Shown off at a New York press reception last week, Hawaiian Vintage Chocolate proved to be at the other end of the chocolate spectrum from the sweet glop that coats most candy bars. A plain, bittersweet disc had a lively, intense flavor that unfolded slowly and lasted a long time: mixed with water for hot chocolate it was even better. and in a thick frosting it was sensational.
Right now the chocolate is available only to chefs. “They’re telling us how it works and how it can be improved,” says Walsh. Todd English of Olive’s restaurant in Charlestown, Mass., says he’s had no problems and that the taste is extraordinary. “The richness is amazing; you can really tell the difference,” he says.
Walsh labels each batch of chocolate by the season of its harvest (the fall ’92s were tasted last week). “This is a new type of chocolate, made the way fine wines are made,” he says. When truffles and other confections become available, probably next year, they will be priced like wines as well-up to $40 a pound.
