CHOCOLATE RATINGS

Finally, something less banal from Lindt.  Yes, their 70% bars are fine, but not memorable.  This Mousse-filled bar, a whopping 5.3 ounces, is for adults.  The texture is sublime: a nice snappy chocolate outside and a pretty perfectly textured dark chocolate mousse inside.  It’s quite rich, and would be a lovely dessert with some green rooibos tea, and a side of strawberries.

They also make two other varieties in this line: Cherries and Chili, and Orange. Both have the same shell, but the interior has a bottom layer of the aforementioned mousse and a bit of a jammy concoction. I couldn’t detect any chili with the mild cherry flavor, and the orange didn’t have much impact, either. The plain mousse bar is far superior and less sweet.

This is quite an intriguing product, even if I haven’t a clue why they call it a brittle.  It’s a bark.

Generally, I don’t like gojiberries, though I know they have all sorts of health properties, but I ate them up in this little confection. The ingredients are: organic raw cacao beans and butter, organic maple sugar, gojiberries, organic raw vanilla, and Himalayan pink crystal sea salt.  I couldn’t discern any saltiness, but I imagine it added to the kaleidoscopic experience this chocolate offered.   The chocolate itself has a drier consistency, though it’s masked by the chewiness of the gojiberries. There was just enough sweetness to compliment the tart berries.  If you know an adventurous chocoholic this might be a good present.

Packaging here is utilitarian…a little pouch that contains 1.6 ounces for $7.95 at veganessentials.com 

There are three other combinations that I didn’t get a chance to try.  Sprouted almonds??? Pretty funkacidal.

- MacMulberry Brittle (raw cacao, creamy macadamia nuts and mulberries)

- Golden Princess Brittle (raw cacao with plump golden Himalayan raisins and crunchy Princess pistachios)

- Almond Raisin Brittle (raw cacao with sprouted almonds and plump Himalayan golden raisins)

Lately, I’ve been thinking about the difference between very complex chocolates and simpler ones.  It seems that companies are divided between those that cater to people who enjoy an earthier chocolate experience, and those who crave something gentler.  For a long time I was prejudiced in favor of the former.  Now, I find those easier-to-eat bars appealing, too.  What changed?  I think I simply opened up my palate to a more subtle experience.  

Luckily, Lake Champlain Chocolates offers me both: single origin bars for my adult side and organics to feed the inner child.  But, these organics also include some very grown-up flavors.  

A beautiful little clear box presents 24 organic tasting squares including a plain milk (34%), a plain dark (55%), a dark spicy Aztec with vanilla, cayenne, pumpkin seeds and cinnamon (55%), and a milk with sea salt and almonds (38%).  All were of good quality, but I was more taken with the Aztec mix of flavors and texture.  Each square has a lovely embossed stag on it.

Similarly packaged is their variety of four select origin chocolates.  The Sao Thome (70%) had a slight tobacco taste which is especially nice if you’re hosting a chocolate tasting and offering milder chocolates with which to compare it.  The Tanzania (75%) was remarkably smooth and well-balanced but still complex, while the Grenada (60%) was fruity with the barest hint of pepper.  Finally, the African blend (54%) was more assertive than your typical dark (54%) chocolate, but still delivered a well-rounded gustatory experience.

I came to try this product in a roundabout way.  I had purchased a bag of Endangered Species dark chocolate covered peanut brittle and was disappointed with the dearth of nuts.  After trying some of Theo’s other chocolates for a recent review, I noticed they made this dark nib brittle ($8.00 for 4 ounces, about eight good-sized pieces, at theochocolate.com), and I couldn’t resist.  

The chocolate is fair trade and organic, two big plusses with me, and the combination of ingredients is pretty inspired. You might think anything with brittle would be overly sweet, but it isn’t.  The dark chocolate (it doesn’t say on the package, but it tastes like 70% to me), crunchy center, and intensity of the nibs, make every bite a happy surprise.  If you’re in the mood for something different and delicious give this a try.

