Rock Salt Doritos

For better or worse, Doritos and I go way back. While my favorite will always be Cool(er) Ranch, I love trying any and all new Doritos flavors I find in the US and Canada. Every now and then, I like to try Japanese flavors, though they do require a bit more work to acquire. Please correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems like explosion of Japanese Doritos flavors has only happened within the last 10 years. When I visited in 2004, the students I met in Japan hadn't really heard of Doritos and we had to get them from a pricey import store, but now they seem downright common!

These Andes Rock Salt Doritos called out to me while browsing napaJapan (my favorite site for ordering Japanese treats - and no one gives me anything or pays me to say this). Sure, it's gimmicky, but come one, they're black chips! Sure, it's no Corn Cream Stew, but for some reason, I thought they'd be special.

It turns out, they were just peppery corn chips. These threw me for a loop because they don't have that Doritos smell or taste - even different flavors of Doritos still taste like Doritos. Maybe I need to investigate additional Japanese flavors to see if this is only true of North American Doritos.

At first, I was very disappointed because these just tasted like regular corn chips. Then, a nice, cracked black pepper flavor kicked in as I chewed, building until the salty finish. After eating a few chips, the heat built to about a medium. The slight spiciness was nice, but I really didn't need to go all the way to Japan to have this experience. At least the bag looked cool.

B-

Doritos website (Japanese)

Vosges Amalfi Bar

Though I haven't been blogging as much as I used to, I have continued to sample chocolate avidly. One of the consequences of this blog is that I've become somewhat of a chocolate snob. When I started blogging, I didn't think it was worth it to buy expensive chocolate for myself very often, and now it's no big deal. I still enjoy a Twix bar or Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, but there is simply no comparison to some complex dark chocolate. But more on that in another review.

Having said that, buying the Amalfi white chocolate bar was kind of a gamble. The fact that this one was 36% cocoa, combined with the fact that the local fancy food store had this one on sale, convinced me. Aside from the white chocolate, this bar also features pink peppercorns and lemon zest.


The pink peppercorns were quite mild and not as aromatic as the Dolfin pink peppercorn bar, but the subtle pepper flavor did go well with the tart but not sour lemon zest. Both provided a bit of a woodsy sensation, and I was surprised at how tasty the combination was!

The white chocolate was very well done. It was milky and neither too rich nor too sweet. The texture was smooth, slightly buttery, and thankfully, not sticky. While I don't see myself buying this bar again, it was a pleasant surprise.

A-

Have a look at Rodzilla Reviews, The Food Buster, and Foodette Reviews for more on this bar.

Vosges website

Dolfin Noir au Poivre Rose

I think I have a new favorite brand. My sister gave me Dolfin's Noir au Poivre Rose (Black with Pink Pepper) for my birthday, and it was the first time I had seen the brand. Sometimes chocolate sits around at home because I have so much, but I prioritized this bar because it was so pretty. There's still a bit of wrapping paper stuck to the package in my picture because I was in such a hurry to eat the bar.

The whole experience, from opening the package to finishing the bar, was delightful. The wrapper reminded me of a checkbook (maybe it's a bit overpackaged). The bar itself was wrapped in a liner that reminded me of old-fashioned wallpaper. It was so cute and elegant!


Oh, the chocolate. It's been a long time since I've enjoyed chocolate this much. The bar had a strong peppercorn scent that carried over into the flavor. The pepper was more aromatic than spicy, and it was absolutely perfect with the dark chocolate.


Speaking of the chocolate, it was some of the best dark chocolate I've ever had. It was nutty and only mildly bitter, with very little fruitiness. The middle notes were sweet and creamy, and the finish was bitter and clean. The pepper even cleared my sinuses a bit, but I didn't find it to be too strong.

My husband had one complaint: the slightly gritty texture of the peppercorns reminded him of dirt at times. The texture didn't bother me. After this bar was gone, I promptly ordered more Dolfin chocolate, and, as you'll see in upcoming reviews, I was not disappointed.

A

Dolfin website