Morinaga Dars Bitter Chocolate

The way in which our tastes develop is something I've expounded upon on multiple occasions. I do this because I get royally fatigued at the notion that the tastes of one nation are somehow more evolved than those of another. Since I spent 23 years in Japan, I had more than my share of dietary comparisons based on the perceived American diet (burgers, shakes, fries, Coke, hot dogs, and pizza) and the perceived Japanese one (sushi, rice, miso soup, fish, vegetables). 

The reality of the former is that it's not as dire and destructive as people think and that of the latter is that it's not nearly the nutritional Superman that people seem to think it is. The truth rests somewhere in the middle, of course, and any individual's diet will vary. I know that I had to say again and again to my students that, NO, I do not like hamburgers or steak, and, NO, I do not eat fast food. I hate fast food. The truth is that I didn't grow up eating fast food since my family was so poor. That was back in the old days when fast food actually cost more than food that was considered healthy.

Since I grew up with so little fast food, I never developed a strong taste for it. And, after all, as I've said far too many times before (and I'm sorry to bore my audience who deserves better), we like what we grew up with and what we become acclimated to. That's probably why some of my lovely readers will sample something I liked and hate it. My tastes got rewired in Japan to some extent.

When it comes to the training of the taste buds, the Japanese are much more acclimated to bitter flavors. I'm guessing this is because their cuisine incorporates more of them and this gets their palates accustomed to them earlier and with greater frequency than the average 'merkan. This is one way to explain the popularity of goya and various dishes prepared with it.

This also explains why Dars would release a "bitter" chocolate variety. I'm sampling it not because I like bitter flavors (as I'm a sissy American), but because it is Dars, the darling of the Japanese chocolate industry in my eyes. Frankly, as I've gotten older, I've also learned to enjoy darker chocolate and stronger flavors more. I'm guessing this is because of neurological diseases or wilting of my once perceptive taste buds or some such age-related decay. It's best to simply accept that you're going with grace and just be glad that you have a higher chance of enjoying food that you wouldn't have found palatable when you were young and full of yourself.

When I first tried this, I wasn't entirely keen, but the second round (delivered in two-square bursts) hit me a lot more favorably. The chocolate isn't intensely bitter, but it definitely has an edge to it and is a bit strong. It's not really proper dark chocolate, but it's closer to it than most consumer-level offerings of such. The main benefit, as is always the case with Dars, is its creamy, fatty nature which will unfold if you are patient enough to hold one of these little squares on your tongue and allow it to slowly melt. If you just gobble it down, well, then you're missing half of the reason to have these instead of some other dark chocolate.

I liked this because it was potent without being unpleasantly intense. There is just enough sweetness for a dark chocolate sissy like me to enjoy it and the texture, as always, was creamy when warmed in the mouth, but had a nice snap when I bit into it. Each square is about 20 calories, and you get 12 servings (Dars = doz, as in dozen). I paid about $2.20 for this at Nijiya Supermarket, and I think it was well worth it. If you're hardcore about dark chocolate, this probably won't do the trick for you and if you are strictly a milk chocolate devotee, this may also fall short. If you're somewhere in the middle, you can come join me on the bitter dark side of Dars. 

Dars Biscuit

Living in a foreign culture, and trying hard not to be too ethnocentric makes me frame my gustatory experiences differently than I did back home. One of the things which always rubs me the wrong way is the elevation of one culture's choices over another. In particular, the idea that Japanese cuisine is carefully designed for health concerns. A culture doesn't decide to eat fish, seaweed, soy, and rice because of nutrition. They do it because that is what is available in their particular geography. The food culture grows around the available resources, not concerns about nutritional purity. Tastes fall into line with that culture's readily available options because humans like what is familiar.

Traditional Japanese cuisine is a combination of the elements which were easily attainable within the island's borders, but since the world has become a smaller place and food culture is widely shared, new options are constantly being injected into the Japanese diet. Developed countries have the extreme luxury of being able to mix and match a plethora of food options. I doubt that things like cookie chocolates would exist in Japan if it weren't for the influence of European baking culture. Of course, chocolate wouldn't be here without the Americas. Thinking about it this way, it doesn't seem like this product is very "Japanese" at all.

When it comes to chocolate, confectioners can't seem to decide if they want to sell esoteric combinations (like chili, sembei, etc.) or stick with traditional pairings that are known winners. With Dars, which is better known for its fatty, creamy chocolate, Morinaga decided to "mix it up" a bit by adding something textural. I was, frankly, a bit dubious of this entry in a long line of cookie chocolates, particularly considering my favorite way to consume Dars is to put it in my mouth and allow the creamy chocolate to melt on my tongue. That's definitely not going to be the case with this one. You can find these pretty much everywhere that carries Dars (convenience stores, markets) for the time being. It's usually 100 yen ($1.25) for a box of 12 small pieces.

