Zaabär – Poivre du Sishuan
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net
Stopping for lunch recently at a vegetarian restaurant called Café Ginger, I spotted a display of chocolate tablets on the counter. It was a selection of a wide variety of chocolates called Zaabär Duo, packed two to a box weighing 70 grams. I selected one called Poivre du Sishuan and took it home to taste.
Each 35-gram tablet of dark chocolate is vacuum packed in aluminum foil. Opening a package releases a wonderful, rich aroma of spice and wood. The chocolate has a dull reddish-brown color. It is firm and gives a resounding crack when bitten. As it melts in the mouth, it reveals a grainy texture, like sand. These grains are bits of crushed sichuan, a spice from China. Tasting faintly like zest of lime, they feel slightly peppery in the mouth, especially at the back of the tongue. Together, the smooth chocolate and grainy sichuan are a delightful taste experience.
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