It’s surprising how mild this bar is at 77%. It’s sweet for this percentage, and the added cocoa butter is very evident, though slightly on the waxy side. It melts smoothly but it feels a little on the hard side and take a bit of effort to really get into it. Like the strong dark 70% the bitter element is kept in check but there’s more chocolate flavor and a little more of the astringent taste. It’s not exactly fruity, but there is some sort of forbidden fruit poking its head out, but pushed right back in. It’s plenty chocolatey, but certainly not enough to floor me. Some might say that it’s a good balance, but I prefer much richer and creamier. It tastes neat and polite- not exactly the sort that a chocophile as myself would reach for.
Flowers I Would Bring
Flowers I would bring if flowers could make thee fairer,
And music, if the Muse were dear to thee;
(For loving these would make thee love the bearer)
But sweetest songs forget their melody,
And loveliest flowers would but conceal the wearer:-
A rose I mark’d, and might have pluck’d; but she
Blush’d as she bent, imploring me to spare her,
Nor spoil her beauty by such rivalry.
Alas! And with what gifts shall I pursue thee,
What offerings bring, what treasures lay before thee;
When earth with all her floral train doth woo thee,
And all old poets and old songs adore thee;
And love to thee is naught; from passionate mood
Secur’d by joy’s complacent plentitude!
Aubrey Thomas De Vere
Wednesday, March 01, 2006
Friday, February 24, 2006
Hersheys Extra Dark 60%
Even though I’ve lived in NYC for nearly six months (momentarily shocked at this realization) it wasn’t until last night that I went to the Hershey’s store in Time Square. Elaine and I were in the area and since she hadn’t been there either we decided that it’s time we pay a visit to the infamously touristy shop.
Surprise! Upon walking in I saw a stand full of “Extra Dark- Pure Dark Chocolate”. Since when did Hershey’s make 60% chocolate? I was absolutely curious if it’s good or not.
There are three varieties: plain, cranberry/macadamia, and cranberries/blueberries/almonds.
Plain: Smells pepperminty. Identical to the Special Dark as far as the cocoa aroma goes. Milky all the way. Nothing surprising. A little disappointing. Tastes like milk chocolate. What the… (I check the ingredients)… go figure. They put milk fat in it. That would make it milk chocolate. Do they think no one’s going to notice? It tastes sweet sweet sweet and milky milky milky. And that’s about it. How unfortunate- they make a 60% chocolate and it tastes just like their special dark (their cheating version of dark chocolate) except a tiny bit less sweet and tiny bit more cocoa flavor. This chocolate is flat and excessive with the sugar. Very unfortunate indeed.
If it becomes accessible enough then maybe it’ll be the stepping stone of refining America’s taste for chocolate. However, their marketing strategy is “eat chocolate and be healthy” and I see it fizzling out as soon as they realize that no matter how much antioxidants are in chocolate, people don’t eat chocolate to be healthy. The candy chocolate lovers will stick to their kisses and the real chocoholics will stick to their gourmet bars. If they did something risky, like use less sugar and eliminate the milk, then they would have a real chance of success by widening America’s love for real chocolate but as Hershey’s priority is sales and not chocolate, and Americans love their super sweet milk chocolate, it’d be extraordinary if that ever happened.
Thanks to them I know now that a serving of their chocolate gives you antioxidants equivalent to 3 cups of tea, 2 glasses of wine, or 1 and 1/3 cups of blueberries.
Cranberries/blueberries/almonds: This one is just like the plain but clad with extras. The fruits are nice, but the almonds are overpowering. In the xocolatl post I briefly mention how I hate getting a mouthful of “stuff” and not chocolate. Well, this is a prime example of that.
Cranberry/macadamia: Best one of the three. Either the macadamia cuts down the sugar factor or they use a different and better chocolate. Simple and mild. Non intrusive. I would snack on this often. Kind of surprising next to the other two- they did this one right. I hope this one sells enough that it’ll show up in the convenient stores. It’s good but I probably won’t make a trip to Time Square just to buy it.
Overall, I’m glad a big company like Hershey’s is making real chocolate but it’s kind of sad that they’re trying to sell their product by saying it’s healthy. Everyone knows that refined sugar is terrible for you. In this respect it shows how much integrity they lack. If I wanted antioxidants I’d pop a vitamin E or better yet, drink green tea and eat salmon.
Surprise! Upon walking in I saw a stand full of “Extra Dark- Pure Dark Chocolate”. Since when did Hershey’s make 60% chocolate? I was absolutely curious if it’s good or not.
There are three varieties: plain, cranberry/macadamia, and cranberries/blueberries/almonds.
Plain: Smells pepperminty. Identical to the Special Dark as far as the cocoa aroma goes. Milky all the way. Nothing surprising. A little disappointing. Tastes like milk chocolate. What the… (I check the ingredients)… go figure. They put milk fat in it. That would make it milk chocolate. Do they think no one’s going to notice? It tastes sweet sweet sweet and milky milky milky. And that’s about it. How unfortunate- they make a 60% chocolate and it tastes just like their special dark (their cheating version of dark chocolate) except a tiny bit less sweet and tiny bit more cocoa flavor. This chocolate is flat and excessive with the sugar. Very unfortunate indeed.
If it becomes accessible enough then maybe it’ll be the stepping stone of refining America’s taste for chocolate. However, their marketing strategy is “eat chocolate and be healthy” and I see it fizzling out as soon as they realize that no matter how much antioxidants are in chocolate, people don’t eat chocolate to be healthy. The candy chocolate lovers will stick to their kisses and the real chocoholics will stick to their gourmet bars. If they did something risky, like use less sugar and eliminate the milk, then they would have a real chance of success by widening America’s love for real chocolate but as Hershey’s priority is sales and not chocolate, and Americans love their super sweet milk chocolate, it’d be extraordinary if that ever happened.
