Thursday, May 13, 2010

Chuao Panko Bar

Chuao Panko Bar

Panko breading is a staple in my kitchen, since my husband and I like to eat tonkatsu (fried breaded pork), but I never would have thought to put it in a chocolate bar.

This bar seemed elusive in my area for quite some time, but I just didn't know where to look for it. After checking nearly every local gourmet store, the Chuao Panko bar showed up at Wal-Mart.

Chuao Panko Bar

The bulk of the bar was a nice, mildly bitter chocolate with a lovely salty crunch. The panko did a great job of adding texture without changing the flavor. The sea salt was great both with the chocolate and the panko, and it reminded me of potato chip chocolates without the potato flavor.

The end notes were bitter and earthy, and it made for a tasty bar. The gritty texture of the panko gave it an extra hearty feel. I've never had anything quite like it, and though it didn't become my favorite Chuao bar, I would certainly buy it again.

Check out another review of this bar at Candy Blog.

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Chuao website

5 comments:

Cindy said...

Wow, sounds delicious. I'll have to keep my eye out.

ebidebby said...

I hope you find it!

kiwiberry said...

I tried this today after reading your review and it's delicious! 60% is the perfect amount of cacao, the texture is great and I love how the salty and sweet mix perfectly.

Lacey said...

Ooh, found it at Wal-Mart, eh? Maybe this will make a good replacement for my beloved (albeit hard to find) Theo breadcrumb bar.. (which is totally awesome, if you haven't had it, btw)

V ♥ said...

This is SO good! just dark enough to have a bite, but still very smooth! Love the combination of sweet and salty.