As many people are unaware of where the term Mendiant comes from or even what a Mendiant is. A Mendiant is a traditional French confectionery composed of a chocolate disk studded with nuts and dried fruits which was normally offered at Christmas time.

The nuts and dried fruits traditionally represented the colour of the monastic robes of the four mendicants or monastic orders of the Dominicans, Augustinians, Franciscans and Carmelites with tradition dictating raisins for the Dominicans, hazelnut for the Augustinians, dried fig for the Franciscans and almonds for the Carmelites.

Mendiants offer a fabulous alternative to ‘Bark’ in that it is a thinner piece of chocolate which allows the flavours of the toppings (i.e. fruit and nuts) to dominate while you are still able to taste the luxurious chocolate. Actually, for me,  it creates the perfect balance.

Another benefit of the Mendiant is that they are smaller bite sized pieces which are decorated in such a way that they are mouthwateringly appealing to the eye. Generally we are impulsive creatures and we eat with our eyes. Have you tried Mendiants?  What is your preference?

Bark offers a completely different experience and has a more rustic appeal with thick chunks of chocolate encrusted with fruit and/or nuts. So I guess to determine which one appeals to you, Mendiants or bark, may depend on your mood. Would you like to savour the taste and luxuriate in a beautiful mouthwatering Mendiant, or are you hankering after a big chunk of chocolate with nuts and you need to satisfy that urge right now!