Best Chocolate

[kiffa]

Now the question has been raised: don't buy me that grocery store chocolate..... well what is the best chocolate available?

To set the stage: I love dark chocolate especially with nutes. The chocolate must be smooth and silky with a slight bite, the candy must be sweet but not sickenly so. Forget white or beige creams or taffy stuff that you have to chew and chew. Give me something dark, semi-sweet, sensually stimulating to the taste buds, with nuts and I am yours.

Forget those commercial kiddie chocolates like Kit Kat,
Snickers etc. Blahk, phouwie, retch. Although those Finnish chocolate liquors are great.

I personally like Godiva truffles - especially the liquor ones, but for overall quality and variety I'll take See's anyday.

What's your favorite and why?

[avalongod]

You are making me hungry.


Hmmmm...a tough question. I am equal opportunity when it comes to chocolate. But Cadbury Creme Eggs are one of my personal favourites.

[Smartass]

Milka with whole hazelnuts. Made in Austria. Widely available in Europe.

I don't have a why. Just tastes good to me.

-VM

[Treycal]

Without a doubt, the best chocolates I have every tasted are from a transplanted Belgian cum local Calgary boy - Bernard Callebaut.

His chocolates are traditional European truffles (i.e., not a lot of sugary sweet fillings, etc.)

The best thing now is that anyone can order them over the net. Here is a link to their website http://store.yahoo.com/bernardc/

[aenea]

my favorite subject.........

I would have to vote for Godiva followed very closely by Ethel M chocolates. Mmmmmmm.....

Dark chocolate, of course.

My husband has both catalogs.

[Gaudere]

[Moderator Hat ON]

Scooting this thread from Great Debates to our fine new forum, IMHO. Gotta give you something to look at, slythe.

[Moderator Hat OFF]

[Arnold Winkelried]

excuse me, but it is well known world-wide that the best chocolate is from Switzerland.

Sample Lindt chocolate (http://www.lindt.com/) to give you an idea. Their Lindt "chocolate balls" are the best.

That's it, end of discussion, move it along, nothing more to see here folks.

slythe, can you please close this thread?

[JillGat]

I do enjoy Swiss chocolates (thanks again, Arnold!), but I have to say that the Trader Joe's chocolate truffle bar - particularly the dark chocolate one - is close to the best chocolate I've ever had. I'm also not ashamed to admit to being partial to Hershey's. Watch for my coming Mailbag article dispelling a certain myth about European chocolate with added historical trivia for chocolate aficionados/as.
- Jill

[Fillet]

Ahhh, Arnold, I agree with you whole-heartedly about Lindt! Nothing really beats the way the chocolate balls melt on your tongue. I also love the individually wrapped pieces with hazelnuts or almond paste inside.

When I'm in poor mode, Dove chocolate squares aren't that bad (miles ahead of Hershey's or Nestle's).

[Beadalin]

*Sigh* Another forum to fritter away the best years of my life in.

But the best chocolate has got to be Merci. My dad always brings huge boxes of it home from Germany around Christmas, and MMMMMMMMMMMMMMM. You get two of each kind, some dark chocolate, some light, some in between. All kinds of flavors and crunchy things mixed in. And the best part is, since they're all in individually wrapped mini-bars, you can steal from your siblings with the greatest of ease! Sometimes I miss living at home.

[psycat90]

My favorite- baci balls (http://www.baciperugina.com/).

Mmmmmm Semi-sweet dark chocolate with chopped hazelnuts and a hazelnut inside. I especially love them because they are wrapped with little love "fortunes".

Those chocolate hazelnut swirled sea shell type chocolates rank pretty high in my book, too.

[Arnold Winkelried]

JillGat: eagerly awaiting your column!
(boning up on my swiss chocolate trivia)

[psycat90]

egads. gotta remember to use the preview feature.


http://www.baciperugina.com

[Smeghead]

Not really a comment on the quality of the chocolate, but my new favorite candy bar is the new Big Kat. Has anyone else seen these? They took 1/4 of a Kit Kat and blew it up to standard candy bar size. I love them.

[vanilla]

I like Ice Cubes, those little things from Germany.
I also like Hershey's Special Dark bars.
I've never had really good chocolate.
What do you all recommend as my first try of truly good quality chocolate?

