The Official: Chocolate thread

[BDII]

I'm gonna be honest and say that I am a sucker for good chocolate.

Right now I am enjoying a bar of E. Guittard Ambanja Bittersweet (65% Cacao)

It run's about $4 a bar.

Anyone have suggestions on places to order from online?

[pillboy]

I can't wait that long for chocolate. Nor am I as fussy, but I do appreciate good chocolate (Hersey's milk chocolate is so pedestrian, I would almost rather go without). Sorry, but I am no help.

[SubLo]

Ugh! Can't tolerate Hersheys either. I also would rather go without. While we're hating, I can't stand Whitmans drugstore crap, or most varieties of Nestle either. American mass producers produce garbage. How they sell millions of dollars of that stuff year in an year out is mind boggling. There are however some small confectioners here and there that do an outstanding job.

Personally, I think the Dutch make the absolute finest tasting, most delectable think you've died and gone to heaven chocolates. I eat Ritter Sport Rum Raisin quite often as far as widely available varieties. A Dutch coworker last year brought me back a few bags of some simply astounding little treats and I was bouncing off the walls. I'll find out exactly what they were. I can't remember now :wub:

[moshulu]

Anyone have suggestions on places to order from online?

This is some of the world's best:

http://www.jphevin.com/

The delivery prices are scary, but the chocolate is better than any that I ever tasted in Belgium or Switzerland - supposed chocolate champions. This is a small-volume, hand-crafted, perishable product, light-years ahead of anything that is made on an industrial scale. The high-percentage tablets are amazing for cooking.

[PGT]

of the supermarket stuff, the Hershey's Reserve is excellent. About $4/bar. The 62% dark with cacao nibs is great.

one of the local members got us hooked on some Finnish stuff (his wife is from there). He'd bring it back by the suitcase.

I love dark chocolate....milk choc is bleh. When I have it now, it makes me gag. That said...a reg Hershey bar is actually good...key is getting it fresh which we do since we're an hour away from the plant in PA.

white chocolate Toblerone is killer too.

[sexylegacy]

+1 to Toblerone. Here in Portland, we also have Moonstruck Chocolate who makes some rather excellent chocolates. I'm also a big fan of Ghirardelli from San Fransisco. I was at their factory once and I love their chocolates.

[BDII]

This is some of the world's best:

http://www.jphevin.com/

The delivery prices are scary, but the chocolate is better than any that I ever tasted in Belgium or Switzerland - supposed chocolate champions. This is a small-volume, hand-crafted, perishable product, light-years ahead of anything that is made on an industrial scale. The high-percentage tablets are amazing for cooking.
:) thank you!

I agree about Hersheys.... I can't stand it. I also can't stand Dove, Nestle, reese's Lindt or any other market brand.

I'm VERY picky with my chocolate.

[PGT]

Randy - have you tried the Hershey's Reserve? If not, do so and give me your opinion please :)

[BDII]

Yes I have... it was decent.

I'm a snob :(

I buy handmade/mixed fresh chocolate from a local chocolatier in Portsmouth.

Anyone ever tried dark chocolate with a hint of Cayenne pepper?

Good Stuff :)

[heightsgtltd]

Valrhona, Michel Cluziel and Scharffenberger

Nothing Hershey's could ever make even approaches the quality of these 3

[heightsgtltd]

Also thow in Vosges with really interesting flavor combinations

[BDII]

Valrhona, Michel Cluziel and Scharffenberger

Nothing Hershey's could ever make even approaches the quality of these 3


If you go with us to NYC on teh 19th you'll have to show me a place that sells this stuff :)

[heightsgtltd]

I'll try. A great place to go is the Michel Cluizel chocolate bar/store inside ABC home and carpet on broadway and around 18th.

http://www.chocolatmichelcluizel-na.com/about_us.asp

[coxx]

If you go with us to NYC on teh 19th you'll have to show me a place that sells this stuff :)
even if heights doesn't come out that day just get the address & we'll go there & get you some

[coxx]

I'll try. A great place to go is the Michel Cluizel chocolate bar/store inside ABC home and carpet on broadway and around 18th.

http://www.chocolatmichelcluizel-na.com/about_us.asp
:lol::lol: I'm stoooooooopid. I didn't see this

[heightsgtltd]

They have different Cru's like wine for chocolate, and source cocoa beans from all over the world

[BDII]

:) Can't wait.

[heightsgtltd]

bring money :lol:

[heightsgtltd]

BTW, the store that it is located in is FULL of hot chicks shopping for expensive home furnishings so it's doubly good :lol:

[BDII]

bring money :lol:


I'd easily spend $50 on a good bar of chocolate :)

[coxx]

bring money :lol:
:lol::lol::lol:

[eVoMotion]

I love dark chocolate!

