Dark Tortina

Tortina Dark. Hazelnut cream and wafer under dark chocolate with 60 percent cocoa.

Tortina Dark is Loacker's dark wafer confection, filled with hazelnut cream and coated in dark chocolate with 60 percent cocoa. No milk chocolate, no dark chocolate bar, no vegan pastry.

Tortina Dark is a dark chocolate specialty from Loacker, with hazelnut cream between two wafer layers under a dark coating. Compared to the light Tortina Original, it is like an espresso next to a cappuccino. At heart, it is the same little confection, but the chocolate on the outside changes, and with it, its entire character. The sweetness of the cream takes a back seat, while the cocoa and roast come to the fore.

Where the light Tortina is mild, the dark one is tart

The little confection first tastes of dark cocoa, slightly fruity and bittersweet, and only then of hazelnut. The coating snaps more firmly than the original and melts more slowly. This allows the cocoa flavor to linger longer before the cream catches up.

The dark chocolate contains 60 percent cocoa, well over one and a half times as much as the milk chocolate in the Original. Beneath it lies the familiar cream with 27 percent Italian hazelnuts, which make up more than half of the little confection.

Together, they create a balance that is missing in the Original. The bitterness of the cocoa tempers the sugar, while the nut adds warmth to the tartness. Those accustomed to very dark chocolate from 80 percent cocoa will still find it too sweet. For this palate, it is a pastry, not chocolate.

The texture also changes with the temperature. In a cool room, the coating snaps audibly; in a warm environment, it softens. The best place for the little confection is therefore somewhere away from sunlight and heating.

With red wine, coffee and a cheese platter

The dark little confection can stand bolder companions than its light counterpart because its cocoa brings more structure. A ristretto, a particularly short espresso, accentuates the roasted notes. Milk drinks, on the other hand, take away its definition.

Unusual but harmonious is the combination with a glass of red wine after a meal. A fruity, soft wine with little tannin, such as a mature Merlot, suits the dark coating. Young, tannin-rich wines, however, are not suitable; they taste bitter and harsh next to the cocoa.

On a cheese platter, the little confection provides a sweet finishing touch. Place a quartered piece next to an aged mountain cheese and a few walnuts. A dark hazelnut chocolate such as the Gianduja with hazelnuts from Piedmont, which continues the nut theme, is also a good match.

Dried fruit with its own acidity also harmonizes well. Dried apricots, figs or candied orange peel bring fruit alongside the cocoa. A small bowl of them next to four little confections makes a small dessert plate that requires no preparation.

One small detail: The dark chocolate in the Tortina contains butterfat, while the cream contains milk powder and cream powder. The little confection is therefore not suitable for a vegan diet or for people who avoid milk. This is easily overlooked with dark chocolate.

Cocoa from Ecuador, baked in the Alps

Loacker sources its cocoa through its own cultivation program and supports farmers in Ecuador and on the Ivory Coast. For the Tortina, the company uses fine cocoa from Ecuador. Fine cocoa is a trade classification for beans with pronounced fruity aromas, making up only a small part of the world's harvest.

Its aroma is not created on the tree, but during fermentation after the harvest. The beans ferment for several days in the fruit pulp and are then dried in the sun. It is only at this step that the precursors of the chocolate aromas form, which develop their full depth during roasting.

The hazelnuts come exclusively from Italy. Loacker cultivates two of its own estates in Tuscany and works with farmers in five other regions. The nuts are roasted in-house so that they can be added fresh to the cream. Loacker buys the vanilla as whole pods in Madagascar.

According to the product data sheet, the Tortina is baked in Austria, at the Loacker factory in Heinfels in East Tyrol. The company itself has been based in Unterinn on the Ritten above Bolzano since 1974. It was founded in 1925 by confectioner Alfons Loacker and is now run by the third generation of the family.

The wafer layer is baked between hot plates until there is hardly any moisture left. The casing and chocolate coating preserve this dryness; the data sheet states a shelf life of 420 days from production. It is only when the casing is opened that the wafer begins to absorb moisture from the air.

The choice for anyone who finds the light Tortina too sweet

The Dark differs from the Original primarily in its coating and tastes like a different pastry altogether. This makes it a suitable alternative for any coffee table. If you have guests whose preferences you do not know, place both varieties side by side.

A little experiment is worth it. First try a light little confection, then a dark one, and pay attention to the cream. It is almost identical in both, yet tastes different in each because the coating prepares the palate beforehand.

As a small gift, a few little confections fit nicely in a bowl next to the host's coffee machine. In the office, they are a treat for colleagues who avoid milk chocolate. You can find the light version as Tortina Original, while the classic wafer without a coating is available as Classic Napolitaner.

A dark little confection for that moment after a meal when an espresso alone would be too little and a dessert too much.