My Year in Chocolate

Side quest complete! 🤩 . Happy National Chocolate Chip Day 🍪 . Today we drove to 5 different bakeries/cafes to participate in the 1st Annual Chocolate Chip {Cookie} Crawl organized by @milkfarmla 😋 #cookiecrawl . * @wearefriendsandfamily (Silverlake Outpost) for their Rye Chocolate Chip * Milkfarm for Chocolate Chip + Jacobsen flake salt * @moducafe for Black Sesame Dark Chocolate w/ sea salt flakes * @proofbakeryla for Classic Chocolate Chip * @thevalerieconfections Echo Park for their Durango Cookie (which has milk & dark chocolate chunks) . What a fun way to spend the afternoon discovering new shops & supporting local small businesses. I especially liked that each one featured a unique/distinct cookie + a different hole punch to ensure no cheating 🤪 . The event continues through the weekend! Be sure to pick up a card + get it hole punched at each location. Once the card is complete, there is an opportunity draw to win a dozen cookies + gift cards, so choose your itinerary to drop off the completed card where you’d most like to win (or think you have the best chance 😅) Check out Milkfarm’s pinned post to see the addresses of the participating locations. . As an added bonus, we heard Milkfarm’s Leah Park being interviewed by @laistofficial while we lunched outside the shop! Can’t wait to see/read the story! . How did YOU celebrate the day? LMK 👇

What have I been waiting for? 🤨 . Taking part in this week’s “Open That Bar Today” prompt with @toakchocolate ’s Islay Whisky Cask Aged 73% Ecuadorian dark chocolate (2015 harvest / batch 02) which had a best by date of Apr 2024 🤦‍♀️ . Part of me fears missing out, so I buy unique bars when they are available & then another part of me doesn’t want to open those bars because they are too “special” 🤷‍♀️ I know, I know…I need to get over that habit. . Though, truth be told, another reason causing me pause in opening this bar until today was the Islay cask aging flavor profile. I’m not a fan of peaty notes…so maybe my unintentional extra “aging” helped to mellow out & round off the grassy/smoky flavors + aromas 🧐 . Super smooth texture to the touch when breaking apart the custom mould design & on the tongue. Satisfying slow, even & creamy melt with those distinctive peaty whisky notes coming through, though not as intensely. . It’s probably “sacrilegious” to suggest melting some of this down into a drinking chocolate. But I’m planning to do just that & maybe even add in a splash of Laphroaig! . Is there a bar that’s been languishing in your stash for a while? Well, what have YOU been waiting for? . Carpe diem & YOLO! . #tttt_wildcard

Maybe I just needed a hug 🤗 . Introducing “Poom” (품) nano-batch number 04 by @public_chocolatory 😍 Thanks to owner/chocolate-maker Hanbin for explaining that “Poom is a Korean word that means the warm space in someone’s arms; like when a mother holds a child, or when someone embraces you. It’s a feeling of warmth, comfort, and being held close.” . In the words of @choccoffeewine “what grows together, goes together!” Adding Madagascar voatsiperifery pepper as inclusion provides a delightful gentle warmth to the already nostalgic + comforting 55% Madagascar dark milk chocolate. Just like a virtual hug, warming you from the inside out. . Several years ago, for my Eating the Chocolate Alphabet blog’s A-Z inclusion project, I featured this unique pepper…but, until today, I didn’t know what it actually looked like. 🤯 Notice the distinctive comet-like “tail”- this pepper’s shape could be compared to a tiny bent sewing pin or even a semicolon (;) . Isolating the inclusion on its own, I bit into the peppercorn. To me, there was an intense flash of fiery cayenne-like heat which warmed my tongue for at least a minute & then mellowed to a black pepper tingle/buzz. The base chocolate is silky smooth during the effortless melt. The red fruit tang associated with Madagascar cacao is muted by the added whole milk powder, but there is still a light tannic/wine flavor. . As an added side note, maybe it’s just me, but I see a “ghost” image of a tree on the back where the chocolate was deposited into the mould. It could be symbolic of the renewal of nature in Springtime🪾 . Congratulations to Public Chocolatory for the recent 9 year anniversary, though I’m sad you will be closing this month. Best wishes in whatever comes next 🥹🙏 . Thanks to both @hanbin.paek & @sunsetchocolate_ for generously sharing this bar with me. The warmth of friendship + camaraderie across the miles & timezones is what we need most these days 😘🥰

