Chocolate review: Meiji The Chocolate Vivid Milk

Chocolate review: Meiji The Chocolate Vivid Milk

The Clairvoyant spotted some chocolate bars at the Japanese products section of the supermarket. We don't usually get milk chocolate but we were curious to taste this new bar from Meiji. It is marketed as a dark milk chocolate with 54% cacao content (its there in the box).

The packaging design on this one is quite interesting as it seems to be as close to artisan chocolate as Meiji has come so far.

The information on the back are in Japanese but one can deduce that there is info here about the origins of the cacao used for the chocolate as well as its characteristics (see the graph?).

Here's a close up showing what the local distributor thought was a translation of "vivid". That was unnecessary since the English was clearly stated in the package.

Here's another close-up of the other part of the back prominently showing the chocolate to be "Made in Japan"

The packaging of Japanese products is always interesting and can be a delight to behold. Opening the box reveals three bars of chocolate wrapped separately. But notice, too, the design of the inside of the box.

Opening one reveals another interesting design; this time on the chocolate bar itself.

Meiji did very well on this chocolate. It is a smooth milk chocolate. Not too sweet with just the right bitterness for its claim as a dark chocolate. I forgot how much one cost but it is about triple that of a Meiji Black bar. However, I think this 50g bar is priced just right for its quality.

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Chocolate review: Sander Chocolate Venezolano Sal Marina

Chocolate review: Sander Chocolate Venezolano Sal Marina

The recent trip by the Clairvoyant brought us some excellent chocolates from Venezuela. These were from a lawyer-friend from their office in Venezuela, who usually gifts us with chocolates whenever they meet for their firm's annual meeting.

"Sal marina" translates directly into "sea salt"

Details on the chocolate at the back

Details on the maker

Ingredients

This was probably the most fragrant chocolates we've had. We noted that although the packaging was quite simple, the chocolate spoke for itself, and proved the saying "don't judge a book by its cover." Indeed, one cannot judge this chocolate by the packaging as it was smooth and sweet-smelling. This is an example of a chocolate you should eat slowly so you can enjoy it longer. :)

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Chocolate review: Twenty Squares dark chocolate mint crisp flake 55% cocoa

Chocolate review: Twenty Squares dark chocolate mint crisp flake 55% cocoa

Here's something like a flashback. I was in Australia last year in July and bought a few bars of chocolates from the store near my hotel. One of those bars turned out to be with mint. I probably overlooked the mint as it was a dark chocolate and also had crisp flakes. I generally don't like mint with my chocolates. I find the taste overpowering that of chocolate. That's been true for both the inexpensive and relatively pricey ones I've had.

This chocolate claims to be all natural and gluten free

Details at the back of the package

Here's a close-up describing the making of the chocolate including the source of the cacao.

Ingredients and nutrition information

This chocolate was a bit surprising in that there is only a hint of mint in the taste. For me, that is good because the mint does not overwhelm the chocolate. There also was no lasting aftertaste from this chocolate so again, for me, that was also okay. Will I get this chocolate again? Maybe not as I am still not a fan of chocolates with mint. However, I do recommend this for people who like mint in their chocolates. :)
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Chocolate review: Twenty Squares Simply Dark 65% Cocoa

Chocolate review: Twenty Squares Simply Dark 65% Cocoa

I had forgotten about a few chocolate bars that I purchased during my trip in Australia last year. I found these as I was arranging our stock with the addition of a few bars I got from my recent trip to the Netherlands.

65% dark chocolate from Twenty Squares

Details on the chocolate at the back of the box

Information on the sourcing of cocoa is at the back. There's also a warning on the box about the bar containing milk, soy and tree nuts.

Nutrition information including the bar being gluten free is shown.

This is a smooth chocolate you can probably purchase at any supermarket, grocery or convenience store in Australia. Definitely a good buy and, as I recall, good value for money for a 100g bar.

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Venchi 75% Dark Chocolate

Venchi 75% Dark Chocolate

The wife and I don't usually celebrate Valentine's Day as a couple the way others celebrate it - having a date on the day or me giving her flowers on the 14th. We never did, even during the time we were still dating and agreed to continue this practice even after having a daughter.

This Venchi bar has simple packaging

Details on the chocolate at the back of the box

The chocolate claims to be gluten-free and have a minimum 75% cacao content.

It's the first time I saw a notice on a chocolate about salt content ["The salt content is exclusively due to the presence of naturally occurring sodium."].

The chocolate wrapped in foil and out of the box

This is very fine chocolate and something you would prefer to melt in your mouth. The texture on this one is just right and the 'powdery' feel goes well with it being a 75% chocolate. This is definitely something on the list of chocolates to get when the next opportunity presents itself.

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Chocolate review: Henk Dark Chocolate 72% Cacao

Chocolate review: Henk Dark Chocolate 72% Cacao

Our cache of chocolates included this one from Vietnam. I already wrote about several that I purchased during my September 2017 trip to Ho Chi Minh City and all except one were smooth despite their being dark chocolates having high cocoa content. We opened another chocolate from our Vietnam stash recently and this one proved to be a good one.

Henk dark chocolate claims to contain 72% cocoa

Details on the den so co la (dark chocolate) at the back of the package

The chocolate retailed for 5.00 USD at the HCMC international airport duty free shop.

Nutrition and expiration information

I will definitely get these chocolates if I get the chance to go to Vietnam again or if ever I see them in a shop somewhere. They give good value for money for a quality dark chocolate.

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Chocolate review: Complementary chocolate at the hotel

Chocolate review: Complementary chocolate at the hotel

It's nice to start the year with some chocolates. We did enjoy a new one on New Year's Eve that I will write about soon. Meanwhile, here is a quick one on some complementary chocolates from a recent trip. My wife traveled to London recently via Singapore and on her way back, she stayed overnight in the city state in order to catch up with friends there. We had lived for almost 2 years in Singapore and love to come back once in a while to visit friends and go around our favorite haunts including its national museum. She decided to try out the new Sofitel there as it was also strategically located and allowed her easy transport as she met up with old friends. The hotel had some complementary chocolates at her room when she came back from her meetings.

Sofitel left the chocolate in this simple but elegant-looking box

I took the white chocolate while the wife had the dark

The chocolates were exquisite and if she had tasted it earlier could have been tempted to purchase a box at the lobby shop. There will be a next time so I look forward to that with me, hopefully, also getting to go to Singapore again.

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Chocolate review: Milk chocolate from Belfast

Chocolate review: Milk chocolate from Belfast

The Clairvoyant brought home this milk chocolate that was given by a colleague during her trip to Belfast. This was her 3rd trip to Belfast and the second in 2017 and had not purchased any chocolate bars from there. That is not because she couldn't find some dark chocolates but just didn't have the time while there. In any case, we usually got our chocolates from the duty free shops at NAIA to avail of the 5% discount.

Souvenir chocolate from Belfast

Details on the chocolate at the back of the wrapper

I shared the bar with my nephew and niece who were visiting us a couple of weeks ago. We wanted to have some sweets after lunch and enjoyed this chocolate. This was very good quality milk chocolate and was certainly satisfying.

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