It’s been quite some time since I’ve reviewed a chocolate from my favourite one-woman local chocolate company, The Curious Chocolatier. The bar below is actually rather special, for two reasons. The first reason is that it’s not one of the standard, ever-present chocolates of The Curious Chocolatier line-up, but a seasonal (and hard-to-find) offering produced late last year.
The second reason relates not to the chocolate itself, but to how I came to have it in my hot little hands.
The Curious Chocolatier Dark Chocolate with Blueberries
Do you remember when my family and I went out to lunch for my Grandma’s 81st birthday? Well, the entryway to Flint in the Vines is a bit of a shop, selling gorgeous crockery and a few local food products. Including, yes, chocolates by The Curious Chocolatier. I bet you can imagine my delight when I spotted this limited edition bar on the shelf, but I bet you can’t imagine how I came to own it.
(No, I didn’t steal it.)
What I did was (over the course of the lunch’s several hours) sporadically slip into any conversation involving my brother the fact that he should probably buy the chocolate for me, because he’d promised to bring me chocolate days earlier and hadn’t followed through. For example:
E.TeacherLord: I’m trying to decide between the barramundi and the beef. I think I’ll try the barramundi.
Hannah: Do you know what I think? I think you should buy me that chocolate. That would be fun for you.
Or:
E.TeacherLord: And then one of my students [did something amusing] and it made being at work for 10 hours bearable.
Hannah: Wait, what did you say? I didn’t quite catch it. Something about buying me that chocolate?
The strange thing is I was really only doing this to amuse myself. (Boy, was I amusing myself.) So when I got up to visit the ladies and said to my brother that “now would be the perfect time to buy me that chocolate”, and he reached into his bag and pulled out the bar that he’d already snuck off to get for me, well…
I was ecstatic, grateful, and mindboggled that my ploy had worked. Apparently, I’m more persuasive than I thought, or else my brother loves me loads. Which I hope is true, because I think he’s awesome, and if he weren’t in another state, I would have shared this chocolate with him. Perhaps. Maybe.
Now that we’ve got the back story out of the way, how did this chocolate rate in the Wayfaring Chocolate universe? Well, it certainly didn’t threaten my adoration of The Curious Chocolatier’s Dark Chocolate with Apricot and Rosemary bar, but it was pleasantly sweet and vanished all too quickly.
The bar is beautifully glossy and the freeze-dried blueberries clearly evident in their rounded glory, as seen in the photo above. The aroma was sweet and slightly fruity, and the snap quite crisp.
Flavourwise, the chocolate base tasted like what I’ve come to expect from The Curious Chocolatier’s 54% blend, which means it was honey-sweet with strong vanilla and marshmallow tones, tempered with a nice jolt of chocolate richness.
The berries themselves provided a subtle fruity tang, although weren’t as strong in flavour as the apricots of the aforementioned Rosemary bar. I enjoyed the interplay of the honey and cream chocolate with the natural berry flavour of the blueberries, and have since realised that I seem to be conquering my anti-fruit-and-chocolate demons. Hurrah for widening chocolate tastes!
As a result, I feel comfortable recommending this bar as a pleasant, unaggressive, and refreshingly sweet-without-being-cloying chocolate treat.
Question Time: What fruit do you wish you could find embedded in a chocolate bar?
Now that’s a hard question to answer, but probably apricot coz I luvs ‘em. Whilst my brother (also a Chef) says he’s permanently scared from having to pick ripe apricots for jam when we were kids …. (buckets of the little sukka’s)…… I have great memories of the smells of fresh summer fruit, the smell of the jams cooking, OMG apricot pie … have you eva? But I digress., I pretty much think I’d go for apricot as the hidden fruit in my chokky bar.
