Vasalissa Truffles/Domes

Posted by Edmund in Argentina, Assorted Chocolates, Chocolate | 0 comments

Vasalissa
Callao 1940, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Also at 3 other locations in Buenos Aires

Vasalissa imports all of its chocolates straight from Belgium, so it has a much more European feel to it than the other chocolate brands, although for that feel it also charges at least three times as much. I paid higher prices for this chocolate than I would in Belgium. It’s VERY expensive by Argentine standards and even by American standards (I forget exactly how much, but my bill for 12 pieces came out to at least $30). That being said, it’s known for having the best crafted chocolates and some of the most unique flavor profiles, especially emphasizing fruits and liquor, and it tends to have far more truffles than other stores. The selection, though, is very limited, with only 8 different truffles and 8 different domes, or typical assorted chocolates.

A strong point of the chocolate is that it makes a great gift, with a fantastic presentation. All the chocolates are spheres or domes and often have odd colors because of the type of sugar used or a process of dying—it’s quite nice. The chocolates also come in very nice, sturdy boxes, stuffed with colored paper, and each box is wrapped with a ribbon, like a gift. It is very classy chocolate, as it should be for the price, and it has a nice touch of the old-fashioned.

The chocolate quality, though, does not justify the price. It is true that the chocolates were quite good in general, especially the truffles. The mousse inside the truffles was fantastic, with good texture and creaminess to it. However, Vasalissa tries to be too innovative, merely for the purpose of being innovative. The flavor profiles were just off at times—they were unique but clashed too much with the taste of the chocolate itself, often overshadowing it, or they were just boring.

Pieces I had:

Must try: Cappuccino truffle (Crunch exterior, rich, creamy), Dome filled with sour cherry (perfect bitter fruitiness to balance sweetness)

Hits: Simple dark chocolate ganache truffle (rough start and a bit bitter, but very good), Sugar-covered truffle with coconut and alcohol (nice balancing of sweetness with alcohol), dome with dulce de leche and nut (very creamy, nice crunch)

Mediocre/Decent: Dome filled with passion fruit (fruity and strong, but just an odd flavor), Dark chocolate truffle with ginger (too strong on bitterness, overpowering), dome with chocolate ganache and cassis? (boring flavor), Chocolate crystal with chocolate ganache.

Misses: Sugar-covered pink truffle w/ strawberry and liquor (liquor is citrusy, acidic, and so strong it destroys/overpowers the truffle), raspberry dome, white truffle with liquor

Overall Score: 2.5/5.0. Adjusted for value, more like a 1.0/5.0, especially in consideration of how overpriced it is by Argentine standards. Go to Mamushka or Viejo Oso instead. If you do buy Vasalissa, stick to the truffles, which are less readily available throughout Argentina.