Fire and Ice - Vosges uses chili and chocolate to create two chocolate bars that will appeal to both the fire and ice in you

It is a spicy sort of day - sunny and chilly outside -  so it is a great day for tasting and comparing two chocolate bars with chili peppers.  And among the large stash of Vosges chocolate bars that I have on hand, two of them happen to be spicy.

The first that I tasted today was the Vosges Haut Chocolat Red Fire Bar with 55% cacao. Although this comes in a larger size, I have the tiny 14 gram version of this chocolate bar.  It is just the right size for a tasting, or an afternoon chocolate treat when you're at the office.  In other words, it is the perfect size when you want portion control.

As the chocolate began to melt in my mouth, I immediately tasted the cinnamon. That was followed by the burning sensation - this chocolate definitely has a kick to it. It is the perfect balance of cacao percentage to spices. No single flavour takes control; the chocolate just blends from cocoa flavour to cinnamon to chillies seamlessly.

I'd say that the name "Red Fire Bar" is absolutely perfect for it. It is a little reminiscent of those traditional Valentine's Day cinnamon heart candies, but not quite as strong or so unnaturally flavoured as cinnamon hearts. I think that for anyone who likes spicy chocolate or "Mayan"-style flavoured chocolate, this chocolate would be popular with them.

The second Vosges chocolate bar I tasted today was the Oaxaca Bar (pronounced waa-haa-kah bar, according to the package). This has Oaxacan (Mexican) guajillo y pasilla chillies and is made with single-origin Tanzanian bittersweet chocolate. When I opened the tiny package, it had that strong smell of origin chocolate with notes of tobacco. However, the immediate taste and texture was of improperly stored or tempered chocolate.  A noticeable lack of shine to the chocolate was also telling.

When the flavour took over, it was a little sweeter than I expected, especially since it is a 75% bar. The chillies (guajillo chili peppers and pasilla) are not nearly as spicy as the Red Fire Bar.  I much prefer the balance of cacao solids to the spice and flavour in the Red Fire Bar.  The Oaxaca Bar is too bitter-sweet for me.  In fact, it is a little on the sickeningly sweet side.

So I guess it is up to you which to choose...if you prefer a smooth combination of heat and sweet spice with a lingering cinnamon burn then you will like the Red Fire Bar by Vosges.  If you like your bitter chocolate to taste really sweet and mildly spicy, then the Oaxaca Bar is for you. I guess the real question is: do you like fire or ice?

As a side note: the packages of both chocolate bars state that they are "Vegan" and "Gluten-free", although it does say that it is manufactured in a facility that handles wheat...which may mean that you do not have a gluten-free guarantee.

Here are the package details of the two bars that I tasted today:

Vosges Haut Chocolat Red Fire Bar, 55% cacao, 0.5oz (14g)
Vosges IP, LLC, Chicago, IL (USA)
http://www.vosgeschocolate.com/
Ingredients: Dark chocolate (cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter, soy lecithin-an emulsifier, vanilla), ancho and chipotle chili peppers, cinnamon. Chocolate bar contains: 53% cocoa solids minimum. Contains: Soy.  Manufactured in a facility that handles tree nuts, peanuts, sesame seeds, milk, eggs, wheat, shellfish and soy. Vegan. Gluten-free.

Vosges Haut Chocolat Oaxaca Bar, 75% cacao, 0.5oz (14g)
Vosges IP, LLC, Chicago, IL (USA)
http://www.vosgeschocolate.com/
Ingredients:  Select origin dark chocolate (cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter, soy lecithin-an emulsifier, vanilla) guajillo and pasilla chili peppers. Chocolate bar contains: 73% cocoa solids minimum. Contains: Soy.  Manufactured in a facility that handles tree nuts, peanuts, sesame seeds, milk, eggs, wheat, shellfish and soy. Vegan. Gluten-free.

Would you like to read more about Vosges' chocolate?  I have their full range of chocolate bars at home and have been tasting them and blogging about them slowly.  Read more here:

• Vosges Bacon and Chocolate (http://ultimatechocolateblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/las-vegas-chocolate-part-2-bacon-and.html)
• Vosges single origin chocolate and Creole with chicory(http://ultimatechocolateblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/vosgues-dominican-dark-chocolate-and.html)