“Tasting a Mon darling again 25 years after being traumatized,” says the caption of a TikTok showing a woman bringing the chocolate in question to her mouth.
A few seconds later, she has tears in her eyes and drinks a glass of water.
Type “Honey” on the social network and, on your phone screen, you will see a collection of disgusted faces, men on the verge of tears or children spitting their mouthfuls into the trash.
But what is the problem with this iconic product from the industrial company Ferrero?
“It’s the alcohol that they use,” replies Thierry Lalet.
Its artisanal chocolate factory Saunion, in Bordeaux, was founded in 1893. And its specialty has even become its logo: a beautiful coated cherry soaked in kirsch and coated in chocolate, the “guinette”.
“It’s the ancestor of Mon Chéri,” explains the chocolatier.
Every year, we select a very specific Alsatian kirsch to macerate our bad cherries.
» On the list of ingredients of Mon Chéri, it reads: “liqueur”.
“If it was a famous alcohol, they would specify it,” continues Thierry Lalet.
He opens the wrapper and takes out a chocolate candy, cuts it in half and collects some alcohol on the tip of his index finger.
He tastes.
“It tastes like neutral alcohol.
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The details of the ingredients on the box specify “glucose syrup, water, alcohol, sugar, flavorings”.
What flavors are these?
“I can’t tell you,” replies Fausto Rotelli, director of external affairs for Ferrero in France.
The liquor is our secret.
It's this little competitive advantage that makes Mon Chéri better than some of the others.
» Thierry Lalet agrees: “If this product exists, it’s good that certain people like it.
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We will verify this later in the report by organizing a blind tasting with a couple of chefs, Aurora Storari and Flavio Lucarini, at the head of the excellent restaurant Hémicycle, in Paris.
To discover their verdict and see how our chocolatier Thierry Lalet managed to reproduce an almost identical Mon Chéri, press the “play” button.