Started in 2010, Dandelion’s first factory was on Valencia St. in San Francisco’s Misison neighborhood. It’s a ~2000 square foot factory and cafe space that’s a model for urban chocolate factories built in retail friendly walkable neighborhoods. Anyone can stroll in, see chocolate being made, order a drinking chocolate or try a few origins and purchase a bar.

They’ve since expanded in 2019 to a much larger Potrero Hill factory and cafe space which produces chocolate on a significantly larger scale (more on their new factory).

Visiting one of their factories is a great way to learn more about how chocolate’s made. They also lead farm origin tours visiting where they source chocolate which can make for a fun trip abroad to learn about where chocolate begins.

Over the last couple years, their chocolate has been among the easiest to purchase online. With free shipping on orders over $25, it’s easy to order a few bars from anywhere in the US. Their bars are priced very reasonably ranging from $10-$13.

Especially if you’re new to craft chocolate, I can’t think of a better company to start your journey. Any of their 70% bars are worth trying and each is very different.

Here’s a few I recently tried:

Mililani, Hawaii

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Nose: Plum, black licorice, grape

Mouth: An explosion of strawberry bubblegum flavors initially followed by dark grape and candy notes (but with the brightest sweetness removed).

This is an enjoyable and unique bar - I’d give this one as a gift more-so than get one for myself. Like many great craft chocolate bars, it’ll surprise people with the unexpected flavors.

I was curious to try their Hawaii bear because Manoa Chocolate (who makes and sources their chocolate in Hawaii) was one of the rare few Hawaiian bars I’ve tried.

Rating: 3.5/5

Cahabón, Guatemala

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Nose: Bright, marshmallow, grape, hint of apple

Mouth: It took a moment for the flavors to kick in and then there's a very mellow black tea flavor with a little bit of sweetness and then not a lot after that.

There's a marshmallow and roasty flavor that's present throughout along with some traditional dark chocolate notes.

I'm surprised that there aren't as many flavors in this bar because this origin is one of my favorites and I remember it being much more vibrant. Perhaps this was unique to the 2021 harvest or the way they roasted these beans.

Rating: 3.5/5

Maya Mountain, Belize

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Nose: Bright fruit, tangerine, orange

Mouth: Straight to the point delightful cherry, peach and assorted fruit flavors. It's not too intense.  There's some really nice and delicate dark chocolate flavors with some strawberry taste that lingers.

This is a really nice balanced bar - especially for the price ($10) this would be one of my go to bars.

If you’re a fan of less fruity and more coffee like flavors, their Tanzania bar is a good one to try. Because it’s not too overpowering or too sweet, I could see it paring nicely with the right glass of red wine.

Rating: 4.5/5

Have you tried a Dandelion bar recently? If so, please share what you thought!

One of my favorite chocolate companies is Chocolat Bonnat, based in the small industrial town of Voiron, France.

They’ve been making chocolate for over 170 years (!) and started making single origin bars in 1904. They’re one of the oldest chocolate factories in the world.

Here’s a great video that gets into their story

(It’s in French, but you can turn on auto-translated subtitles)

About their chocolate

With their rich history, it’s no surprise they’ve been working some of the same farms since they first opened in the 1880s.

Like most French (and European) chocolates, it’s high in cocoa butter which is added in addition to what’s naturally found in the cocoa beans. I find that quite enjoyable as it makes the chocolate much creamier and helps balance some of the more intense flavors. All of the bars I tasted are 75%.

Their style is in stark contrast to the two ingredient trend for American chocolate makers which see the added cocoa butter as diluting the natural flavors found in the bean. I’m a fan of both and go back and forth depending on what I’m looking for at the moment.

I plan on visiting their factory someday which looks very beautiful. Their chocolate seems to be widely available in France and less so in the US outside of specialty chocolate shops like The Meadow (New York, Portland) and Chocolate Covered (San Francisco). I found their bars in the French grocery store Monsieur Marcel in Los Angeles at The Grove’s Farmers Market. If you’re traveling to any of those places, I would highly recommend picking up a few bars.

A look inside their shop

Here’s a few photos of their main storefront in Voiron.

And here’s one more video of their factory. This one has great shots of the machines they use in action.

I’ve seen their bars sell in the $15-20 range in the US. That sounds pricey but it’s important to note that they’re 100g bars which is close to twice as big as your average high quality bar. So I find it a great deal, especially for the quality.

1. Les Sirènes - Philippines

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Nose: There’s very little happening with almost no smell which is crazy for a 75% dark chocolate bar. If it wasn't for the other bars, I'd have assumed something was off with my sense of smell. There’s just a hint of sugar and cocoa butter and that's it.

