Caramel in my opinion, is one of the culinary world's greatest invention- like vinaigrette or mayonnaise. Who would have thought adding heat to sugar and pouring in cream when it hits that right state can result in such a wonderfully golden gooey liquid.
But let's face it- not all candy manufacturers make good caramel, and those that do are far and few.
What I like in a caramel is a non throat-sickeningly-sweet aftertaste and a consistency that won't tire your jaws from chewing on a cube as hard as rubber. I'd like to get that note of bitterness which may have resulted in the sugar being a little bit more heated than it ought to have been, or maybe the chef added a pinch of salt to his recipe which helps cut through the sweetness. Either way, one can never really have too much of this good thing. And that's why this chocolate is so perfect in size, texture and flavor.
The chocolate enclosing this molten delight is fairly mild but what a balance it gives to that rich, buttery center. Its shell is fairly crisp and shiny. The caramel itself was- 'light', it wasn't chewy as hard-tack (as you can see from the picture above) and note how it oozes out like hot melting fudge. The way it coats your mouth is heavenly, none of that having to pick in between your teeth and the roof of your mouth for stuck-on caramel. This was a marriage smooth like silk and gone too soon, a perfectly made pair by Ghirardelli.
