Yes, French salted caramels (or Fleur de Sel Caramels)- you read correctly! And no, these are no ordinary confections. These morsels of “WOW!” impressed even hard-to-impress New Yorker’s at this year’s Fancy Food Show ( the caramels were selected as one of the top ten best new products of 2008!).
Here’s what makes them so mouth-wateringly good...
They’re produced using old-world methods, the artisanal way which means they are made in small, 50 lb. or less batches using the highest quality ingredients possible and employing time-honoured French traditional candy-making techniques. An email from the affable Katie Das (the owner of the company) was received, where she writes, “Our mission is to help local, sustainable farmers to build up demand for their products among food manufacturers. To do so, we source our fresh cream, butter and honey from local producers in the Midwest. Our other ingredients come from sustainable sources too. For example, the pistachios that we use in Ginger and Pistachio caramel come from a sustainable farm in New Mexico and Walnuts – from a small organic farm in Missouri.” Someone grab me a caramel, stat!
Oh yes, but the good news doesn’t end there because Katie and company also launched the Caramels for the Cure program in which 10% of the net profits from the little candies that could goes to the AIDS Foundation of Chicago to help fight AIDS and HIV in the US and abroad. Sweets you can feel good about buying and eating on so many levels.
Without further ado, here are some tasting notes (tough job, but someone’s got to do it!) in case this little missive has piqued your interest…
The Das Foods website offers a spate of tasty options- their best seller on the caramel front being the three-pack assortment featuring Candied Ginger & Pistachio caramels, Classic French Salted Caramels and Chocolate & Walnut.
The Das Caramelini Flavour Tasting:
The Candied Ginger & Pistachio and Classic caramelswere in a horn-locked tie throughout. All flavours were as the box correctly describes, “deliciously soft.” You might want to throw in luxurious, luscious and wholly satisfying for starters. The ginger and pistachio version is earthy, aromatic, complex with subtle ginger hits and just the right amount of saltiness to set the whole creation ablaze on the tongue- brilliant! The classic caramels were buttery, rich and reminded the group of tasters (including a professional chef) of the finest crème brulee. Yeah, what she said! And while everyone thoroughly enjoyed the Chocolate & Walnut (what’s not to love?)- all felt that despite the dark chocolate truffle nuances, this would have been even better if this had been a classic Caramelini studded with walnuts and enrobed in dark chocolate. Just an FYI- you have four new, official Caramelini converts here in Canada.
Mary Luz Mejia - Colombian-born and Canadian raised. After earning an honours History degree from Queen's University and a Journalism post-grad diploma ...
