# Ranking Gourmet Choclates- Why no Godiva on the list? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 21, 2007, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ranking-gourmet-choclates-why-no-godiva-on-the-list/388784 "2007-01-21T02:40:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2007, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ranking-gourmet-choclates-why-no-godiva-on-the-list/388784/1 "2007-01-21T02:40:18Z")
Via Fark [Chocolates ranked by Gourmet Magazine](http://www.epicurious.com/gourmet/features/tfp_chocolate). Why no Godiva on the list? I thought they were a very popular brand of super premium chocolates. > [@](#): > > We tasted milk chocolate straight, then in a dessert sauce, and showcased the winners in our February 2007 issue (Testing for Perfection: “Milk Chocolate Lab”). Here is the full list of chocolates included in the testing, in order of our preference, with tasting notes: > > 1. Bernard Castelain: Creamy, good balance; smooth and delicious. Said one dark-chocolate lover: “I’ve had three pieces, and that’s huge!” > 2. Lindt Excellence: Luscious in the mouth; vanilla and caramel finish. > 3. Green & Black Organic: Good mouthfeel; slightly bitter (those who don’t like dark chocolate might not like this one). > 4. Valrhona Nature & Chocolat: Smooth; fruity and floral notes. > 5. E. Guittard Orinoco: More than a slight hint of coconut. > 6. Jacques Callebaut: Lots of cocoa, a little less milk. > 7. Galler: Intense milky taste, still in a nice balance. Creamy and clean. > 8. Côte d’Or: Hints of peanut, anise detected. Smooth. > 9. Villars Swiss: Intensely sweet and salty. > 10. Nirvana Single Origin Java: Very light, gentle chocolate. > 11. Chocolatour Java: Sweet and inoffensive. > 12. Michel Cluizel “Mangaro”: On the bitter side for milk, but nice three-dimensional flavors. > 13. Chocolove: Buttery up front; complete cocoa flavor. > 14. Pralus Mélissa: Very sweet, chocolatey; not so much character. > 15. Scharffen Berger: Complex; lots of cocoa, a little tannic. > 16. Nirvana Single Origin Papua: Slight malt flavor. > 17. Santander: Notes of cherry. A tad spicy. > 18. Cadbury: A bland sweetness; slightly waxy. > 19. Dagoba: Very faint cedar flavor and some mustiness. > 20. Venchi: At first it tastes of nothing; finishes with a wash of condensed milk. > 21. Dolfin: Nice melting but tastes off. > 22. Hershey’s: Even a blind test couldn’t fool us: Every tester guessed its identity correctly from its classic supersweet, metallic flavors. > 23. Michel Cluizel “Maralumi”: Dry, unpleasant, tinny. > 24. Nestlé: Like solid condensed milk. > 25. Ghirardelli: The worst by far: waxy as a bar of soap, with little redeeming flavor. > — Gourmet, February 2007 ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2007, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ranking-gourmet-choclates-why-no-godiva-on-the-list/388784/2 "2007-01-21T02:46:14Z")
What, no [Lake Champlain](http://www.lakechamplainchocolates.com/)? No [Euphoria](http://www.euphoriachocolate.com/about.html)? ---
**Author:** ![Stratocaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stratocaster/32/16393_2.png) [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2007, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ranking-gourmet-choclates-why-no-godiva-on-the-list/388784/3 "2007-01-21T02:51:44Z")
And what happened to the M&M’s? ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2007, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ranking-gourmet-choclates-why-no-godiva-on-the-list/388784/4 "2007-01-21T03:15:51Z")
The 85% variety is as low-carb and low-sugar as chocolate comes without a) tasting like shoe rubber and b) causing intense gastric distress. Plus it gives that lingering powdery aftertaste when you lick your chops. A few squares of that with tea after a good meal is an ogsend. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2007, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ranking-gourmet-choclates-why-no-godiva-on-the-list/388784/5 "2007-01-21T04:52:50Z")
Godiva is overrated and is now owned by Hershey. Glad to see Scharffen Berger on there. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2007, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ranking-gourmet-choclates-why-no-godiva-on-the-list/388784/6 "2007-01-21T05:01:33Z")
[QUOTE=Chefguy] Godiva is overrated and is now owned by Hershey. [/quote] Yep. It’s decent compared to your average bar of Hershey crap, but you generally don’t find Godiva bars in specialized chocolate shops that cater to connoiseurs. But it’s owned by Campbell Soups. > [@](#): > > Glad to see Scharffen Berger on there. Recently bought out by Hershey ;). But good chocolate. - Tamerlane ---
