Saturday, March 10, 2007

A bleak candy report

It pains me to write this entry, but alas, life is painful and we must face adversity head-on.
I've had my share of bad chocolate. I've eaten cheap, fake chocolate that tasted more like wax. I've had expensive truffles that weren't worth half the price. But never, in my 36 years, have I ever had a piece of chocolate that I truly couldn't stomach. Until now.
My usual grocery store has gone on strike, so rather than deal with long lines and clueless cashiers, I went to the other store in town. It was kind of cool because there were all sorts of new products there (hence my $150 grocery bill!). In the natural foods section, I was pleased to see several new candy bars and I took my time selecting just the right one. Even though it was the most expensive-- $3.50 on sale-- I picked the Seeds of Change organic Bayano dark chocolate with cacao nibs and cinnamon oil. It seemed as if this bar had everything going for it: I love dark chocolate, I dig cacao nibs and cinnamon is my favorite spice. The wrapper is funky; it has a ship on it and when you unwrap it the inside has a story on chocolate and sustainability. And the ingredients are simple: chocolate, sugar, cacao nibs, cocoa butter, milk fat, soy lecithin, vanilla and cinnamon oil. I broke off a square and popped it in my mouth. That's when things went terribly wrong. It was just a baaaad combination. Between the nibs and the cinnamon oil, the bar was just way too herbaceous/woodsy. Maybe it would've been better with plain cinnamon rather than the oil. In any case, I managed to swallow the bite I took, but I found myself frantically looking through the cabinet for something to take away the evil taste in my mouth. I shoved a bunch of yogurt pretzels into my maw and hid the rest of the bar on the back of the candy shelf. I hate reporting about bad candy, but I feel like it's my duty. This was a truly sorrowful experience in the Candy Yum Yum world. But never fear: I have something on the horizon that is so fantabulous I just can't stand it. It's brought me tons of joy, and I'm sure it will do the same for you. Stay tuned!

2 comments:

Whoosh said...

Oh yikes! That sounds like a doozy! Now you can just move on, right? Can't wait to hear what this new yummy thing is. :)

Cybele said...

I went to a trade show yesterday and specifically tried this (because I'm a glutton for punishment or maybe I felt I'd tried too many good things all day) when I got to their booth.

While I didn't find it completely disgusting, it was rather "musty" tasting. I wonder if cinnamon oil does something after manufacture to ruin it.

I like the chocolate in their other bars, very creamy for dark chocolate. After the Bayano I tried their Naraganset (orange, pecans & cranberries) which was quite tasty.