Wander Ovomaltine

One thing I’ll say about being a Chocablogger – you get to find out some very interesting historical facts from time to time. Take Ovaltine, for instance. Did you know that it’s only called ‘Ovaltine’ in the English speaking world? Or that it’s been around since the turn of the twentieth century? Or that Wander (the Swiss company who make this bar and Ovomaltine/Ovaltine) are a subsidiary of Twinings, the tea people?

History lessons aside, this bar is obviously made by the same company that make Ovomaltine. It’s an ‘official’ product, as it were. What’s more, it’s good for you – on some level at least. Eat a 100g bar of this chocolate and you would be getting over 30% of your RDA of three minerals. and 25% of your RDA of no fewer than eleven vitamins! How good is THAT? A quarter of this bar is in fact Ovomaltine, hence alll the goodness.

But what of the chocolate, I hear you ask? Well, it’s a 26% cocoa Swiss milk chocolate which unfortunately also contains ‘vegetable oil’. Hmm. On the basis of that information, I have to say I wasn’t expecting great things from this bar, but I was surprised. It’s not too sweet, for starters. I mean to say, it is quite sweet, but it’s not tooth-curlingly sweet. The chocolate does have quite a pleasant cocoa flavour to it, but it’s the myriad tiny grains of Ovomaltine that give this bar an unusual texture and flavour. Of course, once the chocolate melts away you’re left with a mouthful of Ovomaltine, and anyone who ever made it up into a warm milk drink has eaten a spoonful or two of the stuff before (well I know I have!).

I honestly cannot remember the last time I had a cup of Ovaltine, but the moment I tasted this chocolate bar I was transported back in time to the late 1970’s/early 80’s. There’s no way you’d call this high end, gourmet or posh chocolate, but for me at least it held a little moment of magic. (It was also surprisingly moreish. I think my taste buds did a bit of time travelling.)

Unfortunately the only place I can find that stocks anything like this in the UK is Cybercandy (of course!), but their bars seem different. They are available from Europe (if you want to pay £15 for three bars). If, however, you’re on the Continent and fancy a trip down memory lane, perhaps this is one to look out for?

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