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Monday, April 3, 2006
Sahagun ChocolatesA few weeks ago I was fortunate enough to participate in the tasteEverything Independent Food Awards, I was thrilled to see the other awards given. But the first one that I made an effort to get a hold of was the Sahagun Salted Caramels. Since I’m not going to get to Portland anytime soon, my husband mentioned it to friends there and they went right out and bought me some (and some for themselves)!
I’m not quite sure what they all are, but I had to start with the caramels, which I knew were the tall ones with the nuts on top because the one in the back was actually broken in shipping. These are fantastic! The chocolate is smooth and mellow and the caramel filling is unlike most other caramels I’ve ever had. It was dark and complex, with quite a bit of salt in it and a gooey but not flowing texture. I hesitate to say that it was jelly-like or custard-like, but it definitely wasn’t quite caramel. The crunch of the hazelnut on top brings all the textures together. The real find is that amorphous blob there on the right. I had no idea what it was going to be. It was a dark chocolate shell with a white chocolate coconut center. It’s hard to describe. Instead of the drab sweet center of a Mounds bar, this is a delicate and mild buttery base filled with soft and chewy coconut. I have never experienced coconut like this before. The coffee truffle (not pictured) was shaped like a big button and dusted with cocoa and very smooth and soft a very strong coffee flavor. It wasn’t sweet at all, just like a cup of coffee without sugar would be. It was quite a refreshing change from many of the “too sweet” Easter candies I’ve been gorging on. The other sphere there on the left, that’s dusted with a luster powder, is a plain chocolate truffle. Like the coffee one, it wasn’t sugary at all, except this one has a chocolate shell, which adds a touch of sweetness. The center is buttery and dense and quite satisfying. The little medallions of chocolate we also dusted with that luster powder. I find it a little unappealing, like someone spilled their eyeshadow on my candy. But it doesn’t taste like anything that I can tell. (I know these edible lusters are quite trendy now, but it you haven’t already guess, I’m not really the trendy sort.) The coins were simply dark chocolate and it gave me an opportunity to experience the chocolate used in all of these creations on its own. It’s mellow and only slightly sweet with a dry, bitter bite towards the end, as plain eating chocolate is quite nice, but it really shines when used in combination with the other ingredients here. The last item I didn’t even take a photo of, it was a what I thought was a nut bark. Oh, I should have known that it wasn’t going to be run of the mill. I have no idea what it’s called, but it’s dark chocolate with spicy corn nuts. The salty, extra crunchy and slight burn of the corn nuts went really well with the chocolate. It hardly felt like a sweet at all, but was entirely satisfying and possibly addictive. Of course it’s probably a good thing From everything I’ve heard the best part about Sahagun is visiting the shop, so if you’re in Portland, OR, make a point of it. They’re at 10 N.W. 16th Ave. You can read more in this interview at Portland Food and Drink.
POSTED BY Cybele AT 7:53 am
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Comment by
Eliza on 4/03/06 at 8:43 am #
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Jeremy Wilson on 4/03/06 at 9:00 am #
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Tricia on 4/05/06 at 8:06 am #
Commenting is not available in this channel entry.the ones you said had coconuts sound so good.
Yummy. The other one that looks good is the tall one you mentioned with caramel. Chocolate, caramel and coconut are all my favorites. 
OMG, when I scrolled down and saw the picture I gasped! I could shove those down my face right now! And chocolate with corn nuts? It sounds disgusting, yet somehow compelling in a PMS way…
Finally, reviews of chocolate from my hometown! I can’t get enough of your blog, Cybele!
Corn nuts?!!?? I just can’t imagine. Does it leave you with that awful corn nut breath or does the chocolate mitigate the effect?
The caramel, though, sounds amazing. I was going to try making caramels with hazelnuts (instead of my standard pecans) this weekend, and cover them with gianduia, but I never got to it. Maybe next weekend. Probably won’t compare to this fabulous find you describe, but certainly worth a try!
I never thought of salted caramel as being something good… I usually find salt and sugar mixing to be sacrelige, but you’re slowly convincing me to change my mind! (Also, your site came in handy last night when my internal clock was all messed up from Daylight Savings. I now know nearly everything about every candy ever made.
)
Unless they have changed their product in the last week, you might have corn nuts confused with the pepitas, or tiny pumpkin seeds.
Food Dude - they definitely weren’t pepitas, I have a little piece left here and they’re corn nuts. Maybe it was a new experiment? A good one!
Tricia - corn nut breath? I’ve never noticed that. It defintely gives me a burn in my throat!
I love caramels mixed with any nuts. I made some one year with Pine Nuts - they were amazingly buttery.
Jeremy - Imagine if I actually visited Portland how much I could write (but I’ll have to be satisfied for now with my husband bringing stuff back for me)! Someday.
Eliza - I am really pining for that coconut one. I can’t wait for Sahagun to have a webstore.
Of course you wouldn’t notice the corn nut breath, it’s those around you who do… Ask your husband, for example! :^)
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