Mouth: I pick up dark roasted flavors balanced by the delicateness of the cocoa butter. It’s really nice and lacking in any bitterness which along with the mild flavor is unusual for a 75% bar (though the added cocoa butter is clearly having an impact on mellowing those flavors).

There’s hints of fluffy slightly cultured butter, sweetness and pear fruitiness along with a unique flavor curving in at the finish that’s best described as a chocolaty granola. This has to be one of the most simple to enjoy dark bars I can remember having. It's silky smooth and has a structured elegance that feels effortless. This is a very enjoyable chocolate!

Rating: 4.5/5

2. El Castillero - Nicaragua

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Nose: There’s flavors of sugar, cocoa butter, pepper and cinnamon, some sourness, and a little bit of floralness (mostly masked by the spices) coming through.

Mouth: A pleasant instant strawberry cake flavor hits you, followed by ground espresso shortly after. It's an intense journey. The finish and aftertaste is much more mild with the espresso flavors and cocoa butter lingering.

This bar is really interesting though the flavors aren't for me. And of course, that doesn't mean that someone else might not love it. I appreciate a well made strongly opinionated bar and this is one that will get people talking. It feels like a good mid-day chocolate to enjoy after lunch with friends.

Rating: 3.5/5

3. Madre de Dios - Peru

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Nose: I’m picking up spices, coffee grounds, and a slight fruit smell.

Mouth: The first thing I notice is how soft and gentle it is on the melt. Marshmallow flavor is super strong with a hint of red grape skin. It’s surprisingly simple (in a good way) and doesn't have a ton of flavors clashing together (which is what I would have assumed from the more complex nose).

It’s very enjoyable and the pleasant tastes lingers for a while which makes me want to pair it with a strong earthy and more complexly flavored red wine. This bar would make a great gift because I can see any dark chocolate fan enjoying it.

Rating: 4/5

That’s it for now!

I heard that Dandelion Chocolate from San Francisco just released their first Hawaiian bar which probably will be up next.

Especially as someone who doesn’t drink coffee, it’s also my go to morning drink. It’ll give you a nice boost of energy that can be the perfect start to a day.

For the thousands of years that chocolate’s been around, it was mostly consumed as a drink. It’s only in the last few hundred years that chocolate as we typically think of it became a thing.

Best of all, drinking chocolate is really easy to make at home. The best way to start is with a good drinking chocolate mix.

Here’s a few of my favorites that all can be ordered online.

Dandelion Chocolate Signature Mix

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Bar Au Chocolat Bacio Mix

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Dick Taylor Single Origin Drinking Chocolate

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One of my ideas for a future post is to talk about the difference between drinking chocolate and hot chocolate.

The important distinction is the former is made from a whole cocoa bean (just like a chocolate bar) while the latter is made from just cocoa powder (think something that looks like Nesquik) which has the cocoa fat removed.

Drinking chocolate is much richer and sometimes is called sipping chocolate and served in an espresso sized cup.

But things get more complicated because what we called drinking chocolate in the US (which is still somewhat new here), can be called hot chocolate or something else in other countries. And even in the US the labelling isn’t always consistent (as you’ll see with some of the rec’s above).

For now, just enjoy and let me know if you have any fun habits related to drinking chocolate!

I’ve been making and immersed in the world of chocolate for over 12 years. And I love finding new and exciting bars to try.

Here are my top favorites from this month, listed in order:

1. Plaq - Raninsiki Papouasie Occidentale 76%

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I was blown away by this bar from Plaq and can’t wait to try more. I haven't come across their products in the US before and will definitely be looking for more.

2. Green Chocolate - Palo Blanco Peru 70%

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An incredible bar from a Japanese maker. I picked this up at the NW Chocolate Festival after going to a talk by the founder.

They had so many good bars. And their shops look beautiful. I’d love to try their pastries sometime though they seem to be only available in Japan.

3. White Label - Madagascar 68%

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A great maker from Santa Cruz. Every bar I’ve had from them has been really enjoyable.

Also…

Let's talk about the strangest chocolate I’ve had this month.

Mellow - Seaweed Kattegat

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The seaweed in this bar adds a nice saltiness. Not sure I would buy it again but it’s enjoyable though a little strange.

On another note, I accidentally purchased a bar this month made with pepper. Is that ever a good idea?

I got too excited because I’m a fan of Akeson’s and didn’t read the label. One of the rare chocolates I definitely will not be finishing.

Other than Green Chocolate, I purchased these bars from Monsieur Marcel at The Grove in Los Angeles. I found it to be the best place to find good chocolate in LA.