Chocolate

[Nick]

I actually think I eat more chocolate now due to the shrinkage of the bar sizes, instead of one big old style bar I need two small ones which is probably more!

[Slim]

I usually start buying certain items for Christmas in November - important elements of the Christmas experience like Christmas cake or brandy that might be tricky to track down later on. I stash them in a dark and obscure corner of a cupboard in the kitchen.

A few days ago I was stashing the first of this year's items - some Stollen - when I came across this. What the f.. ?



Somehow a bar of chocolate had survived over a year in the kitchen cupboard.

The best-before date is marked as Jan 2022. Now - I was quite sceptical that a bar of chocolate can significantly degrade over a little more than twelve months, especially when it doesn't contain dairy products. But I'm sorry to say that this one definitely has. There's precious little flavour left in it. It's certainly not bold & citrusy, and it's not even particularly chocolatey. I have a suspicion that the cardboard wrapper would taste almost as good. It's not unpleasant exactly, but it's insipid; a bit stale.

Still - I'm sure it's safe enough and I doubt it's lost any of its potency as cycling fuel.

I wouldn't normally eat chocolate except on a long bike ride (or at Christmas) but in this case, best to use it up before it gets any older.

[David L]

We're tucking into Tesco Lebkucken hearts at the moment 

[Fishy]

Quality Street are shit..we had a few then binned them..

[Nick]

Opened a tin of Cadburys, the taste has changed since the Kraft takeover, taste more of palm oil than chocolate. Had a few Hotel du Chocolate before and the taste difference was night and day.

[Fishy]

We're on Terrys chocolate orange...

[The Picnic Wasp]

I was given more chocolate and sweets than I usually receive this year. Most of it the usual Cadbury's or Lindor stuff, but also Guinness Truffles. Quite nice although the ganache is in a dark chocolate shell. I do enjoy dark chocolate as I think it has a more complex, interesting flavour, but I also worry about the arrhythmia angle. It's probably not much more of a trigger. I also got a box of York Fruits. Not tasted those in years. Probably good for me to get a hit of gelatine now and again. My neighbour buys me vegan chocolate. I can't get my palate to adjust to it yet.

[The Picnic Wasp]

Opened a tin of Cadburys, the taste has changed since the Kraft takeover, taste more of palm oil than chocolate. Had a few Hotel du Chocolate before and the taste difference was night and day.

I hope they haven't changed the recipe! I think that could cause more unrest in Britain than anything politicians might do.

[The Picnic Wasp]

Also, Aldi's Moser Roth range has never disappointed me. They have a 400g Mountain Bar in a box which would be handy to fend off muggers. The Moser Roth chocolate that I've tried, and especially their truffles, taste suspiciously like Lindor.

[Slim]

I bought myself some Montezuma's "Sea Dog" lime & sea salt chocolate. Nice. Also was gifted some Green & Black's, and a pretty standard box of chocoloate liqeurs. I have a very strong Christmas association with those. I expect most of us do.

[David L]

I do enjoy dark chocolate as I think it has a more complex, interesting flavour, but I also worry about the arrhythmia angle.

What!? Dark chocolate gives you a heart attack?
Did you have a covid vaccine?
Full of anti-oxidants

[The Picnic Wasp]

I do enjoy dark chocolate as I think it has a more complex, interesting flavour, but I also worry about the arrhythmia angle.

What!? Dark chocolate gives you a heart attack?
Did you have a covid vaccine?
Full of anti-oxidants

I don't know about heart attacks, but it has a higher cocoa content and therefore more caffeine. Not a problem for the vast majority of people, but if like me it might trigger atrial fibrillation then it's probably wise not to eat too much. I've had several covid vaccinations now. Last one (Moderna) knocked me sideways for a couple of days which as I mentioned previously is probably a good thing. Proves it's working.

[Slim]

The Hershey's Chocolate bar had very similar branding to the present day, in 1958.

[Slim]

If this doesn't put you off eating chocolate, nothing will.

[The Picnic Wasp]

Had a bar of Tony's Chocolonely last night. I should really only eat this brand due to their anti-slavery stance but I also enjoyed a Flake in a Friday night binge. The Tony's is demarcated not in uniform squares or segments but unevenly to stress the following;

"The unevenly sized chunks of our 6oz bars are a palatable way of reminding our choco friends that the profits in the chocolate industry are unfairly divided. And in case you haven't noticed, the bottom of our bars represents the Equator. The chunks above are the Gulf of Guinea".

Perhaps one of the regulars on here who don't employ the switch it off and on again method could post a picture.