What's your favorite chocolate, and why?

[BDuncan]

What’s currently your favorite type of chocolate (for primarily consuming, not so much for cooking with) and please say why, be it something that’s commercially mass produced, or a more expensive gourmet variety you love, despite it costing more, or something you might even make yourself. Of course if you have more than one to name, no problem.

[Terrasanct]

Valhrona, mostly the really dark kind. I like it for cooking, too. I also like Callebaut and Scharffenberger.

[inespm]

Venezuelan Chocolate El Rey

[Alinka]

Lindt, because it's the best I can buy here .

When I'm willing to drive an hour to Whole Foods, I get this spicy dark chocolate with chili peppers (can't remember the brand). Something like $8 for a bar.

[ellencho]

Yeah, I'm a big fan of El Rey chocolates too. I especially like their dark milk chocolate which is pretty hard to come by these days.

[Terrasanct]

Alinka, is it the Dagoba organic? They make a really good chocolate with peppers. Also one with candied ginger that I really like.

[SuzySushi]

Monoprix 70% Noir. Last time we went to France, we brought back an attaché case full (more than 100 bars).

Barring availability of those, Valrhona, which is 3 to 4 times the price and also difficult to find here. El Rey, which I can't seem to find any more here at all.

Dagoba and Chocolove flavored chocolate bars, for variety. Ghirardelli dark chocolate raspberry, which I don't know if they're making any more because they closed the Ghirardelli store here (poor location -- I could've told them if they'd consulted me before opening!!!)

But for "everyday" nibbling, Ghirardelli Double Chocolate (now rebranded as "60% chocolate") chocolate chips. We always have a bag in the freezer.

[purplewiz]

Right now, Rapunzel Bittersweet 70%, available at Whole Foods. I really like the balance between bitter and smoothness, and the deep chocolate flavor of it.

There's another brand that's a favorite I found at Cost Plus, Hachez. It's available there in three flavors: bittersweet, with strawberry and pepper, and with candied orange peel, all 77%. Again, it's a nice balance between the chocolate flavor, bitter, and smooth, with just enough sweet to enhance the flavor. I've only tried the straight chocolate and the orange - they're both good, but the orange is really something special.

Marcia.

[jennahan]

Not sure if the top 2 are available in the states, but I know Teuscher has stores in the US:

Green & Black's Organic Dark Chocolate Hazelnut and Currents

Rococo's Earl Grey flavored dark chocolate

Teuscher's cocoa truffles (does this count?)

[Tess]

Lindt, because it's the best I can buy here .

When I'm willing to drive an hour to Whole Foods, I get this spicy dark chocolate with chili peppers (can't remember the brand). Something like $8 for a bar.

←

Is that Vosges? It is good.

[eipi10]

Scharffen Berger 70-80%. I find it more fruity and complex than the chocolates I've tried from Valrhona, El Rey, Hachez, etc. (stuff you can find at Whole Foods). I'm wondering if there's a super-elite chocolate I'm unaware of that is substantially better than these brands.

[AmyKay]

Right now, I really enjoy Dove Dark Chocolate Promises. I don't think this could be considered among the "fine" chocolates mentioned so far. It is certainly not super-elite. I like it, though, not only because it tastes good and I can afford it, but because the little servings are perfect portion control. They are just the right size for after-dinner sweets, and I no longer have issues with putting the bar away unfinished!

[ghostrider]

What do I eat daily? Mon Cheri hazelnut chocolates (The Italian chocolates with the French name ) - because my local ShopRite carries them & puts them on an outrageous sale 4 times a year & I fill up the cupboard with them.

Actual fave? Lindt dark with broken hazelnuts. Perugino version of same a close second. Unfortunately about twice the price by volume as the Mon Cheri on sale, & not as easy to obtain where I live, so it remains a special treat. Gotta get that chocolate/hazelnut fix without going broke.

Yes, I've had better artisanal chocolates, but even apart from the price, I am just addicted to that basic no-frills chocolate/hazelnut combo.

[Brithack]

Rococo orange and geranium thins - delicious, fragrant, dark and crisps discs, for when I want a girly mouthful.

When chocolate is more of a pressing priority for my stomach, Domori 70% Porcelana, or their 100% (you CAN'T eat too much of this - the body won't take it!) or their milk and salt bar.

[purplewiz]

Scharffen Berger 70-80%. I find it more fruity and complex than the chocolates I've tried from Valrhona, El Rey, Hachez, etc. (stuff you can find at Whole Foods). I'm wondering if there's a super-elite chocolate I'm unaware of that is substantially better than these brands.

