February 12th: Hotel Chocolat Liquid Chocolat

A lack of noteworthy chocolate news, and my own safety concerns have led me to abandon my usual '7Days of Chocolate Review' weekend today. Indeed, the sheer amount of you applying the pressure for my long awaited Hotel Chocolat Drinking Chocolate reviews has just got a little too much - I dare not leave you guys waiting any longer :D

Looking on the Hotel Chocolat website I couldn't help but chuckle when I read how they came described 'Experience the warm embrace of our authentic hot chocolate drink with a gorgeously smooth cocoa kick. There’s one to suit every taste – from seasonal specials and the classic Milky, to the deeply chocolaty Classic and the warming spice of chilli. This isn’t hot chocolate as you know it, this is Liquid Chocolat!' ... this sounded like some spiel taken out of an M&S advert (UK readers will know what I'm talking about!)

As you may have gathered, there have been a constant flow of review requests landing in my various inboxes asking me to include Hotel Chocolat in my Hot Chocolate Mission side project. Last week I finally got around to sending a quick e-mail to Hotel Chocolat HQ - before I knew it I had two of their 275.0g mixes sitting on my kitchen counter.

The two variants sent across to me were the Liquid Chocolat Classic Milky & Classic Dark. Both came in plastic containers and contained enough mixture for approximately eight different mixtures. At the start of the Hot Chocolate Mission side project I stated I would be making all these drinks with the same methodology (half boiling water + half heated milk). I have to admit now I did stray away from this method when making these here, as the on-pack instructions called for the arduous task of melting the chocolate and then stirring in the heated milk - this was obviously the way they had to be made. Below are my thoughts on the two different drinks.


Liquid Chocolat Classic Milky - This mixture comprised of a blend of Hotel Chocolat's 72% dark and 50% milk chocolate and not surprisingly had a paler complexion. Out of the two drinks this was of course the sweeter tasting, though it was still very rich in it's cocoa flavour offering. Again comparing one with the other, this Milky variety offered the creamier, smoother taste out of the two, and the frophy milky top lasted a lot longer than with the dark drink. I did observe however, that the chocolatyness didn't linger in the mouth for as longer duration.

Liquid Chocolat Classic Dark - This variety was a pure blend of 72% dark, and if you haven't peeked at the scores already was my favourite out of the two. Before I go overboard describing the taste :D I do have to point to the fact that the mix did take longer to fully melt in to milk, and possibly wasn't quite as smooth or frothy due to the higher cocoa levels. These soon became forgotten issues - this was liquid gold :D Indeed, every mouthful of this drink was nothing other than luxurious. The cocoa taste was deep, non-bitter and layered with notes of coffee and earthy richness. Each gulp left a lingering set of exciting cocoa flavours, and I can assure that a mug of this would cure the greatest of chocolate desires. Satisfaction in chocolate liquid form guaranteed.

Overall I think we can safely say that both of these Hotel Chocolat Liquid Chocolat drinks are leading the way when it comes to my Hot Chocolate Mission side project. Above I've detailed each of my luxurious experiences with the two different variants but I haven't mentioned just yet is the BEST bit about each of them. With most other hot chocolate drinks I tend to find the dreggs left at the bottom of the mug the most bitter tasting and least enjoyable (most the time I don't finish the mug!). The beauty with these Hotel Chocolat Liquid Chocolat drinks was the chocolaty bits left at the bottom of the mug were utterly delicious - finishing them off with a spoon is a must! Take that as my top tip as I honestly can't put in to words how extra enjoyable and satisfying they made each mug of these delightful mixtures seem - they really gave both of these drink mixtures an x-factor to differentiate them from any I have tried before. What more can I say!? These aren't the easiest drinks to assemble, but boy are they worth the extra effort. Highly recommended!

Hotel Chocolat Liquid Chocolat Classic Milky - 8.6 out of 10


Hotel Chocolat Liquid Chocolat Classic Dark - 8.9 out of 10

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Fancy trying these yourself? Visit Hotel Chocolat

February 11th: Kit Kat 70% Dark

Kcal 243 Fat 15.3g Carbs 19.1g (per bar)

The season of new products is showing no signs of slowing down with the likes of Cadbury, Mars and Nestle injecting several 'new' offerings across many of their established brands (See Cadbury HERE, Mars HERE). The busiest of all the mass market manufactures here in the UK has been Nestle, who having extended their Milkybar and Aeros brands already in 2011, obviously thought they better not leave out the Kit Kat. Indeed, my attention was brought to this article a week or so ago by ChocolateMission reader Phil - 'Nestle to launch 70% cocoa dark Kit Kat'. Having just written a review of the Kit Kat Dark Bitter (sourced from Japan), and stated 'it was probably a little naive of me hoping for a 70% Lindt dark chocolate experience', it was somewhat scary that the announcement of this bar came only a few days later. The only possible explanation is that Nestle are dedicated ChocolateMission fans of course :D