[Danielinthewolvesden]

Burdicks is very, very good, and they make great gifts, as the boxes (cool wood, mortised) are great, but very pricey. But, the best chocolate for the money, without a doubt, is SEE's. yummm :D

[tatertot]

It's all good! Well except for Hershey's milk chocolate; I find it too sweet and not quite creamy enough. Special Darks are good, though.

I love both Milka and Lindt, I just had a Lindt Orange Jogurt chocolate bar,mmmmmm. And I've got to admit a childish liking for both Kinder Schokolade and Kinder Egg chocolates, I collect the prizes.

[Coldfire]

Swiss chocolate? The Swiss are amateurs when you compare them to the Belgians (who rock at brewing beer too, by the way). My favourite has to be Leonidas (http://www.leonidas.be/), a chain of praline shops throughout Belgium and the Netherlands. Yummie!

[Coldfire]

Wow! This is cool. Turns out Leonidas is a worldwide chain all of a sudden ;)

For example, click here (http://www.leonidas.be/newmap/usafile/usa.html) for all the US affiliates of Leonidas.

[Czarcasm]

Now this is the kind of question I want to see in this forum! As far as which chocolate is the best, there is an easy solution to this problem: Everyone should send me a sample of what they think the best is, and in a week or two(or however long I can keep this scam going), I will publish my results, along with how much weight I've gained. :)

[elbows]

Be sure to try Sublime. It's available on every street corner, from every vendor, for a mere pittance. It has nuts and is very, very good chocolate. And a bargain too.

I also love dark chocolate, and have to agree with the 'Belgian as best' thing. Although, I once had airflown Swiss truffles in Singapore (of all places) that were to die for!

[RealityChuck]

Lindt is excellent. They even make good white chocolate -- somthing I always thought was impossible. :)

As far as candy bars go, the best are Toblerone, Hershey's Special Dark, and Cadbury Dairy Milk. Milky Way Darks are also quite impressive.

Guiderelli from San Francisco makes the best American chocolate overall. Peruga is also a first-class brand. Godiva is good, but pricey.

Man, my mouth is watering.

[GolfWidow]

Well, I'm not sure if should be in the "best chocolate" thread or "best after dinner drink" thread, but Godiva Liqueur! Yum. Better than dessert.

[Arnold Winkelried]

originally posted by Coldfire:
Swiss chocolate? The Swiss are amateurs when you compare them to the Belgians


Yeah, yeah, you low countries always stick together, don't you. Why don't you try to elevate your sights a little, and learn to appreciate real chocolate?

[aenea]

On your recommendation I will check out the local Leonidas chocolate place. I'll let you know the results of the tast test. In perusing their website though, I see a much smaller selection than I would find at the local Godivas chocolatier.

As a youngster I worked for two summers at a place that made fine handmade chocolate truffles. I got so saturated that I couldn't eat such rich chocolate very often after that. My job was to form the ganash into the round balls. So when I was 17, I could tell people that I balled for a living. We even had little buttons made "Live to dip, Born to ball". :D

[hawthorne]

You people are dribbling try-hards.

The answer is Valrona 70%.

This is a French chocolate with the source of the cacoa on the label. There is no room to describe conching methods or so-called other ingredients: too much cocoa is barely enough for these choco-artisans.

Your milky-white confection: bah: I expectorate in their general direction; truly the Belgians do waffle with their proferred balls; the Swiss they may cant on with their bell-ringing happy-cow promoting promises, but it is the bean and only the bean that counts!

Trust me: die happy with Valrona: it kicks Mozart's kugels and makes Godiva look overly swathed.

picmr

[Ellen Cherry]

I'm a cheap date. I can easily be plied with Hershey's special dark chocolate. And you know what's really good? Those $1 "World's Finest Chocolate" bars kids sell for school fundraisers. Especially good as a complete meal. :D

[Geenius]

Chicago residents must hop on the El to Main Street in Evanston and sample the wares of Piron Belgian Chocolatier.

You may never get back on the train.

[saucy potato]

I *apparently* eat more chocolate than what is healthy. (Is more than one bar a day too much?)

My favourite fancy chocolates are Guylian sea shells. They practically melt in your mouth.

