I’ve mentioned before that Australia’s raw chocolate scene is, at least in my experience, disappointing. Chalky grainy textures, sour undeveloped cacao flavours, and general misery are all things I’ve been subjected to by raw chocolate in my home country.
However, everything changed when my brother gave me a bar of Pana Chocolate* Coconut + Goji, a raw and organic chocolate handmade in Melbourne, Australia.
* Since receiving this chocolate, the company has changed its name from Conscious Chocolate to Pana Chocolate.
Pana Chocolate Coconut + Goji Raw Organic Dark Chocolate
Before I go any further, might I please squeak out “adorable!” in a girly voice? I love Pana Chocolate’s packaging. I have no idea what the creature on the left is supposed to be (a vampire yeti, perhaps?) but look! He’s so friendly with the flowers and the giving! Aw!
Oh, come now Pana. This is too much. Smiling little ghost-men, love hearts, *and* chocolate that is raw, organic, handmade, low GI, dairy-free, soy-free, gluten-free and made from cacao butter, agave nectar, cacao powder, coconut oil, wild carob, cinnamon, goji berries, coconut flakes, and Himalayan crystal salt? I can’t resist. I can’t resist you.
Leaning close to this thick dark chocolate I took a deep breath, and quickly found myself smiling over a deeply rich aroma with notes of warm brownies and brownie batter, coconut rough, and the faintest hint of something fruity.
I took a bite. Oh, the texture! Like fudge, like silken buttery rich firm fudge melting in my mouth, with absolutely none of the graininess that often plagues raw chocolate.
The generous long shards of coconut lent not only crunch but also a tropical undertone to the chocolate, and for the first time in my life I found myself loving goji berries. The red jewelled berries were so soft, so plump, and so lightly fruity without being too sweet. The chocolate itself was better than I’d even hoped, offering up whispers of woodsy smoke and tobacco alongside coconut sugar, palm sugar, fudgy brownies, and a tangy edge from the raw cacao. This bar was utterly rich, silky, and oh-so-satisfying.
Trust my brother to find a way for me to love Australian raw chocolate.
After all, he’s always taken care of me.
that last picture made my heart melt
I MUST get myself some is this. MUST.
I second this statement.
Aw, brother-and-sister love! I didn’t realise they changed their name from Conscious to Pana. I wonder why?
The only reason I can think of is to do with what tripped me up when I tried to google their website (not knowing the name had changed), which is that there appears to be a UK company by the same name. Perhaps there was a copyright issue, or they simply wanted to differentiate themselves?
yeah i got really confused because not only is there a conscious chocolate in the uk, but they also do raw and do the same flavours (plain, 80, goji-coconut, mint, orange and lucuma gold) hmmmmm i think there is more going on here…
I call shenanigans!!
Awwwwwww too cute
And this chocolate? Too delicious!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Oh dear gosh, I need this chocolate now. I have seen it (but now can’t remember where. where?! where?! suddenly of utmost importance) but always resisted on account of the price. But a chocolate with this packaging, and these imprints on the bar, that tastes like fudge, and has berry bits in it…well, it clearly has to be tried. Thank you for the review and to your brother for facilitating it (love the photo too
)!
Stupid brother; if he wasn’t so awesome, I wouldn’t miss him as much. Hopefully you’ll like this, if you decide to splurge!
Such a cute photo at the end! And I’ve never had a decent raw chocolate, in fact I thought that they were just meh all round. I should have known you’d find one!
I’LL NEVER GIVE UP.
There are so many incredible raw chocolates in the US, too. Stupid Australia and its disappointing chocolate scene!
I see scouts bush-walking in that photo. And by a bizarre coincidence my husband has just left for the Blue Mountains where he and Alfie and all of their sea-scout group are going bush walking for the day. But back to the chocolate….this is something I am going to try and source. My mother loves chocolate but as you know she’s GF and DF and finding a chocolate that meets her high expectations has been near impossible. I will try to put some of this in her Christmas stocking xx
Just make sure she knows that it’s raw chocolate, and therefore has a different flavour profile and texture to “normal” chocolate. Coco in Sydney, which I’ve reviewed recetnly, also does great and inventive (non-raw) dark chocolates that would be safe for your mum. Technically, all dark chocolate *should* be dairy-free…
Beautiful beautiful picture of you too – heart melts. Gah! I saw this chocolate the other day & didn’t buy it. Crazy, foolish girl.
Heidi xo
Thank you, dear heart. You know, I remember seeing these at that health store we went to together (the one where I bought the *shhhh* hemp). If only I’d known then, too!
I LOVE this chocolate – like you have been a bit meh about Aussie raw chocolate but this the first one that didn’t taste like ass. I also loved the choc-mint too – like a raw chocolatey after-dinner mint!!
So cute you guys are
I’m always a fan of chocolate that doesn’t taste like ass. I’d love to try more of this range (though not, of course, anything with orange in it)
You are a sweetheart. No need to reply, just wanted to get it off my chest!
Oh Lyf! Thank you for bringing such a smile to my day.
Best review yet – I want that chocolate, a little vampire/yeti friend to bring me flowers, and to adopt your brother.
xoxo
I think a vampire/yeti would be a much better flower-giver than that which you’ve experienced lately. I’m going to work on that for you.
Also, I think we should entirely adopt each other’s families. After all, you’re so much more than my sister.
Um, yayayayayay! This is available at my local supermarket. Sometimes I read your choccie posts and think dayem, one day my buds will get a chance to taste the amazing pictures of chocolate
I also like the cool imprints on each piece – detail!
At your local supermarket! Oh, what a fancy local supermarket you must have, you lucky thing!
Yumm this choccie looks so good! Hurray for a GOOD Aussie chocolate! I’ll keep it in mind next time I’m there
It’s better than anything sacred, I reckon
I reckon indeed
Speaking of choc… I will be trying the hemp bar tomorrow! Yippeeee!
Can’t wait to hear what you think!! Remember, it’s a rough raw chocolate – not like your silky smooth creations!
oh that is cute packaging and the chocolate looks so good – now I think I have seen it about and am wondering where because I want some
Girrrl, what you doing chillin with the Boy Scouts?
This chocolate is all sorts of messy sloppy pretty!
Bahaha, I don’t know, but it amuses me that my brother and I are clearly *not* involved in/dressed for Scouts.
Isn’t it gorgeous? I want more.
I must find this!
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Somehow I missed this post before. That picture of you and your brother is the cutest thing ever. Of course the chocolate sounds pretty good too. If I wasn’t just about to go overseas then I’d be whiling away these late night hours ordering some of this goodness online. I’ve only had raw chocolate a few times, and I can’t say I was a fan. It’s a textural thing of course. Now I’m tempted again.
I miss my brother. And I totally get your hesitancy regarding the texture of raw chocolate; I was too scared to try it for years after an awful grainy/crumbly experience in Australia. Luckily, there’s a lot of raw chocolate in America that has a good “snap”, but do be aware that Pana is soft and fudgy. But at least not dry and grainy!