The press release for this new 70% bar stated that this new variant would be replacing the original Kit Kat Dark - Press Release HERE. Indeed, when I found the bar in Tesco it was situated, and merchandised alongside some of the older bars - I of course couldn't turn down the opportunity for a side-by-side comparison :D One thing that immediately got my seal of approval was the packaging. The new matted finish on the wrapper looks terrific, and suitably gives the sense of a more premium proposition. The slightly increased price of £0.59 wasn't something that I had qualms with, though looking at the latest press release I was surprised to see that the RRP should have been a whole £0.03 less (See HERE).

Insignificant pounds and pennies to one side, it was time to do the all important taste test. Giving the new fancy pants foil matted wrapper the respect it deserved (saddo haha!), I carefully unsealed the foil material to reveal a very familiar looking proposition below. The chocolate glistened in the light with a shiny looking, fresh complexion, and the fingers broke with a fresh, reassuring sounding snap. Placing the first piece in my mouth my first observations were that the melt of the chocolate was well paced, and that the subsequent flavour delivery of the chocolate retained a smoothness despite the high cocoa levels. Flavour wise the quality of the 70.0% chocolate wasn't as rich or layered as the likes of Lindt or Hotel Chocolat, but it was at least a step up from the woeful Aero Dark. The taste was still 'safe' in regards to it's bitterness and was still by all means 'mass consumer friendly', however there were underlying hints of smokey earthyness which gave the taste a sense of progressiveness within it's melt. My fear was that this stronger tasting chocolate might overshadow the wafer below, but if anything the brown sugar hinted wheat biscuit flavours came through stronger as the contrasting flavour bases were more contradictory in taste (i.e. non-sweet chocolate vs sweet wafer). The fuller bodied chocolate meant the four finger bar came across as very satisfying and rich snacking option, it certainly cured my hunger, and proved to be a very fitting snack to go alongside my afternoon coffee.

Overall I haven't been that complimentary of a number of the Nestle 'new' products so far this year, however this Kit Kat 70% Dark bucks the trend. As I have gone in to detail about above, the chocolate quality didn't come across as being up there with the higher end offerings from Lindt, Hotel Chocolat et al, but it was better than I expected, and it did at least break out of the generic unsweetened milk chocolate mould that can be attributed to way to many 'dark chocolate' mass produced varieties. Comparing the new 70% cocoa bar to the older 54% cocoa, I have to say that my preference now lies with the 70% offering. Nestle's new dedication to it's 'Cocoa Plan' (a marketing buzz phrase they have come up with for their Fairtrade policy) hopefully means that this swap to the higher cocoa formulation will be a permanent move rather than a limited edition time deal. If you are a Kit Kat fan, then I suggest you give this bar a try regardless of whether you have any affinity to dark chocolate. It is the best dark chocolate Kit Kat bar I have ever tried and I would feel comfortable recommending it to anyone.

8.5 out of 10

February 9th: Cadbury Lots of Lovely Little Pralines

Kcal 175 Fat 10.8g Fat(sats) 5.9g Carbs 17.4g (per 5 hearts)

With Valentines day only five days away its probably around the time that most people start thinking about what to gift that special someone they have front of mind. Lets face it - chocolates, flowers and a card are a recipe for success, they are the failsafe when it comes to Valentines. As I showed you all in the last few days, Hotel Chocolat have a stunning line up of products this year, fronted by the Melting Hearts selection which got some amazing reader feedback weekend just gone (See HERE). As good as Hotel Chocolat are, they aren't always an option for everyone given their limited availability and premium prices. I believe here is where the likes of Cadbury, Guylian, Nestle etc should come to all our rescue - providing a low cost, readily available product that will sweep our Valentines off our feet. Attempting to fulfil this very role, I put these new Cadbury Lots of Lovely Pralines to the test.

I bought this box of chocolates from Tesco on an introductory half price deal, £2.05 for a 187.0g box. I was a little embarrassed picking up this huge big heart shaped box knowing it was for my own consumption, but I thought Cadbury had done a decent job with the exterior design work - it reminded me a lot of the Thorntons Praline Melts chocolates (take a look HERE). What with the massive sized box I was hugely surprised when I lifted the lid and saw the chocolates inside - they looked ridiculously small, and there were around thirty of them at least. Small size aside, the heart shaped chocolates at least promised more in regards to their aromas, with comforting Cadbury chocolate scents making themselves known.

