Chocolate has been around for several thousand years, so it’s no wonder that people have gotten really creative with recipes over time. In the gastronomy world today, creative pastry chefs and chocolatiers are pushing the envelope to come up with wild new forms of food and dessert, and chocolate is a great place to start.
Chocolate is also a global treat — everywhere in the world enjoys chocolate and has made it their own. The regional differences are exciting, palates across the planet differ in determining what is delectable. Each country, and mini regions within those countries, have their own recipes, methods of cooking and baking, and local ingredients that make their cuisine special.
When it comes to chocolate, there is a huge range of very interesting offerings out there. We want to highlight some of the unusual chocolate bars you can try, as well as some interesting worldly chocolate combos.
Here is a list of some of the Weirdest Chocolate Bars we could find.
7 Weirdest Chocolate Bars
1. Pizza Chocolate Bar
You be the judge on whether you’re not you like the combination of white chocolate, tomato, garlic and oregano. A version is popular in Japan, where bold flavour combinations are found everywhere.
2. Sushi Chocolate Bar
Speaking of Japan, Kit Kat decided to use the country’s famous cuisine to come up with some unique ideas — sushi chocolate bars in the egg (Tamago), sea urchin (uni) and tuna (Maguro). It should be noted that the limited time only chocolate bars were only named after these ingredients and inspired by them, they didn’t actually taste like fish.
**An interesting side note. Kit Kat bars are incredibly popular in Japan, partly because of a successful marketing campaign that links the treat to a common phrase: Kitto Katsu, meaning “you will surely win.” The high sales have spawned more than 300 limited-edition seasonal and regional flavours Kit Kat combinations including Vegetable Juice, Wasabi, Cough Drop, Hot Japanese Chili, and Exotic Tokyo (your guess is as good as ours on that one).
3. Bacon Chocolate Bar
Though it sounds weird, salty and sweet go very well together, and some people love bacon so much that a few versions have popped up over the years, including Maple-Bacon chocolate bars, Bacon + Potato Chips chocolate bars, as well as lots of milk and dark chocolate offerings.
4. Cheese + Onion Chocolate Bar
Coming from the wonderful country of Ireland, this milk chocolate bar is mixed with cheese and onion flavoured chunks. Not everyone’s a cup of tea, but it has proven a regional hit. Always worth trying everything at least once.
5. Black Licorice Chocolate Bars
The Saltlakrits treat is originally created in Sweden, where they take both their chocolate and their licorice very seriously. These come in milk and dark chocolate, and the super salty, high-quality licorice “has a tongue-numbing effect.” Might be the perfect treat for that over-talker in your life?
6. Ginger Fudge Chocolate Bar
Hailing all the way from down under, this Australian treat dates back to 1927 and is made by famed Darrel Lea, one of the oldest and largest confectionery companies in Australia. Not all American palates will be able to handle this spicy, fudge-y treat.
7. Potato Vodka Chocolate Bar
You might be surprised to find that this crazy combo comes from Austria (not Russia or Poland), and it’s a fairly new creation compared to other chocolates. It hit the market in 1999 and introduced people to a milk chocolate bar filled with a vodka-spiked sweet potato ganache. This company, Zotter, is known in the region for its many interesting creations, including almond roses, egg liqueur, and pineapple.
Chocolate knows no bounds and it is so exciting to see how inspired chocolatiers the world over are. Of course there are wild marketing campaigns, beautiful packaging, and personalized and customizable chocolates, too.
One of the other things we love seeing is the dark and milk chocolate combinations that are growing in popularity in the US. Here are a few of our favourites:
6 Dark and Milk Chocolate Weird Chocolate
1. Jalapeno/chilli chocolate
Spicy and Sweet team up in this exciting combo, and it comes in many forms. Chocolate covered hot peppers or high-quality dark chocolate with chilli flakes throughout. It’s one of those things that you’ll think one bite is enough… but it’s not.
2. Sun-dried Tomato + Chocolate
Try these at home by melting high-quality chocolate in a double boiler and dipping sun-dried tomatoes. After they harden, chop them up and use them to top a salad or keep them on hand for a snack.
3. Beef jerky (or any jerky) + Chocolate:
Not unlike the bacon/chocolate combination mentioned above, chocolate and cured or salty meats actually make for a very delicious treat. The chocolate melts and the jerky softens… it’s a pretty interesting experience to say the least.
4. Parmesan + Chocolate
Not all cheese and chocolate are going to fit together as nicely as high-quality parmesan (you have to get the good stuff to make it work) but the creamy and delicious treat is perfect for those who love intense chocolate flavours.
5. International Spices + Chocolate
If you go around the world, you are going to come across a lot of great chocolate and spice combinations. Some of our favourites include cardamom, curry, masala and wasabi.
6. Flowers + Chocolate
Aromatic and perfumed flowers often find their way into the cuisine, offering a trip for the senses — there’s something so decadent about having flowers as food. The same is true for chocolate, with flower combinations blossoming all over the place. Some of the more popular that can be found are chamomile, lavender, cherry blossom petals and white poppy seeds.
As you can see, there really is no end to what can be done, and combined, with chocolate. We expect to see more new and exciting trends in the near future as chocolate continues to win over the hearts of people around the world. You can find custom chocolates online and please try it!