Dandelion Chocolate - Lemon Lavender & Yuzu Lychee - Apr. 10, 2026

Chocolate(s) of the Day

Dandelion Chocolate
Petrova Chocolates Garden Party Collection (assortment box)
1.) Lemon Lavender - Good ++
2.) Yuzu Lychee - Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 1.67 oz. (47.4 g.) / 6.7 oz. (193 g.) in total box of 16 chocolates
Calories: 270 calories (estimate) in 4 chocolates 
Cost: $79 (estimate) for 1 box
Purchased from: Dandelion Chocolate, SF Ferry Building, San Francisco, CA

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

Today's Petrova Chocolates Garden Party Collection from Dandelion Chocolate (San Francisco, CA) was a collaboration with Betty Petrova, of Petrova Chocolates (Boston, MA). 

The collection featured 8 different flavors (2 pieces each), covered in 70% House Blend dark chocolate from Dandelion (cocoa beans, organic cane sugar). Below are the two* lovelies I selected today.

Lemon Lavender

Aroma notes: gentle sweet citrus (lemon) and lilting lavender floral 

Texture: firm dark chocolate silky soft and smooth centers 

Flavor notes: balanced, tangy lemon and gentle lavender 

I enjoyed the authentic lemon and lavender flavors and the overall balance with the chocolate. The lavender used was organic Bulgarian lavender. I also liked the subtle complexity and the fact this filled chocolate didn't seem overly sweet.

Yuzu Lychee

Aroma and flavor notes included: very subtle, jammy, tart sweet citrus (yuzu) and slightly floral, fruit (lychee). These two fruit flavors harmonized perfectly and the bright, floral notes in the lychee made the whole blend sing.

Texture: Thin firm, dark chocolate shell contained silky, soft ganache filling.

I enjoyed this chocolate a lot. And I appreciated the quality of the Dandelion chocolate and other ingredients in this spring collection.

*I was unable to try the Pistachio Rose; Blood Orange & Black Sesame; Concord Grape Tart flavors in this assortment as they contained wheat/praline/. (Thankfully that limitation saved me from eating too many.)

Allergen-related information: The overall assortment contained at least some pieces with wheat or sesame.

Fossa Chocolate -54% Dark Milk Full Bloom (bar) - Apr. 9, 2026

Chocolate of the Day

Fossa Chocolate
54% Dark Milk Full Bloom (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++ 
Weight: 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 137 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $18.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Chocolate Dispensary, online order 

Welcome to Day #1 of Chocolate & Flowers Theme Week. 

Today's 54% Dark Milk Full Bloom (bar) was crafted by Fossa Chocolate (Singapore), in collaboration with Lim Joo Huat Enterprise (wholesale produce distributor).

The makers used "fruity Filipino cacao" to make this flower bar.

Aroma and flavor notes included: subtle, well-balanced, dark milk chocolate (warm fruit (very faint rum raisin)) and aromatic but gentle and authentic floral (geranium, violet, rose). 

Texture: This well-tempered dark milk chocolate broke with a snap, and had a wonderfully creamy, lush melt and mouthfeel. 

I enjoyed the sophisticated, warm floral and cacao immersion experience in this chocolate and the delicate and tender (real) flowers on the back of the bar. They were in perfect shape (without being heavily sugared/candied) -- a rare thing to find.

I admit I am biased. I love well-executed floral chocolates and tea chocolates with gentle floral notes. And Fossa Chocolate offers some of the best versions of tea and floral chocolates on the planet right now.

Maker's Tasting Notes: "Creamy, floral chocolate with edible flowers"

Ingredients: Cacao, cane sugar, cocoa butter, milk powder, edible flowers, geranium oil

Allergen-related information: Produced in a facility that processes nuts & dairy. 

Kakoa - 62% Cacao Tuzantan Chiapas Mexico - Coffee & Oat Milk (bar) - April 8, 2026

 Chocolate of the Day

Kakoa
62% Cacao Tuzantan Chiapas Mexico (bar) with Coffee, Oat Milk (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 2.11 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 327 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $13.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar & Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #23 of Chocolate & Mexico Theme Week(s).

