Food made with incredible ingredients can help us taste things that are normally just associated with smells. This chocolate tastes like a campsite. Smoke, stones, the woods. It has the soft texture of its 61% cacao content but the intensity of something much more concentrated.
— Nathan Bihm, Sommelier at Canlis, Hospitality Consultant
The bright pops of fig and subtle richness of pistachio play well against a crème brûlée made with pure vanilla. The soft richness of the custard will soften any lingering bitterness from the dark chocolate.
— Jessica Tousignant
Acting Program Manager for Good Food Economy, Seattle Good Business Network
Fragrance Black cherry fruit
Mouthfeel Firm with layers of crunch: soft nut and tiny discreet fig seeds and an intermittent chew.
Aroma Fruit party aroma which alternates between fig and cherry notes of cacao.
Flavor Fig leads in the flavor profile with some subtle savory nut and mellow dark cherry notes.
Sweetness Reminiscent of a chewy fig cookie.
Acidity Citric acidity
Bitterness Pistachio delivers a light bitterness, very soft and complementary to the sweet fig.
Astringency Earthy note that leads the finish, which lingers with fig notes.
Finish Lingering astringency of fig notes
Balance Chocolate takes a back seat to a few fruit notes with a subtle pistachio accent – a fruit and nut bar!
Spices give food another level of flavor, along with memories of a family member using that one spice in a dish, or a recent trip to an amazing restaurant. But chocolate with spices is a marriage of unique flavors of heat, savory, with a slight kick give plenty of room for the 61% cacao to still shine.
— Chef Tarik Abdullah
•Qatayef (lebanonese pancakes)
Fragrance Curry powder, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, spice store
Mouthfeel Fine grit of ground spices
Aroma Cherry, cumin and pepper aroma, woody fruit like plum
Flavor Sour cream, herbal tea, bright spice, peppery, sweet clove and a hint of root beer flavor
Sweetness reminiscent of a smooth, warm drink like spiced hot cocoa
Acidity Malic acid like a Granny Smith apple, raisin acidity that activates the glands
Bitterness Mild but has a voice
Astringency Spicy with a bit of lingering astringency at the finish
Finish Milky, creamy finish with notes of cumin, clove and cherry
Balance Complex, unusual spice journey with a chocolate accent
It’s like a grown up creamsicle and is so well balanced you can eat more than a bite or two, which I don’t often find to be the case with white chocolate. It could stand up to something with that same hint of citrus like an old fashioned.
– Kate Sigel, Executive Pastry Chef at QED restaurant group
Fragrance A tart, sour orange note with a hint of vanilla
Mouthfeel Creamy, melts very quickly with a satisfying bite
Aroma Savory, salty, spicy aroma
Flavor Starts with orange, an almost smokey salt, momentary tempered sweetness and vanilla note, followed by a gentle pepper kick in the back of the palate
Sweetness Full bodied bar that is not particularly sweet for a white
Acidity Citric acid initial hit and some lactic acid creaminess
Bitterness Very little, slight orange peel notes
Astringency A slight astringency from the pepper notes
Finish Gentle cayenne kick that balances the salt for a savory, herbal finish
Balance Salt – Fat – Acid – Heat balance that is a complex and varied taste experience
Cayenne Veracruz Orange Sour
Ingredients
Steps
Fragrance A tart, sour orange note with a hint of vanilla
Mouthfeel Creamy, melts very quickly with a satisfying bite
Aroma Savory, salty, spicy aroma
Flavor Starts with orange, an almost smokey salt, momentary tempered sweetness and vanilla note, followed by a gentle pepper kick in the back of the palate
Sweetness Full bodied bar that is not particularly sweet for a white
Acidity Citric acid initial hit and some lactic acid creaminess
Bitterness Very little, slight orange peel notes
Astringency A slight astringency from the pepper notes
Finish Gentle cayenne kick that balances the salt for a savory, herbal finish
Balance Salt – Fat – Acid – Heat balance that is a complex and varied taste experience
Cayenne Veracruz Orange Sour
Ingredients
2 dashes spicy chile bitters
¼ oz lime juice
½ oz orange juice
1.5 oz bourbon whiskey
5 dashes aromatic bitters
1 egg white
jcoco cayenne veracruz orange
Steps
1. Place bourbon, orange juice, bitters and egg white in shaker.
2. Shake for 30 seconds.
3. Add a handful of ice. Shake again for ten seconds.
4. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
5. Shave chocolate on top.
This is the smoothest tasting 85% chocolate I can remember tasting.
