Maeve - Kettle Chips Dark & Milk Chocolate Truffle Bar - Sept. 9, 2026

Chocolate(s) of the Day

Maeve 
Kettle Chips Dark & Milk Chocolate Truffle Bar
Good ++ 
Weight: 1.25 oz. (35 g.) / 2.5 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 190 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $6.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: FarmFresh, online order 

Welcome to Day #12 of Savory Chocolates Theme Week and Day #2 of Chocolate Banquet Birthday Celebration Week, featuring two chocolates each day.

Today's Maeve Kettle Chips Dark & Milk Chocolate Truffle Bar was from Seattle Chocolate Co. (Seattle, CA).

Aroma and flavor notes included smooth, creamy dark chocolate and even creamier milk chocolate, as well as some glimmers of salt and potato chip(s).

Texture - a thin dark chocolate coating surrounded by a soft and creamy, milk chocolate truffle filling and a tiny bit of crunchy potato chip bit texture. 

I enjoyed this (second of two potato chip chocolate bars featured today. I enjoyed the layering of dark and milk chocolate in this one, and the (for me) just right touch of salt that helped balance the sweetness.

Ingredients: milk chocolate (cane sugar, whole milk powder, cocoa butter*, cocoa mass*, organic soy lecithin, natural vanilla), organic dark chocolate (cocoa mass, cane sugar, cocoa butter, soy lecithin, vanilla), kettle chips (potatoes, safflower oil and/or sunflower oil, sea salt), coconut oil, sea salt.

Allergen-related information: Contains milk and soy.

BOHO Chocolate - Milk Chocolate + Potato Chips (bar) - Sept. 9, 2026

Chocolate of The Day

BOHO Chocolate
Milk Chocolate + Potato Chips (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.38 oz. (43 g.) /3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 230 calories in 1 serving (approx. 1/2 bar)
Cost: $10.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Dispensary, online order

Welcome to Day #12 of Savory Chocolates Theme Week--featuring two chocolate bars with potato/kettle chips. (See next entry for the second bar--a Kettle Chips Dark & Milk Chocolate Truffle Bar.)

Today's Milk Chocolate + Potato Chips Chocolate (bar) was from BOHO Chocolate (Florence, MA). The company offers single origin bars as well as some with flavor inclusions.

The dominant flavor in this generously-sized bar was the relatively rich, smooth-flavored, milk chocolate. The potato chips pieces added a crunchy texture and a light touch of salt and starch.

Ingredients: "Organic cane sugar, organic cacao beans, organic cocoa butter, organic milk, non-GMO potatoes, safflower and/or sunflower and/or canola oil, sea salt"

Allergen-related information: Soy Free, Gluten Free, Non-GMO

 

Fossa - Bak Kut Teh 68% Dark (bar) & A Very Special Chocolate Souffle - Sept. 8, 2026

Chocolate of The Day

Fossa Chocolate 

Bak Kut Teh 68% Dark (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 137.25 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $18.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Dispensary

Welcome to Day #11 of Savory Chocolate Theme Week, featuring a main course* and a special chocolate souffle dessert (see below).

Today's Bak Kut Teh* 68% Dark chocolate was from Fossa Chocolate (Singapore). This bar was inspired by a meat soup--seasoned with the same spices that were infused into this chocolate.

Aroma and flavor notes included: fragrant pepper, warm spices (cinnamon, star anise, almost coriander); savory spices (subtle garlic and sea salt); and very smooth dark chocolate (made using fudgy Bolivian cacao from Alto Beni).

All of these flavors showed up in perfect proportions to conjure up the experience of Bak Kut Teh soup.

For those like me who appreciate sweet and savory, I recommend trying this chocolate. This is yet another Fossa Chocolate bar with very balanced, thoughtful and high-quality chocolate and flavor inclusions. 

The company also crafts many single origin chocolates with specialty tea, flower, fruit and sweet dessert flavors. For those who love to be transported by food, Fossa's chocolate and Asian-inspired flavor blends offer a wonderful virtual journey to Singapore and beyond.

Texture: smooth texture with an even and satisfying melt and mouthfeel.

I enjoyed the gently complex and authentic soup flavors; the "just right" balance of sweet and savory; and the short list of quality and single origin ingredients.