BTW.., good work on the subliminal commands with E.TeacherLord – impressive
Then you definitely need to pick up TCC apricot and rosemary chocolate! Fresh apricots were never something I grew up eating, so the first time I had some from someone’s backyard was a revelation
Apart from that, I think I’ve had Nanna’s Apricot Pie, which probably isn’t the best example… 
Hmmm…perhaps peach? Not that it’s a particular favourite fruit of mine, but it’s one I don’t think I’ve ever had in chocolate…
Also some of the less-common berries… strawberry and raspberry feature quite a bit, but I’d love some more blackberries/boysenberries/mulberries/currants/etc… the Lindsay and Edmunds gooseberry white chocolate was awesome.
Pears are one of my favourite fruits, but I’m yet to really find a chocolate that incorporates it really well.
OH! and rhubarb. Does that count as a fruit? sort of.
Oh, and more good apple-involving chocolates.. but I think I’ve probably already whinged to you about this. I’m an apple freak. FREEEAK (I’m other types of freak too, but for the purpose of this story, I’m primarily an apple freak). Their absence from my chocolates upsets me greatly.
I could live without currants (too much like icky raisins) but I’m with you on the blackberries/boysenberries, fo’ shizzle! That Lindsay and Edmonds has grand marnier or something, doesn’t it?
What do you think of the Lindt pear bar?
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I nearly bought you chocolate today so I’d have an excuse to see you!
Aww, that warmed my cockles!
But yes, we really do need to make good on our plans for meeting up. My marking stress eases up this week, so what kind of playdate shall we have, and when?
Mango is surprisingly good with chocolate, especially the deep, dark, smoky ones that you and I love so. The chocolate bar of my dreams at this very moment in time, then, would contain mango and caramelized (with salt, obvs) sesame seeds in some kind of 75% chocolate from South America.
Once again, gorgeous packaging.
Funnily enough, I’ve had mango in chocolate twice and both times was sorely disappointed. One was the Seeds of Change bar I reviewed here, in which the mango flavour was non-existent, and another was a chilli and mango bar that tasted off to me. But theoretically speaking, your imagined-creation sounds amazing
Ooh good question Hannah! I’d have to say my favourite fruits so figs, dates, cherries? I can’t wit for the new Wayfaring Chocolate line to come out *hint hint*
Oh, if only, if only! I’d so much rather create chocolate than be avoiding starting the PhD as I am now…
Also, so far, your answers ring happiest in my heart. Dates, figs, and cherries – I’m in!
blueberries sound like the perfect fruit to go with chocolate!
I might not go so far as perfect, myself, but this was tasty!
What a sweet brother you have!
You know, I first figured this had dried blueberries (the chewy kind) and thought “Eh,” but freeze-dried blueberries is a game-changer. THAT I could get into.
I’m actually not a big fan of fruit + chocolate in general, usually, but some berries (raspberries and perhaps blueberries like in this one) can be good. But surely someone out there has a banana-chocolate-PB bar…?
Me too – I’ve always been quite anti-fruit and chocolate, but I’m adjusting to it more the more I try it
Oooh, now I want a dark chocolate bar studded with honey-dipped-banana chips and salted peanuts. Make it for me? 
P.S. He’s a pretty awesome brother, I must admit
Ohh, yes yes! That sounds AWESOME! Do they have those options on that Chocomize site? >:]
You know what? I’m almost positive they do! I don’t know whether the banana chips were honey-dipped, but we could definitely get close to our Elvis-esque chocolate bar
Can you believe it Hannah, I’m bringing out a banana bar this season. I’ll sneak you a bar.
*claps like a gleeful child on Christmas Day* Oh, Heidi! I can’t wait!
P.S. Have been thinking about you lately, but haven’t wanted to pester you with emails – suffice to say, I hope you’re doing okay
How about one I don’t want? At our end-of-Chinese-class tea party this week, we were served a plate full of sugared tomatoes. Yum.
Been there, done that! Hachez’ dark chocolate with tomato and sea salt. As much as I wanted to like it… I couldn’t. (Though I did once have an amazing tomato dessert at a restaurant!)
