Equal Exchange Organic Chocolate & Coffee Pairing Gift Bag
by Janel on February 2, 2010 · 1 Comment
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When the words, “We’d love to send you a product for review of the Equal Exchange Organic Chocolate & Coffee Pairing Gift Bag” come across your email, you know it’s going to be a good day. And an even better day when that gift comes in the mail.
The nice people at MamboSprouts.com offered to have me try the Equal Exchange organic coffee and chocolate just in time for a sweet Valentine’s Day promotion. No problemo, I think I can squeeze that taste test into my day. My adorable Valentine’s package arrived just in the nick of time when I was craving a rich dark chocolate. This is a rarity – chocolate isn’t my vice – but man I was ready for it.
I dove into the Milk Chocolate with a hint of hazelnut first and actually “mmmmmm’d” out loud. I rarely choose milk chocolate over dark and this bar made me reconsider. The nutty hazelnut flavor was subtle enough to not overpower the bar. Then I took a nibble of the Extra Dark Chocolate Panama bar with 80% cacao! Best dark bar with that high of a cacao percentage I’ve ever had. It was so rich and the taste lingered on my tongue for a while.
What I loved the most about opening these bars was seeing a photo of the cacao farmer in Panama who played a role in creating the chocolate bars. It made it feel more personal, like this bar was a labor of love. There was even info on the inside of the bar’s wrapper about the farms and Equal Exchange. That’s what I like about Equal Exchange – Small farmers. Big change. Buying fairly traded products like these (and the Equal Exchange bananas!) supports a food system that builds stronger and healthier farming communities, creates a more equal trade model, and preserves our planet with sustainable farming.
We used the coffee in Funk’s AM brew. I’ve been caffeine free since my surgery so Funk took over taste testing this one. We tried the Mind Body & Soul variety and according to the package, this organic coffee is a smooth blend with mild acidity and hints of dark chocolate. The smell was heavenly and I took a teensy tiny sip – love it. I tried to actually pay attention to the flavors in the coffee which is something I never do. Coffee is one of those drinks I chug ASAP to get the morning buzz going! Not having had coffee in the past month, I could definitely pick apart the flavors and caught a hint of that dark chocolate. When I go back to my coffee routine, I’ll be sure to sip this one slowly. Funk is also a fan. We’re excited to have another bag of the Love Buzz coffee, which we’ve bought before.
Another nice treat in the package was the guide to chocolate and coffee pairing. How fun! There are instructions about how to have a taste test with the chocolate and coffee, as well as a chart to record your notes. This would make such a fun Valentine’s Day activity! Who knew there was a special way to taste chocolate? I’ll have to try this next time, as I devoured my first few bites in less than 5 seconds.
Good news for Eat Well with Janel readers: you get free shipping in the US if you purchase this package in time for Valentine’s Day! Just use the code chocolatelove on the following products:
Equal Exchange Organic Chocolate & Coffee Pairing Gift Bag. This kit includes a variety of organic coffee and chocolates and packaged in a 100% Recycled Printed Gift Bag. This gift is perfect for a chocolate or coffee lover – and very economical at $34.95 each. (FYI – Their other chocolate bars are currently on sale until February 14th)
(55% cacao content). These deliciously rich, bite-sized chocolates are crafted using the best quality organic cacao (cocoa beans) from small-scale farmer co-operatives in the Dominican Republic and Peru. Swiss-made with only the purest ingredients, and soy- and gluten-free! Despite their small size, these minis have big impact. By choosing Equal Exchange fairly traded chocolate, you help provide small-scale farmers the resources and opportunities they need to build a better future for their families and communities.Price is $5.49 each.
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Equal Exchange’s fairly traded (Vegan and gluten-free) Organic Dark Chocolate Minis(55% cacao content). These deliciously rich, bite-sized chocolates are crafted using the best quality organic cacao (cocoa beans) from small-scale farmer co-operatives in the Dominican Republic and Peru. Swiss-made with only the purest ingredients, and soy- and gluten-free! Despite their small size, these minis have big impact. By choosing Equal Exchange fairly traded chocolate, you help provide small-scale farmers the resources and opportunities they need to build a better future for their families and communities.Price is $5.49 each.
Disclaimer: I am not being paid to review this product.
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