What We’re Eating Now: Xavier Mor Chocolatier

It’s true. Xavier Mor’s packaging does look a bit like cough drops. But Ricola’s got nothing on these chocolate beauties. Hailing from Barcelona, this “designer chocolate” is the quintessential marriage of superb chocolate making meets graphic arts. The packaging – especially the cough drop-like “blister” collection – is a fun way to eat these sweets, which plays on the chocolatier’s aim to experiment with new flavor combinations, textures, and colors. Take their dark chocolate covered raspberries. Here, tiny, tart dried raspberries are dipped in creamy, almost bitter dark chocolate. The result is a tangy meets sweet bite that, while sort of resembling a chocolate covered raisin, is infinitely more interesting. Almonds covered in dark and white chocolate too are not overly saccharine – or salty, as can be the case with some nut and coco combinations – but a nice match of artisanal chocolate and tasty Marcona almonds. Fruits and nuts find their way into most of this Spanish chocolatier’s collections, considered by many to be among the best in the world. Having lived in Switzerland for 6 years, I can’t say I agree, but the delightful sweets plus packaging makes Xavier Mor an ultimate treat.