Chuao makes a few varieties of these bars.  They are often available at high end grocery stores or gourmet shops.  I like the packaging, a lovely, metallic purple paper with drawings of slightly abstract cacao pods dancing around. Chinita Nibs, with caramelized cacao nibs and nutmeg is very good, but the nutmeg is assertive, not subtle, so be sure that’s the flavor you’re craving.  It’s a tad sweet, though not cloying. The caramelized cacao nibs add a great bit of crunch, and the nutmeg is interesting. The chocolate itself, a single origin Venezuelan bean, is good.   I don’t think I’d want a steady diet of nutmeg flavored chocolate, but it’s fun to try.

This is a single origin 70% Hawaiian chocolate from Oahu.  A small box, 1.75 ounces, contains five little 10g bars. It’s $6.50 on chocosphere.com, not exactly inexpensive.  I found this pesticide-free experience pretty forgettable: mild and simplistic.  Sometimes, I don’t want all that earthiness in my 70% bars, but I still want some gustatory interest. This chocolate is for people who desire a creamy, well-rounded, but unchallenging experience.  I doubt I would buy it again, but the packaging is adorable, a little 2″ x 1″ box with those five tasting bars inside.    

This stunningly beautiful new magazine is a complete delight.  CocoAroma, with its enticing photography belongs on a coffee table, but it begs to be read.  I often find long pieces on chocolate tedious.  Even though I love the topic, I have a personal distaste for chocolate reviewers who borrow from effete wine writers in their pedantic descriptions of chocolate’s subtleties, but there’s none of that here. (By the way, some things are indescribable.  You simply have to experience them for yourself.  At the same time, I do appreciate knowing if a chocolate tastes of leather or tobacco, or is fruitier.)  

What distinguishes CocoAroma, is its amazing balance of material.  Alexander Morozoff, the young publisher and executive editor, has a keen eye for beauty. This glossy compendium of reviews, in-depth interviews with chocolatiers, and cutting-edge chocolate news, is different from anything else I have seen. There are stories about new chocolate frontiers, like Vietnam, and reviews of chocolate shops in Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, and other places across the globe.  I may not actually venture that far afield, but I can virtually savor their wares.  Lest I misguide you, Morozoff extolls the praises of one and all, not just the fanciest chocolatiers, but gentlemen like Robert Lambert, a chocolate sauce maker from California, and Michael Mischer a creative chocolatier in Oakland (see my review of his criollo chocolate bars).

Yes, there is a recipe section: one breathtaking recipe by chef Pascal Janvier in each of the two issues I sampled.  I may not attempt these on a typical Saturday, but it’s inspirational to see them assembled step-by-step.  

My favorite aspect of CocoAroma is the accessible intelligent writing, though I think listing the links to websites for everything they report on is an extra little gift.  (It’s on the back inside cover of the most recent issue.)

A subscription is $40 US on www.cocoaroma.com  

You would have to have a heart of stone to find Theo’s 3400 Phinney bars anything but irresistible.  The delightfully insouciant drawings on the wrappers are unlike anything else on the market, but that’s certainly not the reason to try them.  Nor is it for their Fair Trade certification, their use of organic cacoa beans, or their myriad awards.  Buy them because they’re delicious and fun.  

Fig , Fennel & Almond is an exciting little bar (2 ounces) with 65% cacao.  The figs and almonds are cut up into tiny pieces so their flavors infiltrate each bite.  The textures of fig and almond are well-balanced and the 65% cacao is the perfect match: not too bitter, not too sweet.

Bread & Chocolate is another of their Phinney 3400 line that uses 65% cocoa, but it’s an entirely different experience.  Crunchy bits of toasted French bread crumbs with butter and sea salt mingle in this dark chocolate fantasy.  It’s a unique and addictive combination.

Their darker milk bar, made with 40% cacao comes in a variety of flavors.  I tried the Vanilla, which was very good, but simply couldn’t compare to the Hazelnut crunch, a celestial mix of the same milk chocolate with a plethora of good-sized bites of hazelnut butter crunch. 

They also have single origin bars (3 ounces each).  I sampled the Madagascar 65%, a fruity dark chocolate that was easy to eat, and the 75% Ghana Panama Ecuador blend, a completely different earthy experience.

Of all six bars I would suggest you start with the Hazelnut Crunch, the Bread & Chocolate, and the Fig, Fennel, & Almond.   A great present for chocolate lovers of all ages.   

As far as I’m concerned, Criollo beans are one of nature’s greatest accomplishments.  Michael Mischer has taken Criollos from Venezuela (65%) and Equador (72%) and enhanced them with everything from Murray River sea salt to dragon fruit.  

