Called to the bars

There’s more to chocolate than your basic bars lining convenience store aisles. Michael Pilon tries five treats flavoured with interesting ingredients

For holiday gifting

A seasonal take on the classic cookies and cream, this warmly spiced milk chocolate bar is filled with brown sugar and gingerbread pieces. Its postcard packaging also makes for easy gifting: just add a stamp.

Alicja Confections gingerbread 33.6% milk chocolate, $10, alicjaconfections.com

For coffee pairing

Chocolate is great for nibbling with a cup of coffee, and this bar offers the best of both worlds. It blends Colombian single-origin vegan dark chocolate with Edinburgh-roasted coffee to reveal notes of caramel, nuts and blood orange.

Coco Chocolatier cold brew coffee dark chocolate, $11, savorly.ca

For nutty deliciousness

Jaggery is a sugar typically made by boiling down sugar cane juice or date palms, resulting in a rich, caramelly, browned-butter flavour. It plays well here with creamy white chocolate, and roasted cashews are at the party for textural contrast.

Mirzam white chocolate with roasted cashews and jaggery sugar, $14, chocolatecollective.ca

For a floral twist

For some, floral treats bring Grandma’s house to mind, but for those who love blossomy flavours, here’s a bar to try. Candied violet petals add crispy sweetness to the 40 per cent milk chocolate, and a touch of licorice rounds out the flavour.

Kaitxo milk chocolate with licorice and violets, $12, barandcocoa.com

For a citrusy zing

Calamansi is a tart citrus fruit primarily from the Philippines, with a taste somewhere between oranges, lemons and limes. Its brightness livens up this rich dark chocolate for a summery flavour, even with winter snow looming.

Theo & Philo 65% dark chocolate with calamansi, $10, savorly.ca