Iceland, as you may have heard, has recently fallen on hard times amidst the current financial crisis -- the New York Times recently declared the nation bankrupt. But they're definitely doing something right, because this bar was delicious. I bought it at a Whole Foods in West Orange, NJ. $4 for 7 ounces, which isn't half bad. Here is the basic information:
Noi Sirius: 56%
Cocoa content: 56%
Notable ingredients: n/a
Origin: n/a (no, they don't grow cocoa beans in Iceland.)
I had seen this bar a number of times at my local Whole Foods, but hesitated to buy it for a couple of reasons. One, it has a 56% cocoa content and calls itself "bittersweet," which isn't my favorite, and Two, it's really big. I know I don't often list the weight of my chocolate bars here, but the average is about 3 oz. This bar, which actually consists of two thin, broad bars stacked together and wrapped in wax paper, comes in at 7 oz., more than twice as much as your typical Chocolove bar and almost thrice as much as a Dagoba! Thanks for the bounty, Iceland.
I know bigger is better when it comes to candy, but I wasn't totally confident in this chocolate and I didn't want to buy a big hunk of it just to see it go to waste. Thankfully, I took the chance. Much to my surprise, this bar was utterly delicious. It's sweet, snappy, earthy, and surprisingly light. I haven't even gotten through the first half yet, so I'm thinking I might use the second half for baking once I move on to my next bar. Lucky for me, Noi Sirius has included a recipe for coconut muffins on the back of the wrapper! I found this bar to be delightful in every way, so I'm awarding it an A.
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whaz up with the star of david on the package?
ReplyDeleteit´s supposed to be the star Sirius :) It´s the original design of the old company Sirius, which later joined the Nói Chocolate company. I seriously doubt they considered the Jewish symbol when designing it in the first place, over 100 years ago. There were almost no Jews in Iceland at that time, although since then we have had the pleasure to have many wonderful Jews living here in the later decades, many of who were vital to the Icelandic classical music scene. :)
DeleteMy daughter and I just bought our first bars of Noi Sirius today at Whole Foods in Lexington. Bought all three to compare/milk chocolate, 56% & 70%. She thought she'd like milk chocolate best but was proven wrong. We all liked the 56% & 70% better. 56% and 70% will now become our "chocolate fixes:... :)
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