Thanks to them I know now that a serving of their chocolate gives you antioxidants equivalent to 3 cups of tea, 2 glasses of wine, or 1 and 1/3 cups of blueberries.
Cranberries/blueberries/almonds: This one is just like the plain but clad with extras. The fruits are nice, but the almonds are overpowering. In the xocolatl post I briefly mention how I hate getting a mouthful of “stuff” and not chocolate. Well, this is a prime example of that.
Cranberry/macadamia: Best one of the three. Either the macadamia cuts down the sugar factor or they use a different and better chocolate. Simple and mild. Non intrusive. I would snack on this often. Kind of surprising next to the other two- they did this one right. I hope this one sells enough that it’ll show up in the convenient stores. It’s good but I probably won’t make a trip to Time Square just to buy it.
Overall, I’m glad a big company like Hershey’s is making real chocolate but it’s kind of sad that they’re trying to sell their product by saying it’s healthy. Everyone knows that refined sugar is terrible for you. In this respect it shows how much integrity they lack. If I wanted antioxidants I’d pop a vitamin E or better yet, drink green tea and eat salmon.
Chocolove Strong Dark 70%
From the packaging I learned that this chocolate is made with African and Caribbean cocoa beans in Belgium and finished in Boulder, CO. I also learned that it’s best before September of 2007. This I find fishy, as that’s a long, long time from now but I do appreciate their effort to keep their products relatively fresh.
It also comes with a poem in the reverse side of the wrapping. Here it is:
Sonnet by Dante Gabriel Rossetti
I sat with Love upon a woodside well,
Leaning across the water, I and he;
Nor ever did he speak nor looked at me,
But touched his lute wherein was audible
The certain secret thing he had to tell:
Only our mirrored eyes met silently
In the low wave; and that sound came to be
The passionate voice I knew; and my tears fell.
And at their fall, his eyes beneath grew hers;
And with his foot and with his wing-feathers
He swept the spring that watered my heart’s drouth;
Then the dark ripples spread to waving hair,
And as I stooped, her own lips rising there
Bubbled with brimming kisses at my mouth.
He couldn’t express his love but the woman came and understood him anyway? Or is he spying on the guy he’s in love with but with another lover? Or that he likes a guy who likes the woman, who likes him?
Here’s a love poem I love:
Then, brothers, it came. Oh bliss, bliss and heaven. I lay all nagoy to the ceiling, my Gulliver on my rookers on the pillow, glazzies closed, rot open in bliss, slooshying the sluice of lovely sounds. Oh, it was gorgeousness and gorgeosity made flesh. The trombones crunched redgold under my bed, and behind my Gulliver the trumpets three-wise silverflamed, and there by the door the timps rolling through my guts and out again crunched like candy thunder. Oh, it was wonder of wonders. And then, a bird or like rarest spun heavenmetal, or like silvery wine flowing in a spaceship, gravity all nonsense now, came the violin solo above all the other strings, and those strings were like a cage of silk round my bed. Then flute and oboe bored, like worms of like platinum, into the thick thick toffee gold and silver. I was in such bliss, my brothers.
Okay, it’s not exactly a love poem. It’s an excerpt from A Clockwork Orange. I love it because it exemplifies the power of music and the level of active interaction Alex has with it. At this point in the book Alex is pretty much incapable of love, but this is the closest he comes to it. This makes him a sympathetic character, despite the fact that he’s otherwise an atrocious rascal full of hate and rage.
Anyway, back to the chocolate. First of all, it’s absolutely wonderful that they took the time to make these chocolates nice to look at. They’re polished looking and each square has a heart mark.
They smell wonderful. There’s an overlay of bitter cocoa aroma in just the right dosage. It’s there, but on top of a promising smell of molasses and caramel. It smells warm but surrounded by sparks of pungent bitters, as if it’s keeping guard from turning mild.
It melts smoothly and effortlessly in your mouth. I see tan colors in my head eating this chocolate. There’s a hint of hazelnut, and the maple is checked by the gray element. It’s the perfect amount of bitterness- just enough to keep it interesting.
It’s slightly on the sweet side, and you do get that sugary coating in your throat. Besides that all of the other elements are balanced. It’s nutty and warm, but not mild. It melts smoothly but not saucy.
The packaging is brilliant, and reading the love poem puts you in the perfect reflective mood to eat great chocolate. It brought me to reflect on Alex. Coincidentally, Alex likes chocolate too, at least in the movie version. I wonder what kind of chocolate he would eat. Maybe the milky types to foreshadow his sweet side that comes out at the end of the book, but then again the book says nothing about him eating chocolate and the movie ends without the last chapter of the book.
It also comes with a poem in the reverse side of the wrapping. Here it is:
Sonnet by Dante Gabriel Rossetti
I sat with Love upon a woodside well,
Leaning across the water, I and he;
Nor ever did he speak nor looked at me,
But touched his lute wherein was audible
The certain secret thing he had to tell:
Only our mirrored eyes met silently
In the low wave; and that sound came to be
The passionate voice I knew; and my tears fell.
And at their fall, his eyes beneath grew hers;
And with his foot and with his wing-feathers
He swept the spring that watered my heart’s drouth;
Then the dark ripples spread to waving hair,
And as I stooped, her own lips rising there
Bubbled with brimming kisses at my mouth.
He couldn’t express his love but the woman came and understood him anyway? Or is he spying on the guy he’s in love with but with another lover? Or that he likes a guy who likes the woman, who likes him?
