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Marich Gourmet Chocolate Part 2

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Marich Premium ChocolatesAs we mentioned in a previous review of Marich, Marich Premium Chocolates is a company we found in Hollister, California; however, we wouldn’t be doing a review of a company unless you were able to purchase their products online.  Marich has a huge collection of chocolate, chocolate fruits, chocolate nuts, caramels and toffee, as well as jelly beans and other sweets.  We are going to break up our review of Marich into two separate reviews, allowing us to give you a more in-depth look at a few of the products they offer.   This review will focus on their chocolate almonds, chocolate caramel, chocolate covered strawberries and blueberries.  To learn more about Marich, be sure and check out their web-site for more information on their line of products.

The first chocolate covered goodie we tried out was their Chocolate Toffee Caramel, and as you can see from the picture below, it actually looks less sinful and heavy than you would imagine.  The tiny ball of caramel is gently wrapped in a layer of milk chocolate, making this chocolate toffee caramel a bit of a sweet treat.  The texture, however, is a bit chewy, but very inviting and addictive.  Our testers loved the combination of caramel and chocolate, which is probably why we would recommend this to our toffee caramel lovers out there.  Next, we tried our hand at their Chocolate Strawberries, which were an absolute crowd pleaser.  What we loved most about this snack was how large the strawberries were, and the fact that they still tasted like fresh strawberries—which can sometimes be difficult when you purchase a lesser chocolate.  Marich decided to use dark chocolate as the coating, a fantastic idea by the way, and lead our tasters to easily recommend this for anyone just looking for an awesome chocolate and strawberry combination.  Sticking with that classical trend, we continued our review with their Milk Chocolate Almonds.  Obviously you can’t go wrong with milk chocolate covered almonds, so we’ll keep this one short and just say that it’s another success in Marich’s line of gourmet chocolate goodies.  Lastly, we tried out one of the more interesting products in their line, but our testers thought that their Chocolate Blueberries might’ve been the best thing they tried out all day.  It isn’t too often that chocolate companies will offer you something as inventive as a milk chocolate covered blueberry, but after demolishing this whole bag, our judges think other companies should do it more often.  The natural and sweet flavor that comes from the blueberries goes perfect with the milk chocolate coating, and is just another reason why you should try practically anything that Marich has to offer.  If you think we’re wrong about anything in this review, let us know in the comments section below.  Overall (4.5 out of 5).

The pros are that they have a huge line of chocolate goodness to choose from, everything taste like it should—and better, the texture of all the chocolates we tried out were good and you can order everything from their online store.

The cons are that you have to wait a couple of agonizing days for your gourmet chocolate to arrive, and it’s still chocolate after all.

Nutritional Information For 5 Chocolate Strawberries:Marich Chocolates

  • Calories 190
  • Fat 9g
  • Sodium 0mg
  • Carbs 27g
  • Fiber 2g
  • Sugar 17g
  • Protein 1g

Divine Chocolate Company

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Divine-Chocolate-160x137Divine Chocolate is a company that specializes in making bean to bar chocolate, which means that they help farmers in Ghana with the production of the cocoa bean.  They receive all of their cocoa beans from a co-op, allowing the farmers that are part of that co-op to sell their own beans and therefore giving them a greater profit.  Divine makes chocolate bars, baking chocolate, as well as chocolate that are special for certain events and holidays.  You can find Divine Chocolate at your local grocery store, as well as their online store where you can buy their chocolate directly from them.  To learn more about Divine Chocolate, be sure and head to their web-site for more information on their line of products.

For this review, we thought we would take a look at a few of the different bars they have to offer: Mint Dark Chocolate, 70% Dark Chocolate, White Chocolate with Strawberries, as well as their Coffee chocolate bar.  The first bar we started off with was their 70% Dark Chocolate bar, which we think is the perfect amount of cocoa content to give you a great tasting dark chocolate bar.  This bar is smooth, rich, and has just the right amount of cocoa content to give you the bold flavor you’re looking for without being too bitter.  The great thing about this bar is that it’s made with high quality cocoa beans, and for us that means that you only need to eat a little bit of it to be satisfied.  Next, we tried out their Mint Dark Chocolate bar, which we think can best be described as an upgraded version of a Girl Scout Thin Mint Cookie.  The mint isn’t too overwhelming like a York Peppermint Patty, but you can definitely sense and taste its presence.  The combination of mint and dark chocolate has worked well in the past, and we think Divine has done a great job at keeping that theme going with their take on this classic duo.  After that, we tried out their very interesting White Chocolate with Strawberries bar, and the interesting thing about this bar is that it actually tastes like strawberries dipped in white chocolate.  We’re not sure how they were able to make white chocolate from cocoa butter, but we’re sure glad they did, because the white chocolate combines perfectly with the real strawberry pieces that are scattered throughout this decadent chocolate bar.  Also, you get just a tiny amount of crunch from the dried strawberry bits in each chocolate square.  Lastly, we tried our hand at their Coffee bar, described by Divine as “the mellow rich flavor of the finest Fairtrade coffee with smooth milk chocolate”.  Since it’s made with milk chocolate you do have the sweeter side of the cocoa, but the coffee balances it out a little bit, giving you an interesting combination of sweet and savory.  Coffee lovers will enjoy this bar, while others might find the coffee flavor to be too overwhelming in their bar of chocolate.  Overall (4 out of 5).

