Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Ritter Sport Peppermint

Ritter Sport PeppermintHere’s another item I knew was coming out but it took me months to find it. Ritter Sport Peppermint isn’t exactly new, but newly available in the United States.

It’s a simple bar, described on the wrapper as dark chocolate with peppermint filling. I fully expected it to be like a molded York Peppermint Pattie.

Ritter Sport PeppermintWhere this is different from the York Peppermint Pattie is fat. While a York is marketed as a lowfat food, it clocks in with a smidge from the dark chocolate coating, about 2.5 g per 39 g serving.

Ritter Sport Peppermint, on the other hand, has a liberal amount of fat in it, about 11 g per 38 g serving. At first I thought it was because there is more chocolate, ratio-wise, in the Ritter Sport. But looking at the ingredients, it lists palm kernel oil in there (which I’m guessing isn’t in the chocolate, since it does say it’s chocolate and not a chocolate flavored shell).

Some would find that disconcerting, or perhaps even a reason to eschew it. I, on the other hand, have often wondered what a fattier York Peppermint Pattie would be like.

image

The bar was lovely to look at. Glossy and dark, though not as dark as some dark chocolates. It smells mostly of peppermint, delicate and refreshing with a little acidic twang.

The snap of the chocolate was good. It broke along the segments easily and there was no sticky goo emerging from the margins. Biting into an invididual segment though, that was a very nice feeling. The chocolate shell keeps its shape well, not shattering into a bazillion flakes.

The mint filling is silky smooth, whatever fat is in there is doing a wonderful job of keeping it from becoming a fudgy blob or a crystallized chunk. Instead it’s almost like a white chocolate truffle - sweet and minty but not watery or milky. The chocolate is buttery smooth as well, and melts readily but without any sort of greasy tastelessness. It’s a little bitter, a little dry and the perfect balance for the sweet center.

I don’t know why Ritter Sport hasn’t sent this to the States before, it’s definitely not like other chocolate & mint fondant options here, so it’s allowed to occupy its own niche. I hope it’s not seasonal, because I think this is a perfect item for a crisp fall picnic. (I give these suggestions as if I live this sort of life, which I don’t, but go ahead and imagine it.)

Jim’s Chocolate Mission has been doing an awesome job documenting far more Ritter Sport than I’ve been able to. (Of interest to me are the Trauben Cashew, Neapolitan Waffle and the Voll Erdnuss.)

Related Candies

  1. Christmas Mint Round Up
  2. Ritter Sport White Chocolate with Hazelnuts
  3. Junior Mints Deluxe
  4. Ritter Darks
  5. Ritter Sport Capuccino and Rum Trauben Nuss
  6. York Pinkermint Patties
Name: Small World Chocolates: Select Origin
    RATING:
  • 10 SUPERB
  • 9 YUMMY
  • 8 TASTY
  • 7 WORTH IT
  • 6 TEMPTING
  • 5 PLEASANT
  • 4 BENIGN
  • 3 UNAPPEALING
  • 2 APPALLING
  • 1 INEDIBLE
Brand: Ritter Sport
Place Purchased: Cost Plus (Third & Fairfax)
Price: $1.99
Size: 3.53 ounces
Calories per ounce: 142
Categories: Chocolate, Mint, Germany, Ritter Sport

POSTED BY Cybele AT 11:49 am Tracker Pixel for Entry    

Comments
  1. Ritter is seriously nostalgic stuff for me; this used to be a childhood treat. I liked their praline, dark and marzipan versions. When I had it more recently the quality of the chocolate wasn’t quite as good as I remembered though. But hats off to them for the many and innovative flavours!

    Comment by Emski on 1/13/09 at 1:00 pm #
  2. This sounds great!  I haven’t seen it for sale yet.  I usually get the marzipan…they use a really good quality of dark chocolate.  I have found their milk chocolate offerings a bit too sweet, however.

    Comment by JJR on 1/13/09 at 1:16 pm #
  3. arenee's avatar

    I hope they start carrying this at Target - we don’t have World Market here in New Hampshire.