Maker's Tasting Notes: "Comforting and nourishing spices with a garlicky and peppery finish"

Ingredients: "Cacao (Bolivia), cane sugar, cacao butter, Sarawak white pepper, (Indonesian) black pepper, star anise, cinnamon, garlic, Himalayan pink salt" 

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

*Bak Kut Teh is an aromatic meat soup that can be found in Malaysia, Singapore and southeastern (Fujian) China. Roughly translated into English the name would be: Pork Rib Soup or Pork Bone Tea Soup. (Ribs are simmered for a long time, in broth and seasoned with the same spices as those included in today's chocolate bar.)

A Very Special Chocolate Souffle 

Chocolate souffles look simple, but they are notoriously difficult to get just right. Slam an over door too hard, and you might deflate the souffle. Fail to butter the sides of a ramekin just so and the souffle may fail to rise evenly. All the more reason to extend special thanks for the chocolate souffle made by friends this evening.

Thank you to Evan, Maddy and Isla for the delicious chocolate souffle prepared in their kitchen to celebrate my birthday, retirement, and the 20th year of Chocolate Banquet this week. 

My heartfelt thanks to the whole family who generously made sure I was well-provisioned with gluten free chocolate cupcakes and this wonderful chocolate souffle--that was accompanied by some impressive sides: chocolate sauce, apricot jam and homemade fennel ice cream. Very special chocolates enjoyed with friends. Thank you!

Kessho - Lamb Skewer Goat Milk 60% Cacao Semuliki Forest Uganda (bar) - Sept. 7, 2026

Chocolate of The Day

Kessho Craft Chocolate 
Lamb Skewer Goat Milk 60% Cacao Semuliki Forest Uganda (bar)
Good ++
Weight: .7 oz. (20 g.) / 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 116.1 calories in 1/3 bar
Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Kessho, online order 

Welcome to Day #10 of Savory Chocolates Theme Week.  

Today's Kessho Craft Chocolate Lamb Skewer* Goat Milk 60% Cacao Semuliki Forest Uganda (bar) was handcrafted in Austin, TX and distributed by Kessho, LLC (Austin, TX).

Aroma notes for this goat milk bar included: goat (milk), cumin, lemon pepper and very faint garlic and chili; and subtle chocolate.

Flavor notes included: smooth, creamy dark milk chocolate (chocolate-y) with savory and spicy, cumin-forward barbecue rub (without the rub; there was no spice grit). Full bodied flavors and a bit of spicy heat lingered and eventually tailed off into a pleasant, clean finish.

Texture: creamy dark milk chocolate. (The seasonings were fully incorporated into the chocolate so there were no detectable spice particles.)

This was a fun, flavorful bar to try. It was well executed and successfully captured the makers' memories* that inspired this bar. 

It was spicy, but not objectionably so; and the overall spice blend with the goat milk and single origin Uganda cacao was very effective. 

I love being transported when I taste chocolate. The goat milk and spices had me thinking I was strolling through a street market in Beijing smelling those lamb skewers. (To complete this virtual travel experience, I paired this bar with a Kessho recommended West China Tea ("Sticky Rice" Pu'er tea) the makers had sold as a pairing item with this bar last year. Very nice.)

Maker's Tasting Notes: "A balanced mix of goat milk, cumin and subtle heat from chili peppers"

Ingredients: "Whole cacao beans, sugar, cocoa butter, goat milk powder, cumin powder, chili powder"

Allergen-related information: "Contains goat milk" "Made in a facility that also processes milk, tree nuts, wheat, sesame and eggs"

*"...This chocolate was inspired by late nights in Beijing, where you can smell roasting lamb skewers as street vendors fan the flames of long coal grills. We start with Ugandan cacao, grind it with creamy goat milk, and season it, lamb-skewer style, with cumin and chili peppers. This is a bar to remember."

The Organic House - Tomato Basil 70% Cacao Belize Maya Mountain (bar) - Sept. 6, 2026

Chocolate of The Day

The Organic House
Tomato Basil 70% Cacao Belize Maya Mountain (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 1.94 oz. (55 g.) in total bar
Calories: 170 calories in 30 g. (1 serving) of bar
Cost: $14.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Dispensary, online order 

Welcome to Day #9 of Chocolate and Savory Flavors Theme Week. 

Today's Tomato Basil 70% Cacao Belize Maya Mountain (bar) was from The Organic House (Burlington, ON, Canada). 

