Fossa Chocolate (made in Singapore) first made a blip on my chocolate radar last year and almost instantly my attention focused on one of their most unusual inclusion bars, Fossa Chocolate Shrimp and Bonito. (They have other unusual inclusion bars. Salted Egg Cereal Chocolate; need I say more?)

It was rather amusing to see the reactions when I told everyone about “the shrimp chocolate”. Generally the responses to unusual inclusions are mixed, ranging from baffled to wary to an “I’m up for anything” face, but “the shrimp bar” delivered an almost unanimous reaction of “In *chocolate*? No thanks! You can have it.” (So I did. This is probably the first ever craft chocolate bar I have eaten entirely by myself…without sharing one bite.)

From the beginning, I got it into my head that a perfect photo accessory would be sushi. (After all, I had never used sushi as a photo prop, and it *is* available if one carefully plots how to arrive *after* the restaurant opens but get home in enough time to photograph it *before* the afternoon sun disappears and the lighting starts getting wonky.)  (Which is both a splurge and a little tricky, but not entirely impossible.)

Pieces of shrimp seemed like a good idea too; I’m more than a little sure I perplexed the sushi restaurant employees by ordering ebi fui without the breading, without the sauce, just the shrimp, please and thank you. Of course they obliged, and of course I found out when I got home and opened it up that the shrimp was…not cooked. As in, grey, and not exactly what anyone could call picture perfect.  And since I didn’t have as much time for picture-taking that afternoon as I’d originally thought, the shrimp got temporarily shelved. (It pinked up nicely in a butter sauce with garlic that evening; my dad enjoyed his rare snack.)

If I’m being honest, the smell of salt and fish was beginning to make me dubious regarding how much enjoyment would be involved in actually *eating* this bar.  It seemed like a lot of the thrill was talking about it and preparing for it.  But bravely a piece went into my mouth. There was chewing involved. And some thought.   Another bite…more chewing….

There’s a lot going on this bar.  There’s the seafood, of course, which thankfully ends up being not too incredibly fishy (but fishy enough).  The flavor of the chocolate itself is rather hard to distinguish when paired with bonito furikake.  (I had to look furikake up.  Turns out it’s exactly what it looks like: sesame seeds, chopped seaweed, and spices.)

Sesame and chocolate are great together.  Salt and chocolate are growing on me.   But add shrimp and a seaweed and…my final decision is that I’m not sorry I tried it and I did have a lot of fun with this bar, but it’s not going to make my list of favorite chocolates.  (Which technically doesn’t exist.  Because really, how does one chose with so many incredible options?)

The Fossa Chocolate Shrimp and Bonito bar either ties for 1st place or takes 2nd place (haven’t decided which yet) for the most unusual chocolate inclusion I have ever tried. (I’m pretty sure 1st prize still belongs to the Mantuano fat-bottomed bachaco ants ..LARGE ANTS, mind you…in lemon chocolate.)

Have a favorite Fossa? Have you tried the Shrimp and Bonito bar? Any new unusual inclusion bars I should try next if I have the chance? Let me know in the comments…