Chocolate all over the world is a sweet delight that transcends borders and cultures. Naturally, over the years we have witnessed some pretty unusual variations across the board. Many that go way beyond milk or nuts. These reflect not only different countries’ unique tastes and cuisines. But their cultures altogether.
A dark or milk chocolate bar is a classic you can always count on. Also, there are some variants for those who like chocolate but follow their religious traditions. Producing of kosher chocolate is a good example of a consumer-oriented manufacturer. However, here are a few examples of chocolate all of the world which are perfect if you’re in the mood for something a little more unconventional.
Mole
Mole is perhaps the most famous unusual chocolate concoction in the world. As well as being the oldest. It has ancient roots, traced all the way back to the mystic Aztec rituals and believes.
Mole comes from the Aztecs’ word for sauce. Which is what its consistency should be – creamy and very thick. What makes mole so distinctive is that it contains chillies and is used as a savoury ingredient, usually to enrich meat.
The main idea with mole is that the chocolate shouldn’t be overpowering or central and neither should be the chilis. Instead, the two should balance each other out.
Mole’s complex flavour is generally the result of ingredients that fall into 5 different categories besides the chocolate. Chilis (two or more kinds), sour tomatoes, or tomatillos, sweet in the form of sugar and/or dried fruit, various Mexican spices and thickeners like nuts, seeds, or bread.
However, mole can vary quite a bit in itself. Mole Negro is made with black, unsweetened chocolate. There is Mole Dulce, (Spanish for sweet), which is made with bananas and plantains. There is mole with ground squash seeds, called Pipían. Mole with ground peanuts, called Mole de Cacahuate. One made with pumpkin seeds and coriander, called Mole Poblano and also one with pineapples and apples, called Mole Manchamanteles. Plus others.
It’s also worth mentioning that Guatemala has its own take on mole. It is called Platanos en Mole. It contains tomatoes and pumpkin seeds. Plantanos en Mole is served over fried plantains, with a nice touch of sesame seeds on top to finish things off.
Worm and Cricket-Topped Chocolate
France is known to have a thing for experimenting with bugs in the kitchen and it has taken this approach to chocolate as well.
Inspired by Asian cultures, French chocolate chef Sylvain Musquar created a chocolate, covered with insects, making international headlines back in 2013. Considering that many people preach bugs and insects as the future of food because of their high protein contents, this extravagant desert might make some serious waves.
Sanguinaccio Dolce
Sanguinaccio is a traditional Italian pudding, centred around an ingredient that gives it a very pronounced cult feel – pig’s blood. As the tradition goes, sanguinaccio is to be served in winter, when pigs are generally slaughtered.
Outside of Italy, it’s not often that you will see it printed on menus, especially not with a detailed description of its contents. It’s one of those desserts you have to try in blissful ignorance first before getting inquisitive about what makes it so special.
Besides the pig’s blood, sanquinaccio boasts a very fresh combination of ingredients like pine nuts, orange peels, raisins, and chocolate and milk, in addition to candied fruit, cinnamon and breadcrumbs, depending on the specific region it comes from.
Xocolatl de David offers its own take on sanguinaccio with a pig blood-infused ganache with smoked Spanish paprika sprinkles on top. Quite telling is the fact that these desserts are popular mostly on two specific occasions – Halloween and Valentine’s Day. Making for quite an interesting parallel between the two holidays.
Miša
It’s a fact that MiÅ¡a has grown to symbolize nice summer days in the Czech Republic, and for many people, it’s a powerful trigger of nostalgia for their childhoods.
MiÅ¡a is something like a mix of a chocolate bar and an ice-cream. The outer layer is hard crunchy chocolate, covering the nice surprise in its centre – a cheesy-based ice-cream with subtle acidic undertones. The cheese is called quark and can be found in many Czech desserts.
Miša has been a true Czech staple for over 50 years.
Giri Choco and Honmei Choco
These aren’t included so much for their taste, but rather for their cultural significance in Japan. The two types of chocolate are basically the Japanese Valentines women give to men for Valentine’s Day.
Giri choco is given out of courtesy to men who don’t pose any romantic interest to the woman. For example coworkers and friends. As such, it’s more generic and cheaper. Honmei choco, however, is a demonstration of a different kind of affection. It is boyfriends, husbands and romantic prospects who are graced with these treats. Naturally, honmei choco is more expensive and unique. Some women even like to make it themselves for an extra personal touch.
Chocolate Éclair Hot Dog
As you might imagine, an invention this wild is quite polarising. With some proclaiming it as genius while others deem it one step too far.
Maple Lodge Farms, the visionaries behind the chocolate éclair hot dog, unveiled their brave creation at the Canada National Exhibition. It shocked the world. It’s basically a chocolate éclair, sliced open in the middle like a hotdog, with a grilled sausage inside of it, with whipped cream and sprinkles on top.
Honourable Mentions
Laima Serenāde is not only a delicious chocolate treat with fruit jelly, nuts and apricot but one of the official ways to propose marriage in Latvia, with a poetic, movie-esque backstory behind it.
Chocolate combinations with cauliflower and avocado are making some waves, especially in the forms of cakes and truffles. Certainly, not the unhealthiest ways to consume chocolate.
Chocolate is one of those things you can hardly go wrong with. And what better proof than these examples of unusual and even downright wild combinations of chocolate all over the world. Some of which have grown into proper national staples.
What’s your favourite chocolate? Would you try any of these crazy concoctions?
- Collaborative Post
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