Tres Gallos Chocolate - 70% Dark Mezcalita (Beans from India) (bar) - Sept. 20, 2026

Chocolate of The Day 

Tres Gallos Chocolate
70% Dark Mezcalita (Beans from India) (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (56.6 g.) in total bar
Calories: 160 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $14.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Xocolatl Garden, Carmel, CA 

Welcome to Day #2 of Chocolate & India Theme Week.

Today's 70% Dark Mezcalita India (bar) was from Tres Gallos Chocolate (San Jose, CA and Pescadero Baja Sur, Mexico). The woman-owned and family-run company has been making micro-batch, single origin chocolates since 2018.

Aroma and flavor notes included dark chocolate (balanced, ultra-dark chocolate-y flavor), zesty citrus (lime), and subtle mezcal and salt.

I appreciated the relatively short list of ingredients and choice of organic cacao beans and sugar.

Ingredients: Organic cocoa beans, organic sugar, cocoa butter, trace amounts of mezcal, lime zest, Oaxacan salt.

Allergen-related information: None listed

Dandelion Chocolate - 70% Rio Samaria, Mexico 2026 Harvest (bar) + 70% Anamalai, India 2022 Harvest (bar) - Sept. 19, 2026

Chocolate(s) of The Day

Dandelion Chocolate

70% Rio Samaria, Mexico 2026 Harvest (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) / 2 oz. (56 g.) in total bar
Calories: 155 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $13.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Dandelion Chocolate, SF Ferry Building, San Francisco, CA 

70% Anamalai, India, 2022 Harvest (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) / 2 oz. (56 g.) in total bar
Calories: 155 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $N/A - gift from friends
Purchased from: N/A - part of Maker's Set gift from friends (Thank you Evan, Maddy & Isla!)

Welcome to the last day of Chocolate Banquet 20th Anniversary Theme Week, and Day #1 of Chocolate & India Theme Week. 

Dandelion Chocolate (San Francisco, CA) makes small-batch, bean-to-bar, single origin chocolate bars using just two ingredients: cocoa beans and cane sugar--as well as drinking chocolates and confections. Dandelion was one of the first San Francisco Bay Area local makers I met and visited. Over the years, they expanded to multiple locations in San Francisco, and have cafe/retail spaces in Las Vegas and Japan; but they've still have maintained their small batch roots, and focus on flavors.

70% Rio Samaria, Mexico (bar)

Aroma and flavor notes for one of the newest single origin chocolates in Dandelion's line included: dark chocolate with enjoyable plum fruit and malt, with a mild astringency. Loved the plum flavor.

Maker's tasting notes: "We taste plum jam, champurrado, and tobacco leaf."

Ingredients: Cocoa Beans & Cane Sugar

Allergen-related information: None listed.

70% Anamalai, India (bar)

Aroma and flavor notes included: dark chocolate, sweet citrus (kumquat, tangerine) and green tea latte. Nice vibrant but balanced flavor ride.

Maker's tasting notes: "We taste notes of kumquat and Hojicha milk tea."

Ingredients: Cocoa Beans & Cane Sugar

Allergen-related information: None listed.

Ghirardelli Chocolate Company - Premium Baking Non Dairy 52% Cacao Dark Chocolate Chips - Sept. 18, 2026

Chocolate of The Day

Ghirardelli Chocolate Company
Premium Baking Non-Dairy 52% Cacao Dark Chocolate Chips
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 10 oz. (283 g.) in total package 
Calories: 140 calories in 2 servings (30 g.)
Cost: $6.99 for 1 package 
Purchased from: Safeway, Menlo Park, CA

Welcome to Day #11 of Chocolate Banquet 20th Birthday Celebration Theme Week, featuring several chocolates that have been enabling this chocolate journey for a very long time.

Ghirardelli Chocolate was one of the revered chocolate "elders" when I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area. It had its own "building" (with roots that extended back to the 1850s) that served ice cream and chocolate by the San Francisco Bay.* I have sweet memories of being treated to towering chocolate ice cream sundaes on an upper floor of Ghirardelli Square overlooking the Bay, within easy walking distance of Fisherman's Wharf.

The first Ghirardelli chocolate featured on this Chocolate Banquet site was in November 2006; but I'd been enjoying their chocolate long before then in stealth form (as part of other people's baked goods, or in ice cream sundaes).

Today, I ate some of these chocolate chips fresh out of the package; and they also were melted and made into chocolate cups (that will be filled with ice cream, fruits and other dessert items).