    Comment by arenee on 1/13/09 at 1:51 pm #
  4. Yurei's avatar

    The Neopolitan Wafer is a BIG disappointment, sadly. Not enough crispy waferage, too much bland hazelnut paste.

    Arenee- Do you happen to live in southern NH? There’s a place called “Euro Deli” on route 101a in anherst (also known as amherst st) that carries several varities of ritter sport, including the pepermint, peanut, neopolitan wafer and some others Target does not carry.

    Comment by Yurei on 1/13/09 at 4:24 pm #
  5. I only just came across this in Australia but i thought it was some kind of energy thing because it has “sport” on the packet. As i love peppermint, i’ll have to give it a whirl.

    Comment by Sweet Pursuit on 1/13/09 at 4:30 pm #
  6. I LOVED this. I found one at World Market about a month ago and was immediately intrigued. I haven’t had a lot of exposure to Ritter products but this quickly became a favorite.

    Comment by Joy on 1/13/09 at 4:34 pm #
  7. We have a world foods isle @ one of our grocery stores that sells Ritter bars. Though I think there $1.39 each. Not 100% sure.

    Comment by April on 1/14/09 at 3:02 am #
  8. During the holiday season, Trader Joe’s sold mint cremes which were a molded dark chocolate filled with a fatty mint fondant that was made of white chocolate, butter, and mint flavor (I believe they did not have any tropical oils).  They were delicious.  Alas, they are no more.

    Comment by Ben on 1/14/09 at 11:04 am #
  9. It is too bad they discontinued Coconut. This seems like a poor replacement, considering for us Coconut sells almost 4-5 to 1 on the other flavors…..

    Comment by Steve on 1/14/09 at 12:04 pm #
  10. I’ve been lucky enough to find these on and off for the past few years in Boston and New York. In fact, I bought two yesterday.  =)  They are God’s gift to vegans!!! York Peppermint Patties have milk and eggs, but the Ritter Sport Pfefferminz (as mine are labeled) bars are blissfully egg- and dairy-free. Sooooo goooood…

    Comment by Kelli on 1/14/09 at 3:21 pm #
  11. The marzipan one is also vegan…I have some close friends who are vegan, so I often pick these up for movie night junk food.  Good to know the mint one is as well…I’ll be on the look-out.

    Comment by JJR on 1/15/09 at 6:32 am #
  12. Just to clarify, for those who are talking about the ingredients. The one that I tried & reviewed here is NOT vegan. Listed in the ingredients is butterfat. (But there are no eggs, for those who may be allergic.) The package is not called Pfefferminz, so maybe that’s the distinction.

    Comment by cybele on 1/15/09 at 7:51 am #
  13. OMG, these look so good. It kind of reminds me of the way Cadbury Mint bars used to be. I’ve got to get my hands on one of these.

    Comment by Patti on 1/15/09 at 9:21 am #
  14. I did some research before I posted my comment to make sure I was right—it seems as though the imported version (which mine obviously is—there’s not a word of English on the wrapper!) is vegan, but the ones that are made for the States do, in fact, use butterfat. What a strange discrepancy. I guess that’s why mine cost $3.29 and not $1.39!

    Comment by Kelli on 1/15/09 at 10:38 am #
  15. Your photos are sinful (as usual) and this looks crazy tempting. Jim does do a awesome job, who could keep up with you two?

    Comment by Jeanna on 1/16/09 at 5:52 am #
  16. Hi Cybele,

    Thanks for the shout out! This was one of the first ever Ritter Sport product I reviewed and it is still one of my faves.

    I remember distinctly liking the way the fondant wasn’t overly sweet. I must have it again sometime. I am curious as to what Ritter bars you guys get over in the US! This is one of the more common ones in England! I didn’t need to have this one imported! I should be getting some more Ritter bars in soon! They seem to have gone on a bit of a thing for liqueur variants .... always interesting!

    As Jeanna said amazing photos as always! Happy 2009 btw!!

    Jim

    Comment by Jim on 1/16/09 at 9:59 am #
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