I'm a chocoloholic, so when I found out what the best chocolate in the world was, I got all excited.
Amedei's Chauo is from Tuscany, Italy. I've heard of it. The newly formed Academy of Chocolate in London has named Chauo the best chocolate in the world. [Via Nickie Goomba.] Chauo won the Gold Medal. Chauo won "because of its fruity flavour and unique character."
According to Goomba, "the silver medal was awarded jointly to two other products from Tuscan master chocolate-makers Tessieri: Amedei 9 and Amedei Porcelana."
You can buy Amedei chocolate at Chocosphere. There is a separate page for Amedei, and 9, Chauo, and Porcelana are available for purchase.
I'm going to buy either one or two bars of each of the Amedei award winners in a few weeks. I want to know what the best chocolate in the world tastes like.
Another chocolate I have heard rave reviews about is Valhrona, from France. I haven't had it yet myself, but the chocoloholics recommend it. Valhrona even has a baker's line. I'm going to buy the $60.00 baker's kit in a few weeks.
Hersheys will never touch my lips again.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Eric Olsen
thanks Trish - I am allergic to chocolate so I have developed an aversion for it, but thsi reminds me of going to my Norwegian-born grandmother's house when I was a kid and digging on the delicate fruitiness of the Euro-chocs she always had on hand.
2 - Aaman
My favorite is probably Toblerone, or Cadbury's Milk Chocolate - childhood tastes die hard:)
3 - FL Voter
Having been lucky enough to travel to the UK a couple of times, I fell in love with Cadbury chocolate too. I really like to get a large box of the Roses and carry it back on the plane with me. Adds a few pounds between take-off and landing, but it's so good... ;-)
4 - The Countess (Trish Wilson)
Eric, I can't imagine being allergic to chocolate. If I were, I'd go out of my mind. ;) I had a serious chocolate craving two days ago, and I made homemade truffles. Some are coated in coconut, and others are coated in Ghirardelli bittersweet cocoa. They are almost gone. I'm not surprised. We finished off the chocolate mousse I made a few days before. My son begged me last night to make more.
You can order Valrhona from Amazon. I tried to include a number for it, but because it's a product and not a book or DVD, it wouldn't go through. I think Chocosphere is the best bet, though.
Toblerone is great, albeit a bit too sweet for me. I like bittersweet 75% cocoa chocolate. I like it dark. I know what you mean about childhood tastes dying hard. I am still a sucker for Milk Duds and Malty Balls. I can't get enough of them.
One I'm going to try is Guittard. It's American chocolate. I found it at a nice bulk price so I'm going to buy some to make my chocolates with. I make X-rated chocolate lollies, and I sell them. I even have a contest going on my blog. Remember those Abercrombie and Fitch t-shirts with the sexist slogans some bloggers got all bent out of shape about? I decided to host a contest, and ask people to come up with better, funnier slogans. The winner gets two of my X-rated chocolates. Here's the link if you wanted to enter your own slogans. I'm leaving it up for a few more days because MSGOP, Wonkette, and Protein Wisdom (!!! LOL) found it, and I'm getting a staggering number of hits.
Lots of people get a big kick out of those chocolates. ;)
5 - Eric Olsen
X-rated chocolates - if there's a raid you can eat the evidence
6 - LegendaryMonkey
Aaman -- I loooooove Toblerone. Oh, wow.
I'ma have to check out these x-rated chocolates, though....
7 - DJRadiohead
I have an unbelievably filthy mind (not bragging here, but) and I am not sure I can even conjure what an X-Rated Chocolate might be. When I am on my home computer I am going to have to follow the link to find out...
8 - The Countess (Trish Wilson)
I just started making X-rated chocolates to sell. I call them Porno Pops. LOL I'm ordering some new molds this week or next week. They're really cool looking. People in various... er... positions. ;) Flea at the blog "One Good Thing" runs a sex toys shop, and she's going to carry my chocolates. I never thought I'd get in the business of selling Porno Pops. I also sold about a half dozen erotic short stories to some erotic magazines. I'm a feminist who also writes a lot about family issues, but the erotica stuff is fun. The feminists can't figure me out. LOL
Eric, if I was ever raided, I'd offer the officers some chocolates. I think they'd get a kick out of them. ;)
Now I'm craving Toblerone. See what y'all did? ;D
9 - Eric Olsen
I'm glad today's feminists get to be a lot more multi-dimensional
10 - The Countess (Trish Wilson)
I hadn't realized until I found out more about gourmet chocolate that chocolate freaks can be as snobbish as wine snobs. Valhrona and Amedei are expensive, but eating expensive chocolate is like drinking a good wine. And they go together so well. I hang out with food bloggers, who also recommended drinking a good port with chocolate.
