Jelly Belly Chocolate Dips

First of all, I feel the need to apologize to the nice people at Jelly Belly. They actually sent this box out to me just prior to Christmas, and due to snowballing events (a good majority of which included the six inches of snow that pretty much shut down Atlanta), I have not actually gotten around to doing the review until now...and really I hate being so tardy. Mea culpa.

I actually was really excited to try these beans after reading Candy Blog's review in early December, when Cybele got her hands on a box.

I have long loved Jelly Belly's beans, and oddly enough, as much as I dislike coconut, that is my favorite flavor jelly bean. I was sent the five flavor gift box. The official Jelly Belly website also offers a rather impressive selection of ways to get the dipped beans besides the gift boxes. Inside the box, in little bean-shaped wells, the dipped beans sit clearly marked so you don't have to guess which kind you're getting. The five flavors are Very Cherry, Orange, Raspberry, Coconut, and Strawberry. And since that's the way they're placed in the box, I am going to review them in that order.



As far as the chocolate coating goes, each bean is completely enrobed in a layer of glossy chocolate. But as Cybele points out in her review, the size of the bean is identical to its non-dipped siblings. This is because the chocolate replaces the normal sugary shell that would cover the bean's center. Knowing that kind of disappointed me prior to tasting, because I am one of those people who like the slightly crunchy texture that you get biting into a normal jelly bean. But hey, we have chocolate! So maybe I shouldn't be preemptively whining.



The chocolate is simply identified as Dark Chocolate, but I could not tell you the cocoa percentage. When you open the box, the aroma is vaguely chocolatey and sort of fruity. The beans, of course, are sealed by the chocolate; so I was not expecting a strong fruit smell.



Very Cherry:

This was the flavor I was least looking forward to. I am not a fan of cherry candy as a rule, but I was glad it was first, because I figured it would be all uphill from here.

The chocolate is a thin layer that dissolves quickly (if you're the kind who lets your beans melt in your mouth rather than chewing it). It tastes OK. It's not the best chocolate, but it certainly is not the worst. It is a very mild dark -- enough that in the case of the cherry, it provided some nice contrast to the sweetness of the bean. I have to say my fears about the texture were wasted. I really liked how it was basically a nice soft jelly. It reminded me of the chocolate covered jelly sticks I like.

The cherry itself is strong. They have always reminded me exactly of a Luden's cough drop. It will never be my favorite flavor but I give it points for not having a bitter aftertaste.


Orange:

Orange and dark chocolate are always a winning combination and this bean is no exception. It's a nice zesty orange. I really liked the fact that Jelly Belly didn't hold back on the flavor; this is a seriously strong orange. I think the chocolate helped sweeten it up a little, and that may help those of you who prefer your orange a little tame. I like the boldness and think this is one of the best orange-chocolate combos ever.


Raspberry:

Like the orange, this is pretty much a classic chocolate and jelly flavor combination. The raspberry has a very floral quality to it. It reminded me of a raspberry liqueur (like Chambord). I really liked the fact that it was a very grown-up, realistic raspberry flavor instead of something artificial. Again, I think for a time tested chocolate/jelly candy it is on par with the best of the best.



Strawberry:

Ok, I admit it: I was not really looking forward to this one. I love fresh strawberries, but strawberry-flavored items tend to have a nasty aftertaste for me. And unfortunately, this was no exception. Which was a bummer, because after the orange and raspberry beans being so outstanding, I'd gotten my hopes up. Sadly, this bean is just too darn sweet. It skirts the line between tasting like the actual berry, and every cheap strawberry flavored gum on the planet. I think I actually liked the Very Cherry more. And that, my friends, is saying something.

Finally, I saved the one I was most looking forward to for last. (OK, so I just messed up the order in which they're packaged. Shoot me, why doncha?) And that one would be...


Coconut:

Blame it on a young love of piña colada flavored items and the smell of certain sunscreens. Once again, while I hate actual coconut, the coconut bean has always been my favorite of the Jelly Bellys. I know that makes pretty much no sense, but that's the way it is. (OK, that and toasted marshmallow ones -- how great would that be chocolate coated?) I like the slight vanilla edge it has and the sweet tropical flavor. Incidentally, I have already announced I will not be sharing the remainder of these beans, so don't even ask -- y'all know who y'all are!


