I once read a quote that said, “Forget love, I want to fall in chocolate.” And while if I had to choose, I’m pretty sure love would win, I’ve not too much doubt that chocolate would come in second.
Let’s just say I’m a fan. But not in the way that people tell me they are big cricket fans but then don’t get up at 3 am like me to drive over to someone else’s house with DSTV to watch the South African/Australia test series. I’m talking a real fan.
And so over the years I have done a lot of experimentation to try and discover just what the perfect combination of chocolate is. I tend to be someone who lives on budget and so I’m going to exclude “money is no object” extravaganzas and make this more a “for the person on the street” kind of experience.
THE BIG FIVE
5. Divine Lindt
Coming in at number five because it is an exception to the rule I just established above, was the time I was given a bag of Lindt balls and decided to melt ten of them in a mug and eat that with a teaspoon (and science has proved that eating melted chocolate with a teaspoon is a much higher experience than a normal desert spoon, and by “science” I mean “me”). So that is the expensive person’s choice, but it was so so good.
4. The Milo paste
I was never a big fan of drinking Milo as a child, and am still not. But a tin of Milo on a youth leader’s training camp and teaspoons (a common theme) all round and it would be demolished quicker than you can say “Chubby bunny”. If you have never eaten a teaspoon of Milo, you should step away from whatever technology you are reading this on, go and find a tin, and give it a go.
But… the really great way to eat Milo is with a little bit of milk to make it into a thick paste and you can throw in some chocolate chips for variety. It makes a great companion to a movie or your latest binge-watch TV show. The paste also works with Nesquik, and I find a combo of the two is really amazing.
3. Nachtmusiek or chocolate shots.
I try to get a bottle of Nachtmusiek as a gift once a year on my birthday. It is a chocolate liqueur so a thick chocolaty drink with the tiniest kick, and so, so good. We recently went to the Spice Route in Paarl for the first time with friends and they served chocolate shots, which I have had at one other place in Cape Town and also in San Francisco when we were there – and they have to rate as highly. A short mouthful of solid chocolaty goodness is always a hit.
2. The Deck
My top go-to on the Melted Chocolaty Goodness Spectrum (this should be a thing!) after many years of experimentation is a melted slab of good old Top Deck.
The way it works for me is to grab a slab and break it into its individual pieces. Then break each of those in half if you can. Stick in a microwaveable bowl and put it on for thirty second increments, stirring after each one and feeling when it is done.
Then, grab two teaspoons (’cause let’s face it, why would you not want to share this incredible experience with a good friend or partner) and your favourite sporting event (for me it used to be Formula 1 but now would more likely be cricket) and indulge away.
1. The Plot Twist
For years, the microwave-melted Top Deck would have topped this list. But then a happy accident occurred. Someone had given me one of those giant 200g Top Deck slabs and I left it on my car dashboard while I was driving home. It was a really hot day and the chocolate was completely melted by the time i got home.
I had an idea and cut the corner off the chocolate and squeeze drank a whole 200g slab of Top Deck. Mouth heaven. For some reason sun melted chocolate is a lot better than microwave-melted chocolate. Which is why a slab of Top Deck melted (preferably on a car dashboard for nostalgia’s sake) and then drank out of the packaging wins my number 1 chocolate melt for reasonably budgeting people.
WHAT ABOUT YOU?
Which brings us to you. You wouldn’t have made it this far down if you were not a fan of the chocolate. What is your absolute favourite chocolate thing? Is there something on this list that you are now keen to try? Let us know how it goes in the comments below. And please let us know if there is something you think we missed.