– Katie Gallego, Sous Chef at Il Nido
•Roasted cashews
•Apricots
•Parmesan
•Baklava
•Vanilla Creme Brûlée
•Calvados
Fragrance Strong aroma of fermented cacao which takes me to a cacao farm in the heat of the rainforest
Mouthfeel Quick melting, velvety mouthfeel, so glad there aren’t inclusions to distract
Aroma Sour cherry aroma with faint floral notes
Flavor Nutty, fruity, sour cacao flavor notes that are remarkably sweet for such a low sugar bar
Sweetness The sweetness is inherent in the beans, the added sugar is just enough for the cacao to sing
Acidity Citric acid is the initial note but I also detected mallic acid of a sour apple
Bitterness Bitterness and astringency intermingle in perfect balance
Astringency Slight astringent finish that’s pleasant and slowly fades away
Finish Fruit forward, contamana bean unique cacao notes linger for a unique cacao experience
Balance Overall a fruit forward fine flavored Contamana bean that was processed with care to deliver a unique cacao experience
Steps
1. Rim an old fashioned glass with a mixture of ground cinnamon graham crackers and sugar.
2. Add one scoop of ice cream to the glass.
3. Stir bourbon and bitters with ice, then strain into glass.
4. Under a smoking cloche, smoke cocktail along with oak chips. Wait fifteen seconds.
5. Garnish with a charred marshmallow.
This is what crunch bars aspire to be. It’s caramelly, without the actual cloying addition of caramel in the chocolate. A cousin to the almost-burnt caramel on top of flan.
— Bee Janisch, Pastry Chef
Fragrance Caramel, malt, toasted sesame, nutty
Mouthfeel Crunchy with crisp that lingers after chocolate melts
Aroma Tahini, savory
Flavor Nutty, salty, sesame toast, dried cherry flavor journey
Sweetness Burnt caramel, panela sweetness
Acidity Visible acidic notes, pleasant
Bitterness Peanut skin bitter notes
Astringency Not very astringent
Finish Sesame, salty & savory, almost a smokey note
Balance Skews towards salt and savory with milk chocolate as a gentle host
What’s stopping us from chocolate coating EVERY legume? the earthiness of the edamame enhances the earthiness of the chocolate, which is hard to find in milk chocolate. The silkiness of the milk chocolate pair with those salty, crisp edamame is luxurious.
— Bee Janisch, Pastry Chef
Fragrance Caramel and brown sugar fragrance
Mouthfeel Crunchy pieces of roasted bean contrast the velvety chocolate
Aroma The aroma has notes of peanut and German Chocolate cake and a bit of salty brine
Flavor Flavor is burnt caramel, salt & savory peanut notes with a sour cream underpinning
Sweetness Hearty but not cloyish sweetness
Acidity Lactic acid notes cut the sweetness
Bitterness Slight bitterness similar to a nut skin
Astringency The edamame bean has a slight astringency and drying at the end
Finish Smooth, gentle salt, nutty coat on palate and coffee finsh
Balance Well balanced with salty, crunchy and umami flavor notes
A satisfying crunch plays against an otherwise delicate chocolate. Sweeter, without being cloying. Deep, nutty notes from the toffee within, like honey baked marcona almonds.
— Ben Hopkins, Bar Manager, Carello, Seattle
Fragrance Sweet, fruity, ripe cherry
Mouthfeel Crunchy, dense and creamy mouthfeel
Aroma Earthy and smoky aroma
Flavor Burnt caramel, sour cream and toasted almond flavor
Sweetness Toasted marshmallow sweetness
Acidity Lactic acid like sour cream acidity
Bitterness Peanut nut skin bitterness
Astringency Light astringency that doesn’t dominate
Finish Burnt cream, dried cherry and salt finish
Balance Good balance of acidity, salt and sweet, a good harmony of flavors.
Very approachable for something that reads as an otherwise atypical chocolate. The habanero just creeps in a little bit on the backend without scorching palate. The mango and plantain add in a sort of clay, baked fruit element, making it an earthier sweetness than a fresh-off-the-vine feel. This is a balanced chocolate where you get to experience everything without any of them contesting.
— Ben Hopkins, Bar Manager, Carello, Seattle
Fragrance Spicy, cocoa, Mexican hot cocoa drink
Mouthfeel Chewy and light crunchy mouthfeel
Aroma Smoky, savory and spicy aroma
Flavor Spicy, hot dominant, sour, burnt caramel, tobacco, earthy flavor journey
Sweetness Maple, panela sugar, sweet picante sauce
Acidity Gentle citric activates glands
Bitterness Pepper bitterness
Astringency Green banana level astringency
Finish Finish is lingering habanero on the back of tongue
Balance Well balanced with no attribute dominating the stage
Mango Plantain Chocolate Brownie
Batter
•2 very ripe plantains
Ganache
1. Preheat oven to 350° F
2. Prepare 8”x8” brownie pan with coconut baking spray and line with parchment paper.
3. Spray parchment paper again.
4. In a food processor, blend plantains for about 1 minute.
5. Add all other ingredients (except the chocolate) and blend for another minute or so, scraping down sides.
6. Once the batter is fully blended, pour into prepared brownie pan.
7. Sprinkle with chopped jcoco chocolate and push the chunks into the brownie batter so that the surface is flat.
8. Bake brownies in preheated oven for about 18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean in the center. Let cool for 30 minutes.
