Pacari Premium Organic Chocolate Review
Review of some Pacari premium organic chocolate products. The flavoured bars are both interesting and innovative, but there’s more here than just chocolate bars.
Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me, happy … I think you’re probably getting the drift. It’s my birthday and what would make a better gift than chocolate? Only this time I’m keen to offer you some too. Or at least I want to give one lucky reader the chance to win some Pacari premium organic chocolate. Oh, and did I mention, yesterday was World Chocolate Day.
World Chocolate Day is my kind of day. It’s basically a massive celebration of this delectable food of the gods and an excuse to devour, but preferably savour, chocolate. I may have celebrated a little, but I’ve been trying hard to hang out until today. No birthday is complete without chocolate.
Pacari Premium Organic Chocolate
Pacari specialise in premium organic tree to bar chocolate which is grown, harvested and produced in Ecuador. The chocolate is super smooth, melts on the tongue and tastes fantastic. Pacari have so far won over 250 international chocolate awards. But more than that, Pacari premium organic chocolate is highly ethical. Or as they like to say:
“Begin a journey for your senses with our chocolate that is characterised by personality and soul.”
Fine Arriba Nacional cacao beans are known for their full bodied flavour and their aromatic floral and fruity notes. They’re sourced directly from local farmers. This results in 50% of the profits being returned to local communities, compared to a mere 7% from the big brands. The beans and other ingredients are all grown to organic standards and no harmful pesticides are used. Surely the cacao growers and environment deserve better health and well being along with us, the fortunate consumers?
The cacao content ranges from 60% to 100% which makes Pacari’s chocolate much healthier than most. It contains either unrefined or coconut sugar. Palm oil is a definite no no and the chocolate is vegan, kosher, gluten-free and soya-free. The cacao is cool processed, less refined and therefore more nutritious. It’s choc-full (geddit?) of flavonoids, iron and antioxidants.
I’ve posted about Pacari chocolate a couple of times before, so I won’t repeat just how brilliant they are. Suffice it to say I’m a fan. You can find out more in January’s Pacari post and I’ve written even more extensively on the subject in this coffee chocolate chip cookies post. I made the cookies with Pacari’s cardamom chocolate as well as their coffee version.
Follow Pacari
If you want to follow Pacari chocolate on social media, here’s how:
- Twitter – @PacariUK
- Facebook – Pacarichocolates.uk
- Instagram – PacariUK
So What’s On Offer?
I’ve been enchanted with everything I’ve tried so far from the Pacari range of chocolate bars, chocolate covered fruits and drinking chocolate. But they’re continually adding to their range and I haven’t tried everything yet! This time I opted for some Andean chocolate bars and a couple of packs of cooking chocolate. Pacari also included some of their famous mini bars.
Andean Flavours Gift Box
This gift box contains a sensual trip to the Andes, all wrapped up in four bars of chocolate. CT is desperate to go on a plant hunting trip to the Andes. Maybe he’ll make it one day, but until then he’ll have to make do with sharing these Andean chocolate bars with me. The bars are Pacari’s standard 50g bars of premium organic chocolate, but chosen with a variety of flavours to suit your mood.
This Andean gift box would make a splendid present for any adventurous chocolate lover. It’s certainly an inspired one for me.
Cuzco Pink Salt & Nibs
You’ll find an award winning bar of Cuzco Pink Salt & Nibs. This is a real delight for those, like me, that have a penchant for sweet and salt. The cacao nibs provide a bit of crunch and additional antioxidants. I’ve waxed lyrical on this one in a bit more details in my coffee chocolate chip cookies post.
Chilli Peppers
Chilli is always a flavour that gets me excited and it pairs so wonderfully well with chocolate. One of the bars is flavoured with chilli peppers, merkén to be precise. Merkén is a traditional smoky Mapuche spice from Chile and the bar is delicious. It has a slow heat that builds, but not enough to blow your head off.