Aroma and flavor additions for this unique chocolate included: a harmonious blend of quality cacao from Belize (balanced, gentle complexity with very faint fruit notes); dried tomato (late summer sweet, ripe tomato bits). 

The Maya Mountain Cacao beans behind this chocolate enabled a tasty, balanced complexity. And the dark chocolate partnered well with the basil and tomato.

Texture: well-tempered, smooth, base dark chocolate that broke with a snap and had a satisfying melt and mouthfeel--accompanied by chewy bits of dried tomato.

After many spicy savory bars this week, I enjoyed this gently sweet and salty chocolate with subtle, fresh and authentic basil--a mint family member associated with savory dishes.

Maker's Tasting Notes: "Fresh basil ground into chocolate, with tiny pieces of sundried tomatoes"

Ingredients: "Organic cacao beans, Organic coconut flower nectar, Organic cacao butter, Sun-dried tomatoes, Organic basil, Organic sea salt."

Allergen-related information: Made in a facility that uses tree nuts. "May contain Almonds, Cashews, Hazelnuts, Oats, Pecans, Pistachios."

* Maya Mountain Cacao is a centralized fermentary located in Southern Belize that works with 350+ certified local cacao farmers and supplies craft chocolate makers like The Organic House with high-quality cacao.

 

Kessho - Sichuan Hot Pot Dark Chocolate 62% Cacao (bar) - Sept. 5, 2026

Chocolate of The Day

Kessho
Sichuan Hot Pot Dark Chocolate 62% Cacao (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.12 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 172.5 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Dispensary, online order

Welcome to Day #8 of Savory Chocolates Theme Week.  

Today's Sichuan Hot Pot Dark Chocolate 62% Cacao (bar) was handcrafted in Austin, TX, and distributed by Kessho, LLC (Austin, TX).

Aroma and flavor notes for this bar included: aromatic and flavorful Sichuan green peppercorns, light toasty/nutty (sesame seeds), dark chocolate, and a bit of chili heat at the end. 

The Sichuan peppercorns left my mouth tingling--what I expected. But they also had a delicate side: a pleasing, almost floral, clean green flavor.

Texture: smooth, almost velvety dark chocolate with some gentle texture from the layer of sesame seeds pressed into the back side.

The textures and flavors were authentic and balanced; and the savory flavors were relatively subtle. (The salt level was more subtle (less) than expected.)

I appreciated this successful take on a dish with complex elements, and the maker's choice of a single origin cacao: from the Semuliki Forest in Uganda.

Maker's Tasting Notes: "Umami, toasted sesame, nutty spice, numbing pepper. Heat level: mild, flavor-forward"

Ingredients: "Whole cocoa beans, sugar, cocoa butter, roasted white sesame seeds, fermented black beans, Sichuan green pepper powder, chili powder, sea salt"

Allergen-related information: "Made in a facility that also processes tree nuts, wheat, sesame and eggs."

Fossa Chocolate - 64% Dark Milk Black Truffle (bar) - Sept. 4, 2026

Chocolate of The Day

Fossa Chocolate
64% Dark Milk Black Truffle (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 140.5 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $14.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Caputo's, online order 

Welcome to Day #7 of Savory Chocolates Theme Week.  

Today's 64% Dark Milk Black Truffle (bar) was made by Fossa Chocolate (Singapore). Fungi like mushrooms and truffles are rich in umami (glutamate) flavors--that overlap with savory flavors.

Aroma and flavor notes for this black truffle bar included: aromatic, slightly earthy black truffle, and soft dark chocolate (cocoa).  

Texture: soft, velvety dark chocolate with a crunchy feuilletine bits (like finely ground, fresh and light vanilla wafer crumbs).

I found this bar addicting. The textures and flavors were very well balanced and executed. The black truffle was authentic (and perhaps the boldest flavor in this bar). I also appreciated the short list of quality ingredients and single origin cacao. 

Maker's Tasting Notes: "...reminiscent of damp undergrowth, earth, humus and mushrooms...Infused into floral Ecuadorian Costa Esmeraldas dark milk chocolate and mixed with crispy feuilletine..." 

Ingredients: Cacao, cane sugar, cacao butter, milk powder, truffle oil (sunflower oil, black truffle), feuilletine (wheat flour, sugar, butter, salt), sea salt

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