As a whole, I really liked the Chocolate Dips. I hope they expand the line to more flavors -- I am nominating the marshmallow and popcorn beans.

Since this is a gift box, I am going to give it an overall rating rather than rating the individual beans -- but remember that each bean is also available on its own. If I had rated them individually, I can tell you that the Orange, Raspberry, and Coconut would each be solid, orgasmic 11's...but the Very Cherry and the Strawberry dragged the average down. It's still a very nice gift box, though.



PURCHASED FROM:
Sample from company

PRICE:
My box was a manufacturer's sample. It sells for $5.99 on the Jelly Belly website.

CALORIES:
150 calories per 40 beans.

ADDITIONAL INFO:
Box doesn't give any allergen information.

OFFICIAL WEBSITE:
jellybelly.com

Gail Ambrosius Chocolatier: The Adventurous Collection

I like to think my sense of adventure is up there. I bungee jumped long before everyone and their grandma did it. I will try just about anything edible or drinkable you can throw at me (and I've probably reviewed it here somewhere). I've even -- gasp! -- worked retail on Black Friday. Really, there is no limit to my daredevil side.

So when I got an email from the good people at Gail Ambrosius asking me if I would like to review one of their truffle collections, I grabbed my Indiana Jones hat and waited, somewhat patiently, for them to arrive.



Gail Ambrosius is an old school chocolatier who -- along with her staff, of course -- makes all of her single origin chocolate by hand in small batches. Kinda made me think of a chocolate version of a micro-brew. Gail's chocolates, in addition to being single origin, are also free of preservatives, with all natural, sustainable ingredients. (And since there are no preservatives, their lifespan is brief. These are not chocolates you can leave on a shelf and forget about for a couple of months.) Gail is clearly head over heels in love with her craft. If you read her blog -- or her biography on her site -- it is impossible not to sense how much she loves what she does.

I personally love a good truffle too, as my past truffle reviews reveal, and I was very excited about the six truffles in this collection.

So, here we go...


Cinnamon/Cayenne:



This truffle was wrapped in a bright orange foil. Hidden underneath the foil is a truffle made up of 65% Colombian chocolate, dusted with a fine layer of cinnamon.



What I loved about this truffle was that the incredibly smooth chocolate is just sweet enough that it is not bitter, but you wouldn't mistake it for a milk chocolate. The cinnamon is actually the first thing you taste. It's spicy but not overpowering. The best part is the heat from the cayenne, with just a teeny tiny peppery aftertaste. I could eat an entire box just of this truffle.


Sweet Curry with Saffron:



This truffle is made with Hawaiian chocolate. I can't say that I've ever had Hawaiian chocolate before, but it made me think of Marvo -- and that in turn made me think of Marvo doing the Truffle Shuffle -- which, for the record, I have never seen him do, but it sounds like something he would do. (Nothing but love for you, man, nothing but love!) All of that distracted me from the fact that this truffle also contains coconut. And coconut is my natural enemy...well, that may be going a little far. But it is safe to say I am not the biggest fan of the stuff. This truffle also has coriander, turmeric, cumin, and cardamom and the top is sprinkled with strands of saffron -- world's the most expensive spice.



This truffle smells vaguely like generic Indian food. The turmeric and the cumin were the strongest flavors. I picked up the coconut more as an aftertaste. The information for this truffle describes the chocolate as having a raisin-like aftertaste -- and damned if that's not the best way to describe it. Honestly, while I liked the spice and I liked the chocolate, the coconut killed this truffle for me. But I am sure coconut fans would love it.


Machu Picchu:



This truffle is filled with a ganache that is made with 65% Peruvian chocolate nibs that have been caramelized. There is also a hint of cinnamon and vanilla. The truffle is topped with candied almonds.



This truffle is like chocolate to the eleventh power. It's a little sweet, and you taste just enough of the cinnamon and the vanilla so that you know they're there, but otherwise it is just pure chocolate essence. The nibs are almost completely ground, but there are little chunks here and there that add crunch to the otherwise smooth filling. Very nice!


