It was back in December last year when I won a set of Vosges chocolates from Trip or Treats. I had Ken pick them up for me a few days after the announcement.
I know, I should’ve posted about it earlier. But, don’t worry. I can still remember exactly how each of them tasted. And pardon if I don’t have any photos of the actual chocolate bars while we were enjoying it. I accidentally deleted the whole album on our camera’s memory when we were in Pagudpud. Silly me. 😀
I was pretty excited to try them out. Too bad though that when my bro came home, he already devoured that small box of Vosges Barcelona Bar. Lucky him ‘cause I was in a slightly good mood that night. Otherwise, he would need ankle braces after I’m done with him after not letting me taste that chocolate bar. 😀 Of course, I’m just kidding. Hahaha.
Trip or Treats (ToT) actually included a box with instructions on how you can savor each chocolate flavor. And I followed them to a tee… well, for my first 2 bites. 😀
See… first, there should be a glossy shine to the chocolate bar, this shows a good temper; rather, a tight bond between the cocoa butter and the cocoa mass.
Smell… rub your thumb on the chocolate to help release the aromas. Inhale the chocolate and ingredient notes deeply through your nose. Can you feel it?
Snap… quality chocolate should always be dry to the touch. Break the bar into two pieces. Hear a crisp, ringing snap, which indicates a well-tempered bar of chocolate.
Taste… place the chocolate on your tongue and press it to the roof of your mouth. Within thirty seconds, the chocolate should slowly begin to melt around your tongue. The taste should not be evanescent; it should have a long, lingering finish.
Feel… recognize the life in your body as you… benefit from the anti-oxidants in chocolate, ride the natural high of chillies, boost your immune system with some of the natural ingredients. Each bar brings its own sensations and benefits. Notice how spicy bars don’t hit you until after you have swallowed.
(quoted from ToT’s blog)
There were actually 4 small boxes of Vosges chocolates, but I can’t remember where I placed the Oaxaca Bar.
Anyway, let me tell you about the Oaxaca Bar. The description on the box says it’s made of Oaxaca Guajillo, Pasilla Chillies, Tanzanian bittersweet chocolate at 75% cacao. Yes, there are chillies mixed in the chocolates.
Photo from Trip or Treats
The first time I took a bite, I didn’t immediately taste the chili in there. But, when I let that bit linger in my mouth and the bittersweet chocolate started melting, I began feeling something weird in my mouth. It was my first time to get a taste of chocolate with chillies so I was surprised… delightfully so that I wanted everyone at home to get a taste of it. Definitely something memorable.
The only one that I didn’t get to try from the set I won was the Barcelona Bar. As the description says, it’s made of Hickory Smoked Almonds, Grey Sea Salt and deep milk chocolate, with 45% cacao. My bro said it was salty and sweet, which is a combination I would’ve loved from a chocolate flavor that’s new to me, if only my bro didn’t gobble up the whole bar all by himself. Argh! 😀
Next, my second favorite is Mo’s Dark Bacon Bar. It has Applewood Smoked Bacon, Alderwood Smoked Salt, and Dark Chocolate. This had me at bacon. 😀
At 62% cacao, the saltiness the bacon and the salt bring in with the bitterness of the dark chocolate is just so addicting! I also enjoyed the crispiness of the bacon bits mixed into the choco bar. Something every chocolate lover should definitely try!
Lastly, my favorite of all four (okay, technically, I only got to taste 3 so… :D), the Matcha Bar. Why? I super loved the combination of the Japanese Matcha Green Tea and creaminess of the milk chocolate. I loved this so much that my bro was the only other person who tried it and I only gave him a very small bit to taste. Hahaha! 😀
As soon as I got the taste of these chocolate bars, I went to Vosges Chocolate’s website to find out more about their products. I wanted to see what other flavors they have available. Too bad though ‘cause I don’t think we have them available here in the Philippines.
I’d like to thank Trip or Treats again for this new experience. My apologies for the late posting. But, every bite of these Vosges chocolates was truly memorable.
To you, my dear foodie friends, what unique chocolate flavors have you already enjoyed in this lifetime? Kindly share them at the comments section. 🙂
For the Love of Chocolates…
