Swedish Marabou Chocolate Bars - Frukt & Mandel/Schweizer nöt

As I'm going to be away over the Christmas period this will be my last review for a little while (I know... boo hoo, right!), but hopefully you'll be seeing these bars featured in a new Youtube video from a certain Mr Choc It Out! over the festive period...

They're Swedish in origin - Marabou is a very well-known brand over there and I'm guessing it's the equivalent of our Cadbury's Dairy Milk, in fact it's owned by Kraft Foods who own all the big brands nowadays so there you go! Marabou bars were available in the UK from Ikea up until 2011, who unfortunately stopped selling them. You can still buy them online but they're not cheap!

So when I found these bars on offer at two for a pound in a discount store, I couldn't believe it! I suspect not many people in the store realized their significance and quickly snapped up several bars. Below are my thoughts on each variety...

Frukt & Mandel (Fruit and Almond):

This bar is a simple combination of creamy Marabou milk chocolate with dried fruit and almonds. The chocolate tasted very creamy and rich, and actually nicer than most mainstream milk chocolate we get here in the UK. I thought it was much better quality than Dairy Milk in fact. The cocoa solids clock in at 30% which is certainly higher than Dairy Milk, which may explain the nicer taste. The chocolate melted in the mouth smoothly and the raisins and nuts added a lovely chewiness and crunch; they tasted surprisingly fresh despite being imported. Overall, a very tasty bar which I would recommend snapping up if you see it on the cheap!

RATING: 8 out of 10.

Schweizer nöt: 

I couldn't find a translation for this bar online but I'm assuming it means Hazelnut. Unfortunately it didn't taste as nice as the Frukt and Mandel version, in fact the chopped hazelnuts tasted somewhat "off" and would probably have been nicer as whole pieces. I didn't enjoy this much, but would give it another chance if I found a fresher bar.

RATING: 6 out of 10.

Overall:
Although these two bars were a mixed bag - one was lovely whilst the other was a bit rubbish - I am so pleased I discovered them, being a fan of different types of chocolate from around the world. It's a rarity to find Swedish chocolates in the UK, especially considering Ikea unwisely chose to stop stocking Marabou (tut tut!).

Some of these bars are still available from discount stores and market stalls - they're definitely worth a try if you happen to come across them!

For other Marabou reviews check out: 
Marabou M's (like M&M's)
Marabou Black Saltlakrits (salty licorice bar)

Have you tried Marabou chocolate? If so let me know your thoughts in the comments...and here's wishing a very Merry Christmas to all my followers and fellow bloggers! :)