Lemongrass with Ginger:



This one reminded me of Thai food. The chocolate is a 70% Venezuelan chocolate that is infused with dried organic lemongrass, coconut purée, and ginger pulp. It is topped with candied lemon peel and dried safflower.



Even with the coconut I loved this truffle, mostly because the strong warmth of the ginger worked to cover up all but the last notes of the coconut. The lemongrass gives it a fresh clean taste, and the dark chocolate just wraps the whole thing up in an earthy blanket.


Rica Organica:



This one is made with chocolate that Gail herself treks to Costa Rica to get. It's a simple truffle, made only with said chocolate, plus cream and vanilla bean.



This is the most basic truffle in the mix. It is also a great example of how sometimes it is the little things that make the most impact. With this truffle, all you taste is the chocolate. It's a little fruity, a little coffee-like. It's sweetened by the cream. If you are just beginning to get into dark chocolates, this is an excellent place to start.


Shiitake Mushroom:



Not going to lie -- this single truffle was the entire reason I chose this collection out of the others available. Seriously, how could you not want to try chocolate and mushrooms together?!

The chocolate is the 65% Peruvian, and is mixed with a mixture of dried shiitake mushrooms and cream.



Anyone who says that mushrooms and chocolate do not belong together needs to be fed this truffle -- even if by force at first. The mushrooms bring a slightly chewy texture to the center. Paired with the dark chocolate, it tastes like fresh soil, coffee, woodsy happiness. It's sweet, it's salty, and it's probably going to become my new obsession.

Yeah, this was a great collection. The texture of the all of the truffles, regardless of flavor/chocolate was excellent. Just enough snap on the outer shell. The interior ganache was silky smooth and cool on the tongue. These are some of the best truffles I have ever had.

The box also included...

A bonus! (I think)



While not listed as part of the Adventurous Collection, my box also contained a couple of the Caramel Sprinkled with Grey Salt squares. Not one to look gift salted caramel in the mouth (or share it willingly), I was thrilled with the addition.

The Columbian chocolate is deep and coffee-like. The salt was everything you could ever hope for. The texture of caramel itself is super soft and smooth, almost to the point of being a butter cream. It's mildly buttery and sweet. It is at its best when you get a part of the square with a lot of salt on it. There was something about it that I just couldn't put my finger on -- and it kept me from deciding whether or not I really loved it -- or if I was really indifferent to it. But I still ate all of them, so I am leaning towards really liking it.



This collection is just a tiny portion of what Gail Ambrosius offers. Be sure to check out the website to view it all for yourself. (Sadly for my international friends, they are currently able to ship only within the U.S. So if you see something you reeeeaaaallllllly gotta have, you might want to start being really nice to your U.S. friends!)

Get your hands on this collection by any means necessary.



PURCHASED FROM:
Sample from company

OFFICIAL WEBSITE:
gailambrosius.com

Kosher Macaroons (Manischewitz and Streit's)

There apparently are several types of cookies that can be referred to as macaroons. But as best I could tell, the two most popular are the coconut/almond based macaroon and the also almond-based (and pronounced the same way) French-style Macaron. Truth be told, not exactly being coconut's biggest fan myself (and the fact that the French style kick serious butt), I am firmly planted in the camp of the French version. But even with the coconut, I do have a soft spot for the Passover style macaroons -- but only the commercially pre-made kind. I know that is wrong on at least 20 different levels, but it's true.

Maybe it's because the canisters that they are sold in are so well-sealed that the macaroons stay nice and moist. (Maybe forever?) Conversely, the homemade or even bakery versions I have had tended to be on the dry side.

There are literally dozens of versions out there, but I picked up two of my favorite flavors. We have the ever popular Manischewitz brand with their version of almond, and then we have Streit's chocolate. We'll start with Manischewitz...



Manischewitz Almond Macaroons:



I like almost any baked good that uses almond paste (or almond flour) as a rule. And I love the smell when you open the seal on these. It's like concentrated marzipan.

