Art Bar

Nestled amongst the Hershey Bars and Starbursts in the checkout aisle at Eastside Market were these Art Bars made by Ithaca Fine Chocolates.

They've got a real mission going on here: fair trade chocolate, recycled packaging, and art distribution to the masses. Each chocolate bar has a piece of art inside. When I opened up my art bar I found this:



It's a photograph called "Ironing" by Sarah Barr, complete with condensed artist's statement. The bar itself is wrapped in a white, gossamar, plastic-y material printed (in English, French, Italian, German and Spanish) with the words "ecological packaging assuring excellent preservation of flavor and taste."

I was a bit dubious of a chocolate bar so steeped do-goody-ness with the chocolate itself seeming beyond secondary, but this bar really delivered. Even though it's only 58% cocoa and billed as "dark chocolate," it really had a lovely dark chocolate taste, with hints of maybe coconut and pineapple. It's very melty, too (but maybe because it's 80 degrees out and we don't have the AC on).


A chocolate bar that is delicious and promotes fair trade, recycling, and art is a chocolate bar that I can get behind!