Each little square is the same size as a usual bit of Dars. It has a volume not too dissimilar to a Hershey's Kiss and a calorie count which matches (19 calories per piece). There is a generous amount of crunchy cookie, but not so much that it isn't nicely held together by the chocolate. The scent is nice, but not intense. You can tell just from the smell alone that this isn't going to be anything near dark chocolate. The chocolate is sweet and milky, but not cloying. The cookie bits are crispy, buttery and rich and help cut through any overpowering sense with the sweet candy.

Most of the time, the cookies don't play much of a major roll in the flavor of the chocolate. They are just studs of texture which undercut the intensity of the chocolate. In this offering of Dars, I think they actually contribute 50% to the overall enjoyment of the candy. That being said, these are not for people who like less sweet candy or intense chocolate. This is good for those who like things milky.

Dars Mint

I wasn't aware of these Dars mint chocolates until they were mentioned to me in comments. Given my love of (almost) all things Dars, I headed off to a local convenience store to see if I could find them. They are new enough that not every place is stocking them, but I located a box at a Lawson's for 128 yen ($1.60).

I snapped up a box from the display case as well as a new Tirol chocolate for review later on and went to one of the two registers. One was occupied with a single customer and the other apparently free but the minute I stepped up to the register, the clerk bolted down to the other end of the counter and fussed around behind the other clerk. I patiently waited for her to return after doing whatever needed to be done. When she came back after about a full minute, the first thing she did was look at me and say, "just a minute please" and went to run off in the other direction. At this point, I figured it wasn't worth the time and I'd put the candy back and try another store. After I picked up my chocolates and went to put them back, she suddenly decided she could actually manage to do her job and accept my money for the goods on offer at the store. How gracious of her... Yeah, service in Japan is universally wonderful, except when it blows chunks as it occasionally does.

That's not a minty filling oozing out. It's water from the knife I used to cut this with so don't get your hopes up.

Getting to the Dars, the thing I love most about Dars is that it is creamy and fatty and unfortunately, that aspect is strangely missing from this. It is much firmer than usual and the chocolate is bittersweet with a good hint of mint which is neither overpowering nor too sweet. I have to wonder if the chocolate used in this is simply not milky enough for the rich, creamy feeling in the mouth that I associate with this particular brand name. Each candy, incidentally, is 22 calories so there isn't much of a calorie reduction coming along with a less creamy experience.

These are certainly nice enough. The flavor balance is good, but, as one of my commenters said, these are not my favorite mint chocolates. For a better quality experience with a similar flavor profile, I'd recommend After Eight mints. That being said, these are cheaper than those particular candies and at the moment easier to locate. The only thing I don't like about these is that they do have the aftertaste that I sometimes experience with Japanese chocolates which are on the bittersweet side. These are not the sort of thing you want to clear your palate after a meal, but rather just to satisfy a craving for mint and chocolate together. Soon after though, I need a cup of tea or to brush my teeth to wash away that aftertaste. I'm giving these a slightly grudging "happy" rating. I like them and will finish the whole box, but I'm not sure I'd buy them again.

Dars Crea Strawberry

My husband picked this box of Dars Crea up at Okashi no Machioka sweets shop for a mere 69 yen (76 cents). I'm not sure why they were so cheap when this is a somewhat new version of the Crea line. In the past, I've reviewed hazelnut and chestnut and caramel Dars Crea quite favorably. I wouldn't have purchased this, however, because it's strawberry and no good can come of it. Strawberry chocolates let me down 80% of the time, and I wasn't keen on seeing my beloved Dars line's reputation as the perfect consumer chocolate besmirched by an implementation that was unlikely to make my taste buds happy.

There are 9 chocolates in the box and each is 33 calories. The ingredients include sugar, vegetable oil, cocoa powder, whey powder, strawberry powder, and butter oil. With two types of oil, it's no wonder that Dars are rich and creamy chocolates. That being said, I'm not overjoyed with the fact that these candies are made with vegetable oil.

The scent is of chocolate with a vague hint of strawberry, and the texture is all that I've come to know with Dars chocolates. That is, it's smooth, creamy and fatty. The problem is the taste. The strawberry tastes too strong and fake, even though there is 2.5% "strawberry powder" in it, which I believe is supposed to mean there is real berry flavor in it. I guess part of the problem is that even when you start with real strawberries, their essential qualities are lost when processed into powder.

My concern when my husband presented me with this was that this was going to be the only Dars chocolate that I would have to give an unhappy rating to (at least to date), and I was right. Even my husband, who very much likes strawberry-flavored sweets, didn't care for these. Perhaps the bar was set too high, or perhaps these just are too fake tasting. Either way, I have no choice but to say I wouldn't buy these again and probably won't be finishing the box. The only thing that saves them from getting a "very unhappy" rating is that I wasn't really disgusted by them so much as greatly disappointed. I could choke them down, but the calories wouldn't be worth what little enjoyment I'd get.