I have a dedicated drawer at home and work for chocolate. I usually only eat a square or two once a week - just a taste of the good stuff.

My favorite chocolate hands down is Vosges. ( I am going to the Vegas store next week!)

My current favorite is:
http://www.vosgeschocolate.com/product/bacon_exotic_candy_bar/exotic_candy_bars
Who does not like bacon?!

This one smells and tastes like sex:
http://www.vosgeschocolate.com/product/naga_exotic_candy_bar/exotic_candy_bars

Nice for after dinner party treat.
Gray and smoked salt caramels
http://www.franschocolates.com/home.php?cat=2

Oregon locals
Xocolatl 74% Chilies and Nibs
http://www.dagobachocolate.com/prodinfo.asp?number=1120%2E02

I do not like fruit in my bars - except sometimes
Roseberry 59% Raspberries/Rosehips
http://www.dagobachocolate.com/prodinfo.asp?number=1117%2E02

Go dark
Eclipse 87% Extra Bittersweet
http://www.dagobachocolate.com/prodinfo.asp?number=1105%2E02

I have a couple New Tree bars in my drawer here at work.
http://www.newtree.com/pleasure.php
http://www.newtree.com/renew.php

Not a fan of most grocery store bars as they are pretty waxy and have vanilla added to change the flavor.

I do eat M&Ms (darks when I can find them) on a rare occasion admittedly.

Like wine tasting, I like offering chocolate tastings at my desk or at home. Pull a couple similar or different bars out and do some side by sides to see really what potential differences you can find in different cocoa levels, etc.

[Inigo Montoya]

Wife is the baker in the family we don't eat a whole lot of regular chocolate.

That said, we went by this place on vacation: http://www.originalhawaiianchocolatefactory.com/cocotimes.html

Pretty cool, the only estate grown 100% American chocolate in the world. It was tasty goodness and we got a tour of the cacao tree groove.

[BDII]

I'm drooling right now......

[heightsgtltd]

Also thow in Vosges with really interesting flavor combinations

I love dark chocolate!

I have a dedicated drawer at home and work for chocolate. I usually only eat a square or two once a week - just a taste of the good stuff.

My favorite chocolate hands down is Vosges. ( I am going to the Vegas store next week!)

My current favorite is:
http://www.vosgeschocolate.com/product/bacon_exotic_candy_bar/exotic_candy_bars
Who does not like bacon?!

This one smells and tastes like sex:
http://www.vosgeschocolate.com/product/naga_exotic_candy_bar/exotic_candy_bars

Nice for after dinner party treat.
Gray and smoked salt caramels
http://www.franschocolates.com/home.php?cat=2

Oregon locals
Xocolatl 74% Chilies and Nibs
http://www.dagobachocolate.com/prodinfo.asp?number=1120%2E02

I do not like fruit in my bars - except sometimes
Roseberry 59% Raspberries/Rosehips
http://www.dagobachocolate.com/prodinfo.asp?number=1117%2E02

Go dark
Eclipse 87% Extra Bittersweet
http://www.dagobachocolate.com/prodinfo.asp?number=1105%2E02

I have a couple New Tree bars in my drawer here at work.
http://www.newtree.com/pleasure.php
http://www.newtree.com/renew.php



Vosges is good, but sometimes they try to hard..

Dagoba is good, I also like Green and Blacks organic.

You and I were separated at birth, similar taste in wines, chocolate and food :)

[BDII]

I agree about Green and Blacks.

It's a store brand... so it's not relatively fresh.... but still VERY good considering.

[heightsgtltd]

^^ exactly..if you just want a good bar from a store that doesnt carry a ton of brands

[camber]

http://www.chocolatetrading.co.uk/images/fullsize/valrhona_grancouva.l.jpg

Om nom... nom.. nom... I like this the best.. Although, I'm a little biased. Try out Valrhona's 3 different vintange domain chocolate. The 2007 special is quite nice but you have to fly to France and buy it at a specific resort.

[heightsgtltd]

Another Valrhona fan glad to see I am not alone

[camber]

heh... I got to tour the San Juan Estate(Trinidad) with Pierre Costet(Valrhona’s Chief Cacao Sourcer) and Gilles Marchal the Creative Director at La Maison du Chocolat just two weeks ago.

[heightsgtltd]

wow..what do you do? :lol:

[BDII]

:jealous:

[heightsgtltd]

Maison du chocolat is no joke either..

There are also a lot of smaller chocolatiers in NYC that are great.

Jacques Torres is one, Marie Belle is another.

