Simply Gum - Peanut Butter Crispies - June 3, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Simply Gum

Peanut Butter Crispies 
Good ++ 
Weight: 1.625 oz. (46 g.) / 4.7 oz. (133 g.) in total package
Calories: 240 calories in 2 pieces
Cost: $7.99 for 1 package of 6 pieces
Purchased from: Farm Fresh, online order 

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

Today's Peanut Butter Crispies were from Simply Gum Inc. (Brooklyn, NY).

Aroma and flavor notes included: peanut, chocolate and toffee. 

In texture, aroma and taste these small bars were similar to a Butterfinger* candy bar--made with higher quality (darker) chocolate, quinoa and brown rice, and a lighter (less dense), crispy texture. All this with a shorter list of ingredients.

These treat-sized bars evoked great childhood chocolate memories. The only downside: these were quite addicting. If you open up this relatively large package (that contains an inviting sea of unwrapped bars), you may be tempted to eat more than planned.

I enjoyed the balanced and complementary blend of flavors and textures; and I appreciated the list of quality ingredients and the absence of extra additives--true to the "Simply" company name and mission.

Maker's description: "Our Peanut Butter Crisps are a lighter take on a classic candy -- think nut butter cup meets rice crispies..."

Ingredients: Dark Chocolate (Cocoa Mass, Organic Coconut Sugar, Cocoa Butter), Peanut Flour, Organic Coconut Sugar, Organic Cocoa Butter, Roasted Peanuts, Quinoa, Organic Brown Rice, Coconut Oil, Peanut Oil, Organic Vanilla Bean, Sea Salt

Allergen-related information: Contains Peanuts, Coconut. Manufactured in a facility with products that may contain milk, tree nuts and/or peanuts. Gluten Free. 

*The Butterfinger candy bar was created in 1923 by the Curtiss Candy Company. In the past this brand was owned by Standard Brands, Nabisco and Nestle. Ferrero Group became the latest owner in the U.S. in 2018. It is manufactured internationally by Nestle.

Fruition Chocolate Works - Zorzal Eco Reserve 73% Dark Chocolate with Puffed Quinoa, Candied Sunflower Seeds, Wild Blueberry & Citrus (bar) - June 2, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Fruition Chocolate Works
Zorzal Eco Reserve 73% Dark Chocolate with Puffed Quinoa, Candied Sunflower Seeds, Wild Blueberry & Citrus (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.12 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 164 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $15.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Fruition, online order

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

Today's Zorzal Eco Reserve 73% Dark Chocolate with Puffed Quinoa, Candied Sunflower Seeds, Wild Blueberry & Citrus (bar) was from Fruition Chocolate Works (Shokan, NY).

The cacao used to make this bar was grown on a cacao farm in a bird reserve in the Dominican Republic. The certified "Bird Friendly"* cacao farm designated as "forever wild" inspired the makers to create this bird seed bar.

Aroma and flavor included: rich, sweet (slightly fruity) dark chocolate, seed, nut; dried dark berry (blueberry) and very faint citrus. (Note: this bar did not contain nuts.)

Texture: smooth dark chocolate (covered with a dense riot of) softly crunchy sunflower seeds, interspersed with small chewy fruit pieces (blueberries). Tiny rounds of puffed quinoa added additional, subtle texture.

I enjoyed the blend of flavors--an elevated homage to cacao and birds (and very high-quality bird seed).

Ingredients: Dark Chocolate (cocoa beans*, cane sugar*, cocoa butter*), Sunflower Seeds, Wild Blueberries, Puffed Quinoa, Lemon Zest, Sugar, Citric Acid, Citrus Essential Oils (* Organic)

Allergen-related information: Contains sunflower seeds. May contain traces of milk, peanuts, tree nuts, soy, and sesame.

*As designated/certified by the Smithsonian National Zoo and Smithsonian Bird Center. This honor is being bestowed on coffee and cacao growing areas/plantations that meet certain agroforestry and forest conservation criteria.

