The golden berry AKA Inca berry sits inside a papery husk. Photo credit: Flapdragon.
The golden berry or Inca berry is an antioxidant rich fruit indigenous to South America that joins the ranks of more famous superfoods such as the acai berry to emerge from the Amazon. Scientific studies suggest golden berries have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and may help fight diabetes, cancer and aging [1, 2]. Take this exotic superfood, enrobe it in dark chocolate (already rich in antioxidants), and you have a nutritious and pallet-pleasing treat [3]. But what do golden berries taste like?
Pacari Chocolate Covered Golden Berries
Pacari organic CHOCOLATE covered golden berries
Pacari’s organic berries are harvested in Ecuador where golden berries grow wild and are also cultivated. They then take their organic single-origin dark chocolate and coat the organic berries to make little spheres of goodness.
WHAT: Pacari Organic Chocolate Covered Golden Berries. 57 g (2 oz). Ingredients: Cacao beans, evaporated cane juice, golden berries, cacao butter, sunflower lecithin. USDA Certified Organic. Dairy and soy free. May contain traces of nuts. Kosher – Parve.
Where to buy Pacari Chocolate Covered Golden Berries Online.
WHEN: March 18, 2012 OVERALL RATING: Not rated since this is not a “straight” chocolate bar. Overall, I give it high ranks for its unique flavors and potential health benefits.
AROMA: Pronounced raisins, grapefruit and oranges. Light tobacco, coffee and black tea.
The inside of chocolate covered Inca berries reveals a tart, golden fruit.
INITIAL AND MIDDLE TASTES: Caramel starts up front followed by grapefruit, raisins and red wine. Chewing some more releases a concen- trated tart citrus flavor that’s more complex than just one single fruit. It’s more like a melding of pineapple, orange and grapefruit with a touch of mint and tea.
FINISH: The end is almost all golden berry with the chocolate fading away first. There are bits of seeds (or something like it) still hanging around, but they’re not like those annoying, impervious raspberry seeds that you get stuck in your teeth – these can be easily chewed away. The finish is clean and slightly tart.
LAST BITE: I like these a lot because the flavors are complementary rather than competing. Whenever I have chocolate covered espresso beans, for instance, it’s a little bit like eating cheese with butter on top – two similar flavors made from potent, aromatic roasted beans. I still love chocolate covered espresso beans, don’t get me wrong, but what’s cool about these chocolate covered Inca berries is the contrast of tart with sweet / roast. Maybe there’s a reason it all grows in Ecuador.
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Notes and References:
[1] New cytotoxic withanolides from Physalis peruviana Lan Y.-H., Chang F.-R., Pan M.-J., Wu C.-C., Wu S.-J., Chen S.-L., Wang S.-S., Wu M.-J., Wu Y.-C. Food Chemistry 2009 116:2 (462-469)
[2] New cytotoxic withanolides from Physalis peruviana Lan Y.-H., Chang F.-R., Pan M.-J., Wu C.-C., Wu S.-J., Chen S.-L., Wang S.-S., Wu M.-J., Wu Y.-C. Food Chemistry 2009 116:2 (462-469)
[3] These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
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