As hard as it is to tear myself away from sharing my travel adventures with you (and oh! I have such tales of bliss and deliciousness with my beloved Amber to write!), I also feel duty-bound to translate my extensive stash of chocolate tasting notes into blog reviews before I lose all memory of eating the chocolates.
And, well, I also want to get these reviews published so that I can justify buying every single item in the Christopher Elbow chocolate shop.
You understand, right?
Rrraw Grand Cru de Chocolat Cru
This little bar of handmade, hand-wrapped super-dark raw chocolate by the French company Rrraw came to me from my lovely American-in-Paris friend Camille (whom I haven’t seen in far, far too long, I might add).
Having previously tried predominately sad and tasteless versions of raw chocolate, I nevertheless opened Rrraw’s package with excitement. After all, we all know France is a mecca of fabulous sweet treats.
Comprised of pâte de cacao cru, sirop d’agave, beurre de cacao, fèves de cacao cru, sel (raw cacao paste, agave syrup, cacao butter, raw cacao nibs, and salt), Rrraw’s dark chocolate had a crisp snap and an intense, incredible aroma. I noted alcohol and malt, red wine, port, spices like cloves and cinnamon… already, this was shaping up to be one of the best raw chocolates I’d ever had.
The flavour definitely had the raw cacao notes that are hard to avoid in raw chocolate (that was one of the cleverest things I’ve said in a while, don’t you think?), and there was also a dryness to the texture not unlike an underripe banana. However, small quibbles aside, this 88% raw chocolate was quite wonderful. It wasn’t overly sweet, but I’d describe it as “punchy” rather than acrid or bitter, with a slight element of burnt coffee but no unpleasant sourness. Wood, smoke, lemon verbena, the crunch of cacao nibs and a little floral hint of salt… bravo, France. You win again.
Alter Eco Dark Chocolate Quinoa Midnight Crunch
Most certainly not a raw chocolate, Alter Eco’s Dark Chocolate Quinoa Midnight Crunch was sent to me by the lovely Carolyn. Made of cocoa mass, cane sugar, cocoa butter, vanilla, and quinoa-rice crisps (quinoa, rice, sugar), all of which I believe are Fair-Trade and organic, this chocolate was dark-black and glossy, with a squillion (not really) little bumps of puffed quinoa on its underside.
Almost like it was wearing quinoa knickers, perhaps? No, probably not.
The aroma was like hot chocolate fudge sauce and hibiscus, malt and sawdust, and a little melted butter twang. I took a bite, and my first thought was of smooth silky richness, of chocolate flowing over my senses quickly, sweetly.
The quinoa (and rice) bubbles were remarkably crisp for having been hiding under a chocolate blanket, so well done to Alter Eco for that. Overall, this chocolate rang with the flavour of gooey brownies, sweet muscovado sugar, and crispy malt. Very easy to eat, and eat, and then suddenly look down and wonder where all the chocolate went.
P.S. As a special treat for those of you who bothered to read through this entire post… bonus Kansas City devilwoman photo!
Yum! Oh, how I adore chocolate. And hey, I know where you’re standing in that photo!
You’ll be standing there tonight, I’m sure!
I love that Alter Eco bar!
Loved the Kansas City devilwoman photo
ooooH I had that quinoa choc when in the States – was DELISH!
I don’t think I’ve eaten much raw chocolate in my time. I do like the glossy look of the quinoa bar. I do eat quinoa but usually in salads – not in my chocolate. Would love to try this xx
Everything is better in chocolate than salads. Except maybe anchovies.
Yay! I totally agree with you about that chocolate I sent you- not bad for raw chocolate, but as a friend of mine put it, “I think chocolate needs to be roasted.”. I’ve also had that quinoa one, and I live how it’s just like a nestle crunch bar, except all healthy and guilt-free, ’cause of the quinoa and the fair trade and stuff.
I also wanted to tell you that I bought that Trader Joe’s caramel and black salt bar, because I saw it on your blog, and I loved it, except for the part where the caramel oozed everywhere, making it a rather messy plane treat.
Do you know what your comment does? It fills me with happy. I miss your face, ladylady!
I don’t think I’ll ever forget the time I bought a raw chocolate for an ungodly amount of money, took a bite, didn’t like it, so then microwaved it and ate it with a spoon. Je ne regrette rien! (That was in French, just for you. Did I say it right?
)
I was a bit surprised by how much I liked the Alter Eco bar. Sweet yet so rich, somehow! Oooh, I passed by that Trader Joe’s bar again last week, but resisted. I’m hankering for Christopher Elbow at present!
And you are right to do so. Elbow’s stuff is art. And yes, your French was perfect!
Craving, craving, craving. I haven’t had proper, good-quality, intense and fantastic dark chocolate in tooooo long! (Partly because I have a squillion tasting reviews to write up from before I came overseas!)
would that be a photo of the midnight crunch devil woman!!!
chocolate sounds delicious – esp the midnight crunch – I think I have seen it for sale at oxfam
Yes, you can get this chocolate in Australia! Wheee! It has new packaging now though, so keep that in mind if you go hunting
(Or at least it does here.)
