We’ve all seen it, chocolate bars with a white coating on the top of the chocolate. Most of the time we eat it anyway but very few of us actually know what the white substance is. So what is it?
The white substance that sometimes forms on top of chocolate is often called “bloom” by chocolate professionals. Bloom can occur for a few reasons. The first cause of “bloom” is caused when chocolate sweats. The surface moisture of the chocolate makes the sugar in the chocolate dissolve and once the moisture has evaporated again the crystals from the chocolate stay on the surface leaving a white or grey coating. This type of bloom occurs most often when chocolate is stored in an overly humid environment but it can also occur when chocolate is quickly moved from cool to warm environments.
Another reason that bloom can occur in chocolate is when cocoa butter (the fat within the chocolate) separates from the chocolate and becomes visible on the outside of the chocolate. This type of fat bloom happens when chocolate is stored in high temperatures or when temperature changes occur quickly.
Is bloomed chocolate still edible? Yes. Bloomed chocolate can be eaten just like any other chocolate, however, it may taste different. When bloom occurs as a result of sugar the bar may have a different texture being more grainy than the original chocolate. Chocolate that has bloom as a result of fat blooming may feel waxy on the outside. It is perfectly safe to eat chocolate effected by bloom; however, you will find that unbloomed chocolate tastes far better!
How do you stop chocolate from blooming? Always store your chocolate in an area with low humidity and a moderate temperature. You should also move chocolate that has been in the fridge to the counter to cool it to room temperature slowly.
I found Vosges Mo’s Bacon Bar at that same local specialty chocolate shop that I keep referring to (no, they are not a chain, just a rather large shop specializing in peculiarities in the food market.) After hearing so many raving reviews about the combination of chocolate and bacon I could hardly overlook the crispy bacon on the packaging of this bar. In the spirit of being adventurous I picked up the bacon bar to give it a try – only a small bar mind you.
The Chocolate: Vosges Mo’s Bacon Bar
Type of Chocolate: Milk Chocolate
Cocoa Content: 45% Cacao
Best Eaten With: Mixed in to pancakes
Price: $2.75
I admit to being extremely worried about this chocolate bar prior to reviewing it after a particularly nasty experience with the Dolfin Pink Peppercorn Chocolate; however, willing to give it a try I postponed it only as long as I could before giving in to curiosity. In all honesty I can tell you that while I am glad I did give it a try it is most certainly not something I would actively seek out as my favorite chocolate indulgence.
Taste:
The Mo’s Bacon Bar comes wrapped inside a silver foil packet and hidden away inside a petite white box upon which is printed a delicious slice of crispy bacon. I particularly like the box that Vosges uses for their .5oz chocolate bars because it both keeps the chocolate safe within the packaging as well as keeps that delicious aroma sealed tightly in until you decide to break in to your chocolate bar.
Upon opening the packet of chocolate the smell is quite simply one of bacon. A smokey smell which carries the very image of crispy slices of bacon to your taste buds and quite honestly leads to confusion as your brain attempts to grasp the concept of bacon embedded in milk chocolate. The initial bite in to this soft milk chocolate maintains the confusion as your taste buds struggle to register the sweet, soft and milky chocolate while crunching small pieces of smokey bacon simultaneously. There is most certainly no element of surprise when it comes to this bar, the bacon is obviously apparent as you chew the numerous flecks distributed throughout the chocolate. The sweetness of the chocolate tones down the smokey flavor just enough to allow you to contemplate another bite to determine if you actually like the flavor combination or whether this is an adventure you will not be venturing in to for a second time.
The after taste of this bar is savory and as you continue to remove pieces of bacon from your teeth for a short while afterward it is apparent that the saltiness and smokiness of the bacon overpowers any resemblance of sweetness that the chocolate contributed to this adventurous partnership.
Ingredients:
The ingredients in the Vosges Mo’s Bacon Bar Bar include: Milk chocolate (sugar, dry whole milk, milk fat, cocoa butter, cocoa mass, soy lecithin – an emulsifier, vanilla), uncured bacon (pork, sea salt, raw sugar, white pepper, dried juniper berries, celery juice, lactic acid – starter culture,) salt.
The Bottom Line:
While this chocolate is not one I would reach for frequently nor with much enthusiasm it is also not one that I would completely disregard a la pink peppercorn. The simple fact of the matter is that if you enjoy chocolate and you enjoy bacon then you will undoubtedly manage to find something that you like in this bar. Whether you will be able to overcome the combination of these two delicious elements is all too much a personal decision so I will leave it up to you to decide whether this one is for you.
You can buy Vosges products from their official website here.
FTC Disclosure
We’ve all seen it, chocolate bars with a white coating on the top of the chocolate. Most of the time we eat it anyway but very few of us actually know what the white substance is. So what is it?
