Adding a dash of salt and a pinch of pepper to taste is a common ritual at the dinner table, but have you ever thought of spicing up chocolate with the same types of seasoning? If you’re as skeptical, Salazon Chocolate Company will surely change your mind. Salazon — Spanish for salt — has pumped out a line of sweet and salty dark chocolate bars they promote as energy bars, rather than simply candy. Peter Truby, the founder of this savory hit, tells us why.
Where did the idea for Salazon Chocolate come from?
“The idea for Salazon came from my love of dark chocolate and my love of trail mixes when traveling/hiking. I wanted to start my own company and was thinking about making a new trail mix. Then it struck me, while on a camping trip to Utah, that a lightly salted dark chocolate would be the perfect energy food. I loved the idea because it was so simple.”
What is your mission for Salazon Chocolate as a company?
“The mission for Salazon is to make the best-salted dark chocolate possible, to make it in the most ethical and sustainable way we can, and to have fun while doing it.”
Of all things to pair with chocolate, why salt?
“Like it does with most complex foods, salt enhances and brings out flavors in dark chocolate.”
Why promote it as an energy bar instead of a candy?
“We promote it that way simply because we believe dark chocolate is more of a food than a candy. When you look at the health benefits and nutritional content of organic dark chocolate it compares very favorably to the other energy foods on the market. Salazon’s addition of sea salt adds an essential nutrient and something your body needs to replace after high exertion activities.”
Your bars have a handful of certifications that deem them eco-friendly, why so many certifications and how do they enhance your product?
“The certifications and seals we have represent organizations and movements we believe in and are trying to support, including USDA Organic, Rainforest Alliance, and 1% For The Planet. I hope they enhance our product, but the goal is to enhance the movements.”
Do you see an expansion for the Salazon Chocolate line in the future?
“I do see an expansion, but I believe Salazon will always be niche. Salazon will never come out with a milk chocolate or a chocolate without sea salt; this will always limit our growth.”
What is your favorite bar from the line?
“I love them all, but I’ve been eating the new bar, Organic Dark Chocolate with Sea Salt and Crushed Organic Coffee, a lot lately.”
Salazon Yogurt Dessert
Here’s a recipe I like. It’s a simple, healthy, quick and pretty unique dessert:Ingredients:
1 carton (5.3 oz) of Siggi’s Icelandic style skyr strained non-fat yogurt
1 oz (1/3 of a bar) of Salazon Chocolate Co’s Organic Dark Chocolate w/ Sea Salt & Crushed Organic Coffee
15 or so whole, dark roasted coffee beans.Directions:
1. Place yogurt carton in the freezer for 3-4 hours
2. Dice Salazon bar into very small shards and pieces of chocolate
3. Empty frozen yogurt into serving dish
4. Sprinkle chocolate and coffee beans over the yogurt, and enjoy!This great dessert is only 240 calories.
This interview is the third installment of The Sweet Life series, in which we profile some of today’s most extraordinary independent candymakers.
