 189 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: N/A - gift from friend (thank you Toni!)
Purchased from: N/A gift 

Welcome to Day #6 of the Chocolate and Vanuatu Series.

Today's Tree to Bar Dark 70% Chocolate Kava (bar) was from Gaston Chocolat (Port Vila - Efate, Vanuatu).

Aroma notes included: subtle dark chocolate and faint, slightly green/botanical.

Flavor notes included: dark chocolate and kava*-- that had a slightly sour, then bitter, followed by a slight tingling (tongue-numbing) sensation. 

Texture: broke with a hard snap and had a light (weight) feel and relatively creamy melt. The kava was fully incorporated into the chocolate, so there was no fibrous texture from the kava. (Kava beverages sometimes have thread-like particles from the crushed roots of the plant.)

This slightly peppery, slightly bitter flavor blend kava and chocolate was fun to try. (Thank you again to friends who generously shared chocolates they found on their Vanuatu vacation.)

Health Note: This chocolate bar contained 15% kava, and was labeled as suitable for ages "18+ Only." Why? Kava can have mild sedative and narcotic effects. I didn't notice any effects. But, be advised, this chocolate may not be for everyone. (There are also potential health risks associated with regular/prolonged kava use; and there have been bans on kava in several countries.) 

Ingredients: Cocoa Beans, Cocoa Butter, Sugar, Kava (15%)

Allergen-related information: No information found on packaging -- but this bar was labeled 18+ (years of age) Only, because of the kava.

*Kava (Piper methysticum) likely originated in northern Vanuatu. It has been selectively cultivated by farmers there for 3,000 years, and is a sterile cultivar propagated (cloned) from a wild ancestor (Piper whichmanii). The root of this plant is usually crushed and prepared with water, i.e. served as a beverage, sometimes in a half coconut shell. It can be found in several Pacific islands, including Hawaii.

Gaston Chocolat - Tree to Bar Candied Orange Dark 70% (bar) - Jan. 26, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Gaston Chocolat
Tree to Bar Candied Orange Dark 70% (bar) 
Good ++
Weight: 1.22 oz. (34.5 g.) / 2.44 oz. (69 g.) in total bar
Calories: 189 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: N/A - gift from friend (thank you Toni!)
Purchased from: N/A gift 

Welcome to Day #5 of the Chocolate and Vanuatu Series.

Today's Tree to Bar Candied Orange Dark 70% (bar) (Batch #58/24) was from Gaston Chocolat (Port Vila, Vanuatu).

Aroma and flavor notes included: dark chocolate (pleasant, mild cocoa and chocolate cookie) and subtle, authentic orange. 

This relatively thick bar broke with a hard snap (in a cool room). The texture was uniform and smooth; and tiny bits of candied orange peel (adhered to the back of the bar) added a micro-crunchiness to some bites.

I enjoyed the smooth, authentic and complementary flavors; the short list of ingredients; and being able to try a chocolate made "in country" (made within the same island nation where the cacao beans are grown) by a Vanuatu-based company.

Ingredients: Cocoa Beans, Cocoa Butter, Sugar, Orange Peel

Allergen-related information: (No information found on packaging)

Aelan - Dark Chocolate Single Origin from Vanuatu 70% Cacao (bar) - Jan. 25, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Aelan Chocolate Makers
Dark Chocolate Single Origin from Vanuatu 70% Cacao (bar) 
Good ++
Weight: .795 oz. (22.5 g.) / 1.59 oz. (45 g.) in total bar
Calories: 135 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: N/A - gift from friend (thank you Toni!)
Purchased from: N/A gift 

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

Today's Dark Chocolate Single Origin from Vanuatu 70% Cacao (bar) was from Aelan Chocolate Makers (Port Vila, Vanuatu). 

Fun facts on the label: "Aelan is (the word for) "island" in Bisiama, Vanuatu language." The company sources cacao from the islands of Vanuatu. And the cacao used in today's bar was sourced from the island of Malo.

Aroma and flavor notes included: pleasing dark chocolate with very diffuse red fruit (cherry, berry); very faint sweet green; and faint coffee/latte notes.

Texture: relatively normal dark chocolate texture, but minor dry/powdery* mouthfeel in the middle that lasted until the chocolate finished melting in my mouth. 

I enjoyed the pleasant rich chocolate-y flavor(s) in this two-ingredient bar.

Ingredients: Cacao beans, Sugar

Allergen-related information: May contain traces of nuts.

*This subtle powdery-like "dryness" could have been caused by the cacao (tannins), the age of the bar, tempering or storage conditions or heating/cooling that occurred in transit. (The chocolate looked fine, broke with a snap, and had no obvious white/bloom). It also had neither the puckery (unripe persimmon-type) astringengy nor the chalky mouthfeel that might be present in extreme examples. 