'Milk chocolates with a smooth hazelnut filling' - that sounds all good right!?? Well I'm going to let the 'cat out the bag' early and tell you they weren't. Issue number one was that the chocolate wasn't Cadbury's Dairy Milk. Now I know the average consumer probably wouldn't notice this, but speaking as someone who can instantly tell the difference between Dairy Milk and their inferior milk chocolate recipe I was disappointed to find the 14% cocoa solids chocolate had it's usual thinner melt and more sugar focused taste. Of course none of this would have mattered if it weren't for issue number two - the ridiculous 'praline' fillings. Excuse my bluntness, but boy was the so called 'praline' woeful. It lacked any sort of nuttyness, wasn't differentiated in texture, and frankly only just went to intensify the sweetness of the outer chocolate. These truffles were small and totally unsatisfying - I ended up throwing the majority of them in the bin.

Overall, prior to lifting the lid on the box things looked fairly good what with the reasonable price point and nicely designed packaging. Everything from there though took a sharp nose dive and I haven't even mentioned the gareish pink tray that the chocolates sat in (electric pink!! I should have got a photograph for you!). As you will have read above, the inner tray was the least of the problems - the actual chocolates were so under par for Cadbury. The non-Dairy Milk chocolate would have been far less of an issue had the praline centres not been woeful - unfortunately they were just as poor. If you are looking for a box of chocolates that will impress your Valentine this year, I would highly recommend you stay well clear of these Cadbury Lots of Lovely Little Pralines. These aren't going to impress anyone, not even the most diehard Cadbury fans.

5.7 out of 10

February 7th: 'Bits n Bobs' Japanese Meiji Selection 2011

Following the acclaim that last weeks 'Bits n Bobs' Japanese Selection received I thought it only right to follow up this week with another set of Japanese themed mini reviews. If you are new to the site and are wondering where all these treats from the Far East are being sourced from, you may want to have a wander over to J-List. The very friendly company owner Peter has been sending samples for ChocolateMission for years, here are another four products one of my favourite Japanese brands called Meiji - I hope something tickles your fancy.

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Meiji Winter Chopan
Kcal 241 Fat 17.5g Carbs 18.6g (per 42.0g pack)

The Meiji Chopan range is one that has appeared on the site a few times already. I have previously reviewed the Meiji Chopan Strawberry Assort (See HERE), and the milk chocolate Chopan was also included in my Buyers Guide last Christmas (See HERE). Seemingly like most other Japanese ranges, Chopan is one that gets at least one new flavour every season - presenting the Meiji Winter Chopan.

Matching the rather suave outer aesthetics, the chocolates themselves both looked and tasted the part. The outer dark chocolate cups provided a decent initial raft of unsweetened cocoa flavours that progressed nicely into the more buttery, creamy flavours of the truffle filling sat in the middle. Placed on top of each piece, a crispy disc of both swirled white and dark chocolate added a nice crisp textural element. This crispy disc wasn't quite the x-factor that the biscuit pieces were on top of the strawberry Chopan variety, but it was a nice addition nonetheless. These are yet another one of those 'not a must try, but still very decent' product from our friends in the Far East. They would be a cute, authentic present for someone.

7.7 out of 10


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Meiji Meltykiss Whips
Kcal 303 Fat 21.5g Carbs 23.7g (per 50.0g)

Just like the Meiji Chopan above, Meltykiss cubes were another Japanese chocolate that I had previous experience with (See Meiji Meltykiss Creamy Milk Chocolate / Caramelized Almond HERE). A bit of Meltykiss trivia that you might not know is that all the Meltykiss products are only sold during the colder winter months in Japan - you learn something new everyday on this website :D

These Meltykiss Whips came billed as 'lighter, extra soft and dreamy chocolate cubes' - a somewhat surprising proposition given that I thought the original Meltykiss matched that very description already. Just like the original variants, these Whips came beautifully presented in a sky blue colour box and individual foil wrappers. The chocolates were too small for my liking, and consuming them was a bit of a irritant given the amount of packaging, however this was one of my only few irritants. Taste wise they were delicious. The chocolate was sweet, but very creamy and despite the fast paced, soft flowing melt the flavours lasted a sufficient amount of time in the mouth. These chocolates left me thinking that a substantial bar of Meiji Meltykiss could be a decent competitor to the Cadbury Wispa.

7.4 out of 10


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Meiji Meltykiss Fran
Kcal 100 Fat 6.0g Carbs 10.1g (per 18.0g pack)

The second Meiji Meltykiss product today is part of Meiji's Fran range - yet another range that has previously featured on ChocolateMission before (See Meiji Fran Matcha Green Tea HERE). Meiji Fran is one of the many product offerings similar to the Glico Pocky range that I'm sure we are all aware of being immensely popular both in Japan and outside.

