Chocolate bars are prone to faddism, just like everything else. One would have to be living in a cave to have not noticed the marriage of chocolate and salt. Often, it’s paired with caramel, but plenty of chocolatiers have added it to plain bars. The idea is appealing but the execution often leaves something to be desired.  My main critique is I am not a deer at a salt lick, so please don’t trowel on the sodium. I understand the urge to go for an intense flavor explosion, rather than subtlety or balance; but, restraint can be a wonderful thing when it comes to salt, especially with chocolate.

Lindt’s dark chocolate with “hand harvested fleur de sel” is becoming ubiquitous, and a definite bargain at $2.59, in most supermarkets. The flavor is mild: the salt added with a light hand, and the chocolate not boasting a high cacao content, though they don’t tell you what the percentage is.  When I see sugar as the first ingredient I know this will not be the deepest bar on the block. Interestingly, the lower cacao content may enhance the experience by softening the effect of the salt.

Unlike other bars where fleur de sel is sprinkled on top, this one has incorporated it. That means there’s no crunch. Even I, who love various textures and mix-ins, didn’t miss them here. Actually, it might have detracted from one of the Lindt’s hallmarks, extreme creaminess.

The chocolate is beautifully tempered and snaps audibly.

I am partial to thinner slabs of chocolate as they melt faster in my mouth, providing a more immediate chocolate rush. All Lindt’s Excellence bars are thin. If only they weren’t so sweet. This one has 19 grams of sugar per 40 grams of chocolate. Normally, that would deter me, but here, it’s cut by the salt and not cloying, at all.

I would buy this again in a heartbeat, it’s creamy, different, satisfying, inexpensive, and easily available.

The last time I tried Godiva chocolate and was happy, was when I bought their Chocolate Covered Cherries (see review). Recently, while shopping at Marshall’s, I spied a couple of Godiva’s dark bars and temptation got the better of me.

The 72% bar was creamy, snappily tempered, and good.  It had no floral, fruity, or particularly distinguishing features, but it was a perfectly fine, basic bar.

As you can easily imagine, the 85%, with only 5 grams of sugar in a 40 gram serving, was much more serious. Drier, with a longer finish, and earthy notes, it got and held my attention.

With so many vastly superior chocolates readily available, I doubt I would ever purchase these again, but I would happily eat those cherries.

I have thoroughly enjoyed many of the Scharffen Berger bars, but this was an unalloyed disappointment. There is an abundance of crunchy nibs, all set in 62% chocolate. One would think that would make for a great combination, but it didn’t. The chocolate, even at 62%, with 15 grams of sugar in half a bar, seemed as if it would be sweet enough to offset the intensity of the nibs, but it was bitter. Nothing like what I was expecting, especially in a 62% bar. No creaminess, no complexity, and very little sweetness. If you are looking for an ultra crunchy, bitter bar this is your holy grail.

Michel Cluizel’s chocolates are beautifully tempered, high quality products in attractive packaging.

Maralumi’s (64%) beans are from an island off the coast of Australia. It’s a very mellow bar, creamy, with a little acidic edge that adds a perfect note of interest to easy-to-eat chocolate.

Mangaro (65%) is sourced from the valley of the Sambirano river. The name derives from the earlier use of the land as a mango grove. Its flavor is citrusy, with a dry finish.

Concepcion (66%), made with beans from the Barlovento Valley east of Caracas, was my favorite of all the bars. As they say, it’s aromatic. The caramel and vanilla notes are set off wonderfully by the rich plummy-raisiny finish.

Sao Tome (67%) is named after the island off the coast of Central Africa where the trees grow. You can almost taste the volcanic soil, with its slightly sharp undercurrent. Spice and licorice notes round out the profile.

Los Anacones (67%) is made with beans that one family has been tending since 1903 on an island in the heart of the Caribbean. The first impression is slightly acidic followed by sweeter notes as you come to a slightly dry finish.

All these chocolates are complex, interesting, and unusual.

Oliver Kita is one of a new batch of really creative chocolatiers who believes in using organic and fair trade chocolate. One of his unique products is Organic Ginger Snaps with Caramel Centers Dipped in 70% Valrhona Chocolate.  Oliver sent me some of these to try and they are truly inspired. Each is composed of two 2″ diameter ginger snaps, like slightly gingery graham crackers, enclosing a fairly thin layer of caramel (more would be overpowering and too sweet), all enrobed in organic 70% chocolate. The combination of flavors and textures is seductive. It’s the perfect amount of chocolate, not like some chocolate covered cookies that are plastered in couverture. The caramel is chewy, but not so chewy that each bite makes the cookie fall apart–I don’t know how he got it exactly right, but that makes him the chocolate artist, not I. The cookies are crunchy and have a graham cracker consistency, only thicker and gingery. If you’re concerned the ginger will be overpowering, don’t be. Oliver uses a light touch. Not so light you can’t taste it, but not so heavy it eclipses everything else. With each bite you have a plethora of beautifully co-mingling flavors and textures. The aroma also deserves some attention.  It’s slightly spicy and saturated with chocolate.