Each Macaroon is about the size of a U.S. quarter coin in diameter, only puffy. The tops are nicely browned.



Each macaroon is super soft and moist (but not greasy). There is a slight crunch from the coconut...but not so much that even a coconut hater like me objects.



The taste is a combination of sweet almond (with that slight cherry taste that almond has) and a tiny bit of coconut. I really loved these. If you have never had a macaroon before, this is the one I would start with.



PURCHASED FROM:
Vons Supermarket

PRICE:
$3.99

CALORIES:
100 calories per 2 macaroons.

ADDITIONAL INFO:
Parve, kosher, trans-fat, contains coconut, egg, and wheat.

OFFICIAL WEBSITE:
manischewitz.com





Streit's Chocolate Macaroons:

Streit's macaroons are slightly wider (closer to a half-dollar size), but more dense than the Manischewitz.

Opening the container you get the classic smell of the combination of coconut and chocolate.



Streit's is another company that has been making fantastic Jewish food products since roughly the dawn of time (well, 1925). To put it into more mainstream context: if Manischewitz is like Coke and Kedem is Pepsi, then Streit's is the Dr. Pepper.

Streit's is also the brand of macaroons whose chocolate flavor I like the most.



The bite on these macaroons is just as moist as the Manischewitz -- but there is a stronger sense of coconut. Texture-wise I am going to give the advantage to the almond Manischewitz. They are a little more crunchy -- by which I mean crunchy in the fibery sense, rather than like a potato chip (or like raw coconut).

The flavor is very much a fudgy cocoa type of chocolate rather than a milk chocolate. It's almost got the slight bitterness to it that actual cocoa powder has. The coconut flavor is there, but it's not so strong that it makes you think you're eating some sort of Mounds cookie (although I know there are people who would kill for that).



Admittedly, side by side, I give the Manischewitz almond the edge because of my love of marzipan. But if you prefer chocolate, you should definitely try the Streit's.



PURCHASED FROM:
Vons Supermarket

PRICE:
$0.99

CALORIES:
100 calories per 2 macaroons.

ADDITIONAL INFO:
Contains eggs and nuts, sulfite free, gluten free, kosher, parve.

OFFICIAL WEBSITE
streitsmatzohs.com

O.N.E. Coconut Water with Mango

It's a cool, overcast day as I write this. Yes, we have them even here in sunny Southern California. However, I am kinda wishing that I was sitting on a sunny beach with a girly, fruity drink in my hand (the kind I normally do not drink).

Since I (sadly) will not be doing that anytime soon, I'm going to pretend that I am on a white sand beach while drinking this mango flavored coconut water. And yes, those of you who pay attention to my ramblings probably are well aware that I am on record as hating coconut. And I do. But I don't mind coconut flavor -- it's mostly the texture I dislike.



I reviewed the Guava flavored O.N.E. about a month ago, and was surprised at how refreshing I found it. It also passed the taste test of my best friend -- who shall officially be known as Mr. X, simply because he thinks it sounds cool who grew up in the islands. (It's a long story; just read the first review.) So once again, I made him my guinea pig...I mean guest reviewer.

Mr. X, incidentally, can always pick the most perfectly ripe mango in the bin. I couldn't pick one if my life depended on it, but he can walk to an enormous display of mangoes and pick up a perfect one on the first try. And he loves mango everything, so I thought this drink might be the drink of his dreams.

Inside the spiffy grownup juice box looking Tetra-Pak lurks a bright orange/yellow juice/water. It smells like mango puree -- and I mean that in a good way.

The first sip is a little on the salty side. The mango tastes strong but muted at the same time...weird and contradictory description, I know. It reminded more of mango leather than, say, freshly sliced mango. It doesn't taste artificial in any way, but it doesn't have that brightness that a really good cheek of cold, ripe mango has. (Yes, mango slices are called "cheeks." Like butt cheeks, OK?)



The coconut water itself doesn't really come through as much as it seemed to in the guava version. It's hiding in the background and you can only faintly taste it.

