Noir Au Poivre Rose (Dark Chocolate with Pink Peppercorns)

A Typical Bruges Chocolate Shop

Belgium. I'll start off by saying it's a lot better than Jeremy Clarkson makes out. I spent a lovely weekend in Bruges enjoying the beautiful architecture, walking around the canals and visiting as many chocolate shops as I could. Strange as it may seem I didn't see any Dolfin chocolate. However, if you've not been before it is well worth a visit just to enjoy the delicious beef that is served in the local restaurants and there are hundreds to choose from. Not only is their beef fantastic but their beer is also delicious. They also have a brilliant train network that is very efficient. You might also like to watch In Bruges which is a great film. Eat your chocolates and watch the film.

To quote, Zonneke, "Belgian chocolate is famous worldwide and is one of the symbols and the pride of Belgium. The handmade ‘pralines’ come in hundreds of different forms and is the most widely traveled Belgian specialty. Belgium produces 172 million kilos of chocolate per year with more than 2,000 chocolate shops throughout the country. On average, every Belgian consumes 7.1 kg of chocolate per year".

I have to say at the outset that I was one of those chocolate snobs that said Belgian chocolate was not for me. But I've since changed my view.

The Packaging: If you're a smoker and you make your own cigarettes you'll know what I'm talking about when I say that this bar is wrapped in what I can only describe as a pouch. 

Noir Au Poivre Rose

The Chocolate: Within their range there are 20 wacky flavours to choose from including such delights as, 'Dark chocolate with pear and toasted almonds' or 'Dark chocolate with green anise' to name just two! One thing I've learnt about Dolfin is that they don't hold back on their flavours. This particular dark chocolate has a cocoa content of 52% which is low. The bar itself has an original design and is divided up into six pieces. The chocolate is not particularly bright and on the reverse there are a couple of areas that have a slightly milky discolouration? The aroma is a confusing mix of cocoa and pepper. Dolfin have blended the pepper corn in well so you'll not be in danger on biting down on a whole pepper. However, some bigger bits give it a gritty feel. The spice is released quickly and mixes well with the slightly sweet dark chocolate. 

This bar is so quirky that it will only appeal to certain people but if you like a bit of peppery spice then this is the one for you! 5/10 is my best score for this hot little number. This particular bar was from Tesco at £2.24 (70g).