“our test kitchen will never run out of ideas. we have no plans to become another boring chocolate maker. for example, this new recipe idea is anything but boring. first, we dry-aged grass-fed black angus beef before gently drying it at low temperature in vacuum. finally, we mixed the dried beef with dark milk chocolate. we enhanced the flavor dimension by sprinkling a cloud of wild-grown lithuanian lingonberris on top of the chocolate surface. ” – domantas uzpalis, chocolatier.
about naive’s forager collection
the forager collection is madly experimental and multilayered. at first, we deconstruct all ingredients and then combine them back to form one-of-a-kind chocolate bars with “patented” flavors. with this collection, we have created a new way of introducing flavors into the chocolate by using locally sourced and intense ingredients refined into chocolate bars for them to naturally extend the complex chemical flavour composition of cacao.
facts
dry-aging goes back thousands of years. before the invention of refrigeration, dry-aging was one of the few methods of keeping meat fresh. this time-honored technique enhances both the flavor and the tenderness of the meat. first, the meat is hung in a chamber, cellar, or cave. by exposing it to air, the moisture is drawn out and the natural enzymes in the beef break the muscle tissue down slowly over time, making it more tender. when the surface of the beef dries, it creates a crust over the muscle.
the chocolate is made in-house with organic specialty cacao, which is mixed in certain proportions to form a clean, rich and flavorful base. the blend formulation is classified, but we can assure you it is top quality and fits perfectly with chocolate naive standards and values.
flavor notes
this chocolate tastes decidedly beefy, much like rare roast beef, while also providing subtler hints of other delicious flavors, such as warm buttered popcorn. it tastes somewhat nutty, even cheesy.
pairing suggestions
the best pairing for this dynamic chocolate is full-bodied wine with lots of tanning. the high tannin level will help the wine to cut through the richness of the chocolate. zinfandel is a good choice, as this wine’s inherent fruit-forward flavor is a great complement to this chocolate.