[camber]

I'll post up some pics from my tour later tonight or tomorrow. It was fun talking to those guys and hear them beat up on "chocolate" from Cadbury.

[PhilT]

http://www.hometowncandy.com/cadbury-web2.jpg

That's all !

[heightsgtltd]

^^ I knew you had no taste :lol:

[PhilT]

^^ I knew you had no taste :lol:

Just a regular guy with regular taste, no pretensions here :p

[heightsgtltd]

Makes sense, Cadbury is the Budweiser of Chocolate :lol:

[PhilT]

Makes sense, Cadbury is the Budweiser of Chocolate :lol:

It was all set up for you to say "pretencious, moi ?" but maybe you never saw that episode :lol:

[heightsgtltd]

ofcourse I did... Basil calls him an orangutan, the policeman with the medalions.. :lol:

[eVoMotion]

Another Valrhona fan glad to see I am not alone
I sometimes pick these up from TraderJoes. Sometimes I like them and sometimes not so much.

Vosges is good, but sometimes they try to hard..

Dagoba is good, I also like Green and Blacks organic.

You and I were separated at birth, similar taste in wines, chocolate and food :)
Agreed on all three points:
Vosges does some wierd combos.
G&Bs are another - though I think that it is a bit singular in flavor sometimes; not completely satisfying.
I look forward to a shared feast someday somewhere.

[camber]

Here are some of the pictures, I took from the tour.

- The plantation house house is depicted as a drawing on Valrhona's "Gran Couva" bars.
- If you suck the raw cocoa beans from the pods they taste like sour gum drops!
- The San Juan estate uses skill people to remove the beans with machete to ensure they don't get damage. This has been a long tradition at this plantation.
- The worker wear a rubber glove to remove the beans from the pod in the in the field. The rubber glove is necessary because the raw beans are acidic and irritate the skin
- The fermenter smells awful. Think about the worst BO you've ever smelled. Then multiply by 100X.
- Polisher step is done partly by hand(cedar carved shovel) and machine. It used to be done by women dancing around in the cocoa beans

[mccorry]

Awesome pictures... looks like a great tour.

I like Lindt..... among many many others.... ;)

[heightsgtltd]

Lindt can be really good chocolate for the money

[eVoMotion]

thanks for the pics. It is cool to see "behind the scenes".

[legacy2.5GT05]

Not really chocolate but famous cupcakes in Beverly Hills check out Sprinkles

[Gumby]

you guys need to go to Belgium.

[mccorry]

you guys need to go to Belgium.

Been there.... some of it was good... but I didn't find anything that roxored my sox off.

[Gumby]

yeah it was a long time ago when I was there but I liked the idea of a family run chocolate store with homemade goodies.

[coxx]

you guys need to go to Belgium.
sure no problem meet you there tomorrow? :rolleyes::lol::lol::lol::lol:

[ehsnils]

I hope you haven't missed this:

YouTube - Heston Blumenthal - Kitchen Chemistry - Chocolate - 1/3

YouTube - Heston Blumenthal - Kitchen Chemistry - Chocolate - 2/3

YouTube - Heston Blumenthal - Kitchen Chemistry - Chocolate - 3/3

[Siper2]

I tend to eat too much of it, in the form of M&Ms. :D But honestly, I don't like it that much, it's just a bad habit.

GOOD chocolate, on the other hand, is a treat. And you don't need to eat much of it. Green & Blacks is very good stuff.

[coxx]

anyone goin to this?

http://www.chocolateshow.com/

[heightsgtltd]

IS that where you met your partner? :lol:

[heightsgtltd]

I'm a fat bastard lately and trying to change that, I am staying away from the chocolate show :spin:

[coxx]

IS that where you met your partner? :lol:
who are you talking to?

[heightsgtltd]

You silly

[coxx]

You silly
you know where we met stop playin :wub: ;)

[dudeondacouch]

My current favorite is:
http://www.vosgeschocolate.com/product/bacon_exotic_candy_bar/exotic_candy_bars
Who does not like bacon?!

:eek::eek::eek: They make Bacon Chocolate?!?!?!

There goes my fitness!:spin:

http://www.boogaj.com/photos/uncategorized/2007/07/03/vosges_mos_bacon_bar.jpg

[heightsgtltd]

They make all sorts of flavors.

[eVoMotion]

off topic - is that a photo of you as your new avatar?

They make all sorts of flavors.

[heightsgtltd]

Good God no :lol:

[LGT-NY]

Hai.

[eVoMotion]

I was working on my "being open minded" skills. ;-)


Good God no :lol:

[heightsgtltd]

That's CTATV who's on here :lol: