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Note: I would like to thank Guittard chocolates for sending me a sampler of their latest artisan chocolates. These are the chocolates that I find simply wonderful: 1. Inexpensive but super: Van Leer bittersweet-- This tasting-winning chocolate has been acquired by Barry Callebaut, who wouldn't even take the time to respond to my repeated emails asking for how to get more of this chocolate in the future. One that "got away." El Rey Gran Saman -- a wonderful, single-bean Venezuelan chocolate that has a full and deep flavor. Excellent! (You can get it in bulk at Chocolate Source) 2. Expensive and great: Dagoba New Moon organic chocolate is bittersweet, wonderfully complex, and superb. I often purchase the bars for eating, but because of the price seldom cook with it. Michel Cluizel bittersweet chocolate is wonderful, but too pricey to usually use in cooking. Santa Barbara Peru Organic Chocolate comes in 66% and 78%. The 78% in particular is very fine, albeit expensive, but appropriately priced for an organic chocolate from well-paid farmers. To visit their website and purchase chocolate, click here. Callebaut bittersweet is available at most fine grocery stores, and is a "tried-and-true" wonderful baking chocolate. I'm grateful for all of the years this has been a mainstay in my baking. (You can get it in bulk at Gourmail) Guittard Oro bittersweet ribbons -- in the shipment the company sent me were many varieties, but I was very pleasantly surprised by the well-rounded chocolate flavor of the Oro ribbons. Amazing! (You can get it in bulk at Baker's Cash and Carry) Ghirardelli Bittersweet Bars. For those who cannot obtain fancy chocolate, or who want to whip up a special recipe while traveling and only have a Safeway to get their chocolate at, this is a wonderful inexpensive chocolate. As a person living near San Francisco, I continue to be impressed by the quality of these bars. Shokinag Extreme Dark Chocolate Chips is a new couverture (chocolate for melting to cover truffles with) that has 40% cocoa butter and 25% cocoa liquor and an excellent deep, rich taste. You can see a list of distributors by clicking here. The taste is wonderful. Schokinag Bittersweet Chocolate Couverture is a fine (and inexpensive) chocolate for coating truffles with, or adding to a blend of other chocolates. (You can get it in bulk at Chocolate Source) Guittard Gourmet Bittersweet is a well-balanced and inexpensive, if a little undistinguished, chocolate that is fine for using in chocolate making. (You can get it in bulk at Baker's Cash and Carry) Valrhona Equatorial is a very nice chocolate for eating, but I find it a little too "flavored" and not "chocolatey" enough to use by itself for cooking, but it adds a great deal when blended with other chocolates. (You can get it in bulk at Gourmail) Cacao Barry Concord Lenotre bittersweet. I purchased a large block of this chocolate and was surprised that while I didn't like it at all "raw", i.e. for eating pieces of, that it was truly a fine chocolate for blending with others in making baked goods and truffles. (You can get it in bulk at Gourmail) Guittard Onyx is a bittersweet chocolate that is quite "monochromatic" in flavor. In other words, it hits only one or two taste notes, and is not good enough to use by itself, but is useful to provide a "base note" in blending with other chocolates. Hawaiian Vintage Fine Dark Chocolate was both very pricey, even at wholesale prices, and completely disappointing to eat (or cook with) by itself. It had too much cocoa butter added, and had a slightly off-putting smokey aftertaste. But it actually is a fine chocolate for adding to a mixture of chocolates for truffles. Just don't use it by itself. Click to Return to Send e-mail to Hank Friedman by clicking here Copyright © 2002 Hank Friedman --- ALL RIGHTS RESERVED |
