Have you been seeing lots of pairing events popping up lately like beer and chocolate, tea and chocolate, whiskey and chocolate or even cheese and chocolate? But what about cheese IN chocolate? Well, David Briggs from Xocolatl de David in Portland, Oregon has done just that by combining 72% Ecuadorian chocolate with Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese :0
What seems like a lifetime ago, but was really only back in February, I tried another one of his savory bars and I now wish I had some left over to be able to pair with this unique flavor combination.
Using a knife to slice apart the informational sticker that keeps the outer cardboard packaging closed and removing the bar from the thin aluminum foil, you can immediately see that both sides of the bar are dimpled with a generous amount of the cheese inclusion.
The top is flatter, shinier and has some evidence of scuffing and ghosting:
While the bottom has uneven lumps and is not as reddish brown in color:
The thin bar breaks apart easily with a dull snap, releasing a musty, aged cheese aroma. A cross section of the tasting morsel looks almost like a lunar landscape: nooks and crannies created by air bubbles and the rest of the non-chocolate space occupied by tiny chunks of shaved cheese.
The flavor is very savory, almost meaty, and seems to overwhelm the overall chocolate taste. As if Parmigiano-Reggiano isn’t already salty enough on its own, this bar also has fleur de sel as an ingredient. While it’s generally recommended to “melt” chocolate in your mouth, this particular bar is abrasive during the melt due to the amount of hard cheese that was added. The chocolate melts away easily and quickly, but then you are left with a mouthful of clumped, partially dissolved cheese particles. However, “chomping” the chocolate will intensify the overall flavor and a couple of nibbles go a long way! I’m thinking of pairing this with some toasted bread just to see if that will tone down the taste.
Have you tried chocolate with cheese blended into it? Do you think that chocolate and cheese should be left separate? Let me know your thoughts!
In case you’re curious, next on my “wish list” from Xocolatl de David are the hazelnut + black truffle, the Black River caviar, the Mole Negro or the “Swiss Picnic” collaboration with Olympia Provisions. You know me, when it comes to chocolate, I’m ready for a taste adventure 😉
To see their entire line up of savory bars as well as sweet ones that have less unusual ingredients, check out their website: http://www.xocolatldedavid.com/#main