Borrowing the product description from J-List, these came described as 'cocoa cookie sticks dipped in "Meltykiss" chocolate' - I'm sure you probably could have worked this out for yourself. The product was presented in a typically inviting manner, with the total box split into four 18.0g packets containing a fairly well portioned amount of four sticks. Having tried more than a few Pocky/Fran/Toppo variants in my time, I was surprised by how good I thought these were. As ever my feeling towards the cookie sticks were rather blasie, however the chocolate on the outer portion of them was certainly better than average. As you would expect with Meltykiss chocolate it had a creamier than average taste, and it melted like a dream almost instantly in the mouth. If you are looking for a decent Pocky alternative you needn't look further.

8.3 out of 10


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Meiji Meltykiss Macadamia
Kcal 492 Fat 39.8g Carbs 28.7g (per 75.0g)

Had enough Meiji Meltykiss yet? ... I hope not because there is one more to come :D Yes indeed, I think I am always saying that we have a shocking lack of macadamia chocolates here in the UK. Whether this is down to consumer taste trends, or the fact they are a more expensive nut - this is seemingly not a similar problem they have in Japan. The last product featured today are these Meiji Meltykiss Macadamia.

Described as 'chocolatey creamy treats with macadamia nut filled centers' these sounded a non-threatening, yet tantalising proposition. I hope from my photographs you can determine that the packaging was again a real treat on the eyes. Lavished with sparkly fonts, and premium gold colours, the chocolates inside were similarly pleasant looking - even the macadamia nuts didn't upset the immaculate, shiny, clean cut surfaces. When it came to the taste test these proved to be a real favourite amongst my family. The chocolate was just as described above in the other Meltykiss reviews, but the real treat were the nuts which were delicious. The macadamias were buttery and slightly salted - boy did these chocolates prove to be moreish. My only reason for not totally backing them as a great importing option would be that compared to the other two Meltykiss options on show today, they aren't as unique in regards to being an Eastern proposition.

8.1 out of 10

February 5th: Hotel Chocolat Melting Hearts H-Box Selection

I warned you all last week that the Valentines Day reviews were coming :D Indeed, all you loved up chocoholics will want to pay close attention to the review this weekend as I'm giving you all a run down of Hotel Chocolat's Melting Hearts H-Box Selection. Before the question is asked 'Jim didn't you review this last year?' is posed, I can confirm that I did review a very similar product - See HERE for Hotel Chocolat Melting Hearts Box review. That selection of filled hearts managed to register a 9.1 out of 10 on the ChocolateMission rating system, and it was by all means truly outstanding. Well for 2010 Hotel Chocolat have committed the cardinal sin of 'fixing something that aint broke' i.e. they have changed up the flavours in the Melting Hearts selection.

The Melting Hearts Selection is available in a number of various sizes this year - as you can see I chose to go for the fifteen piece H-Box. This format included six different flavoured hearts (some portioned three times), each of where easily identifiable through the menu which for once was highly accurate for identifying each beautifully crafted flavour. Below are my brief thoughts on each ...
Strawberry Love - Unfortunately I didn't manage to get at one of these myself but I was 'thankfully' informed that it was delicious by mother. This piece combined a white chocolate shell with a strawberry ganache centre and looked marvellous when cross-sectioned. I was informed the taste was balanced to perfection with cream and tangy real red fruit flavours creating an indulgent strawberries and cream bite size experience. Superb.

Chocolate Brownie - This was the weakest of all the flavours that I tried but the rating tells you alot of how bad that really was. The centre of this piece wasn't particularly differentiated in terms of taste from the outer chocolate shell, but it was noticeably denser in texture, so to an extent the 'brownie' proposition was delivered. Normally the lack of progressiveness in terms of flavours would get an instant downgrade for a filled chocolate like this, but we are talking Hotel Chocolat 40% milk chocolate here. Good.

Peanut Passion - What do you think the chances were of me letting this one slip into other peoples hands :D I ate all three. The Peanut Passion combined a gorgeously soft praline centre with Hotel Chocolat's creamy 40% milk chocolate. The peanut praline tasted incredible with its delicious smooth roasted nut flavours that had a wonderful hint of salt as an end note. Superb.

