International Chocolates

The manufacturer of those little Pardos crisp chocolate balls is not an unknown one. It’s the chocolate factory “Salzburg Schokolade” from the south of Salzburgs province, in the little town Grödig.

Salzburg Schokolade is also the manufacturer of the famous Mirabell Mozartkugeln. This promise a good quality.  The product is a paper box of 140g finest little chocolate balls.

The core of the Pardos chocolate ball is a mass of rice and wheat cisp. The covering consists of a mix of white and milk chocolate.

Pardos Crisp Chocolate is a funny sweet snack. The chocolate enjoyment is not seeping, as the covering has only a thin layer. The core has more weight. But the good and attractive taste is not affected by such economical use of chocolate in the composition.

The chocolate covering is melting smoothly on the tongue. The core crunches crispy under the teeth. It’s similar to Maltesers, only with better and more chocolate. I am very excited about Pardos Crisp Chocolate. A great Alpine chocolate product from Austria.

A look into Pardos chocolate box. Many little candy balls covered with the finest milk and white chocolate.

Leaf Royal Samettinen Maitosuklaa is a small chocolate bar of just 42 gram from the Finish town of Turku. “Leaf” is the name of the chocolate factory. Unfortunately I was not able to find more informations about this company. All I have found was in Finnish language. But I do not understand this language.

Leaf Royal Chocolate consists of 35 percent cocoa. The chocolate is not too sweet and not too bitter. Well balanced I would say. Remarkable only the unique taste. The taste is different in comparison with Central European milk chocolate bars.

I don’t know what it is. Maybe the milk is not from cows? Or they have different cows? Or maybe the milk of the chocolate is from elks? Who knows? Everything is possible!

I would desribe the chocolate enjoyment as thin milky and creamy. I hope this sounds not too stupid. I want to say that there is no full taste of milk chocolate. I was not able to experience a full aroma. The aroma was meager and thin, but that does not mean this chocolate is bad. No way. It’s just … different.

Like I said before  Leaf Royal Chocolate is well-balanced. There is a creamy flavour, which is not too insistent. I would describe this product as an understated chocolate. Nice to eat, not disgusting, but of course also nothing very special. Acceptable chocolate from Finland.

Wal-Cor Cioccolato al Latte. Today I have tried something really funny. Chocolate Cigars from Italy. A company from Cremona in the North of Italy had the glorious idea to manufacture such an amusing chocolate creation.

Wal Cor stands for Walter Corsanini. The founder of the chocolate factory. He started to make chocolates in 1954. It seems he is quite a big name in Italy. Well, but I have never heard about him before.

The company promise productive flexibility, which makes it possible to complete satisfaction of the client’s requirements.

On the WalCor website I am reading: “Excellent product quality, punctuality of deliveries, care and innovation in packaging and an excellent quality/price ratio complete the company’s profile of great reliability and efficiency.
Wal-Cor guarantees every toy and gadget included with its products with EC certification issued by Italian Authorities according to current Italian and Community laws.”

Time to put those three massive chocolate cigars out of the box. The content of cocoa amounts 30 percent. I am quite curious about that product. How will it taste? Is there a secret filling inside? Maybe yummy nougat?

The next step: away with the annoying paper.  Now it’s time for my first bite. And here we go …

… oh yes! Wonderful! A crisp sound and the first bite was taken. I experience a cosy chocolate flavour on my tongue. As I am in desperate need for chocolate at the moment, I am going to start biting and biting.

I am disappoint that there is no filling inside the chocolate cigar. Totally empty! I think a filling of finest nougat would boost the taste of Walcor enourmosly.

But also without filling,  WalCor Chocolate Cigars are something quite good. All three chocolate cigars were finished inside a very short time. Well done, WalCor …if I am going find myself another chocolate from Walcor, I will give it try again. There is no doubt about it. Great Italian chocolate with unique shape and wrapping.

Thorntons Whipped Fudge Bar is a quite delicious chocolate creation from the English province of Derbyshire. I received this product from an England traveller.  Thorntons Whipped Fudge Bar is labeled as “the art of the chocolatier”.

