Ritter Sport: Marzipan

I received this bar -- a Ritter Sport bar that I'll admit I was not even aware of -- from my friend Katie. It was purchased in Livingston, NJ, I believe. You'll notice that the picture is kind of different from usual. That's because I enjoyed this bar in the midst of a picnic in Cadman Plaza Park in Brooklyn. Don't worry -- the details of said picnic will be revealed in full. First, the basic information:

Ritter Sport: Marzipan

Cocoa content: 50%

Notable ingredients: almonds

Origin: blend of cocoa from West Africa, Papua New Guinea, and Madagascar; made in Germany.

Ritter Sport calls marzipan* "the most delicious thing that can happen to an almond." I'm not so sure about that because, hello: biscotti; amaretto? But marzipan is definitely interesting and tasty, as far as nut pastes go. One thing can be sure: it appreciates the company of chocolate. It works better here than in the little fruit-shaped moldings you see behind the glass case at candy stores. 

Anyway, this bar came along on a picnic today. I had little squares of it wedged between slices of a french baguette, and Michael told me that he had never thought to eat chocolate that way. Attention: eat your chocolate with bread!! The salt in the bread brings out the cocoa flavors beautifully. Look at the pretty red wrapper. It was a delight to have known this bar.

One thing was strange: the bar was perforated normally, as all Ritter Sport bars are, but it felt really strange to break it because the marzipan was so soft and gooey. Thus the pieces broke off so easily that I thought the whole bar was melting. Luckily, it was not. Marzipan is a soft, soft confection. At the end of the day I really enjoyed this bar but I'm still not crazy about marzipan; furthermore, I think Ritter Sport can usually do better. I award this bar a B.

* Just in case anyone doesn't know what marzipan is: it's a sweet, grainy paste made up of almond meal and added sugar. I tagged it under "Nuts."