I’m always fascinated by fancy gourmet chocolate shows.
The creativity is cutting edge. And it’s so much fun to speak with the proprietors who striving to please the public with their signature chocolate creations.
Best of all, at these chocolate shows, I have the luxury of taste-testing some very expensive chocolates that I’d never get to try otherwise.
The gourmet chocolate show I visited recently was called a “Chocolate Salon.” There were about 40 booths of chocolate makers selling their signature chocolates – and quite a few offering experimental chocolates for public feedback.
Antioxidant Chocolate
There was lots of antioxidant dark chocolate on offer. Some good, some not so good.
The worst was an 85% cocoa bar. It was so bitter and burnt-tasting that the seller, who was asking for written opinions of three chocolate flavors, will probably not take it to market. No one within earshot had much good to say about it.
The same vendor did have a much more popular flavor: an intense orange in milk chocolate. Quite lovely.
Experimental flavors of Chocolate
Many of the vendors were experimenting with salt/savory flavors blended with chocolate.
A Tabasco-laced chocolate got some interest. It produced a slight burn about 30 seconds after chewing, with no vinegar taste to interrupt the sensation.
Other weird and wonderful flavors were chili, coriander praline, jasmine citron, lavender, mojito, wasabi, and zinfandel!
One of the foremost chocolatiers at the chocolate show supplies many of Hollywood’s elite, as well as televised award programs. Following his highly successful bacon and chocolate creation, he discussed his newest potential offering with me: chocolate with fig and prosciutto.
He told me that his only delay in introducing this confection was securing a year-round provider of juicy figs that can be dried to just the moisture content he needs – dried yet moist.
In the same creative vein, another vendor at the show had a very tasty fig and sesame bon bon. The fig flavor complemented the chocolate quite nicely.
Fair Trade and Esoteric Chocolate
One organic chocolatier reported to a higher chakra authority with her chai, tangerine, green tea and ginger lemongrass flavors. By the time I was able to taste the pomegranate and chocolate flavor, my taste buds were overcome and the “elevated consciousness” I was supposed to experience was little more than a wispy tang.
Another product line, called Divine, was devoted to Fair Trade chocolate products from Ghana.
A twist on classic Fruit and Nut chocolate
There were regular chocolate and nut offerings too – including almond Florentines, dark chocolate coated butter toffees (with hazelnuts, macadamias or almonds), and a ball of creamy peanut butter and pretzel chips enrobed in milk, dark, or white chocolate.
A chocolate from the Philippines had great texture and was exquisitely truffly, but the exotic tastes such as durian fruit and Asian five spice fell short of the strong chocolate used.
By far my favorite chocolate flavor was a white chocolate banana rum truffle. For me it was the most awesome chocolate at the show and I had to buy some. It contains lots of Mexican vanilla and is covered in a dark chocolate coating and a touch of almond brittle. With a cup of strong coffee, these light, near-liquid center chocolates would make a perfect dessert.
This same chocolatier also had an unusual chocolate combination, called Tunisian Beta 3, consisting of sun dried tomatoes, salted capers, dried miso paste, and cumin! I’ll definitely have to try it sometime.
These up-market chocolate shows are such a great opportunity to taste an amazing array of different chocolate flavors. And you know me, I am always content to try before I buy.
Happy Cookbooking,
Erin
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