chrisurban.com » chipotle

Chuao Firecracker

Chris Urban — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 01:55:08 +0000

No bones about it, the folks at Chuao make some really good chocolates. We especially love the Spicy Maya. But this one folks, this might actually have too much going on.
There’s the chipotle chile first, then the the salt, and then – are you ready for this? – popping candy. Yes – pop rocks in chocolate. It’s an interesting effect – you sense the texture – as if there’s cocoa nibs or nuts. Then they dissolve, and pop! The effervescence overwhelms your tongue. But you’re still processing the smoky chipotle and savoring the salt. Then there’s all this popping going on.
It has such a nice smoky heat to it, the chocolate is a nice, smooth, 60% Venezuelan chocolate (like all of Chuao’s bars). The first taste or two was great, but then the popping was too distracting – I really want this bar with out the pop rocks.

Laughing Moon – Dark chocolate with chipotle and cinnamon

Chris Urban — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 00:38:29 +0000

First, a little mystery. This chocolate bar mysteriously appeared; from where I do not know. I set it aside for several minutes, providing ample opportunity for any rightful owners to appear, but alas, they did not, and thus this particular review appears…

Anyone who know me knows I search endlessly for a chocolate that blends spicy chiles in a manner that exudes the original intent of the Aztecs – spicy, flavorful, a chocolate fireworks. (There was this one place in Quebec that approached this almost-infinite point to the extent that a milkshake made with this chocolate ice cream was absolutely heavenly…) So, I see chocolate with chili peppers and it must be sampled…

This is a handmade bar – it’s refreshing to see a chocolate bar as a literal bar, cast without portioning divisions, and the wrapper is sans bar code. The chilis build slowly to a crescendo about three minutes after you start enjoying this. It’s creamy and smooth for a dark chocolate, and I think the cinnamon does a great job of hiding any bitterness. Having said that, I contemplate whether there’s too much cinnamon – it’s almost as though one could feel the grit of the cinnamon as the buttery solids dissolve in your mouth.

In comparison to other spicy chocolates? This is pretty darn close to perfect. I think Questzalcoatl would be proud.

4 yr old: “a little bit spicy, a little bit piggy (transl: sticky), a lot little bit spicy”; 2yr. old: “I eat, mommy.” Do you like it better than M&Ms? “yeah” Do you like the spicy? “yeah”

Vosges – Red Fire Bar

Chris Urban — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 20:42:38 +0000

Chocolate intended for Aztecs. Delicious. Dark chocolate with a slow-building ancho and chipotle chili undertone. Cinnamon nicely bridges the spice with the chocolate, and fills the gap on flavor between the burnt caramel chocolate and the crescendo of the chilies. 4 yr. old: “I don’t like it. It’s too spicy” (Note: she also feels candy canes and Altoids are too ‘spicy’)