The pros are that all of the bars taste great, they have a wide variety too choose from, you can find them in stores or online, and they’re free of: flavorings, colorings and preservatives.

The cons are that it’s still chocolate, and it’s hard to stop eating once you’ve started.

Nutritional Information For 10 Blocks 70% Dark Chocolate:Divine Chocolate Bars

  • Calories 240
  • Fat 19g
  • Sodium 0mg
  • Carbs 12g
  • Fiber 5g
  • Sugar 11g
  • Protein 3g

Askinosie Chocolate CollaBARation Bars

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Askinosie Chocolate CollaBARation BarsAskinosie Chocolate is this great little company that we found while doing some research on single origin chocolate bars, of which is actually a great reason to purchase their gourmet chocolate bars and products. Askinosie Chocolate get’s their cocoa beans from farmers in the Philippines and Brazil among other places, but the best thing is that they know all of the farmers they receive their cocoa beans from.  They have a plethora of products to choose from in both dark and white chocolate, in addition to their line of CollaBARation bars that we’ll be reviewing today. To learn more about Askinosie Chocolate, be sure and head to their web-site for more information on their line of products; and don’t forget to check out their online store where you can buy their gourmet chocolate directly from them.

The first CollaBARation bar we wanted to look at was their Dark Chocolate + Malted Milk bar, which can best be described as a subtle combination of strawberry, vanilla and chocolate.  This is probably why Askinosie decided to have melting ice cream cones on the front of their package for this flavor, and is definitely why our testers loved it so much.  Chocolate is obviously the most prominent flavor in this bar; however, the addition of the strawberry and vanilla undertones didn’t hurt either.  The other CollaBARation bar we tried out was their Dark Chocolate + Coffee bar, and this bar was just another reason to try pretty much anything that Askinosie offers.  The coffee is more subtle than you imagine it’s going to be, but it’s right up there with the chocolate it-self.  This bar is made with 70% cocoa, giving it a much richer chocolate taste than you’re used to getting with a few of the cheaper chocolate bars that line the grocery store aisles.  If you’re looking for a great tasting chocolate bar that also does great things for everyone that helps to grow the beans and make the chocolate, then we recommend you take a closer look at Askinosie Chocolate the next time you get a hankering for some of those auburn colored beans.  Overall (4.5 out of 5).

The pros are that they have a nice line of flavors to choose from, the CollaBARation bars taste great and are an inventive idea, you can order their chocolate online, they use single origin chocolate, they know the farmers they get their beans from, and it’s just a great product and idea overall.

The cons are that you have to wait a couple of days for your awesome chocolate to arrive in the mail if you order it, and it’s high quality chocolate which means it’s pretty addictive.

Nutritional Information For 1/2 Dark Chocolate + Coffee Bar:Askinosie Chocolate Bars

  • Calories 230
  • Fat 14g
  • Sodium 10mg
  • Carbs 22g
  • Fiber 7g
  • Sugar 7g
  • Protein 5g

Perugina Chocolate Bars Part 1

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We’ve talked about Perugina and their gourmet chocolate in a previous review; however, we didn’t get the chance to focus on their line of chocolate bars yet.  They have 9 different variations of bars to choose from: Baci Bar, Milk Chocolate, Milk Chocolate with Almonds, Milk Chocolate with Hazelnuts, Cappuccino, Bittersweet, LUISA (Dark Chocolate), Dark Chocolate with Almonds, and White Chocolate.  We will take a look at each chocolate bar through two reviews, allowing us to go more in-depth with each bar that Perugina offers.  Perugina says: “Inspired by pure passion, Perugina co-founder Luisa Spagnoli created a confection as grand as her love for a special someone. It was called Baci, the Italian word for kisses. To learn more about Perugina, be sure and head to their web-site for more information on their line of products.