Let’s digress a bit. Sometimes, I go on about how just a small amount of a very intense, complex dark chocolate will be so incredibly satisfying that a little sates one’s craving. Other times, as in this review, I will say that a particular item is addictive, implying an inability to stop.  When something has multiple textures and flavors there is a tendency to keep eating it as a gustatory experiment: in this bite I am more aware of the crunchy cookie, but in the last bite it was the chewy caramel against the dark chocolate that got my attention. In other words, both are great experiences, and completely different. These cookies are very satisfying, as well as interesting, which makes each bite its own mini laboratory of taste.

Oliver also concocts a slew of other wonderful-looking treats: little solid chocolate Buddhas, a Buddha filled with peanut butter, and a collection of appealing bonbons.

I shop at the farmer’s market as often as possible. Why? It’s not the prices, as they are pretty close to those at my local food co-op.  It’s the karma. Meeting the folks who grow the food. Interacting with them week after week, year after year, sharing some personal tidbit from time to time. It not only adds a human touch to the food, it connects me to those who grow it and tend the land. Just like eating good chocolate that was grown without pesticides, by people who are paid a living wage. It simply tastes better than anything mass produced.

The same dynamic occurs when I get to know a particular chocolatier and their wares. Or, I find out how well the company treats their employees, farmers, and the trees. Everything effects everything.

Can I taste the difference between a mass-produced Hershey bar and one from Theo or Republica Del Cacao?  Yes. Can I parse it out? No. But I don’t need to. It’s enough to feel the good karma flowing from these companies.

Last week, I received a beautiful book from Republica Del Cacao.  It was a very limited edition and not available to the public. The care and attention that went into this small run was evident on every page, in every photograph, and in every word.  This is what artisanal work is all about: a loving partnership with what one does that is contagious to all who come in contact with it.

The more we consumers support companies that walk the walk, the more they will thrive. We all have to make a living. When someone chooses to make it by providing a product or service that enhances life and the environment they not only feather their own nest, they enhance our experience. We can’t separate out all the parts, but we certainly know it when we feel it.

New Tree has made some really luscious items in the past, so it was no surprise that their two new Omega 3 bars were also delicious. These are an excellent afternoon or evening snack as they are chock full of omega 3 fatty acids, and have 30% less sugar than similar bars.

They sent me one of each to review. The Dark Belgian Biscuit with 65% cocoa is crunchy, satisfying, has 6 grams of fiber and 145 calories–not many. The Roasted Almonds in milk chocolate has 5 grams of fiber and 155 calories. It was also delightfully crunchy; but, milk chocolate has less snap than its dark counterpart, so the experience is a bit chewier than the Biscuit.

These were very easy to scarf down. Luckily, their calorie content is modest considering nutrition, fiber, and taste. So, no worries.

This is one very intense chocolate bar.  When I first tried it I thought it might be too intense, but I was dead wrong. The second bite showed me how many layers of flavor there were. A veneer of leather, tobacco, coffee, and soil gave way to a burst of rich plummy notes, all enhanced by a lovely creaminess. Heaven for the soul who loves complexity, super-dark chocolate, and a smooth finish. Somehow, this bar managed to be assertive and subtle at the same time. The more I ate, the more I came to appreciate it.

Please read the earlier post on Republica Del Cacao’s offerings. Each of their chocolates has a completely different flavor profile. If you like the real thing, these are for you.

How many times have you been seduced by the beautiful packaging, or artistry, of a box of chocolates only to end up horribly disapppointed with the product? Michel Cluizel offers his wares in modest paper boxes, with fairly classic designs, that wow you with their perfect texture and incredibly satisfying taste. I have tried many high end chocolates that have left me annoyed with myself for succumbing to some beautiful new gimmick only to find it pretentious junk. Sometimes, the chocolatier omitted the sugar (on purpose) to see if people are so impressed with their pedigree they go gaga anyway.  It’s the Emperor’s New Clothes redux, and I’m the one yelling, “But, he’s naked!”.

