Thursday, August 25, 2011

Would you like Curry Chicken or Sushi for dessert?

I have chosen two chocolate bars today with two very distinct flavour profiles. And once again, I am tasting Vosges Haut Chocolat, made by a company from Chicago.  I realize that I have been blogging way too often about Vosges chocolate, but that is only because I bought almost every one of their flavours and now I am just trying to get through that stack of chocolate bars before the summer completely melts them away. But don’t get me wrong; getting through the stack is NOT a punishment because I have yet to be disappointed in Vosges’ chocolate flavours. In fact, nearly every one of Vosges chocolate bars have provided me with an unforgettable flavour experience. And most often, that flavour experience is reminiscent of a familiar savoury food experience.

The first chocolate bar that I tasted is Vosges’ ‘Naga Bar’ with sweet Indian curry, coconut and milk chocolate.  The coconut flavour is very subtle, although I think there were small flecks of coconut to add a little texture.  To me, this chocolate tastes like curry chicken with a milk chocolate aftertaste. There is a high percentage of cacao in this milk chocolate and so it is not very sweet; a good thing because if it were sweet, it might be weird with the curry flavour. Overall, the spice is paired well with the type of chocolate.

The second chocolate bar is Vosges’ ‘Black Pearl Bar’ with ginger, wasabi and black sesame seeds in a semi-sweet dark chocolate (55% cacao) . The Wasabi instantly makes me think of sushi. The sesame seeds are slightly ground up and they don't add a lot of flavour, but they are very noticeable and give the chocolate an interesting texture.  The ginger is subtle in this chocolate compared to the wasabi, but I think the balance of ginger to wasabi flavour is making me crave sushi. In fact, now the only thing I want to eat are some California rolls and some raw tuna on sticky rice. Isn't it wonderful what chocolate can make you crave?  It’s funny because chocolate is normally the 'what' that I crave.

If you are interested in spicing up your chocolate tasting and eating chocolate that tastes like dinner, here are the details on the two chocolate bars that I tasted today:

Vosges Haut Chocolat Naga Bar, 45% cacao, 0.5 oz (14g)
Vosges IP, LLC, Chicago, IL, USA
www.vosgeschocolate.com
Ingredients: Milk chocolate (sugar, cocoa mass, cocoa butter, dry whole milk powder, soy lecithin-an emulsifier, vanilla), 2% desiccated coconut, sweet curry.  Chocolate bar contains: 40% cocoa solids minimum, 15% milk solids minimum.  Contains: Soy, milk, coconut.  Manufactured in a facility that handles tree nuts, peanuts, sesame seeds, milk, eggs, wheat, shellfish and soy.

Vosges Haut Chocolat Black Pearl Bar, 55% cacao, 0.5 oz (14g)
Vosges IP, LLC, Chicago, IL, USA
www.vosgeschocolate.com
Ingredients: Dark Chocolate (cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter, soy lecithin-an emulsifier, vanilla), 2% black sesame seeds, wasabi, ginger.  Dark chocolate (55%) contains: 53% cocoa solids minimum. Contains: Soy, sesame seeds. Manufactured in a facility that handles tree nuts, peanuts, sesame seeds, milk, eggs, wheat, shellfish and soy.

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