Today I’m heading to a country known for its cheese and chocolate (and not France). I’m heading to Switzerland on business. Since chocolate is on my mind (I hope at least to bring back something for the office), I thought I’d add my most recent “taste” of designer chocolate – something I permitted myself to buy in Charles de Gualle airport because I was in France (even for a few hours on a layover) and I had wanted to try them for some time.
I have already waded through Richart, another French chocolate brand, and Neuhaus, a Belgian one, and spent time in KaDeWe in Berlin, drooling on their chocolate counters.
I won’t pretend that I really “know” Valrhona that well. I imagine that will come after numerous boxes and tastings. The chocolates were of course, excellent, but I had heard so much about Valrhona from other bloggers as it seems to be the favorite baking chocolate. Don’t believe me? Check out how many mentions of the stuff is in the round-ups from Sugar High Friday, Chocolate By Brand. (Parts 1 – 2 – 3 – 4)
And incidentally, it’s Valrhona that plays a part in the most expensive chocolate in the world – the Knipschildt truffle at $2600/pound.
Luckily, I didn’t pay that much for these, and it was a good excuse to again have friends over for a tasting.
Presentation is always key and opening this box up felt like winning the lottery. Pretty gold insides. I wish I had seen these before Richart – after viewing those chocolates, the decorations on these seemed pretty boring.
Any brand of chocolate YOU recommend I try? What about a Swiss brand of chocolate? Ever get so obsessed about the little squares of chocolate that you bought a whole 2 kilo bag of assorted ones to “take home and share with everyone” and it didn’t make it?
oo valhorna have several bars made from Trinidad Trinitario chocolate… i believe one is called Gran Couva (a local estate), check it out :) I really enjoyed the dolfin and bovetti brands that were sent to me by a blogger earlier this year as well :)
Guilty as charged. Simply put, everything chocolate that I make is better if I use Valrhona. Maybe it’s like perfume and one suits one person’s cooking and not another?
I go to EuroChocolate every autumn and I do try other chocolates, but Valrhona is still winning. My problem last year was they didn’t bring the 1 kilo tablets to the market. So, if you’ll just pick me up a couple of those, we can be best friends forever.
Ooh these look good! Come on over and do a taste test with Butlers!! ;)
I’m still in love with Sprüngli’s Cru Savage truffles, which I blogged about a few months ago. Which part of CH will you be in?
One of those chocolates looks like a Napolean pastry. yum
YUM. I like Pierre Marcolini chocolates. http://www.marcolinichocolatier.com/
(My favorite is the chocolate-covered pistachio marzipan, but it’s not listed on the website for some reason.) Buon viaggio!
I LOVE Belgian chocolate, the best of any I’ve tasted. But I’m not a chocoholic, known by the fact that I don’t care much for dark chocolate, only milk. And I can’t recommend a brand, but had to register my vote!
My favorite brand for baking and cooking is still Valrhona, and it has been for many, many years.
As far as confections, I like Recchiuti chocolates. And Thomas Haas, in Vancouver.
I like Domori but I hardly ever buy it b/c it’s too expensive. But I’ll take any brand of chocolate with pepperoncino in it.
Once of the most memorable experiences I have had tasting chocolate was at a Scharffenberger chocolate store in San Francisco. I dream about that creamy, intensely flavored chocolate and wake up smiling! :) Enjoy your trip!
Maybe I’m just not a sophisticated connoisseur of chocolate but my favorite brands are Carrefour (made in France), Esselunga (made in Switzerland) or Standa (made in Italy)
Oo, some good new brands to try out!! I welcome of course any samples you want to send my way.
@Jul – sorry, I was already away! Lake Geneva.