The Co-operative Peruvian Dark Chocolate with Dried Sweetened Cranberries

After absolutely loving and savouring each bite of Co-op's Milk Chocolate Sea Salted Toffee chocolate bar, I was pleased to see that I had another one of Co-op's fairtrade 'truly irresistible' bars - but this time it was a dark chocolate with a fruity twist

This chocolate contains 52% cocoa solids with cocoa from the Acopagro co-operative which is based in the province of San Martin in the Amazonian highlands

A distinct aroma, I hate to say it but it was hinting towards a urine-like smell... it was a real funny smell to describe. There was a rich sweetness from the dried cranberries and darkness from the cocoa too but something, maybe an alcoholic or celery smell rather than urine, caused for quite a peculiar aroma. Oh and it didn't smell bad!

As the chocolate begun to melt, I could gradually begin to feel the dried cranberries ... which had a shrivelled, chewy texture

The chocolate itself wasn't really dark tasting but it was rich, and the cranberries had a tart sweet taste. I am interested to know what the chocolate alone tastes like. Apparently the characteristics of this Peruvian cocoa is a powerful berry flavour with a strong kick and a slightly bitter finish

You would have thought a cherry and dark chocolate would have been the more likely and safer combination, so really this is quite an interesting pairing, well I certainly haven't seen it before. I didn't enjoy this chocolate as much as the other Co-op premium own-brand milk chocolate but you know what? It wasn't bad

The other Peruvian chocolate the Co-op has to offer is a Dark Chocolate (52%) with Roasted Hazelnuts and an Extra Creamy Milk Chocolate. But they also have a nice selection of Ghanaian and Dominican Republic chocolate

The Co-operative Ghanaian Milk Chocolate with Toffee and Sea Salt

This chocolate of 89% milk chocolate to 10% toffee and 1% sea salt creates a perfectly balanced flavour

The Co-op having all their Truly Irresistible label chocolate Fairtrade is something to respect, it certificates that those who grow the cocoa beans are receiving fair prices for their crops. And for this particular bar of chocolate, it's the Kuapa Kokoo organisation in Ghana!

A light aroma, nothing too stimulating. This milk chocolate was of 34% cocoa solids

A soft melt slowly separates the toffee crystals from the chocolate. The sea salt suddenly sparking as the palate clears, creating a beautiful sweetness. Then with my second bite (and so on) I was much more aware of the salt, having a greater taste as I'd crack up the toffee pieces with my teeth. Salt in chocolate never fails to amaze me, just how it can bring out this sweetness; a sweetness that would not have been appreciated if that salt wasn't there

As I came to the end of each bite it irritated me that I could not put my finger on what this chocolate tasted like! But after my eureka moment, I believed it to be similar in taste to the Daim bar though 1000 times better