I bought a bar of alter eco dark quinoa on the weekend – it is an orange packaging – maybe that is the same one???
Definitely is; they’ve recently redone the packaging (remember, these reviews are of chocolates eaten up to a year ago!
). Let me know what you think of it!
So many combinations here-Christopher and Elbow and Quinoa and Knickers! Oh how you surprise me devilwoman!
I think we’re going to have to start adding “elbow knickers” to our list of secret phrases, Spay Lady.
Ooh, you’ve visited Christopher Elbow. Ooh. Does that mean you’ve purchased some…. truffles? I know they’re not your thing, so maybe you stuck with the bars.
Love the sound of the French raw chocolate, although do you think they could try and work ‘cru’ into the name in a few more places? That’d be great. Thanks.
I would love a pair of quinoa knickers. Or knickers for my quinoa. Or DEVILWOMAN!
I’ve visited, but not yet bought anything. (It was hot, so we decided to go to his new gelato store, Glace, instead
) I’m definitely hankering after the bars and chocolate-coated-candied-nuts more than the truffles. I might try some truffles… but then again, even typing that and knowing that they’re inventive, I still don’t really want them that much 
I like the snap of a chocolate block!
I’ll give you some quinoa cru knickers one day, Emma. From your own personal devilwoman. (What?)
Mmm, I love that quinoa crunch bar. Must go out and get some soon…
(that photo is very cute)
Hurrah, for once I reviewed something that’s available in both the US and Australia!
Love the devil woman shot. Also that Rrraw piece of information. So glad you are informing me about these delicious things. Craving for some now. Mmmm then grrrr
I have such serious, serious chocolate cravings at present. I’m used to having at least 15-20 blocks of chocolate on hand and yet, travelling right now, my suitcase is bereft! Bereft! So I feel your pain.
quinoa in chocolate? sounds bonkers!
also, that first french bar is almost too pretty to eat
No chocolate is too pretty to eat
If you’re taste-testing Dark Chocolate Quinoa Midnight Crunch, does that make you a quinoa pig? A truly awful dad joke from the king of same…..
I guess my oinkiness would be in the eye of the beholder.
Have you tried Loving Earth’s Mylk Chocolate? Best raw vegan chocolate I have ever tasted (plus its local
)
In all honesty, I tried Loving Earth’s raw chocolate several years ago and wasn’t impressed; however, I believe they’ve changed their formula a bit lately and added some new flavours (like the Mylk), so I should give them another chance. But they’re not quite local for me at present, seeing as I’m in the US!
Thank you for the tip 
Totally right! I don’t like the other flavours, however the Mylk is amazing (I don’t really even like chocolate to begin with…so thats saying a lot
) The Mylk is sweetened with coconut as opposed to agave, which I think makes a huge difference. It doesn’t even taste like raw chocolate!
Sounding good! I remember being disappointed by the mushy and crumbly texture of Loving Earth, whereas the raw chocolates I’ve had here in the US tend to have good “snaps”. A good flavour is ultimately the most important thing, though!
How many brands of chocolate are there in the world, Hannah? I feel you will know the answer. 17 billion? There is always a new block to discover, it seems. I’m amazed. I need to branch out of my lindt bubble.
Heidi xo
It’s harder to branch out of the Lindt bubble in Australia, sadly, because we have so few artisan chocolatiers, and the imported stuff is ridiculously expensive. It makes me cry inside. So what I mean, really, is that you need to come back over here, travel with me, and eat this chocolate.
xo
I’ll go pack my bag……
I wish!! xo
That quinoa chocolate is one of my favourites
I adore it. I love the whole brand actually and squealed when I discovered that they are now in a near-ish fancy supermarket in Perth instead of only the Oxfam shop, which is unhelpfully in the city centre.
I love the look of the raw one too though!
Alter Eco still tends to play it a bit humdrum-boring-safe with its flavour options, in my opinion, but it is a better choice than the butterfat-filled Lindt if you have easy access. Now, if they’d put out a bar with, say, salted pistachios or espresso toffee…
Oh such deliciousness! I wish I could be a professional chocolate taster! haha. I’ve seen the Quinoa Choccie bar but never tried it – it sparked my interest… but always so many to try.
Me too, Heather, me too. I like to pretend I already am… just unpaid
Ohhh raw chocolate? How does that work? I’ve never had it ~
I’m finally on the quinoa band wagon and love the crunch it gives
YUM YUM YUM!
Sold. I want some of that Rrrraw!
The French may have made the best raw chocolate ever, but I don’t think I could go past all their delicious normal chocolate to try some raw. And really, reading between the lines here, I’m thinking, no, not for me. The quinoa one I would try. And Enjoy I think. One day I’ll get caught up on your travels. Glad that you’re having devilish fun.
Thank you Louise. And, honestly, one day *I’ll* get caught up on my travels too. I’m at least a month behind.
Ha ha, so am I! Now I don’t feel quite so bad.