Pistachio Praline - Last year the pistachio praline was coated in a layer of milk chocolate and managed to get a 'Superb' rating. Why change it this year to a dark chocolate shell then!? .... because it just made it even better of course :D This was another absolutely gorgeous chocolate. The synergy created by the rich cocoa of the less sweet chocolate and the savoury, earthy pistachio filling was incredibly unique and by all means indulgent. Superb.
Liquid Caramel - Whilst the other centres soft in texture, this was the only one of the hearts that had a liquid based filling with it's flowing, oozing caramel. Had I the choice I would have gone with Hotel Chocolat's dark chocolate to encase the buttery sweet caramel, but the milk chocolate still made for a flavour experience that was sensually luxurious. Very Good.

Raspberry my Heart - Aesthetically this heart looked beautiful with it's pink coloured raspberry creme centre really standing out from the white chocolate exterior. Once again the textural play from crisp outer chocolate to melt-in-the-mouth filling was a complete joy, and was only surpassed by the competency of the flavour progression with the cream based outer chocolate taking a turn for a tangier red fruit emphasis. Very Good.

Overall I believe Hotel Chocolat have managed to defy the saying 'Why fix something that isnt broken' with their efforts with this Melting Hearts Selection this year. Seemingly they have achieved this by keeping what was great about the product last year, and then applying some basic flavour rotation to keep things interesting. Ask me to pick a winner from one year to the other and I simply wouldn't be able to do it - there were both marginal improvements/disprovements from piece-to-piece. Essentially the crux of the matter is, that this is a high quality set of chocolates that will no doubt please anyone that appreciates the finer chocolates of this world. Hotel Chocolat are offering a vast amount of products this year for Valentines day - if you ask me you cant do better than these.

8.9 out of 10

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NB. The lower score for 'Selection' is a consequence of the smaller format I reviewed vs last year ;)

February 4th: Hot Chocolate Project - Part # 2

Does this post really need any introduction ... I think not :D

If you missed out on Part # 1 of the ChocolateMission Hot Chocolate Project then you should take a look HERE. If you didn't then sit back with that mug of yours whilst I take you through my reviews of the next lot of warming chocolate drinks.

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Weight Watchers Instant Hot Chocolate Drink
Kcal 50 Fat 1.9g Fat(sats) 1.5g Carbs 7.0g
'Instant Hot Chocolate with sugars and sweetner'

For those of you counting your Weight Watchers point this drink will knock one point off your total daily allowance ... I wonder how many points were in that Hotel Chocolat Mini Slab I had earlier :D Given the relevance of it being the start of the year I thought there was no way I could overlook the Weight Watchers hot chocolate offering. The mix came in a pretty unappetising looking 15.0g sachet (very medicinal looking if you ask me!!) that instructed I mix with 150.0ml of water. Ignoring this completely I used a combination of both warm milk and water, which created a relatively smooth textured, froth top drink. When it came to the taste test the initial sweet cocoa flavours delivered were surprisingly forthcoming though there was a high degree of what I would call taste wear out with the drink becoming progressively watery. It was better than expected given the uninspiring packaging, but under no circumstances would I advise mixing with water alone.

5.3 out of 10



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Galaxy Instant Hot Chocolate Drink
Kcal 98 Fat 2.5g Carbs 17.3g
'Galaxy Instant Hot Chocolate made with real Galaxy Milk Chocolate'

This drink mixture came in a 25.0g pouch that was styled much the same as the Malteser offering that I reviewed back in the Hot Chocolate Project Part # 1. The vinyl matted pack looked smart on the eyes and released a decent set of familiar smelling Galaxy scents when I tore it open. Mixing the drink with the warm milk and boiling water produced a well blended, thick drink that had a decent layer of froth that lasted the duration of the drinking time. The ultimate smoothness that is so synonymous with Galaxy products wasn't quite replicated to the same high degree in this drink form, however the drinking experience was still on the whole very pleasant. In addition to the smooth flow mouth feel, I'm also pleased to say that the Galaxy chocolate flavour experience was created superbly. The distinct extra creamy cocoa taste was evident from the outset, and this dairy emphasis was more to my liking than some of the more sugar focused drinks I have been trying as of late. Galaxy fans will get a great deal of satisfaction from this drink.

8.1 out of 10


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Horlicks Malt Chocolate Light
Kcal 120 Fat 1.8g Carbs 23.4g
'Instant low fat chocolate flavoured malted drink'

One of my all time favourite drinks as a kid was a milky cup of Horlicks before bed time, and it had been shockingly long since I last treated myself to a big mug of the stuff. In order to change this I felt it only right I cover off the chocolate flavoured Horlicks for my hot chocolate project - the single sachet came filled with 32.0g of powder. Despite not being instructed to, I used mostly milk to mix this drink and I would advise you do the same if you are tempted by this mini review today. When mixed with the warm milk, the powder blended superbly into a frothy, smooth drink that had a sensuous mouth feel. Taste wise this was a little lighter in terms of chocolateyness, but the creamy, malt cereal taste was delicious and wholey comforting .... zzzzzz I'm ready for bed now :D I would recommend this as a nicer option to the similarly positioned Malteser Hot Chocolate.