Today's 62% Cacao Tuzantan Chiapas Mexico Coffee & Oat Milk (bar) (Batch #2814) was made by Kakoa (Rio Chico, Mexico City, Mexico). 

Aroma notes for this Special Edition bar included: dark chocolate; very faint, fleeting vegetable (nopales) and vinegar as well as very subtle dark/dried fruit/fruit acidity, coffee, and barely there honey, rice/oat and very faint mineral water.

Flavor notes: After letting the bar sit unwrapped for a few minutes, I tasted this bar. Any of the vegetable/vinegar notes that were in the initial aroma had dissipated, and I enjoyed the interplay between the authentic, and nuanced, rich coffee and cacao flavors. And the more I tasted, the more I liked this bar.

Texture: smooth melt with some astringency and tiny flecks of ground beans (coffee and maybe cacao). 

The very tiny pieces of crunchy coffee bean were a bit tough; but more intact pieces can help preserve some of the taste. (Pulverizing coffee to dust can reduce coffee flavor more quickly over time; while the cocoa butter in a tempered chocolate bar does help lock in flavors.)

The ground oats were subtle, and helped mellow and unite flavors; but they didn't have the physical smoothness of milk. (It's very difficult to replicate the creamy texture of dairy milk with just one ingredient.) Happily, I could not taste any oats; their incorporation was skillfully executed. 

I appreciated that this 62% bar wasn't overly sweet, and the short list of four quality ingredients, including single origin Mexican cacao from Tuzantan, Chiapas, Mexico.

Ingredients: Cocoa Beans, Sugar, Oats and Coffee 

Allergen-related information: May contain milk and tree nuts. (Manufactured in a facility that also processes milk and tree nuts.)

 

Hijita - Marranito Spice - 70% Dark Chocolate Filled with Ginger & Spice Infused Almond Butter (bar) - April 7, 2026

Chocolate of the Day

Hijita
Marranito Spice - 70% Dark Chocolate Filled with Ginger & Spice Infused Almond Butter (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (56 g.) bar
Calories: 160 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $16.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Hijita, online order 

Welcome to Day #22 of Chocolate & Mexico Theme Week(s).

Today's Marranito Spice - 70% Dark Chocolate Filled with Ginger & Spice Almond Butter (bar) was manufactured by Hijita, LLC (in Austin, TX). 

The company collaborates with "farm and artisan partners in Mexico" and focuses on "preserving and showcasing Mexican Heirloom and Regenerative Cacao."

Today's bar was inspired by "Ashley's* favorite Mexican pan dulce"--the marranito (or puerquito)--"a classic pig-shaped gingerbread cookie."

Aroma and flavor notes for this single origin cacao, nut butter filled bar included: dark chocolate (deep, chocolate-y, slightly roasted), nut (almond butter) and warm spices (cinnamon, light ginger, vanilla).

As with other Hijita offerings, this was chocolate "art" in the form of a geometric, multidimensional, faceted sculpture. It was not your average, rectangular, flat chocolate bar (tableta, tablette).

Texture: smooth, well-tempered chocolate and authentic nut (almond) butter 

I appreciated the maker's choice to have the dark chocolate still be the star here. (This filled chocolate wasn't overly sweet or spicy.) 

I also liked the short list of quality, locally-sourced ingredients including single origin cacao from Mexico. The judicious use of less refined cane sugar added subdued, warm sweetness and allowed me to further enjoy the cacao and subtle warm spice and almond flavors.

Ingredients: Mexican Cacao*, Almonds*, Cacao Butter*, Unrefined Cane Sugar*, Diaspora Co. Basiya Ginger, Mexican Cinnamon, Mexican Allspice, Mexican Vanilla Bean, Mexican Sea Salt; Less than 1%: Cocoa Butter Coloring (Cocoa Butter, Natural Colors) (* = Certified Organic)

Allergen-related information: Contains: Almond. Made in a Facility That Processes Peanuts & Tree Nuts

*Ashley Ugarte founded Hijita. (Ashley also formerly served as a chocolatier at bean-to-bar maker Dandelion Chocolate (San Francisco, CA.)

