Mo's Bacon Bar
What? Breakfast in a chocolate bar? Well, that may be a stretch to call it that, but Mo’s Bacon Bar from Vosges Haut Chocolat does indeed have bacon in it. Bacon and chocolate? I can hear some of you going Ewwwwww! But don’t knock it until you have tried it.
Remember when you were a kid (OK, I still do it) and you would dip your bacon in your pancake syrup? And remember how much you loved that sweet and salty combination? Well, consider this a variation on that theme. Many cultures believe a balance of flavors, such as hot and sweet, salty and sweet, or hot and sour are essential to each dish.
I stumbled upon it as I was shopping at Surfas restaurant supply and gourmet food shop in Los Angeles. I had heard rumors of a bacon and chocolate bar but had not happened upon one yet. I stood looking at all the different flavors of gourmet chocolate bars that were for sale, and then I saw it – Mo’s Bacon Bar. My heart skipped a beat, my mouth began to water, and I practically pushed some other shoppers out of the way to grab a bar. (They were taking too dang long to decide anyway…loiterers, hmmmph!) I read the front of the package – applewood smoked bacon, alderwood smoked salt and deep milk chocolate. Deep milk chocolate, mmmmm. Not your old Hershey bar, oh no. 45% cacao was perfect for me. I don’t like dark chocolate as much, because the one taste that I don’t like a lot of is bitter. So I tend to stick with milk chocolate, but this was like milk chocolate +.
I turned over the package and there was a picture of a beautiful young woman. She looked a lot like a young Geena Davis, circa Thelma and Louise. But it was her words that spoke to me. She did the same thing that I (and every other kid) did, bacon and pancake syrup. But there was another twist; she liked chocolate chip pancakes. And in a six year old girl’s mind a combination made in heaven began emerging. Smart girl, this one.
You would think I would have ripped into the package in the checkout line, but I have some restraint. Not a lot, but some. My plan was to savor it after dinner. But then it came time to enjoy the chocolate, and I just looked at the package, turning it over, smelling it, marveling at the thought of two of my favorite foods together. And I put it back in my drawer. What?! And the next night I did the same. I think I needed to be fully engaged and ready to enjoy this marvel of a chocolate bar. I was waiting for the exact right time.
But once I did open it, it was like the angels began to sing the Hallelujah Chorus. Yeah, I’m a bit dramatic at times, but someone has to do it. Anyway, that first bite was a revelation of a world I had never been too. Smoky bacon, sweet but not too sweet chocolate, and then the petite crunch of the salt crystal. Oh My Goodness! I was taken to a place I had never been, a taste sensation I had never known. I was hooked like a crackhead in a back alley! I have never eaten a chocolate bar so slowly. I even made it last for two days, because I did not want it to ever end. It was like the first kiss, the first time you realize you are in love, a time you will always remember. I can still taste it while I write this.
Yes, all that in a chocolate bar. Who knew?
Now I have to drive back across town to buy more. Many, many more. Or you can buy them online at the Vosges Haut Chocolat website.
