Chocolate sweetened with dates rather than sugar, with raspberry and rosemary, from Lovechock in Amsterdam — the most unexpected bar in the range, and the most interesting.
Rosemary in chocolate
It sounds like a mistake and it is not. Rosemary is a resinous, piney, faintly camphorous herb, and those qualities sit surprisingly close to what raw cacao already does — raw cacao has a green, slightly herbal edge that roasting normally destroys. The rosemary picks that up and extends it rather than fighting it.
Raspberry then supplies the acidity and the fruit, and the effect is closer to a dessert than to a sweet: it tastes composed, in the way a good restaurant plate does, rather than simply flavoured.
It is a bar for someone who has got bored of chocolate. It is not one to buy for a child.
What sweetening with dates changes
The texture. Dates bring moisture and fibre, so the bar is softer and fudgier and does not snap like a dark tablet. That is the recipe, not a fault.
The flavour. Dates carry caramel and molasses notes that sit under everything, giving the bar a rounder, jammier base — which is what keeps a herb-and-fruit combination from feeling austere.
The honesty. Dates are still sugar — around 65 to 70% by weight. You gain fibre, minerals and better flavour than refined sugar. You do not gain a low-sugar chocolate.
Raw cacao
Lovechock work with unroasted beans — only the shells are briefly heated, for hygiene. Raw cacao is brighter, fruitier and greener than roasted, which is precisely why the rosemary works here and would not in a conventional bar.
Storage and diet
Cool and dry, 15–18 °C, away from strong smells. Contains fruit and moisture, so eat it within its date. Organic, dairy-free, soy-free and gluten-free. Check the pack for allergens.