Chapter Thirty One: White Christmas Part Two

With the holidays upon us we wanted to try something a little different. We will be tasting white chocolate bars from brands we know and love and new ones we are just discovering. We’re so glad you could make it!

We know what you may be thinking: white chocolate isn’t really chocolate! However, did you know that cocoa butter is a by-product of the chocolate making process? So while the cacao bean or solid is not included in the white chocolate itself, it technically does have cacao in it. :P Here’s another fun fact: the cocoa butter is what smells like chocolate, not the cacao beans! We hope you enjoy our little segue from dark chocolate bars as much as we did. Our tasting method will be a bit different for the white chocolate reviews. As we have no base bar, there will be no comparison. Instead we will be focusing on the color, texture, flavor profile, and aroma individually.

Finding a white chocolate in brands that we have previously tasted has proven to be quite the undertaking! We finally settled on this bar from a brand that we have yet to sample. We look forward to tasting their dark chocolate offerings in the future. This particular bar is from Venezuelan cacao and though it is not fair trade certified, their website does have this to say about their beans:

“I think I can confidently say that my form of direct trade goes beyond certified fair trade. Being both a cacao farmer and a chocolate manufacturer naturally means that I put the ethical sourcing of my beans at the heart of the way I make chocolate. I source all my beans directly from the farmers. I visit the farms and get to know the farmers, the challenges they face and the production methods they use. All the farmers I source my cacao from receive incomes well above average and well above the fair trade minimums because I use only premium beans. The world has two types of cacao. 85% of the world’s beans are the standard beans on which the Stock Exchange price is based – fair trade simply guarantees a fixed $ amount per tonne amount more than this price. The other 15% is made up of the Criollo, Trinitario, and Porecelana type premium beans that I buy – these command some 50% to 200% more than the terminal market price for standard beans.”

It’s a captivating philosophy to say the least. Let’s get to tasting.

Tasting No. :29

Willie’s Cacao El Blanco

Initial Impressions:

The snap of this bar was firm, as was the bite. It was a brown-toned color, and smelled faintly like eggnog.

Flavor Profile:

Initial – fruity

Middle – goat’s milk

After – caramel

Texture:

The texture was buttery smooth and thick, much thicker than the Milkboy.

Overall:

Surprisingly, this bar was not sweet, with the sweetness developing as we ate more of it. Willie’s Cacao attributes the lack of sweetness and depth of flavor to using 20% less sugar than other brands by incorporating natural cacao butter. With the rich, burnt caramel notes, it evoked childhood memories of spoonfuls of cajeta (a Mexican confection of caramelized goat’s milk – popular in parts of Texas). It was also reminiscent of custard or eggnog. We both found this bar to be scrumptious, thus it made it on to Gaby’s Favorites and Laura’s Favorites lists.

Rating: 9/10

*Notes:

Purchased at Central Market

Price range: Under $4

We will be taking a break until mid-January so that we can enjoy the holidays with our families. We hope that you enjoy yours and stay tuned for another post!

For now savor: “I want to stay curled and cosied and chocolated…forever in my mother’s arms.” – Sanober Khan, Turquoise Silence

Remember, fairly traded chocolate is a responsible way to support farmers by ensuring that the chocolate that you consume has been bought for a fair price. By choosing to purchase fair trade chocolate, you can honor the cocoa tree growers and support their way of life which in turn leads to better chocolate.

Chapter Thirty: White Christmas Part One

With the holidays upon us we wanted to try something a little different. We will be tasting white chocolate bars from brands we know and love and new ones we are just discovering. We're so glad you could make it!

We know what you may be thinking: white chocolate isn't really chocolate! However, did you know that cocoa butter is a by-product of the chocolate making process? So while the cacao bean or solid is not included in the white chocolate itself, it technically does have cacao in it. :P Here's another fun fact: the cocoa butter is what smells like chocolate, not the cacao beans! We hope you enjoy our little segue from dark chocolate bars as much as we did. Our tasting method will be a bit different for the white chocolate reviews. As we have no base bar, there will be no comparison. Instead we will be focusing on the color, texture, flavor profile, and aroma individually.

Back in August, we tasted a Milkboy bar that we found to be absolutely delightful. We wanted to try to find white chocolate from brands we are familiar with and have enjoyed reviewing, so this seemed like a natural choice and a lucky find! In particular, we like that Milkboy is both UTZ certified and from sustainable sources.

