Get ready for a hot cross bun revolution! The traditional vs. modern debate just got a whole lot spicier.
In a surprising twist, a consumer group's taste test has crowned a chocolate-filled bun as one of the best. Yes, you heard that right!
But here's where it gets controversial... Some purists might argue that hot cross buns should only be filled with fruit, but this annual taste test by Choice has challenged that notion.
This year, the taste testers at Choice evaluated 15 different buns from various supermarkets, including Coles, Woolworths, IGA, Aldi, and Bakers Delight. They covered all bases, from traditional fruit buns to the more adventurous chocolate variety and even gluten-free options.
And the winner in the chocolate category? Drumroll, please! It's the Woolworths Bakery Chocolate Hot Cross Buns made with Cadbury Milk Chocolate Chips! These buns, priced at just 73 cents each, scored an impressive 95%, one of the highest scores in Choice's 10-year history of bun taste tests.
Brigid Treloar, one of the culinary experts who blind-tested the buns, described the experience as a sensory delight. "It looked like chocolate, it tasted like chocolate, and it smelled like chocolate," she exclaimed. Treloar, who also judges chocolate at the Sydney Royal Fine Food Show, noted that achieving this "trifecta" is unusual, especially when the strong chocolate flavor persists whether the bun is toasted or not.
The judges scored the buns based on flavor, aroma, texture, and appearance. Treloar shared an interesting insight: "Usually, the outside appearance gives a good indication of the interior. A lower height or 'dome' suggests a denser, drier interior."
The buns were first sampled fresh and then toasted to see if toasting enhanced the flavor and texture. Interestingly, Woolworths' victory came despite having a lower chocolate content compared to some of its competitors. Treloar suggested that the addition of cocoa powder in Woolworths' buns might have enhanced the chocolate flavor.
For the traditionalists out there, fear not! Coles Finest Luxurious Fruit Hot Cross Buns took the top spot in the traditional fruit category for the second year running, scoring an impressive 85%. According to Treloar, the high score was due to the generous fruit offering, which included more than just sultanas, and the strong spice smell, a feature often lacking in other fruit buns.
The runner-up in the traditional fruit category, Woolworths Bakery Traditional Fruit Hot Cross Buns, was a more budget-friendly option, scoring 73% and costing just 73 cents per bun, almost half the price of the Coles buns.
And this is the part most people miss... Buns with overly moist fruit tended to score lower. Treloar explained that liquid "leached out" of some buns, or the fruit left "little wet pockets" inside, affecting the overall texture and taste.
In the gluten-free category, Woolworths dominated, scoring the highest in both the traditional and chocolate subcategories. The Woolworths Free From Gluten Fruit Hot Cross Buns scored 77%, while the Woolworths Free From Gluten Choc Hot Cross Buns scored 70%. Both were priced at $1.38 per bun.
Treloar noted that gluten-free buns usually have a distinctive "hockey puck" shape, but this year, they looked more like "normal hot cross buns." She believed that the winners in the gluten-free categories could easily hold their own against their gluten-filled counterparts.
While Treloar detected a "slightly unnatural and chemical" aroma in all the gluten-free buns, toasting the Woolworths products seemed to transform this, creating a more desirable "hot cross bun aroma."
"But even untoasted, it was still a lovely bun to eat," Treloar concluded.
So, what do you think? Are you a traditionalist who prefers the classic fruit bun, or are you open to the chocolate revolution? Share your thoughts in the comments! This taste test has certainly sparked some interesting debates. Will you be trying these top-scoring buns this season?