A bar like this encourages you to use ALL your senses! . While the current #tttt_senses prompt is “sight,” this @hijita_co cardamomo & pistachio crunch bar would be a perfect for smell/sound/touch themes too 🤩 . As another chocolate lover mentioned earlier today, we eat with our eyes first! The packaging illustration of a woman wearing a jaguar headdress (symbolizing, among other things, strength, courage & spiritual transformation) draws us in to know more. Upon opening the pouch, the heady perfumed aroma of cardamom whets our palate. We are further dazzled by the peek-a-boo inclusions on the front & the generous blanketing of ingredients on the back. Even the mould design calls to mind a precious jewel 💎 . I can’t wait to dig in! 😋 . Love that this bar’s design makes it easy to segment the chocolate into “arrowhead” or “triangle” morsels depending on my mood 😉 The highly textured bar “demands” to be chomped to best enjoy the crunchy candied spiced nuts. For me, the cardamom is the star of the show, though you can’t go wrong with a combination of chopped pistachios, piloncillo (unrefined cane sugar), vanilla beans & sea salt! . Even since seeing Sophia (aka @projet_chocolat ) post about this Austin, TX chocolate maker, I’ve been on a mission to try each of Ashley Ugarte’s creations. Her small batch nut butter filled chocolates often sell out quickly…so get them when you can! . Have YOU tried Hijita yet? What are you waiting for 😅 . #womeninchocolate #mexicancacao

Ah…the aroma of orange blossoms 🥰 . Until today, my assumption was that citrus was solely a winter crop🧐However, I learned that the navel orange season here in California runs from November through April…so, I shouldn’t have been surprised that my neighbor’s tree is still putting out gorgeous flowers & setting even MORE fruit now that the rains subsided. Walking past this tree, I’m captivated by the heady perfume & the bees are equally entranced! 🐝 . In honor of the #tttt_senses theme of aroma/smell, I’m featuring this Yuzu, Tea & Orange Blossom @caro_beans bar made with Marañón River Valley, Peruvian cacao. . That first sniff of the unwrapped bar reminded me of candied ginger root (though none was added). Breaking off a tasting morsel, you can immediately smell the yuzu peel which Caroline candies herself! Check out her post from mid-December to see snippets of the process: starting with a bag full of whole fruit, carefully peeling them to create slender batons which, once candied, take on a translucent jewel-like sheen. . The dark chocolate melts effortlessly, releasing a pleasant tannic flavor from the sencha (green tea) + bitterness from the citrus pith. There are generous chewy chunks of the candied peel embedded in the chocolate, so chomping after melting is highly recommended! Fleeting notes of honey (again, not added) appear during the melt & the orange blossom is subtle, though more noticeable on the finish. . As a side note, when I was putting together props for the photo shoot, I almost dismissed the yuzu & green tea spread from Trader Joe’s in my pantry until I saw sencha listed as an ingredient on the chocolate bar wrapper 😅 Who knew that 🍋+🍵 were a pair 😲 . Forget “taking time to smell the roses”! Orange blossoms for the win 🤩 Do you agree? . #mnsmallbusiness #womanownedsmallbusiness

Am I late to the par-TEA?! 😉☕️🎉🎊 . Sorry, I couldn’t resist the pun! If I had gone to the NW Chocolate Festival in early October 2025, this @karunachoc bar would have been at the top of my “must purchase” list. I heard it sold out very quickly, so I was thrilled to find it at @chocolatedispensary 😅 . For this week’s Tangential Tasting Twin Tuesday theme featuring “fire”…a smoke-dried black tea seemed appropriate. There is some debate about the reason for smoke-drying lapsang souchong tea. Some say farmers from the Wuyi Mountains in the Fujian Province of China were in a hurry to dry newly harvested leaves before fleeing from a military invasion in the mid 1600s, so they used pinewood fires to speed up the process. Others say the smoke-drying started in the mid to late 1800s as a method to preserve the tea leaves prior to a months-long ocean journey between China & Europe. Regardless of which origin story you believe, this technique imparts both a distinct taste & aroma. . Upon opening the sealed inner pouch, the smell transports you to a robust woody campfire or a blazing fireplace/hearth. That first taste on the tongue is also intense. However, after several pieces, the overall flavor mellows to a pleasant ashy, savory, mineral tang. . I was expecting to have crunchy pieces of tea embedded in the chocolate, but this is super smooth with an almost juicy mouthfeel during the melt reminding me of soaked cherries. The aftertaste calls to mind charred eggplant skin & baba ghanoush. . Now I’m curious to experiment by chopping up some of the chocolate & making it into a hot beverage. 🧐 Will the smoky taste be as intense? What do you think? . #tttt_elements

