There's Balsamic Vinegar in my Chocolate!

And, goddamnit, it is a revelation, and has transported my understanding of chocolate to a place where I'll never willingly come back from.

But let me back-track a little - on Feb 23, I headed on down to Toronto's Distillery District to dine at Perigee, and had plans on stopping at Soma Chocolatemaker while in the area. Unfortunately, traffic had Brad and I arriving in the exactly when our reservation was booked, and out of the restaurant a good half hour after Soma closed their doors. Their chocolatey, chocolatey doors.

I mulled my chocolate denial and equivocated over the wisdom of emailing the company to see about what placing an order would entail. The lovely Cynthia promptly sent me a current product and price list, and was able to send me a shipping quote based on what I was planning to buy. And what did I order, you ask? Well, let me tell you:

• One package of Mayan Hot Chocolate dry mix (chocolate, Australian ginger, Madagascar vanilla, orange peel, chili and spices)
• Four truffles / molded chocolates (Balsamic Vinegar, Caramel Kiss, Spicy Mayan Dome, & a Single Origin Venezuelan 70% Cacao content)
• One microbatch Dark Science bar, Venezuelan beans, 73% Cacao content (made by Soma, brought from bean to bar - that's right, they roast the beans for this sucker themselves)

Soma ships via FedEx, and because I'm in the area, next day shipping? $6.00. That's right, less then I would've spent on gas and parking had I trucked on into the city to pick it up myself. And since deliveries via FedEx usually require signatures on delivery, I decided to have my chocolate loveliness delivered to my workplace.

So I congratulate myself on clever online shopping.

I placed my order Tuesday evening. It headed out on Wednesday morning for delivery on Thursday. Unfortunately, since Thursday was NATURE'S WINTER REVENGE, I headed home early before the delivery was made. But Friday? Friday saw me with a box of delight on my desk, and a desire to run home so I could tear into my goods without having to share. Because chocolate turns me into a selfish 3-year-old.

So far, I've devoured the truffles. Three were good, as is to be expected by a maker of fine, handmade chocolates. Good, but not extraordinary. The fourth? Absolutely heavenly. Who could have known that the bitterness of dark chocolate could be balanced so delightfully with the sharp tangy sweetness of balsamic vinegar? Not me, but I sure am glad that it does.

Image via Inkygirl @ Flikr