White chocolate, peppercorns and lemons...Vosges introduces us to the Amalfi Coast through chocolate

Today I tasted the second-last chocolate bar in my Vosges chocolate stash. It is called the "Amalfi Bar", which is a white chocolate bar with lemon zest and pink peppercorns. I have always liked lemon-flavoured dark chocolate, but have never had the opportunity to try lemon-flavoured white chocolate until now.

Truthfully, the white chocolate was very good (with a whopping 36% cocoa butter, how could it not be?), but I found the lemon flavour a little strong. The peppercorns added a nice crunch and were not so peppery as to make you sneeze.

Although I was not excited about the strong lemon flavour, my three-year old daughter was. I'm glad she liked it, because it is made of natural ingredients and is much healthier than commercial chocolate treats she might otherwise choose. But still, white chocolate with lemon and peppercorns was an odd choice for a three-year old.

While my daughter ate the rest of my chocolate bar, I was asking myself: What on earth does "Amalfi" mean?  I had the vaguest notion that I'd heard that name before. Then I realized that the answer is on the back of the package. It said: "The Amalfi coast of southwest Italy inspired the bright citrus notes in this chocolate bar, where winding roads are draped by the heady scent of lemon trees."  Apparently, the Amalfi Coast is a known cultivator of lemons, according to Wikipedia, as well as limoncello liqueur (now that would be great with chocolate!). As I researched the Amalfi Coast, I found this picture,



Source: Wikipedia, http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f9/Amalfi_panorama_I.jpg


and I made a mental note to myself to go to the Amalfi Coast someday soon. I somehow missed this gorgeous place on my last (and only) trip to Italy.  I think Vosges has hit the mark here with their "Travel the World Through Chocolate" concept, since they have successfully introduced me to a place that I had no knowledge of before, but now want to visit.

If you are curious about tasting lemon-flavoured white chocolate with pink peppercorns, check out the package details and the link to Vosges' website below to learn how you can get your hands on this Italian-inspired chocolate bar:

Vosges Haut Chocolat "Amalfi Bar", 3oz (85g)
Vosges IP, LLC (Chicago, IL, USA)
http://www.vosgeschocolate.com/
Ingredients: White chocolate (sugar, cocoa butter, whole milk powder, soy lecithin - an emulsifier, vanilla), pink peppercorns, lemon zest, lemon oil.  White chocolate contains: 18% milk solids minimum.  Contains allergens: Milk, soy. Manufactured in a facility that handles tree nuts, peanuts, sesame seeds, milk, eggs, wheat, shellfish and soya.  Gluten-free.