TAZA Chocolate: A Review March 9, 2010

Anyone who really knows me,  knows that I am a chocoholic.  I especially love trying out new and interesting chocolate and if the product is produced locally even better.

TAZA is one such company.  Founded in 2006 and located in Somerville Ma, TAZA distinguishes itself from the rest of the industry by producing high quality, organic chocolate in the Mesoamerican tradition while seeking to remain socially responsible.

The biggest difference tasters will find between TAZA and more traditional chocolate is because TAZA is stone ground rather than melted, it does have a grainy texture as opposed to smooth.

TAZA comes in a variety of products from bars of 60, 70 and 80% dark chocolate, to chocolate covered cocoa nibs and Chocolate Mexicano discs.

Chocolate Mexicano: yerba mate

TAZA can be found in many specialty stores in the Boston, Cambridge area as well as Whole Foods.

For my test taste, I chose to purchase two different varieties of the Chocolate Mexican:  Yerba Mate and the Vanilla.  Whole Foods also had the salted almond and cinnamon varieties as well, along with the 60, 70 and80% dark chocolate bars.

I will admit it was a hard decision. I would have liked to try all of  the Mexican varieties as well as the 70% bar but at about $4.50 each for the 2.7oz  discs and $6.50 for the  3oz bars I had to make a choice.

TAZA 70% dark chocolate bar

On to the test.

Presentation. I’m a total pushover for products that are presented well.

What first drew me to TAZA was how the Mexican Chocolate is presented.   It’s round, you don’t often see round bars of chocolate and then it’s wrapped in waxy paper with very Mexican inspired graphics.  It just looks really interesting. Perfect for those waiting at the counter at the café or bookstore impulse buys.  Even if you don’t buy it, you can’t help but pick it up and look at it and think,  this looks interesting.

Opening the wrapper you find 2 round discs of chocolate imprinted so that the disc can be easily broken into 8 pie shaped pieces to be shared.

Taste:

Let me first say, this is NOT the type of chocolate you eat for a snack like a snickers bar.  This is the type of chocolate you savor. The kind that you eat a small amount maybe 1 or 2 pieces after dinner with a cup of coffee or during the day because you just need a little chocolate pick me up.

Also, you don’t want to just pop the piece in your mouth and start chewing.  Nibble a little, let it sit on your tongue.  At first it just tastes sweet but once it hits the back part of your tongue where your taste buds register bitterness that is when you start to appreciate the full flavor.

Of the two flavors I found the Vanilla to be a bolder flavor which I prefer. My husband also enjoyed the vanilla over the Yerba Mate.  Although we think of vanilla being the opposite of chocolate, I found the inclusion of the vanilla provided a nice introduction of flavor that prepared me for the full flavor of the chocolate.

My preference for the vanilla does not imply that I didn’t like the yerba mate variety.  I did, it’s just different.  I thought it was a little sweeter than the vanilla and that the yerba mate overpowered the flavor of the chocolate in that it took longer for the full flavor of the chocolate to hit my tongue.

A lot has been made over the texture of this product.  As I mentioned I really didn’t think it was gritty. I don’t like that term as in my head it makes me think of dirt, sand that type of thing.  In fact, I expected it to have a harsher texture.  I would say the texture reminded me of granulated sugar or honey that has become granulated.    Unlike a fine creamy chocolate that I would normally let melt on my tongue in order to appreciate its full flavor, with the TAZA you will want to nibble small amounts to experience the fullness of the flavor.

My final analysis:

Was TAZA the most awesome thing I have ever tasted?  No, I didn’t have an OMG moment.  However I did really enjoy it and look forward to trying additional varieties.

I would highly recommend this product.  I found TAZA to be an excellent high quality chocolate product.  I do think that the price point is a little high at least for regular consumption, but again with good chocolate a little goes a long way.  The novelty of the product in that it’s produced in the traditional Mesoamerican way, combined with the exceptional way it’s presented and some of the more unusual varieties and the flavor makes it an excellent option for those who appreciate chocolate.  So if you are looking to treat yourself to some chocolate goodness or are looking for a gift for a favorite chocolate aficionado then make sure you include TAZA.

TAZA Tasting set

Until next time:

Be well: train hard

Michelle

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