Here’s a love poem I love:
Then, brothers, it came. Oh bliss, bliss and heaven. I lay all nagoy to the ceiling, my Gulliver on my rookers on the pillow, glazzies closed, rot open in bliss, slooshying the sluice of lovely sounds. Oh, it was gorgeousness and gorgeosity made flesh. The trombones crunched redgold under my bed, and behind my Gulliver the trumpets three-wise silverflamed, and there by the door the timps rolling through my guts and out again crunched like candy thunder. Oh, it was wonder of wonders. And then, a bird or like rarest spun heavenmetal, or like silvery wine flowing in a spaceship, gravity all nonsense now, came the violin solo above all the other strings, and those strings were like a cage of silk round my bed. Then flute and oboe bored, like worms of like platinum, into the thick thick toffee gold and silver. I was in such bliss, my brothers.
Okay, it’s not exactly a love poem. It’s an excerpt from A Clockwork Orange. I love it because it exemplifies the power of music and the level of active interaction Alex has with it. At this point in the book Alex is pretty much incapable of love, but this is the closest he comes to it. This makes him a sympathetic character, despite the fact that he’s otherwise an atrocious rascal full of hate and rage.
Anyway, back to the chocolate. First of all, it’s absolutely wonderful that they took the time to make these chocolates nice to look at. They’re polished looking and each square has a heart mark.
They smell wonderful. There’s an overlay of bitter cocoa aroma in just the right dosage. It’s there, but on top of a promising smell of molasses and caramel. It smells warm but surrounded by sparks of pungent bitters, as if it’s keeping guard from turning mild.
It melts smoothly and effortlessly in your mouth. I see tan colors in my head eating this chocolate. There’s a hint of hazelnut, and the maple is checked by the gray element. It’s the perfect amount of bitterness- just enough to keep it interesting.
It’s slightly on the sweet side, and you do get that sugary coating in your throat. Besides that all of the other elements are balanced. It’s nutty and warm, but not mild. It melts smoothly but not saucy.
The packaging is brilliant, and reading the love poem puts you in the perfect reflective mood to eat great chocolate. It brought me to reflect on Alex. Coincidentally, Alex likes chocolate too, at least in the movie version. I wonder what kind of chocolate he would eat. Maybe the milky types to foreshadow his sweet side that comes out at the end of the book, but then again the book says nothing about him eating chocolate and the movie ends without the last chapter of the book.
Dagoba Conacado 73%
This chocolate is an accident. I don't know what went wrong but it tastes like it's burnt. It reminded me of the tomato soup from back in the day when I used to cook. Yuck.
Wednesday, February 08, 2006
Michel Cluizel Plantation "Concepcion" Noir Venezuela
This chocolate smells better than it tastes. To my delight it smelled warm and woody. Closer to my nostrils I got a whiff of the rich cocoa underneath the woody notes. It smelled bitter yet balanced and neither warm nor brittle.
The taste was strangely out of proportion. Somehow it didn't have much of a cocoa taste. It was more like a sugar fix than real chocolate. It has a hint of berries but it's too sweet to taste what else is going on. You expect something else to emerge but all you get is medium bodied cocoa.
The texture was hard yet smooth. It melts too slowly. When your tongue tries to sauce it up all you get is liquid. You'd have to be patient not to chew it.
This chocolate was like drinking lemonade when you want a stout. It's good but not quite what you're looking for.
The taste was strangely out of proportion. Somehow it didn't have much of a cocoa taste. It was more like a sugar fix than real chocolate. It has a hint of berries but it's too sweet to taste what else is going on. You expect something else to emerge but all you get is medium bodied cocoa.
The texture was hard yet smooth. It melts too slowly. When your tongue tries to sauce it up all you get is liquid. You'd have to be patient not to chew it.
This chocolate was like drinking lemonade when you want a stout. It's good but not quite what you're looking for.
Monday, February 06, 2006
El Rey Gran Saman 70%
This is the worst chocolate I've ever had. It is straight up awful and no chocophile should have to suffer through a taste of it. If you buy this chocolate you'll be sorry you spent four bucks on something that's barely edible.
Now you might be saying that it couldn't have been that bad, and that it's only a matter of personal preference. Maybe so, but I think that chocolate in this price range should have a decent amount of chocolate flavor and the texture should be smooth. This one is neither.
To begin with, it's downright ugly. There's a thin coat of gray film that looks like someone rubbed their cigarette butts on it. Oddly enough, it smells like an ash tray! The texture is hard, brittle, and dry when you clamp down on it. You take a few bites and it just crumbles in your mouth! Gross! The taste is even worse. As you put it in your mouth you get a whiff of medicine, which is basically what it tastes like. The worst part is that there isn't even much cocoa taste to make up for it. It's sort of there, mildly floating along, but masked by the taste of medicine.
The only nice thing I can say about this one is that the aftertaste has a surprising hint of marzapan, but you'll only notice it if you can get over the gray taste in the back of your throat.
Unless you like grainy chocolate or the taste of medicine, do not eat this one. Because I can't bare to eat the rest of it but can't throw away a four dollar chocolate bar in the trash either, I'm going to keep the rest of it in the fridge to remind myself never to buy it again.
Now you might be saying that it couldn't have been that bad, and that it's only a matter of personal preference. Maybe so, but I think that chocolate in this price range should have a decent amount of chocolate flavor and the texture should be smooth. This one is neither.
To begin with, it's downright ugly. There's a thin coat of gray film that looks like someone rubbed their cigarette butts on it. Oddly enough, it smells like an ash tray! The texture is hard, brittle, and dry when you clamp down on it. You take a few bites and it just crumbles in your mouth! Gross! The taste is even worse. As you put it in your mouth you get a whiff of medicine, which is basically what it tastes like. The worst part is that there isn't even much cocoa taste to make up for it. It's sort of there, mildly floating along, but masked by the taste of medicine.
The only nice thing I can say about this one is that the aftertaste has a surprising hint of marzapan, but you'll only notice it if you can get over the gray taste in the back of your throat.
