Our French delicacies suggestions for summer, from Mastari hot sauces, Barre Clandestine chocolate and Carnival Sun Juice rum with Joey Starr

Summer is always the proper time to spend good experiences with friends or family, while tasting nice products. That’s why we are glad to introduce you some new French delights to accompany your best moments, whatever the part of the day… By AL, AP & ST

First, we invite you to discover the delicious Mastari’s artisanal hot sauces, to wake up your diners but not only! Indeed, Mastari proposes you a plural culinary adventure with its range of artisanal hot sauces, made exclusively from fresh and natural ingredients, without preservatives. Their unique recipes offer extreme sensations, with a variety of flavors, ranging from expertly flavored sweetness to an unmatched spicy intensity. We unveil here multiple subtleties of each sauce and various ways to use them to transform your daily meals (photo credits: Mastari).

Then, in this new range of exquisite flavors, why not starting with the Java sauce? Enriched with notes of star anise and lime, this Java sauce is the perfect ally for fishes and even shellfishes. This condiment can also be paired with egg dishes or raw vegetables. Thus, Java brings an aromatic and soft freshness, along a slight acidity, ideal for enhancing marine and vegetarian flavors.

In the meantime, this Tandava sauce is made with Thai chilli, starring warm and fragrant aromas, add a welcome depth and warmth to your dishes. This sauce transforms your lunches into more comforting and appetizing, ideal for sautéed vegetables and starchy foods. After all, the Polka sauce, between strength and finesse, offers a gourmet blend of citrus fruits and spices, perfect for exotic specialities. Its lively and complex aromas make it an essential sauce for those who like bold and well-balanced flavors.

As you can see, Mastari’s artisanal hot sauces are a celebration of natural and intense flavors in a multitude of ways to enhance your dishes. This is as well the case with the Mastari Mambo sauce. This Mambo sauce combines the sweetness of mango and carrot with the strength of chili pepper for a perfect balance. This versatile sauce can be either used with seafood but also vegetables or to season salads. Its sweet and spicy taste brings an exotic and delicate dimension to your dishes.

Thereafter, the Mastari Habanera sauce may surely impress your buds with its woody and citrus notes, since this Habanera reference pairs perfectly with hot dishes and pizzas. It also enhances the preparation of tomato sauces, thanks to its distinctive aromas. Using this Habanera sauce adds a touch of character and depth to your dishes, making them more tasty and of course spicy. On top of that, the Mastari Alegria sauce is a promise of intense heat with sun-drenched fruits. Ideal for festive vegetable assortments, this sauce brings an explosion of fruity and spicy flavors. It is perfect for those looking for a bold and sunny taste experience. For instance, you can explore the different varieties proposed by Mastari and discover how they can transform your lunches into true gastronomic feasts. Whatever they can directly accompany all types of prepared foods, It can be few drops of hot sauce on seafood, starchy vegetables or any other prepared dish, both in cold or hot sauces. Add a few drops to salad dressing, mayonnase, guacamole, or to conceive hot sauces like tomato sauces or other preparations. 

More details on their official website.

If you look for sweet sensations, would you dare trying the chocolate creations from Barre Clandestine. This family project stands out for its range of “bean to bar” products, an artisanal method that values ​​each stage of their production, from cocoa bean to the final bar. Founded by Émilie and Emmanuel in 2022, the brand embodies the passion for authentic and quality chocolate, with meticulous attention to every detail. By the way, the concept of “bean to bar” philosophy means that each chocolate bar is produced from carefully selected cocoa beans, processed in an artisanal way to preserve their unique characteristics. This process, which highlights the terroir of those beans, allows to create chocolate products with rich and varied aromatic profiles. The production in small quantities guarantees rigorous quality control, ensuring that each bar reflects the know-how and passion of its creators.

After a career switch, Émilie and Emmanuel followed their love of chocolate to launch Barre Clandestine. Their chocolate shop, inspired by the idea of ​​a clandestine bar, is an intimate place where new chocolate flavors are highlighted, far from industrial standards. Their approach, inspired by mixology, consists of selecting rare beans, testing them blind and exploring complex flavored profiles (photo credits: Barre Clandestine).

In fact, Barre Clandestine offers unique and innovative recipes, marked by contrasts and intense tasting experiences. Among their various creations, their “bean to bar” organic dark chocolate combines coconut and chili. This grand cru chocolate from Tanzania is combined with coconut from Sri Lanka and Espelette chili from the Basque country, creating a harmony of gourmet and spicy flavors. For example, coconut brings intense aromatic notes, while Espelette pepper, recognized by an AOP label, adds a subtle spiciness.

