Snake & Butterfly Selection

Let me get it out there first that I like the name Snake & Butterfly: it has that blend of mythology and nature. The name belongs to a three-year-old company I found at the Salon, where they stood out as one of the “conscious” groups. They strive to be both environmentally and people friendly. That last part goes to both customers (the ingredients are organic and a couple products are raw) and those growing the cocoa (a nice quote from their site: “we produce all of our own chocolate: we are not remelters”). I must have had some faith in the products that would go under the name as I don’t recall tasting anything at their booth before walking away with one bar and a selection of truffles.

I went with the 67% Madagascar bar, whose ingredients are limited to cacao nibs, sugar, and cocoa butter. The handmade look comes through with the not-quite-perfect molded surface, yet I have no complaint with this bar. The fruity Madagascar flavor is there, with the sweetness of the relatively low cacao content holding hands with a shy bit of tangy bitterness. The texture isn’t rough, but good and smooth.

The truffles were another matter. I only looked up their names after trying them, finding that the first I had was Bourbon & Apricot. No surprise there as this one had a strong (quite strong) alcoholic presence and bits of fruit, though those I really couldn’t taste. The second was Lapsang & Mandarin Orange Peel. The orange opens up the act, with the almost spicy tea taking the lead from there. A new and unexpected experience.

Third was rum and cherry. Also strong on the alcohol side, which could just be a dream come true for some, I’d imagine. But it’s the last one that took away the good direction I was leaning in. That little being in the green wrapper with the coconut on the outside, I can’t stand it. And I think it despises me back. It’s so sweet, like a pound of butter (it does have butter added), and the green curry paste and lime and lemongrass also inside just don’t make me happy. I’m afraid of having nightmares of this truffle, yet I must share that it is a Thai truffle and as I do not even like Thai food, perhaps this is just a preference issue. Perhaps.

I’m trying not to let this hurt my opinion of Snake & Butterfly. I did enjoy the bar and thought well enough of the first three truffles, if alcoholic and adventurous chocolates aren’t my top picks. It’s still a a blossoming company, and I get the idea they’ll be ones to improve themselves with time, not fall back.

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