Unless you like grainy chocolate or the taste of medicine, do not eat this one. Because I can't bare to eat the rest of it but can't throw away a four dollar chocolate bar in the trash either, I'm going to keep the rest of it in the fridge to remind myself never to buy it again.
Sunday, February 05, 2006
Dagoba eclipse 87%
Here's a warning: this chocolate is bitter to the extreme. Everything about it is chocolatey, and I'm not talking about the Hersheys kind of chocolatey. I'm talking real chocolatey, which is bitter bitter bitter. It's spicy, pungent, and once the bitterness wraps around your tongue there's no going back. If you don't take a sip of water, the taste will linger in your mouth for a long, long time. Even when it's gone, you'll wonder if you're still tasting it. This is not to say that it's unpleasant. I've had chocolate that was very dark, very bitter, and that was the end of it. The eclipse is yummy enough to eat all of it in one sitting; it's just that it's extremely chocolatey.
The smell is cinnamony and clovey with a hint of fruitiness. It also smells acidic, as if it's been infused with vinegar. It's not exactly inviting but more as if it's saying "eat me if you dare."
The eclipse isn't going to be everybody's favorite. Eating it reminded me of the time I bit into my old roomate Mitch's egglplant parmesan where the eggplant either wasn't cooked all the way or it wasn't ripe enough to begin with and coated my mouth with a film of strange substance. It was the same thing that happened to me when I was a kid and bit into an unripe persimmon and ended up washing out my mouth. For any Koreans out there reading this, it tasted "dup dup" if you know what I mean.
I have a weird relationship with this chocolate. I can't say I love it, but for some reason I always end up buying it and eating a lot of it. My guess is that it takes care of my chocophelia fast and thorough. I must gravitate towards it.
Overall, I would recommend the eclipse only to those of you chocophiles who truly enjoy bitter chocolate.
The smell is cinnamony and clovey with a hint of fruitiness. It also smells acidic, as if it's been infused with vinegar. It's not exactly inviting but more as if it's saying "eat me if you dare."
The eclipse isn't going to be everybody's favorite. Eating it reminded me of the time I bit into my old roomate Mitch's egglplant parmesan where the eggplant either wasn't cooked all the way or it wasn't ripe enough to begin with and coated my mouth with a film of strange substance. It was the same thing that happened to me when I was a kid and bit into an unripe persimmon and ended up washing out my mouth. For any Koreans out there reading this, it tasted "dup dup" if you know what I mean.
I have a weird relationship with this chocolate. I can't say I love it, but for some reason I always end up buying it and eating a lot of it. My guess is that it takes care of my chocophelia fast and thorough. I must gravitate towards it.
Overall, I would recommend the eclipse only to those of you chocophiles who truly enjoy bitter chocolate.
Dagoba xocolatl
This chocolate was my favorite before the Galler Noir 85 came along. It's inspired by the drink ancient Mayans used to drink, and similarly has chilies and nibs of cacao beans in it. As I'm passionate about chocolate, I am also a big fan of spicy food and I love that this chocolate satisfies both my cravings at once.
Xocolatl smells like a dry bark of wood with red glitter. The chili smell is the first thing you'll notice and it goes straight up your nose. It smells freshly ground and has a real kick to it. If you have a nasal congestion, this chocolate might help. Then after a few sniffs your nose gets used to the chili smell and the chocolate aroma emerges. It has a rustic quality and smells slightly astringent and ever so bitter. It smells excited to be eaten.
Take a small bite, break it down a bit, and clamp down. WIthin a second you will taste the pungent taste of the chili pepper in the back of your throat. This becomes even more apparent when you oxygenate the chocolate. It's like they're dancing and having a party back there! You feel it tingling while the front of your tongue is busy sucking down the richness of the chocolate. The chocolate itself tastes warm in contrast to the chili. It almost tastes like butter rum which works well with all the spiciness. When it all melts you're left with the nibs, which don't have much flavor but have a nice crisp to it. You have just enough to crunch up twice or thrice and they're gone. Perfect. I hate those bars that have too much stuff and you end up with a mouth full of toffee or almonds or whatever and you're eating stuff and not chocolate. No. Dagoba really perfected the amount of nibs as it comes and goes quickly without burdening the experience.
If you're a chocophile and love spicy food, you're going to love xocolatl. Even if you're not into spicy food, it's worth trying just for its unique flavor combination.
Xocolatl smells like a dry bark of wood with red glitter. The chili smell is the first thing you'll notice and it goes straight up your nose. It smells freshly ground and has a real kick to it. If you have a nasal congestion, this chocolate might help. Then after a few sniffs your nose gets used to the chili smell and the chocolate aroma emerges. It has a rustic quality and smells slightly astringent and ever so bitter. It smells excited to be eaten.
Take a small bite, break it down a bit, and clamp down. WIthin a second you will taste the pungent taste of the chili pepper in the back of your throat. This becomes even more apparent when you oxygenate the chocolate. It's like they're dancing and having a party back there! You feel it tingling while the front of your tongue is busy sucking down the richness of the chocolate. The chocolate itself tastes warm in contrast to the chili. It almost tastes like butter rum which works well with all the spiciness. When it all melts you're left with the nibs, which don't have much flavor but have a nice crisp to it. You have just enough to crunch up twice or thrice and they're gone. Perfect. I hate those bars that have too much stuff and you end up with a mouth full of toffee or almonds or whatever and you're eating stuff and not chocolate. No. Dagoba really perfected the amount of nibs as it comes and goes quickly without burdening the experience.
If you're a chocophile and love spicy food, you're going to love xocolatl. Even if you're not into spicy food, it's worth trying just for its unique flavor combination.
Friday, February 03, 2006
Galler Noir 85
Yum yum yum yum yum!!!! If you're a chocophile and have yet to try this one, listen to me now. You are missing out big time! Go to the store, buy one, and melt into it asap. You're welcome in advance.
