I am a tired munchkin tonight. I’m not a great sleeper at the best of times, and I think the combination of uncooperative bedding in my Florence hotel (I like to wrap my sheets around myself just-so, and these are too stiff to tuck in properly) and anxiety about going home this weekend are to blame for my recent tossing-and-turning. So I apologise in advance if my sentence structure proves problematic or my description of delectables becomes borderline boring.
At least I’ve still got the alliteration down pat, right?
Monoprix Gourmet Chocolat Noir Pépites aux Cerises, Sésame et Éclats de Caramel
Well, this isn't a combination I've ever seen before.
I was powerless before this chocolate when I spotted it in my local Paris Monoprix. Dark chocolate, cherry pieces, sesame seeds, and caramel bits? How could it possibly work? How could it possibly not? I had to find out what this would taste like, and so into Le Shopping Basket it slipped.
Upon translating the ingredients (I’m fairly adept at reading French, just hopeless when it comes to understanding it spoken. Useful, no?) I discovered that the cherry pieces comprised 10% of the bar, but were themselves made of sugar, 3% cherry pulp, apple, pineapple fibres, flavours, and lots of E-numbers. The sesame seeds and caramel pieces were each classed at 2%, and the chocolate itself had a 51% cacao content.
But that’s enough numbers for now.
Hello there, little sesame seed.
Not surprisingly, this chocolate had a very sweet smell. Surprisingly, though, this smell reminded me overwhelmingly of Savannah’s River Street candy stores and the aroma of fresh pralines and toffee apples. Not a bad olfactory reminiscence, to be sure.
My first bite? SWEET SWEET OH HEAVENS SWEEEEEET.
Next thoughts? Some fruitiness, bits of crunch, SWEET SWEET OH HEAVENS SWEEEEEET… but something is slightly off?
(Anyone remember the song from Madeleine that the head Nun sings at some point whilst swooping down the stairs? “Something is not right! Something is quite wrong!” … Or did I make that up? I have no memory of any other part of Madeleine, so this memory may, in fact, be from a crazy dream. You know, from the times when I do sleep.)
You can see that the "cherry" pieces (for what they're worth) weren't skimped on, at least.
The more I ate of this, the stronger I felt that there was some subtle flavour, underlying the sweetness and the fruitiness and the occasional hints of nuttiness, that didn’t work. In my tasting notes, I wondered whether it was like Turkish Delight (I’m not a fan of rosewater) and then, more worryingly, I actually wrote down “cumin?! weird!” Amen, me. Cumin? That is weird.
So while I applaud the novelty of this flavour combination, particularly as Camille has often hinted at France’s suspicion of the new when it comes to chocolate, I have to admit this didn’t quite fly for me. I don’t know if I got a bad bar with rancid sesame seeds, or if the combination of pineapple fibres and caramel created some sort of chemical explosion to which I alone am susceptible… but I had no desire to get this again.
I did, however, put two of the sesame chocolate bars in the post for myself before leaving Paris. Which means they’ll be in my hot little hands again soon. Take that, going-home nervousness!
wow… such a wonderful post…
outstanding balance of lines and words….
Learnt a lot from you….
visit mine… & plz plz plz post your comments….
Thank you…
I’ll be in touch…
Ahh interesting to see a review of this. I can imagine that it would be either the things that would really work or not! Clever girl posting some bars to yourself!
That chocolate sounds bizarre – imagine the brainstorming session when they were coming up with that flavour combination – maybe there was a lot of teambuilding and/or appeasing going on that meant everyone’s ideas had to be included
good luck with making the most of the end of the journey though I am sure your bed at home is sounding very welcome right now – one of my favourite chocolate cakes on my travel was in a vegetarian restaurant in florence but I wish I could remember where – maybe you will find it anyway or maybe it is no longer there
‘Cerises’ makes the chocolate sound quite romantic, as opposed to, say, like a Cherry Ripe. I think anything with 51% cacao can only be good!
Made me imagine people in the factory backrooms quietly extracting pineapple fibres with tweezers. What a shame that their cherry pieces couldn’t be just that – cherry pieces! Sounds like an intriguing combo though
cumin? hehe awesome
HOME? Noooooo! But where will we get our fix of travel stories and tasting notes for outlandish chocolate combinations from?
oooh that looks so good!
I think if they left out the “cherry” bits (and maybe used a chocolate with at least 60% cacao) they could have a really tasty chocolate! Weekend project…?
Sami: Thanks! I do like to balance my lines
Lorraine: I’m nothing if not forward-thinking
But I should have posted more – I can’t close my suitcase!
Johanna: Haha! I’ve never enjoyed teambuilding exercises… Sadly I haven’t been to any vegetarian restaurants, but I did find vegan gelato!
Belle: Sounds like you’re a woman after my own heart – the darker the better! Though, for all that, I do like Lindt’s Chili Excellence bar, and that’s only 49%!
Laura: I wouldn’t mind doing some fibre extraction if it was in Johnny Depp’s chocolate factory… Of course, it wouldn’t be quiet in that case; it would be full of singing and dancing. But hey, we both like that, right?
Fiona: You know, I actually would buy cumin chocolate if I ever saw it!
Agnes: I’ll keep blogging, if y’all will keep reading! I can eke out the travel stories for a while, and there’s always new chocolate to be found… will you come back?!
Simply Life: Too bad it didn’t taste as good!
Camille: I whole-heartedly agree! Sesame and caramel alone = winner. And by-gosh-gee-whilikins, I might soon be able to do my own kitchen projects! (Except most likely I’ll keep leaving the inventing to you, and shall just buy more chocolate myself). Look forward to seeing what you come up with!
Green papaya salad is my FAVORITE. I’ve always had it with dried shrimps, un-dried sounds yummier. And once in a while, mine has been soupy, too. Dunno whether it’s a mistake or some people’s preference!
I am looking two smooching Lindt chocolate bunnies in the eye, they are quivering with fear. Food posts always tempt me…
DANGIT. Posted on the wrong comment. Well, as for this one, I have been looking for sesame chocolate, to no avail. I’ll have to hike back out to a grocery store, as the Corner is no help. Maybe sprinkle some on my chocolate bunnies? And then give them a caramel shower?
Lauren: Sounds like a fairly fantabulously yummy idea to me! I don’t think I’ve come across any sesame chocolates in the States, but rest assured if there are any in New York, I’m pretty sure I’ll find them in the next two days
Also, please make and fed-ex me some dried shrimp papaya salad. That would be much appreciated.