Mr. X's opinion and mine happened to mesh completely (as they often do) on this one. While he adds the extra praise that O.N.E. has once again provided the best packaged coconut water he has ever tasted, we both wish the mango flavor had been less dominant and that the coconut flavor had been stronger. But we'll give it a pass because it has electrolytes, and that's what plants crave!

Right?



PURCHASED FROM:
Albertsons Supermarket

O.N.E. Coconut Water: with a splash of Pink Guava

Yes folks, I am well aware that on many an occasion I have repeatedly stated my hatred of coconut. And I really don't like the stuff. But I do sometimes like coconut flavored drinks. (Yeah, it's girly, but I admit to liking Malibu Rum on occasion.)

I also have a best friend who is from the Caribbean islands (St. Croix) and he has been known to wax poetic about how great coconut water is. However, when he had it, it was directly from a coconut that had just been plucked off the tree. And he may or may not have drunk it body shot style off a hot island girl. How could that not be good, even if you don't like coconut?

Now, in case you are wondering, there is a difference between coconut water and coconut milk. Coconut water is sort of like coconut primordial ooze. It's collected from inside the shell of the coconut before the fruit matures, and before the "meat" of the fruit has even had a chance to form. If you have ever shaken a coconut at the grocery store and heard water swishing around, that is coconut water -- kind of the senior citizen version -- because by that point, the fruit has ripened and the meat is formed...but you get the point. Coconut milk, on the other hand, is actually made from the meat of the coconut being grated, soaked in warm water, and then squeezed through cheesecloth.

Coconut water is one of the most popular drinks in South America (and the Caribbean). My friend has tried several types commercially available here in the States, but none of them have passed his tests. He says they all taste like chemicals.



According to O.N.E., their coconut water is not artificially sweetened, only flavored with real fruit juice, and contains 15 times more potassium than sports drinks (possibly from Kazakhstan, maybe mined by members of the Sagdiyev family?) . It's also full of antioxidants, and might be able to make you fly. OK, I made that last part up. All of that is great, but what I really care about is...what does it tastes like? And will it pass the BFF test?

The water is packaged in Tetra Paks (which have all sorts of spiffy qualities -- it helps preserve the product without added chemicals). I just liked it because it was like drinking a from a giant grown up juice box.



So, for the tasting: I made said best friend from St. Croix try it first. And I have to say he was pretty damn impressed! He said that while it doesn't taste exactly right off the tree, it is pretty darn close. He was happy to see that they even left the little bits of coconut pulp that normally get strained out in other bottled versions.

Did I like it?

I did. It tastes like coconut -- only not. I know that sounds weird, but it's hard to describe. It's sweet, and a little salty. The flavor that we think of as being quintessentially coconut is there, but it's really subtle. The guava adds sort of a fruit punch note to the mix. It was super refreshing. I was afraid I'd have to slog through, it but I gulped my share down. Basically, think of the most refreshing Hawaiian Punch ever, and you pretty much have it.

I'll be buying this one again.


PURCHASED FROM:

Albertsons Supermarket

Chocolates Para Ti: Assorted Box

High end chocolates from Bolivia? You betcha!

First, a big thank you to the kind people at Chocolates Para Ti for sending me this assortment to try. Prior their contacting me I had not heard of this company, so I was excited to check it out. While they are new to the U.S. market, Chocolates Para Ti is no newcomer to the world of chocolate. They have been making all kinds of yummy sweet things in Sucre, Bolivia, for over twenty years.




This 8.8 ounce assortment came in a really cool handmade banana tree bark box. (No, it does not in fact smell like banana. This disappointed the evil monkey that lives in my closet, but it looked so nice he got over it.)



There were 12 different kinds of chocolates in my box. The inner lid of the box has a photo display of the assortment. These photos are quite helpful, because each piece is beautifully wrapped in gold foil -- and while some are shaped like what they are flavored with, other pieces whose flavors are quite different are identically shaped. In any case, we're going to work clockwise around the label.



Most of the pieces use milk chocolate. And since there is a plain milk chocolate piece included, to save time I will put most of the chocolate info into that piece's description unless something else really stands out.



