A few weeks ago, I was invited to the re-launch of Magnum Ecuador. The chocolate covered ice cream has been around a while, but the chocolate is now Rainforest Alliance certified, and Magnum have been making a big deal about using real, ethically sourced chocolate. All good stuff.
And then they sent us the press release for the monstrosity above. For some inexplicable reason they got together with Karl Lagerfeld and chocolatier Patrick Roger to create a hotel suite made out of 10.5 tonnes of chocolate. Including a very scary looking chocolate man.
Leaving aside the fact that the whole thing looks like something out of a bad horror film, this is an extraordinary waste that completely undermines any argument that Unilever (producers of Magnum) are in any way interested in promoting real, sustainable chocolate production.
Perhaps I’m being overly grumpy, but this in my opinion, sums up everything that’s wrong with mass produced chocolate. When cocoa farmers of the world struggle to get by, this kind of over-the-top wasteful indulgence makes my heart sink.
I’ve no idea how much it cost, but I do know the money would have been better spent being invested in the cocoa farming communities and co-operatives that work so hard for so little reward.
This is another offering from William Curley’s “nostalgia range”. I thought it would be interesting to try, because unlike the Marathon & Bounty Bars, it has absolutely no nostalgia value for me whatsoever.
I even had to Google what Millionaire’s Shortbread was, such was my ignorance. According to Wikipedia, it’s a simple shortbread topped with layers of caramel and chocolate, and it’s Scottish in origin – something that would explain why it has nostalgia value for William.
I picked this bar up from the Southbank Chocolate Festival at the same time as the Marathon & Bounty bars, and as you can see, it’s not in perfect condition. That’s entirely down to me though, and I’m quite sure it left William’s kitchen looking pristine.
The chocolate is a 65% cocoa solids dark chocolate from Amedei, decorated with a small flake of gold leaf (but probably not enough to make you a millionaire). It’s a fairly thin, but imparts a good amount of flavour into the bar.
The layer of sea salted caramel is delicious and has a perfect texture for a bar like this. It’s chewy without being too hard or too soft. But as you can see, the bulk of this bar is shortbread. And shortbread isn’t really my thing.
Personally I found it a bit too dry for my tastes. That was in part counteracted by the caramel and chocolate, but I’d have liked to have seen a bit more caramel and a bit less biscuit. But overal, it still tastes wonderful, and I think if millionaire’s shortbread has nostalgia value for you, you’ll love it.
For me though, it’s just a tasty snack which makes it a little on the expensive side at £3.50 a pop. But I’d happily pay that again for the Bounty.
Isn’t it supposed to be as you get older that your taste preferences move away from the sweeter products and you are more likely to appreciate the nuances of dark chocolate? Yet I seem to be moving in the opposite way, as I find myself reaching more readily for a short-lived sweet than a long-lived adventure of a chocolate. I think this has something to do with circumstances, as well as age, as the sweet things require no effort on my part to appreciate them whilst my mind is busy with other things.
So it is in this mood that I came to the next item from Philadelphia Candies, some Milk Chocolate French Mints that I kept at my desk for a bit. Don’t forget to note that that’s milk chocolate with mint, rather than the usual dark. The result is something a little more, shall we shall, informal. Also I found it rather nostalgic, as if of Christmas in past times. I don’t know if I’m reminded of a specific candy; if so, I can’t think of what it is. More than that, I find myself thinking of a combination of a peppermint patty, a candy cane, and a bar of plain milk chocolate.
The format is exactly the same as in the peanut butter truffles. The chocolates are relatively thick, and they are filled with creamy, chocolaty, minty texture and flavor. They aren’t fancy after-dinner mints, but they will suit for those moments when, like me lately, all your appetite wants is something sweet with which to while away the time.
I’m not the world’s biggest fan of wafers, so I’m ashamed to say I’ve had these rather awesome looking chocolate wafers from Day & Night of Bulgaria in my stash for quite some time. Other non-wafer chocolate has always seemed to find its way to the front of the review queue. Well now, it’s time.
This is actually the first time we’ve looked at anything from Bulgaria, so I had no idea what to expect. In fact, everything I personally know about Bulgaria I learned from watching The Wombles.
The first thing you notice about these (the wafers, not the Wombles) is the size. As chocolate wafers go, they’re huge. The “Choco Wafer” in particular looks as though it’s big enough to feed a small village.
The rest of the range are quite similar, but all have slightly different flavours. I was sent only a small selection of the extensive Day & Night range, but they seem to produce about 50 different varieties in all.
Worryingly, once I did try my samples, I found them rather difficult to stop eating. They’re actually quite a pleasant snack. Not proper chocolate by any means, but still quite enjoyable.
The chocolate is thin, but the wafers are light and crispy. They’re substantial, but not too heavy. Just a pleasant snack.
Unfortunately, you can’t buy these online direct from Day & Night. In fact, I think one of the reasons they sent us these samples was because they’re looking for distributors. So if you’ve been considering setting up a Bulgarian wafer shop in your area, you should probably get in touch with these guys.
