Years ago, when I lived in New York, I would attended the chocolate show every fall. Hundred of vendors selling all kinds of amazing things chocolate related, it was always great fun. They even had a fashion show of dresses made entirely of chocolate. Of course the best part was always the copious  number of samples. After all the chocolate I sampled I would leave with a serious craving for salty protein, but it was totally worth it. One year a Japanese chocolate maker (I no longer remember their name) was sampling these amazing wasabi truffles. Even with all the other chocolate I was eating I kept finding myself wandering back by their booth for another sample. Something about the combination of the spicy wasabi and the smooth creamy chocolate ganache was utterly surprising and totally addictive.

When I saw that the Kosher connection’s ingredient for this month’s linkup was horseradish I knew that I wanted to try recreating these truffles. Since most wasabi that you get in this country is mostly horseradish anyway it’s not quite as much of a stretch as it might seem. (Plus, the idea of making a dessert with fresh or jarred horseradish was less than appealing to me. )

The truffles I made are not exactly like the ones I remember but they are still delicious. The experience of eating them changes as the truffle melts in your mouth. At first bite the taste of the wasabi is notable. Then it fades allowing the smooth creamy chocolate to shine until the flavor finally ends with a bit of lingering heat.  It is subtle but addictive.

I have to admit my first attempt at these truffles came out absolutely awful. It turns out that the intensity of the wasabi powder really comes out only when the powder is combined with moisture. I kept tasting the truffles and adding more wasabi to the coating since they didn’t taste flavorful enough to me. When I thought they were good I set them aside and when I came back to sample another one later in the day the wasabi flavor was so strong I could barely eat it. The key to these truffles is certainly subtlety, and in my second attempt I used a much more moderate amount, yielding the perfect balance to these unique truffles.

For other interested horseradish recipes check out the rest of this month’s Kosher Connection entries.