The good thing about having colleagues who make recent trips abroad is that I can easily get my hands on an array of foreign products to try. Last week, Laura brought back a large slab of Valor chocolate from Spain. Although I’ve visited Spain a fair few times, I have yet to sample Valor chocolate so I didn’t know what I had been missing…until now.
Master chocolatiers since 1881, Valor Chocolate pride themselves on their quality products. Valor sources its cocoa from Ghana, Equador and Brazil and uses only the very finest of Spanish Marcona almonds and hazelnuts in their chocolate.
This bar contained irresistible thick dark chocolate laced with roasted almonds. The pureness of the chocolate was intense and had that melt-in-your mouth quality, which you don’t often expect to find in chocolate produced in a hot climate. Over the years I have noticed the quality of chocolate produced in countries which experience high temperatures has improved. I remember my Australian friend crying out for a bar of dairy milk after emigrating 5 years ago as aussie chocolate just didn’t cut it. It’s been known for companies to formulate their chocolate with a substance that stops the chocolate from melting and this is the reason for the difference in taste. I could noticed this a little as the chocolate didn’t melt in my hand but it did after a few moments in my mouth.
As my fondness of dark chocolate increases I find myself taking my time to eat it for a moment of true indulgence. There is no doubt a square (or three in this case) of Valor chocolate is just that. What I loved most about this chocolate is the amount of whole almonds visible throughout. The almonds are of the Marcona variety, which are found in Alicante turron (almond nougat), a popular Spanish treat which I have previously enjoyed. Here’s a traditional Spanish pastry I had for breakfast when visiting.
Like with the majority of dark chocolate, it was incredibly rich and therefore satisfying. After eating three squares (albeit very large squares) I felt no need to indulge in any more. Until the next day, of course! If you fancy trying some of this delicious chocolate and don’t plan to visit Spain, you can purchase it online at R Garcia & Sons or from their delicatessen in Notting Hill. In Spain, Valor is also famous for their drinking chocolate and I can imagine the pleasure of dipping churreo’s into warm melted chocolate. What a pleasant present from Spain.
Living life, loving cake,
H x
[…] cocoa and was very satisfying indeed. Unlike other hazelnut chocolate I’ve previous tried like Valor from Spain, the pieces of hazelnut were very small which lessened the crunch. However, the flavour […]