Jangala Cacao & Selva - Worm Salt - Mexican Traditions 70% Cacao Dark Chocolate (bar) - July 10, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Jangala Cacao & Selva
Worm Salt - Mexican Traditions 70% Cacao (bar)
Good ++
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 98 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $16.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Chocolate Dispensary, online order

Welcome to Day #16 of Chocolate & Mexico Theme Week; and Day #2 of Chocolate & Salt Theme Week.

Today's  Jangala Cacao & Selva Worm Salt* 70% Cacao Dark Chocolate (bar) was made by Jangala Frutos De La Tierra S. de R.I. de C.V. (San Cristobol de Las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico) in southern Mexico.

The company's "Mexican Traditions" family of chocolates contain Mexican cacaos and traditional flavor inclusions.

The cacao used to make this bar was "fermented Criollo-Trinitario Cacao from Soconusco, Chiapas." And the maguey worm salt was from Mitla, Oaxaca.*

Aroma notes included: slightly savory dark chocolate with very faint fruit and chili pepper.

Flavor notes for this flavor rich chocolate included: relatively bold/dark but balanced chocolate, peppered with tiny flecks of red hot chili pepper and powdered/ground worm salt. (One bar is 7 grams of protein; but it will be a spicy ride.) 

I appreciated the opportunity to try this authentic chocolate, crafted from "tree to bar" using a short list of quality ingredients from Mexico. 

Maker's tasting notes: Chocolate / middle Spicy / Red fruits

"Organic Ingredients: Cacao, cane sugar, maguey worm salt

Allergen-related information: None listed on package.

* Worm salt, (Sal de gusano), a Oaxacan spice, is made with salt, toasted and ground maguey worms and chili powder. (The worms are moth larvae found in agave plants that are used to make mezcal.) This salt is described as having a unique umami flavor; and it is often enjoyed with mezcal.

Cuna de Piedra - 73% Mexican Cacao from Comalcalco with Ancient Spring Salt (bar) - July 9, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Cuna de Piedra
73% Mexican Cacao from Comalcalco, Tabasco with Ancient Spring Salt (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.05 oz. (30 g.) / 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 100 calories in 1/2 bar (per label)
Cost: $10.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Caputo's, online order

Welcome to Day #15 of Chocolate & Mexico Theme Week; and Day #1 of Chocolate & Salt Theme Week.

Today's 73% Mexican Cacao from Comalcalco, Tabasco with Ancient Spring Salt (bar) was from Cuna de Piedra* (Monterrey, NL, Mexico).

The company pays "homage to Mexican Cacao." The cacao used to make this bar was from Comalcalco, Tabasco in southeastern Mexico. (Cacao harvest information: Dry Season Harvest 2023.)

Aroma notes for this chocolate included: attractive dark chocolate; subtle fruit (pear and barely detectable banana); and very faint sweet green herb.

Flavor notes included: smooth, appealing, rich dark chocolate (not too acidic natural cocoa, drinking chocolate) naturally sweet dark chocolate; gentle fruit; faint, sweet (almost floral) herb; and very faint nut.

I enjoyed the short-list of thoughtfully-sourced and high-quality ingredients; the subtle perfection in the use of salt (not too much, not too little); and the origin stories behind the cacao and the ancient spring salt. 

The company sourced the salt from Zapotitlan Salinas (Puebla, Mexico). This salt has been harvested from mines in the same area for more than two thousand years.

Ingredients: Cacao beans, Cane sugar, Mineral spring salt.

Allergen-related information: "Manufactured in a facility that processes wheat, milk, soy, peanuts, tree nuts and eggs."

*The company name Cuna de Piedra translates to "cradle of stone." 

Monsoon Chocolate - Chiltepin 42% Milk Chocolate (bar) - July 8, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Monsoon Chocolate 
Chiltepin 42% Milk Chocolate, Supporting the Northern Jaguar Project (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 135 calories (estimate) for 1/2 bar
Cost: $14.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Caputo's, online order 

Welcome to Day #14 of Chocolate and Mexico Theme Week.

Today's 42% Milk Chocolate "Chiltepin--Supporting the Northern Jaguar Project*"--(bar) was hand-crafted in Arizona by Monsoon Chocolate, LLC (Tucson, AZ). This bar was part of the company's Desert Series. 

My hat is off to those who make chocolate in very hot places. Having visited southern Arizona, I'm also impressed by the wildlife that survive in desert corridors--like the jaguars that range from Mexico to Arizona. 

The chiltepin peppers and cacao in this bar represented these two areas of appreciation for me. These rare peppers grow where the jaguars still roam. Chocolate with a story.

