Laurent Gerbaud Yuzu du Japon Chocolate bar

Chocolate blogging, believe it or not, is slightly competitive. Yes, I know my fellow bloggers Dom and Lee and I enjoy their company and really I wish them the best of success but I also want to review stuff they haven’t and I want to do things they haven’t and I strive towards their levels of readership and followers. I’m coming from behind and I know it so I always look for things I can do a little differently.

When I was in Brussels to visit the Pierre Marcolini factory, I had some time to myself so I could make a weekend of it. I was sick with a cold though and so had to buy any chocolate I wanted to taste. I was sorely disappointed with what I found there though. I discovered a few chocolatiers make all the chocolates and distribute them to a few stores. I found places like Alex & Alex who were doing something different and unique and delicious but most were copies.

It was therefore encouraging that I found Laurent Gerbaud close to the end of my day trekking around the city. I had walked everywhere and found the shop up a hill, through a university or arts centre or something and around a corner. It was interesting inside with fun and fantastic painting on the wall with the story painted on about how they made chocolate. I knew I’d not be able to review the chocolate right away so I bought 2 50g bars which set me back 13 Euros (quite expensive!).

This first bar was a flavoured bar. I knew they were going to be mediocre. I was misinformed! I was told liiiieeeeessssss and they were not as bad as I had been informed by the shop assistant that they would be. The chocolate had a strange, slightly chalky flavour to the chocolate and a weird flavour I associate with soya lecithin. The chocolate is darker at 75% than other chocolate and the addition of the Yuzu is interesting. I think given a different chocolate, maybe a better quality Madagascar or perhaps a fruity Venezuelan would complement the tangy, zingy Yuzu you get constant hints of through the chocolate melting in your mouth. I WAS MISINFORMED – the chocolate is Italian chocolate made by DOMORI in Piemonte from which a unique blend from three different origins processed by Domori is made: Madagascar, Ecuador and Peru. I’m guessing an earthy Ecuador and Peru as I didn’t get fruitiness. It feels as though there are bits in the chocolate which when they melt hit your taste buds and flood your mouth with that tangy, sharp, sour Yuzu flavour but it is nice. It isn’t unpleasant but it isn’t great. I would eat more but I’d also share it which means I wouldn’t stash it for myself.

I do love the design on the bar. It is really different and beautiful. They are doing something different with the oriental themed design on the bar. It was echoed in the shop as well. It is classic and beautiful.