Happy New Year & Happy Belated b-day to me 🎉 . As usual, we started the year with #tttt_inclusions since that’s my favorite type of chocolate (one of the perks of being the Tangential Tasting Twin Tuesday organizer is choosing when themes appear on the calendar 🤪). . Today I’m tasting @jst.chocolate ’s Salsa Macha bar which is enhanced with @kualisalsa 🤩 When Julia Street announced this bar, I promptly had to purchase a jar of salsa to pair with the chocolate. I was warned that it was a bit spicy, but that I would likely want to put it on EVERYTHING! She wasn’t wrong. It *IS* an addictive/“burns so good” seasoning & as you can tell, I almost didn’t have enough left to use as a prop 😂 . The back of the bar is generously adorned with crunchy pepitas (pumpkin seeds), sesame seeds & flaky sea salt. The salsa macha itself has pepitas & sesame seeds, so these inclusions just amp up what’s likely embedded in the bar. Enticing smoky aroma upon opening the compostable inner pouch. After taking a bite, there is an immediate singe of heat at the back of the throat from the chili-infused cold pressed grapeseed oil. I swear, it’s like I could feel the burn in my ears too (like in the cartoons); but I don’t mind because while the chocolate melts on the tongue, the intensity mellows to a comforting level. Like a a warm blanket, but emanating from the inside 🥰 . I’m hoping this bar becomes a regular in the rotation (this particular bar was part of the 2nd installment from the 2025 subscription bundle). Of course, I’ll be buying another jar of this salsa macha & trying their cacahuete version soon too 😋 . Wishing everyone a delicious 2026! Do tell, how have YOU spiced up your life so far? 🧐👇

On this last day of 2025, I’m both ready for & unprepared for 2026 🤪 . Yes, I realize “top 9” is a bit archaic, but I love looking back to remind myself of good times! Each year, I keep track of highlights & in putting this collage together, I am shocked to discover that more than half of them never received a featured post! Oops! 🤯😬🤦‍♀️ . In alphabetical order, here are my favorites from 2025: * Cardamom butterflies from @xocolatebar (one of the goodies from the “Delicious California” advent calendar / @deliciousfooddelivered ) * Umeshu sake chocolate from @fossachocolate * “Well Being” 70% with charcoal powder & apricot kernels from @fuwanchocolate * Cardamomo drinking chocolate from @hijita_co * Nutty by Nature (bay nut chocolate) from @jst.chocolate * Black Sesame white chocolate from @kesshocacao (added bonus was meeting Liang in person at a @chocolatedispensary tasting 🤩) * Assorted bonbons from @midunuchocolates * Ginger chocolate from Pointe Baptiste Estate in Dominica (thanks to @chocolate_guru for sharing this with me 🙏 * Cloudberry Caramel from @standoutchocolate . Thanks to everyone who participated in the weekly Tangential Tasting Twin Tuesday fun 😍 Your posts, enthusiasm & friendship over the years sustain me even when I can’t post myself 🤷‍♀️Themes for January 2026 to be announced soon + suggestions welcomed 🥰 . Wishing everyone a happy, healthy & chocolate-filled/fueled New Year! 🍫🎊🎉

This bar lives up to its name! YUM 🤩😋 . This 60% Playa de Oro, Esmeraldas tree-to-bar by @yumboschocolate.ec might be one of the most vibrantly flavored chocolates that I’ve tasted recently…but I’m also VERY confused! 🧐The front of the packaging says “lemon grass” in English, while the side of the box says “Hierba Luisa” in Spanish, which I thought translated to “lemon verbena” 🤔 . Google says that “hierba or yerba Luisa” is the term used in parts of South America (including Ecuador) for lemongrass. Though, confusingly, it seems like the same Spanish term is used for BOTH lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) AND lemon verbena (Aloysia citriodora), which are 2 completely different plants 🤷‍♀️ . Don’t get me wrong…it’s a delicious & highly aromatic chocolate. The thicker-than-most rectangles melt effortlessly on the tongue. The ingredient list doesn’t mention added cacao butter, but there’s an almost cooling sensation during the melt which makes me wonder if this cacao just naturally has a higher fat content than other origins. Overall super smooth texture, aside from some teeny tiny granules, that I assume are from the freeze-dried herb inclusion. There is a lemon candy-like sweetness & intense florality throughout the tasting experience + a pleasant, lightly bitter “green” aftertaste. . Since I happen to grow lemongrass in the garden, I tasted the leaves to remind myself of the flavor. Raw lemongrass (at least to me) has a grassier, black pepper-like sharpness in comparison to the flavored chocolate I just tried 🤷‍♀️ . Regardless if hierba Luisa in this case means lemongrass or lemon verbena, I would whole-heartedly recommend this bar. Thanks to @redheaddancingmachine for buying this for me at the recent Paris Salon du Chocolat 🙏 It arrived perfectly in time for this week’s #tttt_y 💛 . This will be a catalyst to find fresh lemon verbena (and lemon balm too) to update my catalog of flavor memories 🤓 How do YOU keep current with tastes?

