Monday 7 March 2016

Review: Carniola Cokolada: Dark Chocolate with Prosciutto and Figs


I was going to write fewer chocolate reviews from now on, but people actually seem to read them, and this chocolate is something I simply had to review.

My father and his wife brought me this chocolate from their trip to Slovenia. That was very thoughtful of them, so thank you! :) It’s dark chocolate with figs and prosciutto, dry-cured ham – typical products of the region, says the wrapping. That's an interesting idea! Now, I don’t eat red meat, but I do love chocolate, so I was conflicted! To eat or not to eat? Well. I can be very curious, especially when it comes to books and chocolate, so... of course I was going to at least have a bite!

I’ll have to say that I found this chocolate absolutely beautiful. The white wrapping has a pretty, fresh style, but when you look at the chocolate itself... wow! Unfortunately, the thin disc had broken into pieces during its journey to Finland, but I did try to take a picture of the lovely pattern on one side:



And, let me indulge in some more chocolate porn... here’s the other side! With thin slices of prosciutto, crumbled figs and a bay leaf, it doesn't immediately say "chocolate" (at least not to me) but it is gorgeous, isn’t it?


Now that we've feasted our eyes, let's move on to other senses. I expected this chocolate to have a somewhat smoky, perhaps even spicy scent, but, though dark and earthy, the scent is actually rather mellow.

The chocolate has the cocoa content of 72 % which makes it rather dark – it is full-bodied, smooth, intense... very lovely chocolate! The figs are dried pieces drenched in rice flour, they’re a bit sticky and sweet (naturally) but don’t have a particularly distinctive flavour. The prosciutto comes in thin slices that are crumbly and mostly just taste salty. I love the chocolate and salt combination, so I have to say I did enjoy that, even though I am not a meat eater. During our tasting session, I picked the piece with the smallest slice of prosciutto – I had thought of simply picking it out and handing it either to my DH or DD, but then, the experience would have been incomplete that way, so I just went ahead and ate it.

This was definitely an interesting experience – probably the first time I ever tasted Slovenian chocolate, and I have to say that the combination of chocolate, fig and prosciutto was also something I’ve never tried before. I prefer my chocolate without meat, but I’d still say that the chocolate & prosciutto union was succesful. And the chocolate itself was delicious!

6 comments:

  1. Dear Ulla,

    in the words of Princess Leia from the original "Star Wars"... "You're braver than I thought" ;) :D

    No, seriously, this is another great review, and definitely a very interesting chocolate. The pictures are absolutely beautiful, and I enjoyed reading your impressions of this interesting combination.
    Thanks for sharing.

    Best wishes
    Kathy

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    1. Dear Kathy,

      thank you! You just made my day. :) After making three phone calls today and feeling like an emotional wreck afterwards (just when I thought I had gotten used to it, I proved myself wrong), I needed to feel brave! Even if it was just because I tasted odd chocolate. :D Also, you made me laugh, which was also sorely needed, so thank you! :)

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  2. Tuosta kinkusta en ole niin varma...mielenkiintoista.
    Mutta viikunat kuulostavat hyviltä ja tuo suklaalevy on kyllä kaunis!

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    1. Kinkku oli kieltämättä erikoinen idea, mutta olihan sitä maistettava. Ei-lihansyöjänä en siitä erityisesti perustanut. Suklaa oli kyllä ihanan tummaa ja täyteläistä!

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  3. I bought some of this in Slovenia recently and LOVED it. I'd really like to get hold of more (not for me - presents for friends, you understand!) - I don't suppose you've found anywhere this can be purchased online have you? I've been searching but no joy so far...

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    1. Hi! Nice to hear that you also loved this chocolate. :) I'm afraid I haven't found anywhere it could be purchased online, sorry. Have you thought about contacting them through their homepage or Facebook page and asking?

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