Aroma and flavor notes for today's Ghirardelli Premium Baking Non-Dairy 52% Cacao Dark Chocolate Chips included: sweet dark chocolate with very faint brown sugar and vanilla, that lingered into a clean, sweet, almost bright and fruity, chocolate-y finish--a sweetness consistent with those vanilla and chocolate ice cream sundaes with lots of chocolate sauce, probably topped with a cherry or two.

Ingredients: Unsweetened chocolate, cane sugar, cocoa butter, soy lecithin, vanilla extract

Allergen-related information: "Manufactured on equipment that also processes milk."

*Domenico Ghirardelli (1817-1894) came to San Francisco (via South America) during the California Gold Rush. He was from Italy (where he had some early exposure to chocolate and trained as a confectioner). He first worked in South America (and changed his name to Domingo) before heading up to the gold fields and opening a general store in Stockton, followed by business locations in San Francisco.

Ghirardelli saw (and helped create) a market for chocolate when he arrived in San Francisco, as would Etienne Guittard a few years later.

Ghirardelli Chocolate Company (San Leandro, CA) is now owned by Lindt. The original family hasn't owned the company since the 1960s; but it's nice to see the business is still thriving in the Bay Area.

Guittard - 72% Cacao Coconut Sugar Sante Mini Dark Chocolate Chips - Sept. 17, 2026

Chocolate of The Day

Guittard
72% Cacao Coconut Sugar Sante - Mini Dark Chocolate Chips
Good ++ - Good+++
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 9 oz. (255 g.) in total package
Calories: 140 calories in 2 servings
Cost: $8.99 (sale) for 1 package
Purchased from: Safeway, Menlo Park, CA 

Welcome to Day #10 of Chocolate Banquet 20th Year Anniversary Celebration Week, featuring several local San Francisco Bay Area chocolate makers who've made this adventure possible over the long haul.

The latest wave of bean-to-bar makers in the Bay Area is discussed a lot. But two of the oldest chocolate makers in the Bay Area date back to the 1800s: Guittard* and Ghirardelli--both makers and suppliers of premium chocolate. 

Today's 72% Cacao Coconut Sugar Santee Mini Dark Chocolate Chips were from Guittard Chocolate Co. (Burlingame, CA). 

Guittard formulates high-end chocolate for professionals as well as home bakers, with many uses, including: couverture chocolate(s) used by chocolatiers and chefs; as well as chocolate bars and chocolate chips. 

The first Guittard chocolate listed on Chocolate Banquet was an Ambanja Bittersweet 65% Madagascar bar in June 2007. However, chocolates made by others (using Guittard chocolate) appeared within weeks of when this blog started in 2006. (Some chocolatiers kept this secret; others were very proud to tell you they used Guittard.)

All Guittard chocolates (for me) over the past 20 years have been tasty a la carte, right out of the package. For dark chocolate fans, there's no need to wait to bake a chocolate cake to try these.

I found today's three-ingredient, sante ("health") mini dark chocolate chips sweetened with coconut sugar in the baking section of a local supermarket. There was only one pretty, shiny, silver blue bag left. (I think that's because they were quite good.) I ate some plain, used some in a trail mix; and plan to use leftovers to make a high-end, chocolate dessert in a solar cooker.

Aroma and flavor notes for today's mini chocolate chips included: rich, chocolate-y flavor (that extended into the finish) with subtle coconut sugar/nectar (brown sugar) and faint, pleasant vanilla. 

Texture: smooth, firm texture with a satisfying melt (when eaten out of hand, fresh out of the bag).

These mini dark chocolate chips would add little pops of rich chocolate and warm, toasty brown sugar/toffee flavor to cookies, brownies, and a whole host of chocolate desserts. And, as mentioned, no need to muss up that kitchen with all that baking; they were great by themselves and added to a trail mix.

I also appreciated these were safe for people with allergies and health-related issues. They were "free from 14 allergies and sensitivities," including: soy, peanuts, tree nuts, and gluten. And they were Fair Trade Certified as well as dairy-free and Certified Vegan.

Ingredients: Cacao Beans+, Organic Coconut Sugar* (from the nectar of coconut trees), and Vanilla (+Fair Trade Certified; *Organic)

Allergen-related information: "Free from 14 common allergens" including soy, peanuts, tree nuts and gluten. (Contained coconut sugar; no refined cane sugar.)

*Etienne Guittard arrived in San Francisco during the Gold Rush in the mid-1800s and saw the potential demand for fine chocolate. He set up a chocolate shop on Sansome Street in 1868, and was one of the first chocolate makers in San Francisco. 