Always in search of originality, their Barre Clandestine items are an invitation to discover unique flavors and bold combinations, notably by reinventing artisanal chocolate and highlighting the richness and diversity of cocoa terroirs.

This real commitment to quality also generated another “bean to bar” organic chocolate, paired here with sourdough bread. This innovative recipe combines a grand cru chocolate from Belize with artisanal sourdough bread, made from ancient wheat. The sourdough bread, incorporated into dark chocolate with caramelized notes, brings aromas of nuts and undergrowth, as well as a tangy note, so characteristic of sourdough.

For even more exotic gourmet sensations, the again “bean to bar” organic dark chocolate, flavored this time with kilombero and cashew cream, transports tasters between the Serengeti Plain and the snowy Mount Kilimanjaro. Thus, the Kilombero Valley‘s cocoa beans, from the Trinitario and Neo-Nacional varieties, display tangy red fruit flavors, such as cherry and strawberry. This chocolate, a blend of dark and milk, is enriched with a touch of cashew cream, providing some genuine vegan smoothness and sweetness.

At last, don’t hesitate to come through the door of their factory near Montpellier and discover the production of their chocolate, from cocoa beans to chocolate bars. A visit for all audiences (maximum 12 persons for a 30mn visit) that would undoubtedly delight any lovers of grand cru chocolates.

Barre Clandestine, 97 passage du Poids Public, Gallargues-Le-Montueux (France) / Phone: 00 33 (0)4 66 71 10 63. More details on their official website.

The release of the Carnival Sun Juice rums range marks a new fruitful collaboration between the Old Brothers group and French rapper Joey Starr. Recognized for his multiple artistic talents, Joey Starr is proud to highlight his Caribbean origins through these sunny rums. Three new expressions are now available for sale, each embodying a unique facet of this exciting project. This sparkling collaboration, follows the success of their previous realizations, the Old Brothers and Joey Starr are back with a range of rums that promises to delight all amateurs and connoisseurs alike. The goal is to promote innovative rums by celebrating the diversity of their origins. Accessible to all, this range stands out for its quality and aromatic richness.

Each cuvée offers a unique tasting experience, highlighting the richness and diversity of rum-making traditions. Accessible and complex at the same time, this range is an invitation to discover and savor the art of rums, through distinct and refined expressions. As far as we know, their Carnival Barbados Rum, aged in the casks from the renowned West Indies distillery, as a tribute to Barbados craftsmanship. This rum, distilled from molasses in pot stills and columns, ages between three and five years in ex-bourbon casks in the Tropics. It is distinguished by its intoxicating fragrances and aromas of coconut, crème brûlée, vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon and nectarine, with a refreshing hint of citrus, combined with touches of roasted beans and cocoa, offering a rich and accessible aromatic palette. The woodiness is finely balanced, making this exceptional cuvée particularly enjoyable for all palates. This rum somehow celebrates Barbados craftsmanship and its reminiscent British tradition in all their splendour (photo credits: Carnival Sun Juice).

Thereafter, the Carnival Jamaican Rum is made from molasses juice, mostly aged in Jamaica’s famous Long Pond and Clarendon distilleries. This rum, produced from molasses fermentation and distilled in double-retort pot stills, is aged for three to five years in ex-bourbon casks in this so-called Carabbean Garden. Let’s get bewitched by its aromas of ripe exotic fruits, varnish, nutmeg and cinnamon that may surely seduce you from the first smell and sip, completed by a few maritime nuances of olive brine and pastry notes. Those notes harmoniously blend with a subtle veil of smoke and of course the elegance of American oak, adding a refined dimension. This amazing vintage celebrates Jamaican craftsmanship and British tradition of distillation, with a modern touch.

Thereafter, the Guatemala& Belize Rum is an exquisite fusion of selected casks from these two countries. This is the result of a column distillation from molasses and aging for three years in ex-bourbon casks in the Caribbean, giving birth to a complex and perfumed rum. On the nose, this elixir offers an explosion of tropical fruits, such as pineapple, mango and papaya, mixed with notes of caramel and spices. This ensemble intertwines on the palate, with the gourmet flavors of cocoa, nutmeg and vanilla, caught up with white flowers, cinnamon and cloves, even balanced by woody touches, offering a harmonious and accessible experience. This unique rum invites you this time to discover another way to enjoy rum, through the Hispanic and British traditions of Guatemala and Belize.

More details on their official website.