I've been a longtime fan of Divine chocolate. It's always delicious and relatively widely available, making it the perfect go-to bar when you're in a bind. Don't even pretend like you don't know what I'm talking about: 10 a.m. rolls around and the craving starts to hit. Alas, you are far from a specialty food store--or any food store, for that matter. That is the precise moment when Divine will come to your rescue, the festively decorated wrappers peering up at you like a smile at your local bodega counter. I was lucky enough recently to sample several of Divine's other-worldly offerings. Here are a few of my favorites:
Dark Chocolate with Raspberries
This one was a no-brainer. 70% dark chocolate and raspberries? Yes please. The raspberries we're talking about here are freeze dried. Target sells bags of raspberries "preserved" in this manner, and I can tell you from experience that the process really intensifies the flavor. All of the tart-sweetness of these succulent little berries practically explodes as they melt in your mouth. It's a scintillating contrast with the grassy-clean quality of the chocolate. With 5g of fiber and 3g of protein per half-ish bar, you could practically count this as a serving of fruit!
Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Truffle
You read that right, and yes, it is as good as it sounds. The cocoa content of this bar clocks in at 41%, making the cocoa flavor more of a mild background jam than a symphony. The standout star here is the hazelnut. It is rich, it is toasty, it is everything you want along with your morning coffee (or your bedtime snack). "Comforting" is the word that comes to mind. The truffle center is wonderfully melty for sure, yet this bar can stand up to a reasonable amount of unseasonable heat without turning into a gloppy mess inside your purse, which is not where I store my chocolate.
Milk Chocolate with Toffee & Sea Salt
You're not going to believe this chocophiles, but it's true--Divine chocolate has turned me on to a MILK chocolate bar. As you all well know, I'm usually a 70% plus kind of girl, but even I couldn't resist the siren call of this one. Buttery and as rich as molasses, I ate most of this bar in one sitting--most unusual for me.
I found it to be less sweet than other milk chocolates I've tried (a definite plus in my book), and the salt makes it ever so slightly piquant. This is the kind of bar I would like to have nearby during the next snowstorm or perhaps shared over a cup of tea with a friend. It is a bar meant to be savored.
Dark Chocolate with Mango & Coconut
My very favorite of the ones I tried, this bar is oh so good. Sinewy, chewy, slightly tacky strips of mango and coconut mingle together with 70% dark chocolate so smooth it is positively plush. All the muddy yumminess of the chocolate, all the creaminess of the coconut and all the juicy flavor of the mango, all rolled into one. I can't say much else about this bar; you simply must go out and try it yourself.
Divine offers many mouthwatering cocoa selections, but even more impressive is the company's commitment to social justice. It's a sad reality that something as pleasurable as chocolate is tied up with so many frankly disheartening practices. The chocolate industry is a major culprit when it comes to child slave labor, and cocoa farmers often get the short end of the stick from producers. I won't name names but I will say that in contrast, Divine's chocolate is all Fair Trade certified. This means the cacao bean farmers themselves have a voice in the company and a fair shake at making a living. And isn't that only fair, given the almost absurd amount of joy chocolate can bring to one's life?
Divine's cacao beans come from the Kuapa Kokoo co-op in Ghana, which means you can expect an earthy, less fruity flavor character. This is key because many of Divine's chocolate bars have fruits added to them.
If they were made with, say, Madagascan chocolate instead, which tends to be very bright, the flavors would overwhelm each other. This flavor combination brilliance is just one of many in long line of excellent choices by Divine chocolate's passionate and socially conscientious creators. Outstanding chocolate from an ethical source? Now that's heavenly.
Thanks for reading, friends! Strawberry kisses :*:*:*