Bananas and chocolate, a yummy combination by Theobroma and Valor

We all know that bananas are a staple fruit at any chocolate fondue.  It is also common knowledge that you can put a banana on a popsicle stick, dunk it in melted chocolate, put it in the freezer and you have a great frozen treat. So why is it that we don't we see more banana-flavoured chocolate bars? Well, perhaps that is starting to change.  I recently came across two chocolate bars that combine real pieces of banana into dark chocolate: Valor Dark Chocolate 70% Cocoa with Banana and Theobroma chocolat Organic 60% chocolate with Banana Chunks.  Since these are the only two chocolate bars that I have found so far with banana flavouring, I have saved them to taste and compare to each other today.

I have started my tasting with the Valor bar. Normal chocolate tasting sessions should start with the sweeter chocolate, then move to the darker chocolate.  But I have found that, when comparing one dark chocolate bar to another dark chocolate bar, if I start with the sweeter chocolate first, the darker bar will inevitably taste too bitter to me in comparison and I find myself favouring the sweeter chocolate. So now, when it comes to flavoured chocolate, I start with the more bitter bar first, then move to the sweeter one so I can assess both chocolates fairly.

The Valor is a nice and bitter chocolate with a sweet banana after taste.  This one is definitely designed for people who like dark 70% chocolate and also like bananas. Banana pulp is used to create the flavour, and fructose has been added as well.

The Theobroma chocolate banana bar is, overall, sweeter than the Valor bar because it is has 60% cacao, versus the 70% of the Valor bar.  Its main difference though, is that there are crunchy/spongy pieces of freeze dried banana in it.  The banana flavour is really subtle, very natural and very nice with the chocolate. 

What I like about both of these chocolate bars is that the banana flavour is real. There is nothing grosser than artificial banana flavouring, and these chocolate bars have none of that - thank goodness.  Artificial fruit flavours are often the reason why many people don't like "banana-flavoured" desserts or beverages.  It is overpowering, too sweet and can turn people off.  If you are one of those people who have been turned off by banana flavoured desserts in the past, I recommend that you try one of these chocolate bars so you can see what real banana-flavourng is like in a dessert or snack.  You may be surprised by how much you like it.

Overall, I like both chocolate bars.  If I were having cravings for something sweet one day, I would choose the Theobroma bar, but if I were in the mood for a bitter flavoured chocolate, I would choose the Valor bar. Also, both chocolate bars are all-natural, which is great.  The difference though, is Theobroma is made from organic chocolate, sugar and bananas, so if you are concerned with eating organically, then this bar is for you. The other plus for Theobroma, is that it comes in a portion-controlled size (35 grams), so if you eat the whole thing in one sitting, you don't need to feel guilty about it!

Now that I've had my banana fix, I'm off to monkey around for the rest of the afternoon.  If you know of any other banana-flavoured fine chocolate bars that you think taste great, let me know at ultimatechocolateblog@gmail.com.

Here are the stats on the two chocolate bars I tried today:

Valor Chocolates Dark Chocolate 70% Cocoa With Banana, 100 grams
Chocolates Valor S.A. (imported by Valor Chocolates USA, Miami, FL). Made in Spain.
www.valor.es
Ingredients: Semisweet chocolate (chocolate, sugar, cocoa, cocoa butter, soy lecithin), sugar, glucose-fructose, banana pulp, citric acid, natural flavor. May contain milk and tree nuts.

Theobroma chocolat banana chunks, 60% cacao, 35 g (1.25 oz)
Vigneault Chocolatier Ltee, Quebec, Canada.  Made in Canada.
www.theobromachocolat.com
Ingredients: cocoa mass*, sugar cane*, cocoa butter*, banana*, soy lecithin. Allergens: contains soybean and may contain nuts and dairy products. *Organic.