10.19.08
Lotte Pear Chocolate
[Edit: In a guest review weekend, today frequent Guinea Pig Badmovie talks about pear chocolate]
The big green pear and bright green color of the package might be a hint, but I believe the “28%” clearly visible on (a better photo than mine of) the packaging indicates 28% Real European Pear in the ingredients.
The package inside the cardboard is foil-wrapped, and when you open the foil, it smells very strongly of a ripe Bartlett pear. Not to hold anything against Bosc or D’anjou, but Bartlett is my pear variety of choice, and I believe it’s the identity of the mysterious “European” pear in question. The foil is necessary, because if you leave it unwrapped overnight, it loses scent and flavor.
The chocolate itself is a pleasant green color. It’s clearly “white” chocolate (cocoa butter but no cocoa mass), except in color it’s green. Perfect for St. Patrick’s Day or Green Eggs and Chocolate. It’s subdivided into ten little squares, which can also be seen on (a better photo of) the packaging.
The texture is smooth like a creamy white chocolate, except it’s also overlaid with the ripe pear texture. I’m not sure how to quantify this, except to say that it’s kind of granular without being mealy. It’s just the texture of a ripe pear. Food science is fascinating in that regard. The taste is perfect pear. It’s exactly as advertised. Rich Fruit Chocolate, European Pear.
This review is a little short because I’m accustomed to reviewing Smithee movies. I have a dozen amusing ways to tell you how something is terrible, but I’m not used to explaining how something is wonderful.
For me, this is a 4.5 Strawberry Tohato rating. Not quite strong enough to pull it up to a 5, but definitely superior to “remember what it was the next time you go shopping and pick up another package” (from the 4 Pea rating definition). I bought my first one off the jlist website, then went and hunted it down locally (Wizzywig), paying $4.25 a bar (42.5 cents per little pear square) to enjoy it again. And again.
I give it this rating with a caveat, however. I really like pears. If you OMGloveSQUEEE pears, treat it as a 5. If you can take ’em or leave ’em, pretend it’s maybe a 3.5 Wasabi Pea rating. If you don’t like pears, don’t buy this Japanese Snack Food. It’s as simple as that.
Rating of 4.5 wasabi peas Strawberry Tohatos out of a possible 5 wasabi peas Strawberry Tohatos.
Deb said,
October 19, 2008 at 9:28 pm
Wow, looks like you really liked this one! I thought it had a lot going for it. I definitely felt the granular thing. It was a lot like a pear, indeed!
Bubbles said,
October 26, 2008 at 3:11 am
Mmmm, this sounds so good.
Ozzie said,
November 27, 2008 at 11:54 pm
I love this chocolate but I can’t find it anywhere. Post a link to where you can buy it in the United States or on Jlist.
Boo said,
December 6, 2008 at 5:19 pm
Hi Ozzie. Chocolate is a hit or miss kinda thing on J-List so I won’t link it because it’ll probably be gone in the near future. And that would do you no good. However, keep checking J-List (linked off there on the right hand side, below the archives I believe) and eventually the chocolate world will turn and Pear chocolate will resurface. Wizzywig has an online site too (which is linked off of the “Where does it come from page…also to the right but above the archives) but again…hit or miss.