One of the many nice things about attending the Chocolate Show was the opportunity to familiarize myself with all the chocolatiers to which I normally don’t have access. One of the gems I found was Christopher Norman Chocolates. Despite the fact that I can somewhat easily travel to New York City, I’ve never made it to the area where their factory and shop are located. After tasting their samples at the show, it is now on my “to do” list.
These chocolates belong to the painted tiles series that they produce, which is only one out of an impressive array of other chocolate bonbons. John Down, the Chief Chocolatier, uses an innovative artistic technique blending fine painting and good chocolate. So you could say he is a master of both mediums!
The three chocolates are nicely shaped rectangles which are strikingly beautiful. They are all handmade and hand painted so there are no two alike. I got samples that have red, yellow and orange painted tops, and they are just so beautiful, I almost couldn’t eat them. They each smell the same, not hinting at all at what is inside. Dark, sweet and very chocolaty with fruity notes.
I went to the website to check on the flavors of the tiles I had, since the card contained no indication as to what the flavors should be. I found what I think I had collected in my sample: Framboise [Fuchsia], Orange Caramel [Orange] and Lemon Thyme [Yellow].
Yellow: I am correct, the lemon interior is so fresh and very zesty. You don’t taste the thyme right away, it sneaks in after the lemon has rushed your taste buds with flavor. The thyme is light, with a slight grassy/pine taste that cleans some of the lemon’s acidity off the palate. Very refreshing and unique.
Fuchsia: Yes, it is the raspberry. It’s a raspberry infused chocolate ganache, so you taste both with this one. The raspberry is faint and flowery and quickly allows the chocolate to take over as the dominant flavor. It’s smooth and buttery, and the flavor evolves to have more of a fruity and lightly acidic note as it lingers in your mouth.
Orange: Again I am correct, it is the orange caramel. I was surprised to fine a fine chocolate ganache, since I was expecting a caramel interior. I thought I had guessed the flavor wrong until I tasted it. A bight fresh zesty orange flavor with a wonderful aftertaste of rich buttery burnt sugar. Wow. This is the sweetest out of the three by far, but the flavor is so impressive, I have to say it’s my favorite.
These chocolates would be an excellent gift for the more adventurous chocolate lover. Aside from the fact that all his creations are utterly gorgeous, they also have creative flavors to match. I can’t wait to visit them directly in their store and taste what other delights Christopher Norman Chocolates have awaiting me.