But there’s far more to it than just heat. It has a nice fruity flavour with smoky notes and the heat doesn’t detract from this wonderfully rich flavoured bar one jot. This is, without a doubt, my favourite Pacari chocolate bar.
Andean Blueberry
This chocolate has chew and crunch. It contains wild Andean blueberries and it’s utterly splendid. It’s sweet without being overly so and the blueberry flavour is rich and fruity. Because of the wild blueberries, this bar is packed with even more antioxidants than most of the others. Blueberries are particularly good for the eyes and research has shown that they may help to reduce the risk of both cataracts and glaucoma.
Lemongrass
The final bar is one I associate more with the flavours of Asia than South America. …. As soon as you taste it, it conjures up the image of a cleaver wielding chef chopping bunches of fragrant shoots. It really tastes of fresh lemongrass, but isn’t in the least overpowering. I’d go so far as to say it has a very soothing quality about it. This bar was so good, in 2012 it won a gold at the Chocolate Awards.
Couverture Chocolate
Pacari’s couverture chocolate drops are made from raw biodynamically certified chocolate. You’d never know if you tasted it. Processing is minimal and the chocolate regularly wins awards for its distinctive flavour. I’ve tested a lot of raw chocolate in my time and this is one of the best.
I had to try a few, just for taste testing purposes you understand. The drops melt beautifully in the mouth but also have a nice snap to them. I haven’t yet made anything with them, but I’m looking forward to the day I do.
70% Raw Chocolate Drops
I have to say I haven’t yet tried the 70% drops. I know if I open the packet, I’ll be in danger of demolishing the contents before ever I get around to making something with it. It’s pretty certain however, that I won’t be disappointed with either the flavour or consistency.
100% Raw Chocolate Drops
Pure chocolate is such an exciting concept. These chocolate drops are extremely rich, but they’re also pleasantly palatable if taken in small doses. There are some bitter notes for sure, but not nearly as many as you’d expect and the delicious flavour of Pacari chocolate is left lingering on the tongue for quite some time after the chocolate has disappeared.
Mini Bars
Pacari’s 10g mini bars are so very cute. They’re just brilliant for enjoying some of Pacari’s premium organic chocolate, without feeling you’ve over indulged. They’re also a great way of taste testing the chocolate before going ahead and buying larger bars.
I’ve been known to tuck one away in my lunchbox occasionally too. It does infuse a humdrum workday with a bit of tropical sparkle. This Pacari premium organic chocolate giveaway includes four mini bars: Andean Mint, Coffee, Andean Rose and Passionfruit.
You can find a bit more about the first three in my coffee chocolate chip cookies post. As for the passionfruit bar, it’s really scrumptious. The flavour is not overplayed as it is in some passionfruit chocolate I’ve tried. I’ve written more about this one in my last Pacari review post.
Let Us Know
Thanks for visiting Tin and Thyme. If you try any Pacari premium organic chocolate, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below or via social media. Or you might even be the lucky winner. Do share photos on your preferred social media site and use the hashtag #tinandthyme, so I can spot them.
For more chocolate reviews and giveaways, follow me on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest.
Choclette x
Pacari chocolate sent me some products to try. I’m not expected to write a positive review and all opinions are, as always, my own. Thanks to my readers for supporting the brands and organisations that help to keep Tin and Thyme blithe and blogging.
The Organic Chocolate Covered Banana sounds delicious!
The Organic Dark Chocolate with Orange sounds absolutely divine!
The chocolate covered banana sounds good xx
i really would like to try the organic with coffee bean chocolate 🙂 i love anything coffee flavour and i adore nice chocolate
I would like to try chocolate covered banana
I would love to try the organic chocolate covered banana, two of my favourite things put together. What could be better?
Drinking Cacao with ginger to help with daughter’s morning sickness.
I like the sound of the chocolate-covered espresso coffee beans.
The organic drinking cacao with ginger. I love drinking chocolate and this sounds like it would be really warming for winter.
