Taza Stone Ground Cacao Crunch
May 7, 2018
Cacao Crunch is an 80% dark, stone ground chocolate made by Taza Chocolate.
A couple years ago I reviewed another chocolate by Taza, a very dark (87%) single origin Bolivian bar. I pointed out its unusual texture due to the stone ground processing technique. That texture still prevails in today’s bar and is tightly woven into the whole tasting experience.
The Taza website, www.tazachocolate.com, says the stone ground process gives its chocolate “rustic intensity.” That’s a good way to describe the overall impression I get from stone ground chocolate.
Stone Ground and the Impact on Texture
Let’s dive into the texture a bit more. Many people would describe the texture as “gritty.” In the chocolate industry we measure the “fineness” as how course or fine the solid particles are in the chocolate. The smaller the particle size, the smoother it feels in the mouth and the larger the particle size, the coarser or grittier it feels. Stone ground chocolate results in particle sizes on the larger side.
A side effect of fineness is the impact on flavor delivery. If the chocolate has a fine grind, it takes more cocoa butter to coat all the particles and as a result, this amount of cocoa butter delivers the most flavor as it melts in your mouth. The opposite is true of chocolate that is made with a coarser grind. The amount of cocoa butter is lower and the mouthfeel is drier, with the chocolate slower to melt and flavor delivery muted.
But We Like It Smooth, Right?
Crafting a chocolate that’s velvety smooth and melts in your mouth is a thing to brag about. People are willing to pay more for what they perceive to be better chocolate just because it’s so smooth. Therefore it’s interesting to me that Taza stone ground chocolate has found a place among chocolate lovers. I consider myself among this group.
The Taza chocolate might not feel like it’s melting (it feels more like it’s dissolving) but flavor delivery doesn’t seem to be affected all that much. The fruity notes are very strong and the earthy and nutty flavors are bold and delightful. I really enjoy the embedded nibs. They taste like banana and dried fruit. It’s slightly acidic at the end. Throughout, there is definitely that “raw” flavor profile that you taste when the beans are minimally roasted or not roasted at all.
This chocolate takes some getting used to. The texture is odd, no doubt. It helps that the embedded nibs distract from the gritty feel. I say, step out of your chocolate comfort zone and go for it! I’m glad I did.
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