Chocolate of the Day (Day 5): Francois Pralus Chuao chocolate

Yesterday was the final day for me to write about my favourite 'chocolate of the day'. I certainly tasted the chocolate during the course of the day, but I had a lot of chocolate work of my own and failed to find the time to write about it. So I am writing now, on a sunny, but cold (-15 degrees Celsius!) Saturday morning.

There was one special bar that I snacked on yesterday, the 75% dark Chuao chocolate bar by French chocolate maker, François Pralus. This chocolate came in such a beautiful package, very different than the packaging for other Pralus chocolate bars, instantly letting the taster know it is special in comparison. It is dark and luxurious looking, and certainly says chocolate with it's deep brown shade. The name Chuao is followed by the coordinates of the region, the small and famous village in Venezuela where the cacao is harvested. This village is only accessible by boat or a hike that spans days, and its cacao is highly coveted.

Upon opening the layers of packaging, instantly there was a sweet, floral and chocolaty aroma. With the first taste, there was a heavy roast flavour, indicating a good strong roast was applied to the beans. On the melt, I found some fruity tones and a citrus lemon taste, mixed with some woody and organic flavours. Overall, the combination is quite unique, intense, and very enjoyable. Although my 'chocolate curiosity' side makes me want to taste this Chuao bar against another chocolate maker's Chuao origin chocolate some day to see how the beans taste with a lower roast profile. But overall, this chocolate was special and unique.

I received the chocolate from Coco Doro Corp., an importer and distributor of Francois Pralus chocolate to retailers in the Toronto area. The business also imports Akessons, and sells gift packages of Pralus and Akesson chocolate online. I am excited that such a business exists in Ontario, because previously these two highly regarded chocolate makers were not easily accessible to Canadian consumers.

So although this is the end of the week, I still have a lot of good chocolate on hand, including some Sirene Chocolate, French Broad Chocolate, and my own Buttermilk chocolate right out of the refiner (of course, that's my favourite one!).  So I will be back next week with more chocolate. But perhaps every other day, since I should probably spend a little time making my own chocolate!

For more information on Pralus, visit www.chocolats-pralus.com. For more information on Coco Doro Corp, and where to find Pralus or Akessons in the Toronto area, visit www.cocodorogiftco.com.

Have a great weekend folks!