Please note that I am not affiliated to any of the products or companies mentioned in this blog post. This is a personal review of the product mentioned.
So, here’s the thing. I am a chocolatier… however, nowadays I am a converted chocolatier, who prefers making refined-sugar free chocolate. I love ordinary chocolate as it is one of the most creatively challenging mediums to work with, but I have given up sugar – by personal choice. I believe refined sugar is one of the most unhealthy things one can eat, and so my family and I gave it up! I have written a post about this if you wish to read about that journey called ‘Living without Sugar’. Anyway – being a chocolatier who does not eat sugar! Not always easy, but finding a chocolate I am happy to eat myself was important to me.
When I had a chocolate shop, even though I was getting an enormous amount of satisfaction from the creative side of things and enjoying the elated response from customers eating my chocolate creations, there was always a part of me feeling guilty because of my belief that sugar is not good for anyone. I tried to appease my guilt by using the finest Belgium chocolate available, I stuck to fresh ingredients like local cream and fresh fruit for flavours and I made sure my chocolates contained no preservatives, nor palm oil. However, the nagging guilt remained. I once told my husband that I felt like a drug dealer, and an enabler to those consuming sugar. My son said that it was the choice of the customer, and that I need not feel guilty… however I still did. If confessing, I continued to make chocolates with normal (even if superior couverture) chocolate for a long time with this guilt, because I was good at my work – and I was proud of the result. Look – here are a few of my creations:
More examples can be found here: https://www.instagram.com/chocolette10/
The brand of beautiful Belgium chocolate I used makes a sugar-free version, using Maltitol as a sugar replacement – and I began using this as an option for certain likeminded clients. It is a beautiful product that works like sugary chocolate and tastes the same. Using it made me feel a little bit better, but this particular sugar alternative was still not quite good enough in my book. I would have preferred an alternative like coconut blossom sugar or another alike.
The problem I found is that chocolate that is ‘healthier’ is not nearly as good looking as ordinary chocolate. As a chocolatier it is frustrating trying to work with this kind of ‘healthier’ chocolate to make beautiful chocolate creations… so I gave up on the idea. However, for personal consumption, I was on the hunt for a good one, that tastes delicious. In the hunt for a replacement, I found myself disappointed over and over. Chocolate with Stevia as a replacement always left a horrid aftertaste. Most of the ‘alternative’ bars out there were waxy on the tongue, dull in appearance, and really not enjoyable to eat at all – unless you are seriously good at convincing yourself otherwise. I mean, let’s face it – chocolate – real good quality chocolate is hard to beat!
So, if you are happy to stick to 70% dark chocolate that is pure and of excellent quality, you are actually doing yourself a favour by eating it. Its good for you – in moderation. However, if you enjoy milk or white chocolate, you are going to find it difficult to find a healthier alternative. It was for me… until I discovered Oscar! And this find went from good to better and then to excellent!
Not only is this little chocolate bar delicious – it is made with coconut sugar! This little bar is a very good substitute to give to your kids. My son – who is a chocoholic (not from my doing I promise), is very happy to have an ‘Oscar’ as a treat. He bounces between these and normal dark chocolate (of superior quality of course). So, beside their delicious taste, what else is good about this treat?
- Its Vegan
- Contains no gluten
- Palm oil free
- No added cane sugar
- Preservative free
- GMO free
- Plant based
- Certified organic
- Made in South Africa (always good to support local)
- And it’s also Orangutan safe…
On the back of the label, it says:
‘Hello my name is Oscar, I’m a baby Orangutan. My home is being threatened by loggers who want to use the rainforests in Indonesia to make palm oil and paper. Please help protect me by not buying products with palm oil and using recycled paper.’
How awesome is that! The company that makes these little Oscars is called ‘The Chocolate Yogi’ and their head office is in Bryanston in Johannesburg. Their slogan is ‘Chocolate that changes the world’.
Here is a link to their site: https://www.thechocolateyogi.com.au/
They are the perfect lunchbox treat and they are also fantastic to have in your handbag. They are not just for children – believe me – I love them just as much as my son does.
So finally – someone has been able to satisfy a chocolatier with their product. Not to necessarily work with – but to eat – and to give to my own son. I am not going to say that they taste like normal chocolate, because they don’t. One can definitely taste the coconut sugar caramel-like flavour. However, if this is a sugar you are familiar with and like, you will love these Oscars. More-so, they also don’t feel waxy, or leave a horrid aftertaste, or leave one wondering why you wasted your hard-earned pennies on an unsatisfactory product all in the name of better health. This one, does the opposite to that – you have to make sure you don’t eat too many, because they do make you want to open another. Remember moderation is key to all!
So yeah – hats off to this company. They have impressed me enough to write about their product. I hope they continue to grow their business whilst maintaining such high and excellent standards.
Whilst writing this post, I have one next to me – unopened. It’s taking a lot of willpower to keep it for my afternoon treat.
To see all their amazing products, visit https://www.thechocolateyogi.com.au/
Now that I have fallen in love with their little Oscar Orangutangs, I am going to try their more ‘adult’ looking bars… and I can’t wait!
I found mine at my local health shop – Knysna Health, however I see that there are many places to purchase them – Faithful-to-Nature online store, The Wellness Warehouse and Dischem.
Here are the links to these shops:
https://www.faithful-to-nature.co.za/catalogsearch/result/?q=oscar
https://www.wellnesswarehouse.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=oscar
https://www.dischem.co.za/oscar-chocolate-yogi-bar-15g-892
Perhaps there are many more outlets – these are the ones I know of in South Africa. If you are in Australia – there too Oscar can be found.
So, there you go – when you are next in one of these shops, buy one, or two, or three. I do not think you will regret it!
Damn it! I was editing and could no longer resist. I took a bite. Will try keep the rest for later.