8.3 out of 10


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Options Belgian Choc / White Choc
Kcal 40 Fat 0.9g Carbs 5.8g & Kcal 44 Fat 1.1g Carbs 7.1g
'Instant hot chocolate drink with sugars and sweeteners' & 'White chocolate flavour hot drink with sugars and sweeteners

Options hot chocolate is more positioned as an everyday consumed hot chocolate and offers a low calorie alternative to some of the more heavy duty branded powders. The Options hot chocolate range consists of many ever changing flavours so in the best interest of keeping this review relevant for years down the line I have chosen the two that have been ever present since I can remember - Belgian Choc and White Choc. Speaking firstly of the Belgian choc flavour, when mixed with the milk and water combination the drink produced managed to tick almost every box. Unlike it's low calorie alternative Weight Watchers, the chocolate hit was still relatively decent, though it has to be said the mouthfeel was thin and much lighter compared to say the Horlicks or Maltesers. The white choc was similarly forthcoming in flavour, however the degree to which I would call it 'white chocolate' per se would be limited. The drink produced by the white powder was more along the lines of a warm cup of sweet tasting dried milk powder rather than a creamy white chocolate. I still quite liked it myself, but white chocolate fans be wary it might not totally satisfy you. I would recommend the Options range as one of the better lower calorie hot chocolate mixes.

7.2 out of 10


6.9 out of 10


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As ever guys and girls your views are all very welcome. Please be sure to share them.

February 2nd: 'Bits n Bobs' Japanese Selection

My friends at J-List have yet again updated themselves with all that is good and new in the Japanese confectionery market, and as ever they have been very generous in their willingness to send me some samples. The 'Bits n Bobs' review today will feature offerings from Meiji, Nabisco and lastly Bourbon. All of these products of course can be bought at the aforementioned J-List website. In the interest in words overkill lets get on with things ...

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Meiji Rich Strawberry Chocolate Box
Kcal 176 Fat 11.9g Carbs 15.8g (per 30.0g)

Feelings were undoubtedly mixed when I saw these Meiji Rich Strawberry Chocolates gracing my latest sampling package. I was pleased in the sense that I was going to get the opportunity to to try another from Meiji's 'Rich Chocolate' offerings, however I was also well aware of the fact that strawberry flavoured chocolates weren't exactly a Japanese speciality. In a change up from the Meiji Rich norm, I tried this product in this 'box' format, which included several smaller foil coated sticks. As is always the way with Japanese chocolates the presentation wasn't an after thought. The packaging was nice looking on the eye, and the chocolate was a striking pinky, red colour.

With the promise of the chocolate being comprised of 70.0% strawberry I was expecting an intense taste from the get go, but the little sticks took a very substantial amount of time before the flavours progressed from an initial faint sweetness. Indeed, it wasn't until the later stages of the melt that the fruit flavours were full flow, at which point I was left with mixed feelings. Any person with a half decent palette would have been able to determine that this was a strawberry flavoured chocolate, as the sweet, tarty strawberry flavours were obvious and at least differentiated from other similar red fruits. For a strawberry flavoured white chocolate the taste was pretty spot on, though unfortunately at the same time it was incredibly short lived and non-substantial.

Overall I would feel comfortable recommending Meiji Rich Strawberry Chocolate Box to people looking specifically for a decent strawberry white chocolate, however I would say there isn't enough here for the less enthused to get too excited about.

7.2 out of 10


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Nabisco Oreo Fun Stix
Kcal 149 Fat 5.7g Carbs 21.7g (per 31.2g - 6 Stix)

To this day I still find it funny how a brand like Oreo can have more products released in the likes of Japan that it does have here in the UK. Indeed, just like they do in the States, Japan also plays host to these Nabisco Oreo Fun Stix. When I first saw these my mind immediately thought of a review posted by Marvo a while back on The Impulsive Buy - See HERE. Our man Marvo wasn't one who got a great deal of 'Fun' from these 'cylindrical chocolate cookie wafers lined with Oreo creme', but I still look forward to trying them for myself as it gave me an excuse to whip up some hot chocolate and ice cream desserts :D

These Japanese Fun Stix came in an attractive looking box, with two 31.2g packs containing 6 Stix within each. In order to really put them through their paces I tried these Stix in a number of manners, some I have detailed already above. The taste tests I conducted using them as straws for hot chocolate and milk were pretty unsuccessful, as the wafers fell apart into tasteless mulch within seconds of contact with any fluid. When eaten on their own or with ice cream however they certainly stood up to the test, and the slightly salted cocoa hinted wafers were supplemented terrifically by the creamy sugary filling that lined the insides all the way through to create a delicious, moreish Oero taste.