Aroma notes for this 42% cacao bar included: dark chocolate and caramel with very faint, diffuse fruit.

Texture: This caramel-colored bar had a smooth milk chocolate texture.

Flavor notes included: sweet milk chocolate with faint tart-sweet fruit and pepper heat that packed a fiery punch. 

While the heat made it hard to detect subtler notes, it subsided into the finish with most bites with a polite and polished efficiency (similar to its 75% sibling featured yesterday). Some bites had more of a throat-grabbing flame than others; so you may want to enjoy this bar with a glass of water nearby.

I enjoyed this bar in smaller bites; and I was happy to support this maker and the Northern Jaguar Project.

Ingredients: Cocoa Beans, Unrefined Cane Sugar*, Cocoa Butter*, Milk Powder*, Chiltepin (*Certified Organic)

Allergen-related information: "Made in a facility that handles tree nuts, wheat, milk, eggs and peanuts. May not be suitable for people with allergies to these foods."

*"The Northern Jaguar Project (NJP) leads efforts to protect North America's northernmost jaguars in the Sierra Madre Occidental, where the chiltepin pepper also thrives. Known as the "mother of all chilies" and the only wild chili native to the US, the chiltepin is honored in the Slow Food Ark of Taste for its cultural and environmental significance. Sourcing chiltepin from NJP-protected areas allows us to support their crucial work."  

Monsoon Chocolate - Chiltepin 75% Dark Chocolate - Supporting the Northern Jaguar Project (bar) - July 7, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Monsoon Chocolate 
Chiltepin 75% Dark Chocolate, Supporting the Northern Jaguar Project (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 135 calories (estimate) for 1/2 bar
Cost: $12.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Caputo's, online order 

Welcome to Day #13 of Chocolate and Mexico Theme Week.

Today's 75% Dark Chocolate "Chiltepin--Supporting the Northern Jaguar Project*"--(bar) was hand-crafted in Arizona by Monsoon Chocolate, LLC (Tucson, AZ). This bar was part of the company's Desert Series. 

My hat is off to those who make chocolate in very hot places. Having visited Arizona, I'm also impressed by the wildlife that survive in desert corridors--like the jaguars that range from Mexico to Arizona. The chili and cacao blend in this bar linked these two areas of appreciation for me. The chiltepin peppers grow where the jaguars still roam. Chocolate with a story.

Aroma notes for this 75% cacao bar included: dark chocolate and very faint, diffuse fruit/botanical and roasted (coffee).

Texture: smooth dark chocolate

Flavor notes included: dark chocolate and pepper heat that varied slightly from bite to bite. 

While the heat made it hard to detect subtler notes, it subsided into the finish with most bites with a polite and polished efficiency. However, there was one bite that included a few throat-grabbing flames; so you may want to enjoy this bar with a glass of water nearby, just in case.

I enjoyed this in smaller bites; and I was happy to support this maker and the Northern Jaguar Project.

Ingredients: Cocoa Beans, Unrefined Cane Sugar*, Cocoa Butter*, Chiltepin (*Certified Organic)

Allergen-related information: "Made in a facility that handles tree nuts, wheat, milk, eggs and peanuts. May not be suitable for people with allergies to these foods."

*"The Northern Jaguar Project (NJP) leads efforts to protect North America's northernmost jaguars in the Sierra Madre Occidental, where the chiltepin pepper also thrives. Known as the "mother of all chilies" and the only wild chili native to the US, the chiltepin is honored in the Slow Food Ark of Taste for its cultural and environmental significance. Sourcing chiltepin from NJP-protected areas allows us to support their crucial work." 

Nuance Chocolate - Single Origin Mexico Chontalpa 70% Pure Dark (bar) - July 6, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Nuance Chocolate Company
Single Origin - Mexico Chontalpa 70% Pure Dark (bar)
Good ++
Weight: .97 oz. (27.5 g.) / 1.94 oz. (55 g.) in total bar
Calories: 150 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $10.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Nuance Chocolate, online and voice order

Welcome to Day #12 of Chocolate and Mexico Theme Week.

Today's Single Origin - Mexico Chontalpa 70% Pure Dark (bar) (Batch #39431) was from Nuance Chocolate Company (Fort Collins, CO). The company offers small batch, bean-to-bar chocolates and confections.

This dark chocolate was "made using "rare white Almendra Blanca* cacao from the Chontalpa region of Tabasco," in southeastern Mexico. 

Aroma and flavor notes for this bar included: dark chocolate; faint stone fruit (tart sweet cherry, apricot) and roasted coffee and nut (pecan) notes. (Note: there are no nut ingredients in this chocolate.)