Tasting No. :28
Milkboy Swiss White Chocolate with Bourbon Vanilla

Initial Impressions:
The first thing we noticed with this bar was the abundance of visible vanilla bean. The snap is quite soft and the color is a buttery cream color. It has a deep vanilla bouquet with some caramel notes on the finish. The bourbon was not immediately apparent, but subtly came to the surface after the immediate taste of vanilla.

Flavor Profile:

Initial – mild vanilla

Middle – vanilla, butterscotch

After – caramel bourbon

Texture:
We loved that this bar melted immediately in our mouths, it was silky smooth, but also thick as chocolate syrup.

Overall:
This was a relatively sweet bar but we loved the complex vanilla flavor.  It was nice to be able to see the vanilla as well and the texture was lovely and smooth.  We think this would make a good gift for anyone who enjoys white chocolate.   

Rating: 7/10

*Notes:

Purchased at Central Market

Price range: Under $6

Check back to see which bar we'll be reviewing next week!

For now savor: "Money can't buy happiness. But, it can buy a chocolate, which is pretty much the same thing." - Hanako Ishii

Remember, fairly traded chocolate is a responsible way to support farmers by ensuring that the chocolate that you consume has been bought for a fair price. By choosing to purchase fair trade chocolate, you can honor the cocoa tree growers and support their way of life which in turn leads to better chocolate.

Chapter Twenty-Nine: La India Mexican Style Sweet Chocolate

We are rounding out our hot chocolate series this week with a bar sold by a company Gaby is connected to. Don't worry! We are still consuming chocolate bars often; if you missed our first post about hot chocolate, we suggest reading it to understand our tasting methods, ingredients, and tools. You can find Chapter 26 here.

Our selection this week is from La India Packing Company, a spice and herb packer and distributor located in South Texas. It is owned and operated by Gaby's stepmother, whose grandparents opened for business in 1924. A specialty of La India is their Mexican Style Sweet Chocolate, and we have been eager to try it. It was one of the first products sold by La India, when the original owner would grind the cacao by hand. The recipe for this chocolate has been unchanged since then. We're not sure of the cacao content, but there was already sugar in the bar and a few spices that were not mentioned on the package. 

Tasting No. :27

La India Mexican Style Sweet Chocolate

Left: Guittard Base Cocoa Right: La India Mexican Style Sweet Chocolate

Guittard Base Cocoa

La India Mexican Style Sweet Chocolate

Initial Impressions:
This chocolate had an instant complexity which we both loved. There was an explosion of flavor present from the first sip. It's almost difficult to compare to the base chocolate because they differ so much. The Guittard has mega chocolate flavor. The Mexican Style chocolate is almost like a spiced and sweetened milk because the chocolate flavor is much more mild. This is most likely due from the addition of spices and sugar to the Mexican chocolate. The sweetness level was excellent and we came across  a lot of cinnamon and vanilla in this chocolate. The color of this chocolate prepared and in solid form was much lighter than the base. There were visible sugar crystals in the bar. We concluded that this chocolate was reminiscent of Cinnamon Toast Crunch! Near the end of our first mug, we added some vanilla bean paste (we used Neilsen-Massey) and it was not a great addition; it made the chocolate too sweet and didn't add any extra complexity.

Texture:

In comparison to the base cocoa which was thick and smooth, the La India was thinner and was more textured with bits from the cinnamon (already in the bar) and the grinding process of the chocolate. This made the chocolate bitey and enjoyable to drink as it seemed remarkably rustic and true to form in Latin American drinking chocolates. Read our posts on Taza's Cacao Puro and the Dominican Republic Raw Cacao for more information on this. 

For a bit of fun, we made ourselves a second cup and mixed the two to try to highlight what we liked from each chocolate: the chocolatey flavor of the Guittard and the complex spiciness of the La India. It was delicious! The intensity of the Guittard's chocolate flavor was amplified by the complex flavor profile of La India.  We highly recommend trying this mixture.

Overall:

We thoroughly enjoyed this cup of cocoa, the chocolate was not as highlighted as we would have liked but the spiciness and delicious combination of flavors left us sated and happy.  We definitely recommend giving it a try if you can find it in a store near you.

