(Originally posted on LiveJournal)
Recently an online friend posted about encountering an upscale chocolate bar flavored with chili flavor.
At first, I thought this bizarre, but the more I considered it and the history of chocolate, the more reasonable the proposition seemed to be.
The brand he had encountered was Chuao, and the bar was called “Spicy Maya”. It is, according to its label, a “dark chocolate bar infused with pasilla chile and cayenne pepper”. (Now, mind you, I’d always understood the spelling c-h-i-l-e to reference the country and not the hot, vegitive food substance. But that’s what’s on their label, so I’ll go with it.)
Out of curiousity, I went looking for this, but couldn’t find it. Instead, I found a bar from Lindt, titled “Excellence Chili”. It is “extra fine dark chocolate with red chili” or (as it says on the front) “Dark – infused with premium red chili”.
So, there it was. I now faced the question of whether I was ready to step outside my usual taste-bud expectations and find out what these had to offer me. It turned out, I was indeed ready! (I did eventually find a place that carries the Chuao bar, so the following compares the two.)
Okay, starting out, we’re dealing with dark chocolate here, not milk chocolate. So the flavor of the chocolate itself is stronger, and actually a bit less sweet than your milk chocolate. That will please those who usually like dark chcolate.
The Chuao bar was interesting, in that the cayenne pepper gave an initial bite to the bar. It is not over-powering, but it definitely diverts the taste buds from any expectation of sweetness. The Chuao bar also has a dash of cinnamon mixed in, and this goes a long way toward tempering the after-burn of the chili flavoring. The cinnamon does give you the sensation of being “sweeter”, though.
The Lindt bar does not contain these additional spices, so the mix is much more just the chocolate and chili. The after-burn on this bar is a bit stronger.
In neither case is the after-burn from the chili unpleasant or overpowering. The chocolate makes for a pleasing balance in taste. The interesting aspect of it, however, is that the chili undercuts the impulse to gobble the bar down. The Chuao bar is 2.82 oz, while the Lindt bar is 3.5 oz. The Lindt happened to be the first I tried, and it is made in a form that 10 squares. I broke off 2 squares, and was quite satisfied with the experience of that much, and so held off eating more of it for some time. I think I nibbled my way through it over the course of 3 days. I enjoyed the savory of it. I think the chili countered the caro-craving that sugar can trigger. The same was true of the Chuao bar.
It seems counter-intuitive to tell chocoholics that they will actually crave less of these bars, while at the same time recommending them, but there you are. It is a very satisfying, but unusual taste experience.
I’d be interested to hear from others who have tried out the chocolate-chili combos.
Comments
ann1962 – Jan. 26th, 2010
I’ve tried them but I like my chocolate plain.
I prefer to put chocolate in my chili. It gives it a wonderful depth of flavour. Maybe a 1/4 to 1/2 a bar of plain dark chocolate into a pot of chili.
scribblerworks – Jan. 26th, 2010
I’ll have to consider that, in the pot of chili that is. Just for something different (I was traumatized at first after my move from Texas to California — the first chili I had in California was watery!).
dewline – Jan. 26th, 2010
In my case, the brand’s a locally-based one: Cocoa Camino. But they do the same sort of blending, with their sources certified for fair trade purposes. I’ve tried those bars a couple of times…and in my case, I’d say that it’s maybe a tad on the mild side for me. But then, I grew up addicted to pepperoni pizza.
scribblerworks – Jan. 26th, 2010
I’m not really a hot spice person, especially not jalepenos, for instance, but I did wonder if these chocolates might not be on the mild side for the fire-mouth fans.
I do love me some pepperoni, too, though. That I can put up with.
margdean56 – Jan. 26th, 2010
A local espresso place in Santa Fe, Ecco’s, serves a spicy cocoa (made with dark chocolate) that I adore. The chili flavor is not overpowering, just gives a nice extra kick, and warmth, to the hot chocolate.
scribblerworks – Jan. 26th, 2010
Hmmm. I would not have thought of it in drinkable fashion. I’ll have to see if I can find some of that, at least to try it out.
margdean56 – Jan. 26th, 2010
Actually I found a recipe for it online, though I haven’t tried it out. I’ll happily forward it to you if you’d like (especially if you can’t find it locally).
muuranker – Jan. 26th, 2010
I have been given various kinds of chocolate/chilli (and chilli with chocolate and a wonderful stew in Tuscany which appeared to be boar simmered for 3 days in a VERY large bar of Cadbury’s fruit-and-nut (yes, even to the fruit and the nuts!).
The Lindt version is the only one I’ve bought, and also found it satisfying by the square-or-twoful.
Oddly, wasabi nuts are not satisfying in small doses!
Cinnamon in chocolate I’ve only encountered in Maya Gold (http://www.greenandblacks.com/us/what-we-make/bars/maya-gold.html) which is among my favourite chocolates.
scribblerworks – Jan. 26th, 2010
Oh, yes indeed! I love Green and Black’s Maya Gold. I am very fond of the chocolate and orange combination, and have been since childhood. I used to make a chocolate chip cookie, that was basically an orange flavored sugar cookie (using concentrated orange juice and a dash of orange oil), with the chips stirred in. The oil would cling to the chips. It was great!
I also like raspberry and chocolate.
Yum.
ext_219025 – Jan. 28th, 2010
mmmmm
So I am huge chocolate fiend. When I saw the title of this post, I mentally checked the refrigerator and remembered that there is absolutely no chocolate present for me to indulge, then proceeded to read your blog.
I can definitely see how the presence of chili in a chocolate bar can halt that urge to devour the entire bar. I love dark chocolate and raspberry. I am going to have to look for these special chocolate chili bars and try them out now! You have piqued my taste buds!
