Unlikely Words

Chocolate’s delicious. Bacon’s delicious. What could possibly go wrong?

My latest Whole Foods impulse buy was two “exotic candy bars” by Vosges. Both are fairly delicious, although they are definitely for nibbling, not full-on eating. Or maybe it’s just that I wasn’t all that hungry when I tasted them.

The “Red Fire Bar” isn’t really all that unusual: chocolate and chile is a pretty classic combination. The package advertises “Mexican ancho y chipotle chiles, Ceylon cinnamon,” and 55% cacao chocolate. Come to think of it, I’m pretty impressed if it’s real cinnamon, rather than cassia. Huh.

It tastes good. Spicy chocolate is a good deal, but I think I might have enjoyed it more without the cinnamon. Cinnamon-spicy and chile-spicy are two different flavors, and I thought the “Big Red”-ness overwhelmed the capsicum heat. Still, danged tasty.

The main event, of course, was the “Mo’s Bacon Bar.” Who wouldn’t enjoy applewood smoked bacon, Alder wood smoked salt, and deep milk chocolate? Well, let’s find out! I’ll admit I bit into this one gingerly.

It’s definitely a multi-sensory experience. The aroma is distinctly bacon-y (and I mean that in a good way). The texture is a little odd: the bacon crumbly bits take some getting used to, and some of the pieces have a pronounced chewiness (more fat than lean?). The flavor, however, is delicious. Apart from the smooth chocolate flavors, the salt notes break through clearly, and salty chocolate is an established winner. There’s just a background bacon flavor rounding out the whole experience. Definitely less gross than it sounds. I’d eat another square.