As for bars, I like Caramilk, Jersey Milk, Dairy Milk... I really like milk chocolate.

Yum.

[Danielinthewolvesden]

Damn it SLYTHE, you WOULD post that "offer" after Ex-Lax changed it's formulation. :D

[brachyrhynchos]

See's Truffles.

Le Petit Ecolier is a good cooky. And, ahem, I will admit to loving those orange balls you whack to break apart.

BUT, I will leap over furniture, crawl through transoms, tackle my lovely sister, and shout "Ohmigod, what's THAT over THERE" to get to those truffles first.

[Jenbo]

Count in my years of experience in the chocolate world. FOr pure chocolate or truffles, it has to be Lindt. If you have to have it mixed with nuts and stuff (adulterated chocolate! NO!), Johnny Reb's is the best. (sometimes you gotta compromise)

[Kricket]

I think there are what, seven different degrees of chocolate?
But my husband keeps telling me that white chocolate isn't really chocolate! He almost lost a limb for that one!
No nuts in any for me if it has to have something in it, it had better be caramel! The sweet creamy stuff.
But, alas, Easter is the only time I get white chocolate, and I am trying to lose weight so the caramel filled darker stuff is out also. :(
I have been told that Fanny Mays' is good stuff, and I used to have a guest at the Fox and Hound that used to get martinis made with Godiva Liqueur. It was call chocolate covered cherries.

[JavaMaven1]

Kricket--I'm afraid your husband's right. White chocolate really isn't chocolate, as there is absolutely not one bit of cocoa in the product. It's called "chocolate" because it has all the other components of chocolate, like all the fat and vanilla flavorings, just without the real benefit of cocoa.

Best damn chocolate for baking: Scharfen-Berger. It comes from the Pacific Northwest, and I can't think of anything better for cakes and brownies. Callebaut and Valrohna also run a very close 2nd & 3rd for baking/sauces/candy-making/etc. Scharfen-Berger also just recently came out with their own candy bars, that are to die for. There is a supplier just across the street from my school campus, so when I have a break (hah!) I sometimes run over to get one.

I have to admit, though, I'm also a sucker for Godiva chocolates. Especially the raspberry-filled ones. Yummmmmm.

[Narile]

See's truffles are good. (I love the white mint truffle, and the lemon truffle as well.)

RealityChuck, I can not agree, the best american chocolate is Esther Price Gharidelli is good, but not as good as Mrs. Price.

[Girlbysea]

You can give me Hershey's anyday..Save your money, just give me lots of those kisses!!!

[Suo Na]

Well, Ghirardelli, Valrhona, and Scharfen-Berger have all been mentioned, so I'll put in a vote for a little chocolate shop I know.

If you're ever in Vancouver go to Chocolate Arts on Fourth St. They make the best truffles I've ever tasted (better than Godiva, IMHO) in a huge variety of flavours, including lemon-basil (you've got to taste it to believe it) and Earl Grey. The chocolate itself is rich and flavourful, and even the milk chocolate (which I avoid like the plague most of the time) is not too sweet.

And they have wonderful chocolate carvings in the display window, too.

I snack on Cadbury's Old Gold (although I had a falling out with my Aussie supplier and can't get it anymore) and Ghirardelli double chocolate chips.

[purrplebear]

Chocolate..........oh, my.........chocolate.........how absolutely cruel you all are........

I adore chocolate, I worship chocolate....

But, I can't have any right now. I promised myself I wouldn't until I've lost all the weight I need to lose. So, no chocolate for this chocoholic for some time... :(
<If anyone cares, you can check up on me in my thread: Support Group for the Well-Endowed TM's, and no, I don't know how to post a link>

Eyes glazing over at the thought of having chocolate someday again...purplebear leaves the room before she loses all control........ :eek:

<BTW, I love truffles, dark chocolate, and way too many more to mention here, sigh...>

[Silo]

I love those See's candies. Yummy!

[HomeSlice]

Give me a Snickers bar anyday. I really dont go for that fancy stuff.

[2nd Law]

Every once in a while I have to make a pirgrimage to a candy store/ice cream parlor here in Chicago on Western Avenue named Margie's. Best hot fudge sundae I ever had.

I also have a thing for Mackinac Island Fudge. But I try to limit my consumption of it to those times I'm actually on Mackinac Island.

