Madecassee: Pink Pepper and Citrus

So pop rocks in chocolate might be a little weird, based on what folks said in the comments on Wednesday's post. But you know, it’s a cool use of candy in nice dark chocolate. And it’s definitely not as weird as adding, say, citrus and pepper to chocolate.

Er, oops.

It’s true. Madecasse, those folks who team closely with cacao farmers in Madagascar to support sustainable high-quality cacao production, came up with a pink pepper and citrus bar. The citrus is, in this case, from the combava fruit, and it pairs with the pink pepper in a 63% cacao dark chocolate bar.

The bar has an aroma of citrus (surprise) – notably lemon and tangerine. There is an immediate citrus flavor, but it is neither bitter more sour, and has a character similar to that of lemonade.

After the citrus emerges, some pepper comes through, but it is very finely ground so that it doesn’t overwhelm or leave you with a mouthful of chopped peppercorns. These flavors are complemented by a smooth, cooling melt and a tiny bit of sugar that plays well with the slightly spicy pepper and subtly sour citrus.

A great flavor combination with one tricky ingredient – pepper - pulled off flawlessly. Perhaps not such a weird creation after all.

Have you had citrus and pepper together? With chocolate, too?