My original goal for this round of Eating the Chocolate Alphabet was to feature lesser-known or new-to-me alcohols. I owe a huge debt of gratitude to Lilla (aka Little Beetle Chocolates) for sourcing this chocolate bar directly from Hungary!
According to Wikipedia, pálinka (a fruit brandy commonly made with plums, apricots, apples, pears or cherries) has been around since the fourteenth century and might have been used medicinally by the Hungarian King and Queen during the Middle Ages to treat their arthritis. Like champagne and Parmigiano-Reggiano, pálinka has a PDO (protected designation of origin), meaning that unless the beverage was mashed, distilled, matured and bottled in Hungary, it can’t be called pálinka.
Now to taste the chocolate!
Just look at this gorgeous mould design that reminds me of a fireplace tile! {forgive the slight frosted appearance since the “best by date” is actually tomorrow 😲}
Lucky for me (depending on how you look at it), I didn’t have my usual pangs of conscience in breaking off tasting morsels since the bar was already segmented into various pieces. I could immediately smell and taste star anise, which surprised me, until I read the ingredients: fennel is listed at the very end!
Slow to melt on the tongue (likely due to the condition of the bar), it definitely becomes creamy on the palate after a few moments. Once the chocolate has warmed up, then it’s easy for your tongue to encounter chunks of candied nibs that add texture and crunch. I wonder what specific type of pálinka was used to soak the Venezuelan cocoa nibs before they were candied since fennel is the overall flavor note that I can taste (which isn’t a bad thing, mind you!)
If you are curious about Rózsavölgyi Csokoládé, take a look at my post from 2016 where I provided more details on the makers and their packaging.
For those of you in the U.S., you can buy a variety of bars from Caputo’s: https://caputos.com/rozsavolgyi/
Now I’m on a quest to find a bottle of pálinka, preferably apricot, since Lilla shared a filled chocolate ball that had this exotically perfumed and potent spirit. Have YOU tried pálinka? Leave me a comment!👇🏻