Aside from his great taste in cacao beans, Michael has an artist’s sensibilities.  He generously applies whatever toppings you wish, from a long list including, but not limited to: caramelized cocoa nibs, cayenne spiced mango, cherries, cranberries, pistachios, mixed nuts and fruit, ginger, and orange.  So, you can mix and match all the various toppings with three basic chocolates: Venezuelan Criollo 38% or 65%, or Equadorian 72%.  This isn’t merely delicious, it’s creative and fun.

I know I’m usually enraptured with add-ins, but the chocolate is stupendous.   I tried three bars:

72% with Murray River Sea Salt and Almonds: The almonds are roasted, the chocolate is dark but creamy, and the salt adds a marvelous piquancy. 

65% with Blueberries and Dragon Fruit: Absolutely beautiful!  Unlike almost every dried blueberry and chocolate I have ever tried, these seem as if they were just dried yesterday.  They’re the quintessence of blueberriness.  As for dragon fruit, I had never had it before.  It’s like a beautiful magenta fruit leather. I liked the combination with 65% cacao because the blueberries have a hint of astringency that’s complimented by the slightly sweeter dark Criollo chocolate. 

38% with Toffee: Criollo bean milk chocolate is certainly a cut above your average milk, but it’s still a bit too sweet for me.  Paired with toffee, it’s over the top; however, the toffee is addictive and I could easily imagine it on either of the dark options…too easily.

The bars are a whopping 4 ounces, and they’re divided into 24 sections.  Those of you who read my blog know how much I adore it when a chocolatier uses a many-sectioned mold.  What’s particularly great here is that every little piece has loads of topping.  The packaging is also appealing and functional. It’s a simple clear plastic box, but it’s ingenious in its simplicity.  How many times have you opened your typical bar and had a mess on your hands?  You haven’t eaten the whole bar but there’s no pretty way to keep the leftovers.  Michael’s design allows you to keep your treasure intact and to see exactly what’s there.  

I happen to love using various tins for my extra chocolate, but the problem is I can’t see what’s in them.  Typically, I forget I even have something yummy stashed nearby because it isn’t obvious.  With Michael’s packaging I have neatness and visibility.  How cool is that?   

Once in a while a product comes along that’s in a class by itself.  How amazing, then, to find four candy bars that are each scrumptious, unique, and designed for adult palates. 

See’s Candies, a very old American company, is fairly traditional in their offerings, but their candy bars give you the chance to savor a couple of their more delicious individual pieces very economically.  The Awesome Nut & Chew Bar is 1.5 ounces of chewy nougat with almonds and honey enrobed in dark chocolate. (Eight individually wrapped bars are $7.80.)  There are plenty of nuts, well-textured nougat, and a decent amount of chocolate. It’s a very satisfying experience if you’re looking for something that speaks to both the little child inside and the food-savvy adult.  Their Awesome Walnut Square Bar is the same weight and price, but has a chewier caramel center chock full of walnuts and enrobed in dark chocolate.  The balance between caramel and nuts is pretty perfect, and the dark chocolate sets both off to their advantage.  

Zingerman’s,  a food emporium with a funky web presence, has two house-created candy bars: ZZang! Cashew Cow and ZZang! Original.  They are as different as they could be. The Cashew Cow weighs in at 2.5 ounces and is a crunchy bar full of milk chocolate, cashew butter, cashew brittle, and roasted cashews, all dipped in dark chocolate.   Clearly, if you’re a cashew lover, this is for you.  It’s more of an indulgence (at $7.00 per bar) than the See’s offerings, but it’s a completely different experience.  I especially appreciated the adult, not-too-sweet aspects of this candy.  Their ZZang! Original bar, at 3 ounces,  is a dark chocolate wrapped extravaganza of butter-roasted peanuts in a caramel and peanut butter honey nougat.  It’s much sweeter, and the textures are completely different from the Cashew Cow: creamy, slightly chewy nougat with the fabulous crunch of buttery peanuts.

All four candy bars have the three basic food groups: dark chocolate, nuts, and something that makes them linger on the palate: caramel or nougat.  It’s virtually impossible to make something bad when you start with that triumvirate.  The Zingerman’s varieties are clearly more innovative, but sometimes you want something classic like See’s.