Review: The Velveeta And Compartés Chocolate Truffle Collab Is Cheesy In A Good Way
If you've ever tucked into a bowl of mac and cheese and wished that salty sensation could carry through until dessert, then you may be in luck. Renowned chocolatier Compartés has teamed up with Velveeta to produce what is a sweet version of the cheesy shell pasta many of you will be familiar with. The outside of the shell is comprised of white chocolate, while the inside is basically Velveeta cheese. As you would expect from a company like Compartés, the shells are exquisitely detailed. They're larger than the standard Velveeta shells and comparable to the cheese product manufacturer's "jumbo" pasta in size. Compartés has named this strange treat the TruffVel — as it's similar in construction to a truffle, while also being a combination of traditional chocolate and Velveeta.
This lovingly crafted tribute to what is a staple food for many is available today, but before you buy a box you should probably read on a little further. Compartés sent us a sample to try, so we can provide you details on the taste, texture, and possible motive behind this bizarre combination. We'll give you some details on the price and, perhaps most importantly, let you know if the TruffVels are worth spending your hard-earned cash on.
Velveeta has been involved with this kind of thing before
This isn't the first time Velveeta has moved beyond its signature product. Giant mac and cheese boxes aside, Velveeta's most famous crossover happened last year when the "Veltini" was launched. The Veltini was available at select BLT restaurants, which include: BLT Steak, BLT Prime, Florentine, and Casa Nonna.
The Veltini was basically a dirty martini with a cheesy twist. Olive brine was used along with vermouth. Instead of salt lining the rim of the glass, the salty, melty, cheese product coated the edge instead. The drink was then garnished with a skewer of Velveeta cheese stuffed olives and Velveeta jumbo shells — the shells having also been coated in the cheesy sauce. The cocktail was part of the company's "La Dolce Velveeta" branding initiative, which was aimed at making the product appear more aspirational and high-end — if only in a more light-hearted way. The collaboration with Compartés may be a further extension of that.
Veltinis weren't cheap — the cocktail itself cost $15 if you found yourself at a participating restaurant. There was also a "kit" available which contained two martini glasses, a gold cocktail shaker, two Velveeta coasters, and a recipe card — along with most of the ingredients you need to make the cocktail yourself. The kit cost $50, and you would need to supply your own alcohol — but the price per drink did likely work out far cheaper than in a restaurant.
What is Compartés?
Compartés describes itself as America's "hippest and most trendsetting chocolate shop." Its staff have been making sweet treats by hand in L.A. since the 1950s, and serving them up to the most famous names in world history. Its clientele has included the likes of Marilyn Monroe, Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, the Kennedys, and Oprah. Its corporate customer base is also pretty distinguished — with Facebook, Gucci, The Oscars, Disney, and HBO amongst the list of businesses that have ordered from Compartés at some point in its history.
Some of Compartés creations over the last few decades have been pretty innovative. The company is a bit like Willy Wonka's chocolate factory in a way, though there is no way Charlie could afford anything from there. Alongside its "hand-designed selection" of over 100 chocolate bars and gourmet selections is a long history of combining weird flavor combinations and making them work somehow. This blend of high-end and simple nostalgia is again reflected in this latest effort — the TruffVel.
You can only get these while supplies last
If you're keen on trying a Truffvel or two, you need to act fast. This is a strictly limited run and Compartés will only be supplying the cheese-inspired snacks "while supplies last." This is an incredibly vague notion, of course — on the low end it could mean a single batch has been made, and when that's gone it's gone. Equally, it doesn't prohibit Compartés from making more if sales are going well. From the information we've received, there isn't a set number of boxes available, but if you're desperate to try these, you shouldn't waste any time securing your box.
The Veltini was also a limited run, as BLT restaurants only made them for a set time and the "Veltini kit" was only available for so long too, though the two aren't exactly the same. As it's a restaurant thing, there was probably a set date when that promotion would end, so it wasn't a "while supplies last" type of deal. Beyond that, if you're really determined to drink a Veltini, you can still buy everything you need and just make one yourself. Making your own shells containing proprietary white chocolate, filled with Velveeta, and cast in a certain manner is a lot more complicated if not impossible to replicate exactly. So once these are gone, they are more than likely gone for good.
The price is pretty steep
While Velveeta may provide the basis for a cheap and easy meal, Compartés doesn't do discount chocolate. As you may expect with a limited run of licensed sweets from a highly-regarded chocolatier — these are pretty pricey. A box of five will set you back $24.95 plus tax. That's $4.99 a piece for a novelty truffle that's roughly the size of the average thumbnail.
Compartés may be very high-end, with boxes of chocolates on sale for well over $100, but the individual price of the TruffVels puts them on the more expensive side of Compartés' chocolate range. If you browse their website, fewer things cost more per piece. Even in small batches, most of the chocolates on offer cost around $2-3 each. Also, keep in mind that these included ingredients such as Moët Champagne and Kona coffee, which are a far cry from processed cheese.
It turns out that Velveeta and fancy chocolate aren't a natural fit
The first thing you'll notice when you bite into a TruffVel is the flavor of high-quality white chocolate. This pleasure is short-lived, as the salty taste of Velveeta soon makes an appearance. From then on, there's a battle between the sweet and creamy white chocolate and its salty foe. Who wins? Unfortunately, it's the Velveeta. Once the TruffVel is gone, a low-budget mac and cheese flavor will be lingering in your mouth for some time. All in all, it isn't great and is unlikely to be something most people try more than once. The only people we can see genuinely enjoying this are folks who have an extreme love of liquid "cheese product."
Texturally, the chocolate shell is quite hard, while the truffle center has a texture similar to the Velveeta it is based on. It's soft, gooey, and quite sticky, making the center's texture almost as unpleasant as the flavor. Undoubtedly, the worst side effect you may experience after ingesting one of these is low-level nausea. It may be due to the combination of ingredients, the extreme richness of the pseudo-shells, or just some deep part of your brain trying to process what you've just done and what possessed you to do it. Either way, this made us feel a bit off for a couple of hours after we ate it. Dessert usually follows a meal, but you'll probably want a slice or two of bread after this to help level yourself out.
Despite the odd flavor and high price, these are worth it
So, these are expensive, you only get a few of them, they taste weird at best (bad at worst), and the texture is terrible. Are they worth it? Totally. The marketing spiel we received from Compartés which contained phrases like "taking pleasure to a whole new level," and "a match made in culinary heaven." But we don't think they actually believe that. After trying the TruffVels, we know what they are, you'll know what they are, and Compartés more than likely knows exactly what they are. They're an eating challenge. A quirky treat you can try with your friends or put up on your TikTok. It's not something you're going to break out when you're enjoying an indulgent evening parked on the couch during a Netflix marathon.
Amongst the other evidence is the number of TruffVels in the box. Though five chocolates may seem skimpy, that's all you need if you have four friends brave enough to nibble on these with you. The flavor, albeit not great, works well for this kind of thing. The TrufVels aren't inedible, but they're also not something you'll miss when the limited run is done. The design has nailed the look of the pasta shells perfectly, and Velveeta is certainly a cult food with a large fan base. It's also something you can react to quite easily, which should really please the social media crowd. So get a pack of these if you want a truly unique, albeit slightly gross, experience.