[Edwardina]

You all make me feel like a big ole chocolate bumpkin, but here are my picks, chosen from my (apparently limited) experiences with the food of the Gods:

Dove chocolate is better than Hershey's

See's is better than Dove

Godiva is better than See's

Ghirardelli's is better than Godiva (except the liquor!)

Lindt is especially good, and especially good with champagne (and strawberries, if you need an occasional break from the chocolate).

And that's about as chic as I've gotten with chocolate. I have a co-worker who ordered about $50 worth of Bernard Callebaut chocolates, hearing it was the best chocolate in the world, and as it turned out, he was disappointed. I guess when you spend that much anything is likely to fall short of your expectations. But, I wish he had let me try just one . . .

[teela brown]

picmr, this is the second time today we have agreed upon what is num-num. Valrona is chocolate orgasm in a bar. Valrona is what other chocolate hopes to be when it grows up. Not only is the bittersweet an eating chocolate paradigm shift, the stuff they make for baking and cooking is fantastic, too. I've always meant to look and see if they make a milk chocolate with hazelnuts -- a flavor combination made in heaven.

[Kyla]

Lindt Dark Chocolate Truffles ($1.75). Oooohhh...

The thing that is so great about Lindt, besides being absolutely fantastic chocolate, is that it's not hard to find, and isn't ridiculously expensive. $1.75 is more than a Hershey's bar, of course, but a stupid Scharffen Berger chocolate bar costs $7, and IMO, just isn't worth it. (I tried one once, I have no idea what the fuss is about.) Coldfire, I believe you about the Belgian chocolate, but I clicked on the link, and the closest place those chocolates are available is 50 miles away (although if I happen to be in Walnut Creek some time, I'll check it out!). There's Lindt just a couple blocks away.

[kiffa]

This is a quick note of thanks to Smartass, Treycal, aenea, Gaudere, Arnold Winkelried, JillGat, Fillet, Beadalin, psycat90, Smeghead, vanilla, Danielinthewolvesden, tatertot, Coldfire, slythe, elbows, RealityChuck, Golfwidow, Ellen, Geenius, saucy potato, Brachyrhynochos, Jenbo, Kricket, JavaMaven1, Narile, Girlbysea, Suo Na, purplebear, Silo, Home Slice, 2nd law, Edwardina, pugluvr and Kyla: I'm on a sugar high and cocoa buzz after reading about all these wonderful chocolates. I was in the library with the kids this afternoon and came across the ultimate chocolate lover's dessert.

So..... clear off that coffee table or make space on your computer desk. Here, I'll light the candles and let me pour you some champagne with strawberries or would you prefer some hot mocha java with cream? Spago Restaurant has sent over their classic chocolate truffle cake just for you. It's the size of a large muffin, rich in chocolate and moist to the touch. Inside is your absolute favorite truffle be it from See's, Lindt's, Valrona, Godiva, Scharfen-Berger, Leonidas, Perugina, Bernard Callebaut, Milka and, of course, Hershey's for those who insist. It's been lightly dusted with confectioners' sugar and topped with heavenly light whipped cream. Your choise of topping to match your truffle: chopped hazelnuts, curled chocolate, fresh raspberries..... I'll leave you now to enjoy.

[ricepad]

Looks like I might be weighing in a bit late, but I like Trader Joe's dark chocolate...the ones that come in bars about the size of a small European sports car. Quantity AND quality, at an affordable price!

[lee]

They are from England. I think of Crunchy Frog when I eat them.

[kiffa]

Too late Ricepad and Lee, but I can send ya the recipe.

[JillGat]

Thought I'd let you know that my mailbag article about chocolate has now been posted on the site: http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mmchocblood.html
- Jill

[MsRobyn]

I used to live near Hershey, PA, and my husband and I would spend Saturdays at Chocolate World, being good little consumers and buying lots of chocolate.

Sadly, we now live in Minnesota, away from Mecca, and are forced to buy the stuff at the store like normal people.

I think the BEST chocolate is English, as it is nice and creamy and sweet. I like darker chocolate, too, but I prefer mine on the sweet side.

