Here's something you might be interested in.
Potato chips and M&Ms. They seem an odd couple, and I'd never personally mow down on both simultaneously, but growing up, the salty-sweet virtues of this pair were consistently professed to me by my mother, who's always been a fan savory-meets-sugary fusion. (French fries and milkshakes were another hit of hers, making Corvette Diner a family fave.) As a young 'un, I thought she was off her rocker. But as we forge ahead in these brave new culinary times, I'm starting to think she was ahead of her time.
Further proof: Chuao Chocolatiers' brand new candy bar. It's called Potato Chips in Chocolate, and that's exactly what it is. Little crumbly bits of fried spuds nestled like the malted milk in a Nestle Crunch bar within a rectangle of 41% cacao.
I could hardly believe it when I first came across it, and though I probably should have immediately shuttled it over to mi madre to get her take on it, this initial report is all me.
As you'd expect with chocolate under 41%, it's mild in cocoa flavor, which is as it should be for a candy bar. Dark chocolate's great in it's own way but better suited for truffles and bon bons. Plus, if this bar were made from chocolate with a higher cacao percentage, you probably wouldn't even know there were potato chips in there.
I was surprised at how little they stood out, even with the more subdued chocolate. I had expected larger bits of potato and a lot more salt. It seems Chuao craftsman Michael Antonorsi went the finesse route with this ingredient, toning down the salty burn and staying true to the ingredient he's devoted his life and livelihood to.
All in all, it works, and it's certainly a candy bar I'd be proud to bring home to meet my mom, who'd surely be more than happy to make its acquaintance.
Potato chips and M&Ms. They seem an odd couple, and I'd never personally mow down on both simultaneously, but growing up, the salty-sweet virtues of this pair were consistently professed to me by my mother, who's always been a fan savory-meets-sugary fusion. (French fries and milkshakes were another hit of hers, making Corvette Diner a family fave.) As a young 'un, I thought she was off her rocker. But as we forge ahead in these brave new culinary times, I'm starting to think she was ahead of her time.
Further proof: Chuao Chocolatiers' brand new candy bar. It's called Potato Chips in Chocolate, and that's exactly what it is. Little crumbly bits of fried spuds nestled like the malted milk in a Nestle Crunch bar within a rectangle of 41% cacao.
I could hardly believe it when I first came across it, and though I probably should have immediately shuttled it over to mi madre to get her take on it, this initial report is all me.
As you'd expect with chocolate under 41%, it's mild in cocoa flavor, which is as it should be for a candy bar. Dark chocolate's great in it's own way but better suited for truffles and bon bons. Plus, if this bar were made from chocolate with a higher cacao percentage, you probably wouldn't even know there were potato chips in there.
I was surprised at how little they stood out, even with the more subdued chocolate. I had expected larger bits of potato and a lot more salt. It seems Chuao craftsman Michael Antonorsi went the finesse route with this ingredient, toning down the salty burn and staying true to the ingredient he's devoted his life and livelihood to.
All in all, it works, and it's certainly a candy bar I'd be proud to bring home to meet my mom, who'd surely be more than happy to make its acquaintance.