Strawberries or figs yumm
Peaches or pears
Peaches or pears, possibly with honey or caramel somewhere as well
Salted caramel is my addition to your idea
Sounds so good! I’ve never had blueberries in chocolate before but I like the look of it. I’m glad your sneaky method of obtaining chocolate worked, will have to try it myself sometime…
I must admit, after it worked with the chocolate I tried to pull the same stunt with a $200+ fruit bowl as we were leaving, but he didn’t fall for it again. Sadness…
You had me at the pretty blue wrapper!
Fruit – I’d love to see someone ‘harness’ the delicate flavour of peach somehow but not in white chocolate and perhaps see a few more versions of violet in the chocolate rather than as a white icing fondant…..
Seems like a few people are interested in peaches, and while I at first responded to this (in my mind) with “no thanks”, I’ve changed my tune since remembering how much I love white peaches. So white peaches, yes
And hear hear on the violet chocolate! The one I blogged here from Germany was great. More floral flavours all around, particularly as I used to think I disliked them!
Figs please!
And maybe a muesli chocolate too, with some oats and sultanas and dried apples and apricot and bananas? Ooh and make the sultanas be yoghurt coated too. I’ll just wait over here..
I’ve had a couple of yogurt-flavoured-centre chocolates that were scrumptious, so I’m all for your muesli-bar-chocolate creation! Heavens, I need to learn how to make chocolate, not just write about it, so I can fulfill all you lot’s desires
Ooo, that chocolate looks, well, delicious. I have been having chocolate daydreams all weekend and was most disappointed when my visitor this weekend announced he’d bought me some chocolate…but left it in his pantry at home (which has since been turned upside-down by the earthquake so hopefully it’s still alive in there somewhere for when I go down on Thursday). Typical male.
Hmmm, fruit…when I was a kid I remember having kiwifruit chocolate and I ate a whole box of these things and wanted more. I haven’t seen any vegan kiwifruit chocolate…well actually to be honest I haven’t ever looked because it wasn’t until I read your question that I even remembered liking it. Maybe I don’t even like it any more? Nostalgia can be like that…
Was that the Whittakers’ Kiwi Fruit chocolate? I wish we got more of the Whittakers range in Australia… apparently there’s a cocoa nib one? I think that’s vegan…
Gosh, how mean of your friend to taunt you with coulda-been chocolate like that! I think you should have put his hand in a bucket of cold water as he slept in revenge
Yep, there sure is a cocoa nib one (or there was). I can put that in the collection of chocolate to send to you!
Not sure what kiwi fruit chocolate it was…feels like an age ago when I think about it. I was going to say that I wasn’t sure Whittakers chocolate was even around then but of course it was because I had an addiction to their peanut slabs from the school vending machine.
Hmmm, not sure about the bucket of cold water idea…it might have had disastrous consequences for more than just him…
I’m thinking of using it as leverage for this coming weekend.
Ooooh, I’m catching a hint of more-than-just-friendness! Is this the same fellow you mentioned a while back? Want stories, want stories!!
I would so absolutely love the cocoa nib one, if you can find it. I might even look at the Whittakers’ website again, seeing as I’m sure they’re cheaper than fancier chocolates
Hmmm, well yes, I really should get your email address at some point.
I’ll have a look at the supermarket this week. It’s a 62% one. There is also the Dark Mocha which is quite nice (another 62%). But I’ve become hopelessly addicted to the 72% Ghana Peppermint…once the packet is open it’s all downhill (and I’m not the only one who says this). Whittakers is super cheap over here too which is another, umm, good thing, I mean problem.
I’ve got yours from the emails telling me your comments, so we definitely should move this to actual-planning-making-it-happen-emails I think!
Hmmm, I don’t get your email address from your comments so it’s up to you
are you sure that your brother wasn’t just feeling guilty for sitting on your head when you were younger? he he
love the wrapping and would love to try this – have a recipe for a dan lepard choc chip and blueberry cookie bookmarked that reminds me of this chocolate
*laughs* I bet that was part of it!! Oooh, those cookies sound good. But should I know who Dan Lepard is?