It’s an established fact; chocolate pairs well with many foods.  Chocolate and nuts, chocolate and caramel, chocolate and fruit; these are all tried and true.

However, many chefs and cooks will quickly point out that chocolate and spice is also a winning combination.

Savory chocolate recipes are becoming very popular in restaurants and spicy ingredients are part of trendy truffles in almost every chocolates shop.

How about a dark chocolate with lemon and basil ganache?  Or a milk chocolate with cumin and mint filling?  What about a goat cheese truffle?  Do these sound weird to you, or simply irresistible?

Let’s talk chocolate and chiles.  There are flavor nuances in different varieties of chile peppers that go better with certain types of chocolate.  For example, an Ancho chile will enhance a chocolate with herbal or even citrusy notes.  A Chipotle, with its smoky flavor, will bring out the bold intensity of a very dark and bittersweet chocolate.  Aleppo chiles go great chocolates that have nutty notes, and Aji Panca gives a kick to chocolates with fruity and acidic notes.

If you are willing to explore non-traditional chocolate pairings, you will be in for a pleasant and unique taste experience.

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Bryn Kirk

Course Facilitator at Chocolate University Online

Bryn worked for nearly 10 years in a research and product development for Ambrosia Chocolate Company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Now she develops all of the CUO lessons and coaches the members of the Primal Chocolate Club.

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