On Saturday Mr Boo and I decided to head into the Temple Bar Market in Meeting House Square. It had been a while since we were last there and a few changes had occured. The main one being the large marquee or canopy that now shelters the majority of the area from the elements. There were also some new stall holders present and the one that caught my eye was Natasha's Living Food.
The very nice lady in attendance explained the concept behind the food and offered us some samples to try. I decided to buy a box of chilli choRaw Dark Chocolates with Sweet Chilli to try out at home later on. As I may have mentioned once or twice I am a huge chocolate fan but I am more drawn to milk varieties for eating, saving plain varieties for baking, so I was very interested to taste the little box in my hand. The chocolates are made from Organic Raw Cacao Beans, a rich source of antioxidants. All of the ingredients used are organic. They are gluten and dairy free so suitable for vegans and those with a gluten intolerance.
The box contained 4 chocolates and cost €5. Mr Boo treated me. At €1.25 a piece you might be thinking they are a bit on the pricey side but I think once you read the list of ingredients inside you can justify that. The packaging is very nice, clean and simple. The information card contained within the box is very comprehensive and gives a great overview of the ingredients contained within the product. The chocolate themselves look very tempting with a nice hint of the chilli within visible on the top of each sweet.
Now for the taste test. The chocolate is slightly bitter, with a sweetness that comes through as it melts on your tongue. The bitter and sweet together combine to give a great depth of flavour. The chilli comes through as an after taste almost, and is not at all over powering. The texture fell somewhere between a truffle and a solid chocolate. Not quite soft enough to be classed as a truffle but yet, a little too crumbly to be a solid chocolate.
I think fans of bitter plain chocolate (70% or more) would really enjoy these chocolates. I am a big fan of the chilli/chocolate combo so these get a thumbs up from me. If you are a chocolate lover who is trying to cut down on consumption I think these would make a great treat option. I have found 1 of these a day has been enough to satisfy my insatiable chocolate cravings. I bought them on Saturday and still have on left (has never happened EVER in this house). An added bonus is that they are choc full of healthy ingredients with health benefits so a win win situation if ever there was one. I will definitely treat myself to a box the next time I visit the market. If you try them out I hope you enjoy them too.