Galler's wasn't kidding when they named it Noir 85. It is pretty much black.
It smells rich, nutty, and very chocolatey. Amazingly, there isn't a trace of bitterness. I dove right in and the taste was just like the smell, but ten times the goodness. Deeply satisfying and incredibly smooth. Mmmmmmmmm. I'm in heaven!
My dear friend Elaine who shares my enthusiasm for chocolate said that it was very good but so rich that she had to drink some water afterwards. That's how good it is.
If you lean towards milk chocolate because of the bitterness factor, try this one. You might change your mind.
Galler's wasn't kidding when they named it Noir 85. It is pretty much black.
It smells rich, nutty, and very chocolatey. Amazingly, there isn't a trace of bitterness. I dove right in and the taste was just like the smell, but ten times the goodness. Deeply satisfying and incredibly smooth. Mmmmmmmmm. I'm in heaven!
My dear friend Elaine who shares my enthusiasm for chocolate said that it was very good but so rich that she had to drink some water afterwards. That's how good it is.
If you lean towards milk chocolate because of the bitterness factor, try this one. You might change your mind.
Thursday, February 02, 2006
Dagoba Organic Chocolate
Hi everyone- After eating a whole lot of chocolate last week I had to take a few days off and let the cravings come back to me again. But here I am- back to eating massive amounts of chocolate.
After the disappointment at Dean and Deluca for not carrrying my favorite brand to date, Dagoba, I made a trip out to Whole Foods in Union Square to get my hands on some. I ended up buying the following:
Dagoba Elipse 87%
Dagoba New Moon 74%
Dagoba Xocolatl 74%
Dagoba Conacado 73%
As you can see, Dagoba makes a lot of different varieties of chocolate with impressive cacao content level. I'll try to review all of them in the next week.
Dagoba was the link to my addiction to chocolate. My first time was when I randomly picked up a bag of Chocodrops during a road trip. I put a couple in my mouth and it brought me joy from the get go. (The only other time in my life when I felt emotional from food was a couple years back when I was eating keylime cheesecake at the Cheesecake Factory. I didn't know that food could be so complex! There were layers to the flavor- initially tart, then sweet and tangy, then rich creaminess, and finished off with a refreshing and a hint of lime on the tongue. I was eating it with my old friend Nick after playing an exhausting concert and we were both orgasmic! We even shed a few tears! It was one of those experiences of feeling the physical sense of being alive. I was truly grateful and I'll never forget that.) Anyway, back to chocolate. Chocodrops had a similar effect on me and when the bag was gone I went looking for more Dagoba. When I finally found it (at a supermarket 50 min. from my house- ugh!) I picked up as many flavors as they had and fell in love with almost all of them.
As I browsed through their website, I found out the company started in Colorado and is now based in Oregon. This was even more reasons to love the company as I grew up in Oregon and did my undergrad in Colorado!
Another special thing about Dagoba is that they mix their chocolate with quite unusual flavors- xocolatl is made with chilies and they also make lime, lavender, roseberry, and chai. Yum yum yum!!!
After the disappointment at Dean and Deluca for not carrrying my favorite brand to date, Dagoba, I made a trip out to Whole Foods in Union Square to get my hands on some. I ended up buying the following:
Dagoba Elipse 87%
Dagoba New Moon 74%
Dagoba Xocolatl 74%
Dagoba Conacado 73%
As you can see, Dagoba makes a lot of different varieties of chocolate with impressive cacao content level. I'll try to review all of them in the next week.
Dagoba was the link to my addiction to chocolate. My first time was when I randomly picked up a bag of Chocodrops during a road trip. I put a couple in my mouth and it brought me joy from the get go. (The only other time in my life when I felt emotional from food was a couple years back when I was eating keylime cheesecake at the Cheesecake Factory. I didn't know that food could be so complex! There were layers to the flavor- initially tart, then sweet and tangy, then rich creaminess, and finished off with a refreshing and a hint of lime on the tongue. I was eating it with my old friend Nick after playing an exhausting concert and we were both orgasmic! We even shed a few tears! It was one of those experiences of feeling the physical sense of being alive. I was truly grateful and I'll never forget that.) Anyway, back to chocolate. Chocodrops had a similar effect on me and when the bag was gone I went looking for more Dagoba. When I finally found it (at a supermarket 50 min. from my house- ugh!) I picked up as many flavors as they had and fell in love with almost all of them.
As I browsed through their website, I found out the company started in Colorado and is now based in Oregon. This was even more reasons to love the company as I grew up in Oregon and did my undergrad in Colorado!
Another special thing about Dagoba is that they mix their chocolate with quite unusual flavors- xocolatl is made with chilies and they also make lime, lavender, roseberry, and chai. Yum yum yum!!!
Sunday, January 29, 2006
Scharffen Berger 70% Cacao Bittersweet
Shcarffen Berger is a company based in the bay area of California. Their chocolates from 41% milk to 82% extra dark. Dean and Deluca carries a couple of their flavors, and I picked up the darkest one there, which was the 70% bittersweet.
I was surprised that the shade was as light as it was. Most high percentage chocolate are darker in color. I predicted that it would be one of the bitter, medium body variety, which I find more and more with lighter color high cacao content chocolate.
The initial smell reminded me cigarette smoke. There was a gray factor to it and made me think of a tobacco flower perfume I once smelled in a beauty boutique. Although it was dominated by the smokey smell, it had a nice floral element to it. It was as if the cacao had been infused by second hand smoke and bitter smelling flowers. Underneath the floral tobacco smell the cocoa aroma carried through yieldingly but securely.