I’d love to try the Organic Chocolate Covered Espresso Beans, I’m a huge fan of these but they can be difficult to track down so I’ll definitely be trying the Pacari range
Oh the organic Chocolate Covered Banana – chocolate and bananas, what could be better?
We would love to try the Single Origin Organic Chocolate Gift Set – it sounds delicious
The chocolate covered banana because I think the kids would love it and sounds healthy.
I like the sound of the Organic Chocolate Covered Golden Berries because dark chocolate combined with citrus is a great combination and I think it will taste amazing.
I would love to give the Organic Drinking Cacao with Cinnamon a try. It sounds absolutely delicious and I love cinnamon
The Organic Chocolate Covered Golden Berries because great for snacking on and fruit is good for you!
I would love to try the chocolate covered banana that sounds interesting
Organic Drinking Cacao with Cinnamon
Organic Dark Chocolate with Chilli. I love chocolate with a kick!
Definitely the organic chocolate covered banana. It’s a combination of my favourite things – fruit and chocolate!
I would have to try the Organic Chocolate Covered Banana as it sounds delicious.
Organic Dark Chocolate with Cherry – love dark chocolate and with added cherry sounds delicious
I’d be intrigued to try the Golden berries chocolate. I’ve not heard to them before!
I would love to try the Organic Biodynamic Dark Chocolate with Golden Berries.
Chocolate and lemongrass sounds like a match made in some exotic heaven. I love lemongrass and I love chocolate!
I would love to try the Pacari chocolate tasting experience in Edinburgh. I have never been to Edinburgh, have never tasted Pacari and would love to learn more about chocolate and the process of making quality products with great flavours.
That sounds like a fabulous experience. I think I’d like that too.
I would love to try the ‘Organic Chocolate Covered Cacao Beans Dusted with Powder – Banana’ as I love bananas and the idea of chocolate and banana just sounds delicious. Love your chocolate and not tried this one yet.
PACARI chocolate covered coffee beans. What more needs to be said?
I would love to try the Organic Drinking Cacao with Cinnamon – I absolutely love cinnamon and wish there was more cinnamon goodies available here in the UK.
I would like to try Organic Dark Chocolate with Cuzco Pink Salt and Nibs because I adore dark chocolate and this would remind me of Peru where I went to a few years ago and had an amazing time.
I’d love to try the drinking chocolate with ginger. It’s maybe not a summer treat, but I could really see me slurping it back in the winter.
We love to try new chocolates in our house. I’ve not tried these so would love to win some. the blueberry one seems really different and interesting
Coco Beans and Banana, I would eat Banana as if I was a monkey maybe that is what my ancestors were.
Hahaha, now that might very easily be true Leslie.
Yummy chocolate flavours
The Cacao Powder Chocolate Range looks tasty. Be good to try this.
I’d most love to try the Organic Drinking Cacao with Ginger because I am a hot chocolate fiend and drink it year round. I also adore ginger, and I have never seen it for sale in a hot chocolate before! Right up my street, I’d be in heaven
I would love to try the Raw Organic Drinking Cacao, can’t beat a good hot chocolate in the winter, or any other time of year to be quite honest.
I would love to try the Southern Flavours Organic Chocolate Gift Set because those lovely South American flavours intrigue me!
Hmmm, yes. I think maybe I’d quite like to try those ones too 😀
I’d love to try the chocolate covered espresso beans.
Organic Drinking Cacao with Ginger – I love chocolate and ginger
The organic chocolate covered banana sounds delicious.
Not heard of Pacari chocolate before but all the flavours sound intriguing and appealing especially the Andean blueberry and the passion fruit. Will be looking out for it. Would love to try some!
I would love to try the Organic Chocolate Covered Banana.
i would love chocolate covered banana sounds amazing
Chocolate and banana sounds really scrummy. What’s not to like.
Organic Drinking Cacao with Ginger (125g) sounds fab to me – I love the warmth of ginger and this sounds sublime.