**Author:** ![Idlewild](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8491ac/32.png) [@Idlewild](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idlewild)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2007, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ranking-gourmet-choclates-why-no-godiva-on-the-list/388784/7 "2007-01-21T05:28:49Z")
I can’t help wondering if they were tasting American Cadbury’s or English Cadbury’s. They’re two distinct styles of blandwaxy sweetness, and the waxy is definitely more predominant in the American manufactured stuff. Great list. I want to try more of the entries on it, I’ve had Valrhona, Scharffen Berger and Callebaut of some description but couldn’t swear I’ve had those exact products, and aside from the lindt, the rest of the top of the list I’ve never seen in stores. I’ll have to keep my eye out. I don’t understand why they rated 11 so highly though if it’s only “sweet and inoffensive.” ---
**Author:** ![jellyblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e480ec/32.png) [@jellyblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jellyblue)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2007, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ranking-gourmet-choclates-why-no-godiva-on-the-list/388784/8 "2007-01-21T06:16:48Z")
[QUOTE=Chefguy] Godiva is overrated and is now owned by Hershey. (snip) [/QUOTE] Yeah, but it’s still got to be better than Nestle or a Hershey bar! I think it wasn’t included because Godiva isn’t known for bar chocolate as much as filled chocolates (_swoon_) and truffles. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2007, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ranking-gourmet-choclates-why-no-godiva-on-the-list/388784/9 "2007-01-21T06:38:14Z")
Super premium? I’d say they’re above the Hershey’s/Nestle’s tier, up there with stuff like Dove. I wouldn’t classify it as premium, though, let alone “super premium”. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2007, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ranking-gourmet-choclates-why-no-godiva-on-the-list/388784/10 "2007-01-21T15:08:54Z")
I didn’t know Hersheys now owned Godiva. That explains our last visit to Godiva - we each enthusiastically bought our favorite piece, ate them, and then asked each other, “Is it me or does this stuff taste like crap now?” ---
**Author:** ![BlueKangaroo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3d9bf3/32.png) [@BlueKangaroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlueKangaroo)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2007, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ranking-gourmet-choclates-why-no-godiva-on-the-list/388784/11 "2007-01-21T15:34:14Z")
[QUOTE=teela brown] I didn’t know Hersheys now owned Godiva. That explains our last visit to Godiva - we each enthusiastically bought our favorite piece, ate them, and then asked each other, “Is it me or does this stuff taste like crap now?” [/QUOTE] Yeah, I can’t stand Godiva now. That would make me sad, but there’s another chocolatier in the same area as the Godiva I used to go to, and OMG are they good. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2007, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ranking-gourmet-choclates-why-no-godiva-on-the-list/388784/12 "2007-01-21T20:32:50Z")
But even if Godiva isn’t top of the line, it at least has a reputation among the ignorant masses, which should earn it a place on the list, if only to say that it doesn’t live up to its hype. And they were willing to include the two biggest mass-market perfectly ordinary chocolate brands, too, so it wasn’t an attitude of “we’ll only even include the best”. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2007, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ranking-gourmet-choclates-why-no-godiva-on-the-list/388784/13 "2007-01-21T21:16:31Z")
[QUOTE=Tamerlane] Yep. It’s decent compared to your average bar of Hershey crap, but you generally don’t find Godiva bars in specialized chocolate shops that cater to connoiseurs. But it’s owned by Campbell Soups. [/QUOTE] It used to be exclusive and IIRC available at only two places in the US. (Luckily for my girlfriend at the time, one of those was South Coast Plaza). Now that they’ve gone mass-marketed, the quality has gone downhill and now I’d prefer a good bar of Ghirardellis or make my own See’s candy box (or order some Frangos from Seattle). ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2007, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ranking-gourmet-choclates-why-no-godiva-on-the-list/388784/14 "2007-01-22T03:46:57Z")
Lindt sells plain chocolate? Huh. Must be hidden away behind all the truffles. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2007, 8:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ranking-gourmet-choclates-why-no-godiva-on-the-list/388784/15 "2007-01-22T08:52:57Z")
Anyone know how I can get a job as an official chocolate taster? 🙂