El Almendro Turron Almond Crocanti with Chocolate

The website for El Almendro doesn't work, but from what I gauge from the box and their inactive Facebook page, it is a very old Spanish company, having been established in 1883.Their products are apparently exported to a number of countries, judging by the number of languages of information there are on the packaging. The brand El Almendro seems to sell many versions of the Spanish tourron. Turron is basically a nougat confection typically made of honey, sugar, egg white and almonds or other nuts. Spanish tourrons come in hard and soft varieties. The soft variety has oil in it, which makes it stickier.

The El Almendro Turron Almond Crocanti with Chocolate is one of their many variants. The Spanish word 'Crocanti' roughly translates to 'crisp' in English. This 'crispy' bar has almonds and nougat on one side and a layer of milk chocolate on the other. However, the chocolate does nothing for the product because the taste of nougat and whole almonds is so dominant. I also am not a fan of the sticky texture of nougat, so this combination didn't work for me at all.

In India, El Almendro products are imported and marketed by Mumbai-based Tree of Life Pvt. Ltd. This 75g bar costs INR 160 and may be found in specialty confectionery stores in and around Mumbai. It isn't anywhere on my preference list, but nougat fans might enjoy it.

RATING: 2/5

Heidi Grand'Or Florentine

Ever since I started Chocosophy, life has been throwing varied chocolates at me. So much cooler than lemons, no? Nah, I guess these were always around; only my eyes are open to them now. So, I spotted this baby at a local supermarket and whispered a silent prayer for these Gujju bhai-businessmen who get so many imported goodies into their shops.

Owned by the Läderach Group, Heidi Chocolat is apparently one of the "top chocolate brands in selected premium chocolate markets worldwide and is present in 45 markets throughout 6 continents." The company is fairly young, having started in 1993 in Romania, but it has grown due to its emphasis on innovative recipes.

Innovation it sure was that caught my eye. I mean, who could possibly resist what looked like a chikki-chocolate (yeah, yeah, florentine-chocolate) combination? The gold embossed beautiful packaging only helped. Aesthetics obviously is important to this brand, for the chocolate bar is as attractive as its packaging.

The most distinguishing characteristic of this milk chocolate bar is the crispy layer of caramelised almonds on the flip side. The Florentine layer makes the bar a little difficult to break, but that is hardly something to complain about. At just 30% cocoa and 18% milk solids, the product is as milk chocolate-y as it can get, but one ought to buy and savour it for its unique Florentine.The combination tastes delightful; the taste of almond and caramel is just right, and the crispy almond flakes serve as the perfect foil for the smooth chocolate. Although it is a little too sweet for my liking, and some may find the caramel sticking to the teeth bit a little bothersome.

At INR 205 for a 100 g bar (yeah, ouch!), it feels a little prickly on the pocket, but it is a must taste experience for a chocoficionado.

RATING: 3.5/5