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Kcal ??? Fat ??? Fat(sats) ??? Carbs ???After showcasing the famous Zotter Chocco Shot to you guys a few months ago, I thought there might no longer be anything from these people that I could really shock you with. Whilst I might never be able to get that sort of reaction from you guys again, what can I do is try cover off some of your Zotter requests. This Zotter Peanuts & Ketchup bar has been one that been sat on the ChocolateMission requests page for nearly two years now. I have to admit whilst I love fulfilling all reader review requests, this was not one that I went out of my way to track down, and had it not been for the kind people at Zotter it would probably be one to remain their a while longer :D What can I say!? Chocolate, Peanuts & Ketchup?? Oh come on surely not - this had to be disgusting!?
After my brief flirtation with Zotter's chocolate injectors (See HERE) it was very much back to the more conformitive handscooped format today, with this bar coming in a 70.0g form. The presentation to me was impressive with the American themed wrapper a sensible choice given the flavouring of the inner filling. As you can see in my cross-section picture above, the bar was beautifully devised into three distinct looking layers with the dark chocolate shell exterior sandwiching the distinct looking peanut and ketchup layers in the middle. The initial fragrances emanating from the sleek golden wrapper confines were largely cocoa led, though more subtle roasted nut and fruity scents could be detected upon closer inspection.
Before tasting the bar it did cross my mind to look at the ingredients list to check to see how the ketchup and peanuts experience was intended to be delivered, but that just wouldn't of been fun would it :D Indeed, I tasted this blind without looking at it, and I was left with mixed feelings once I had done so. Anyone who has read any of my previous Zotter reviews will be well aware how much I rate their chocolate, so it will come as little surprise to you that I loved every last bit of the beautifully balanced 70% dark that coated this bar. The unsweetened, coffee noted cocoa flavours were a nice initial lead in to the peanutty element that came to the party next. The peanut layer brought a great roasted nut element to the taste, bringing a savoury edge that had a nice touch of salt. Sat below this smooth peanut bit, the mouth feel was somewhat changed in the latter stages of the melt with the arrival of the ketchup constituents. This layer was drier, and more crumbly in texture, and brought a sweet twist to the flavour development. This sweetness came off as more of a slightly oddish fruity taste rather than a pure tomato one, and for my money it wasn't entirely desirable. Ultimately I didn't think the tomato development was a spoiler in any sense, but in my opinion it was neither an enhancer to the experience.
Overall this was a hard bar for me to score as it did so many things correctly, but just wasn't entirely to my liking. I'm sure you have gathered that the dark chocolate and peanut layers were both simply exquisite, and it was both of these two things that made me come back for more with the end of each mouthful. Whilst I would love this to be one of those Zotter reviews where the weired ingredient comes good, I unfortunately cant make a case for the ketchup here. As I have alluded to above, it wasn't in any way repulsive, but neither did I feel like it contributed positively. One nagging feeling that I had in the back of my head throughout was that I wanted it to provide a truer, fruitier twist to the taste - I think my brain wanted Peanut Butter & Jelly, yet was getting confused with the Peanuts & Ketchup. As with every Zotter bar I can recommend this one with the caveat that it is great if you are looking for a unique chocolate flavour experience. As for it being a great tasting chocolate!? Hmmm sorry - the jurys still out for me on this one. It was fun, but just not particularly great tasting.
6.8 out of 10
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56 comments:
Boy this nearly put me off my brekkie. It doesn't sound nice at all.
I was hoping you were gonna do a bits and bobs one today but this brought a smile just as big to my face. The things you do for us Jim - ketchup chocolate isn't one I would ever have requested you to try. I know you will try anything and I would feel guilty putting you through the rigermerole of it all. Good on you for giving it a go.
When I logged on here the other day I thought I hadn't ever seen anything as tasty looking as those cakes. Today is the complete opposite. This looks so so disgusting.
What were you thinking eating this one Jim? I would have just left that one on the request list to stay there for forever and ever lol. I know zotter have sprung the odd surprise every know and then but come on, were your really expecting this to be anything other than disgusting :) I would have touched this with a barge pole.
Dx
Ketchup and chocolate? That sounds almost as disgusting as fishfingers with custard. My friend tried fishfingers with custard btw. Said it wasn't as bad you would expect, I do worry about him sometimes lol. Hes a tad eccentric to say the least.
