Thursday, June 2, 2011

Goumas: Chocolates from Ohio

As you’ve seen here before, from time to time, I’m sent things like organic chocolates and brownies to review. Who’s the latest shop to seek out my opinion? Goumas Confections, out of Newark, Ohio.

They like me.

They really like me.

As you can tell, this series of reviews is going to take…a while.

Now before I get into the expansive reviews, let’s set some ground rules: It’s clear from this box of treats that Gomas steers themselves more towards “candy” than “fine chocolate.” It’s supposed to appeal to the kid in you, not the over-educated chocolate snob in you. So pull your panties out of your butt crack, let your inner kid emerge, and read about these candies.

My guess is that among these candies, a Goumas specialty is the turtle. Why? Because this box included SEVEN different kinds of turtle candies. Yes. Seven. Starting with this milk chocolate walnut turtle.

The milk chocolate exterior is creamy flavored and textured, with a slight caramel note, and is quite soft.

Inside, the walnuts are crunchy but a bit on the raw side. They are salty, which goes nicely with the sweet caramel, which is a bit chewy but not excessively so. The texture is well-matched to that of the chocolate, such that no crumbling or flaking occurs. The blend of salty and sweet, combined with the well-matched texture, results in a nice candy.

But how would this be with dark chocolate? Well, let’s take a look at the dark chocolate walnut turtle.

The chocolate itself has a basic coffee-vanilla flavor, with a hint of a nutty taste. It’s smooth with no grit, and has a relatively fast melt for a dark chocolate.

In this case, the caramel is again on the chewy side, but there is little salt present in the entire piece. That said, the dark chocolate is bitter enough to offset the sweet, creamy caramel, and has a texture that matches up to the caramel quite well to prevent crumbling. The walnuts are quite a bit crispier than those in the milk piece, and the overall effect is quite nice. This is a candy I would select for myself if I were constructing a box.

Candy vs. fine chocolate: which is your pick?

14 comments:

  1. I am going with fine chocolate. While I enjoy a piece of candy, chocolate has a big place in my heart (or should I say belly?). However, I don't mind candy and I would like to try these treats from Goumas.

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  2. I think choosing candy or fine chocolate really depends on my mood. Some days I feel more like candy as a throwback to childhood; a handful of pure sugar and sweetness can be very satisfying. When I'm feeling more in an adult mood, fine chocolate tastes much better; savoring flavors for their complexity takes more time and requires patience and appreciation. :D

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  3. While I wouldn't mind eating these(at all), I would probably lean more towards fine chocolate......because I'm a chocoholic at heart!

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  4. That's a tough question! I'm less picky about candy than I am about fine chocolate, if that's any kind of an answer.

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  5. I would never buy this type of thing, so I think I would choose to be given it. I'll pick my fine chocolate myself!

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  6. As an Ohio native, I love seeing Ohio in a post :) I think I lean toward both candy and fine chocolates...depending on my mood. Can I be split and still fair? :)

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  7. Fine chocolate ha. My panties are not in a bunch up my butt though as I'm the least snob in the world. I would devour all those chocolates within seconds.

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  8. Oh wow it looks like they realllly like you! Bet you were pleased to get them!
    We dont have turtles really in the UK :( would love to try them!
    It depends what mood im in whether i fancy "candy" or fine chocolate, if im in need of a sugar rush candy all the way!

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  9. Chocolate, it’s always chocolate.

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  10. I'm kind of over candy! Bring on the 100% cacao! I want it to bite me back :)

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  11. That huge box of chocolates looks like so much fun! I'll take any extra turtles you don't want:-)

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  12. This sounds lovely! I'm coming around to walnut more and more - it can be a great foil for sweetness.

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  13. Lent isn't even a week in and I feel like chocolate!!! it's going to be a long 40 days....

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