Candy of the Week: Vosges Haut Chocolat: This Ain't No Hershey Bar



 I grew up reaching for Hershey's at the candy counter when I wanted a chocolate bar, and my idea of fancy chocolate as a teenager was a Hershey bar with almonds.  So when I had my first Godiva in my twenties, I found the chocolate to be so rich, so powerful, that I could only eat a piece or two without feeling a little sick. 

I, like millions of Americans over the last century, have had Hershey's flavor ingrained on my palate as the "correct" taste for chocolate just as Brits have had Cadbury's flavor ingrained onto theirs.  Admittedly, Hershey products don't taste to me like they used to, which is a combination of my taste buds maturing and Hershey fiddling with their formula.  As they add fillers to keep their profit margins up as sugar prices rise, Hershey has lost sight of what its founder set out to do--democratize milk chocolate so every American could enjoy a luxury usually reserved for the rich.  The masses can still afford Hershey bars, but they are getting a cheap imitation of chocolate that quite simply isn't much of a luxury anymore. 

So, what should you reach for if you want to treat yourself to good American-made chocolate and you don't mind paying for it?  Vosges Haut Chocolat bars are definitely "good" chocolate, and at $7.75-$8.50 for a three ounce bar, you're paying for the designer ingredients and high cocoa content that make them far superior to Hershey bars.  I first encountered this line at the Fancy Food Show this summer, and as I snuck my hand past the frantic ladies clamoring for samples to grab a brochure, I noticed the display was a little pretentious.  Their chocolate samples were resting on open books that looked like illuminated texts from Irish monestaries.  The effect of the chocolate fanatics and merchandising left me thinking, seriously people, it's chocolate, not a religious relic worthy of a shrine.

Apparently, they take their candy very seriously at Vosges Haut Chocolate.  There are actually directions for eating their so-called "exotic" bars printed on the box, including detailed steps to enjoyment, such as "Breathe, See, Smell, Snap, Taste, and Feel," that remind me of how one is supposed to taste wine.  The ingredients on their Organic Peanut Butter Bonbon bar are "organic peanut butter, pink Himalayan salt, Maldon salt, deep milk chocolate, 45% cacao."  There's a lot of hype on the box, so I expected the Organic Peanut Butter Bonbon bar to be fabulous.  And unbelievably, it was. 

The chocolate by itself is enough--silky, rich, full bodied, and not too sweet.  Add the creamy peanut butter and crunch from the two kinds of salt and wow.  For real--wow!  The balance between the chocolate, peanut butter, and salt is just right, making this one of the best candy bars I've ever eaten by far.  Does it make a difference that the peanut butter is organic and the salt is pink or from some foreign port?  I'm betting no, but what is in this bar is just yummy perfection.  But those of you who are calorie conscious, be forewarened that the serving size is supposed to be half a bar at 250 calories.  Stopping at just half the bar will be very difficult.  I shared this with my family but could just have easily devoured the entire thing myself. 

Do I think the bar is worth $8.50?  Yes, but only as a treat every once in awhile.  This ain't no every day candy bar like Hershey's--it's something far superior.