San Francisco Chocolate Factory – Chocolate By Numbers

This was a very pleasant surprise on my first trip to the discount store Tuesday Mornings. The retail price said sixteen dollars (I think that’s an exaggeration of the actual price), but I paid three. There are six boxes, about two-by-two each, of what look like flattened chocolate chips, each box marked with a percentage. Hence, the “numbers” in the name.

31% White Chocolate
I, of course, have little respect for white chocolate: it’s too sweet and weird. But I actually really like this one. It’s cool and soft without being overly sweet and creamy.

33% Milk Chocolate
This has a fairly strong vanilla flavor, which is always enough to make me enjoy milk chocolate, especially considering how wonderfully creamy it is.

55% Dark Chocolate
“Cacao nibs” is listed in the ingredients instead of beans, which I haven’t seen before. It has a pleasant cinnamon flavor accompanying its noticeably darker self.

58% Dark
This also has nibs, but the cinnamon taste is much fainter. It’s more dusky with a little vanilla.

61% Dark
Back to cacao beans and a darker, yet almost sweeter, taste.

72% Dark
A regular, nothing very special darkness. The box calls it “intense,” but I really see nothing intense about it. It’s my least favorite of the bunch.

Now, for three dollars, I think this is a remarkable find. I love the 31% and 55%, and I think that the boxes are very cute. But full price seems way too much. I wouldn’t be willing on paying more than eight dollars, and even that’s pushing it. So, if you ever see these on sale, pick them up: they’re fun. But be wary if they’re full price. In that case, I’d recommend buying the individual boxes instead of a set so you can leave out at least the two darker ones.

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