And the company is still family-owned (and operated), more than 150 years later. No small feat.

 

Recchiuti Confections - No. 9 Box - Assortment of milk and dark truffles - Sept. 16, 2026

Chocolate(s) of The Day

Recchiuti Confections
"No. 9 Box" - 9-Piece Chocolate Assortment (box)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 4.1 oz. (115 g.) in 1 box of 9 pieces
Calories: 585 calories (per label) in 9 pieces
Cost: $32.00 for 1 box of 9 pieces
Purchased from: Recchiuti Confections, SF Ferry Building, San Francisco, CA

Welcome to Day #9 of Chocolate Banquet's 20th Anniversary Celebration Week--featuring chocolates primarily from San Francisco Bay Area companies that helped make this adventure possible early on.

As mentioned previously this week, there were many fewer bean-to-bar craft chocolate makers in 2006. But, thankfully, several trained chocolatiers and chefs also started offering bean-to-bar chocolate confections.

Michael Recchiuti began creating and making chocolates and confections in San Francisco in 1997. (Recchiuti also briefly had a space in Dogpatch called the Chocolate Lab which was great fun--a showcase for creative chocolate and culinary talent. The inside had a classy black and white design/decor. Liquids were often served in chemistry beakers vs. typical glass pitchers.)

The first Recchiuti Confections chocolate featured on this site (a ginger chocolate heart) on September 17, 2006 -- was only six days after Chocolate Banquet started.

No. 9 Box flavor descriptions

In honor of Day #9 of this celebratory theme week, I tried Recchiuti's "No. 9 Box"--a 9-piece dark and milk chocolate assortment box with the following flavors:

1.) Triple Sesame Praline - roasted sesame seeds from Japan folded into milk chocolate hazelnut ganache, finished with a dark chocolate blend

2.) Coconut Marzipan - "...flavors of coconut made into marzipan"...lime zest; a 45% cacao milk signature blend

3.) Framboise Strata - bright, fruity "raspberry gelee atop a creamy dark chocolate ganache..."

4.) Banana Caramel - pureed banana flavor folded into rich caramel

5.) Citrus - kalamansi (citrus) puree in a "blended chocolate ganache"

6.) Rosemary Olive - "lemony, pine-like flavor" of rosemary with "a hint of peppery sage finish" with olives, under a dark chocolate coating

7.) Maple Pecan Praline - sweet caramel-like maple syrup with pecan praline ganache topped with a toasted pecan and more chocolate

8.) Currant Cognac - "Zante currants marinated in Cognac, blended into a dark and milk chocolate ganache...coated with dark chocolate"

10.) Cappuccino - "San Francisco coffee roaster, Linea's, 'Little Wing' blend infused into cream, butter & 45% dark milk chocolate "(lends) a "cappuccino-like richness to this mocha truffle."

When I asked about new/single origin flavors, I was told that the company is now using Valrhona chocolate (vs. single origin cacao chocolates they may have used previously).

I enjoyed the balanced and thoughtful flavors in this collection. The milk, dark and white chocolates used were smooth; and the fruit, herb, nut and other flavors held my interest during this tasty 9-course chocolate meal.

The ingredients list was long, in part due to the fact that there were nine different chocolate recipes nestled in one small box; and in part due to a fairly long list of additives (and a small amount of wheat)--the only downside to this review.

Ingredients: Dark Chocolate (Cocoa Beans, Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Sunflower Lecithin (Emulsifier), Vanilla Extract, Whole Milk Powder, E476 [Emulsifier]), Milk Chocolate (Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Whole Milk Powder, Cocoa Beans, Sunflower Lecithin [Emulsifier], Vanilla Extract), Sugar, Cream, Pecans, White Chocolate (Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Whole Milk Powder, Sunflower Lecithin [Emulsifier], Vanilla Extract, Coconut, Raspberry Puree (Raspberry), Hazelnuts, Dark Chocolate Hollow Form (Sugar, Cocoa Beans, Cocoa Butter, Sunflower Lecithin [Emulsifier], Vanilla Extract), Glucose Syrup (Wheat, Sulfites), Maple Syrup, Butter (Cream, Natural Flavor), Coconut Puree (Coconut, Invert Sugar), Banana Puree (Banana, Ascorbic Acid), Cocoa Butter, Invert Sugar, Lime Puree (Kalamansi), Dried Currants, Black & Golden & White Sesame Seeds, Cognac, Colored Cocoa Butter (Cocoa Butter, Contains One or More of the Following: Blue 1&2, Red 40, Yellow 5&6, and Natural Colors), Pear Puree (Pears), Water, Dextrose Powder, Green Olives (Olives, Water, Salt, Citric Acid), Coffee Beans, Salt, Tartaric Acid, Pectin (Pectin, Sucrose, Acidity Regulators: E450111, E33211, and E330), Honey, Lime Zest, Fleur de Sel (French Sea Salt), and Rosemary.