If this is the sort of chocolate I would have to try I would like to withdraw my application for helping you out with your reviews thank you =) The good chocolate I'm happy to take off your hands but this one ... err no thanks.
ewwww ketchup and chocolate is disgusting. I thought this was a joke post. I had to check I hadn't gone back in time to April fools.
This has done well to get a score that high in my book. I bought this from cybercandy and took two bites and chucked it. I thought the ketchup bit was just going to be some sort of jam but I was wrong. I wasn't expecting actual tomatoe.
Was there much point even trying this one? Its not like it was ever going to win the chocolate mission was it.
I'm new to this site and only just got wind of these Zotter people. Im not to sure about this particular one but some of the other Zotters look nice. I'm especially interesting in trying the organic beer chocolate. That sounds so so wrong but if it works then I could you can't deny it. I might treat myself later and order a few of their chocs to experiment with. Does anyone have any special suggestions which flavours are best for a bat-shit crazy chocolate novice? Lol I don't want anything too mad thanks.
£14 for 4 bars = £3.50 each before postage.
Would you pay £.3.50 for a chocolate with ketchup spoiling it. Errrr NA!!!!
For anyone wondering these people have a good range of Zotter chocs
http://www.chocolate-cafe.co.uk/zotter/
Surprise surprise this one is sitting under the ones called 'crazy' lol.
Zotter reviews are always great for a laugh. They never fail do they :-) Good review Jim.
Hey J
Happy with the De Gea signing then mate? 18 mil sounds like rich money but it could be one of those situations in the future where you look back on it and it seems a bargain. Alternatively it could be one of those Fergie clanger situations where he buys himself a dodgy keeper lol Taibi ring any bells for you ;)
As much as I want to talk football I can't help but beg the question ARE you crazy!? I know it was on your request page mate but you aren't our slave or anything. I think any reasonable sole would say getting you to eat chocolate with ketchup on it is a step to far lol. You would get me doing it thats for sure. Save yourself the trouble next time.
Cheers
N
p.s. Murray to get soundly beaten by Nadal today
I've only ever seen one other zotter bar that sounded worse than this and that was one with fish in. Well done for trying it m8. Excellent and fair review of it.
Does anyone else find that photo still quite attractive? My eyes are bulging at the filling bit, but my head is saying no no no at the thought of ketchup being in the mix.
I looked at the picture first and thought mmmm yummy cause of the peanut butter bit in there .... then I read the full title and my stomach twitched a little. This sounds horrendous from what you say. PB + Jam sandwiches are a guilty pleasure of mine so I understand what you say when you just wished it was a sweeter fruit taste and not the ketchup. I'm all for trying new flavour combinations but this is a step to far for me I'm afraid hun.
Rxxx
I'm still deciding whether you are brave or stupid for trying this one Jim. I think the score of 6.8 sorta suggests that it might be the latter one this time.
Good on you for giving it a go, if it's any consolation I enjoyed hearing what it was like.
I wonder if any of the workers @ Zotter even like this? I bet you loads of the don't.
In a way you can say good on them for trying something new, on the other hand it looks like this one in particular was an epic fail.
I hope they don't take much notice of some of the comments left today. I wouldn't want them to think that people just want plainer chocolates. It would be sooooooo boring if we didn't have companies like Zotter who are willing to push the boat out a bit.
Normaly I leave here wanting to eat the thing you have reviewed but today I'm more than happy to let this one pass me by lol.
Have you got any more chocolates to review from these guys Jim? I don't think they are going to be able to surpass themselves after this one :)
All I have to say about this one today is PASS :)
Over the two years I've been reading this site there been hundreds and hundreds of days where I've been green with envy looking at the wonderful chocolates you've been lucky enough to try. Today is not one of those days.
I don't want to come across as the unadventurous type but this isn't one I would eat. I appreciate your bravery jim but there are just things that are never going to work out.
The only consolation I can give you is that you can at least say you covered everything on your chocolate mission. A person who is just trying it for sheer enjoyment wouldn't have that to fall back on.
He He this is my favourite review of the week :-) I know it scored well bad but the review was very funny to read. I don't think you will be able to top this one for disgustingness any time soon.
I think I could do the part of your job where you get to try all the cakes and stuff but im not too sure about these weird ones.
I would want to be being paid some serious wedge to even contemplate this passing my lips. It just sounds horrible.
I never realised zotter was so pricey. If you buy their bars individually they cost over 3 quid in most places. That will only have added to the disappointment of the how this tasted if you had paid for it in the first place.
That zotter whisky shot thing you've linked in managed to slip past me first time. Lol I don't know whats more crazy - ketchup in chocolate or a chocolate injector machine. This company is just nuts mate.
Thanks for the review browski. You have to be slightly mad to be eating chocolates like this. Fair play to ya.
Why ketchup?
Why not something actually American like BBQ sauce or that terrible fake mustard they make.
I've tried a few Zotter bars now and it's their dark chocolates that have impressed me the most when I've tried them.
They do a pistachio chocolate which I think you might get on better with Jim. Anything has to be better than this silly one.
Normally I would say thanks for the warning but being honest with you I don't think I ever would have been stupid enough to by this one in the first place. Sorry if that sounds harsh but Ketchup chocolate isn't something that I would ever contemplate.
Jim mate I'm all up for trying new and interesting chocs but you are taking things to new extremes here. I don't think there would have been anything you could have said that would have made me try this one, now im 100% sure I wouldn't ever after reading what you have to say about it. Save yourself the trouble next time mate and just try something more sensible.
This does come across as a totally ridiculous and insane idea but I wouldn't have put it past them pulling it off.
I think i come to this conclusion each time you review Zotter chocolates but at least you know that it can't get any weirder.
Thanks for that link to the chocolatecafe website GoldenT (blatantly someone who works there lol). They look like they have a whole host of different flavours I haven't seen before. You want a few suggestions Jim or have you enough chocolate to review at the moment?
See I like this sort of review more than the run of the mill 'hotel chocolat is brilliant one'. Lol we all know how great HC are now! What we don't know for sure is how disgusting interesting chocolates like this one are lol. I say do more like these Jim. Just watch out you don't poison yourself with too many of them lol.
See I like this sort of review more than the run of the mill 'hotel chocolat is brilliant one'. Lol we all know how great HC are now! What we don't know for sure is how disgusting interesting chocolates like this one are lol. I say do more like these Jim. Just watch out you don't poison yourself with too many of them lol.
Well ... errr.... this one is different LMAO. I can live without this one today J. If you have any of those luckys cakes left going I will gladly have them though =)
Who do you think is going to win the tennis today then Jim? I saw you talking to @nigel about it earlier in the week. I think Murray will run Nadal close but will end up losing in 5 sets.
Great review today btw. I don't fancy the chocolate much mind you lol.
I never dismiss things purely by name or by first look but this was one that I knew was never going to rate highly. Peanuts are savoury tasting enough already, theres no reason to have another savoury tasting thing in there as well. If anything you would always want to pair peanuts with something sweet so the saltyness is balanced out. Another way they could have done this I guess is by using milk choc instead of dark.
I like the idea of Zotter doing some peanut butter like stuff but why did they have to put tomatoe sauce in there? The thing is that I don't even relate ketchup with being american. I thought it was made by Heinz and aren't they a british company? Perhaps I'm totally confusing myself here, excuse my ignorance.
There's trying something new and then there's potentially just taking the pee like this one does. It would be interesting to hear about the number of people that would have bought this chocolate once and bought it again after tasting it. I think the numbers would be staggeringly low.
I got to give you props for giving this one a try. A lesser chocolate reviewer would have just put off trying it until it had been forgotton about. I can congratulate you but I won't say I envy you lol.
Thats a low score for Zotter chocolates. They are normally loads better than 6.8 / 10. I tried one of their plain chocolate labooko dark chocolates not long ago. I thought it was pretty tasty personally. The quality of the packaging was tremendous also. It looked well smart.
It must be so much fun working for this company.
Imagine if someone had suggested this in the thinking tank room at Cadbury LOL. They would probably be sent to a funny farm.
They could have at very least have picked a decent condiment now :D Whats wrong with mustard? mayo or salad cream? ;)
@Ganesh I couldn't have put it better myself. I'm more green with sickness hearing about this one today ROFL.
