So valentine's day is coming up, and I thought I'd get the girl something traditional in addition to taking her out to dinner. She likes dark chocolate a lot, so I was wondering if anyone knows of a good maker to purchase from, either online or in a store. Thanks in advance!
Where to buy some quality dark chocolate?
- Thread starter CarlKillerMiller
- Start date
funboy6942
Lifer
- Nov 13, 2001
- 15,368
- 418
- 126
May sound like im crazy but, if you have a Aldi store near you they sell some of the best imported Chocolate you will ever taste in you life. Once you try a bar of what they get, I want to say from Imported Germany, you wont like to eat any other brand again. So smooth and creamy and cost is cheap. Wife used to rave on Hershey, then I bought her a bar of that stuff and to this day cannot eat a Hershey bar for she says it tastes like sh!t. And where we life there is no Aldis so she has been jonesing for a bad of good chocolate for a year now.
Jeff7
Lifer
- Jan 4, 2001
- 41,596
- 20
- 81
Hershey's dark chocolate kisses. They also have some high cocao stuff in paperboard bags that should be in the candy section of a department store. I think it's actually quite good.
But then, I've had gourmet chocolate and nearly choked at how expensive it was, because it tasted about the same as the Hershey's stuff. Gourmet food is often wasted on me.
But then, I've had gourmet chocolate and nearly choked at how expensive it was, because it tasted about the same as the Hershey's stuff. Gourmet food is often wasted on me.
AgaBoogaBoo
Lifer
- Feb 16, 2003
- 26,108
- 5
- 81
There was an article someone posted a link to recently proving a company that charges a few hundred dollars per pound actually lies about how they "make" it and charges insane amounts for it. Well, find that article on Noka chocolates - there was a link in there to others you can buy online that are supposed to be very good and from all over the world.
This is probably a little too late, but here's some recommendations for Dark Chocolate:
French:
Michel Cluizel - A dark roaster, One of my favourites. Their 99% Noir Infini will redefine what you consider to be chocolate, but isn't that accessible. The rest of their line is relativly accessible. I'd recommend the 1er Grand Cru range of bars (5 bars), to show how terroir can affect chocolate drastically.
Valrhona - One of the 'lightest' Dark Chocolate roasters. Their bars tend to be light, fruit and accessible, and widely available for the most part.
Pralus - One of the darkest, if not the darkest roaster. Great, though.
Chocolat Bonnat - Sort of middle of the road in terms of roast character, and pretty good.
Belgian:
Pierre Marcolini - A belgian dark choclate made in the french tradition - reputed to be great, though I haven't tried it myself.
Stay away from Godiva - Overpriced for mediocre quality. If you want that sort of "mellowed down", non-complex flavour, buy something from a coverture supplier like Callebaut - it'll be a lot cheaper.
Italy:
Amedi -mmmm.... good but expensive.
Domori - They make very good chocolate, that are often very different from other chocolatier's bars; I'd recommend not trying them as your first introduction to quality dark chocolate, but do try them sometime.....
That's off the top of my head so far. A good place to look for them would be www.chocosphere.com, or your local gourmet food store.
Feel free to ask more questions!
French:
Michel Cluizel - A dark roaster, One of my favourites. Their 99% Noir Infini will redefine what you consider to be chocolate, but isn't that accessible. The rest of their line is relativly accessible. I'd recommend the 1er Grand Cru range of bars (5 bars), to show how terroir can affect chocolate drastically.
Valrhona - One of the 'lightest' Dark Chocolate roasters. Their bars tend to be light, fruit and accessible, and widely available for the most part.
Pralus - One of the darkest, if not the darkest roaster. Great, though.
Chocolat Bonnat - Sort of middle of the road in terms of roast character, and pretty good.
Belgian:
Pierre Marcolini - A belgian dark choclate made in the french tradition - reputed to be great, though I haven't tried it myself.
Stay away from Godiva - Overpriced for mediocre quality. If you want that sort of "mellowed down", non-complex flavour, buy something from a coverture supplier like Callebaut - it'll be a lot cheaper.
Italy:
Amedi -mmmm.... good but expensive.
Domori - They make very good chocolate, that are often very different from other chocolatier's bars; I'd recommend not trying them as your first introduction to quality dark chocolate, but do try them sometime.....
That's off the top of my head so far. A good place to look for them would be www.chocosphere.com, or your local gourmet food store.
Feel free to ask more questions!
eplebnista
Lifer
- Dec 3, 2001
- 24,123
- 36
- 91
Hilarious range of replies, from people recommending Hershey (??) to darthsideous there, who clearly has spent a bit of time with the bean.
I personally think people who complain about the cost of "expensive" chocolate bars but buy Hershey have no idea. With a high cocoa content (>70%) bar at $3-5/100g, you are getting more chocolate/$ than a hershey at $1-2/100g. Even "Dark" chocolate bars from the big clonglomerates usually have more sugar than chocolate.
If you live in a decent sized city, you can probably find a European deli or specialty food importer that stocks a range of bars, try some, and expand your palatte. You will quickly find that there is a great range of tastes out there, from the balance of main components (Cocoa solids, liquour, and butter) to the varietals used (chocolate is much like coffee or wine in its complexity).
I have decided no more to crappy chocolate. Life's too short. Get the good stuff.
I personally think people who complain about the cost of "expensive" chocolate bars but buy Hershey have no idea. With a high cocoa content (>70%) bar at $3-5/100g, you are getting more chocolate/$ than a hershey at $1-2/100g. Even "Dark" chocolate bars from the big clonglomerates usually have more sugar than chocolate.
If you live in a decent sized city, you can probably find a European deli or specialty food importer that stocks a range of bars, try some, and expand your palatte. You will quickly find that there is a great range of tastes out there, from the balance of main components (Cocoa solids, liquour, and butter) to the varietals used (chocolate is much like coffee or wine in its complexity).
I have decided no more to crappy chocolate. Life's too short. Get the good stuff.
mooncancook
Platinum Member
- May 28, 2003
- 2,874
- 50
- 91
Give her a 99% dark chocolate that you can find from a Japanese grocery store (it's Meiji brand). That was the darkest chocolate I ever tasted.
I love dark chocolate, the highest cocoa content I've had is only about 75% though, that 99% Michel Cluizel sounds very interesting.
I can't stand milk chocolate, yuck.
I can't stand milk chocolate, yuck.
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