Terra Nostra Organic Chocolate Bar (Robust Dark, Raisins & Pecans)

 

As any of my regular readers already know, I'm a big fan of all things organic.

 

I think it's so important that we limit our consumption of additives, chemicals...as much as possible. When a product is certified organic and the certification is important, click to read more about this, it's definitely my preference.

 

 And that goes for chocolate too. One of the essentials in life, IMO! ;<)

 

 

I recently tried Terra Nostra Organic Robust Dark Raisin & Pecans Chocolate Bar for the first time and now I'm hooked!

 

This is one of the best organic chocolate bars that I have ever tasted and I've tasted quite a few.

 

 

What do I like about this chocolate bar? 

 

Where do I start...

 

- First of all, it's not overly sweet, it has an intense (but not bitter) true chocolate taste.

 

-The chocolate has a smooth, velvety texture.

 

- Lots of raisins and pecans in this one. Yumm.  A long time ago, I loved (and ate too many of) Glosette Raisins and this bar has the same, chewy texture, when you bite into the many raisins, without all the junk ingredients found in Glosettes.

 

-Certified USDA Organic, as I already mentioned.

 

-Reasonably priced: a 3.5 oz. bar sells for about $3.50 at our local food cooperative.

 

I was also impressed by this company's many initiative for equitable trade and ethical growing/harvesting practises. They have a detailed page about this at their site. Although this is becoming more and more of an industry standard, there are still too many companies that are not concerned enough to insure that their products are grown, harvested and brought to market, in a fair, ethical and equitable way, at each level.

 

 

Terra Nostra has a wide range of flavors for their organic chocolate bars including:

 

73 % Intense Dark, Double Dark Truffle, Satin Milk Truffle, Robust Dark & Roasted Almonds, Robust Dark Raisins & Pecans and Creamy Milk Raisins & Pecans.

 

Also, a  Ricemilk line for those who are vegan or lactose sensitive:

 

The Ricemilk line includes three flavors: the Solid Ricemilk Choco bar, the Ricemilk Choco bar with Almonds and the Ricemilk Choco bar with Dark Truffle Center.

 

 

I haven't tried all of these yet but definitely plan to try the Ricemilk ones in the near future. These sound like a great idea. And based on my taste experience with Terra Nostra Chocolate already, I'm guessing they'll be wonderful too. And what a plus for those who are lactose sensitive or follow a vegan diet.

Overall rating for this product: Excellent. 5 out of 5. 



Green and Black's Organic Chocolate Bars

                               

     I admit it, I am a chocoholic. A big time CHOC-O-HO-LIC!!!

What the world needs now (besides love sweet love ...) is more chocolate of the superior kind. And recently I think I found the ultimate in chocolate bars: Green and Black's Organic Chocolate Bars.

So far I've sampled and enjoyed the Cherry  (my favorite. bittersweet dark chocolate and plenty of luscious cherries), Almond (loaded with almonds), Raisin and Hazelnut (a Fruit and Nut Bar only 10 X better than the "regular" variety) and Espresso (oh, la la...if you appreciate a good cup of java you are going to LOVE this one).

The fact that these bars of  yummy delight are also organic and fair trade is merely "icing on the cake". Let's face it, we all want to buy with the "big picture" in mind these days, if at all possible. But when it all comes down to it, especially for chocolate and other treats, it's still all about TASTE as the number one must-have factor.

And delicious, rich taste ohhhhh yes, these bars have plenty of that and then some. Luscious, creamy texture, a just-right sweetness (not too sweet or bitter) and loaded with other yummy ingredients like fruits, nuts, liquors... to add to the enjoyment of each 100G bar.

 As far as calories are concerned, not too bad either considering the quality and richness of each delectable bite. For example a 40G portion (ample for 1-2 people) of the Espresso bar is a mere 200 calories. Not bad, not bad at all. This is a treat after all, not a main course for a meal. We all need our indulgences don't we? And if I'm going to splurge on the calories and fat, I want to make it worthwhile.

Another thing I appreciate about these bars is their relative low cost, considering the quality you are getting. At our local food co-op, these bars sell for less than $4.CDN each. Definitely reasonable. And over at Amazon, in addition to single bars,10 and 5 packs of bars are also available at a discount IF you dare to keep more than one of these luscious bars in the fridge at any given time!

Here's some background information about how the Green And Black's company began, from their beautifully designed website:

"It all started back in 1991 when Craig Sams, founder of Whole Earth – the UK's pioneering organic food company – was sent a sample of dark 70% chocolate made from organic cocoa beans.
His wife, Josephine Fairley, environment columnist for The London Times and confirmed chocoholic, found the half eaten bar on Craig's desk and sampled some herself. The bold, rich flavor was unlike anything Jo had tasted before, and she was convinced other chocolate lovers would appreciate it in the same way.
Jo and Craig set out to bring to the masses the world's first organic chocolate. The result was a high-quality, bittersweet dark chocolate bar, packed with 70% cocoa solids - enough to make chocolate fans sit up and take notice.
Not surprisingly, the brand began to build a loyal following. Then in 1994, while Jo and Craig were vacationing in Belize, they discovered how local cocoa farmers were being harmed by decreasing cocoa prices. They agreed to pay the farmers a fair price for their crops and created the flavor of Maya Gold®, which was inspired by the ancient Kukuh drink traditionally enjoyed by the Mayan farmers.
This way of doing business didn't seem different to them - it just seemed right and came naturally – and in the process, the Maya Gold brand earned the UK's first Fairtrade mark."

Jo and Craig, you've made a happy customer for life! Thanks for the real (chocolate) deal.
                           
Overall rating for this product: Excellent. 5 out of 5.