When you think about an energy bar or afternoon pick-me-up snack, does the term “bean-to-bar” come to mind? Probably not…but Peter Kelsey, the man behind K’ul Chocolate, might just change your mind about that! K’ul (pronounced “cool”) is the Mayan word for energy, so I thought it would be fun to try the four bars from their Superfood Bar Introductory pack which are each made with 70% bean-to-bar dark chocolate.
First up is “Power” (peanuts & currants + 8 grams of protein in each bar)
This bar is K’ul’s modern twist on the North American slang term for trail mix, aka “GORP” (good ol’ raisins and peanuts). Instead of raisins, they use currants and their peanuts are covered with a protein “shell” made from algavia (a whole algae protein powder). Don’t worry, there isn’t a seaweed or briny smell; the aroma reminded me of freshly roasted nuts like you might find from a street vendor or at a carnival.
The intricate five-sided spiral knotwork company logo is hardly intact on any of the 6 small squares since the featured ingredients are just bursting out from both the front and back of the chunky bar. [As a side note, I’d love to know if this pattern has a name since my research led me down a never-ending rabbit hole of complex Mayan and Celtic inspired crafts.]
I’m pretty sure that these bars are meant to be “chomped” rather than melted. How else would I be able to fully enjoy the crunchy, lightly salted coated peanuts and the chewy, sweet, dried currants?! It was difficult to isolate the chocolate by itself, but it was creamy, smooth and tasted a bit like banana. Not sure if this was “cross-contamination” with one of their other bars (see below) or an inherent flavor note of the chocolate used.
Next is “Electrobar” (which will help to restore your electrolyte balance)
Again, the featured ingredients (dried bananas & toasted unsweetened coconut flakes) are clearly visible on both the front and back of the thick bar, such that one of the squares does not have a recognizable logo!
I liked the generous chunks of chewy bananas & the texture of the coconut strips. Large crystals of Cyprus sea salt are unevenly dispersed on the back of the bar, making some morsels saltier than others (especially if you put the salt side down on your tongue).
The overall flavor is very tropical, though the chocolate itself seems secondary to all the other ingredients.
Next is “Stamina” (to recover from oxidative stress)
Flavored with cranberries, tart cherries, freeze dried pomegranate arils, freeze dried raspberries and maca root powder. All the not-too-sweet fruits worked well together, though it seemed that raspberry and pomegranate were dominant, perhaps because of the longer-lasting seeds.
Last, but not least, “Endurance” (caffeine courtesy of guarana powder)
The crunchy, toasted pumpkin seeds are again coated with the algae protein powder giving them a slightly yellowish appearance while the chewy dried cranberries retained their distinctive jewel red color. This bar is designed to provide “consistent energy to push through the miles.”
I tasted a third of each bar first thing in the morning, before having breakfast…I have to say that I did feel a bit of a “buzz” from the “Endurance” bar within minutes of eating 2 squares.
Love that there is minimal packaging to these single servings. The bars are wrapped with a snug and form-fitting printed plastic “film” with a notched opening at one edge. Each bar is so unique in terms of the flavor combinations and the intended use of the chocolate bar. From the company website: “Chocolate is not candy. Chocolate is food.” So if you are passionate about maintaining a healthy lifestyle while enjoying the pleasure of chocolate, these seem like the best of both worlds!
This Introductory 4-pack is currently $11.99 (including shipping) – limit one per customer.
To learn more about K’ul’s philosophy behind nature’s original superfood and to discover their entire product line, check out: https://kul-chocolate.com/
Remember to follow the Time to Eat Chocolate blog to hear about the next stop in the “50 States” project!
Other chocolate makers in Minnesota:
NOTE: If you know of any other bean-to-bar makers in Minnesota that aren’t mentioned above, please leave a comment or send an email so that we can keep this list as up-to-date as possible!