“What is the best baking chocolate?” is an often asked question. Here is my humble opinion.
Valrhona – the king of chocolate. It comes in many varieties, probably more than any other brand. It is very expensive; expect to pay $28US per kilogram. This is my favorite!
Callebaut – when I can’t afford Valrhona (which is most of the time), I use Callebaut. It is very tasty, close to Valrhona. It runs about $20US per kilogram.
Lindt – a great choice if funds are limited. Good taste; costs around $10US per kilogram.
Ghirardelli – like Lindt, a budget-minded choice. I think Lindt tastes better. About $8US per kilogram.
Baker’s – not worth the paper it is packaged in!
Hershey’s – same opinion as Baker’s.
So tell me, what are some of your favorite brands?
The launch of the recipe exchange means that I have to make some changes in the way I post. Previously, I posted recipes on Friday mornings. Now I will post the exchange ezine as a single post on Friday morning (in addition to mailing it directly to the subscribers. I will add the recipes as indivdual posts on the following Monday.
Anthony
Paris is the most incredible city on earth. Why? It has the best chocolate! This wonderful article highlights some of the best chocolatiers in the city. Grab your passport, buy a ticket and prepare to tantalize those taste buds.
http://travel.nytimes.com/2008/12/14/travel/14journeys.html?scp=1&sq=tour%20du%20choclat&st=cse
I was working on a large IT project in Atlanta, USA during the fall of 1993. There were several contractors from all over the world there. One was a lovely young lady named Els de Decker. She was from Belgium. One day we were chatting and I asked her what did she think of the US.
“I love it here” she said. “But there is something that I miss.”
I asked, “What?”
“Chocolate. Good chocolate. I hate to say it, but the stuff you have here is horrible”, she explained.
“Have you tried Hershey’s?”, I responded.
She laughed, “That garbage is inedible!” She continued “I’m going home in a couple of weeks. When I return, I’m going to bring some European chocolate.
When she returned, true to her word, she had a large box of chocolate. I’ll never forget it; it was Guy Lian. What struck me most was the appearance. The candy looked like pieces of art. I didn’t know whether I should eat it, or photograph it.
I decided to try a piece. The earth moved! “This is the most delicious chocolate I have ever tasted!”, I exclaimed.
Els laughed. “This is “ordinary” chocolate, nothing special. I picked this up at a grocery store.”
I was flabbergasted. I wondered, “If this is ordinary, what does the good stuff taste like?” I came to the conclusion that Els was right, our chocolate is horrible!
I continued eating until I ate half of the box! My co-workers gave me nasty looks, but I couldn’t stop! It was so good! It totally changed my idea of “good” chocolate.
Thank you Els, for enlightening me about chocolate!
