h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Recently stumbled on a South African bar that I think I had mentioned in the "Sentence Game..." thread. The chocolatier - http://www.vgchocolate.co.za has switched careers after becoming disillusioned with the life of a city accountant. His location in SA has enabled him to pair his product with Waterford Winery's products.

I have tried two of the bars, theflavoured(easily The best milk I think I've recently eaten!) & the dark with anise. Rather subtle, not quite the /ginger pairing or 'level playing field' that I expected. A definite anise aroma greeted me on unsealing the pastel turquoise foil wrapper. Anise flavour was distinct yet not overpowering, but tended to fade too rapidly for my liking - it Did linger somewhat, but was gone too quickly. The s should be exquisite with or port!

Sounds like a star amongst the denizens of Chocville.

Hmm you could say that!

Something(of a distinctly nature)that I neglected to mention. An unexpected find earlier ths month was a Danish Anthon Berg Origins bar, 72% cocoa solids made with beans from New Guinea. The only Anthon Berg s I've seen in the past were the liquer-filled variety. It seems that Anthon's son Gustav-who now operates the company-has chosen to either explore plain(or unfilled/unflavoured) or simply to export them. In any case I purchased another Origins bar today, beans from Ghana in a 60% bar.

http://www.anthonberg.com (& of course choose 'International')

An American chocolatier that I've discovered in the past couple months is Chuao from California- http://www.chuaochocolatier.com . The company is owned by two Venezuelan brothers,one trained as a french (so I assume he's in charge of 'product development'). They use Venezuelan El Rey which imho is nothing all that special ...a far cry from Ghana's or that of Madagascar! However you may notice on their website that they have a number of interesting products. I found their Firecracker to be a distinct novelty(with roasted chili pepper, a bit of salt & a popping candy-subtle fireworks in the mouth!) Also quite good-in fact significantly better in my opinion-was their Spicy Mayan(with Pasilla chili & cayenne pepper...I imagine they differentiate because they simply used ground cayenne pepper). I found that paired with a glass of (Port actually)it brought a nice pleasant warmth to the back of my throat!

Hmm, something I only recently became aware of, after purchasing a(Patric- http://www.patric-chocolate.com )70% bar made from Madagascar cacao beans. Five American chocolate makers have formed a chocolate makers guild. Called the Craft Chocolate Makers of America, it's formation means I may well be looking for more American ...a precious commodity I hadn't looked to the U.S. for in the past. A news item-with links-can be found at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2008/12/prweb1709894.htm . I've practised unusual restraint and haven't even nibbled the Patric bar yet, I'll let you know when I do.

How are things in the U.A.E.?

Actually jaz'd I'm not in the U.A.E. although i did work there in the past in Abu Dhabi.

I now work in the Eastern Province of Saudi, but go over to Bahrain (a 50 minute drive over the causeway) every weekend (Wednesday afternoon to Saturday morning). So I have 4 nights in Saudi and 3 in Manama every week.

It has been COLD here! Last week the thermometer fell to 3/4 C and with the the wind it felt like -2C!

Otherwise, things are fine thanks.

How are things with you this January?

Ah ok, misunderstanding on my part - thanks for clarifying that!

Hmm that Is quite cold! And the wind certainly doesn't help...I know from -28 C that with the wind feels more like -34 or so)experience.

But things are going relatively well, I'm managing to stay warm considering the aforementioned temperatures. The one cause for concern was that my father was taken into the hospital Christmas Day. Mum suspects-& the s seem to confirm it-that he had a mini-stroke. But he seems to be fine & is making steady progressHe is 86, so these things are not Totally unexpected.

BBBRRRR!!!! You certainly have low temperatures to contend with at the the moment!

Sorry to hear about your father and hope he continues to recover. My father who is 79 was recently diagnosed with terminal liver cancer and was given about 6 months to live. He seems to be very sanguine about the situation and sounds fine when I phone. He isn't in pain as such or bedridden and says he'd just like to make his eightieth birthday next May.

We all have to shuffle off our mortal coil eventually. I just hope that when my time comes it's painless and or quick. I think dying in my sleep would be one way to go!

Well, I teach tomorrow morning from 0700 and then at 1100 I go to Bahrain and reach Manama at lunchtime. I always look forward to that.

Anyway, keep warm and see you on the boards.

