Chapter Twenty: Strawberry Bits

Even though we’ve tasted chocolate purchased from World Market, this is our first tasting from the World Market brand.  We should note that the Dark Chocolate Dried Strawberry Bits with Pink Himalayan Sea Salt bar’s cocoa content is not listed on the packaging but we wish that it were.  This is something that we always like to know.  The box also has almost no information regarding origins, which is disappointing.  It seems that the mystery of an “exotic bar” is the main selling point, leaving you with little information about the bar.

Tasting No. :18

World Market DarkChocolate Dried Strawberry Bits with Pink Himalayan Sea Salt

Initial Impressions:

The first thing we noticed was the visible bits of freeze dried strawberry followed by the aroma of strawberries.  It smelled as sweet as the base bar, but did have a softer snap and lighter color in comparison.

Flavor Profile:

Initial – Pure strawberry

Middle – Salt, strawberry

After – Salt

Texture:

This bar had a rough texture, because of all of the added strawberry bits and sea salt.  However, the bite of it was softer than the base bar, even with the crunchy texture.

Overall:

This bar, like the TraderJoe’s Coconut Caramel and other World Market filled bars, left us disappointed on the chocolate front.  We found it to be very sweet, and would have liked larger fewer bits of strawberry in larger chunks instead sprinkled throughout so that you could differentiate between the strawberry and the chocolate.  With the ratio of chocolate to strawberry as it was, we found the flavors too overwhelming to enjoy the bar slowly. We enjoyed this bar with a very dark black tea to combat the sweetness.

Rating: 5/10

*Notes:

Purchased at World Market

Price range under $4

Next week, join us for another Trader Joe's bar.  This one is a Belgium chocolate bar. Yum!

For now savor: "What you see before you, my friend, is the result of a lifetime of chocolate." – Katharine Hepburn

Chapter Fifteen: Coconut Caramel

We obtained the Dark Chocolate Coconut Caramel bar as a part of a chocolate shopping frenzy at Trader Joe’s.  In light of our recent tasting of the Black Salt Caramel bar, we’re excited to try another caramel filled option.  Like all chocolate bars from Trader Joe’s, this is another budget friendly choice.

Tasting No.: 13

Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Bar: Coconut Caramel

Initial Impressions:

The snap was firmer than the base bar due to the squares not being completely filled with caramel.  The golden brown caramel quickly oozed out and was a thin consistency.   The chocolate was slightly less red than our base bar but the most striking feature was the strong toasted coconut scent.

Flavor Profile:

Initial – burnt molasses, salt

Middle – burnt coconut

After – burnt rose

Texture:

While we found the coconut flavor to be overwhelming, the coconut shavings made for a pleasant textural element.  The packaging mentioned cacao nibs which could be adding to the texture experience, but they were difficult to distinguish. 

Overall:

For being the same percentage as the base bar, it was sweet to the point of being sickly sweet.  Between the amount of corn syrup and sugar and the strong coconut flavor, it was almost too much for us. We finally concluded that this bar is more of a candy bar than a chocolate bar.

Rating: 3/10



*Notes:

Purchased at Trader Joe’s

Price range under $3

This bar isn’t going to satisfy your chocolate craving, dark chocolate lovers should look elsewhere.  It is an adventurous combination to taste if you’re looking for a sugar fix but if it's coconut you're after we highly recommend the Bovetti bar from Chapter 6.

Next week we'll be tucking into another Guittard bar, see you then!

For now savor: “The Duchess set about studying Annette and shortly found her adversary's tragic flaw. Chocolate.”  William Goldman – The Princess Bride

Chapter Twelve: Haut Chocolat

We bought the Vosges Haut Chocolat 70% Black Salt Caramel Bar honestly for the packaging.  After reading a little more about this brand, we were excited to partake of the tasting adventure laid out on the back of the packaging which asked us to breathe, see, smell, snap, and taste as a part of the total experience of the bar.

Tasting No.: 10

Vosges Haut Chocolat 70% Black Salt Caramel Bar

Initial Impressions:

For being a filled bar, there is still a substantial snap which then turns into goo.  The caramel aroma was pleasantly prominent but not overwhelming or cloying.  It was darker and browner when compared with our base bar; the caramel was a deep, burnt orange.

Flavor Profile:

Initial – citrus

Middle – caramel, butterscotch, butter

After – burnt, smoke

Texture:

This bar was creamy and silky smooth, the chocolate melted into the caramel which was perfectly proportioned.  The black salt used in this bar is from the ocean surrounding Hawaii and contains volcanic charcoal which lends to the burnt smokey flavor that reminds Gaby of flan.  It was difficult to compare it with our base bar since it was a filled bar.

Overall:

We both enjoyed this bar thoroughly, but agreed that it wasn’t an everyday sort of bar.  This is the perfect bar when you’re in the mood for some gooey delight but we typically prefer a solid chocolate bar to fulfill our cravings.  This would make a nice gift, but be sure to keep it cool or it will melt!

Rating: 7.5/10

*Notes:

Purchased at World Market

Price range under $7

This bar will satisfy a sweet tooth like no other.  Eat it with some strong black tea to cut the sweetness.

Next week we’ll be tasting another filled bar; this one is passionfruit!

For now savor: “Researchers have discovered that chocolate produced some of the same reactions in the brain as marijuana. The researchers also discovered other similarities between the two, but can't remember what they are.” – Matt Lauer, NBC’s Today Show

This bar was 63% fairly traded.  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 Eight: Sea Salt Soiree

Ghirardelli is a well-known American chocolate brand so we thought it would be a good idea to try their sea salt and almond bar.  Last week’s tasting of Taza’s version of sea salt and almond didn’t seem to us to be a good representation of a traditional sea salt and almond bar so we set out to find another.  This classic combination tends to draw many followers, so our hope is to find a bar that would not only appeal to the masses but also be more readily available. Ghirardelli’s Intense Dark Sea Salt Soiree does not indicate the percentage of cacao used or the origins, though does state on their website that they source their beans worldwide.

Tasting No.: 6

Intense Dark Sea Salt Soiree

Initial Impressions:

Ghirardelli is a rich red in comparison to our base bar and has a much more pungent aroma, while the base bar is much milder.  The snap is much softer than our base bar; this could be due to the thickness of the base bar.

Flavor Profile:

Initial – Right away, there is a big almond flavor and milk.

Middle – The saltiness is pleasant and comes in soon after the salt.

After – Nutty finish, very sweet.

Texture:

Soft, velvety smooth chocolate with chunks of almond and subtle salt.  It melts pleasantly and the flavor envelopes your taste buds early on.

Overall:

This bar is especially sweet, and we think this overwhelms the taste of chocolate in it.  If the cocoa content were higher it could be so much more satisfying for someone seeking intense chocolate flavor.  We did some research and found that Ghirardelli roasts the inner part of the cacao bean (the nib), instead of the whole bean, which we believe would be better experienced with a higher cocoa content.  They also take strict measures to refine their chocolate, making it much smoother.

Rating: 5/10

*Notes:

This is a good quality bar for the price and is satisfactory for getting your fix.  Best of all, it is readily available in many grocery stores in the U.S. so you don’t have to go without.

Purchased at CVS

Price range Under $5

Next week we’ll review our first award winning chocolate bar!  Stay tuned. 

For now savor: “Your hand and your mouth agreed many years ago that, as far as chocolate is concerned, there is no need to involve your brain.” – Dave Barry, Dave Barry is Not Taking This Sitting Down!