I reviewed the one with trout, raspberry and coconut!! I didnt find it pleasant yak!
I love the chocolate that Zotter use for coating these bars and I love the fact that they are coming up with combinations that nobody else has thought of before. Still, I would never touch the bars with ingredients that I don't like anyway... and this bar is among them. I don't like peanuts and I don't like ketchup, so this bar could never work for me.
But I still have a very long list of Zotter bars that I want to try, most of them being fruity or alcoholic (Sweet Orange - with orange peel and orange liqueur, Blood Orange - orange liqueur + marzipan, Cherry Brandy with Marzipan, Muscat Wine with Grapes, Marc de Champagne, Golden Cherries - cherries in cherry brandy + almond nougat, Blackcurrants 'in & out', Apricot 'in & out' - apricot brandy + apricot jelly, Passion Fruit Grapes embedded in Almonds, Cashew and Pineapple, Plum Brandy, Coconut Rum, Raspberry Coconut) .
I like trying new flavour combinations, but this just sounds wrong and pointless. I can't imagine why anyone would think of putting the two flavours together. But then that's Mr Zotter for you, totally bonkers (no offence if you're reading Mr Zotter :D).
The wrapper artwork is interesting...looks like a monster with lots of people running away. Maybe it's meant to imply that most people would run a mile from this bar, haha.
If I ever get round to trying any Zotter stuff I'll be playing it safe and getting something with fruit in.
Fitting review so close to the 4th. I've been curious about this one as well. I really don't understand the flavor combo though - I've never heard of PB and Ketchup. Peanut butter and pickles is about the most exotic combo that's actually popular with some people.
HI All,
I'm loving the comments on here today. Some of them are absolutely hilarious :D
It's been a long while since Zotter came up on here but they certainly know how to ruffle the feathers and create a bit of chit-chat when they are.
Apologies if I don't address your comment today. As you can see there are so many it would be impossible to do anything apart from answer some of the direct questions.
BEN - Is there a point trying any chocolate? Of course there is! You shouldn't ever discount anything without trying it first.
OLLIE - My advice would be to check all the reviews under the Zotter tag. There are plenty in there that are worth your attention.
GOLDEN - Thanks for the link. Good find.
NIGEL - I'm very happy with the Da Gea signing chap. We will just have to see how he goes now. Please don't mention Taibi :D
STEVEN - I do indeed have a few more Zotter reviews up my sleeve. They will be following soon enough.
LUCY - Somehow you managed to come up with an even more disgusting one ... salad cream and peanuts :D
SAKURA - The cakes are long gone I'm afraid.
CHRIS - I have a sneaky feeling that Murray is going to pip Nadal. I hope so anyway. I would love to see him play in the final.
PETER - Heinz are an American firm!
ANON - Another salad cream or mayonnaise suggestion. Come on guys I can't see that working either.
ANA - Your list is cool. You may have seen I've reviewed some of them already. Have a look under the Zotter tag. Always good to hear from you! It's been awhile.
PHIL - I think you probably have your head screwed on there :D Are there any you fancy trying in particular chap? Perhaps I can request them for a review first?
RODDY - Ahhh yes the fourth of July is Monday isn't it! Hmmm I will have to think of something to honour you guys. This would have been perfect aswell DOH!! Oh well, thanks for the reminder Roddy. Loved your review of the Chunky Monkey B&J's btw ... go read it everyone!!
Thanks for the wealth of comments today everyone. It certainly brought a few of you out the woodwork didn't it :D
Hopefully you will be glad to hear that I have some more Zotter bars in the pipeline to review. If you have any requests be sure to send them my way.
JIM
I love ketchup but I highly doubt I'd get excited for these chocolates. Weird stuff but interesting. My dad loves ketchup...this might just be a good gift..
I'm appreciative of their efforts here, but today, individualism and a Hipster Agenda hardly go hand in hand.
lol. I picked this one to try as my first Zotter bar on purpose cause I wanted a weird combination. since it's not PB but peanuts, I imagined it as aiming for a more salty/savory combination and that's why I was so disappointed it was sweet, which makes sense the 'ketchup' is just tomato pulp, you describe the taste perfectly. I'm also annoyed the grappa content isn't more clearly stated. I love the Zotter dark chocolate though.
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