Antidote - Quinoa Crunch 70 Dark (bar) - June 1, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Antidote
Quinoa Crunch 70 Dark (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 1.15 oz. (32.5 g.) / 2.3 oz. (65 g.) in total bar
Calories: 190 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.00 of 1 bar
Purchased from: Antidote, online order

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

Today's "Queens of Paradise" - Quinoa Crunch 70 Dark (bar) was from Antidote (Brooklyn, NY).

Aroma notes included: pleasing dark chocolate aroma (with sweet green/fruit) plus malted cereal.

Texture: well-tempered, smooth dark chocolate covered with a layer of crunchy popped quinoa.

Flavor notes included: sweet dark chocolate (with faint fruit/citrus); light, toasted cereal; and a slight bitterness--making the taste balanced bitter (bordering on sharp earth) and sweet in toward the finish.

The overall appearance was nice, and the tiny, golden brown puffed quinoa layer was generous, attractive (golden brown) and well-executed. (The quinoa  didn't crumble off in my lap, thank you.) 

I also appreciated the use of Arriba Nacional cacao, which gave it a complexity beyond most bulk/couverture chocolates.

Ingredients: Dark Chocolate: 70% cacao Arriba Nacional...cacao beans, whole cane sugar, cacao butter, popped quinoa, sunflower lecithin.

Allergen-related information: (Made in a facility that handles milk, soy & nuts.)

DAT Chocolate - Almond Crunch Dark Chocolate + Quinoa 63% Cacao (bar) - May 31, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

DAT Chocolate
Organic Almond Crunch Dark Chocolate + Quinoa 63% Cacao (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 1.25 oz. (35.5 g.) / 2.5 oz. (71 g.) in total bar
Calories: 162.5 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $N/A - part of a larger order; $56.00 for an 8-bar variety pack
Purchased from: Nutsola, online order 

Welcome to Day #1 of Chocolate and Quinoa Theme Week. Like cacao, quinoa has its origins in South America. Quinoa has long been a cultivated food staple, particularly with indigenous peoples in the Andean regions of Peru and Bolivia.

Today's DAT Chocolate Organic Almond Crunch Dark Chocolate + Quinoa (bar) was distributed by Nutsola LLC (Livingston, NJ)). This father and son run company offers several date-sweetened chocolates made without any other added sugars or artificial sweeteners/sugar alcohols.

Aroma notes for this 63% dark chocolate bar included: dark chocolate with nut (almond) and malt and subtle dark, sweet fruit (dates).

Texture: smooth dark chocolate with crunchy pieces of roasted almonds and quinoa. The dates were completely incorporated into the chocolate.

Flavor notes included: dark, dense, balanced, roasted cacao (well-managed, Forastero cacao variety), mild date sweetness, and gentle nut (almond) and quinoa. This chocolate was also accented with just the right amount (not very much) sea salt.

I enjoyed the level of natural sweetness. It wasn't too sweet. (It was less sugary sweet than most other 63% cacao dark chocolate bars.). I also appreciated the short list of organic ingredients.

Ingredients: Organic Cacao, Organic Date, Organic Cocoa Butter, Organic Roasted Almonds, Organic Quinoa, Sea Salt

Allergen-related information: "Contains Almonds. May contain occasional pits. Shares equipment with products containing Soy, Peanuts, Tree Nuts, Milk, Egg, and Wheat." 

Xocolatl Chocolate - Nicaragua 72% Dark Chocolate (bar) - May 30, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Xocolatl Chocolate 
Nicaragua 72% Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.3 oz. (37.5 g.) / 2.6 oz. (75 g.) total bar
Calories: 200 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Xocolatl, online order

Welcome to Day #9 of Chocolate and Central America Theme Week.

Today's Nicaragua 72% Dark Chocolate (bar) was from Xocolatl LLC, a small batch chocolate maker based in Atlanta, GA. The company offers a variety of chocolates, including single origin bean-to-bar chocolates.