Rating: 7.5/10 

*Notes:

This bar was gifted to us but is available for purchase at select HEBs and Walmart in Texas as well as online orders.
Price: $4.25

Next week, we'll start ringing in the holiday season with a new series for the month of December.  Curious what it will be?  Check back for the big reveal!

For now savor: "Chemically speaking, chocolate really is the world's perfect food." - Michael Levine

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Taza Cacao Puro

We are taking a break from our normal chocolate bar tasting (Don't worry! We are still consuming chocolate bars often) and tasting hot chocolate for the month of November. If you missed our first post about hot chocolate, we suggest reading it to understand our tasting methods, ingredients, and tools. You can find Chapter 26 here.


This week, we are trying Taza's 70% dark Cacao Puro, a Mexican style chocolate bar. Mexican style hot chocolate is distinct in that it is coarser in texture and creates a foamier drink, and is typically already sweetened.  It also has ingredients such as cinnamon or chilies added.  Mexican chocolate is also used in savory dishes, such as Mexican mole sauce, even though it is sweetened.


We've had mixed reactions to Taza's offerings in the past, but we love what this brand represents by being certified organic, direct trade, non-GMO, as well as being vegan, kosher, gluten, dairy, and soy free.  This bar can be eaten as a chocolate bar or melted down into hot chocolate.

Tasting No. :26

Taza Cacao Puro 70%

Left: Guittard Base Cocoa Right: Taza Cacao Puro

Guittard Base Cocoa

Taza Cacao Puro

Initial Impressions:
The Cacao Puro was coarse due to it being stone ground; the sugar crystals and cacao nibs were easily visible.  Our base cocoa is a uniform texture.  The color was a rich, dark brown when in bar form.  Initially, it was overpoweringly sweet, we almost couldn't taste the chocolate because it was so sugary.  However, we made this hot chocolate with the same proportions that we have used for previous hot chocolate tastings when this bar already comes sweetened.  In retrospect, it may have been wise to follow Taza's suggested proportions which called for the entire chocolate disk (we used only about 1/2 of it) in less milk and no added sugar.  Once prepared, the Cacao Puro was very light in color while the Guittard was a dark reddish brown.

Texture:

In comparison to the base cocoa which was thick and smooth, the Cacao Puro was thinner and silkier in texture and had a bit of bite from the stone ground chocolate, which we really enjoyed.

For a bit of fun, we made ourselves a second cup and added whipped cream made with:

Whipping cream (hand whipped!)

Vanilla bean paste (we used Neilsen-Massey)

This addition helped take away some of the cloying sweetness of the chocolate and we actually enjoyed it a lot more.

Overall:

We both concluded that as prepared, this was more of a liquid dessert to have on its own. We agreed that the quality is palpable in the cup even though we most likely prepared it improperly.  We would still like the bar to have less sugar because at 70% cacao, the Cacao Puro was still quite sweet.  

Because we added sugar when it was already sweetened, we did not taste the Cacao Puro in true form (other than nibbling the solids), so chose not to rate it.  We may revisit this hot chocolate in the future with the correct proportions, but unfortunately did not have enough on hand to redo the tasting.

No Rating

*Notes:

We purchased this cacao as a part of the Chocolate Mexicano Oaxacan Sampler which came with four Mexican chocolate flavors.  We can't wait to try the other flavors! Taza Cacao Puro is also available as a single flavor purchase. 

Purchased at: Melissa Guerra: Latin Kitchen Market
Price: $9.95

Next week, we'll be trying a Mexican sweet chocolate bar from a company connected with Gaby.  Join us!

For now savor: "A loud snap made them all jump.  Professor Lupin was breaking an enormous slab of chocolate into pieces. 'Here,' he said to Harry, handing him a particularly large piece. 'Eat it. It'll help.' " - J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban


Remember, fairly traded chocolate is a responsible way to support farmers by ensuring that the chocolate that you consume has been bought for a fair price.  By choosing to purchase fair trade chocolate, you can honor the cocoa tree growers and support their way of life which in turn leads to better chocolate.

Chapter Twenty-Seven: A Taste of the Dominican Republic

We are taking a break from our normal chocolate bar tasting (Don't worry! We are still consuming chocolate bars) and tasting hot chocolate for the month of November. If you missed our first post about hot chocolate, we suggest reading it to understand our tasting methods, ingredients, and tools. You can find Chapter 26 here.