The first bar we took a look at was their Milk Chocolate with Almonds bar, a combination of “sweet Perugina milk chocolate and caramelized almonds”.  The sweetness of the milk chocolate and caramelized almonds comes through really well, with the tiny almond pieces adding a decent amount of crunch to this chocolate bar.  The chocolate is really smooth and rich, leading us to believe that this fairly priced ($2.39) bar of chocolate is well with the money.  After that, we tried out their Dark Chocolate with Almonds bar, which is more-or-less the same combination as the milk chocolate bar, with the main difference being that this is made with dark chocolate.  In our opinion, the dark chocolate wins this battle hands down.  You get the delicate crunch from the caramelized almonds alongside the richness from the dark chocolate, which combine to give you one heck of a great tasting dark chocolate bar.  We don’t want to sound like we’re working for Perugina, but their chocolate is actually some of the smoothest and richest tasting chocolate that we’ve reviewed in quite some time.  The next bar we checked out was their Milk Chocolate with Hazelnuts bar, and this bar is somewhat comparable to the milk chocolate bar with almonds.  The sweetness from the milk chocolate is still there, with the main difference coming from the richness of the hazelnuts.  Luckily, the crunch from the hazelnuts is still prominent alongside the milk chocolate, all of which combine to give you just another great chocolate bar from Perugina.  Lastly, we wanted to talk about their LUISA Dark Chocolate bar, which just so happens to be named after the companies co-founder.  They say: “The strong, complex flavors and fruity overtones of Perugina dark chocolate tempt the palate with pure luxury. Bold and intense, this is a chocolate for the truly passionate”.  This dark chocolate bar is certainly one of the best we’ve tasted in a while, simply because they have the right amount of cocoa to make a bar not too bitter or sweet.  If you’re searching for a great tasting chocolate bar, we highly recommend you check out anything that Perugina makes.  Overall (4.5 out of 5).

The pros are that they have many different chocolate bar variations to choose from, you can purchase their bars from their online store, they taste amazing, the texture of the chocolate is smooth, the addition of the nuts add a nice crunch to the bars, and they’re relatively cheap for how awesome they are.

The cons are that you have to wait a couple of days for your gourmet chocolate bars to arrive, and it’s hard to stop eating once you’ve started.

Nutritional Information For 4 Pieces LUISA Dark Chocolate:

  • Calories 200
  • Fat 13g
  • Sodium 0mg
  • Carbs 25g
  • Fiber 2g
  • Sugar 20g
  • Protein 2g

White Baci By Perugina

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Everyone loves chocolates, which is why we thought a review on some gourmet chocolate would be a good thing to do.  Perugina says: “Inspired by pure passion, Perugina co-founder Luisa Spagnoli created a confection as grand as her love for a special someone. It was called Baci, the Italian word for kisses, and around each she would wrap a love note. She realized the confection was too good to keep secret, and soon Baci became a favorite among the young lovers browsing the Perugina sweet shop  .Nearly 100 years later, Baci are still exclusively produced in Perugia, Italy. The recipe is unchanged: silky dark chocolate envelopes a heart of gianduia (a luscious blend of chocolate and hazelnut cream) dotted with more chopped hazelnuts and gloriously crowned with a whole hazelnut”.  They specialize in making their famous Baci chocolate, as well as a line of decadent chocolate bars that we hope to review sometime in the near future.  This review will focus on the newest addition to their line of decadent chocolate, and we hope that their White Baci lives up to the hype that we have set up for it.  To learn more about Perugina, be sure and head to their web-site for more information on their line of products.

Perugina created their new White Baci chocolate to honor their companies 90th anniversary, and we are certainly glad they did.  They say: “Baci White Chocolate boasts a creamy white chocolate coating that enrobes the traditional Baci filling of milk chocolate and hazelnut gianduia crowned with a whole hazelnut”.  As you can tell from the picture below, this white chocolate indulgence looks pretty great, and we are happy to report that it actually is.  The white chocolate has a very luxurious flavor and texture to it, that has just a hint of vanilla mixed in with it.  The hazelnut on top gives you even more richness to an already decadent treat, also adding a bit of crunch to the mix.  Milk chocolate and hazelnuts apparently making a tasty filling, because they combine to give you a touch of richness–from the hazelnuts– and sweetness– from the milk chocolate at the same time.  You can buy Perugina products directly from their online store, meaning you shouldn’t have a hard time ordering their gourmet chocolate anytime you’re looking to cure that urge.  Overall (4.5 out of 5).

The pros are that they have a decent line of products to choose from, the White Baci tasted great, it had a good texture to it, it’s a decent size, and you can order it directly from their online store.

The cons are that you have to wait a couple of days for your gourmet chocolate to arrive.

Nutritional Information For 1 White Baci Chocolate:

  • Calories
  • Fat
  • Sodium
  • Carbs
  • Fiber
  • Sugar
  • Protein