The arrival of the end-of-year holidays is often marked by softer lights and sparkling decorations. But what are the aromas and flavors that immerse us in this sweet euphoria and what are these spices that transport us like a Proust madeleine?
Citrus
We instinctively think of lemons and oranges for their freshness and their vitamin C content which carries us through winter. Their juice or zest brings a delicate flavor to chocolates.
However, there are many other citrus fruits with more complex aromas, such as bergamot (more bitter), citron (with sparse and juicy pulp)!
Our discovery this year was calamansi, the fruit of the calamondin, which is a small citrus fruit native to the Philippines. An intense taste of this small orange which reminds us of a mixture of Kumquat and mandarin. A slightly tangerine sweet and sour blend with more floral notes.
Discover this alliance with the Filipino chocolatier Theo & Philo and its Dark Calamansi 65% bar. Theo & Philo's approach is to combine delicate cocoa from their farm in Davao with plants that grow naturally near the cocoa, such as calamansi bark. A surprising and incredibly fresh result:
Spruce
The simple smell of fir transports us into the forests for a delicate journey on a carpet of snow. Fir buds can be used to make many recipes. Young spruce buds give off a lemongrass scent and those of Nordmann fir have aromas closer to citrus fruits.
In addition to their original taste, they have effective therapeutic and antiseptic properties thanks to the presence of pinene. They also contain vitamin C.
In a Scandinavian tradition, the Swedish chocolatier StandOut offers us a sweet alliance between cocoa from the Dominican Republic and organic fir shoots. We feel the sweetness of the honeyed and fruity notes as well as the woody aromas of spruce and fir. A must-have for this end of year:
Cinnamon & Clove
The essential spice of the end of the year is cinnamon! This fine rust-colored powder is found in many Christmas pastries. The bark of the cinnamon tree is cut into thin strips which roll up on themselves when drying to form small tubes.
Cinnamon mainly has antioxidant, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. In addition to its action on the immune system, it also has an effect on the digestive system and thus helps to calm heartburn.
Cloves have a very characteristic shape which gave them their name. The taste of cloves is particularly intense. This clove flower bud has a pungent, slightly bitter and strongly aromatic flavor. It is therefore advisable to use it sparingly and find the right balance in recipes!
We find these two spices in the spicy Nordic preparation of StandOut harmonized once again with the sweet cocoa cocoa from the Dominican Republic 68%:
Dominican Republic 68% by Stoudout
Our selection of spicy chocolates 2023
We have chosen a very special trio for this end of year which offers a journey through different cultures. Around the Nordic Winter bar from Standout, we added a very special bar from Marou (Vietnamese Bean-to-Bar) using local Pho spices (cinnamon, coriander, cloves, anise). To finalize this original and subtle selection, you will find Theo & Pihlo (Filipino Bean-to-Bar) with a succulent 60% dark chocolate spiced with ginger, peppermint and pepper
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