This week, we are excited to taste a single origin bar from the Dominican Republic which was a gift from Laura's sister Christine and her husband Thomas. This cacao came in a large brick from which we had to chop a chunk off and then chop into small pieces.  We love that this bar was purchased directly from the farmer that grew the cacao trees. We also were excited to discover the cacao nibs which provided a bit of "crunch" to our tasting.

Tasting No. :25

100% Whole Cacao from the Dominican Republic

Left: Guittard Base Cocoa Right: Dominican Republic Cocoa

Guittard Base Cocoa

Initial Impressions:

The base cocoa powder was a dark red while the Dominican cocoa was a deep rich brown with golden bits. It smelled of earth and truffles, almost mold while the base cocoa was spicy and earthy with notes of cinnamon. This cocoa was nutty, and earthy with deep, rich tastes to which the crunch of the nibs served to provide us with a complex chocolate experience.  

Texture:

In comparison to the base cocoa which was thick and smooth, the Dominican cocoa was even thicker and each sip was flecked with crunchy cacao nibs.

For a bit of fun, we made ourselves a second cup and added whipped cream made with:

Whipping cream (hand whipped!)

Vanilla bean paste (we used Neilsen-Massey)

After a few sips, we added a sprinkle of cinnamon to the top for an added depth. Both cocoas responded very well to this addition, but the Dominican cacao almost seemed completed by it.

Overall:

We were happy to have the molinillo to mix this cocoa as this is the sort of solid cocoa that it is meant to mix.  This cocoa was so deeply earthy and seemed to speak to our souls with every sip; this must be similar to the chocolate that the ancient Aztecs used to drink in ceremonies of old.

Rating: 10 /10

*Notes:

Gift from Christine and Thomas, we don't know the price or where to find a product such as this.

Next week, we'll be trying a cocoa from Taza.  This brand has been a bit of a mixed bag for us, but we both loved their 70% dark chocolate bar, so we are anxiously anticipating tasting their cocoa.  Join us!

For now savor: "My goal in life is to skid breathlessly up to my grave, with a large chocolate bar, half eaten, in one hand and a bottle of wine in the other, yelling 'Damn, but it was a good life!'" - Anonymous

Chapter Twenty-Six: Hot Cocoa for the Holidays!

Like most things chocolate, we ADORE hot chocolate in the winter (and any time we crave it, actually).  For the month of November, we've decided to do a series on hot cocoa.  We will be revisiting a few brands that we've reviewed before, as well as a couple gifted to us from family and friends.  Although we are aiming for uniformity throughout our tastings, we should note that some of these will be prepared used cocoa powder while others came in solid form and melted (as is traditional in Latin American drinking chocolates).  Today, we'll be trying the TCHO Natural Cocoa Powder, we're very interested to see what we think as we enjoyed their 70% chocolate bar.


Base Hot Chocolate

As with our base bar, our base hot chocolate is from Guittard; if you're confused about our tasting methods or don't remember our base bar discussion, go to Chapter 3 for a brief overview to catch up!

The chocolate we will be tasting is, for the most part, unsweetened, and unflavored. We thought this would give us a better sense of objectivity and enable us to to really compare by using the same ingredient ratios and method for each cocoa.  

Tools

The molinillo is the traditional tool for making hot chocolate in Mexico and we thought we'd give it whirl.

Ingredients 

Organic cane sugar

Organic whole milk

Sea salt

Tasting No. :24

TCHO Natural Cocoa Powder

Initial Impressions:
The base cocoa powder was a dark red while the TCHO was a light brown with no red notes at all, almost a washed-out brown.  The base cocoa powder's aroma was earthy and then spicy, with notes of cinnamon.  It reminded us of a very rich, moist, chocolate cake.  In comparison, the TCHO was mild and sharply acidic making the base cocoa appear to be purer and a more potent chocolate.

Left: Guittard Cocoa Rouge Right: TCHO Natural Cocoa Powder

Flavor Profile:
We found the TCHO to be nutty and acidic, while the base cocoa was earthy and spicy.

Texture:
The base cocoa was thick and smooth, while the TCHO was creamier but was difficult to incorporate into the milk.

