It’s time for another chocoholic adventure! Recently, a chocolate trend emerged here on the island: Polish chocolates. Last Christmas and early this year, chocolates from Poland appeared in the chocolate scene with a handful of flavors and brands to choose from in supermarkets and shops. I am a bit familiar with Polish chocolates, but I had yet to try chocolates from a brand called E. Wedel that I spotted in my local supermarket. Besides the tempting thought of munching on coffee chocolate, the deal was sealed for an additional reason: the wrapper.

The wrapper reminds me of a quirky Polish Christmas movie I watched on Netflix called “David and the Elves” back in December 2021. The wrapper’s deep blue hue reminds me of winter skies, and an elf-resembling character is present in the design! I instantly realized these were clear signs from the universe that I had to get this chocolate. With only 1 block left on the shelf, it was now or never. Respecting the foodie universe (and partly giving in to a dash of foodie FOMO), I added the block to my shopping haul. Plus, it’s a fun way to say “bye” to winter!

When I reached home and officially added this block to my snack stash, I began pondering on the chocolate scene in Poland. Also, my intrigue was piqued on Poland’s coffee culture. To learn more, I stepped into my jingly sleuthing boots yet again (in honor of the elves) to explore Poland’s chocolate and coffee realms.

A Peek into Polish Czekolada (Chocolate)

Polish sweet tooths do adore chocolate-laden eats, especially with the array of delicious local chocolate confections and desserts. Notable mentions of their chocolatey delights are a beloved cake named Wuzetka and a famous wafer chocolate bar called Prince Polo.

Hailing from Warsaw, E. Wedel is a classic in the Polish chocolate world. Producing chocolates since the 1800’s, they have been (and still are) enjoyed by generations of Polish chocolate fans – they remind me of Cadbury and Hershey’s in this aspect. Apart from choosing delightful picks from their chocolate selections in shops, the other exciting part for chocoholics is experiencing E. Wedel’s choco-licious dining concept of ‘chocolate lounges’ (also known as ‘chocolate cafés’) in Poland. Dining in a place that is essentially dedicated to chocolate and desserts definitely sounds like a chocolate fan’s dream come true!

The Polish Coffee Scene

There is an eclectic mix of cafés around Poland to visit for specialty coffees, with pastries or cakes to accompany them. The fun part is that many cafés are inspired by different themes and stories that bring a lovely soul to both the spaces and the menus. Some of the ones I spotted in my virtual sleuthing are inspired by the arts. And others have a quintessential modern café ambiance, where visitors can enjoy a cup of coffee while getting some work done in their usual productive café visits.

Poland’s coffee scene is certainly gaining recognition from global coffee enthusiasts. In fact, the World of Coffee event – a highlight in coffee connoisseurs’ calendars – will be held in Warsaw this year. A few competitions from the World Coffee Championships (which is pretty much the Olympics of the coffee world from what I’ve gathered) will be featured at the event, such as the World Latte Art category.

Back To The Chocolate!

As much as I enjoyed admiring the wrapper, I was excited to finally unwrap this chocolate! A delightful aroma of rich coffee greeted me instantly. The chocolate block comprises of 10 chocolate pieces, and they look simply delicious. Being in the tropics, the entire block became softer after a while. Refrigerating it is definitely key!

Taste Test

The combined taste of the chocolate and coffee is definitely familiar to my palate from my very first bite. While munching thoughtfully, I realized that it almost has similar vibes of the chocolate coffees I enjoy from the likes of Starbucks and The Coffee Bean. This is from the flavorful blend of being perfectly bitter with bold coffee notes, yet cocoa-ey with a touch of sweetness.

The espresso flavor’s presence is brought to life through the cream that is encased in the dark chocolate. This is a unique take on the ‘coffee chocolate’ route, as it feels like a dessert chocolate confection. The cream is relatively smooth and decadent with a very slight graininess, which I guess is from the coffee element.

Reading the ingredients list, I realized the coffee itself is introduced primarily through coffee paste. Based on my sleuthing, coffee paste tends to be used in making coffee-based bakes and desserts. It certainly works in this treat as it brings coffee’s signature taste beautifully.

According to the ingredients list, the chocolate contains a minimum of 50% cocoa solids. While it does have the richer cocoa taste that dark chocolates are known for, it is very pleasing to my milk chocolate-loving taste buds. Flavor-wise, it reminds me of milder dark chocolates that are somewhere in-between the ‘dark milk’ and ‘dark’ chocolate classifications.

The chocolate-to-cream ratio is executed well in my opinion. The chocolate doesn’t overshadow the coffee element, and vice versa. They come together in harmony to deliver a pleasant collective flavor.

All in all, I enjoyed the chocolate experience!

____________________________________________

Before wrapping up this post, I want to share a little message with my dear friends from around the world:

“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13:13

Sending thoughts of love and peace to the world.