Dars Crea Hazelnut Chocolates

I'm going to go on the record and say that Dars is, hands down, the best consumer level chocolate in Japan. People can argue with me about it because tastes vary, but I have never sampled a variety of Dars which wasn't excellent. This particular variety though, is the best of the best. If I were going to let myself run wild, I'd pop in a DVD of a good old pirate movie like Captain Blood and buy two boxes of these and make myself sick.

Also, I'm going to go on record and say that I have no idea why these are called "Crea". If someone has an educated guess, I'd welcome opinions.


The basic concept of Dars is the same for all flavors. It's a smooth chocolate shell with a softer filling. "Smooth" in fact, is the best way to describe all Dars candies. They're exceptionally fine and this is like expensive Gianduja chocolates. I'd say this rivals the Gianduja from Godiva. For those who don't know, that's chocolate made with hazelnut paste.

I found this at a local market for about 120 yen ($1.34) and it was worth every yen. You can probably find these at some places a bit cheaper though. Each little candy is 23 calories and the whole box (44 grams/1.5 oz.), with a dozen pieces, is 280 calories. If you're a fan of hazelnut (or Nutella), find this, buy as much as you can, and save them to comfort you on bad days.

Dars Crea Marron & Caramel

Dars is holding a promotional campaign which says "1 chocolate for 1 smile." This is related to an NGO meant to help people in Africa using funds from chocolate sales. There's a desktop picture of a pretty big globe made out of chocolates that you can download if you like. It doesn't help people in Africa, but I guess the whole idea is the globe promotes the concept Morinaga is using to push the Dars brand. There's a screen saver on the same page (near the bottom) if you are so impressed by a world made of small chocolate squares that you'd like to see it every time your computer goes to sleep.


This is the second of the two "Crea" varieties currently available in my area. The other was hazelnut and was fantastic. You can buy these either in boxes of individually-wrapped pieces or in boxes with a tray full of unwrapped pieces. By happenstance, I bought the box this time around, but the candy is exactly the same shape and size and you get 12 pieces. The boxes simply waste more wrapping and allow you to perhaps share more easily or eat them more slowly.

Before I talk about this, I will note that I hesitated to try this one even though I adore chestnut (and Dars) because I was worried that the caramel component might be too strong. Like all Dars, the chocolate and filling are super smooth. This smells somewhat of all components, but not too strongly of any of them. The flavor comes in three waves. First, the chocolate, then the hazelnut chestnut, and finally sweet caramel. The balance is pretty good, though I wish the hazelnut chestnut component was stronger. The caramel flavor, which is the easiest part to screw up, was natural and subdued.

I' definitely recommend sampling this. Open up a piece and bite it in half then allow it to melt on your tongue. It's a sublime experience, but then Dars always is. You can't go wrong with rich, fatty chocolates.

Dars Affogato Chocolates

Sometimes you buy something in Japan based on the pictures because you can't read the characters. This is a rare situation where I can read what the Japanese says, but I still have to judge by the picture because prior to doing a bit of research, I didn't know what affogato meant. When I purchased this, I thought it was supposed to taste like an ice cream sundae. Of course, if I'd turned the box around, I'd have known that this is flavored with espresso, but there's no time for that when you're a busy snack reviewer.

"Affogato-style" means that espresso is used to top a dessert either by itself or in conjunction with another type of sauce like chocolate. This explains why this chocolate has a white center (to represent ice cream) and a chocolate shell.


Incidentally, "Dars" is a well-known brand of chocolates made by Morinaga. Though you may not guess it, "dars" is actually short for "dozen" and refers to the fact that there are 12 chocolates in the package. There are several varieties of it on offer at any given time (milk, dark, and white) and the occasional special flavor like this affogato version. It's a very rich and fatty chocolate which is designed to melt in your mouth. The texture is super smooth and the texture is very fine for a mass-produced chocolate. I've been a fan of the milk chocolate Dars for a long time, though I rarely indulge in it because it's very high calorie. Each small piece is 22 calories (the entire box is 275 calories for 44 grams (1.5 oz.).

This version of Dars has all of the same texture high points of the other varieties of Dars. It also has the same tendency to start melting in your fingers if you handle it too much at room temperature. If you buy any type of Dars, it's better to keep them refrigerated and then eat them by melting them slowly in your mouth. This particular variety smells like mild chocolate despite the fact that it is coffee flavored. In fact, this tastes a lot like a soft center premium candy (like those from See's) with a coffee filling. There are milk chocolate notes, but mainly it has a pretty nice, rich coffee flavor. The part of this which is supposed to be like vanilla ice cream is very subdued. It comes across mainly as an aftertaste of vanilla beans.

This is a nice chocolate. My rating may mislead you to believe that I dislike it, but I don't. The main problem is that I'm not sufficiently enamored of coffee chocolates to want to revisit even a very good one. If you're a big fan of coffee candy, this is definitely worth a try, but if you like things which are more chocolate than coffee, then I'd say give this a pass.

Note: The character in red on the box cover is "winter" which indicates this is seasonal. I bought this in spring and the expiration date is July 2009, so it's available outside of the winter season dates. Also, I still see these on sale at the local discount snack shop.