Upon taking a few bites and clamping down for it to melt in my mouth the rich chocolate taste finally took over my mouth. It started dominating the floral/smokey aroma that was so prevalent in the smell and the intial bites. Then when the chocolate was warm and completely melted the bitterness factor went away completely. It began becoming quite sweet. By now the smokey element was completely gone and it was nothing but sweet richness. Rich in a light way, comparable to how swiss cheese is creamy but tangy. It was very chocolatey without overwhelming my mouth.
The sweetness factor was interesting as well. It was sweeter than I usually prefer but with a unique quality. It was pleasantly complicated and forward at the same time. I couldn't figure out what the sweet taste was, so I took another bite, and another, and another, closing my eyes and oxygenating it constantly. After about half the bar, I figured it out. Honey! It's honey! After the bitter/floral/smoke element takes a step back, the rich sweetness fills your mouth, but it's not sugary. It's sweet like honey! Honey, honey, honey... that's what it is! I took a few more bites just to make sure, but by then it stuck out clearly. When the chocolate is melted and starting to disappear in your mouth, you get a honey essence that reminds you of the waxy honey you buy at farmers markets!
The aftertaste is light- the honey finish stays for a minute or two but the cocoa taste is gone almost immediately. Overall, it was very light and refreshing for a 70% variety.
The concoction of this bar was worth my money. I usually prefer darker nutty types but this one is light and memorable. It makes me want to try their other flavors, especially the 82% extra dark. Hopefully, the next time I go to Dean and Deluca, they'll have it in stock.
I was surprised that the shade was as light as it was. Most high percentage chocolate are darker in color. I predicted that it would be one of the bitter, medium body variety, which I find more and more with lighter color high cacao content chocolate.
The initial smell reminded me cigarette smoke. There was a gray factor to it and made me think of a tobacco flower perfume I once smelled in a beauty boutique. Although it was dominated by the smokey smell, it had a nice floral element to it. It was as if the cacao had been infused by second hand smoke and bitter smelling flowers. Underneath the floral tobacco smell the cocoa aroma carried through yieldingly but securely.
Upon taking a few bites and clamping down for it to melt in my mouth the rich chocolate taste finally took over my mouth. It started dominating the floral/smokey aroma that was so prevalent in the smell and the intial bites. Then when the chocolate was warm and completely melted the bitterness factor went away completely. It began becoming quite sweet. By now the smokey element was completely gone and it was nothing but sweet richness. Rich in a light way, comparable to how swiss cheese is creamy but tangy. It was very chocolatey without overwhelming my mouth.
The sweetness factor was interesting as well. It was sweeter than I usually prefer but with a unique quality. It was pleasantly complicated and forward at the same time. I couldn't figure out what the sweet taste was, so I took another bite, and another, and another, closing my eyes and oxygenating it constantly. After about half the bar, I figured it out. Honey! It's honey! After the bitter/floral/smoke element takes a step back, the rich sweetness fills your mouth, but it's not sugary. It's sweet like honey! Honey, honey, honey... that's what it is! I took a few more bites just to make sure, but by then it stuck out clearly. When the chocolate is melted and starting to disappear in your mouth, you get a honey essence that reminds you of the waxy honey you buy at farmers markets!
The aftertaste is light- the honey finish stays for a minute or two but the cocoa taste is gone almost immediately. Overall, it was very light and refreshing for a 70% variety.
The concoction of this bar was worth my money. I usually prefer darker nutty types but this one is light and memorable. It makes me want to try their other flavors, especially the 82% extra dark. Hopefully, the next time I go to Dean and Deluca, they'll have it in stock.
Friday, January 27, 2006
Green & Black's Organic Dark Chocolate with 70% Cocoa Content
Out of the bunch that I picked up at Dean and Deluca yesterday, this bar was the first that I ate. I have to admit that I didn't take care to enjoy opening the packaging as I often do like Charlie in the Willy Wonka movie, but it was during a break in orchestra rehearsal and I was dying for some chocolate action.
It comes in what I consider to be perfect packaging. The chocolate is wrapped in foil lined paper, which is superior to straight foil, which can make the chocolate taste metallic. Straight paper doesn't protect the chocolate from spoiling. The chocolate was well wrapped in the foil lined paper without any air leaks and the already wrapped chocolate was then doubled wrapped in the outside packaging. Most bars are wrapped only once, with a sleeve over the foil, so this bar had extra protection from getting spoiled.
The chocolate itself was molded in approximately .5"x1x3/8" rectangles, which I consider possibly the best bite size proportions.
I wanted to test the sound of the break accurately, but it was hard to do so sitting in a large room with people talking and playing their instruments. I should have waited until after rehearsal to really allow myself to indulge in the tasting experience, but like I said, I was craving chocolate madly and I just broke it off in kind of a hurry. It sounded crisp enough, and the break was very even and clean.
The color closely matched the color of the outside packaging. It was a rich dark brown and far from black. The finish on it was shiny enough to catch th light, but not glossy by any means. It looked like it might taste a little grainy.
The smell was a little bitter- typical for 70% chocolate- but pleasant enough for me to move right into the tasting. Breaking it with my teeth was no problem. After a 5 or 6 chews it started to melt in my mouth right away. My initial thought was that it had just the right amount of sweetness. It was sweet enough to counteract the bitterness without being noticeably sweet. It had just the right amount of bitterness that I so love in dark chocolate. The texture was not at all grainy, and therefore deserving of being called smooth, but somehow it lacked the utter melt in your mouth richness that I've experienced in other chocolates. Flavor wise, I'd say that it was dark enough to curb my chocolate craving, but not interesting enough to call exceptional. What I got was your typical dark chocolate- very chocolatey and plain bitter. There wasn't a surprising element in the aroma or the taste.
By the end of break I had eaten about half the bar, which reved me up to play more Strauss. The bitter aftertaste lingered in my mouth and stayed in my mouth well into rehearsal with me blowing into my flute and all.
