Huma - 60% - Chocolate with Palo Santo
Palo Santo—the sacred wood. In French, it is also called “Mexican lemon wood.” It is a tree found in Latin America, particularly in Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia. Its aromatic and spicy essence is used as incense. Its traditional use, which dates back to the Incas, was to ward off negative energies. I find it interesting that, all over the world—across civilizations separated by an ocean—similar scents were associated with the sacred.
Huma thus proposes to evoke local flavors. Palo santo is very potent: it almost completely overpowers the chocolate. This bar takes me back to one of the golden churches in Quito’s historic district. I find it difficult to separate the flavor from the symbolism embedded in my memory. It tastes of spirituality, beauty, and the ideal, but also of dogma, oppression, and smoke. That’s very strange for chocolate.
It’s a unique experience, technically very well executed—which comes as no surprise, since Huma is always a guarantee of quality. My reaction, however, is ambivalent.
Evaluation
Uniqueness: 5
Finesse: 4.5
Comfort: 4
Intensity: 5
General impression: 3.5
Final evaluation: 22/25