(Note: the bar I’m trying is too old and the chocolate has spoiled over time. I will try to go over it and imagine a fresh bar - but the evaluation obviously suffers, both in texture and taste).
With this chocolate, Pacari takes the gamble of sweet pepper. It’s a success: without stinging, you can feel the pepper’s aroma mingling with the chocolate’s. The two flavors are on the same front, but they blend surprisingly well, so that it is difficult to distinguish one from the other. This is the strength of this bar: the balance achieved gives the impression of tasting something new, in the middle of a spectrum that would be continuous between pepper and cocoa. It is therefore a chocolate that takes advantage of the finesse and subtlety of its cocoa to marry it rather than to enjoy it as such. Note: this chocolate won the Silver Award at the International Chocolate Awards in 2017.
What could be more classic than orange chocolate? Pacari goes all out, with a product that is gentler and sweeter than its bitter orange cousin. Here, no acidity: it is a round and comforting taste in a smooth and melting texture.
This chocolate from Pacari won the Gold Award at the 2019 International Chocolate Awards in the Americas category. Contrary to what you might expect, the bitter orange doesn’t really add any bitterness to the chocolate. Instead, it is very sweet and almost refreshing. A bit acidic, it is a pleasant and light blend, a sure but original value that probably explains the distinction won by this chocolate!
The “uvilla”, or “Inca cherry”, is an Andean fruit that resembles the ground cherry. A little sweet, a little sour, and a little crispy, the uvilla pieces sprinkled in this chocolate combine with the quality of the dark chocolate to delight the taste buds. One of Pacari’s best combinations.