On a recent clear-out of my chocolate stash boxes, I found this bar lurking at the bottom. I think I picked it up at Salon du Chocolat in Paris last year, but I can’t be entirely sure. The one thing I noticed was that it was about to hit the ‘Best Before’ date, so it had to be consumed pronto!
Szántó Tibor is a Hungarian company, and this particular bar is made from 65.5% Mexican chocolate with whole almonds and Hungarian sun-dried hot paprika. As you can see, it looks amazing, with uniformly arranged almonds and bright red paprika scattered over the top.
But the underside is just as interesting too…
It’s almost a shame to eat it. Almost.
The flavour of the chocolate surprised me. Even with the instant heat of the paprika, it came through wonderfully. It’s sweet and fruity and really quite delicious. The paprika gives it a nice kick, but it’s not overpoweringly strong and doesn’t linger after the chocolate has melted. That little kick, combined with the warm and fruity chocolate notes is enough to keep you coming back for more… and more…
I’m less convinced by the almonds though. I’m not a big fan of nuts and chocolate, especially whole ones, and although these do give an interesting look to the bar, I’m not sure they add much to the flavour. Sure, they add a bit of extra texture, but I think I would have preferred the chocolate without them.
That said, this is still a delicious single origin chocolate bar, and I’m glad to have found it in my stash before it expired. I don’t know that this bar is easy to get hold of outside of Hungary, but I’ll certainly be looking out for more from Szántó Tibor.
Continuing with the selection from Zorba’s, I find myself facing three small 0.75 ounce (21g) chocolate bars dressed for the disco in shiny pinkish foil with purple and green lettering evocative of neon signs. Not my style, but it is certainly recognizable. On Zorba’s website, these sell in sets of four for $11, coming out to $2.75 each. That isn’t cheap, but remember that these chocolates are raw and organic.
All three use local raw honey as the sweetener in addition to the cacao and vanilla. In the Sweet Rose, a 66% chocolate, there is also rose essential oil; likewise, the Cool Mint contains peppermint oil. Though already small bars, they are divided into six squares each. Even the Sweet Rose is rather dark in color; the shine and luster of all three is fitting enough for even non-raw chocolate, as is the deep vibrancy with which the chocolate snaps. What the rawness does mean is that quickly after the chocolate begins melting in your mouth, you notice a slightly dusty consistency and even what are like an addition of miniscule nibs. The overall feel is smooth enough, but just be aware of this extra element.
Almost more than adding a flavor, the rose oil adds tone to the chocolate, softening and sweetening it. I’m not thrilled, though, by the lingering mouthfeel: it leaves your mouth drier than other chocolates do and almost crosses into bitter territory.
With the Honey Dark and the Cool Mint bars, the cacao percentage moves up to 80%. It was on examining the Honey Dark that I noticed something curious: when you hold the chocolate at an angle, the edges where it was broken become home to a silver mine. Tiny, clear white crystals catch the light according to what eye-catching scientific composition I know not.
Strangely, I find that the Honey Dark feels sweeter than the Sweet Rose, mainly because I can taste the honey in it. The chocolate is darker, yes, but in the sense of being deeper, not more bitter. Being able to taste the honey lightens the mood and seriousness. If only the final mouthfeel were less harsh.
I must share my first introduction to the Cool Mint, which occurred when I was opening the mailbox containing the Zorba’s package. I didn’t know what was inside the package, but I kid you not, I smelled mint when I opened the mailbox. The unwrapped bar itself could possibly act as an air freshener. It comes with an instant clean mint feel in the mouth, without the bite mint toothpaste and mouthwash have. It’s cool enough to feel like ice cream, giving the illusion of softer texture (as in a truffle, perhaps) to the chocolate. The degree of minty strength this bar hits without being overbearing is amazing. I must thus name it one of, if not the, best mint chocolates I’ve had. I even forget it’s raw.
If you only want to try one of these three bars, go for the mint. If you’re looking for a new raw chocolate company, Zorba’s chocolate is smooth and flavorful, so long as the nibbiness doesn’t bother you.
It’s been just a month since we last reviewed chocolates from Katie Christoffers’ Matcha Chocolat, but with Valentine’s Day over, it’s time to look at a selection designed for Mothers’ Day.
Inside the same simple and stylish packaging is another selection of eight different chocolates.
