Fine chocolate is getting a new twist with unusual pairings

Bacon in your chocolate bar? Also: spice up the season with savory hot cocoa.

By Sarah Leech-Black | Contributor to The Christian Science Monitor

from the December 5, 2007 edition

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A steaming mug of hot cocoa topped with a billow of whipped cream and stirred with a stick of peppermint has long been a holiday favorite. But the next time you come indoors to escape winter's frosty air, how about a zing of chili pepper in that mug?

Savory surprises are turning up in everything from chocolate bars to chocolate truffles. Deep milk chocolate meets curry powder and coconut flakes. Venezuelan white chocolate mingles with kalamata olives. Dark chocolate joins ginger, wasabi, and black sesame seeds.

These chocolate matchups are no strangers to Vosges Haut-Chocolat's line of exotic candy bars. "Mo's Bacon Bar," introduced this fall, blends milk chocolate, Applewood smoked bacon, and Alder salt.

Many may draw the line at mixing creamy chocolate with bacon bits, but using untraditional ingredients such as chili peppers, savory herbs, and lively spices has become the trend in the world of chocolatemaking. And consumers are paying top dollar for these "luxury chocolates," sending yearly industry sales beyond $2 billion, according to Mintel, a market research firm in Chicago.

While large companies such as Vosges and small, local chocolatiers are busy pushing the limits, at-home candymakers with a curious streak can, too. Start with quality chocolate, and aim for balance.

"Fine chocolate has the potential for myriad flavors – savory pairings every bit as appropriate as sweet," says Brendan Gannon, owner of La Tene Chocolate, a shop in Boston.

Mr. Gannon makes all of his chocolates by hand including the "Dazu," a truffle with lemon zest and Sichuan peppercorns topped with candied ginger. In addition to his line of extraordinary truffles, he recently released what he calls the "World's Best Peanut Butter Cup," an oversized candy cup of dark chocolate filled with crunchy, roasted peanut butter and fleur de sel (sea salt).

Citrus, pepper, salt, or other spices may play a role in a truffle, but chocolate should still be the star. In an e-mail, Gannon emphasizes that chocolate is not a blank slate; it has its own complex catalog of flavors and tones.

So the appearance of bacon in a list of ingredients may be more of a marketing gimmick to draw the curious than an exceptional new taste. Candymakers advise quality and balance when making such unusual pairings. In "Making Artisan Chocolates," author Andrew Garrison Shotts, owner of Garrison Confections in Providence, R.I., says to use small amounts of spices and savory flavors, as chocolate will accentuate the power of a spice or seasoning. Mr. Shotts concedes in his book that even he, a professional chocolatier, must use trial and error to find the right combination and proportions.

Now that high-end domestic and imported chocolates are more readily available at speciality stores, curious and courageous home cooks can try these daring chocolate pairings in their own kitchens. Where to begin?

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