The candy consists of whipped fudge with ribbon of caramel in smooth milk and dark chocolate.

The flavour of caramel can be described as very strong in my first bite. The dark and milk chocolate is only noticeable besides.  There is a stale taste of caramel. I think that makes the excessive smoothness.

At the end the whole character of the Thorntons Whipped Fudge Bar becomes quite fine. I suppose this thing is a popular treat in the UK. The soft and smoothness is overwhelming to me. I am not used to such kind of sweets.

The taste reminds me a bit on a Mars bar. The caramel filling seems to be the same. Only Mars is not that smooth. This is the difference. I would label Thornton chocolate as “quite alright” and “not the worst”.

Heilemann Confiserie Chocolate “Sea Salt” was one more unique chocolate experience in my life. Chocolate with salt. Is that acceptable? Well, at first it’s something new. I have never seen or tasted salted chocolate before. Many people are bored about usual chocolate creations, and they are searching for something new. Sea Salt Chocolate could be something interesting for those kind of people.

The chocolate itself is very fine and tender. It goes smoothly down the throat. The content of cocoa amounts 32 percent. So this is quite a good quality. There is not doubt about that.

The first impression is the fine chocolate flavour from Heilemann confiserie. Heilemann chocolate factory is famous for its good chocolate productions. Some seconds later the first taste of salt is noticable. After more and more melted chocolate, the salty taste becomes stronger and stronger. Sometimes it’s possible to taste a real big grain of salt. Then the salt taste is really extremely strong.

Well, I think that kind of salted chocolate is quite funny to taste for the first time. But for a second or third time? I don’t think I am going to buy another bar. Salt and chocolate does not really fit together. It’s a funny experience to taste it one time, but that was it.

But deep respect to the Heilemann company. They made out of such a weird combination, salt and chocolate, a truely acceptable candy.  I mean, the final result does not taste horrible … just “funny”.

Novi – Il Grande Cioccolato Italiano. Nocciolato Gianduja. Cioccolato Passione dal 1903.

Novi Chocolate from the Italian province of Piedmont is something very special and unique. This kind of chocolate is not like all the others. There are special ingredients and fabrication techniques which cause a huge difference between chocolate from Novi, and a chocolate from another manufacturer.

Novi Chocolate is made of Gianduja. Gianduja is a mixture of chocolate and finely grounded Piedmont hazelnuts. The filling consists of whole Piedmont hazelnuts. Such kind of hazelnuts are not something usual. They only grow in the province of Piedmont.

Novi takes only the best of those Piedmont hazelnuts for their chocolate. Before the hazelnuts are allowed to serve as Novi chocolate filling,  they became well roasted. Piedmonts hazelnuts are known to be one of the most delicious hazelnuts in the world.

Those hazelnuts delight the sense of taste by a fine flavour and uncomparable aroma.

Novi Chocolate means pure chocolate. Only cocoa butter is used for the manufacture. No oil and no fat is used.

So how does this special chocolate with “Gianduja” taste? My first impression was a very sapful experience. Later a cosy chocolate feeling coursed through. Indeed pure chocolate. The cocoa content amounts 31 percent.

Also the big and whole Piedmont hazelnuts are a sensation for itself. Very crunchy and tasteful. Novi Chocolate is a true enjoyment of sapful and pure chocolate from the special kind.

Novi Chocolate exists since 1903.

Little chocolate pieces coated with sugar glaze was an invention during the Spanish civil war in the 30′s of the last century. Soldiers were able to enjoy chocolates without the danger of melting. An American traveller in Spain during the war, found this special kind of chocolates by accident, and brought the idea to the USA.

1941 was the time when the M&M’s conquered the American candy market. The chocolates were manufactured by the Mars company. The two ‘m’ mean Mars & Murrie’s. Mars was the manufacturer, and Murry his business partner.

The layer of the sugar glaze is quite strong and crispy. The chocolate box is full of colourful chocolate pieces.

The chocolate inside the coating is nothing special. Not disgusting and not exciting. Medium milk chocolate I would say.

Eating 200g of those chocolates is quite much. I just did that and know I feel sick.