This bar was made using cacao sourced directly from Cacao Bisiesto "within the shaded forests of El Tuma, Nicaragua and produced in partnership with Birds Georgia.

Aroma notes for this 72% bar included: subtle dark chocolate; fleeting biscuit; and very faint, diffuse fruit and floral.

Flavor notes included: rich dark chocolate (fudge brownie, drinking chocolate), faint floral and oolong tea; and barely detectable, diffuse fruit (citrus). 

I liked this well-executed and flavorful dark chocolate with classic chocolate-y flavor--plus some additional, subtle complexity (floral and tea notes); and the short list of quality and organic ingredients.

Maker's description (tasting profile for this bar): "Classic cocoa, lightly floral, tannic with low acidity."

Ingredients: "Cacao, Cane Sugar*, and Cocoa Butter* (* organic)"

Allergen-related information: Made on Equipment that processes soy, wheat, peanuts & tree nuts (almond, hazelnut, pecan).

The Organic House - Banana Foster 65% Cacao, Nicaragua (bar) - May 29, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

The Organic House
Banana Foster 65% Cacao, Nicaragua (bar)
Good ++
Weight: .97 oz. (27.5 g.) / 1.94 oz. (55 g.) in total bar
Calories: 147 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $13.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar & Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate and Central America Theme Week.

Today's Banana Foster 65% Cacao, Nicaragua O'Payo (bar) was from The Organic House (Burlington, ON, Canada).

This bar was made with O'Payo Nicaragua cacao from Ingemann, a family-owned cacao producer in Nicaragua.

Aroma notes included: smooth dark chocolate, light tropical fruit (banana) and faint, light sweet green.

Texture: smooth hearty texture and thick, creamy melt. The banana and coconut sugar were fully incorporated into the chocolate.

Flavor notes included: dark chocolate accompanied by all aspects of banana: sweet, fruity, smooth, bitter/astringent; faint dark sugars (coconut flower sugar/brown sugar); fleeting caramel; and sweet floral (vanilla).

The freeze-dried bananas maintained a lot of their original concentrated flavor

I enjoyed this naturally sweet, flavorful and complex tropical banana ride, and appreciated the thoughtful sourcing and diligent execution behind all the ingredients, e.g. the use of single origin (Peru) cocoa butter.

Maker's Tasting Notes: "Fruity notes accompanied with sweet notes of banana and vanilla."

Ingredients: "Nicaragua O'Payo cacao beans, Coconut flower nectar, Bananas, Peru cacao butter, Vanilla beans"

Allergen-related information: Made in a facility that uses tree nuts.  

Cacao Sampaka - Copan Honduras 70% Chocolate Dark (bar) - May 28, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Cacao Sampaka
Copan Honduras 70% Chocolate Dark (bar)
Good ++   

Weight: 1.05 oz. (30 g.) / 2.64 oz. (75 g.) in total bar
Calories: 170 calories in 1/3 bar
Cost: $13.99 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Caputo's, online order

Bienvenidos (welcome) to Day #7 of Chocolate and Central America Theme Week.

Today's Copan Honduras 70% Chocolate Negro (Dark) (bar) from Cacao Sampaka (Barcelona, Spain) was made in Spain and imported by Forever Cheese LLC (New York, NY).

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate with diffuse fruit (fresh cherries, very faint cherry brandy, dark sugar (brown sugar) and faint vanilla.

Texture: well-tempered, smooth texture and melt.

Flavor notes included: dark chocolate with natural sweetness/brightness, balanced bitterness, diffuse faint fruit (cherry, sweet orange) and very faint (barely detectable) sweet tobacco and whiskey cocktail.

I enjoyed this relatively hearty, well-balanced chocolate and its authentic and subtly complex fruit notes.

Ingredients: "Honduras Cacao Nibs, Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Emulsifier (Soy Lecithin), Cocoa: 70% minimum."

Allergen-related information: "May Contain Traces of: Nuts (Almond, Hazelnut, Pistachio, Macadamia Nut, Pecan Nut), Peanuts, Lactose, Milk and Sesame."