This week’s Dark Days Eat Local Challenge meal was just a beverage. Just.

As if…

My Taza locavore chocolate arrived. I call it locavore chocolate because I can know exactly where it came from. So, first, I went to tazachocolate.com to look up my batch number, #230. Here’s what I learned about my chocolate:

Batch #230 – 70% Dark Bar – Taza Chocolate
Batch Information
Variety: 70% Stone Ground Dark Bar
Made On: September 29 2009
Ingredients: Organic roasted cacao, cane sugar, cocoa butter, vanilla bean.
Last Made: September 14 2009

Cacao Origin:
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
Provincia: María Trinidad Sánchez
Municipality: El Factor (El Pozo)
Area: Reserva Científica Loma Guacanejo
Fermentery Location: Lat. 19.293363, Long. -69.904128
Varietal: Mostly Trinitario; Some Criollo.

Growers & Farm:
Cooperative: Red de Comercializacion Loma Guacanejo
Grower: Justo de Jesus
Farm: La Alemania

Additional Ingredients:
Pure Cane Sugar – The Green Cane Project
Origin: Sertãozinho (São Paulo), Brazil
Whole Biodynamic Vanilla Bean – Villa Vanilla
Origin: Villanueva (Puntarenas), Costa Rica
Organic Cocoa Butter, Natural
Origin: La Red Guacanejo, Dominican Republic

Roast Profile:
Lot Received On: July 7 2009
Lot #: LR17
Bean Bill: Single Origin Hispaniola Cacao
Roast Date: September 28 2009
Roaster Model: Barth Scirocco 200
Max Temp: 234° F
Roasted For: 46 minutes

Production Info:
Grind Date: September 29 2009
Made By: Mike Schechter & Kellie Silsby
Total # of Bars Made: 1,576 Bars
Wrapped On: October 1 2009

Wow! That’s more than I know about my cats!

Next, I made my DDELC 09/10 week 16 treat: Hot Chocolate.

It just so happened to be Cecelia’s birthday party!

• chocolate from Tazo
• raw milk from Stone Wall Dairy
• maple syrup from McLaughlin Vineyards

Yum!