Tirol Chocolate – Strawberry Daifuku
A large majority of you are likely familiar with the famous colloquialism, insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Perhaps I’ve a touch of the crazies. Or perhaps I’ve always been, and I can no longer hide it. Whatever the reason may be, it’s likely the reason for this review.
I’ve actually tried similar Tirol chocolates before, and by similar I mean one of them was nearly identical in concept. The only real difference here is that this is the large regular sized pieces. I find regular size pieces are usually a little more interesting, probably because their size allows more space for creativity in the filling. Through a combination of boredom and inability to source other flavours, I’ve decided I might as well try these. I figure, these have to be different from the standard sized ones somehow, right? How else would they be able to constantly release both variations each year and manage to sell both well enough to keep bringing them back?!
The flavour is much more distinct. By this I mean that there is a clear number of flavours going on – the red bean flavour is there, but it isn’t overpowering the chocolate or strawberry. The strawberry is is more natural this time around, and reminds me more of freeze dried strawberries than the tasty but artificial flavour that most chocolates have. It’s got more tartness to it, and has a refreshing flavour to it to contrast the one note sweetness of the red bean and chocolate. It actually reminds me of those really strong flavoured bubble gums, and has an almost jammy flavour to it. It also seems like there’s at least some real strawberry jam, as I could feel a few seeds as I was chewing through it.
The mochi is definitely squishier and chewier, just how I like my mochi. The chocolate is pretty standard, and slightly more brittle than the smaller pieces, so it crumbles rather than melt away. I feel like that works better with pieces like this with a giant soft, chewy mochi piece in the centre. I feel like Tirol’s claim to fame is the mochi centre they stick in their chocolate, and this piece definitely delivers on that front.
Out of all the strawberry daifuku flavours of Tirol I’ve tried, this is the clear winner. Not only does the bigger size give them more room to work with like bigger mochi, the addition of the freeze dried strawberries really helps to give the piece more complexity. Whereas the old, smaller pieces are just chocolate, flavouring and mochi, this one actually tastes a bit more natural and like actual strawberries. If the normal pieces are aimed at kids, this is the adult version – designed or more sophisticated palates that can appreciate the complexity of multiple flavours, as opposed to just being sweet. Of course, it could also just be my justification for why these cost so much more per piece than the small ones.
This is probably the only version that I would even consider getting again – the other ones are just too generic to consider getting again, especially now that I’ve had the “premium” version. If you’re ever curious about this particular flavour, do yourself a favour and hold out until you can get a hold of this version, not the standard smaller sized ones. You’ll thank me.