Totally Organic! (Seeds of Change Orange & Fig Dark Chocolate)

Member Name: jo1976

Product:	Seeds of Change Orange & Fig Dark Chocolate
Date:	18/06/09 (96 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: 100% organic chocolate, orange flavour

Disadvantages: Too bitter for me, fig pieces quite bland

As a BzzAgent, I am lucky enough to have the opportunity to test products for free in return for spreading the word about them to others. (It's not a paid job, unfortunately, but a nice way to try stuff for free. Anybody interested can sign up online at http://bzzagent.co.uk/) My latest products to try are premium quality organic chocolate bars. So, here I am, doing my bit for you all by stuffing myself silly with free chocolate! Aren't I kind?!

The chocolate in question is no ordinary bar but 100% organic dark chocolate containing at least 59% cocoa solids and (according to the packaging) 'fragrant figs' and 'zesty oranges.' The chocolate is made by Seeds of Change, a brand that I more readily associate with savoury organic produce. I've previously tried some of their organic pasta and pasta sauces but didn't realise that they also produce a range of organic chocolate.

Anybody who has read my recent review on another brand of dark chocolate (Willie's Delectable) may well remember that I am more of a milk chocolate Cadbury's girl and something of a philistine when it comes to premium quality dark chocolate. Nonetheless, I tried to put my prejudice aside and set about enjoying my free bar. The first thing that struck me about the chocolate was the lovely smooth texture. This was quickly followed by a pleasant orange flavour. I do feel that dark chocolate can be a little too bitter for my palate but the orange oil helped to soften some of the bitterness. The taste of orange was far more prominent than the figs that the chocolate contains. If I was tasting this without looking at the packaging first, I would have just assumed that the pieces of figs were actually orange pieces as the taste is predominantly orange. Mixed in with the figs are crispier bits which taste like crystallised orange pieces (almost as though a boiled sweet has been crushed up inside the chocolate.) These add an interesting depth to the chocolate and again detract my attention from the bitterness. Thankfully, the chocolate doesn't leave any unpleasant aftertaste in my mouth after eating, although there are a few bits of fig left in my teeth!

The reality for me is that I would prefer this chocolate if it was made from milk rather than dark chocolate. I'm sure that the orange and fig flavours would work just as well with milk chocolate and it would be more palatable for me! The positive is that I couldn't possibly wolf the whole of this bar down in one single sitting so I do get to savour the chocolate over a longer period of time.

At £1.99 per 100g bar, from stockists such as Waitrose, it doesn't seem particularly expensive in comparison to similar premium brands of dark chocolate. I probably wouldn't purchase this particular variety for myself but would recommend it to any dark chocolate and orange fans out there.

Summary: It may be totally organic but, sadly, not totally orgasmic for me!