This VD my wife decided to indulge my chocolate tastes and surprised me with a box of truffles from Vosges. Vosges is a Chicago based “haut-chocolat” boutique with a definite gourmet bent. Some of the flavors of truffles include the “Black Perl” which is a dark chocolate truffle with an infusion of ginger and wasabi, topped with black sesame seeds and the “Budapest” which is dark chocolate with sweet Hungarian paprika.

Last night, I had the pleasure of trying the “Poivre” which is dark chocolate with Telicherry peppercorns (white and black). Oh. My. God. It was really fantastic. The pepper was not overpowering, it just added a hint of peppery spice to the chocolate and made it that much richer. I only wish I had a nice spicy Zinfandel to go with it, it would have been perfect.

I also sampled the “Naga” which I think is possibly the most perfect chocolate I’ve ever had. It’s a milk chocolate with coconut and sweet Indian curry. Normally, I’m a dark chocolate fan, but this combination was just out of this world. The coconut (which I normally don’t like) was subtle and matched perfectly with the curry. I was simply blown away.

So, if you’re an adventurous eater and in the mood for some amazing chocolate, I’d recommend checking out Vosges. They have stores in Chicago, New York and Vegas (?!) but I’m sure they also do mail order. It’s pricey stuff, but wow, is it worth it.