The sad truth, however, is this: I am for the most part uncritical about chocolate, cuz I never met chocolate I didn't like. :D

Robin

[casdave]

Definately maybe possibly Thorntons.

My E-mail is in my profile, nows your chance - I mean it too!!! Free!!!
Peaches, Lynn,Purplebear especially.

That's if your customs guys allow it.




(erm ,I might end up regretting the offer but what the hell!)

[casdave]

Or maybe I could send one large parcel full of smaller ones with addresses on to someone who would be kind enough to send them on ? Someone who doesn't like choccy preferably.

[aenea]

What did I miss here? You are sending chocolate? Ooohh!

Well sir, I happen to do all the shipping and receiving for my company, so I have re-ship for you if you want to send just one package.

The price you ask? Well send me some of that chocolate too! It has been pretty hot here the last few weeks though, so insulation is a consideration.

[casdave]

And I'm gonna have a limit to the takers - first 50 replies get the choccy.
The best reply gets the the special, humour please no begging.

[JavaMaven1]

And I'm gonna have a limit to the takers - first 50 replies get the choccy.
The best reply gets the the special, humour please no begging.


I have very important, extremely important reasearch that must be done on English chocolates... it's for school, really.

[kiffa]

Casdave, Please add my name, Kiffa aka Peaches, to your list of folks to taste Brit chocolate. I started the original posting, I "e-shared" Spago's chocolate truffle cake to those who replied, I want to see if the Brits really DON'T put blood into their chocolate. By the way, can you send some Belgian chocolates too?

[casdave]

Right then its last orders please time.
Kiffa

I need somewhere to send to, e-mail me if you are still interested.

I'm a little surprised there are not more takers but all the more for the rest eh?

[Drain Bead]

Can I get into this, Dave, or is it too late?

[Arnold Winkelried]

Well I'm swiss casdave so you'll have to work hard to convince me! I'll e-mail my address.

[casdave]

I will await your verdict with bated breath Arnie

[aenea]

No bait in a chocolate thread please. :eek:

[Ellen Cherry]

Casdave is one dude serious about his chocolate! I'm willing to take his challenge! :D

[purrplebear]

Mmmmmmmmmm...........<sound of drool dripping off her chin onto keyboard>

Thanks for the offer, casdave! I eagerly await my chocolate. Would you believe my Mom's maiden name is Thornton? Yes, the English Thorntons no less. Small world!


I prefer dark chocolate, and I've been known to commit bodily harm upon people with the sheer audacity to touch my truffles.






:wally

[ricepad]

Got my special delivery in the mail today...thanks, casdave!

Thorntons are WONDERFUL.

[Robot Arm]

There's a chain of high-end grocery stores around Boston called Bread & Circus, and they sometimes have Callebaut fragments sold by weight. And that is some damn good chocolate. I'd send out samples, but I don't think they'd survive the heat this time of year.

[Jman]

Dark Chocolate, I'd have to say Ghirardelli. For milk chocolate (my fav.), I'd have to say Ritter Sport. Mmmmmm...

Jman

[Ellen Cherry]

My chocolate arrived Monday and I've eaten half the box!! (Well, I did share with some coworkers.) Absolutely fantabulous. Casdave rocks.

[Drain Bead]

Got mine Tuesday.

Between me and a friend going through a breakup, the entire box is gone.

And you're right, it's damn good.

I'm going to look into sending you some See's candy, Dave. Anyone else want to help me chip in so I can get him a ton of it?

[yosemite]

Add a vote for See's. And also those big "pound" bars of Chocolate at Trader Joe's.

I especially like the San Francisco Brickle (Brittle?) Bar from See's. Tofee and chocolate....yummm....

[aenea]

I'm still voting for Godiva's, although that Thorntons sure gives them a run for the money. Thanks Dave! :D

Dave could you let us know if you have ever had Godiva's, I know that there are some shops in London. If not, I am sending you some. If so, I will chip in with Drainy to send you a ton of See's.

[kiffa]

I couldn't find anything online in England which sells Godiva. Are you interested in sharing costs? I live close to a Godiva shop so perhaps we can send some to Casdave as a thanks. I jumped in a bit late and was terribly late with my street address so I haven't received the Thornton's yet.

Perhaps we should start a more proper evaluation with criteria and scale? No, that reminds me of work.... let's just savor the flavor.

