Having become a fan of dark chocolate only recently I am still in the discover and explore phase of revealing the magic that dark chocolate truly holds. While I admit that I had the notion that dark chocolate was always incredibly bitter and certainly far too “over caffeinated” for me, I was pushed in to trying it as a cure for blinding migraine headaches. When the dark chocolate began to work for dulling the pain brought on by migraines I set about exploring the wide world of dark chocolate to see what else I could find.
The Chocolate: Green & Black’s Maya Gold
Type of Chocolate: Flavored Dark Chocolate
Cocoa Content: 55%
Best Eaten With: Something lightly salted such as almonds
Price: $3.99
I found Green & Black’s Maya Gold chocolate in my local Fresh Market for $3.99 for a bar, rather a fair price for an organic product of any type. I have to say though that rather than the organic nature of the chocolate it was the flavor that really sold me on giving Green & Black’s Maya Gold chocolate a try.
Taste:
The taste of Green & Black’s Maya Gold chocolate is infused with orange flavoring and a mix of spices that one can only think to attribute to the Mayan’s chocolate flavoring techniques. It is a disappointment, however, to see these ingredients listed only as “natural flavorings & spices,” rather than an actual list of the components of these spices. If you are truly interested in the components of these spices you can find this information on the Green & Black product information website. The bittersweet chocolate containing a stated minimum of 55% cocoa content is far from being bitter, yet certainly cannot be classified as a milky chocolate either.
Upon opening the packet of chocolate you are hit with a dark scent of orange and cinnamon with a subtle undertone of nutmeg whose warmth lures you in to sample the luscious flavor. The immediate taste of the chocolate is the dark orange scent but as the chocolate coats the inside of your mouth it leaves a lingering taste of the spices which make this Mayan themed chocolate so “Mayan.” The texture of the chocolate is certainly a clean one, lacking the milky coating that accompanies so many milk chocolates.
The after taste of the Maya Gold leaves something to be desired though.While the original taste of the chocolate is well balanced and warm to the palate the after taste is sickly sweet and tends to linger. I suggest cleaning the palate with a lightly salted almond which will remove the bittersweet remnants of this chocolate when you have eaten your share.
Ingredients:
With all organic ingredients Green & Black’s Maya Gold features organic and fair trade ingredients which include: Organic chocolate liquor, organic raw cane sugar, organic cocoa butter, soy lecithin (emulsifier), Natural flavorings & spices, organic vanilla extract.
The Bottom Line:
The price point on Green & Black’s Maya Gold is affordable particularly where organic ingredients are concerned and the flavor is certainly something different which brings a hint of warmth to your palate; however, the sweetness of the lingering after taste ruins this one for me. The overall quality of this chocolate is not poor but also far from gourmet quality. While the incorporation of organic ingredients is laudable this is certainly not a fine chocolate and while it may satisfy those chocolate cravings it will also leave a true chocolate lover with a feeling that something is lacking.
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You can buy Green & Black’s products from your local retailer which can be found here.
