Happy Cinco de Mayo for all our Hispanic chocolate lovers out there!
As most of you know, I hope, Sisters and Brothers, it was in the area of modern day Mexico that cacao took on it's first cultural significance. I won't give you a history lesson here you can easily learn in most chocolate cookbooks, on a fair number of chocolatiers' websites or even from a quick browsing of the Internet. But I do want to point out that here in the USA we don't think of Mexico or anywhere more south than Texas when we think of chocolate companies. That just isn't true as a previous "Saturday Sacrament" revealed two different south of our border chocolatiers and their wonderful offerings.
Today sadly I won't be reviewing a Mexican made chocolate but one made using Mexican stone mills and simple ingredients, only two in fact: organic cacao beans and organic cane sugar. Taza Chocolate is actually made in Massachusetts. Since they didn't send this to me this won't be a "Sacrament" and I didn't buy it it can't be just a "Review".
Instead this was a "Gift" for your Chocolate Priestess's last birthday from her friend Charles. I have never had Taza before nor something with so few ingredients made in the "Mexican stone mill" fashion. Inside the wax paper which does an amazing job of keeping this fresh, are two discs of chocolate measuring 2.75 inches across and over 0.25 inches deep. There are eight partly incised sections with the letters of the company and four 0s around it. Note: Once you do open it, the discs become very easy to over expose to moisture which can cause sugar bloom and temperature changes that can cause fat bloom.
The package does not list nutritional values but the cacao percent must be high given the list of ingredients and the deep earthy scent. It has a slightly grainy texture and is very bitter but also has a strong hint of sweetness after a while, a sweetness that becomes a bit too much it you eat it too fast so slow down with this one. There is an immediate buzz produced confirming this is high and pure cacao indeed with a lot of cane sugar. Let me add that post surgery this intensity makes a nice dent in my pain level as well.
An excellent gift, Charles, thank you!
Later today for dinner I'm going to be adding another chocolate to celebrate the day: Mole. You may remember that our first "Everyday Chocolatier" Bridget shared her recipe with us. While I won't be making mine at home, your Chocolate Priestess is still recovering from surgery, we did buy some and will be trying it and then I'll review it in a future post.
For those of your reading I suggest you go out and find some Mexican or "Mexican fashion" chocolate and eat or drink it today in honor of this holiday. Then leave a comment and let us know how you celebrated please.
Sisters and Brothers, may you, too, take the time to slowly appreciate what the Divine and human ingenuity have offered you in chocolate.
As most of you know, I hope, Sisters and Brothers, it was in the area of modern day Mexico that cacao took on it's first cultural significance. I won't give you a history lesson here you can easily learn in most chocolate cookbooks, on a fair number of chocolatiers' websites or even from a quick browsing of the Internet. But I do want to point out that here in the USA we don't think of Mexico or anywhere more south than Texas when we think of chocolate companies. That just isn't true as a previous "Saturday Sacrament" revealed two different south of our border chocolatiers and their wonderful offerings.
The package does not list nutritional values but the cacao percent must be high given the list of ingredients and the deep earthy scent. It has a slightly grainy texture and is very bitter but also has a strong hint of sweetness after a while, a sweetness that becomes a bit too much it you eat it too fast so slow down with this one. There is an immediate buzz produced confirming this is high and pure cacao indeed with a lot of cane sugar. Let me add that post surgery this intensity makes a nice dent in my pain level as well.
An excellent gift, Charles, thank you!
Later today for dinner I'm going to be adding another chocolate to celebrate the day: Mole. You may remember that our first "Everyday Chocolatier" Bridget shared her recipe with us. While I won't be making mine at home, your Chocolate Priestess is still recovering from surgery, we did buy some and will be trying it and then I'll review it in a future post.
For those of your reading I suggest you go out and find some Mexican or "Mexican fashion" chocolate and eat or drink it today in honor of this holiday. Then leave a comment and let us know how you celebrated please.
Sisters and Brothers, may you, too, take the time to slowly appreciate what the Divine and human ingenuity have offered you in chocolate.
Comments
I think it's a great gift but there are, sadly, people who not only dislike chocolate *gasp* but who are allergic to it. So always investigate what the person you want to honor likes and is allergic to before you gift.
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