Yo Casdave: have you received any chocolate from this side of the big pond yet? can you get Godiva in the UK?

[aenea]

Great minds think alike, you know?

I have called Godiva's about this. They have stores in London, but don't sell gift certificates for overseas from their American shops or on the internet. So I would have to call London and buy a gift certificate or assortment, charge it to my card, and have it mailed to Dave from Godiva's of London.

Gosh Dave, you should tell us if you like dark or milk chocolate too. I gather that you are a truffle fan, correct?

[casdave]

I've just collected the See's chocs that Brachy sent and they look wonderful.

At the moment I've got a cold or flu or something and my head is spinning but worst of all my sense of taste is all naffed up.

So now I've got to put them in the fridge and wait until it's cleared up.

Oh exquisite agony! Every time I open the door there they are.

[brachyrhynchos]

Originally posted by casdave
Oh exquisite agony! Every time I open the door there they are.
Hehe, such is the theobromic torture when the essence of chocolitity is so close...

Glad you got the truffles, casdave. Now heal thyself. Take a zinc tablet to replenish those ions important to the taste sensation (zinc stores tend to get depleted when one gets sick, IIRC). Then dive in.

Mmmmmm, chocolate. That's it. As soon as I get a break from being in the field so much (brachy eye's kiffa's CDC connection suspiciously), I'm headed back to Princeton to get some more Sees and to check if they have any Thorton's.

[kiffa]

Mr Kiffa has just returned via Brussels; he brought back some Neuhaus Belgian Chocolates. They've been in the business since 1857.

My assessment: everyone gobbled down some at the airport with rave reviews because we were hungry. Later, the serious tasting took place. Overly sweet, outside chocolate did not have good firm form, inside truffles were runny. Individual chocolates were a bit skimpy.

Final ranking of Neuhaus Belgian Chocolates is a disappointing "mediocre" - above Whitman or Hersey, but well behind See's, Godivas and what I remember to be Lindt's.

Awaiting the Thornton's from England....

[casdave]

Welll the cold has gone and I've been nibbling away at those Sees.

They appear to be handmade by the way.

Each one is quite large so you can't just 'pop one in'.
It's a very close call between Thorntons and Sees but really they are special in their own way, you could discuss the merits of either.

I'll still go for the Thorntons but only because of patriotic pride its a dead heat really.

Belgian chocs - The paper I get usually picks out one luxury item a week and discusses the merits of one product over another and why they occur.Sometimes it will list the various standards bodies responsible for maintaining standards(Parma ham has one so does Champagne)
On Belgian chocolate it says that they use a very high coc-butter percentage which renders the finished item relatively hard and brittle.
When you put in in your mouth it seems waxy but this is because the melting point of coco-butter is just below that of body temperature and if you put a lot of it in yer gob at once it takes longer to reach that temperature.
When it does melt it happens fairly suddenly and you get a chocolate rush - heh heh!

British chocolate varies in coco-butter content but is usually a few points less then Belgian but ours is sweeter, richer,and lighter . I find it is not as harsh.

That said like any product just because it says Belgian on the label that may not mean the best Belgian I think some of it trades on the overall reputation.

Most British chocolate is distinctly average but there are one or two high spots.

[kiffa]

Casdave, the Thornton's have arrived and they look wonderful. Many thanks. I'll send the others out today.

Re the Belgian chocolates brought by Mr Kiffa; I sent out a couple of emails asking what were the best Belgian Chocolates to include in this competition. My Belgian friend changed email addresses and the other person advocating Belgians over Swiss did not reply. That's how I ended up with the Neuhous which were quite ordinary.

I reckon that we have a three chocolate race here:

See's Godiva's Thornton's

[Fillet]

casdave, got the Thornton's today - marvelous! I had to go hide the box in a filing cabinet because I couldn't stop my hand reaching into the box.

A very nice balance of flavor - nice & chocolatey, but not cloying. They have really good staying power, too - I like to let the chocolate melt on my tongue, and the Thornton's was creamy enough to not vanish after just a couple of seconds (my principal complaint with Lindt truffles - they're gone too fast!). My favorites are the Alpini and the Marsala Mousse. ::blushing now because I realize I've already sampled a third of the varieties::

In a comparison between Thornton's and Godiva, say, I think it would be a close call... but I think I might give the edge to the Thornton's for all-around body and flavor.