Texture: smooth dark chocolate texture.

I enjoyed the balanced but certainly not boring flavors that included tart sweet fruit notes; the maker's thoughtful sourcing; the short list of quality ingredients; and the relatively thinness of the bar--allowing ready access to the flavors as they were developing my mouth during tasting.

Maker's tasting notes: "...A delicate, floral, and fruity chocolate with juicy notes of apricot jam layered over a subtley nutty foundation. A long finish, with a balanced touch of bitterness."

Ingredients: "cacao, cane sugar, cocoa butter. All natural and GMO-free."  

Allergen-related information: "Manufactured in a facility that also processes tree nuts, peanuts, milk, eggs, wheat, and soy."

*Alemendra Blanca in English means "white almond." Most cacao beans (roughly the size of a chunky brownish almond on the outside) are purplish or reddish on the inside when you cut beans open.

However, Alemendra Blanca beans from Tabasco, Mexico, are closer to ivory or white in color on the inside; and these beans have a unique and prized flavor profile--often with some boldness/fruit, while still being relatively smooth. E.g., today's 70% Chontalpa bar tasted more like a dark 60-65% cacao bar with some authentic fruit candy and roasted notes.

Cluizel - Plantation Mokaya Grand Cru Chiapas 75% Cacao Chocolat Noir (bar) - July 5, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Cluizel Paris
Plantation Mokaya Grand Cru Chiapas 75% Cacao Chocolat Noir (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.46 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 203 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $19.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: World Wide Chocolate, online order 

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

Today's Plantation Mokaya Grand Cru Chiapas 75% Cacao Chocolat Noir (bar) was from Cluizel (Paris, France). Cluizel is a third-generation, French chocolate maker that's been manufacturing chocolates since 1948.

The cacao used to make this bar was from a plantation (farm) in Chiapas--the southernmost state in Mexico.

Aroma and flavor notes for this bar included: smooth, chocolate-y dark chocolate enriched by faint, soft and diffuse fruits (red fruit, stone fruits (peach, nectarine), very mild mango, banana and cacao fruit); very gentle (balanced) earth; and very faint botanicals and nuts.

Texture: smooth dark chocolate

I liked the faint and diffuse, naturally sweet and complex fruit notes; the very faint and well-balanced cocoa and earth notes; and the very faint botanical and nut (vanilla, almond) notes. (Note: there were just three ingredients in this chocolate, and no added vanilla listed on the packaging.) I also appreciated the short list of ingredients, and lack of soy or other lecithins or additives.

This was a 75% cacao dark chocolate but with balanced bitterness and pleasing, subtle characteristics. No harsh notes.

Maker's Tasting Notes: "Notes of Freshness, Exotic Fruits, Honey, Roasted Almonds and Hazelnuts, Roasted and Peppery Fine Cocoa, Vanilla."

Ingredients: Cocoa from plantation Mokaya* (Mexico), cane sugar*, cocoa butter*.

Allergen-related information: "Product made in a workshop using shelled tree nuts, milk and gluten."

Cuna de Piedra - 73% Mexican Cacao from Comalcalco - July 4, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Cuna de Piedra
73% Mexican Cacao from Comalcalco, Tabasco (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.05 oz. (30 g.) / 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 100 calories in 1/2 bar (per label)
Cost: $10.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Caputo's, online order

Welcome to Day #10 of Chocolate & Mexico Theme Week.

Today's 73% Mexican Cacao from Comalcalco, Tabasco (bar) was from Cuna de Piedra* (Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico).

The company is an "homage to Mexican Cacao." And the cacao used to make this bar was from a "single estate bean from a single grower, Malaquias (farm) in the Tabasco region where "several hundred cacao trees coexist with wild black pepper vines and various citrus species." (The cacao beans were part of a "Rainy Season, Harvest 2024".)

Aroma and flavor notes for this chocolate included: dark chocolate (rich and chocolate-y/dark cocoa), very faint earth in the aroma, in the beginning; and very faint but also very balanced bitter flavor toward the end.  

I enjoyed this flavorful, balanced and lightly sweetened dark chocolate. I admired the subtle complexity: diffuse fruit (citrus, dried fruit and barely detectable red fruit), and diverse, well executed very faint dark cacao notes, including barely detectable, balanced earth/olive, and sweet green (young walnuts in syrup)). And I appreciated the thoughtful sourcing and the short list of only two, quality ingredients.

Ingredients: Cacao beans, Cane sugar.

Allergen-related information: "Manufactured in a facility that processes wheat, milk, soy, peanuts, tree nuts and eggs."

*The company name Cuna de Piedra translates to "cradle of stone."