Name: Xocoatl Venezuelan 73.5% Dark Chocolate Bar
Brand: Xocoatl - A Master Chocolatier
Place Purchased: gift (they sell online and at their shop in Taos, NM)
Price: $3.25
Size: 2.8 ounces
Calories per ounce: unknown
Type: Chocolate
My sister-in-law brought this for Thanksgiving (she brought a lot of stuff and we didn’t get to this that evening). It’s part of the whole trend in authentically flavored chocolates in the Aztec tradition. This bar is from a company called Xocoatl - A Master Chocolatier (which I still haven’t quite figured out how to pronounce, though I excel at saying Huitzilopochtli ). Here’s a list of Aztec Gods in case you were wondering about their names. Xocoatl was the fire god, which only makes sense that so many folks are naming their spicy chocolate after him. As Chocolate is a New World discovery, it’s natural thatchocolatiers investigate the roots of the food and its original preparation. Though few people drink it as it was originally made as a peppered, salted and spiced drink mixed with milk or water, we can learn a lot from the original preparations about the complex flavors inherent in the beans.
Like the Dagoba Xocoatl bar, the Choxie Hot Chocolate bar and the Vosges Red Fire Bar this dark chocolate bar combines dark chocolate with intense spices, namely chili and cinnamon in this case.
The gold wrapper not only makes this bar look precious, it’s actually really good protection from odors and probably reflects a little hit that might come its way in an ordinary day. It’s a pretty big bar too, rather flat and about the size of a 3x5 card. The bar I got was exceptionally fresh, with a good snap and wonderful aroma. The major smells from the bar are woodsy and with a big pop or rum/vanilla. The bar is smooth, but not terribly buttery. Not at all grainy, the spicy part doesn’t hit until the morsel has melted completely on the tongue. There’s a dry finish that helps to deliver the slight heat from the spice andcinnamon.
I wish it were just a little smoother, a little more buttery, but at 73.5% cocoa solids, they packed a lot in there. It’s not overly sweet and very flavorful. If you are in the area and check out the shop, I actually recommend their Mayan Hot Chocolate, which has a wonderful Mexican style like Ibarra hot chocolate mixed with some spice but most notably almond bits which give it a bit of nuttiness and smooth everything out. I’m also curious to try their fruit and nut bars sometime. They do a violet and rose petal that sounds right up my alley.
Rating - 8 out of 10
Related Candies
- Chocolate Hellfire Chip Cookies
- Chuao ChocoPods
- Cha-Cha-Cha Choxie
- Pumpkin Pie
I’ve still got the Choxie Hot Chocolate bar sitting in my cupboard that I got from my trip to LA. Anyway, I remember watching the Food Network one day and they were explaining the Aztec way of making hot chocolate with this weird looking mixing tool. But those who drank it say it was the best hot chocolate they ever had.
Speaking of hot chocolate and Xocoatl… There’s this book The Golden Compass (or The Northern Lights, depending on whether you’re reading the British or American version), which is the first in a fantasy trilogy which was overshadowed by, yet superior to, the Harry Potter series. Part of it takes place in a parallel dimension and they have words that are very similar to ours, but derived from different etymologies. And, the reason I bring this up: they drink stuff called Chocolatl, which is their word for hot chocolate. Your mini-lesson on Aztec gods made me realize Chocolatl was probably inspired by Xocoatl. Cool! Candyblog: tastes good AND it’s educational!
Xocolatl is pronounced (choco-latle. I was the Master Chocolatier at Brown & Haley (Almond Roca)and Manager/Operations Manager/Production Manager for Dagoba and currently Endangered Species Chocolate Company. 30 Years in Chocolate and still licking!
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