World winning white on a Wednesday? Wait…what?! . Yes, I realize I’m a week late for #tttt_w 🤦‍♀️ . This sweet, savory, spicy gastronomic delight was created by Chef Tandy from @emberschocolate 🌽 . Introducing the Elote sweet corn white chocolate with sparks of gentle heat from Tajín & habanero spice 🌶️ . The aroma starts off sweet from the combo of corn, milk + sour cream powders & vanilla. But, as soon as the creamy chocolate starts to melts on your tongue, there is a burst of flavor from the smoked sea salt + then the chili “burn” kicks in. It’s never overpowering, but the tingly heat lingers pleasantly on the palate. . Love the added crunch from the generous amount of freeze-dried corn kernels on the back. The sprinkling of cilantro adds an authentic touch to mimic the Mexican corn on the cob street food that inspired this bar. . If I remember correctly, a prior iteration might have even included cotija cheese… or maybe that’s just me wanting an esquites version too 😉🙏 . Congratulations to Chef Tandy Peterson for this 2024 ICA World gold award + for opening her own all-day restaurant in Phoenix last week 🤩👏 . Well, that’s lunch sorted for me 😋 Bar purchased from @chocolatedispensary . When it comes to white chocolate, are you “team sweet” or “team savory”?! LMK 👇

Because I feel so guilty about not posting #tttt_u on time; I’m featuring not 1, but 2 Ucayali origin bars! . What can I say, I’m a bit of a hoarder when it comes to chocolates 🤷‍♀️so I had to contact Caroline from @caro_beans to remind me what the difference was in these 2 versions. The surface isn’t as shiny as it was when first made in 2024, but I take full responsibility 😔 . Apparently the difference is before & after Ucayali received their organic certification 😲 I must say that there is a dramatic/noticeable difference in taste! . Version 1 (which has a slightly lighter brown color) has a taste that reminds me of Jolly Rancher apple candy. The faster melt is juicy/mouthwatering with apple + spice notes. There is a lightly vegetal aftertaste, reminiscent of fruit skins. . Version 2 melts more slowly & initially had earthy/woody/grain (wheat or oat) notes that evolved into marshmallow territory 🧐 . Honestly, I think I prefer version 1…but version 2 would likely make a better hot chocolate beverage 😋☕️ . What a unique opportunity to taste these side-by-side. Hopefully Caroline will reveal which is “before” & “after.” Now I need to seek out other 70% Ucayali dark chocolates for further comparison purposes 😉🙃 . Plus this is a great transition to TTTT “V” week 🤩 . #comparativetasting #chocolatetasting

Lunch is served! 🍲 . What’s better on a rainy day than a warming bowl of soup! Yes, this @siamaya_chocolate Tom Yum dark chocolate bar may have influenced my order 😉 . I’m in love with Siamaya’s bold flavor combinations. They have expertly mastered combining classic Thai recipes with chocolate to transport your tastebuds😍 . Such an aromatic bar - the lemongrass & makrut lime oils are the star for me. I’m not familiar with galangal, so I will need to explore that ingredient in more depth 🧐 There are generous chunks of dried tomato peeking out from beneath the chocolate adding umami & a satisfying chewiness. Let the chocolate melt on your tongue & there is an explosion of spice from the chili pepper that is likely part of the Tom Yum powder. The heat crescendos & then fades to a pleasant, long lasting tingle at the back of the throat. 👏 . Thanks to @chocolate_guru for finding this bar for me @chocolatecoveredsf 🙏 . What do you enjoy eating when it’s raining? ☔️⛈️ . #tttt_t #tomyumsoup🍲 #siamayachocolate #thaiflavors #spicychocolate