It takes restraint and talent to produce chocolates with such wonderful texture, sweetness, flavor, and a shell of exquisitely proportioned thickness.  This may seem like a trivial thing to mention, but it makes a big difference.  How many times have you eaten a too thickly or thinly enrobed chocolate?  It effects the total experience when the interior and exterior are not well matched.  

I received a tasting box of nine bonbons from Michel Cluizel. The container itself was unassuming and modest, considering the contents. I am generally a dark chocolate fan, so the two pieces enrobed in milk did not garner as much affection as the other seven.  

“Lady” was a sweet caramel ganache. If you like milk chocolate this would appeal to you. It’s a classic milk, not a dark milk, with an ultra smooth ganache that has hints of caramel.

“Craquelait” is a mostly milk enrobed almond and hazelnut crunchy praline with a dark chocolate base.  Again, it was a bit sweet for my taste, but I’d be lying if I said I had any trouble finishing it.

All the rest are coated in dark chocolate.

“Cacaogrande,” a 85% dark chocolate ganache was my favorite. Dense and immensely satisfying on all levels: texture, depth of flavor, perfectly tempered shell; it was the star of the collection. 

“Cacaoforte” is a luscious, super intense 99% ganache. An excellent way to try a 99% product.

“Espeline”is a dark ganache with cranberries and Espellete sweet pepper. Apparently, this is as hot as a strong paprika; in other words, not very hot. I found it added a bit of excitement to the ganache.

“Guerande noir,” departs from the ganache theme of this collection containing a salted butter caramel. Very chewy, slightly salty (not like so many chocolate and salt combinations that over do the sodium), this was good, but less intriguing than the others.

“Reglimantine” is a heart shaped shell filled with licorice infused ganache. A number of years ago I received a box of Richart chocolates as a present, among which was  a licorice ganache enrobed in a few microns of dark chocolate. The strong licorice flavor was unpleasant. Here, it provides an appealing subtle, herbal note.

“Vaya” is another dark ganache, this time enhanced with orange.  Not intense, more like a wafting of orange. You taste it, it registers and then recedes. Lovely.

“Palet framboise” is made with raspberry pulp and ganache. Fresh fruit flavor that supports, rather than overpowers, the creamy, satifsying ganache. 

I am usually a purist when it comes to what’s in my chocolate, so I was a bit disappointed to see corn syrup and sorbitol syrup listed as ingredients.  In spite of that, these were an excellent treat for someone whose daily chocolate ration is typically in bar form.

I generally don’t think of making hot chocolate, as I prefer to eat my food rather than drink it; however, the people at Equal Exchange wanted me to review their three hot cocoas and I couldn’t resist.

It’s a bit cool, windy, and lugubrious outside. A perfect day for sampling soothing drinks. First up was the 57% Drinking Chocolate. As a rule, I try not to rave about something unless it’s really exquisite. This is simply fabulous. They claim it’s like sipping a melted chocolate bar and they are right. I made mine with organic, plain soy milk from Aldi (if you have an Aldi market near you their soy milk is a great bargain and yummy). Not one to adhere to directions, I used the microwave.  Frankly, if I loved it and it really required heating milk on the stove, as well as washing another pot (I already feel like a scullery maid with all the cooking I do), I’d probably never make it again. So, I disobeyed their orders and heated the milk in the nuker. Perhaps, it’s better on the stove, but I don’t see how that’s possible.  It was rich, decadent, and incredibly satisfying. I thought I would just have a sip or two to write the review, but I drank it all. On a really blustery night a bit of Kahlua would be nice, too.

Their Hot Cocoa that only requires adding water was good, but more like other drinks of that ilk.  Of course, the difference, and it is a salient one, is theirs uses organic milk. It had a much lighter taste and consistency than the Drinking Chocolate. A great choice when there’s no milk in the house, and children clamoring for an after school snack. 

I felt like a new age Mayan from the first taste of EQ’s Spicy Hot Cocoa. In many ways, this was my favorite of the three.  You make it with milk (I used the aforementioned soy) and the texture is silky smooth. Not quite as thick as the Drinking Chocolate; but, a perfect canvas for the additional flavors of chili and cinnamon. Chilis ramp up your endorphin level, enhancing one’s mood. I could feel mine improve with every sip. If you are partial to the combination of chocolate and cayenne, this is a no-brainer. Beware, though, it’s highly addictive. (I was a bit reluctant to try it as I thought it might pack too much heat, but the balance of chocolate, sweetness, peppers, and spice was sublime.) 

If you need a present for that chocophile in your life, the Spicy Hot Cocoa would be just great. Think of it for that 23rd hour mad rush on Christmas Eve since it’s on most supermarket and natural food store shelves.