Allergen-related information: "Contains Milk, Tree Nuts, Wheat, and Sesame. Made on Equipment Shared With Milk, Eggs, Tree Nuts, Peanuts, Wheat, Soy, and Sesame."

Trader Joe's - Sea Salt & Nibs Organic 63% Dark Madagascar (bar) + 60% Dark Chocolate Sticks with Crispy Rice - Sept. 15, 2026

Chocolate(s) of The Day

Trader Joe's 
60% Dark Chocolate Sticks with Crispy Rice (Colombian chocolate)
Good ++ 
Weight: 1.16 oz. (33 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total package
Calories: 180 calories in 1 serving (about 6 pieces)
Cost: $2.99 (estimate) for 1 package
Purchased from: Trader Joe's, Palo Alto, CA

Trader Joe's

Sea Salt & Nibs Organic 63% Dark Madagascar (bar)
Good ++
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 2.64 oz. (75 g.) in total bar
Calories: 150 calories in 1/3 bar
Cost: N/A - gift from a friend
Purchased from: N/A - gift from a friend

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate Banquet Birthday Celebration Theme Week -- featuring chocolates (and many local (West Coast) companies) that allowed me to eat a different chocolate every day for 20 years.

60% Dark Chocolate Sticks with Crispy Rice

Today's Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate baton-style "sticks" were made with Colombian cacao in Colombia, and "Distributed and Sold Exclusively" by Trader Joe's (Monrovia, CA).

Aroma and flavor notes included: bold but balanced dark chocolate (dark, dense chocolate-y, slightly bitter), dried fruit (fig, date), vanilla, and faint, very slightly malty rice.

Texture: The crispy puffed rice embedded in the dark chocolate added textural interest and a satisfying crunch; and--along with the vanilla--the rice helped balance the bitterness in the dark chocolate.

Ingredients: "Unsweetened Chocolate, Sugar, Puffed Rice (Rice, Sugar, Salt, Sunflower Lecithin (Emulsifier), Cocoa Butter, Sunflower Lecithin (Emulsifier), Natural Vanilla Flavor"

Allergen-related information: None found on packaging. (Pareve)

Sea Salt & Nibs Organic 63% Dark Madagascar (bar)

Like the above chocolate, this was made "in country" (in Madagascar, using Madagacar cacao), and distributed and sold exclusively by: Trader Joe's (Monrovia, CA). 

Aroma and flavor notes included: dark chocolate (cocoa, cacao nibs) with diffuse fruit, light earth and cream/yogurt. (Note: there were no dairy ingredients.)

Texture: creamy and softly crunchy cacao nibs

Ingredients: "Organic Cocoa Beans, Organic Cane Sugar, Organic Cocoa Butter, Organic Cocoa Nibs, Organic Sunflower Lecithin (Emulsifier), Sea Salt."

Allergen-related information: (None found on packaging.)

Chocolate Sourcing

Twenty years ago (2006), searching for a new chocolate every day was challenging, particularly if you were looking for single origin bars and allergen-free chocolates. 

Transparent cacao supply chains and sourcing were a key part of the new wave of bean-to-bar chocolates. Where did your chocolate come from exactly? 

Chocolate Banquet was also having "sourcing" challenges on the customer side. There were exciting moments trying to find chocolates without having to drive 100 miles to feature every day. The clock was ticking rather loudly on some of those early days. But, I needn't have worried back in 2006. We were entering the golden days of the chocolate renaissance.

Some of the most reliable local chocolate sources in the San Francisco Bay Area included Trader Joe's markets, the few specialty chocolate shops, and the expanding chocolate sections in high-end specialty markets. Hunting for new chocolates (and chocolate field trips) were (and continue to be) part of the fun. 

Happily, starting in 2010, there was also The Chocolate Garage* in Palo Alto, CA, and other chocolate community venues followed as the number of bean-to-bar craft chocolate offerings grew.*** And in the last decade (especially during the Covid years) several online chocolate "shops" opened.

Today I'm featuring two "new" chocolates from Trader Joe's (Monrovia, CA) from the Chocolate Vault.** (The dark chocolate sticks are still currently available at the local Trader Joe's; the dark chocolate Madagascar bar is not.)

