A thing some chocolate manufacturers are doing lately is stressing the location from which the cocoa has come to highlight taste differences. If you’re familiar with cafes going on about their coffee beans, it’s kind of like that. TopValu, Aeon supermarkets’ “home brand” has gotten in on the act with their “choco tablet” range, showing offf different cocoa sources and their variations in a collection of truly beautiful boxes. I’m honestly not sure to what extent the flavour truly varies and reminding me of where the chocolate comes from just reminds me of the conditions in which cocoa farmers work. I wouldn’t think I was that alone in the latter or that it was all that conducive to business. Also, is it really that much of a mental leap to then remember the Aeon is actually taking over a ton of supermarkets and convenience stores in recent years? And this also isn’t a sales-friendly train of thought? Hmm.
Anyway! I picked up the Indonesia box, mostly because my sister speaks Indonesian; for all I love chocolate, my palate isn’t that discerning. I am happy to say I really enjoyed it too, despite the guilt trip. It was dark but not too bitter, and the texture was lovely. I’ll probably wind up investigating the rest of the range at some point to see what the variations actually are!
Chocolates of Japan 