Hijita - 70% Agua Escondida Trinitario (bar) - Apr. 6, 2026

Chocolate of the Day

Hijita
70% Agua Escondida Trinitario (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (56 g.) bar
Calories: 170 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $16.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Hijita, online order 

Welcome to Day #21 of Chocolate & Mexico Theme Week(s).

Today's 70% Agua Escondida Trinitario (bar) was from Hijita, LLC (Austin, TX).

The cacao used to make this bar came from a single estate: Agua Escondida in Comalcalco, Tabasco, MX. 

Aroma and flavor notes included: rich, satisfying, relatively dark chocolate with a balanced boldness; some dark berry--and mild-to-moderate fruit acidity--and a faint roasted (almond, wood) taste toward the finish.

As with other Hijita offerings, this was chocolate "art" in the form of a geometric, multidimensional sculpture. It was not your average, rectangular, flat chocolate bar (tableta, tablette).

Texture: smooth, well-tempered chocolate

I enjoyed this rich dark 70% chocolate with a faint undercurrent of dark fruit (sweet black currant, ripe blackberry, blueberry).

And I appreciated the short list of (just three) quality, locally-sourced ingredients. The use of piloncillo (think brown sugar) added a subtle, attractive warmth and depth to the sweetness and still let the cacao flavors shine through.

Maker's Tasting Notes: Blueberry, Molasses, Almond

Ingredients: Cacao*, Piloncillo,* Cacao Butter (* = Sourced Direct from Agroforestry Farms in Mexico)

Chocolatl - Chocolate con Leche Milk Chocolate 65% Cacao (bar) - April 5, 2026

 Chocolate of the Day

Chocolatl 
Chocolate con Leche Milk Chocolate 65% Cacao (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 183 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $N/A - gift from colleague
Purchased from: N/A - gift from colleague; thank you Sean!

Welcome to Day #20 of Chocolate & Mexico Theme Week(s).

Today's Chocolatl Chocolate con Leche Milk Chocolate (bar) was made in Mexico and distributed by Chocolatl (Magdalena Apasco, Oaxaca, Mexico).

Aroma and flavor notes included: dark milk chocolate (balanced, sweet, chocolate-y, pleasant hot cocoa) 

Texture: well-tempered (broke with a snap in a cool room), smooth, slightly creamy, with an even, melt.

Nothing scary in this bar; it was low in bitterness, acidity and astringency. And there seemed to be a natural sweetness to the cacao as well.

I appreciated the short list of just four ingredients, and the ingredients from Oaxaca, Mexico.

Ingredients: Cacao, Cacao Butter, Sugar, Milk.  

Allergen-related information: Contains Milk. Manufactured in a Facility That Also Processes Milk and Almonds.

 

Kokoa - 75% Cacao Criollo Cacahoatan Chiapas Mexico (bar) - Apr. 4, 2026

Chocolate of the Day

Kakoa
75% Cacao Criollo Cacahoatan, Chiapas, Mexico (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 2.11 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 327 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $13.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar & Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #19 of Chocolate & Mexico Theme Week(s).

Today's 75% Cacao Criollo Cacahoatan, Chiapas, Mexico (bar) was made by Kakoa (Rio Chico, Mexico City, Mexico). 

Aroma and flavor notes included: dark chocolate, citrus fruit (sweet, ripe orange; sweet tangerine), faint brown sugar/spice and very faint nut/wood.

Texture: relatively smooth dark chocolate with a satisfying melt

I really enjoyed the aromatic and authentic orange notes and the subtle brown sugar. The 75% cacao chocolate was relatively dark but the sweet citrus notes conjured up an upbeat, slightly tart-sweet refreshing orange fruitiness. 

I appreciated the short list of (just two) quality ingredients, and the single origin Mexican cacao from Finca La Rioja, Cacahoatan, Chiapas in southeastern Mexico. This farm has been producing cacao for five generations, and has cultivated a special strain of (White) Porcelana cacao.

Maker's Tasting Notes: Fruity with notes of orange (Afrutado con notas a naranja)

Ingredients: Cocoa Beans and Brown Sugar

Allergen-related information: May contain milk and tree nuts. (Manufactured in a facility that also processes milk and tree nuts.)