Creating a new flavor at bruce’s best is always an exciting process. It calls upon different skills and energies from those involved in production and marketing. Recently John Duffy, the owner of Avignone pharmacy (Avignone on Bleecker, Ltd, 281 Sixth Avenue, New York, NY 10014, phone: 212.242.3033) asked for an exclusive flavor, and I was delighted to be able to comply.
We spoke of many things, including medicinal herbs and elixirs, the foundations of the old pharmacy system. But what really made John light up like a Christmas tree was mention of his beloved villa in Tuscany, surrounded as it is by fields of lavender, rosemary hedges, bee hives, and, of course, vineyards.
From there it was a straight shot to a new flavor formula that could harmonize with the dark chocolate ganache that forms the base of all truffle flavors at bruce’s best. So now I am excited to announce Tuscan Sunshine, flavored with lavender, rosemary, wildflower honey, and Tuscan red wine. It debuts tomorrow (Monday, May 5) just in time for Mother’s Day, and it is available exclusively at Avignone.
I have to say that I am very pleased with Tuscan Sunshine, and, more to the point, John is too. And we are hoping that his customers will love it as well. So how do new flavors happen? Ideas are everywhere, but this one was pretty much handed to me. I knew from the start what the main flavors would be: two floral notes, one herbal, a complex blend of fruit with a little tannin tossed in. It sounds really nice to the mind’s palate. Would a touch of citrus be welcome? How about bitter almond? I ruled these two out in the interest of simplifying the flavor experience. Perhaps I will try them someday. One of the greatest pleasures of a foodie life is the anticipation of all the tastings to come.
With the main notes established, it became a matter of trial and error to find the right flavor balance, and the right texture, too. Whenever honey is included, texture shifts. So it starts with what you know, or think you know, and goes forward until that moment when everything falls into place. This one was a relatively easy birth. But whenever chocolate is involved, life is full of surprises.
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