Congratulations to Lexi, the winner of the Skinny Cow $150 Westfield Voucher giveaway! I hope you find many wondrous items to treat yourself with.
If you’re anything like me, coming across a chocolate called “Black Pearl” is likely to make you think of the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie. You might think about how it was quite enjoyable, and how Johnny Depp pulled off his wacky pirate with aplomb. However, if you remain like me, you’ll also find yourself bemoaning the fact that, ever since Pirates, Johnny Depp has seemed stuck in such wacky character roles in similarly wacky movies, to the extent that they all start to blur together.
Don’t get me wrong; I love a bit of Burton and Sondheim. It’s just that I miss seeing Depp in movies like Dead Man or Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. And Chocolat.
Chocolat. Chocolate. Vosges chocolate. Right! That was the point of this post. Ahem.
Vosges Black Pearl Bar
Instead of pirates, rum, and that dude from Coupling, the Vosges Black Pearl Bar is filled with ginger, wasabi, and black sesame seeds. The aroma speaks mostly of straight chocolate, with just a hint of something spicy weaving through.
I took a bite, and for the first few moments simply enjoyed the vanilla-heady dark richness of the smooth chocolate, which tasted deeper (oops, I just wrote “depper” accidentally) than its 55% cacao content would suggest.
Vosges’ Black Pearl Bar does have a subtle complexity to its flavour, a sense of spices flickering just out of reach. I wanted to taste strong wasabi and bright spicy ginger, but I couldn’t. Instead, it felt more like the chocolate itself had smoky tones, while even the black sesame seeds provided little more than textural crunch.
This is yet another Vosges chocolate that was conceptually innovative yet didn’t live up to its promise. It’s not an unpleasant chocolate, as it does have lovely notes of muscovado sugar, smoke, and sweet vanilla. However, if I wanted gorgeously nuanced straight dark chocolate I’d buy straight dark chocolate, and not an expensive Vosges bar that purports to, but doesn’t, have ginger, wasabi, and black sesame flavours.
Just like Johnny Depp, the Vosges Black Pearl Bar is slightly disappointing yet, on the plus side, still remarkably pretty to look at.
I think this is a case where they maybe didn’t want to make the bar too strong, and ended up making it not strong enough in the process. I enjoyed it very much, and at the time I tried it hadn’t made it to my current level of spice tolerance. Hence, it was plenty flavorful for me. But I bet now, wasabi-tolerant that I am, I’d probably wish for more too. I did have one of those tiny bars, rather than the regularly-sized ones.
I wish Johnny Depp would stop trying to be so awkwardly odd too. It got old, two or three movies back. Or more; he bugged me so much in the second Pirates movie that I never saw the third. Ah, Chocolat. Love.
Hmm, you do make an interesting point about the spice tolerance thing. Particularly when you consider the fact that eating bird’s eye chillies whole was my party trick as long ago as year nine… but still, that shouldn’t mean that the ginger and black sesame should be unnoticeable, you’d think? Hmm.
YES exactly. Though admittedly my reason for not watching the later Pirates movies extended beyond Depp to my growing antipathy towards Orlando Bloom’s face. However, the determinedly-odd Depp thing is why I didn’t even bother to see Alice in Wonderland, despite the fact that Mia Wasi-whatsername comes from my city.
Vosges is the chocolate equivalent of that one friend everyone has who’s always making plans with you only to flake out at the last second when you’re already all dressed up to go out, and then you’re just stuck doing nothing and thinking about what a cool time you could have been having. Screw you Vosges! I’m not putting up with your crap anymore! I’m gonna go eat real chocolate that tastes like what it says it will!
Yeah, Vosges, take that! You’re not invited to my birthday party anymore either! I’m inviting Alayna instead!
Yo ho, yo ho …
(Oh and what’s going on with the front of that packet?!)
Well, there’s a square of chocolate vomiting sesame seeds, paper-thin slivers of ginger and wasabi roots, and at the top what looks to be a smoking pipe made out of a plant.
Ahhh, paper-thin slivers … I was seeing ‘skid mark’ smudges and thinking that that wasn’t very appetising advertising!
I thought that was what you were thinking, but if you look closely it’s definitely cross-sections of the roots
I win in the Johnny Depp post: YESSSS! Thank you so much dear Hannah – I’m super excited to buy something new, as it doesn’t happen very often in these here parts…
In terms of Depp: DEAD MAN. Oh Yes. Also: What’s Eating Gilbert Grape? and Benny & Joon. Guess he’s gotta pay the bills somehow, though.
One can never have too much underwear.
Yes yes!! I originally had those two movies listed here too, as well as Edward Scissorhands, but then I deleted them because the post was turning into an essay on Depp and, of course, once could argue that Edward Scissorhands was the start of such wackiness…
Ha, that dude from Coupling! We really do watch all the same shows, you know…
(and I agree 100% on your assessment of Johnny Depp, too. But I sort of forgive him because he really is *very* pretty…)
*claps ecstatically* I’m so glad at least someone got that part!! High five, Catherine!
