With the rise in attention to things like “fair trade chocolate”, specialty candy makers have been able to gain a new level of market access. The problem for anyone wishing to become the next Hershey or Nestle is not how to fight against the big names, but how to compete with the dozens of other small chocolate companies.
Some have attempted to appeal to people’s desire for validation by donating a portion of every sale to a popular charity. Many attempt to devise the most appealing name and wrapper. Many others add flavorings to their chocolates. Chilies are popular, as are dried fruits, nuts, and salt (almost always called “sea salt”.)
The salt flavor is particularly popular and is often additionally paired with caramel. Sometimes companies will instead use potato chips, as with bars from Chuao and Dylans.
Then there’s Tayto.
Unlike the other candy bar creators, Tayto is not, by default, a chocolatier; rather, they approach the combination from the other side. Tayto is the definitive Irish potato chip (sorry, potato “crisp”). When they decided to make a chocolate bar with salty potato crumbles inside, it was only to be expected that they would use Tayto crisps.
What most people didn’t expect was their decision to use their most popular flavor, which happened to be Cheese & Onion.
Let that sink in for a moment. Cheese & Onion Chocolate Bar.
They were produced in a limited quantity… but amazingly, they haven’t yet sold through. For people who are very curious, they can be ordered online.
I admit, I’ve never been able to bring myself to order one.
Question of the night: What’s your favorite type of chocolate bar?
