Taza Chocolate
October 22, 2010 Taza Chocolate has a pretty unique approach when it comes to making their chocolate. The small MA-based company uses Oaxacan stone mills to grind their cacao beans, which results in an alluring textural experience. They don't conch their products so some folks might not be used to the rustic granular feel on their palates, but I happen to like it a lot. It gives one something more to chew on, so to speak.
The USDA-certified organic 70% Stone Ground Dark Chocolate Bar is handcrafted in small batches from single origin, sustainable cacao beans. It's very bright, with strong wine notes. A small amount of biodynamic vanilla bean is added to round out the taste. If you want something even stronger, the 80% dark bar is super intense.
The Chocolate Mexicano Discs are so perfect for this rainy weather. The Salt and Pepper didn't sound that appealing for hot cocoa but the black peppercorns added a delicately spiced complexity to the drink. If you prefer more heat the Guajillo Chili will warm you right up, head to toe.
For coffee lovers, you get the best of both worlds with the Coffee Chocolate Mexicano. The caramel notes from the Counter Culture beans go so well with the fruity cacao. The Salted Almond is also intriguing. For the traditionalists there are Vanilla, Cinnamon and Cacao Puro to satisfy your sweet tooth. Another great thing is that these organic discs are also made for snacking.
Taza also makes a bunch of snackable goodies. The Chocolate Covered Almonds are quite lovely - the grainy sugar and chocolate add a fun layer to the freshly roasted CA almonds. If you're a home chef definitely grab a can of the 70% Semi Sweet Baking Squares. You can use these easy-to-melt pieces for both savory and sweet recipes, or you can also eat these by the handful.
To buy: www.tazachocolate.com.
For editorial consideration, review samples were provided for this post.
Reader Comments (3)
It's a feast of chocolate. I much admire what this company is doing in trying to bring back traditional chocolate making.
I agree. Those old Mexican stone mills are sooo cool.
I'm in chocolate Heaven after reading this post!