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 Seventeen: TCHO's Chocolatey Explosion

We found this week’s bar again at World Market; we love the diverse selection there! TCHO is a brand based in Berkeley, California, and we selected the Dark Chocolate bar.  It is 70% cacao and the beans are from Ghana.  However, the package did not indicate it was single origin.  We do like that there is a ‘best by’ date on the package because stale chocolate can be a problem! 

 

Tasting No. :15
TCHO Dark Chocolate 70% "Chocolatey"

Initial Impressions:

This bar is much darker than the base bar, with brown tones.  The base bar is red toned. It smells much milder than the base bar, and is also slightly sweeter.  There is a note of acidity in the base bar that is not present in the TCHO bar.  They have almost the same firmness in snap, with the base bar being only slightly firmer.

Flavor Profile:

Initial – caramel, vanilla

Middle – musk, molasses

After – malt, musk

Texture:

Right away, we both concluded this bar has a soft bite.  There is an instant smoothness as it melts over your tongue; almost like a thick chocolate syrup.  It is reminiscent of drinking chocolate or also brownie batter. When you bite into it there is a powerful chocolate explosion of flavor in your mouth.  It bursts almost like a filled bar would.  

Overall:

Even though this bar has the same percentage of cacao, we found it to be much sweeter than the base bar.  There is no notable acidity in this bar, which makes it robustly indulgent with chocolate flavor.  It made both of our favorites list.  This bar would be an excellent choice for sating an intense chocolate craving, or might be complemented well with a citrus fruit, such as a tangelo.  We believe adding a touch acidity while enjoying this bar would enhance the flavor, although not much enhancement is needed.  In one word, it’s superb.

                                                     Rating: 9/10

*Notes:

Purchased at World Market

Price range under $4

Check back next week when we’ll be tasting another bar from Bovetti, the impressive French artisanal brand originally reviewed here.

For now savor: “Happiness. Simple as a glass of chocolate or tortuous as the heart. Bitter. Sweet. Alive.” – Joanne Harris, Chocolat