*Thank you to Sunita de Tourreil for creating The Chocolate Garage in 2010 and for supporting craft chocolate makers and connecting those makers with happy customers. Sunita has continued her chocolate adventures with Happy Chocolate Experiences (Palo Alto, CA).

**The Chocolate Vault is a "cool, dry place" at Chocolate Banquet headquarters.

*** These third spaces were a resurgence of the chocolate houses from centuries ago, places where chocolate lovers and communities could come together, enjoy chocolate and socialize. Dandelion Chocolate's and Ghirardelli's cafes in San Francisco are still going strong as I type this.

Scharffen Berger - 70% Cacao dark chocolate + almonds + toffee + sea salt (bar) & 41% Cacao milk chocolate + toasted coconut + coffee (bar)

Chocolate(s) of The Day

Scharffen Berger

70% Cacao dark chocolate + almonds + toffee + sea salt (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 150 calories in 1/3 bar
Cost: N/A - gift from a friend
Purchased from: N/A - gift from a friend

41% Cacao milk chocolate + toasted coconut + coffee (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 150 calories in 1/3 bar
Cost: N/A - gift from a friend
Purchased from: N/A - gift from a friend 

Welcome to Day #7 of the Chocolate Banquet Birthday Celebration Theme Week--celebrating 20 years of sampling a different chocolate every day in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond.

Chocolate makers featured in this celebration week include some of the early bean-to-bar craft chocolate makers in the San Francisco Bay Area (if not the U.S.). Arguably the first of the new wave of chocolate makers in the 1990s was Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker, a company once based in South San Francisco, then Berkeley CA.

Founded in 1996 by a sparkling winemaker, John Scharffenberger, and Dr. Robert Steinberg, the company set the stage for chocolate makers to come. They listed the cacao percentage on their packaging, and helped educate customers, chefs (and future chocolate makers) on why such information mattered. They also offered great, educational tours in their Berkeley facility.

Times change in chocolate, as in all things. The pioneering company name survived an acquisition by Hersheys in 2005, the closing of SF Bay Area locations in 2009, a private buy-back in 2020...and (so far) an acquistion by 1-800-Flowers.com in 2024. (There were still selected retail stores selling their chocolates when I wrote this post.)

The first Scharffen Berger chocolate featured on Chocolate Banquet was a chocolate truffle, on Sept. 24, 2006, followed by several different bars over the years. I'm hoping today's two bars won't be the last.

70% dark chocolate + almonds + toffee + sea salt (bar)

Aroma and flavor notes included: dark chocolate (with balanced fudge and light earth), nut, vanilla, sweet toffee, and almond. 

There was enough sea salt to help balance out the sweetness of the toffee and it also complemented the chocolate and almonds. Vanilla added a touch of mellow/warm sweetness.

Texture: This well-tempered bar was a blend of a smooth dark chocolate with a creamy melt and crunchy bits of nuts and toffee. 

I liked the light cacao complexity in this bar; the balance of sweet and salty; the fact that cacao beans were the first ingredient; and the lack of wheat/gluten.

Ingredients: Cacao Beans, Cane Sugar, Almonds, Toffee (Cane Sugar, Butter [Cream, Salt], Rice Syrup, Soy Lecithin, Salt), Cocoa Butter, Sunflower Lecithin, Sea Salt, Vanilla Bean.

Allergen-related information: Contains Almonds, Milk, Soy. Produced in a Facility That Also Processes Other Tree Nuts.

41% milk chocolate + toasted coconut + coffee (bar)

Aroma and flavor notes included: rich, dark milk chocolate with coffee, vanilla and faint brown sugar.

Texture: smooth creamy milk chocolate that was chock full of ground coffee--and that coffee worked surprisingly well. The coffee bean roast and grind choices were just right--not too harsh or gritty.

This chocolate might be a little sweet for dark chocolate lovers; but it worked with the coffee. The generous amount of ground coffee helped balance the inherent sweetness of the sugar, coconut and vanilla.

I liked the creamy texture, delicate and not-to-strong coconut, the ground coffee, and the authentic vanilla (bean) that also wasn't too strong.

Ingredients: Cacao Beans, Cane Sugar, Milk, Toasted Sweetened Coconut (Coconut Flakes, Sugar, Dextrose, Salt), Cocoa Butter, Skim Milk, Ground Coffee Beans, Sunflower Lecithin, Vanilla Bean.

Allergen-related information: Contains: Coconut, Milk. Produced in a Facility That Also Processes Other Tree Nuts.