9. In the meantime, prepare ganache. Put 4oz chopped chocolate into a heat proof bowl.
10. In a medium saucepan, heat up 2oz coconut milk until almost boiling and then swiftly pour over chopped chocolate.
11. Add in vanilla extract.
Let sit for several minutes, then using a spatula, combine until chocolate is smooth.
12. While the ganache is still warm, spread over the baked brownie.
13. Decorate with your pressed edible flowers.
Additionally, you can use fresh edible flowers to decorate your brownies.
14. Put brownies in the fridge for about 20 minutes, or until ganache is hardened.
15. Cut into slices and serve.
I was gifted chocolate oranges each year for christmas. this is reminiscent of that but a million times more layered in the flavours. the way the espresso adds depth to the fruit of the orange is sublime. the profound taste of this bar is elegant. super toasty, it makes me feel grown up. even better, it makes me feel like the first time i was allowed to sit at the adult table at holidays. i want to eat this as soon as the weather gets crisp with a spiced, mulled wine. or better yet, paired with a brandy old fashioned, sweet, as they do in Wisconsin.
— Bee Janisch, pastry chef
Fragrance Floral, citrus and spicy fragrance
Mouthfeel Gritty mouthfeel from ground espresso beans
Aroma Slice of orange, almond and cherry aroma
Flavor Sour orange, earthy, coffee flavor notes
Sweetness Sweet orange, citrusy sweet, clementine, kumquats
Acidity Sour patch kid sweetness with sour citric notes
Bitterness Mellow espresso bean bitter notes, like black tea steeped for a while
Astringency Slightly dominant but pleasant astringency
Finish Caffe latte but doesn’t linger long
Balance Highly balanced bar - citrus, coffee and tea
Roasty, toasty, and rich with a hint of orange blossom on the finish. With a glass of Barolo Chinato and a homemade Peruvian Dark dipped biscotti on the table, even the worst day can be transformed into a lovely evening.
— Jess White, Certified Sommelier, Hospitalian at Damn the Weather
Fragrance Fudgy and floral at the same time, with warm caramel notes in the aroma
Mouthfeel Hearty, creamy mouthfeel with a light crunch from well roasted nibs
Aroma Earthy, sour cherry with a hint of orange zest aroma
Flavor Complex: nutty, earthy, slightly floral with pineapple juice notes, freshly made black tea
Sweetness Molasses, caramel or panela sweetness
Acidity Bright Acetic acid notes
Bitterness Gentle bitter notes in the uniquely flavored nibs
Astringency Nut skin, cacao astringency is not overpowering but adds to the complexity of the chocolate
Finish Nutty, finish with astringency / acidity in perfect balance
Balance Beautiful 72% dark that takes you to the rainforest with all its layers, punctuated by a nutty, rich origin nib
Steps
1. Prepare and soak chiles: Slice the dry chiles open and remove the seeds.
2. Put chiles and raisins in a bowl and pour hot water over them until completely covered and leave to soak for 30 minutes.
3. While the chiles are soaking, prepare the veggies: Chop the onion, tomatoes and tomatillos, mix with 2 tbs of olive oil and a pinch of salt.
4. Roast at 500 °F or low broil. 5. After 10 minutes, add the garlic cloves and continue to broil for another 10 minutes or until veggies are charred.
6. While the veggies are roasting, prepare the nuts and spices: In a dry skillet, toast the whole spices - cloves, cardamom, black peppercorns, coriander seeds, fennel seeds, sesame seeds - for 2-3 minutes. 7. Transfer to a spice mill, and grind.
8. Drain the chiles and raisins and transfer to the food processor blender. Add in the hazelnuts, roasted veggies, sesame seeds, maple syrup, chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, and spices to the food processor and blend until mixture becomes a paste.
9. Dropping 1 Tbs of veggie broth at a time to help mixture blend smoothly.
10. Heat 3 cups of the vegetable broth and add in the chopped dark chocolate and stir until completely melted.
11. Add in all ingredients from your food processor to this pot. Using a handheld blender, blend all ingredients together completely until sauce is achieved. If sauce is too thick, simply add more veggie broth or water, 1 Tbs at a time.
12. Rinse off 1 can of jackfruit and break up into shreds. Put in a medium sized pot and ladle 2 cups of the molé on top of the jackfruit and stir until combined.
13. Simmer for 10 minutes until mixture is warmed.
14. Serve with chopped hazelnuts, sesame seeds and cilantro.