Munz Dark Swiss Chocolate with Whole Hazelnuts

The Swiss chocolatier Maestrani makes a number of different chocolate bars, this one features two things I like, dark chocolate (60% cacao content) and whole hazelnuts (20%). The ingredient listing is just okay, cocoa mass, sugar, hazelnuts, cocoa powder, cocoa butter, butterfat (milk), soya lecithin and vanillin.

How does it taste? I'm always pleased when I find a bar combining hazelnuts and dark chocolate, most of the ones made are with milk chocolate. The chocolate is quite tasty, though the hazelnuts don't taste fantastic, and I quibble about the distribution of the whole hazelnuts - some pieces have none or one, some 3 hazelnuts - better care would make this a more enjoyable bar. I would buy this bar again.

Kambly Bretzli

As you might know, I like picking up interesting baked goods. These looked intriguing, they are Swiss waffle thins made by Oscar Kambly since 1910. These came in a special Christmas tin. I didn't realize how thin they were, until I opened up the package, when I though waffles, I thought thicker. Biting into them, they are crisp and drier versions that waffles, but do have the flavour of waffles. The ingredients look fairly good, at least they don't have many unpronounceable chemicals, and have similar ingredients to what I would expect waffles to be made from, save that they use coconut oil (not a bad ingredient). I think they are pretty good, though expensive ($8 for this box, essentially 250 g of waffles).

Lindt Excellence Crunchy Caramel

Normally I wouldn't even consider buying this chocolate bar, as it is Milk chocolate, but it came as part of a four bar package; Lindt makes some good bars, but I don't like their Milk chocolate ones. The ingredient listing is typical for a Milk chocolate one, sugar, cocoa butter, caramel pieces (sugar, milk ingredients, lactose, canola lecithin), milk ingredients, cocoa mass, lactose, soya lecithin, barley malt extract and artificial flavour. The cacao content is at 30%.

How does it taste. The chocolate itself is smooth, and the Crunchy Caramel portion of it was, in 2 words, very crunchy (and stuck to my teeth). I would not buy this bar again.

Governor's Choice Dark Chocolate with Raisins, Hazelnuts and Almonds

We got this chocolate bar at Zeller's, it is Swiss chocolate imported for Hudson's Bay Company (of which Zeller's is a part). It features hazelnuts, my favourite, and almonds, my beautiful Bride's favourite, and is at 44% cacao content. The ingredient listing is not bad, sugar, chocolate liquor, dry raisins, hazelnuts, cocoa butter, almonds, butter oil (I guess to replace cocoa butter?!), soy lecithin and artificial flavours.

How did it taste? Not bad, though I found out after eating the whole bar, I was waiting at an airport, that it was expired. The nuts at least were still crunchy, though I was more aware of the almonds than the hazelnuts. It was under two dollars, and I doubt that I would buy it again.

Irresistibles Le Suisse Dark

Here what we have is very much an attempt at a Toblerone bar, save the pyramid shape (it is wedge-shaped) and its price ($1.29 vs $2.29). These are also made in Switzerland (le Suisse) and are dark chocolate (there are also a milk chocolate version), though it looks like the Toblerone bar has a higher cacao content (in this one, sugar is the first ingredient; in the Toblerone, unsweetened chocolate is - though there is no indication of cacao content in either). The ingredient listing otherwise looks okay, sugar, chocolate liquor, cocao butter, honey, almonds, soy lecithin, dried egg-white and natural flavour (both have honey, though the Toblerone looks to use more sugar than honey).

How does it taste? Well, good, but if you are a Toblerone fan, this one won't win you away. And it didn't win me away either.

Favargar Noir - Plain

The Swiss chocolatier Favargar has been in existence since 1826; they should know a thing or two about chocolate. This bar is simply bitter dark chocolate, without any extra flavourings, at 70% cacao content, so it should be a good indicator of the quality of their chocolate. The ingredient listing is fairly good, cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter, low-fat cocoa, soya lecithin and vanillin.

How does it taste? Not bad, though a little chalky, and it doesn't snap well. I think the name of it, Plain, is a good indicator of its quality. I don't think I would buy this bar again.