Guittard Base Cocoa

 

TCHO Cocoa



For a bit of fun, we made ourselves a second cup and added whipped cream made with:

Whipping cream (hand whipped!)
Vanilla bean paste (we used Neilsen-Massey)

Rating: 9.5 /10

After a few sips, we added a sprinkle of cinnamon to the top for an added complexity. The base cocoa responded very well to this addition, while we differed in our views on the TCHO: Gaby didn't like the cinnamon as much, but Laura was all for it.

Overall:
While the Guittard cocoa was more of a basic cocoa that one might sip mindlessly, the TCHO was a cup of cocoa that you would pay attention to and savor.  It was rich and decadent, with a complexity that made the base cocoa pale in comparison.  We also appreciated that the TCHO is organic and fair trade.

*Notes:

Purchased at: Whole Foods
Price: under $10

Next week, we'll be exploring a single origin chocolate from the Dominican Republic. We hope you'll join us!


For now savor: "Blustery cold days should be spent propped up in bed with a mug of hot chocolate and a pile of comic books." - Bill Watterson, The Complete Calvin and Hobbes

Remember, fairly traded chocolate is a responsible way to support farmers by ensuring that the chocolate that you consume has been bought for a fair price.  By choosing to purchase fair trade chocolate, you can honor the cocoa tree growers and support their way of life which in turn leads to better chocolate.

Chapter Twenty-Five: Valrhona Abinao 85%

This week, we are tasting Valrhona's Noir Abinao 85% cacao, a bar from France which was gifted to us by Gaby's aunt who was recently traveling.  Not just excited because we scored another free bar, but also because we were amazed to read that this brand aided to reestablish a nearly extinct strain of cacao.  Their packing was sophisticated; a sealed tin box opens to individually wrapped, bite sized bars (we made each of our bars last several bites because we like tiny bites to really taste the flavor profile).  If you visit Valrhona's website, they advise tasting their bars with all your senses, in this way:

 

"Sight: First of all, look at the chocolate. Concentrate carefully on the polish, the shine, and especially the color. Colors can range from milky beiges, to pure mahoganies, to deep dark browns. It is an essential detail that reveals the varieties of cocoa beans used.

Smell: Next, smell the chocolate, breathe deeply and fill your mind and body with its aromas.

Hearing: Listen by breaking a square into fragments between your fingers, and listen to the snap it makes.

Taste: Start by biting into a quarter of a chocolate square, let it melt on the tongue to taste the initial flavors, aromas and consistency. Gently rub the tongue against the palate. This causes the temperature of the chocolate to slowly increase, resulting in the final release of its flavors and aromas. Close your eyes and focus only on the development of the aromatic notes of the chocolate in the mouth."

You can see more of their tasting advice on their website.  On to the tasting!

Tasting No. :23

Valrhona's Noir Abinao 85 Percent

Initial Impressions:
This was a very dark brown bar, the snap was firm, almost brittle.  The smell was mild, musky like wet earth, and spicy.  The base bar was almost cloyingly sweet in comparing both the smell and taste.

Flavor Profile:

Initial – mild, earthy

Middle – almond, acidic

After – soil, cinnamon

Texture:
This bar had one of most intriguing textures we have come across thus far; the snap and first bite led us to expect the bar to be dry and crumbly.  Surprisingly, the bar melted easily and the texture was smooth but ended on a dry note.

Overall:
This bar was reminiscent of baking chocolate; it had an intense cacao flavor, was not very sweet but was also dry.  We paired it with black tea and it brought out the flavor profile nicely.  This brand has a lot of variety: milk chocolate, dark chocolate, chocolate with different flavors, baking chocolate, gift boxes, bourbon chocolate, and more.  We strongly encourage you to check out their website, there is a lot of educational material there about their chocolate making process, tasting tips, and their Clean Water Project which is inspiring.

Rating: 8 /10

*Notes:

Available on Valrhona's website
Price: $7.50

Next week, we're excited to start a a series for the colder weather: hot chocolate tasting!  We're gathering a few of our favorite brand's cocoa powders to sample during the month of November.  Be sure to check back next week for our first review, we can't wait!


For now savor: “Don't wreck a sublime chocolate experience by feeling guilty.  Chocolate isn't like premarital sex.  It will not make you pregnant.  And it always feels good." - Lora Brody