What I was looking for this week was a chocolate that would be full-flavoured and enjoyable, but not trigger a binge. I decided to go beyond what I would normally pick in a chocolate – this doesn’t always go well, but there were two really good finds.
Naive’s Orange Liquorice Dark Chocolate (£7.99/57g, selfridges.com) was the big surprise. I neither hate nor love liquorice, if it’s there I might eat one piece, but never go back for more. But this chocolate bar was a revelation, so flavoursome, so keenly balanced in flavour. Definitely, for me, a one bite a day and no more, but that’s a compliment more than an insult here. The liquorice taste kicks in after a few seconds: you’re momentarily blind-sided by the orange.
Do note that excessive liquorice consumption - 57g every day for more than two weeks - has been linked to high blood pressure and heart problems, so don’t overdo it if that’s you.
The second bar was Waitrose’s No 1 Dark with Ginger & Turmeric (£2/100g). When Waitrose repackaged its No 1 bars it also made the pieces bigger and chunkier: hurrah. I like ginger when I’m in the mood for it, but I am a bit fatigued by how turmeric is turning up in everything – but this worked. The turmeric delivers a slight bitter aftertaste that I liked, but not enough to go back for another piece of it for a while. Perfect. Some of Waitrose’s bars are made by a really good chocolatier, but I can’t tell you who because then they would have to kill me. And that’s no way to start a new year.
