People Tree Fair Trade Chocolate

Last year I decided to only buy fair trade chocolate, which can be challenging in Japan.

Years ago I saw this People Tree brand fair trade chocolate and thought the packaging was cute, but passed on it every time. Partly because of the cost and partly because the flavored chocolate isn't usually what I'm into.

Yesterday I felt like treating myself. Started a new job, plus finally getting over a nasty cold that left me uninterested in sweet and spicy foods for over a week. 

I splurged on a couple of these 350 yen (plus tax) 50 gram chocolate bars.

The staff asked me if I would be enjoying them at home and I was a bit confused, of course. Who would eat two bars of chocolate while walking around a station?

I know this is probably a normal question staff has to ask, but also later realized that these are really sweet compared with what I'm used to buying. Some people could easily eat a whole People Tree chocolate bar at one time. 

I should have known better because I like around 80% cocoa, and the 'bitter pomegranate' says cacao 60% (the hazelnut doesn't even mention a percentage). The hazelnut is definitely more of a milk chocolate, so although I enjoy the combination of chocolate and hazelnut, I wanted to eat more than usual. On the other hand, I just tried the pomegranate and I like it better. It's also really sweet to me but a better balance. It's along the lines of the yummy Brookstone brand chocolate covered dried fruits.

These are probably not something I'd get again unless I spotted another 'bitter' flavor I was in the mood to try. (Maybe the 75% Peruvian one is more my style.) The designs are pretty but they're expensive compared with the supermarket brand I've been buying.