Chocolate on the Half Shell?
It’s not every box of chocolates that comes bearing a label that reads: Contains milk, soy, pistachios, shellfish.
Uh, say what?
Leave it to Vosges, the cutting-edge chocolatier of Chicago, to come up with a truffle made with cream that’s been infused with Kumamoto oysters.
After all, this is the same chocolate-maker that’s found a way to incorporate bacon, Hungarian paprika, dried Kalamata olives, and Taleggio cheese into confections in the past.
And what could be more perfect for Valentine’s Day than a truffle that is flavored with what’s considered one of the most potent aphrodisiacs around?
Recently, I had a chance to try a sample.
I’ll use my patented scale of 1 to 10 lip-smackers, with 1 being the “Bleh, save your money†far end of the spectrum; 5 being the “I’m not sure I’d buy it, but if it was just there, I might nibble some†middle-of-the-road response; and 10 being the “My gawd, I could die now and never be happier, because this is the best thing I’ve ever put in my mouth†supreme ranking.
Vosges Sweet Coquette Collection: Four perfectly spherical truffles come wrapped in a glam deep purple box tied with a ribbon. Of course, I had to try the oyster one first, because how can you not be intrigued by a chocolate-flavored bivalve? Nope, a shucked oyster doesn’t come tumbling out of the white chocolate truffle when you bite into it. Instead, there’s a white creamy filling inside. If I didn’t know oysters had infused the cream, I probably never would have guessed at their presence. You don’t taste anything remotely fishy or briny. The white chocolate is fairly sweet, so that mitigates some of the nuances. There is a slight savory, and sweet-salty quality to this truffle. It has a pleasant taste, making it definitely more than a novelty.
The Piper Heidsieck Brut Rose Champagne truffle is rolled in rose buds, making it look a little like potpourri. The rose flavor is pronounced, reminding me of some Middle Eastern desserts. You definitely have to be a fan of floral to love this truffle.
The Bronte also has a little rose water in it, but the flavor is subtle, mixed with pistachio paste and creamy, silky milk chocolate. The Mamajuana truffle might be my favorite — infused with rum, spices, dark chocolate and chamomile for a complex explosion of fruit, earth, and bitterness.
A four-piece box is $12. Rating: 7 lip-smackers.
Gorgeous chocolates!
They look fabulous!
Cheers,
Rosa
I’m a Vosges fan, and I love their chile flavored chocolates, and now I’m very curious about the oyster truffle. It sounds kind of fabulous, and I never turn down white chocolate!
Love oysters but not sure I’d want it with white chocolate. I think I’d just go for the fresh ones. 🙂
You were way too kind.
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The oyster truffle is very light in the briny flavor. I was hoping to taste more of it. 😉
Where can one get these?
What interesting chocolate! Sounds really unique and after seeing your 7 lip-smackers rating, I’d definitely love to try it!
Oysterman: They’re available online on the Vosges Web site.
the purple ones looked so good! 🙂
Wow! Wow! Stunning! First of all, they are so gorgeous! Second, oyster? How…sexy! I’d be so curious to try one. The Sweet Coquette Collection sounds heavenly and so romantic!
Yummy! We’d love for you to share your recipe at dishfolio.com!
Wow, they’re gorgeous! I’m going to send a link to your blog to my boyfriend, let him see these, and maybe I’ll have some for myself for Valentine’s Day 🙂
Oh, I love Vosges! Their sweets are always so creative and yummy! At first, I thought you had written Marijuana Truffle, instead of Mamajuana. Now that would be creative! 🙂
Erin: Too funny! I betcha Vosges would make a killing on those truffles if there really were marijuana in them. Well, until the Feds put a stop to it. LOL
Surprenants et incroyables ces petites bille chocolatées, je ne sais pas si nous en avons ici en France….Bisous et passe une belle fin de semaine