Pelicaen 88% Chocolate

Oh, it's not a chocolate orange? Damn!

Chocolate News: Apparently, recession has finally hit sales of chocolate in Europe.  Chocolate once considered 'recession proof' is no longer an affordable treat. Previously, during times of hardship chocolate was that little indulgence a person would allow themselves. However, purse strings have become so tight that even a simple bar of chocolate remains out of reach for many Europeans. People are spending less and less on food so  expecting them to spend their hard stretched euros on chocolate is proving an impossibility for European retailers.  The global chocolate market is valued at approximately $85 billion.  This week Cadbury launched a new chocolate bar, Crispello, a chocolate bar for women, specifically those who are watching their weight.  This is the first product since the 90's that Cadbury have launched. It is a mix of wafer and chocolate and only clocks up a mere 165 calories. Apparently, it also comes in a handy resealable wrapper that is split into 3 sections. Initial response has been poor and not on the grounds of taste or quality as you might think but because of 'gender specific' marketing.  It seems most women prefer a chunky Yorkie or Mars to chomp on. You and me both darling.....

As chocolate bars are being left on European shop shelves I picked up my next bar from Pelicaen a Belgium chocolate retailer based in Brussels.  Unfortunately, I didn't get to go on this visit but as I'm always on the look out for new bars. I hastily asked my adventurers to grab some chocolate for me and they delivered but, it wasn't what I was expecting.  Interestingly, Belgium prides itself on having the best chocolate but looking at the label they do not have the best inkjet printers! Either that or all Belgium people have 20/20 vision. Perhaps, the worst marketing and label design I have seen in a long time. Not an auspicious start to a tasting.....

Pelicaen 88% Chocolate

Pelicaen Chocolates, very little is known about this company and not being able to explore the shop myself leaves me in the dark when it comes to understanding them as a business. Their website has not yet gone live but here is the link to their site. Alternatively, visit Shop in Brussels for more information. The only other mention I could find was by World Snoop who only managed one line and it wasn't very promising!

Not to be put off I soldiered on! This particular dark chocolate has an 88% cocoa content and despite initial doubts this is not as bad as I thought it was going to be. The chocolate is well made despite outward appearances but this may be as a result of poor storage on the journey home. The chocolate has a good snap, a slightly grainy texture but not as chalky or dry as I imagined. However, after a while I can feel my mouth drying out. There is not a lot of fruit or acidity and overall it is a bit flat in terms of flavour. Slightly astringent at the end especially on the back of the throat.

80g of Belgium Chocolate

I would like to know more about this company and the origins of their chocolate and look forward to their website going live. You will pay €3.00 for a bar of Pelicaen chocolate. Overall 4/10 as the packaging was awful and taste was flat. 

C'mon Belgium you can do better than this....surely? Would love some feedback from Belgium customers who have visited this retailer....bring it on!

Hot Chocolate on a Stick

Zodiac in Walberswick

Ok, before we get to the chocolate I want to make you aware of a great pub that can be found in a small village on the Suffolk coast just off the A12.

If you're looking to get away for a weekend, then may I suggest you pay a visit to the Anchor at Walberswick where you will be guaranteed a warm welcome and a good pint of locally brewed Adnams bitter.  If this doesn't float  your boat there are 40 bottled beers.  The Swan at Southwold whilst always very pleasant is perhaps just a tad too stuffy for anybody under the age of 80!  

The Anchor, is far more vibrant, homely and down to earth.  The pub has a very busy restaurant and from what I could understand is regularly fully booked at the weekend. Not only do they provide food and drink but also shelter in the form of six garden chalets just a few hundred yards from the broiling and crashing North Sea. There are also four additional rooms in the main building. Sophie and Mark Dorber have owned the lease to the Anchor since 2004 and in a relatively short period of time have developed quite a following.  

We didn't get to try the accommodation on this occasion but we did taste the food and it was really good. Smoked haddock and salmon fishcakes, creamy leeks with hand-cut chips went down a treat. Prices range from £5.75 for Fish Soup and Roast Cod for £15.75. Why not grab some of Sophie's dough on the way out!  Freshly made breads including ciabatta, rye and sourdough are just some of the tempting loaves on offer. Live music and special events such as Oyster Festivals and Curry Nights provide entertainment and variety.

Smoked haddock and salmon fishcakes

33g - 55% Cocoa

Choc-o-Lait  was created in early 2004 and is probably one of the simplest concepts I've seen involving chocolate.  Take a stick add a block of Belgian Callebaut chocolate to the end and then swirl in a cup of hot (80) milk for a minute and there you have it.  The perfect cup of hot chocolate! 

The creators of Choc-o-lait (Koen Vansynghel, Frank Decuyper & Gert Verhoestraete) came up with the idea because they wanted to go back to basics, to the essence of real chocolate milk.  There are several different flavours int their range including Cointreau, Coffee, Caramel, Cinnamon and Ginger.

Nearly there! Hazelnut Choc-O-Lait

Voila! The job is done!

To make my cup of hot chocolate I used 200ml of semi-skimmed milk as I like it fairly strong, heated to just 80 degrees C, as suggested. The result was a very tasty creamy, chocolate beverage with a hint of hazelnut in the background. Each chocolate stick will cost you £1.45. A brilliant idea and they seem to be selling them all over the world!

Cafe Tasse Extra Noir 77%

Cafe-Tasse produced in Belgium and that is probably all I can tell you about this company whose website is very minimal in terms of information.  Of course, I am being slightly unfair however, their website is very one dimensional and I assume this is because they're selling directly to shops and hotels rather than the general public. 

Cafe-Tasse (French for Coffee Cup) is a well known Belgium brand, found throughout Europe but probably little known in the UK.  Renowned for its fine chocolate bars of various sizes, chocolate covered fruits, and drinking chocolate to name just a few from the companies extensive range of chocolates. 

I do like these slim bars as they're ideally made to conceal upon your person especially if you're a chocoholic like me.

Once the brown and gold wrapping has been removed a shiny hunky bar of chocolate is revealed, something akin to a Kit Kat Chunky. The chunks are fairly deep but they break off relatively easy. The cocoa aroma wafting up from this bar is not very strong considering it has a cocoa content of 77%. Biting into a chunk is fairly difficult so if you value your gnashers be warned!  Nibble with care.  Information about where they buy their cocoa is sketchy which I always find a bit frustrating.

The mouth feel is smooth but the overall feeling your left with is a chalkiness. Taste is disappointing, very short,  with just a hint of bitterness and there is absolutely no fruit.  Strangely, once you've swallowed a chunk the taste of tobacco lingers on and on as though you have just put out a cigarette!  Not exactly pleasant.  Overall a pretty disappointing piece of chocolate and I don't think I'll finish eating this little bar either. Perhaps it will work better with a fiery chili con carne later this evening. 

I paid £1.49 for a 45g bar which makes it a fairly expensive, top end, treat and scores a lowly 4/10.  Sorry, but my cup does not runneth over for this little morsel! Hopefully the Blanc Citron bar of chocolate will be better.