Chapter Twenty-One: Cacao Market Mayan

Welcome back!  We took a much needed break to work on our other projects and are excited to share with you our most recent tasting adventure.  Laura recently found herself at Mayan History exhibit and decided to purchase a bar of chocolate from the museum gift shop.  It is actually a bar from the US, made in the Mayan style.  Cacao Market NYC’s Maya Honduran chocolate bar is sourced from a single origin, Honduras, and is 70% cacao.  It does not include any additional sugar.

Tasting No. :19
Cacao Market NYC Maya Honduran Chocolate

Initial Impressions:

This bar is much darker than our base bar, with a similar smell but slightly sweeter.  It is more red than the base bar, with an acidic, earthy smell.  The snap we considered more of a tear because it was so soft in comparison to the base bar and all the other bars we’ve reviewed thus far. The soft firmness was reminiscent of a warm cookie.

Flavor Profile:

Initial – overwhelming earthiness

Middle – nut, banana

After – soil

Texture:

The texture of this bar was unlike any bar before it.  It most closely resembled clay.

Overall:

It was apparent to us that there is no additional sweetener in this bar.  It tasted rustic and unrefined, like it did come from the Old World.  It is a chocolate we think would be better appreciated and highlighted if it were included in a recipe as opposed to eating it on its own.  The cacao used in this bar comes from an ancient species of cacao tree: the Honduran Cacao Trinitario which is known for its mild and distinct taste.  Ultimately, we both appreciated the opportunity to try such a unique bar with a rich history.  As always, we like that it’s fair trade, environmentally sourced, and are impressed that the company works directly with Honduran farmers to ensure a fair living wage.

                                                     Rating: 2/10

*Notes:

Price range under $7

Next week, it’s back to another Trader Joe’s bar.  Join us! 

For now savor: “I have this theory that chocolate slows down the aging process...it may not be true, but do I dare take the chance?” – Unknown

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.