Thanks, casdave, for a delightful treat. And thanks to kiffa for being kind enough to relay them. You made my day! :)

::doffs cap and bows low::

[Gregor Samsa]

There is a town in Manitoba (Canada) called Brandon. Brandon (population 45,000) is essentially a big farm-town: everyone listens to country music and drives pickups with shotguns in the back. It's a nice town - friendly people, low crime rate, etc. But for some reason that I've never been able to understand, there is an excellent Belgian chocolatiere set up in downtown Brandon. The name of the place is Castelyn's and their caramels are incredible. Absolutely the best caramels I've ever tasted - a burnt sugar taste unlike anything I've run across in any other chocolates anywhere.

They don't have a website (I just looked) and I realize virtually no-one here's ever going to end up in Brandon, but....

[casdave]

I've found a possible supplier of Godiva's in the UK!!

Wooohooo!!

It's in London on Regent Street :( (miles away)

Gonna see if they can mail me

Watch the space - it ain't over till it's over.

[kiffa]

Please let me know if you are able to get Godiva. I've been trying to get myself over to their nearby store; someone has been seeing if we can ship some directly via a store in England; you need to have some so that you can compare See's Godiva's and Thornton's.

by the by, I think that Thornton's win hands down for the most beautiful chocolates. I am still in love with See's, however my absolute favorite remain the chocolate truffles by Godiva - at least for today. Tomorrow I might go for the chocolate / nut See's truffles. It's almost a real three horse deadheat. You can hold up your British pride alongside those Thornton's.

[brachyrhynchos]

Well, true to her word (and an amazing display of self-control), kiffa brought the Thorntons Chocolates that casdave sent her to Washington DC. She flew in from Florida, I drove down from New Jersey and our brother, his family, and our mother flew in from California. No, we didn't all meet to savor the chocolates although that was one of the highlights of the weekend. Everyone tried them and we all found them delicious.

Now for a serious evaluation. Thornton Chocolates are sweeter then Sees, but the few points they loose for that are nearly made up with the variety of tastes they offer: cherry, mocha, orange, and toffee are just a few of the pieces I particularly enjoyed. And although more sweet than I prefer, the taste is not cloying nor does it disappear moments later - clearly Thorntons uses quality chocolate. There is no funny aftertaste and the chocolate is smooth and creamy (this after traveling during the summer - you KNOW Thorntons has done it right). The best blend of staying power, quality of chocolate taste, variety, and the visual presentation set these chocolates apart from mere wannabees.

Truly a horserace, but I guess my preference for a less-sweet, more intense cocoa-base gives Sees Truffles the lead by a nose. Kudos to casdave for sharing his wonderful chocolates and opening up my world. Now this is fighting ignorance!

[casdave]

Waaaahaaaaayy!!!

I've got a few days off and took the chance to track down Godiva chocolate.

Turned out to be only an hours drive away.

I got three bars of differant varieties and a large box of chocs(do you call them truffles?)

The choc bars first - Was not too keen on the dark variety and the milk choc was above average but not strikingly so. The fondant noir was marvellous it just melted away and was smooth too.

On to the box, very good indeed, the chocolate is smooth and not too sweet.

So far, I can say that the American chocolate that I've tried is not as sweet as Thorntons but our regular cheaper stuff is sweeter still.

All of them so far have had a good chocolate taste but I personally would say that Godiva's is on a par with the best Belgian stuff whereas See's is better on fillings but Thorntons has the best fillings for me, you just cannot eat much of it in one go as it is so rich and sweet.

My chart puts See's and Thorntons joint top for differant reasons and Godivas bar chocolate top .

I tried out some Valrhona which is French and pretty exclusive stuff but was not impressed with the flavour but the Chocolat au lait was about the best texture I've had and then some.

I've had lots of fun with this thread but I'm always open-minded if you have any other candidates then wheel them on!!

[Kim G]

...have any of you ever had Nutella? It's more common in Europe although I see it in American grocery stores pretty often now. It's like peanut butter, except it's made with hazelnuts and chocolate. You can spread it on bread or dip fruit in it. Yummy.