←

I'm thinking that chocolate at this level starts coming down to individual taste more than what's objectively "better", because while I have several friends who swear that Scharffen Berger is the best chocolate they've ever had, period, I find it very acidic, sour, and not very chocolatey. My taste buds must be different.

Marcia.

[Siren]

Milka... I've only had it once before and can't seem to find it around up here... but, man, it was heaven brought about by a purple cow.

[Ms Neato]

Mmm.

I'm especially fond of Valrhona Ivoire.. I like it for its delicate flavour. Not to mention the joy of cleaving chunks of chocolate off a large block.

(And yes, that is two 1kg blocks of sweet, delicious Valrhona.)

[Alinka]

Alinka, is it the Dagoba organic?  They make a really good chocolate with peppers.  Also one with candied ginger that I really like.

←

I don't think so. Sorry to say, I was not impressed with Dagoba (even though I thought the wrapper looked promising ). The flavor seems somehow uninteresting, just sweet... I think it was Vosges, as Tess says. They have other interesting flavors, like green tea. But I actually prefer plain dark chocolate, provided it is very good. Once in the chocolate museum in Koln I bought 99% dark chocolate. I realized 85% is as high as I am willing to go - that stuff was strong! So bitter, I had to chase each bite of the 99% one with a bite of milk chocolate .

So many good ideas, everyone! I really want to try Hachez as purplewiz suggests, and SuzySushi's Monoprix 70%... (Can I confess I've never tried Valrhona ... By the way, is there a good mail-order place I can get that from?)

[Terrasanct]

There are some varieties of Valrhona available at Cost Plus World Market if you have one nearby. I ordered a large amount of the unsweetened Valrhona and Callebaut online at Chocosphere.com. They have a good selection.

[Octaveman]

Godiva

[Ling]

semi-sweet Scharffen Berger

Almond Roca

[creepygirl]

I'm thinking that chocolate at this level starts coming down to individual taste more than what's objectively "better", because while I have several friends who swear that Scharffen Berger is the best chocolate they've ever had, period, I find it very acidic, sour, and not very chocolatey. My taste buds must be different.

←

Mine, too. I recently tried a Scharffen Berger milk chocolate bar and a bittersweet dark chocolate bar. My immediate reactions were "Yuck, why is it so sour?" and "This doesn't even taste like chocolate." I felt really unsatisfied after eating it--none of the happy chocolate brain waves were going.

To me Guittard bittersweet is the epitome of chocolate flavor. And I live near a chocolatier who uses Guittard coverture for all of her creations I'm the luckiest girl in the world.

[misstenacity]

Right now, Rapunzel Bittersweet 70%, available at Whole Foods. I really like the balance between bitter and smoothness, and the deep chocolate flavor of it.

There's another brand that's a favorite I found at Cost Plus, Hachez. It's available there in three flavors: bittersweet, with strawberry and pepper, and with candied orange peel, all 77%. Again, it's a nice balance between the chocolate flavor, bitter, and smooth, with just enough sweet to enhance the flavor. I've only tried the straight chocolate and the orange - they're both good, but the orange is really something special.

Marcia.

←

Yes, Hachez rules! Very smooth for the cocoa content and not hugely expensive, either. My first brand that I loved (before Hachez) was Chocolove - started with the 55% varieties and now I love their "gold label" 85%. If I remember correctly, anyway. Its the highest cocoa content they sell. Yum!

Andrea

http://tenacity.net

[Rebecca263]

I adore boutique chocolates and I'm a dark chocolate girl, but there is something about a simple Hershey bar! I DO prefer the Special Dark sometimes, too. I'm just not snobby about it, I adore the creamy mouth feel!

[eipi10]

I'm thinking that chocolate at this level starts coming down to individual taste more than what's objectively "better", because while I have several friends who swear that Scharffen Berger is the best chocolate they've ever had, period, I find it very acidic, sour, and not very chocolatey. My taste buds must be different.

←

Mine, too. I recently tried a Scharffen Berger milk chocolate bar and a bittersweet dark chocolate bar. My immediate reactions were "Yuck, why is it so sour?" and "This doesn't even taste like chocolate." I felt really unsatisfied after eating it--none of the happy chocolate brain waves were going.

To me Guittard bittersweet is the epitome of chocolate flavor. And I live near a chocolatier who uses Guittard coverture for all of her creations I'm the luckiest girl in the world.

←

Interesting. I'm wondering if cacao beans are like coffee beans in that lighter roasts are more acidic and fruity, and darker roasts have fuller flavor and better mouthfeel. Maybe Scharffen Berger is a "light roast" chocolate.