All in all, this chocolate was satisfying but not exceptional. There was nothing to hate, but nothing to love either. After class I went back to Dean and Deluca to buy more bars and noticed that their other varieties aren't labeled with the cacao content. It seemed that they focused more on mixing with other flavors, including common ones like almond and mint.
I visited their website www.greenandblacks.com and found that their company is marketed more towards organic food connoisseurs than chocolate connoisseurs. It is a nice element for them to practice organic and fair trade standards. However, I was skeptical that the bar reviewed here is the only one with a percentage labeled large and bold in the front. Also, it's not clearly stated where their company is based. It appears that they are based in the UK, but my bar says "made in Italy" and the packaging looks to be made in the US. This is the least of the importance in good chocolate, but I was curious and wished that they tell you clearly in their website.
Would I buy this chocolate again? Probably not. It wasn't very inventive and I can't imagine craving this variety specifically. Basically, it's your everyday 70% chocolate bar and it will satisfy your cravings but won't make you think about it next time yor craving hits.
It comes in what I consider to be perfect packaging. The chocolate is wrapped in foil lined paper, which is superior to straight foil, which can make the chocolate taste metallic. Straight paper doesn't protect the chocolate from spoiling. The chocolate was well wrapped in the foil lined paper without any air leaks and the already wrapped chocolate was then doubled wrapped in the outside packaging. Most bars are wrapped only once, with a sleeve over the foil, so this bar had extra protection from getting spoiled.
The chocolate itself was molded in approximately .5"x1x3/8" rectangles, which I consider possibly the best bite size proportions.
I wanted to test the sound of the break accurately, but it was hard to do so sitting in a large room with people talking and playing their instruments. I should have waited until after rehearsal to really allow myself to indulge in the tasting experience, but like I said, I was craving chocolate madly and I just broke it off in kind of a hurry. It sounded crisp enough, and the break was very even and clean.
The color closely matched the color of the outside packaging. It was a rich dark brown and far from black. The finish on it was shiny enough to catch th light, but not glossy by any means. It looked like it might taste a little grainy.
The smell was a little bitter- typical for 70% chocolate- but pleasant enough for me to move right into the tasting. Breaking it with my teeth was no problem. After a 5 or 6 chews it started to melt in my mouth right away. My initial thought was that it had just the right amount of sweetness. It was sweet enough to counteract the bitterness without being noticeably sweet. It had just the right amount of bitterness that I so love in dark chocolate. The texture was not at all grainy, and therefore deserving of being called smooth, but somehow it lacked the utter melt in your mouth richness that I've experienced in other chocolates. Flavor wise, I'd say that it was dark enough to curb my chocolate craving, but not interesting enough to call exceptional. What I got was your typical dark chocolate- very chocolatey and plain bitter. There wasn't a surprising element in the aroma or the taste.
By the end of break I had eaten about half the bar, which reved me up to play more Strauss. The bitter aftertaste lingered in my mouth and stayed in my mouth well into rehearsal with me blowing into my flute and all.
All in all, this chocolate was satisfying but not exceptional. There was nothing to hate, but nothing to love either. After class I went back to Dean and Deluca to buy more bars and noticed that their other varieties aren't labeled with the cacao content. It seemed that they focused more on mixing with other flavors, including common ones like almond and mint.
I visited their website www.greenandblacks.com and found that their company is marketed more towards organic food connoisseurs than chocolate connoisseurs. It is a nice element for them to practice organic and fair trade standards. However, I was skeptical that the bar reviewed here is the only one with a percentage labeled large and bold in the front. Also, it's not clearly stated where their company is based. It appears that they are based in the UK, but my bar says "made in Italy" and the packaging looks to be made in the US. This is the least of the importance in good chocolate, but I was curious and wished that they tell you clearly in their website.
Would I buy this chocolate again? Probably not. It wasn't very inventive and I can't imagine craving this variety specifically. Basically, it's your everyday 70% chocolate bar and it will satisfy your cravings but won't make you think about it next time yor craving hits.
Dean and Deluca
Dean and Deluca is a chain gourmet grocery store/coffee shop that claims to have the most variety of chocolate bars in New York City. The first thing I noticed when I walked in was their produce- their vegetables looked awfully fresh. Everything there looked colorful, interesting, and I was tempted to start grocery shopping. Anyway, I got back on track and found the chocolate section.
Immediately I was taken back by their temperature controlled chocolate display. They had marzapan animals, handbag shaped chocolates, various truffle types, and chocolate squares with very tempting flavors such as vinegar, green tea, and rose tea. It was delightful on my eyes and I felt my mouth starting to salivate. I had to pull myself away from the display and find the chocolate bar section. My aim was to focus only on the chocolate itself, and not the creative molds and flavorings that chocolate is often presented with. I took a few steps around the corner and stood myself in front of the chocolate shelf.
The selection was not nearly as good as I had hoped. Maybe I had high expectations, but they were missing some very important brands including the American brand Dagoba. The only American chocolate company I recognized was Ghiradelli, which in my opinion makes pretty awful chocolate. Anyway, they had about a dozen different brands and I picked up the following:
Michel Cluizel-Plantation "Conceptcion" Venezuela
El Rey-Gran Saman-Dark Chocolate
Galler-Chocolate Noir 85
Scharffen Berger-Bittersweet-Pure Dark Chocolate
Green & Black's-Dark 70%
I felt a bit lost looking at all the different labels. Almost all of the brands they carried were imported and I was wishing that I knew how to read French. Nevertheless, I managed to weed out all the "non chocolate" chocolate bars, and proceeded to the checkout stand.
