Rukét is an Italian maker just north of Bologna. This part of the world holds a special place in my heart since my dad was from Parma and would come back from Italy with half his suitcase full of giant slices of parmesan and Parma ham (if anyone offers to bring you back Parma ham, ask for it to be loose packed and not put sotto vuoto as it’s impossible to separate the slices if it’s sealed under vacuum). Rukét’s journey into making craft chocolate was largely accidental, after they tried to find the best possible chocolate to put in their ice-cream.
While they make various bars, I love the little squares in a box, the Grenada 73% (£8.95, 100g). There is minimal packaging, but somehow, even though the squares are all open in their cute slide-out box (think miniature box of After Eights), you somehow restrict yourself to just one a day. A perfect quotidian portion of strong, dark, punchy cocoa. There’s currently a wait-list like a lot of craft chocolate, especially imported, but waiting is the new availability.
Still in dark mode, Éponine’s Orange and Almond dark bar (£6, 60g) is delicious. I’ll admit the Marie Antoinette in me would have preferred the almonds to be skinned, but it’s all extra fibre for the gut isn’t it? What you get is a perfect tile of 66% dark chocolate with whole almonds, thick slices of candied orange and golden raisins. Yes it does put me in mind of Christmas (first mention). While you’re on the page, because you know I like the P&P to work for itself, do look at Éponine’s barres and Sn’eggs. (Billionaire and Peanut and Caramel are my faves, respectively.)
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