Chocolate sweetened with dates rather than sugar, with passion fruit and mango, from Lovechock in Amsterdam.
What sweetening with dates changes
Three things, and it is worth knowing all of them before the first bite.
The texture. Dates bring moisture and fibre into a bar that would otherwise be dry fat and sugar, so date-sweetened chocolate is softer, fudgier and less brittle than a conventional tablet. It does not snap the way a dark bar snaps. That is the recipe, not a fault.
The flavour. Dates are not neutral. They carry caramel, molasses and dried-fruit notes of their own, which sit under everything and give the bar a rounder, jammier quality. Against tropical fruit that works particularly well — the date is doing what a syrup would do in a dessert.
The honesty. Dates are still sugar — around 65 to 70% of a date by weight. What you gain over refined sugar is the fibre and minerals that come with the whole fruit, and a considerably more interesting flavour. What you do not gain is a low-sugar chocolate. We would rather say so plainly.
Passion fruit and mango
Passion fruit is one of the most aromatic and most acidic fruits there is; mango is sweet, soft and floral. Together they give a bar that reads as bright and sharp on first taste and rounder underneath — the acidity cutting through the fudginess the dates create.
Raw cacao
Lovechock work with unroasted beans — only the shells are briefly heated, for hygiene. Raw cacao is naturally brighter and fruitier than roasted, which is why it partners tropical fruit so easily.
Storage and diet
Cool and dry, 15–18 °C, away from strong smells. Because it contains fruit and moisture, this bar keeps less well than a plain dark tablet — eat it within its date. Organic, dairy-free, soy-free and gluten-free. Check the pack for allergens.