What I meant of course is that the '3/4 C' or the '-2' seem quite low for that part of the world. But then again I suppose it's just one more piece of the climate change puzzle. This year was the first time in almost fourty years that all of Canada-coast to coast-had a white/snowy Christmas. So this is somewhat of an unusual, and certainly a bit harsher than usual winter.

Thankyou and I'm very sorry to hear about your father. It is good to know that 1) he is taking it well, and 2) that he's not in pain(or as you say bedridden)

Yes the final curtain(as they say in show business and/or the theatre)is something that awaits us all at some point. I think slipping away as one slumbers is probably what most of us hope for, I certainly do!

But tomorrow is another day and will be here too soon, meaning that I'd best get some sleep.

Yes stay safe and warm too, will be posting again soon!

Thanks for your kind words.

I'm in my Bahraini flat with some good Baluchi friends, two of which are cooking a prawn curry & vegetable rice. We're quaffing some Baltika 7 Russian beer.

A good time will be had by all.

Sleep well.

Regards,

Lapiz (maybe to your disdain, there's non in the house at the moment although that can be immediately rectified by a trip downstairs to the Malvari shop if needed)

Ah good friends, a curry & beer...a fine time indeed!Even I could forego the in such circumstances(provided they were fairly rare circumstances.)

Yes Wed. night passed quite restfully, certainly hope your Thurs. night does as well!

Regards, will be in touch!

Yes 'staying in touch' can be somewhat of an 'off and on' thing at times.

I've been up to see my father a few times, he seems to be slowly-but-steadily improving. I had a brief chat with a couple of the other hospital patients, yesterday. So he has some good company there, which is good to know.

I've also been doing a bit more reading in the past few days.

*jabs forefinger in the air emphatically*Aha, something -related! I purchased one of Anthon Berg's http://www.anthonberg.com Therapy s. They have three varieties - ,Wellness(which I found & bought)with extracts of green , ginger & lemon, Focus with extract of schissandra berries & guava and Drive with extracts of yerba matte & papaya. They're actually quite good-ginger & lemon covering most of the green flavour, at least that was my first impression! They have a flat thin & distinctly curved shape, much like which makes them somewhat unique.

Regarding the American Patric that I mentioned in post# 6, I had somehow found it rather one dimensional. Very good nonetheless - just not all that extraordinary. Moments ago I finished the last of it, with freshly brewed made from organic Sumatra beans. I found that a good pairing as the darker roasted has rich notes.

*waves*Hello stranger! Was just wondering how you've been, as I hadn't heard from you in some time. I'm currently enjoying some Sumatra(n?) & an American Chocolove-yes, for the of ...even a love poem inside every wrapper-77% Extra Dark bar. Quite good really - http://www.chocolove.com ...I also had a nice 55% with freeze dried raspberries.

(Hmm - they specify that no from China is used, that's reassuring I suppose!)

Just thought that I would dust this thread off(I mean ...can't abandon that can we?). I was just about to unwrap one of the interesting bars from an American producer - http://www.theochocolate.com - a bread & bar with tiny toasted French bread crumbs & sea salt. Click on 'Shop Theo' & then '3400 Phinney Chocolate'...the first of their bars I tried was the Coconut Curry bar & I was actually quite impressed! I assume they must've researched just the right spice blend or masala, for a-imho-compatability with the . The coconut was rather nice too, fine shavings as I remember. I've also had their Fig, Fennel & Almond bar, which is fairly unique(I liked the combination of figs with chocolate & almonds). I can't really say that I tasted fennel, so they might've used just a pinch more. Then again it might overpower the fig, in which case they probably got it just right.

But, moment of truth time...hmm, the bread crumbs give it a bit of grit-think fine granules of salt. And of course a few of said granules may very well be the sea salt, which coexeists harmoniously with the vanilla beans they use. Very nice, though I imagine it would also be quite good-possibly better-with dark .

You really are into choc jazd!

Guilty as charged! I also recently tried some Italian Domori White Chocolate with liquorice(sp?). The anise countered-although not completely-that cocoa butter flavour of the white chocolate.

*waves*'lo...r'member me?

Staying on the topic of ...

Two of the more interesting bars I purchased ten(or so)hours ago were -

an American Dagoba http://www.dagobachocolate.com 'superfruit' bar(2oz/56gr), with acai, currants & goji berries

and an organic-Pacari-bar produced in Ecuador( http://www.pacarichocolate.com )...the label states '100% cacao' certainly sounds promising

but, standing on the platform as my -obsessed train of thought proceeds to the next station - how've you been sincethis past Jan.?