Frey Extra Fine Dark Chocolate

This is one big bar! Chocolate Frey has been a chocolatier for a long while, since 1887, in Switzerland, and is one of the major brands there, but only recently we have been allowed access to its products in North America. I don't know yet whether this is a good thing, though they do produce a wide range of chocolate products (over 1200), including bars, marshmallow, candies and pralines, along with holiday-themed. Too, they apparently control the whole production process, from the purchase of cacao beans (though it would be good if they went a little further, closer to the start of the process like a few good chocolatiers are doing these days) to the finished product. I haven't found their offerings in a reliable source (store). The ingredient listing of this bar would indicate that it just meets the dark chocolate designation, sugar is the first ingredient, followed by chocolate liquor, cocoa butter, soy lecithin and artificial flavour. There is no indication of the cacao content.

How does it taste? Certainly, it snaps well, though it looks like it is "old", in that some of the cocoa butter has risen to the surface. It smells okay, like chocolate, but not great. It's very hard to bite into, perhaps because it is so thick, far thicker than a normal 100 g bar (3x as big). It tastes a tiny bit chalky, and leaves a pleasant aftertaste, at least. Not bad. Certainly there is a lot of this chocolate, though I don't know whether I would consider it an eating bar, just a good and fairly cheap chocolate bar.

Swiss Delice Supreme Surprise Citron & Poivre

The idea of lemon and pepper together is not new to cooking, certainly you can buy lemon-pepper in any supermarket, and the idea of pepper and chocolate together is also not new, chili or cayenne pepper certainly, black pepper not so much, but I have not seen a lemon and pepper chocolate bar before. And, I must say I am pleasantly surprised (as the name of the bar indicates) by how good this tastes. Chocolate Frey AG, with their brand Swiss Delice, has been a chocolatier since 1887, and they claim to be Switzerland's No. 1 chocolate maker. Certainly, the ingredient listing is unusual for a dark chocolate bar, the 55% cacao content (cocoa mass and butter), sugar, lemon powder (awesome, as I don't like peel - ok, it's the sole reason I don't like the orange and chocolate combination bars; I say 'blech'), fructose, citric acid (normally used to make a product tart in flavour), soya lecithin, black pepper and flavours; that would make them an unusual chocolatier, at least.

How does it taste? Smells very good, snaps very well apart, and is smooth to the palate. I especially like the lemony taste, and the spiciness of the pepper; the combo of the two is quite good. It's not too sweet, and not too spicy. My beautiful Bride likes it as well. I would definitely buy this again.

Lindt Cupid's Arrows

This milk chocolate offering from Lindt is made as a special gift for Valentine's Day; the tie-in with Cupid and his arrows of love is obvious.

Here's a closeup look at what's inside each of the foil packages. I think you pay more for the packaging and the arrows, than the actual chocolate.

Villars Praline Noir Eclats de Cacao

This is the second chocolate bar I've eaten from the Swiss chocolatier Villars, the first was a Dark chocolate bar. Unlike the 72% cacao content of that bar, this one has only a minimum of 50%. But it makes up for flavour in other ways, it has a Praliné filling and caramelized cocoa beans. The ingredient listing is fairly good, sugar, cocoa beans, almonds, cocoa butter, butter fat, caramelised cocoa beans (5%), cocoa powder, whole milk powder, skimmed milk powder, sweet whey powder, dried malt extract, soya lecithin as an emulsifier and flavours.

How does it taste? Pretty good, the caramelized cocoa beans are crunchy, providing a contrast to the sweet praliné filling (but it's better to chew the bar squares, melting them in your mouth will leave a small pile of crunchy pieces - or maybe you like that). I think that ultimately, it was too sweet for my tastes, but not bad.

Rösti

Much like American hash browns, the traditional Swiss dish Rösti is fried potatoes. The recipe is very simple. You can eat them as a side dish to your main, or combine your main meal with the rösti, like with a fried egg, or with smoked salmon or breaded fish on top. Serve them with sour cream or apple sauce.

Rösti
1 kg yukon gold potatoes
2 to 3 tablespoons of butter
1 to 2 medium onions
salt to taste

Boil the potatoes in their skins till they are just soft, about 15 minutes. Cool the potatoes in the fridge. Peel the cooked potatoes and grate them through a coarse grater. Slice the onions thinly. Melt the butter in a non-stick frying pan and add the onions and cook until they are transparent. Add the grated potatoes and the salt and stir through. Fry while stirring them around in the pan for about 3 to 5 minutes. Press together to form a flat cake and fry over medium heat until there is a golden crust on the bottom. Place a serving platter on the pan and turn the pan upside down, so the Roesti falls on the platter with the crust on top. Alternatively, toss the roesti into the air and flip it like a pancake back into the pan, cook for a minute or two, then slide it onto the serving platter and serve immediately.