Wednesday 13 October 2010

Marmite Chocolate

While I was at work those clever boffins at Marmite unveiled their latest creation. They have at last realised that if you add anything to Marmite, it tastes of Marmite. So this time they've gone the other way and added Marmite to chocolate. On the way back from work, I hotfooted it to Debenhams in Glasgow who stocked it, allegedly. I must commend the very helpful staff of the Kitchen department there who went to great lengths to try and track me down a bar. But you cannot find what is not there. They are getting some in soon if you fancy trying it. Eventually Ebay came to the rescue.



According to the packet, it's 98% milk chocolate and 2% Marmite flavouring but what does it taste like? Well it looks pretty much like milk chocolate and smells like something a little darker and when you pop it in your mouth it's...  well ....odd. Chocolaty certainly but there's something else in there, a little tangy, perhaps a little salty - not bad really just odd but not really Marmite. For all you chocolate loving, Marmite haters out there I wouldn't be surprised if you like this. But beware!!!, for a few minutes later (enough time to scoff a large portion of the bar) there's a surprise, for you suddenly realise that you have eaten something Marmitey after all, really quite Marmitey infact.

Actually, now that the packet has been open for a day or so, I find that it smells more Marmitey and tastes a bit more that way too. Perhaps, like a fine wine, it just needs a little time to breath. On the whole though, I am going to continue to by my chocolate plain and eat my Marmite on toast, where it belongs.


But wait! We're not going to stop at an ordinary food review. Today this is the blog that brings you more!


You've guessed the next bit, haven't you? Despite the EEC attempts to have it renamed, this country produces fine milk chocolate, and I think Cadbury's Dairy Milk is of a better quality than the Marmite people have used. So lets have a birl with a spreading of real Marmite (not just flavouring) on it. I can confirm that Marmite on chocolate is indeed better than Marmite chocolate and you don't have to wait for the postman to deliver it.


My dear American friends out there, I don't know if you've got Marmite on your side of the pond or an equivalent and I'm aware that Hersheys are not Cadburys, but from my surfing last week, I discover that someone over there makes bacon flavour chocolate. If anyone finds some, I'd love to hear how it tastes.

15 comments:

Unknown said...

Spreading Marmite on Cadbury's fine product is nothing short of sacrilege! As soon as I can round up a rabble and find enough pitchforks and torches we'll be storming your castle, for sure!

Rachel Hoyt said...

Yeah, I'm going to have to side with Rocket Man on this one... I purchased marmite not long ago for a marinade recipe... The smell was not what I imagined when the recipe was begun... I'm not sure I'd try it mixed with chocolate even if it was free!!! :o)

Rhyme Me A Smile

Unknown said...

I have to confess I am not a Marmite lover, well, not until I tried some Marmite Crisps that is.
Hmm, the chocolate changing its taste and the Marmite sort of taking over after a few days sounds like its fermenting doesn't it?
Perhaps there's some kind of chemical reaction going on inside the bar between the ingredients.
Perhaps keeping it in a dark cupboard for a week or so might improve the flavour. Thanks for your taste test review, I will stay well clear when its available down here in Yorkshire, probably some time next year.

Sandy's witterings said...

Thanks for your comments folks. As you know, I try these things so that you don't have too.
Chip, it looks like you make have the first few recruits for your posse already - perhaps I should get the drawbridge pulled up and the moat topped up (unless, of course,you're leaving Sam the Wonderdog at home, in which case, I might not bother)

Unknown said...

you sick man!!!!!!
looks like were back on the bean's or hp sauce with haggis debate again,,

Shundo said...

You are indeed a man after my own heart.
I am intrigued about these new developments in the world of Marmite - in ten years in the States I have tried to get people interested in the stuff, and the conclusion really is, like the Jesuits used to say, you have catch them super-young, otherwise there is no hope of conversion. It can be bought in San Francisco, at a per-ounce price somewhat in the region of gold. I enquired why the price was so high once, and a friendly sales person in the shop muttered about the exchange rate. I tend to stock up on trips home, and get my other British and Irish friends to do the same.
As for the bacon chocolate, as a vegetarian I have not been on the lookout for that; chili is as exotic as I have seen here, but since there is a boom in artisan chocolate around these parts, I would not be at all surprised...

Janie said...

GHIRARDELLI is a step up from Hershey's. I use it a lot with baking. However I am aware there are many other gourmet chocolate out there. I am a chocolate lover. Soon it will be hot chocolate with marshmallow weather. Thanks for the history of your chocolate. Enjoy your posts.

Sandy's witterings said...

Billy, if you listen out, Chips rabble of pitchforks and torches will be passing by soon, so you can join them for Castle storming - perhaps I'd better go and oil the drawbridge.

Shundo, you are not alone in missing the finer things of british life in San Fransico - I find a web page of people trying to find Marmite in your area http://www.yelp.com/search?find_desc=marmite&find_loc=San+Francisco%2C+CA
As long as you can get decent tea and a copy of the Beano from time to time.
Chilli chocolate seems to have taken off lately - I've never tried it though.

Jane, I could never be described as a chocolate gourmet (I hear a chorus of marmite haters going "hear, hear!") - I've never heard of Ghirardelli (it doesn't sound as if it's about to appear in our corner shop).
I see from someone elses blog, that you've got a marvelous obilisk made from bicycles in Santa Rosa - have you seen it?

Shundo said...

Hi Sandy, Thanks for that tip - I will go and investigate You Say Tomato. As for Ghirardelli, they're so big they have a square named after them here : http://www.ghirardellisq.com/
But I wouldn't go out of my way to buy a bar of it. Give me a fruit and nut any day

Zia Wolf-Sun said...

Mamite chocolate?!! I love marmite...on toast...with cheese...anywhere really...but in chocolate?!! Ooooh noooo! However I wouldn't mind trying it ON chocolate...lol...so before I get a pitchfork up my rear can you pls let down the drawbridge and let me in to join you?! lol ;)

Sandy's witterings said...

Quick! quick! the draw bridge is down. (and the kettles on)

Unknown said...

Sandy - I'll keep my eye out for the bacon flavored chocolate:-)

Sandy's witterings said...

Welcome Staci - you've obviously got a few culinary wonders over there too.

the paranoid toothbrush said...

lol....i thought the wee sample u sent was ok(ish)...well i didn't feel the urge to rush up n brush my toothypegs...

Sandy's witterings said...

I think I agree with you your toothbrushyness, it's wasn't a brilliant attempt at marmite chocolate - I think I did better myself.