I’d like to try the Organic Chocolate Covered Cacao Beans Dusted with Powder – Banana because I love both cacao beans and bananas. They sound amazing!
Dark chocolate with cherry. I love cherries, my grandad always worked cherry picking after he retired so I grew up with proper big , fat, dark cherries straight from the tree that would stain your face and hands purple as you ate them.
Sounds like a dream childhood Rai. I hope there are still plenty of children out there getting stained with cherries straight from the tree.
The Organic Dark Chocolate with Fig sounds truly delicious!
Lots of interesting and different ideas for flavours on this site. i would love to try the Organic Chocolate Covered Cacao Beans Dusted with Powder in Banana flavour.
I’d like to try the banana chocolate bar. Usually banana chocolate tastes synthetic, but I’m sure this would be lovely.
I would love to try the Organic Drinking Cacao with Ginger
Would love to try the raw organic drinking cacao as love drinking chocolate.
I would like to try the Drinking Cacao because the usual drinking chocolate is so artificial. I would imagine that this would be a totally different taste.
Ooh, the organic drinking cacao range looks really nice. I’d love to try the cinnamon version.
The chocolate covered banana sounds really good. Two of my favourite flavours together
I like the sound of the Organic Chocolate Covered Golden Berries x
i would love to try the Limited Edition Piura Quemazón 70% Cacao Organic Single Region Fine Chocolate as I love really dark good quality chocolate
The banana flavour looks absolutely lush! WOuld love to try
i like cinnamon, so the Organic Drinking Cacao with Cinnamon sounds good to me
Single orange sound wicked
Would love to try them all..
Fig would be whole new experience to me
Southern Flavours Organic Chocolate Gift Set (ECU 10-18) this looks so unusual but tasty would love to try it
Dark (60%) Organic Biodynamic Chocolate Couverture / Drops / Chips with coconut sugar because I love coconut
The Organic Drinking Cacao with Cinnamon OR the chocolate covered banana look really good definitely on my list!
Raw Organic Biodynamic Chocolate 100% Cacao: Just got some Organic raw cacao powder, I add it to a shake. I am surprised how great it tastes. Breakfast is porridge, banana and a tsp of cacao powder, no sugar at all (apart from what is in the banana) and it is truly great. My wife has taken to a banana dipped in raw cacao. I origimnally bought it for the health benefits, but I am surprised how great it tastes and has no added sugar in it.
Chocolate porridge is something I occasionally indulge in and it’s delicious. I rarely add sugar to my porridge, but I do sometimes cook it with prunes. I quite like the idea of banana dipped in raw cacao – hmmm!
I’d love to try the lemon verbena chocolate bar.
Myself personally i would love to try the Organic Biodynamic Dark Chocolate with Golden Berries as i love dark chocolate and this just sounds like it will taste amazing!
Organic Chocolate Covered Banana sounds amazing! I’d love to share with my whole family, I am chocolate and banana obsessed so its the perfect combo!
Ohh so many choices, I think I would be trying Organic dark chocolate with lemongrass
The dark chocolate with cherry sounds lovely!
Thinking a Organic Chocolate Covered Banana would be yummy right now!!
Love the sound of chocolate with figs in. A bit different from what I usually buy 🙂
The Organic Dark Chocolate with Chilli, im a huge fan of Chilli so this would be lovely to try!
I love the organic dark chocolate with chilli xxx
Andean Blueberry bar sounds delightful. I’d also love to try the rose flavour, and chocolate drops look good too.
The Organic Dark Chocolate with Lemon sounds very nice, I’d love to try it as it sounds like a delicious flavour
i would love to try the Organic Dark Chocolate with Cherry, sounds delicious and i’ve never tried a cherry chocolate before
Southern Flavours Organic Chocolate Gift Set = have never tried any of these flavours so would be a treat
Raw Organic Chocolate 70% Cacao with Salt & Nibs and Coconut Sugar sounds good for an hour sitting on the sea wall at night.
