What's your favorite chocolate, and why?

[KarenS]

Valrhona manjari for just eating. I too don't care for Scharrfenberger, and to me El Rey tastes burnt. Dagoba seems chalky to me and not well rounded at all.

[FabulousFoodBabe]

Scharffen Berger sauce, refrigerated, and scooped straight out of the jar. Better stock up now before it starts to morph into Syrup in a squeeze bottle, or magic shell.

[Clement]

For years I worked a couple of months a year in Frankfurt Germany and became addicted to a chocolate bar called (believe it or not) Herren Schwarzen Schokolade. It's an odd name and it isn't some sort of fancy chocolate bar but I don't think I've ever tasted better dark chocolate. Has anyone heard of it? It's not available over here (I've looked) but if you ever find yourself in Germany, be sure to find it.

R

[Alinka]

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.

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Thank you for the information, Terrasanct. I'll check Cost Plus out. I was at the L'Occitane store today, and lo and behold, they had small individually wrapped pieces of Varlhona. I bought a couple. Taste test tomorrow . By the way, how is "Varlhona" pronounced?

[Alinka]

For years I worked a couple of months a year in Frankfurt Germany and became addicted to a chocolate bar called (believe it or not) Herren Schwarzen Schokolade.  It's an odd name and it isn't some sort of fancy chocolate bar but I don't think I've ever tasted better dark chocolate.  Has anyone heard of it?  It's not available over here (I've looked) but if you ever find yourself in Germany, be sure to find it.

R

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Why is it a strange name? "Schwarzen Schokolade" means "dark (black?) chocolate", right? Now I'll have to add another brand to my (already long) list of chocolates to try out .

[Terrasanct]

A year or so ago, I bought several kinds of chocolate and did a blind taste test with my husband and son. They're big Hershey's lovers and liked the Lindt the most. (Not that I never eat Lindt; I'm a big fan of the mint Lindor balls.) We compared Hershey's milk chocolate, Lindt milk, Valrhona, Callebaut, Scharffenberger, and some others that I don't remember now. Most of them were at least palatable, but the Valrhona had a complexity that the others didn't. It was fruity and almost smoky, with a lingering aftertaste. Some of the others tasted waxy in comparison.

The dark chocolate was wasted on the men. More for me.

[ghostrider]

The dark chocolate was wasted on the men.  More for me.

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The evidence that I am simply not a "real man" continues to accumulate.

Oh well, I guess in some sense that means more dark chocolate for me too.

[bloviatrix]

For years I worked a couple of months a year in Frankfurt Germany and became addicted to a chocolate bar called (believe it or not) Herren Schwarzen Schokolade.  It's an odd name and it isn't some sort of fancy chocolate bar but I don't think I've ever tasted better dark chocolate.  Has anyone heard of it?  It's not available over here (I've looked) but if you ever find yourself in Germany, be sure to find it.

R

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I've actually had it -- my dentist gave me a bar from his stash. He has someone bring him cases of it.

[Terrasanct]

My mom once told me that milk chocolate is like a mother's love, and dark chocolate is like good sex.

My own mother said that. And she likes dark chocolate better, too.

[KitchenMom]

I'll put in a word for the Trader Joe's dark chocolate bars that come in a three-pack. They have a really creamy, rich mouth feel and nice chocolate taste, and are very reasonably priced. They are what is most often in my cupboard. TJ's also has a good selection of other dark chocolate bars including Vahlrona (a couple different degrees of darkness) and Scharffen-Berger. I like them all, but the TJ's brand is my favorite.

[racheld]

Lindt balls in the blue package.

[Soup]

Wilber's dark and milk chocolate mixed box.

[tryska]

I like the vosge pepper chocolate, and cadbury's fruit and nut bars - but only the UK imports.

[Ling]

Pulling up an old thread...my tastes have changed.

My no. 1 favourite for eating is the Michel Cluizel - Hacienda 'Los Anconès' bar, followed by Valrhona Guanaja. The Guanaja was a bit too bitter for me about a year ago (I preferred the Manjari), but I love the Guanaja now.

[ray goud]

Now don't laugh so hard you fall off your chair, but - Stop & Shop brand Dark Chocolate, at $1.29 for a 5 oz. bar and frequently on sale for 99 cents. This isn't the world's best chocolate, but still very much worth eating, especially if you are going to be distracted while munching, or whatever. That works out to less than $4.25 per pound, which is a bargain. Then save your money for the really expensive stuff when you are having some fine old port with it.

[gfron1]

Being the owner of a specialty food store with over 125 different bars, let me go to my rack and tell you what I'm groovin' on right now!...(I'm walking over right now).

Okay, I'm back. A minute ago I ate a Pernigotti hazelnut only because I hadn't had one in a while, yummy and creamy but not my favorite right now.

Domori Mais (Milk choc covered corn nuggets) - way addictive for me...but still not my favorite right now.

Domori Latte Sal - I'm a dark fan, but this milk with sea salt is superb - best achievement of that flavor profile that I've tasted...but still not #1.

#1 in my belly this week...Larzaroni Amaretti Di Saronno - bittersweet chocolate with bits of amaretti cookies in it. Oh man does it drive me wild! The aroma is top notch, the darkness is perfect for the sweet cookie accent. I want this in a mousse!!!

Edited January 17, 2006 by gfron1 (log)

[_john]

Lindt 82%

It is like a good smoke. That being said, I have to be in the mood for it, when not in the mood it can be too "grainy" as the lack of cocoa butter causes it not to coat the mouth with its good flavor as well as lower percentage chocolates.

[skoolpsyk]

See's foil-wrapped milk chocolate balls.

[Shalmanese]

A 70% belgian chocolate that I get from my local farmers market. Comes in 500gm packs an costs $10 AUD. Works out to be something like $7USD/lb.

It's got an amazing flavour though, balanced, warm, layered. It's one of the few 70% chocolates I've had that doesn't try and clobber you with darkness. Very nice.

Edited January 17, 2006 by Shalmanese (log)

[Patrick S]

My favorite way to eat chocolate more-or-less straight is in truffles, either caramel-chocolate truffles made with a good bitter chocolate, or praline truffles with praline paste and a less bitter chocolate. For just unwrapping and eating, Valrhona Manjari with candied orange peel is one of my favorites.

[nakji]

Galaxy or Cadbury Dairy Milk from the UK. The Australian ones are okay in a pinch.

Not very cool, I know.

Red Lindor Balls, and I've never been known to turn down a Ritter Sport.

I've never even seen Valrhona for sale....but if it ever crosses my path, I'm on it like white on rice!

[Kim Shook]

Must preface my answer by saying that I can't eat much chocolate at all since I have had a gastric bypass and any more than a couple of bites of it will make me ill. I am also drawn mostly to milk chocolate when I am simply eating it. It's kind of hard to educate your palate when you can only take a bite or two ! That being said - my favorite eating chocolate is English Dairy Milk. I love the creamy gentleness of the flavor. I hate any waxiness whatsoever in chocolate and I find many other milk chocolates to have that waxiness.

[Honkman]

Milka, Lindt, Toblerone, Feodora and some of Rittersport (German brand)

The worst chocolate ever tested was Hershey's - I still wonder if this was really chocolate other something which just looked like it.

[radbertus]

Valrhona Guanaja bought in bulk at Whole Foods. White Toblerones are also pretty tasty.

[maher]

anything by Green and Black

their 70% chocolate bar has more mouth feel than anything ive had, and they have a mint chocolate bar with a liquid mint fondant inside that puts peppermint patties to shame. (just make sure you get the large bar and not the tiny squares, their mint filling is solid and much less appetizing)