When fellow chocolate blogger Victoria Cooksey interviewed WKND Chocolate maker Lauren Heineck back in March, she asked: “When selecting a chocolate bar to try what influences your purchase?” If you’ve been following Eating the Chocolate Alphabet so far this year, you’ll realize that Lauren’s answer pretty much echoes my own sentiments:
“Distinctiveness goes a long way, and even something oddball I may find endearing.”
While turmeric has been widely used in Southeast Asia for thousands of years, this rhizomatous plant from the ginger family has only started to gain popularity here in the U.S. over the last couple of years. A quick Google search will yield page after page of articles tracking the rise in consumption based on the health benefits. Do you enjoy Indian curries? Then you are already familiar with its distinctive taste and color! Speaking of which, white chocolate bars that go beyond off-white and cream were once considered “oddball,” but seem to popping up more frequently these days. After I saw a photo of Lauren’s “Turmeric of a Goat Thing” bar that looked like “golden milk” in solid form, I knew I had to try this for myself. Many thanks to Lauren for her generosity in supplying me with not one but two variations to sample side-by-side.
Although I loved Lauren’s rustic paper sleeves, the new outer cardboard boxes decorated with botanical illustrations of the cacao plant protect the bars better during transit. I’m very glad she kept the personalized touch by handwriting the descriptions with her calligraphy-like cursive. Maybe it’s just me, but I’d like to see some additional information on the packaging like an ingredient list; though if you look on her website, she very creatively describes the bar in less traditional terms.
Unwrapping the 12-rectangle bar from the re-sealable plastic pouch, I could immediately smell chai tea spices like cinnamon and cloves. Lauren confirmed that white pepper, ginger and cardamom were also included. Despite some chocolate dust and air bubbles marring the matte finish, the ingredients were very well dispersed, producing a uniform golden-brown color with flecks of spices rising to the surface on the front and back as well as being suspended evenly within the bar as well.
At room temperature, there was a soft snap when segmenting the bar, sending tiny fragments flying everywhere (FYI: straight from the fridge, there was a sharp snap and no errant particles!) Popping a piece in my mouth and chomping enthusiastically, I encountered the unexpected…a back of the throat burn and inner ear tingles due to cayenne pepper! Yes, I read other people’s comments about this bar, but clearly I didn’t pay enough attention since I don’t want to be “pre-influenced” prior to my own tasting. When I make golden milk, I always add black pepper since that supposedly helps our body to absorb turmeric more effectively; but how did I miss the word “spicy” until now?! Luckily, the initial kick of heat faded fairly quickly, so that I could continue to sample the bar.
Letting a morsel melt on my tongue there was a thick mouthfeel and a grainy texture while the peppery heat built gradually and was offset by a pleasant tang from the goat’s milk powder that reminded me of a spreadable chèvre.
Until I opened the second bar, made with 40% cocoa butter from Camino Verde (Ecuador), I hadn’t thought about photographing the bars side by side, so I quickly remedied that:
You’ll notice that the row of three rectangles at the top (the “original” Turmeric of a Goat Thing) is slightly darker in color than the half bar (6 rectangles of the Camino Verde). It would appear that the same spice blend ratio absorbed differently in the presence of the Camino Verde cacao butter. Instead of smelling the chai like I did with the first bar, the primary aroma in this case was the powdered turmeric.
While there was the same amount of chocolate dust on the “top” of the bar, there were fewer air bubbles and the surface of the Camino Verde bar felt a little greasy and/or tacky (like a lotion). Maybe my tongue & palate were getting acclimated to the chili or more likely the different cocoa butter had an impact – the “burn” was still at the back of the throat, but this time the top of my palate tingled rather than my ears. Overall, this bar was creamier, smoother, with a silky mouthfeel and the peppery heat seemed less intense. Rather than goat’s cheese notes, this one was grassy and earthy. In my opinion, the turmeric and ginger were able to shine and the rest of the spices were like “backup” singers 😉
Of the two bars, I liked the Camino Verde one best…though to be honest, I have devoured half of each bar already! This is all in the name of “research” and also to prevent catching a cold after being on an airplane this past weekend…at least that’s my story & I’m sticking to it! 😉
I leave you with a favorite quote from Victoria’s interview with Lauren:
“I’m still finding my voice as a chocolate maker, but I do identify as an insatiable chef. Mangosteens from a Bangkok street vendor, baklava in Istanbul, chimichurri from Buenos Aires; I want my creations to be as peripatetic as I am.”
With distinctive “oddball” flavors such as those, I’ll be keeping a close eye on what Lauren creates next! To learn more and to hear episodes of Lauren’s chocolate community building podcast entitled “Well Tempered,” where she highlights other women in chocolate, please visit her website: http://wkndchocolate.com/