Lemon Verbena chocolate sounds lovely as does either of the goldenberry products. I’m most excited to try the rose, which you already mentioned, as it’s hard to get a decent rose tasting chocolate.
Organic Drinking Cacao with Cinnamon for me but perhaps save it for the Winter months
The chocolate covered banana sounds delicious
Would love to try the Organic Chocolate Covered Cacao Beans Dusted with Powder – Ginger as they sound rather yummy
Dark chocolate with golden berries sounds lovely.
These sound great, really interesting flavours and I really like the sound of their chocolate covered physalis!
I would love to try the Raw Organic Biodynamic Chocolate 85% Cacao with Coconut Sugar because of the high level of healthy antioxidants and the intensity of the flavour
Organic Chocolate Covered Banana – because I love the taste of banana
I’d like to try the Organic Chocolate Covered Espresso Beans, because I love coffee and chocolate flavours together.
Organic Chocolate Covered Banana I rather like the sound of these, I love banana and chocolate so they are perfect
would like to try their organic chocolate covered banana chocolate, as I love all things banana!
I love the sound of the Organic Drinking Cacao with Cinnamon. Cinnamon is my favourite flavour.
because i love banana flavour and with chocolate sounds great x
I’d love to try Organic Dark Chocolate with Lemongrass as I think I might like it a lot.
Cacao Powder Chocolate Range
Bananas are my favourite fruit do the chocolate covered banana pieces would be my first choice
Would love to try the Organic Drinking Cacao with Cinnamon, love anything cinnamon flavoured x
I’d like to try the Organic Chocolate Covered Banana – I love bananas and chocolate and they go so well together!
I’d like to try the Organic Drinking Cacao. So many drinking chocolate products are loaded with sugar and as i don’t use sugar I’ve not had a hot chocolate drink for many years – sometimes on a winter’s day I really miss it.
Aw Jane, I feel for you. There’s nothing quite like a steaming mug of hot chocolate on a cold winter’s day.
I would like to try the chocolate covered banana because I like anything that tastes of banana.
the Organic Chocolate Covered Banana sounds fab! I love banana so these would be yummy I am sure
The organic chocolate banana sounds delicious.
Cacao with Spirulina and Coconut Sugar is right up my street; sweet and naughty 😀 . Mind you, I LOVE Pacari chocolate and it wold be wonderful to spoil my little family with such wonderful treat.
It’s such good chocolate Oil. I haven’t even spotted the spirulina one. Good luck.
I would like to try the Organic Chocolate Covered Banana as it sounds delicious.
I would like to try the Organic Chocolate Covered Banana.
Drinking chocolate with cinnamon sounds just perfect for Christmas Eve!
The chocolate covered banana sounds good, as does everything!
Happy Birthday!
The Organic Covered Espresso Beans and the Lemongrass sound good
What a great giveaway! I would love to try the lemongrass one :-))
It’s a good one. The flavours are all natural and taste like it too.
Organic Chocolate Covered Banana – I can’t think of a better combination! (although the Organic Chocolate Covered Espresso Beans sound divine too!)
What a brilliant prize. If I won, I’d have a chocolate tasting party!
I think I’d like to try the bar of chocolate with added figs – I love that combination!
I hope you are enjoying your birthday Choclette!
I would like to try the ‘Organic Chocolate Covered Banana’. I always buy bananas and yet never seem to have enough! These could keep me going through the shortage stage and they are chocolate covered too, MMmmm. You have me salivating already.
Thanks Julie. I’m just dashing off to work at the moment, but hoping for a more leisurely evening. I’ve tried the chocolate bananas and they are delicious.
I would love to try the Single Origin Organic Chocolate Gift Set that way I could try more than one flavour
Their Cacao Powder Chocolate Range sounds delicious! I would love to try their Organic Drinking Cacao!
I would like to try Organic Drinking Cacao with Cinnamon because I absolutely love cinnamon and I think this would be a delicious drink.
I agree Margaret. I haven’t tried that one yet and it sounds delicious.