If you’ve never tasted the exquisite chocolate creations of la Maison du Chocolat, there’s no better time to do it. Their Sevillane collection, inspired by the colors and flavors of Seville, Spain, is their most fabulous summer collection thus far.
Some chocolatiers, just like fashion designers, launch new collections every season. There’s always a lot of joy and excitement in discovering new flavors to pair with chocolate, and the folks at La Maison du Chocolat have some of the best palates out there. For the 2008 summer collection, Gilles Marchal, creative director of LMDC, was inspired by the warm and intense flavors of tea and berries. Consequently, their summer chocolates and pastries contain the essence of cherries, strawberries, currants, and many more tangy and refreshing tastes.
First of all, there’s the red box, which is fascinating in itself. If I wouldn’t be a chocolate fanatic, I’d purchase this for the beauty of the box only. The box is designed to open like a flamenco dancer’s fan. Once you slide the box open, there’s the chocolate. The smell only can take you places you’ve never been before. It smells like fresh chocolate, and like melon, and pineapple, and berries, and all one can dream of in the summertime. The box contains an assortment of 40 fruit-infused bonbons in five different flavors. Where should I start? Well, I started with the milk chocolate when I first opened the box, because this is how you should start a chocolate tasting. You start with the mellowest flavor, and increase gradually to the strongest flavors and the highest percentages of cocoa. The only milk chocolate in the box is filled with a melon ganache. The melon flavor is quite strong, very memorable, while the ganache is heavenly creamy and delicious. My second favorite is the dark chocolate ganache with pineapple. The acidity of pineapple is perfectly balanced by the intensity of the dark chocolate. This piece is very memorable, and I felt like I needed to take a break before I tasted the next piece, which was the dark chocolate ganache with red fruits. The first hit is a tea flavor, quickly followed by cherries, raspberries, strawberries and red currants. Quite astonishing. The last two flavor combinations in the tasting weren’t my absolute favorites, but not because they aren’t perfectly crafted. One of them is a dark chocolate praline with anise, and I am not a big fan of anise in general. However, I am a big fan of praline, and I have to say that I didn’t find the anise strong or overpowering. My friends loved the piece, so if you are an anise lover, you should taste this. The last bonbon is an almond paste with lemon and lime zest. The flavors of almond paste combine really well with the freshness of the citrus. I found this piece a bit sweeter than I expected, which is great if you like sweet chocolate. If you don’t, then I’d definitely not end the tasting on this note.
La Maison du Chocolat has boutiques all over the world, so you have no excuse, you need to try this collection, or at least order it online on their website. The chocolate box is sold in their signature insulated bag, which makes it a great buy in the summertime. If you are lucky enough to find a shop in your neighborhood though, please go in and try their summer macarons and the ganache tart. You cannot order these online, and you will thank me later. www.lamaisonduchocolat.com