11 - The Countess (Trish Wilson)
Eric, there are a lot of sex-positive feminists out there. I'm one of them. We just don't get as much exposure as the stereotype of feminists being ugly, hairy-legged harpies who hate sex. I don't know any feminists who fit that description. I tell ya though, us sex-positive feminists are lots of fun. ;)
12 - Bennett
My mother used to take the lot of us to Ghirardelli Square in SF at x-mas time to shop, listen to the carrolers (sp?), and drool on the sidewalk outside the window that looked in on the chocolate vats. Complex machinery that stirred and folded wave after wave of melted chocolate...
That was worth the trip by itself!
Great post Trish!
13 - The Countess (Trish Wilson)
Oh, Bennett, I envy you. If I had to stand in front of Ghirardelli with my face pressed up against the glass I would have gone crazy.
I live two blocks from the beach, and there are several local chocolate shoppes. One of them has an old-fashioned mechanical taffy pull that the company puts into use every summer for the tourists. It was even featured in the movie "The Love Letter" (by Stephen Spielberg, written for his wife Kate Capshaw). I've been to all the local sites in the movie, and I thought that was cool.
I buy chocolate from those shoppes all the time. My dream is to eventually create my own chocolate blend from beans from South America. I'd love to win an award for the Best Chocolate In The World. Even being a runner-up would make me happy.
14 - Bennett
Do it, Trish. A step a week will get you there.
btw, I loved reading the t-shirt slogans on your blogsite! I'm a notorious enjoyer of the female shape, but I never get obvious about it.
15 - The Countess (Trish Wilson)
Hey, Bennett, post a slogan in my comments. There is a lot of competition, but you could win some of my X-rated chocolates. I'm seeing a lot of great, funny slogans. It's going to be hard to pick just one.
16 - Bennett
There you go. Three, in fact.
:-]
17 - Mark
The best chocolate in the world I have ever had was in Toronto a few month ago from a magical shop called Sweet Olenka's - they make everything on site and yummy chocolate treats are impossible to resist like the chili truffles and their own blend of home made chocolate chilli ice cream. Oh my god this shopd is to die for! Although I don't think they sell pornon pops, maybe you have to ask for it fvrom behind the counter in a hushed tone.lol. Although a friend of mine once maid this gigantic penis made of chocolate for a party - she used the cheap chocoalte, but it was fun. Hey if you ever get a website going for your porno pops let me know, it would be fun to give for friend's birthdays!
Mark
18 - Erica
I was googling Sweet Olenka's and found your post, since I live downtown Toronto I went to check them out. Turns out they they were only 10 minutes away from my condo. The shop is really really tiny, but it's packed with stuff. Chilli truffles are not my thing, but the raspberry bitterweet truffles and the bittersweet chocolate ice cream was awesome. Lychee ice cream was really refreshing. I only love bittersweet chocolate, so I only got truffles and chocolate mice 72%, but you're right it is the best chocolate I have ever eaten in Canada. And the shop is really cool too.
19 - Diana MP
Has anyone ever tried Thomas Haas chocolates & deserts?
If you like fresh refined European chocolate, move to the West Coast, people!
Delicious baked goods too! Available straight from the lab in North Vancouver, Canada or sold in only few places throughout the city.
You will never touch anything in a sealed package after. Unless your taste buds are irreversibly lost!
20 - Tehsin
Has anybody tried the Poulain Chocolates from France?
21 - STM
Guilian, Belgian seashell chocolates. Mmmm.
There are dozens of speciality chocolates I like, including a dark bittersweet one named Moser-Roth, available only from Aldi supermarkets and made in Germany.
However, for those everyday cravings, nothing beats Cadbury's.
22 - Christopher Rose
Cadbury's? CADBURY'S??
That's like the worst chocolate EVER!!!
You convict!
23 - tracey
sweet olenka's is okay but if you are looking for top of the line chocolate in it's purest form which is organic and fair trade you should check out my new fave place for myself and gifts for family and friends ... it's called sitting around eating bonbons and it is also on lakeshore ... not sure of the exact address but i'm sure it's on their website www.sittingaroundeatingbonbons.com ... they have the most to die for lavendar and chocolate bonbons in the world ... soooo good. and no peanuts EVER so it's nice and safe for my kids.
24 - Dr Dreadful
Belgians make the best chocolate in the world. Britain comes a very respectable second, with Switzerland third.
Hershey's tastes like sugared puke.
And Chris: each to his own, but you're off-beam criticizing Stan for his love of Cadbury's based on your own experience. Cadbury's chocolate tastes totally different Down Under, due to the fact that they use sugar cane instead of sugar beet, and to the cows that produce the milk and what they're fed on.
Alas, here in America we can buy something masquerading as Cadbury's which is made in the Hershey factory, which means that it, too, tastes faintly like puke.
25 - Jet in Columbus
HAVE ANY OF YOU any idea what it's like to be a diabetic that's not allowed to eat chocolate???