At this point I'll say a few words on what I do not consider chocolate. Chocolate is the general term that people use to describe anything that remotely smells or tastes like actual chocolate (a.k.a. cacao paste, cocoa beans, cocoa liquor, etc.). This is what contributes to the rich yummy smell that we all know. For example, we call candy like Snickers, Hersheys kisses, and Twix bars chocolate. This is common, but flawed. The FDA requires only 10% cacao content in order to call it chocolate. That's an extremely small percentage of pure chocolate. And as pure chocolate is more expensive than additives like sugar and cocoa butter, companies like Hersheys and M&Ms use the minimal amount required. This means that when you eat a Hersheys "chocolate" bar, you're eating mostly sugar and very little chocolate. Therefore, it doesn't make much sense for me to call something like that chocolate. It's mosty sugar, so it' should be called candy. If I can change the FDA regulation, I would say that it should at least have a majority, or 50% chocolate content. I personally prefer chocolate with at least 70% cacao content, and only eat candy like Hersheys Special Dark when I'm desperate enough and can't find real chocolate. Anyway, the chocolate label issue is a result of commercial interests of large corporate companies, and they probably know better than anyone that they're not *chocolate* companies, but *candy* companies.
(Sidetrack: Have you ever noticed those foil wrapped holiday "chocolate" that don't really taste like chocolate? You know, the kinds that come in Santa Claus or Valentines pink foil with crispy rice or peanut butter? They're not labeled as chocolate and probably have something like 1% cacao content. Also, in case you're curious, the European standard is 1%. This is a result of the chocolate war that happened in the 1990's. Europe was trying to establish food standards and first on consideration was to require at least 50% cacao content to call it chocolate. The countries that made low percentage chocolate (esp. milk chocolate) opposed the idea, and won. The only catch was that they had to print the percentage level on the packaging. Consequently, chocolate companies that make real chocolate print their percentages large and bold in the front while low percentage and more commercial based companies try to hide them small in the back).
Overall, Dean and Deluca failed to live up to my expectation of the store with the highest selection of chocolate bars in NYC. I guess they have enough variety to make such a claim, but I didn't see a striking difference between them and Whole Foods. I think they should either give up the their claim to avoid such a hype, or consider widening their selection.
As far as the service goes, the cashiers I encountered were friendly and nice, and I was not surprised that they did not know the cacao percentage of the Dean and Deluca's own brand of dark chocolate.
Immediately I was taken back by their temperature controlled chocolate display. They had marzapan animals, handbag shaped chocolates, various truffle types, and chocolate squares with very tempting flavors such as vinegar, green tea, and rose tea. It was delightful on my eyes and I felt my mouth starting to salivate. I had to pull myself away from the display and find the chocolate bar section. My aim was to focus only on the chocolate itself, and not the creative molds and flavorings that chocolate is often presented with. I took a few steps around the corner and stood myself in front of the chocolate shelf.
The selection was not nearly as good as I had hoped. Maybe I had high expectations, but they were missing some very important brands including the American brand Dagoba. The only American chocolate company I recognized was Ghiradelli, which in my opinion makes pretty awful chocolate. Anyway, they had about a dozen different brands and I picked up the following:
Michel Cluizel-Plantation "Conceptcion" Venezuela
El Rey-Gran Saman-Dark Chocolate
Galler-Chocolate Noir 85
Scharffen Berger-Bittersweet-Pure Dark Chocolate
Green & Black's-Dark 70%
I felt a bit lost looking at all the different labels. Almost all of the brands they carried were imported and I was wishing that I knew how to read French. Nevertheless, I managed to weed out all the "non chocolate" chocolate bars, and proceeded to the checkout stand.
At this point I'll say a few words on what I do not consider chocolate. Chocolate is the general term that people use to describe anything that remotely smells or tastes like actual chocolate (a.k.a. cacao paste, cocoa beans, cocoa liquor, etc.). This is what contributes to the rich yummy smell that we all know. For example, we call candy like Snickers, Hersheys kisses, and Twix bars chocolate. This is common, but flawed. The FDA requires only 10% cacao content in order to call it chocolate. That's an extremely small percentage of pure chocolate. And as pure chocolate is more expensive than additives like sugar and cocoa butter, companies like Hersheys and M&Ms use the minimal amount required. This means that when you eat a Hersheys "chocolate" bar, you're eating mostly sugar and very little chocolate. Therefore, it doesn't make much sense for me to call something like that chocolate. It's mosty sugar, so it' should be called candy. If I can change the FDA regulation, I would say that it should at least have a majority, or 50% chocolate content. I personally prefer chocolate with at least 70% cacao content, and only eat candy like Hersheys Special Dark when I'm desperate enough and can't find real chocolate. Anyway, the chocolate label issue is a result of commercial interests of large corporate companies, and they probably know better than anyone that they're not *chocolate* companies, but *candy* companies.
(Sidetrack: Have you ever noticed those foil wrapped holiday "chocolate" that don't really taste like chocolate? You know, the kinds that come in Santa Claus or Valentines pink foil with crispy rice or peanut butter? They're not labeled as chocolate and probably have something like 1% cacao content. Also, in case you're curious, the European standard is 1%. This is a result of the chocolate war that happened in the 1990's. Europe was trying to establish food standards and first on consideration was to require at least 50% cacao content to call it chocolate. The countries that made low percentage chocolate (esp. milk chocolate) opposed the idea, and won. The only catch was that they had to print the percentage level on the packaging. Consequently, chocolate companies that make real chocolate print their percentages large and bold in the front while low percentage and more commercial based companies try to hide them small in the back).
Overall, Dean and Deluca failed to live up to my expectation of the store with the highest selection of chocolate bars in NYC. I guess they have enough variety to make such a claim, but I didn't see a striking difference between them and Whole Foods. I think they should either give up the their claim to avoid such a hype, or consider widening their selection.
As far as the service goes, the cashiers I encountered were friendly and nice, and I was not surprised that they did not know the cacao percentage of the Dean and Deluca's own brand of dark chocolate.
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