A CHOCOLATE PRODUCER WITH a difference, the American company VOSGES makes highly original flavoured chocolate bars. Bacon, ginger and wasabi (which is a kind of Japanese horseradish) are only some of the ingredients you might find in their bars. Although we usually specialize in single-origin chocolate without added flavours here at THE CHOCOLATE REVOLUTION, this producer is wacky - and brilliant - enough to deserve a mention. They also produce truffles and ice cream.
VOSGES chocolate can only be found in the US, and is sold in branches of Whole Foods, upmarket department stores, as well as in five boutiques in Chicago, New York and Las Vegas, details of which can be found here. It can also be ordered online from the VOSGES website (see below).
website: www.vosgeschocolate.com
THE CHOCOLATE BARS
MO'S BACON BAR 41%
This highly original flavoured milk chocolate bar contains Applewood-smoked bacon, as well as smoked salt. It takes the whole salt-and-chocolate flavour combination to a whole new level. Not only the flavours of the dark milk chocolate, the bacon and the salt work well together, but so do their textures. Get your dinner party guests to try and guess the ingredients.
BLACK PEARL BAR 55%
Pleasing, but slightly less exciting than
MO'S BACON BAR above, this chocolate contains ginger, black sesame seeds and wasabi (which is a strong Japanese horseradish). Perhaps because those who know wasabi will expect a striking tasting experience from this bar, it is a little disappointing that all of the added flavours remain quite subtle. Nevertheless this bar is pleasing, with very satisfying and unusual texture due to the sesame seeds and a lingering sensation of ginger and wasabi in the finish and aftertaste.
GOJI BAR 41%
This excellent and creative bar fuses sweet (but not too sweet) Himalayan Goji berries with pink salt in an extremely well-balanced dark milk chocolate. The textures work brilliantly together, and the salt comes to the fore in the finish.
CALINDIA 65%
An original bar, this chocolate combines cardamom, plums and walnuts, which work well together as flavours. The textures however are less compatible than in other
VOSGES bars, and the low percentage (for a non-milk bar) means that the chocolate lacks the intensity necessary to match the other ingredients.
NAGA 41%
Another very original creation from
VOSGES, this dark milk bar combines curry powder and coconut. The former provides much of the foreground flavours and the latter forms the backdrop, takes the edge off the curry, and contributes to the varied texture of this bar. Works well.
There are a number of other interesting flavoured bars by VOSGES, including Barcelona (smoked almonds), Macha (with macha green tea), d'Oliva (Kalamata olives and white chocolate), and Woolloomooloo (macadamia nuts and coconut) among others.