On the other hand, Trader Joe’s makes no mention of fair trade, but Taza is using a Direct Trade model, working directly with growers and paying a premium for their cacao beans. Like Taza, there are two round disks in a printed paper wrapper. Like Taza, they are certified organic and kosher Pareve. Like Taza, they are made in small batches in a rustic, stone ground style. Trader Joe’s has launched two new bars: a 70% Extra Dark Chocolate and a Salt and Pepper Dark Chocolate. Is Trader Joe’s STONE GROUND ORGANIC CHOCOLATE as good as Taza’S? OK, OK! I’ve decided to solve this mystery once and for all. Yet another friend broke the news to me later in the summer and reminded me that companies sometimes private label their own product for sale at TJ’s and you would never know because everyone involved is sworn to secrecy (in other words, Taza may be making the TJ’s bars). Just buy Taza for another 50 cents, enjoy the real thing and be done with it.” I left it at that. Then along came a friend who, as soon as I stepped into his house, yanked a one of the new Trader Joe’s bars from the freezer and trust it towards my face: “Have you tasted this stuff? It’s crap, right?” “It’s edible,” I repeated chomping on a cold morsel, “but look guys: the Trader Joe’s bar is $4.00 and the Taza Mexicano bars are $4.50 online. “It’s edible” was my first reaction and left it at that. At this point, I’d already decided to take a break from blogging for the summer so I could relax a bit and catch my breath, so I just shrugged it off. My wife soon came home with a bar of the round stone ground chocolate bars – immediately recognizable as a knock-off of Taza’s product. I really wasn’t planning to write about Taza Chocolate again so soon, but this summer something unexpected showed up in our local Trader Joe’s. After tasting this 70 percent dark “Chocolate Mexicano” by Taza, tasting their other goods is equally, if not even more, alluring.The new Trader Joe’s bar bears a striking resemblance to Taza’s stone ground organic bar Taza Chocolate also makes “ Amaze” and “ Origin” bars, which appear a bit more “traditional,” as in: rectangular. The texture is subtle yet evokes distinctive personality. Be sure, however, that it adds charm. Isn’t describing someone with “grit” a true compliment of their resilient character? Associate that positivity with the texture of this Taza Mexicano chocolate. Do you know what it feels like to bite sugar crystals? That’s a bit what this Mexicano disc delivers. There are two ingredients in the Taza chocolate discs: organic cacao beans and organic cane sugar. Tasting this “cacao puro” is fairly close to what nibbling on a cocoa bean tastes like there’s a bitterness coupled with earthy notes, and also, a gritty mouthfeel, attributed to the stone ground beans. Once the disc is tasted, one can certainly discover why it would be suitable for drinking: the flavor is extremely full-bodied and decadent. Many Taza Instagram taggers (and Taza’s website) suggest making hot cocoa/drinking chocolate/hot chocolate out of the discs. The chocolate begs to be photographed because of its novel shape, design and rich color. The chocolate discs are beautifully designed, as evident from the picture, with the letters “T” “A” “Z” and “A” (Taza) imprinted within each piece of the circular pie. There are two chocolate bars, or what could be termed “discs,” in each package. The sticker showcases various certifications/seals the chocolate holds: USDA Organic, Taza Chocolate Direct Trade Certified Cacao, Non-GMO Project Verified, Certified Gluten-Free and Dairy Free/Soy Free/Vegan and Pareve. Unwrapping the Taza Chocolate Mexicano requires removing a sticker on the back that keeps the paper secure. The bar is “stone ground,” meaning that the cocoa beans are “unrefined” and “minimally processed,” according to the labeling on the package. This chocolate bar is very unique in its circular shape and texture. It’s another East Coast chocolate bar up for review today: Taza Chocolate, based out of Somerville, Massachusetts. TAZA Chocolate Mexicano (Mexican-Style Stone Ground Chocolate, Organic & Direct Trade) “Cacao Puro” 70% Dark
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