Overall as a stand alone snack I found these totally non-substantial though I can't deny how wonderfully tasty they are when used as an added topping for a dessert. On this basis I can highly recommend these, Pocky fans especially will want to take note.

7.2 out of 10


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Meiji Porte Chocolate Snack Tiramisu
Kcal 280 Fat 19.3g Carbs 23.5g (per 47.0g)

Meiji's second snack offering I'm showing you today came from a part of their range that I hadn't previously come across. Despite reviewing many a product of Meiji's in the last two years, their Porte Chocolate Snack range was not one I had tried so I took the time to do some investigating on J-List before trying these out. Described as a 'great nut shaped snack, filled with whipped cream on top of a cookie wafer base, sprinkled with cocoa powder', I did correctly presume that the Tiramisu element was incorporated into the cream filling.

I hope my photos do the product justice, as these chocolates were superbly unique looking and appeared exactly as displayed on the box. In every sense it was very lucky that they were so aesthetically appealing, as I'm not sure I would have even tried them had my sense of smell been left to it's own devices. Indeed, these smelt absolutely horrible - like gone off, soured milk - totally disgusting. Thankfully they tasted a whole lot better with the bases and cocoa powder supplying an instant and ever present onset of unsweetened chocolate biscuity flavours. When the light fluffy centre was encountered, the taste soon took a sweeter, creamier emphasis. Most significantly, as the cream melted it displayed all the desired tiramisu flavour hits, with hints of alcohol and coffee both forthcoming at various points. The textural interplay between the wafer cookie base, soft cream filling and cool cocoa dusting was also a real treat.

Overall its not often we see a product score so highly on one metric and then so dismally on another, but these Meiji Porte Chocolate Snack Tiramisu were severely let down by their size and smell. Those looking for authentic Japanese snacks should try these if they feel they can overlook these obvious flaws.

6.7 out of 10


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Bourbon Choco Zutsumi Vanilla White
Kcal 364 Fat 10.5g Carbs 65.3g (per 92.0g)

As I always like doing I have saved the best until last, and I pleasure of presenting you with these Bourbon Choco Zutsumi Vanilla White. Now for those of you who are wondering what the hell these actually were, please allow my firends at J-List to do the honours: 'a popular favorite in Japanese pastisserie - This is a delicious Vanilla White ice cream confection shaped into yummy bite sized daifuku (soft white rice mochi)'.

These Zutsumi came in a 92.0g box that contained two separate four piece inner trays. In terms of Japanese snacks, it has to be said these were as authentic as you are probably ever going to get. Out the packet and in hand these mochi felt ever so strange with their jelly like exteriors putting my mother off trying them completely. I have to admit that the texture took getting used to, but once the harder cream filling was encountered it was a total after thought anyway. The centre portions of these Zutsumi were quite simply out of this world. They have to be one of the creamiest tasting confections I have ever tasted - Devonshire clotted cream wouldn't be a far off comparison. As well as creamy, they were also wonderfully flavoured with sweet, real tasting bourbon vanilla. Quite simply they tasted absolutely delicious and they certainly had that 'just one more' addictive nature to them.

Overall these were one of the finest Japanese snacks I have tried in a long time and I honestly can't recommend them enough. At first some may be a little disturbed by the mochi dumpling texture, but honestly when it comes to the taste I promise you they won't disappoint. These get a big ChocolateMission thumbs up.

8.4 out of 10

January 31st: Thorntons Continental Selection

If you have been keeping tabs on the site this month you will have seen me working my way through the different price tiers of Thorntons' selection boxes. If you need reminding, I started off by reviewing their pretty dismal standard Chocolate Selection (See HERE), then moved on to their Premium Chocolate Selection (See HERE). Today I bring you my review of their Continental Selection, a box I bought in it's 175.0g form, priced at £7.50 in my local Thorntons shop.

This Continental Selection came billed as 'pralines, truffles and mousses covered in milk, white and dark chocolate with Swiss, Belgian, Spanish, Italian and French influences', and supposedly contained fourteen pieces. I say supposedly as I was denied trying one of their Pistachio Marzipan chocolates, which was unfortunately nowhere to be seen. I have to say it was one of the of the pieces that stood out to me when I looked in the snazzy menu included in the pack, so I was disappointed not to see it included. Speaking of the presentation, this was a very nice looking box of chocolates and I liked the subtly and elegance of both the box design and the inner truffles.

