Review: Francois Pralus Djakarta

Lindy's Rating: 7.0 (previously ***)

Richard's Rating: 6.0 (previously **)

chocolate maker Pralus bar Djakarta region Ghana, Indonesia plantation (blend) cacao trees Criollo, Forastero?, Trinitario? year (unknown) size 100g ~ 3.5oz cocoa solids 75% added fat cocoa butter sweetener sugar emulsifier soy lecithin flavoring (none) other ingredients (none) list price €4,00

color medium brown PANTONE 19-1317 Bitter Chocolate texture smooth with text imprint and scoring aroma earthy, roast (cocoa), sweet snap hard taste hint of bitter, roast (cocoa), fruit (apple, citrus), hint of dairy melt smooth length short finish slightly bitter

Despite its name, Pralus Djakarta is a mixed-origin bar from Ghana and Indonesia. The wrapper indicated the beans were a mixture of Trinitario and Criollo, but Pralus wrote on their website that Djakarta was made from a combination of Forastero and Criollo beans. The latter seems more likely, given Ghana as the origin of the non-Criollo beans.

Djakarta was made of 75% cocoa solids, with sugar, added cocoa butter, and soy lecithin. This bar was packaged as usual for Pralus chocolate bars: paper wrapper over gold foil-covered chocolate. The 100 gram bar we reviewed had a best before date of 3 February 2012.

The bar was scored into 24 small pieces and one large piece (that is the same size as 8 small ones) with the "Pralus" imprint. The color of the chocolate was a medium brown Bitter Chocolate (PANTONE 19-1317). It had a hard snap.

Djakarta had aromas of roast in form of cocoa, an earthiness, and some sweetness. The initial taste gave a slight bitterness, and then revealed the cocoa roast we smelled, along with some fruit flavors. Lindy identified apple and I found some citrus. I also noticed a hint of dairy.

The chocolate had a smooth melt. The flavor only lasted 10 to 15 seconds after the chocolate was gone, giving a short length. The aftertaste was slightly bitter.

Overall, Lindy described Djakarta as enjoyable to eat, and rated it a low ***. I found it somewhat less desirable and rated it a high **.

You can purchase Pralus Djakarta online directly from Pralus for €4,00, or from Chocolopolis for $7.99.