The Dark Chocolate Lover's Chocolate Bar

A friend of mine who understands my addition to dark chocolate, recently brought me back several bars from Trader Joe's when she was in New York. I happened to open this one first and haven't gotten around to trying the others yet because this one is just way too tasty to put down.

At first I was a bit reluctant to try an 85% cocoa since I'm used to bars with a 72% content, similar to how there's a huge difference between getting a B or an A in school, there's also a big difference between the 70's and 80's when it comes to cocoa percentages in chocolate bars.

But with just one small bite I was instantly hooked! The chocolate is dry at first with a mild nutty smell but quickly becomes this intense flavour, taking over your tatesbuds, reminiscent of a double chocolate fudge cupcake!

I love being able to have one square of chocolate and feel like I'm eating a sinfully decadent cupcake. What's even better is that the higher cocoa content means you're getting more flavonoids so you don't have to feel guilty about your addiction. In fact, you should be quite pleased, as flavanoids have been shown to lower your blood pressure? (FYI: I happen to have very low blood pressure)

What's even more remarkable is that there are two chocolate bars tucked away inside the package, each individually wrapped (in case your friends make your share) and the bar retails for only $1.49 (U.S.) which means it's even cheaper in Canada!

Now if only Trader Joe's would open up on this side of the border...

Changing Chocolate Choices

The rise in popularity of dark chocolate continues to be more evident and ubiquitous. With Nestle offering its standard fare in 70% dark chocolate and my local convenience store carrying Green & Black's Organic 70% bars and Cote D'Or's 86%, life has just become a lot more sweeter!

I'll admit that I'm a chocolate snob and would never touch the sugary garbage contained in a Mars Bar, but with real dark chocolate appearing in common snacks, please break me off a piece of that Kit Kat bar!


Now that Halloween's over, I thought I'd cheer you up by recommending some delicious dark chocolate to increase your endorphins. Here's a list of some recent chocolate that I've been snacking on:



Light's out for this pumpkin




Nestle's 70% Aero Dark Chocolate Bar - $1 at convenience stores
Cote d'Or 86% Dark Chocolate Bar - $3.50 at Shoppers Drug Mart
Maestrani - swiss organic fair trade espresso 72% Cacao. $4.69 at Pusateri's


Here is a picture of the Maestrani chocolate:












Wish List:
* Peanut, Peanut Butter or Almond Dark Chocolate M&M's
* Reese Peanut Butter Cups with Dark Chocolate and fudge cookies in the middle. The fudge cookie Reese cups were around 10 years ago and added the perfect crunch to an otherwise too soft snack.


TIP: Sprinkle some cinnamon on your Reese Peanut Butter Cups for added flavour

A Chocolatey Buzz

I recently tried two different kinds of dark chocolate bars, both offering the exciting addition of espresso. Sometimes one is just too full for a cup of coffee after a meal, which is why a piece from one of these chocolate bars offers the perfect form of dessert, by providing a sweet pick me up to jump start your afternoon, or evening.

The Zing Energizing Maca & Ginseng Espresso Chunk Organic bar, has a 70% cacao content and is part of the Zazubean line of fair trade chocolate bars. It has a rich, delicious, espresso smell but does not have the accompanying bitter taste.


The Ghiradelli Intense Dark Espresso Escape bar, has a slightly lower cacao content of 60% but offers a sharper espresso kick than the former.


As someone who is not an avid coffee drinker, I prefer the Zing bar. As it's name suggests, the Ghiradelli bar is a bit too intense for me and I enjoy reaping the benefits of maca, ginseng and astralagus which are found in the Zing bar. It's nice to know that you're improving your immune system by delighting in a dark chocolate dessert. Seconds please!

Haute Chocolate

Xococava is a new upscale chocolate boutique that recently opened in the Yonge & St. Clair neighbourhood of Toronto. Xococava, (pronounced Shoco-cava) offers sweet treats courtesy of Chris McDonald, the same talented chef who owns Cava, the gourmet tapas restaurant next door.

Aside from offering such exotic and original truffles such as Black Trumpet Mushroom, Masala Chai, Chroizo and Spanish Coffee, Xococava also offers my favourite treat, ice cream!

Like the truffles, the ice cream flavours are quite tasty and imaginative. I enjoyed sampling the Honey-Canela, Chocolate Hazelnut and Mangaro Chocolate Sorbet, which was my favourite out of the three. It had a rich dark chocolate flavour that would pair well with a scoop of Espresso ice cream.

Licorice-Caramel also seemed like an interesting flavour but the Honey-Canela flavour had such an intense taste that I was concerned that the former would be too sweet. One of the helpful Chocolatiers informed me that the ratio of natural ingredients to sugar/cream/fat is much higher than other ice cream places, making their summertime treat healthier and also more true to the flavour's name.

In addition to ice cream, Xococava also features candy and desserts like black currant marshmallows, churros, biscotti, triple chocolate chunk cookies, pain au chocolat, milkshakes, heart warming "hot xocolata" and coffee.

Xococava is a reflection of our society's enhanced desire for fine desserts. From the old dingy candy store and even older Baskin Robbins that used to occupy the corner space of Delisle Court, Xococava is a huge improvement and welcome addition for those who appreciate the finer things in life.

special thanks to tasteto.com for photo #1

Chocolatea

Not only is this chocolate good for you, (in moderation) it's also organic and delicious. The 71% Matcha Green Tea dark chocolate bar comes to us from the great folks at Cocoa Camino.

Cocoa Camino products are fair trade and this bar was brought to us by La Siembra, a Canadian worker co-operative whose members envision communities empowered through democratic co-operation and high quality chocolate.

I've always been a firm believer that Matcha Green Tea tastes better with chocolate. Whenever I get green tea ice cream after a meal of sushi, I tend to crave chocolate sauce on top or another scoop of chocolate ice cream in my bowl. Don't feel the same way? Check out Timothy's Chocolatey Matcha Green Tea Latte or order the Matcha Monsoon smoothie from Booster Juice but have them make it with chocolate soy milk instead of vanilla soy milk. Your taste buds will thank you.

Back to the bar. Every bite releases the perfect balance between sweet & bitter, sharp & smooth. The hint of Matcha Green Tea is definitely refreshing but also provides a little kick which can be great for an afternoon pick me up.

Caveat: This bar is addictive and its small size makes it easy to finish in one sitting. I recommend opening the bar when others are around so that you are forced to share its superb taste. Even though the antioxidants found in the bar make this a healthy treat, it's still chocolate and should be enjoyed in moderation.

Black Science

This chocolate has a 70% cocoa content from four distinct origins. It's a delicious dark bar from Soma, The Distillery District's chocolate shop, where it can be found under the name "Black Science."

A free trade cocoa from Ghana provides the deep chocolate base which makes the bar taste like a piece of rich, moist chocolate cake. Carenero Superior and Ocumare are the two cocoas from Venezuela that add a bit of a nutty flavour, while the Sambirano cocoa from Madagascar balances everything out with a hint of fruitiness.

Divine decadence on the go.