Los Ancones
As simple and as pure as they come. Single plantation 67% dark chocolate ganache from Santo Domingo decorated with gold leaf decoration. One of the tests of a good chocolatier is how good the simple unflavoured chocolates are, and this is probably as good as anything I’ve had by William Curley or Paul A. Young. It’s very simple, very smooth and packed with flavour. I’d happily eat a whole box of these.
Pink Grapefruit
Madagascan 64% and Santa Domingo 67% dark chocolate blended with cream and pink grapefruit juice. Tastes like you’re eating a box of sunshine. The sweetness and acidity are perfectly balanced. Fruity and delicious, with just a hint of that sharp grapefruit aftertaste.
Passion Fruit
64% Madagascan dark and 49% Venezuelan milk chocolate ganache blended with orange cream and passion fruit puree. I love how tangy and fruity this chocolate is. What looks like a simple chocolate ganache is packed with fruit flavour. Delicious.
Hazelnut & Cinnamon
Venezuelan dark chocolate with hazelnut paste, feullantine wafers, cinnamon and salt in a milk chocolate shell. Probably the closest Matcha has come to a traditional praline. The perfect amount of crunch and that hint of flavour make this one stand out from the crowd though.
Tonka Bean Caramel
A heart shaped 64% Venezuelan dark chocolate with a salted tonka bean caramel filling. I don’t have much experience of tonka bean chocolates, but what I have tried, I like. The tonka adds an interesting flavour accent to this caramel. I think it would be fine without the tonka, but it certainly adds a new dimension to the ever popular salted caramel.
Masala Chai Caramel
A blue swirled dome of Venezuelan dark chocolate with a caramel centre that has been infused with all kinds of wonderful spices. There’s just a touch of heat in there, but mainly it’s just packed with flavour and deliciously smoooth.
Earl Grey
Madagascan 64% dark chocolate with an Earl Grey tea ganache. The perfect flavour balance for Earl Grey lovers. All the tea flavour comes through but not at the expense of the deliciously sweet and fruity Madagascan chocolate.
Lavender & Vanilla
Venezuelan dark and milk chocolate blended ganache blended with lavender and vanilla. A simple but unusual flavour combination, expertly executed. Delicious.
I continue to be surprised and delighted by Matcha Chocolat. I have to confess I was a little worried when Katie moved away from purely tea inspired chocolates, but in actual fact, that move has enabled her to really show off her skill. Some of the flavour combinations are remarkable, and each chocolate is perfectly made and beautifully presented.
Any mum would be lucky to get these on Mothers’ Day. But do yourself a favour and by a box for yourself too – don’t make your mum share these.
Just when I thought I wasn’t going to be able to find anything new and exciting in my local shops, one of them started to stock most of British Columbia’s Organicfair collection. I had crossed paths with Organicfair before and wasn’t overly impressed but there were so many choices before me that I was still excited to give them another go, selecting a couple.
I hadn’t really planned on picking out two bars that featured ginger, but I suppose that particular root attracts me subliminally because I’m a fan. Anyway, there were enough other bits and pieces thrown into each bar so I wasn’t anticipating that I’d get them confused. And then I noted they both had dried fruit in them too and that’s when I realised that I really should pay more attention when I’m buying chocolate because these were a lot more similar than I thought. So it’s time for a compare and contrast review.
First up is the Sakura bar which is 70% chocolate with sundried cherries and candied ginger. Unwrapping the bar releases a big waft of ginger, suggesting that I was in for a treat. It doesn’t quite get there though. The ginger is pleasant enough, but there isn’t enough of it to make this a bar for real ginger lovers. The cherries don’t really enter into the equation until the very end when they are the chewy residue left behind after all the chocolate has gone away. Ot really what I was expecting, but even I still actually enjoyed it.
The Heart of Gold bar brings together a more robust 75% chocolate with cranberries, blueberries, matcha, cinnamon and ginger – lots of potentially big flavours jostling for position and obviously there are going to be both winners and losers. First past the post is the matcha which really dominates although the cinnamon and ginger are both lurking around in the background. But again the fruit doesn’t really contribute a whole lot until everything else has disappeared and even then the cranberries make more of an impact, reaffirming my long held belief that blueberries just don’t work well with very dark chocolate. Not my cup of tea, but if matcha tea is your cup of tea then you will probably like this.
And I’ve still only made it through 20% of Organicfair’s chocolate bar range, but I’m pretty sure there isn’t any other ginger and fruit options left although I could be wrong. I really should start reading those labels…