So pretty. Must pull out my Chocolat DVD again soon.
I prefer the earlier Johnny Depp movies too. He was brilliant in What’s Eating Gilbert Grape. As was Leo! That’s probably way before your time but if you get the chance, take it out on DVD. The wrapper on this chocolate bar looks very much like a book cover to me. What a shame it was just so-so. xx
Teehee, I’ve now become old enough to be flattered that you think WEGG was before my time, but I definitely watched that as a young’un. (On video cassette… now I do feel old!) I’d originally listed WEGG as well as Benny and Joon and Edward Scissorhands… and oh yes, Leo, incredible. Now that’s an actor who’s always been more than just a pretty face! (If I can forgive the travesty that was The Beach.)
OMG I just found out that the Curious Chocolatier has stopped making chocolate! I know I’m 6 months behind this news but I’m in mourning.
But back on your topic, how strangely disappointing. Still the texture of the black sesame seeds would be nice.
I feared that might happen
I knew Heidi sold the business, and when I stopped seeing the bars at places like The Essential Ingredient, I started worrying. Darnit!!
Pirates of the Caribbean was the first thing I thought of when I read this post’s title
I did enjoy that movie, in the way that only Johnny Depp and Keira Knightly could facilitate, but it was one of those films that surpassed my expectations. This chocolate looks like it might fall short of them. So much of life is about not expecting too much!
Except sometimes I have to work at not destroying my expectations completely before going into something, out of a perverse fear of being disappointed. Sometimes it’s nice to feel excited about life, even if the chocolate crushes the dream at the end of the day
Like Johnny Depp himself, I still want to try it.
Amen, sister. I would never turn down the chance to break a piece off of the Depp.
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is one of my favourite movies. I agree Johnny has dug himself into a “wacky character pit” he can’t seem to get out of.
Bummer on the lack of strong spice/wasabi in this chocolate, although I’m not one for wacky combos, I reckon I would have dug this one (if it had lived up to it’s name!)
My theory is he made some decision to only make movies his children can watch. Lame.
Two things I love, but haven’t watched recently at all – Chocolat, and Coupling.
I’d lend you Chocolat in a flash, but would have to steal from my brother first to give you Coupling.
Hehe ok see I’ve never seen any of the Pirates movies so I thought of gorgeous black pearls!
That’s probably better. Real black pearls wouldn’t be likely to disappoint?
Honestly I do believe that the name along reminds me of Johnny Depp so I would definitely devour this bar
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
He’s a very attractive man.
This chocolate bar sounds very Japanese! It’s a shame it didn’t taste as good as it looks though
If we’re talking Japanese-inspired chocolates, then I want something with caramelised chestnuts inside.
The ingredients sound so delectably promising, it’s disappointing that you could barely experience them. Hmm, I wonder if that may apply to Johnny Depp too? :p
Somehow I doubt it would be possible for anyone to “barely experience” Johnny Depp. Whether good or bad, I reckon meeting him would cause a bit of a bang
hehehe might pretty to look at
I have a bar of this from the states!!! Yet to try it! seriously i only recently discovered my USA stash that I forgot about :O I have a whole pack of reese’s pieces in there! What?! Oh for shame, Heidi.
Heidi xo
I totally understand, I usually still have treats from overseas travels a good year after I’ve come back
Oh! That reminds me! A few days ago I finally allowed myself to have the last of the treats that you got me, the ProBar? I was so excited, but only managed the smallest of bites. Second last ingredient: orange oil. I almost cried!
oh shame!!! We shall never agree on our feelings towards orange. Oh well. I still love you xo
True friendship is built on loving each other’s differences while dancing about similarities. So we’re golden.
actually I think of a bar I went to years ago called the black pearl and I sometimes wonder if it is still there! And I love subtlety and smokiness in a chocolate that promises to be spicy!
I know what you mean about johnny depp – I worry he is channelling michael jackson as he gets older and kookier – bring back ed wood and chocolat
Oh heavens, that’s a scary thought! I hope he doesn’t channel Michael Jackson towards the end. MJ circa Jackson 5 was awesome though…
Now i’ve VERY intrigued by this chocolate! I’d love to try it! OMG it’s got all those cool ingredients ~ wasabi and ginger!
Nah, not worth it. As I said, it just tastes like plain chocolate.
LOL i think I just want to try because of the novelty of having those ingredients
I do like the Pirates movies because of Depp but yes I have to agree he is getting stuck in wackiness (Dark Shadows??).
It sounds like such an interesting chocolate and then….tsk tsk.
I’m guessing you’ve heard he’s split from Vanessa Paradis? Methinks we all just became a little more willing to look over the contrived wackiness…