Plenty of pieces to get through so lets get on with it ...

Alpini - This milk chocolate covered piece hosted a centre of hazelnut and almond praline, and was decorated by a light dusting of white chocolate. The textures of the crisp chocolate, exterior dusting and slightly gritty filling were pleasant, but the nuttiness of the praline was disappointing and was overawed by the sweetness of the outer chocolate. Standard.

Vanille Truffle - The outer white chocolate of this truffle made for a delicious creamy taste that led smoothly in to the bourbon noted truffle centre. Compared to the plainer filling pieces this flavoured one was more progressive and richer in taste as it detracted from the sugaryness sweetness and left a longing vanilla note in the mouth. Very Good.

Chocolate Truffle - I liked the aesthetic appeal and soft, sensuous textures offered by this chocolate, but unfortunately it didn't quite have the taste to match it's appearance. Although differentiated in terms of it's silky feel, the milk chocolate truffle centre was still equally as sugary sweet as the others. Standard.

Ganache Au Marc De Champagne - An absolutely fantastic chocolate! This was one of the finest champagne truffles I have tried - even up their with Hotel Chocolat's. The crisp outer chocolate shell led beautifully into the creamy, champagne noted cream below. The champagne volume was well measured and tickled the tongue to leave a lasting impression in the mouth. Spot on. Superb.

Vienesse Truffle - Every chocolate selection has it's dud and this was no exception. Remember when I reviewed this in it's bar form (See Here)? Unfortunately I was given a stark reminder when I tried this. Flavourless and bland. Very Poor.

Valencia - The Spanish influenced chocolate in this selection proved to be one of the best, and I loved this dark chocolate covered orange flavoured truffle centre piece. The dark chocolate coating really made the difference here and provided a beautifully contrastive unsweetened cocoa taste that was enhanced delightfully by the sweet orangey syrup held withing. A delightful fruity chocolate. Very Good.

Sicilian Lemon Mousse - This was another I have tried previously in bar form so I knew exactly what to expect here. As I perceived then, the white chocolate outer portion was delicious, but the inner mousse filling was unsubstantial and lacking the desired lemony zest. Still one that will satisfy white chocolate fans though. Good.

Catalana - This was one of the finer pieces in the entire selection and displayed a terrific amount of different textural elements for such a small truffle. The outer chocolate was further crisped by some tiny honeycomb pieces, whilst the inner caramel noted truffle was further supplemented by the most terrific smooth cream layer at the base. I delight for it's progressive cream and caramel flavours, as well as it's luxurious mouth presence. Superb.

Cappuccino - A complete carbon copy of the Caffee Latte piece included in the Thorntons Premium Collection (See Here). To repeat myself from there 'the coffee flavours were tasty, but mild mannered amongst the sweeter cocoa flavours that developed. Good.

Hazelnut Slice - As you can see from the photo, this was the piece that was portioned twice instead of the Pistachio Marzipan. Although I would rather of had the pistachio chocolate, this was a decent enough replacement, and unlike some of the other nut enhanced chocolates the hazelnut actually managed to cut through in the taste to a reasonable degree with it's woody influence. Texturally a little dry. Good.

Mousse Au Chocolat - I groaned when I saw this on the menu! This was a filler piece for the box i.e. an uncomplicated, generic chocolate included for the sole reason to take up space. Just as I thought it was pretty unexciting - sweet milk chocolate with a light, non-progressive chocolate mousse centre. If they had portioned this twice I would have been very annoyed. Standard.

Diplomat - 'Traditionally when one Continental diplomat exchanged a gift with another, it was custom for the present to be wrapped in a gold leaf' .... what!?? Unfortunately reshaping and wrapping the Alpini chocolate didn't make it any different :D Standard.

Cherry Truffle - We end on a high note here. The unsweetened dark chocolate shell, sour fruity cherry puree and sweet chocolate truffle centre made for a wonderful flavour and textural experience. I wasn't expecting to think that much of this chocolate but I really liked it. Very Good.

Overall this wasn't the best chocolate selection box in the world, but it was a noticeable step up in quality from the other two Thorntons boxes I tried earlier in the month. Whilst there were both 'filler' and missing pieces included in the selection, I would say the variety on offer was still very good, and it did contain a decent array of fruit, nut and caramels with different chocolate type exteriors. Priced at £7.00 I think this box comes in at half the price of the likes of Hotel Chocolat's selections and only a few pounds more than the Thorntons Premium Collection. On that basis I would tentatively suggest them as a sound option for gifting if you are in need of a chocolate selection box. I would suspect that moderate expectations would be exceeded.

8.2 out 10