DARS Chocolate – Fragrant Kiwi
Yet another release in the DARS line known as fragrant fruits, kiwi is one I don’t see often. So much so that I saw this and my brain sort of assumed it was the muscat one given the colour theme and how grape is so much more common than kiwi in chocolate.
There are a lot, and I mean a lot of kiwi flavoured products that have been released which disappoint. I am withholding judgement on this one since I haven’t tried it yet, but I will admit the reputation is working against it. Kiwi flavour is something where you taste it and you sort of instinctively know, and yet it’s hard to pin down the exact flavour. It’s one of those where getting the balance is quite difficult, and many end up just being a slightly different apple flavour.
Similar to all over DARS releases these come in a nice cardboard tray that holds 12 very uniform pieces. Visually, it looks like two white chocolate layers sandwiching a green, kiwi chocolate layer. The kiwi layer even has some seeds in it to add to the realism of consuming an actual kiwi. It’s a good thing they leave out the fuzz.
The flavour of kiwi is reminiscent of apple in some ways, and has that sweet, slightly tart flavour that is shared with apples. This one definitely leans in more to the tartness, so much so that if you swallow at the wrong time, you’ll get hit with a sharp tart sensation. one thing I must give them credit for is they did a good job capturing one part of the kiwi eating experience – that sensation you feel in your cheeks when you have one. It’s hard for a Luddite like me to tell you expect what or why it happens, but something about the kiwi juices trigger a response that is unmistakable. The tartness however is contrasted by the sweet white chocolate, so that sensation is met with some nice sweet release, not unlike a nice sweet ripe green kiwi.
Texture is also the same as other DARS releases, so kudos to sticking to their guns. It’s just a solid block of chocolate, despite what the layers might lead you to believe. The pieces are well tempered are slightly hard to bite into immediately, but once they sit in the mouth with a little warmth, they start to melt away pretty quickly. The melt is slow, but relatively uniform so I’m reminded of an ice cube. The melt is smooth and not overly rich, but allows for it to nicely dissolve to release the flavours and leave the little bits of kiwi seeds. Overall a piece I think does better as it melts slowly as opposed to trying to chew and bite into it off the bat.
Colour me impressed that this one actually does the kiwi flavour justice. I am not usually craving kiwi flavoured…well anything. But I do enjoy this enough that I would consider getting it again if I want something unique and different from the usual fruit chocolate pairings.
