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-Four: Marou Tien Giang 70% Single Origin Bar

This week's bar comes by way of a charming gent who made it his mission to gift us chocolate brands that we had yet to review. The Marou Tien Giang Dark Chocolate bar is our first tasting from Vietnam. The highlights of this bar are the high cacao content of 70% as well as the single origin. By what we could glean from the packaging and website, it is a fair trade and organic bar, although not certified. We were impressed to learn that the cacao is grown in a co-op and we hope that the company goes on to take the next steps to certify their product as fair trade.

Tasting No. :22

Marou Tien Giang 70% Single Origin Dark Chocolate

Initial Impressions:

This bar is a rich brown in comparison to the base bar which is more reddish brown. The aroma was spicy and earthy while the comprehensive flavor of the bar was light and fresh. The bite and snap of this bar were both firm. While we were tasting this bar, we were reminded of the TCHO bar we reviewed which was deep and fudgy in the backs of our mouths and throats. The tasting experience of this bar was completely different with its flavor explosion happening in the front of our mouths and upper taste regions. Yes, we laughed too when we re-read that last part, but remember chocolate tasting can be a sensual experience.
 

Flavor Profile:

Initial – floral

Middle – earthy, smoky, anise, cinnamon 

After – nutty, earthy, fudgy

Texture:

This bar was slightly gritty and then smooth, melting easily over our tongues.

Overall:
We both enjoyed this bar and think that it would make a lovely gift. The price point is affordable while the packaging and quality of the bar remain uncompromised. It is an impressive and unusual brand, which we believe would resonate as a thoughtful and indulgent treat.  We chose different drinks for our tasting; Gaby had a mug of hot English tea with milk and honey while Laura had a full-bodied red wine - both paired deliciously.

Rating: 8 /10

(Our utmost apologies for the not-so-perfect chocolate bar in this photo, we simply couldn't resist a nibble before the photo!)

*Notes:

Available at Central Market

Price range under $10

Next week we'll be trying another gift; this one brought to us all the way from France! Join us.


For now savor: “When we don't have the words chocolate can speak volumes." - Joan Bauer

Chapter Eighteen: Bovetti Flourless Chocolate Cake

We were so impressed with the Bovetti bar that we tried in Chapter Six that we decided to pick up another to try this week. The Bovetti Dark Chocolate & Fleur de Sel Bar a 73% cacao bar that is fair trade with the cacao originating in Ghana, New Guinea, and Ecuador.

Tasting No.: 16

Bovetti Dark Chocolate & Fleur de Sel

Initial Impressions:

This bar had a very firm snap in comparison to the base bar.  It was not red in color, but a rich, dark brown.  The smell of this bar was different from what we expected.  Although it has caramel, we found the aroma to be distinctly tobacco, like a humidor.

Flavor Profile:

Initial – vanilla, cinnamon, molasses

Middle – chocolate bomb, pure chocolate

After – vanilla, butterscotch

Texture:

The texture of this bar was creamy, which surprised us because of the candy-like caramel morsels covering one side of the bar.  It reminded us of a dense, flourless chocolate cake.  We found it to be quite thick and enveloping.  The texture of this bar was very similar to last week’s TCHO bar, which differed dramatically from the base bar.

Overall:

Bovetti has been the star brand in our tastings thus far and we have yet to be disappointed.  This brand is one that we would wholeheartedly recommend to anyone with a craving for satisfaction.  For those that want to get lost in the moment with a single square, Bovetti is for you.  This particular bar reminded us instantly of a flourless chocolate cake, with intense chocolate flavor.  There was a subtle element of salt and the caramel came through as potent.  This bar also makes Gaby’s and Laura’s individual favorite lists.

Rating: 9/10

*Notes:

Purchased at Central Market

Price range under $10

Next week, it’s another Trader Joe’s bar!  Don’t forget to have a look!

For now savor: “In the beginning, the Lord created chocolate, and he saw that it was good. Then he separated the light from the dark, and it was better.” - Anonymous

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 Fourteen: Milkboy Essential Pine Oil

We were lucky to find this week’s bar while on a trip to our favorite grocer.  It is an unusual combination of 60% dark chocolate infused with essential pine tree oil.  Milkboy is a Swiss brand committed to sustainable sourcing, being both UTZ certified and from sustainable sources.

Tasting No.: 12

Milkboy Switzerland 60% Cocoa with Essential Pine Tree Oil  

Initial Impressions:

The color of this bar is quite different from the base bar, which is significantly darker and redder. It has a fragrant pine scent when snapped, while the base bar is much sweeter. The snap is firm, about the same as the base bar, with the bite being firm as well.

 Flavor Profile:

Initial – vegetative, tobacco

Middle – spicy, black pepper

After – spicy, pine, black pepper, vanilla

Texture:

For having such a strong flavor profile, the texture of this bar is surprisingly smooth and enveloping.  

Overall:

Sweeter than base bar but the strong flavors make it quite enjoyable even though the cacao content is lower. Laura liked it enough to add it to her list of favorites; she will definitely be eating this one again and said it reminds her of hot cocoa at Christmas time.

Rating: 8/10

*Notes:

Purchased at Central Market

Price range under $6

Next week we will be returning to another coconut bar.  Join us! 

For now savor: “Strength is the capacity to break a chocolate bar into four pieces with your bare hands - and then eat just one of the pieces.” - Judith Viorst

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.