Finally, Chocolate

I don't usually buy chocolate at the grocery store, but something caught my eye.

Dr. Bronner's, of soap fame, sells chocolate. Fair Trade certified, 70% cocoa, and sweetened with coconut sugar. It feels a little counterintuitive to get chocolate from the producer of the soap I use to clean my shower, but coconut sugar? I had to take a closer look.

We're making Magic with cocoa farmers through regenerative organic agriculture and its many benefits: biodiversity, soil fertility, better farmer livelihoods, and delicious, rich, dark chocolate!

Granted, I need to do a little more research, but it sounded pretty good for a moderately-considered impulse buy. There were several varieties. I got the Salted Whole Almonds bar. Here are the ingredients: fair trade organic cocoa beans, fair trade organic coconut sugar, organic almonds, fair trade organic cocoa butter, sea salt, fair trade organic bourbon vanilla bean. Not a lecithin in sight.

I'd planned on taking a trip up to Naked Chocolate, an artisanal shop, and buying one truffle to try. The thing is, there are so many ingredients in them and I'm not sure what they are, and they're the best of the best around here, so I figured I didn't have a chance there. I imagined myself trying one and rushing back to get more. 

I don't really think that would happen, but imagination is a powerful thing. Thoughts are powerful. So, until I'm more confident around things like chocolate, I'll just step back and be a little circumspect.

Some things I like about the Dr. Bronner's bar. There are seven horizontal sections that look like mini candy bars. The label says there are three servings, but I found one little section to be plenty. So, according to the nutritional label, I had about 2 g. sugar, which is not too bad. The rest of the numbers look good too. The bar is organic and fair trade certified. The company story is not all about profit. The cost was reasonable at $4.89. It's not priced like a Hershey's bar, but the ingredients are a whole lot better. The cost is a lot less than something comparable I'd find at Whole Foods. I bought this at Shop Rite.

I was so busy thinking about how much I like the production and ingredients, I forgot to notice the taste. I know it wasn't terrible because I didn't throw it away. It also wasn't drop-dead amazing. I slightly remember noticing a soft bitterness. 

Of course, that means I'll have to try it again today.

 

The Green Wilderness is a daily writing practice that opens a landscape of discovery into my own human experience.

Katherine Cartwright has been blogging since 2012, and each year brings new wonders. She asks big questions of the small things in life..