Oh my, WOW. This was the most enjoyable chocolate I have ever tasted. Ever. They sell a few bars at Central Market and Whole Foods. But, I got this 16 piece box on amazon.com for $13.50 (though it is currently $16.95). Next, I'll have to try the 28 piece box because there are two more types. These are "single estate" chocolates which means the cocoa beans used to
create it are taken from a single plantation. This gives each piece a VERY distinctive and unique flavor profile. The squares come from 5 different plantations: Mokaya, Los Ancones, Vila Gracinda, Mangaro and Maralumi. The box came with a nifty pamphlet with a description of each of the plantations and a map showing where they are in the world. Way cool. #chocolatenerd
This is exactly the kind of chocolate experience I was intimidated of a few short weeks ago. Don't be. Just go for it. The difference between the cocoa flavor in this chocolate and the lack of ANY flavor in American mass market chocolate is astounding. The flavors are complex and evolve. I went all out with this brand, breaking in my Chocolate Tasting Kit. I also even made sure to "cleanse my palate" between each piece with apple slices and room-ish temperature water (cold water will cool your mouth too much and the chocolate won't melt as nicely).
Flavor cards to help identify specific flavors/aromas/nuances.
Rubbing the chocolate with your finger can help give you a sense of quality. If it feels oily, that is bad. A nice smooth feel and good smudge is most desirable.
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| on a scale from 1-10 I'm a 12 #GoHawks #WinForever |
Finally, the snap. The sound of the snap can also tell you about quality. A poor snap is an indication of poorly stored or tempered chocolate.
1.***Mokaya (Mexico)-
66% cacao - This was my FAVORITE because the flavor was kind of milky and sweet. In comparison to the others, the flavor was simple. The flavor evolved leaving a slight pepperiness the end. As I wrote in my notes "SOO GOOD!"
2.***Los Ancones (Saint Domingue, Caribbean)
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67% cacao - This piece had a very dark, fruity flavor, which was quite different from #1, but still delicious! I can't explain enough how awesome it is to have the flavor stick around for such a long time. This was a VERY smoooth too, which is something I highly value!
3.***Vila Gracinda (Sao Tome, Africa) - 67% cacao - I was trying hard to identify the aromas with the flavor cards I have. I thought I smelled a little licorice. This definitely had a darker, fruity and spicy flavor to it. It is so interesting that the cocoa beans vary so much in their flavor. It's awesome.
4.***Mangaro (Madagascar) - 65% cacao - This was a really interesting taste. I really hated it the first go around. There's a distinct acidity to it. But there were three of these squares and when I tried a second...I really enjoyed the complexity of the flavor. I never really understood what "acidic" really meant when it comes to chocolate, so it was nice to get that.
5.**Maralumi (Papua New Guinea, Australia) - 64% cacao - This was the most distinctly complex tasting piece I had. The beginning was smooth and milky which was great. The flavor then evolved to an acidic and spicy flavor. But finished out with a fruity, sweetness. Very interesting.
So...do I want to taste all these bars again?
No.
Were they all worth trying?
MOST DEFINITELY.
What an awesome experience it was to taste this type of chocolate. It's definitely not for sitting on the couch and scarfing down while watching cheesy movies. BUT, delicious all the same! Hopefully reading this takes some of the intimidation out of truly gourmet chocolate for you, too! Just go try it! You really won't regret it. It's like the difference between Kraft singles (not cheese) and Tillamook sharp cheddar. Or the difference between McDonalds chicken nuggets (not chicken) and a nice panko breaded chicken tender. I will still enjoy my go-to faves like Snickers and a Hershey Almond Bar...but they no longer taste like chocolate to me. It's something entirely different. And my friends, if you haven't tasted chocolate yet...you are really missing out.
CHEERS!
It was so fun to taste with friends because some things we agreed upon and other things we didn't. For example, I don't know HOW anyone could rank ANY bar above Amedei Porcelana (so far my all time fave)...BUT some of my friends did. And that's ok. I guess. ;) No, really...it is. Although our tastes differed a bit making some of us like different bars over others, we all could appreciate the quality and complex flavors in the bars which was so much fun!