1. PEACH: Hidden inside the center of this shell-shaped milk chocolate lies a little dimple of peach flavor. It's a strong peach, sort of like what you would expect to find in a flavored iced tea. It's artificially flavored, but it's good. The peach leaves a nice fruity aftertaste. The melt of the chocolate is very smooth and creamy.



2. AMARANTH: I actually had to check the Wikipedia entry for amaranth because I was not sure what it was. But I like it when ingredients stump me, because that means I'm going to taste something I have never tried before. Turns out that amaranth is a "cosmopolitan genus of herbs." There are 60 different species that are considered to be in the amaranth family. Among them is a grain version -- and that is what is used in this candy.

The little pieces of amaranth were each about the size of a small sesame seed. The flavor was really interesting. It was like a combination of toasted coconut, rice, and sesame. It's crunchy but not hard. I also noticed a strong vanilla taste with this piece. Mixed with the milk chocolate it made for a really fast nibble. There's not much snap to the piece, but the amaranth bits kept the texture interesting. The amaranth itself was so good I would really love to see it used more. The chocolate seems a little grainy, but I think that is because it is so densely packed with the amaranth; not because of the chocolate itself.



3. COCONUT: Aaah, my arch nemesis -- coconut! OK, to be fair, I don't mind coconut flavor, if used sparingly (or in the odd fruity drink), or even toasted coconut. It's "raw" or mushy coconut I just can't handle. I hate the texture, and the taste...blugh. Now, luckily for me the piece is merely coconut flavored. The neat little brick smells vaguely like coconut and sugar (and I happen to like that combo). It's milk chocolate. It had great snap to it, and is just thick enough that you feel like your teeth really sink in. The coconut flavor (which is artificial) just hovers in the background of the chocolate -- sort of like if you took a really big bite of German chocolate cake that was thinly frosted. The dairy notes really stand out in this piece. As much as I hate coconut generally, I have to admit I liked this piece because it was so subtle.



4. PEANUT: I really liked that this was molded into a cute little nut shape (OK, it looks more like a cashew than a peanut, but do we really need to be that picky?). This piece is also milk chocolate. Before biting into the piece, I wasn't sure if it was going to have whole nuts or large nut pieces. In fact it had neither. Instead, the piece is studded with very small bits of peanut.

Again, "interesting" is the word I am going to go with. Looking at the amount of peanuts in the piece -- which is a pretty small amount, all things considered -- it is amazing how much peanut flavor is actually in the piece. The Chocolates Para Ti website describes it as roasted peanut; and "roasted" is exactly the word I would use to describe the flavor. It's not like peanut butter in the least, but at the same time it doesn't have that plain generic nuttiness that some chocolate with peanuts can have. It's a little salty (which is always good), it's just like condensed peanut goodness. I have to wonder, given the amount of actual peanuts in the piece, how they packed all the flavor in there -- do they have some sort of Steve Austin Six Million Dollar Man project going on for peanuts down there? (They can make it bigger, stronger...)



5. BRAZIL NUTS: Again, props for the cute molding. This piece was also molded to look like a little nut half. This is another milk chocolate piece. I feel the need to admit I do not as a rule like Brazil nuts, so take my thoughts on this one with a grain of salt. In this piece the nuts are larger chunks, and and there is no mistaking that they are there.

The nuts themselves are quite crisp, and have that green, almost raw taste. It sort of reminds me of a cross between raw peanuts and sunflower seeds. If you like Brazil nuts, you will probably love this piece. (An interesting side bit of trivia is that while you might think that Brazil would be the chief exporter of the nuts based on the name, Bolivia is actually one of the biggest suppliers. Remember to thank me when that question comes up on Jeopardy and you look super smart for knowing the answer.)



6. MILK CHOCOLATE: This one is also a shell shape, just like the peach. About the only way to tell them apart is that the plain milk is just a tiny bit lighter in color. It is very creamy and has a smooth melt. On its own, it is a little too sweet for me -- but I liked it when paired with the different flavors and nuts. I think it works better as a base for other flavors than it does as a standalone.



7. RAISINS: I loooooove raisins in chocolate. There just aren't enough chocolates that feature raisins. Seriously, why isn't this more popular? Anyway...

