Volume Hazelnut and Almond Milk Chocolates

Volume Chocolate comes from the house of Cagla Cikolata, a Turkish chocolate-manufacturing company, established in 1992. I've reviewed another one of their seen-often-on-the-shelf brands, Truffino before and after tasting this one, I'm convinced of the substandard fare made by the company.

What the company seems to get right is the packaging. Just like the Truffino truffles, the slim Volume Chocolate bars come in very attractive packaging. Strangely enough, none of their wrappers overtly mention the company name. However, with their lovely packs designed in royal blues and purples, they are rather inviting. I picked up the two available varieties, Hazelnut and Almond Milk Chocolates.

But the moment I saw the 100% chocolate sign, I suspected it wasn't. My suspicions were confirmed when I tasted it. The chocolate was flaky and excessively sweet with a sprinkling of nuts. It was hard to tell the almond from the hazelnut, and both tasted similar. The taste of cocoa was rather weak too... certainly not what '100%' chocolate tastes like.

Sized like a Kit Kat finger, but longer, these Volume Chocolates cost a ridiculous INR 40 apiece (40 g) and definitely not worth the price. Give these average chocolates a miss. Most of our desi chocolates are much better.


RATING: 2/5

Chocolate roses from Chokola

Celebrate this Valentine’s Day by gifting a beautiful ‘Chocolate Rose Bunch’ by Choko la and express your love to your special someone.
The limited edition ‘Chocolate Rose Bunch’ is completely inspired by romancers who would like to say ‘I love you’ to their loved ones on this special occasion. Every Chocolate Rose is specially hand decorated with a personal touch and is presented in a very romantic packaging.

About Choko la
It is believed that the word chocolate is derived from the Mayan verb choko la'j, pronounced Choko la, which means, "to drink chocolate together”. Choko la, therefore, is a celebration of the universally loved food, to be enjoyed in the company of family and friends.

Choko la has brought the finest coverture chocolate from Europe right here to India. Committed to using only the best and finest quality ingredients, Choko la has perfected the art of making chocolate. From delicious, handmade chocolates and pastries, to artisan creations

Driven by a passion for chocolates, the brand Choko la was born out of a desire to share that passion with the world. With that in mind, Ms. Vasudha Munjal, a third generation entrepreneur from the renowned family of Hero MotoCorp fame, created Choko la – A boutique for only the finest chocolates

Website
www.chokola.in

Social media
https://www.facebook.com/ChokolaChocolates

Selection Carrefour Pépites De Poire - Noir

Carrefour is a French supermarket chain, and one of the world's largest after Walmart and Tesco. It has a global presence with small and big format stores in metro and tier two cities across the world, including India. In India, there are Carrefour Cash n Carry Stores in Delhi, Jairpur, Meerut, Agra and one is to open in Bangalore soon. The company was founded in 1958, but they started manufacturing their private label of free products (produits libres) like oil, biscuits, crackers, etc. in 1976

This dark chocolate with pear 'nuggets' - Pépites s De Poire Noir - is one of the products from Carrefour's private label for foodstuff. And it came to me as a Christmas gift! For a brand this big, I was surprised I had never heard of it before. I was absolutely charmed by the package design and OMG, the smell! Few chocolates I've had have such a powerfully rich scent.

The texture is smooth and its abundant cocoa butter makes it melt in the mouth oh-so-easily. In addition to the bits of pear, the chocolate also has caramelised almond pieces, which make for a delightful combination. The bar contains 64% cocoa, which is what I like to call the 'enjoyable' range. (Anyone professing love for 90% cocoa chocolate is just a snooty liar.) The bar could have been a little less sweet, but I love it and recommend it all the same. This 100g bar costs around INR 200 and is among the better dark chocolate options around.

RATING: 3.5/5