Firetree - Single-Estate Vanuatu Malekula Island 72% Cocoa (thins) - Jan. 24, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Firetree
Single Estate Vanuatu Malekula Island 72% Cocoa (thins)
Good ++
Weight: 1.27 oz. (36 g.) / 5.9 oz. (150 g.) in total box of 25 thins 
Calories: 204 calories in 6 thins
Cost: $35.00 for 1 box of 25 pieces
Purchased from: Bar & Cocoa, online order

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

Today's Single Estate Vanuatu Malekula Island 72% Cocoa (Rich Volcanic Chocolate Thins) were from Firetree Chocolate Limited (Peterborough, United Kingdom). 

Firetree offers chocolates from a variety of island nations, including the Philippines, the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. And the "Firetree" name is linked to the flame-hued colors of cocoa pods and the fiery volcanic origins of many islands.

Aroma and flavor notes for these smooth-textured, ultra-thin rounds included: rich chocolate (cocoa) with a well-managed roastiness and very faint earth; and faint, diffuse fruit.

Some heavy roast notes can seem overdone (too smoke-y); and some earth notes can taste a bit off (too compost-y). But both these aspects seemed in character with the cacao origins of today's chocolate, i.e. the dark, porous volcanic soils where these cacao beans and trees grew in Vanuatu.

Just as terroir comments show up in wine and coffee tasting notes, the jumbled lava rocks that break down into soils and black sand beaches (seen also in the Big Island of Hawaii in the U.S.) can contribute to detectable flavors in the fermented and roasted cacao seeds (beans) that we enjoy later.

Texture: ultra-thin rounds allowed full access to the flavors and gave one a prolonged opportunity to enjoy the lingering, almost creamy finish that was also present in yesterday's featured 100% Vanuatu bar from Firetree.  

Maker's Tasting Notes: "...Cherry, soft lemon and white grape aromas give an essence of lush fruit."

Ingredients: Cocoa mass, unrefined sugar, cocoa butter, emulsifier: sunflower lecithin. 

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

Firetree - 100% Cacao Single-Estate Vanuatu Malekula Island (bar) - Jan. 23, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Firetree
100% Cocoa Single Estate Vanuatu Malekula Island (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 209.3 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $7.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar & Cocoa, online order

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

Today's 100% Cocoa Single Estate Vanuatu Malekula Island (bar) was from Firetree Chocolate Limited (Peterborough, United Kingdom). 

This creamy, relatively smooth, ultra-dark chocolate -- made with just one ingredient -- had aroma and flavor notes that included: rich cocoa; smooth mineral; very faint toast and (red) fruit jam sandwich cooked over a campfire; and barely detectable, naturally sweet green (almost mild nut) botanical notes.

Texture: Relatively thick, creamy/cocoa buttery melt and mouthfeel, with a satisfying, extended finish.

This was a polished, well-executed 100% cacao, ultra-dark bar without ultra-rough edges. The bitterness was well balanced and almost enjoyable. I found the lack of sugar to be refreshing. 

Terroir influences flavors (with wine grapes, cacao, coffee and other crops). Firetree's "rich volcanic cocoa" tagline reminded me of the mineral-rich dark sand and soil of other cacao-growing islands (like the Big Island of Hawaii).

Not everyone shares my appreciation for single ingredient (unsweetened) chocolates, much less a whole side-by-side tasting flight of different 100%ers. However, if you're so inclined, today's 100% Vanuatu bar belongs in such a tasting.

Ingredients: 100% Cocoa mass

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

 

Luisa's Vegan Chocolates - Vanuatu 72% Cacao (bar) - Jan. 22, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Vegan Chocolates by Luisa Ltd. 
Vanuatu 72% Cacao (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++ 
Weight: 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 280 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $12.99 + shipping for 1 bar
Purchased from: DeLaurenti (store), Seattle, WA (online order)

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

Today's Vanuatu 72% Cacao (bar) was from Vegan Chocolates by Luisa Ltd. (Nottingham, U.K.).

Aroma and flavor notes: dark chocolate (fresh baked fudge brownie) with diffuse, dried fruit (fig, berry, cherry); faint, fleeting oolong tea; and very faint sweet green, and light molasses/caramel notes. 

Texture: This very thick bar had a smooth, even and slightly creamy texture.

I loved the complexity, the fruit and tea notes and the rich chocolate that wasn't too sweet (thank you!) This Vanuatu bar was full of bright, well-balanced flavors; and it was a perfect warm up/wake up chocolate for a winter morning.

Maker's tasting notes: "Sweet cherry notes on the nose, with fruity nuances that mellow into toffee caramel end-notes."

Ingredients: Cacao mass, unrefined sugar, cocoa butter.

Allergen-related information: Made in an environment that handles nuts.