This is yet another milk chocolate piece. Whole raisins stud the chocolate. It's like eating a giant Raisinet. The raisins are plump and juicy and the chocolate is cool and smooth. This was one of my favorites. I could eat a full bar of this piece!



8. DARK CHOCOLATE: This is a 57% dark chocolate -- not the darkest on the block by any stretch, but not exactly a deep milk either. I am sure the Chocolates Para Ti people aren't going to like me for saying this, but the first thing that struck me when smelling the chocolate wasn't the expected woodsy notes, or coffee notes, maybe even cherry -- no, but this was indeed a familiar smell. In fact, it's an aroma I rather like under different circumstances. So what was that aroma?

It smells exactly like Play-Doh! Yeah, DOH indeed! Smell aside, though, it does have a really clean snap and it is quite rich. (No Play-Doh taste, thank goodness.) It tasted to me at first like a chocolate covered cherry minus the cherry. Once the sweetness wanes a bit (about 5 or 6 seconds in) the flavor becomes very earthy. Kind of like...well, like lush, fertile tropical dirt. I know that doesn't sound like it would be good, but it is honestly addicting. It doesn't remind me of a traditional dark chocolate at all. But it is so good that I don't care.

EDITED AFTER ORIGINAL POST TO ADD: My thanks to the nice folks at Chocolates Para Ti for letting me know that I goofed up the original cacao content. (Doofy me wrote 54%, whereas the actual amount -- now posted -- is really 57%. So, DOH! once again. I stand corrected!)

9. PISTACHIO: I love pistachio. And this is a piece flavored (artificially) with pistachio. True to every artificial pistachio flavored item I have ever had, it tastes more like cherry-almond than pistachio -- but it's still a good taste. Now I want marzipan...




10. WHITE CHOCOLATE FLAVORED WITH BRAZIL NUTS: This is the lone white chocolate in the box. Again, I feel the need to voice my own biases against both white chocolate and Brazil nuts...so you have been fairly warned. The white chocolate is very soft and smooth. The single strongest taste is Brazil nuts. I am not sure why they went with simply Brazil nut flavor rather than actual Brazil nuts. Errrm...what else...did I mention it was white chocolate? Honestly guys, I don't want to be unfair to this piece because it was made up of two flavors I don't like. If you are a fan of either flavor, I am willing to bet you would like it a lot. Dammit, where's Jim when I need his input?

EDITED AFTER ORIGINAL POST TO ADD: Again, my thanks to the folks at Chocolates Para Ti for passing on a little more information about this particular piece: The Brazil nut flavoring that you taste in this piece is real Brazil nut that has been crushed up into a fine powder/paste that is then mixed in with the white chocolate. So for you white chocolate/Brazil nut fans, this sounds like it is a really spiffy piece!

11. ORANGE: Must I once again proclaim from the mountaintops my love of orange and chocolate?! This piece is no exception. The flavors reminded me of an orange jelly roll with no jelly. You know that zesty, sweet orange taste? It's just like that. (The chocolate, again, is milk.) I really liked this one!



12. DARK MILK: Last but not least is the 46% dark milk brick. Interestingly enough, the dark milk tastes darker than the actual dark chocolate. It made me think of what the the love child of a Hershey's Special Bar and raw Devil's Food Cake cake batter would taste like. Clearly, 11 different shades of awesome! It's a little woodsy, but there are some deep cocoa notes. The cherryish flavor is still there. It does have a nice milky finish.

In the end, I loved some of the pieces -- the amaranth, the deep milk and the dark chocolate in particular. The assortment as a whole was good mix. And even with the pieces I didn't like as much, I have to admit it was because they contained flavors I don't care for in any circumstances, rather than because of anything that Chocolates Para Ti did or didn't do. Yep, this box made me very happy.

If you want to try something different, or you want a gift for a foodie that's way off the beaten path, this could be just what you are looking for.


PURCHASED FROM:

Sample From Company

Be sure to visit the Chocolates Para Ti website to see their full selection of products, and for ordering/shipping information.