| Better chocolate --European Brands or American Brands
Posted: 7/29/2009 10:25:18 AM | It's not as easy as you think to be a *good* chocolatier. I know, I've worked with a local chocolatier at times. I chop nuts, clean utensils (yes, I lick the bowls!), and package the finished products. But the one time I tried kneading the chocolate I messed it up immediately and she had to jump in and save it.
Anyone can melt chocolate and pour it into a mold but to be a really good chocolatier takes skill. | |
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HO2
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Joined: 10/11/2008
Msg: 27 | |
| Better chocolate --European Brands or American Brands
Posted: 7/29/2009 11:02:32 AM | Okay, I concede it takes some skill and practice to be a great, phenomenal, chocolatier
BUT its a far, far cry from being a chocolate manufacturer - HENCE thats why so few companies do it.
In a world economy rapidly approaching 2010, it's become much easier to obtain quality products and occasionally enjoy the better things in life for unique special events.
Its a real shame the larger American brands feel the need to cut corners. | |
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| Better chocolate --European Brands or American Brands
Posted: 7/29/2009 4:53:05 PM |
Belgian chocolate is the absolute best hands down dare to prove me wrong.
These two seems to disagree with you - seems they consider the Italian chocolate made by Amedei as the world's best.
Amedei, founded in 1990, is the joint project of a 42-year-old Italian named Alessio Tessieri and his younger sister, Cecilia; he buys the cacao and she turns it into dark, glossy bars. In November, a competition in London awarded a gold prize to one of Cecilia's handiworks, a single-plantation chocolate called Chuao. Two other Amedei products tied for silver.
Both the visionary French pâtissier Pierre Hermé and the visionary Spanish chef Ferran Adrià have said that Chuao might, in fact, be the world's greatest chocolate. And yet Amedei is sold in only a handful of stores in the U.S., and—while a new importer has big plans for the brand—few Americans have heard of it. | |
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HO2
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Joined: 10/11/2008
Msg: 31 | |
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| Better chocolate --European Brands or American Brands
Posted: 7/29/2009 6:52:33 PM | What chocolate is the best is all subjective, just like anything else. Some one can say, this or that chocolate is the best, but if you think a Hershey bar is best, then so be it. Your palate is the one that matters in the end. I personally like El Rey the best for flavor, viscosity, mouth feel, etc. The are one of the only companies that does not deodorize their cocoa butter, so when you eat the white chocolate, it still has flavors and aromas of chocolate. I'm not a white chocolate fan, but El Rey and Valrhona are the only two I can get through.
I was so disappointed in Scharffenberger when Hershey bought them out. They said they wouldn't be messing with the formulas, they only wanted the have a higher end product, but they closed the factory in Berkeley. So sad. | |
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| Better chocolate --European Brands or American Brands
Posted: 8/3/2009 6:58:16 AM |
Okay, I concede it takes some skill and practice to be a great, phenomenal, chocolatier
BUT its a far, far cry from being a chocolate manufacturer - HENCE thats why so few companies do it. Yes, a Chocolatier merely uses the product that is made by a Chocolate manufacturer. The Chocolatier is only as good as the chocolate he buys. | |
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| Better chocolate --European Brands or American Brands
Posted: 8/3/2009 9:40:58 AM | Another vote for European chocolate though I do like dark Baker's chocolate for actual 'baking', its a bit wasteful to throw in some $$$ for cookies ;-). There was a company in Scotland called Duncan's and they made THE best hazelnut milk, the nuts were actually roasted properly and not the pale 'barely cooked' white crunchy bits you normally get.
Another Scottish company that makes a wide variety of interesting flavors is The Chocolate Tree, a few notables is the pink peppercorn, cardamom, and my personal fave the sea salt and caramel...talk about throwing your taste buds for a loop! They also make the classic dark and regional chocolates too.
Ritter Sport is a reliable and excellent brand as is Toblerone(recently saw a fruit and nut version). I'm not a big fan of Hershey or Trader Joe's but do like Dove...I could go on..and on...and on ;-) | |
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| Better chocolate --European Brands or American Brands
Posted: 8/6/2009 10:34:28 PM | | I don't remember the brands but I had somepretty good European chocolate. I us eto love Hersheys when I was a kid but, I think they may have changed the recipe because it is so sweet now. All I know is chocolate sounds good now. | |
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