Thorntons Turkish Delight Bar is described as “indulgent milk chocolate finished with milk chocolate” with rose and lemon flavoured Turkish delight centre. Well, I have never heard about “Turkish delight” before. I thought it’s some kind of jelly.

The product is made in Derbyshire/England. The milk chocolate contains 30% cocoa solids and 20% milk solids.

I am not so exicited about the chocolate covering. I would describe this chooclate as dull and boring. The jelly is quite fruity and tastes rather refreshing.

The chocolate experience is quite a new one. Chocolate covered around jelly is not so common in my country. The taste of chocolate is not even boring.The taste is also in the background. The amount of jelly is very strong and massive.

The chocolate around the jelly is bit creamy. To find at least one positive thing about it.

In general I would consider Thorntons Turkish Delight Bar as quite interesting experience. Not more. I would not pay money for Thornton Turkish Delight Bar a second time.

Thorntons is a traditonal English chocolate manufacturer and exist since 1911. The chocolate was invented in the Central English city of Sheffield. Todays headquaters can be found in the 22.000 inhabitant town of Alfreton in Derbyshire.

I have received the red chocolate bar as a gift from an England traveller. The certain bar is labeled as “Thorntons Dark Chocolate With Balsamic”. Thortons touts with the slogan “the Art of the Chocolatier”.

On the backside of the cardboard wrapping are much more things to read. Such things as “exquisite dark, chocolate laced, with the finest balsamic vinegar.”

The chocolatiers of Thortons know how well balsamic vinegar would complement this mildy intense, exotic dark chocolate. Its subtle, slightly floral flavour comes only from Tanzania cocoa beans, making it the ultimate gourmet bar. There are no artificial colours and no artificial flavours.

Thorntons Chocolate is also known to come from a chocolate recipe with a unique blend of the finest ingredients with no added vegetable fats and just 100 percent cocoa butter.

Alright, enough of seductive words on the wrapping box. Let’s try a piece of Thorntons Chocolate …

… the first impression is a very fruity flavour escorted by a solid taste of dark chocolate. The first bite does not open a new flavour feeling. The taste stays the same. Noble and solid.

The fruity flavour, I suppose its the balsamic, is very dominating. Maybe a bit too much dominating. Don’t get me wrong. The chocolate is excellent, but without the balsamic it would be even better. At the end of the chocolate piece I am able to experience the wonderful wonder of the perfect cocoa bean flavour. Such a wonderful feeling on the tounge and in my chocolate soul.

I must confess that this kind of Thorntons Chocolate is a fabulous example of British quality chocolate. Well done!

On a sunny Sunday at the end of August like today, I thought its time for a very special chocolate creation.

I have found my delight in an organge chocolate box with the title “Sissikugeln”. Sissi Kugeln were tradionally manufactured by the Viennese chocolate maker “Hofbauer”, but as the company was sold to “Lindt & Sprüngli, the delicious chocolates are now produced in the chocolate factoy of Gloggnitz, which can be found in the Eastern part of Lower Austria.

Sissi Kugeln are part of Viennas wonderful chocolate history. Those delicious chocolate piece are named according to Austrias queen “Elisabeth of Austria”, who lived from 1837 to 1898. She was also called the worlds most beautiful queen in history.

Sissikugeln chocolates consist of an apricot marzipan and nougat filling, covered by a mixture of the finest bitter and milk chocolate.

Sissi Chocolates are available on the market since 1998. This certain year was the time of the Sissi anniversary. As the chocolates celebrated an unbelievable success in sales, the product is still available since that time.

When I took my first try, I have experienced a full, intensive, and magnificent taste of apricot.  This is the apricot marzipan. An unique creation of confiserie skills, only made for the Sissi chocolate. It’s the first impression of this special and impressive candy delicacy.

At the end of the whole enjoyment comes the wonderful taste of the chocolate coating to its full expansion. I have tasted a tenter chocolate taste, not too sweet, not too bitter, melting on my tongue. Sissi Kugeln chocolates are a wonderful seducement for special and unique moments. My opinion: very good!