The Chocolate Thread - Valrhona Gourmet Chocolates

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around gourmet chocolates, particularly focusing on Valrhona chocolates, and includes personal preferences, experiences, and recommendations related to various types of chocolate. Participants share insights about chocolate brands, flavors, and even chocolate-related events, while also engaging in light-hearted banter about chocolate consumption.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express admiration for Valrhona chocolates and mention the company's cocoa plantations and chocolate school.
  • One participant recommends Scho·Ka·Kola, a bittersweet chocolate with coffee and Kola nut, and suggests visiting a Lindt factory outlet in New Hampshire.
  • Several participants humorously discuss the experience of chocolate tasting and the idea of "spitting out" chocolate after tasting.
  • There are differing opinions on chocolate preferences, with some favoring dark chocolate and others expressing a dislike for milk chocolate.
  • One participant shares a personal anecdote about sneezing when consuming chocolate, particularly darker varieties.
  • Another participant mentions a shift in chocolate preferences over time, noting a trend towards darker chocolates among forum members.
  • Some participants discuss the texture and shape of certain chocolates, like Toblerone, and how it affects their enjoyment.
  • There is a mention of dark chocolate covered coffee beans as a favored combination among participants.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the enjoyment of chocolate, particularly dark chocolate, but there are multiple competing views regarding specific brands and types of chocolate, as well as personal experiences related to chocolate consumption.

Contextual Notes

Some participants express uncertainty about their chocolate preferences and how they have changed over time. There are also references to personal reactions to chocolate that may not be universally applicable.

Who May Find This Useful

Readers interested in gourmet chocolates, chocolate tasting experiences, and personal anecdotes related to chocolate consumption may find this discussion engaging.

Astronuc
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:biggrin:

Well, we have a food thread, but chocolate is a special case.

I was watching a news program during a flight yesterday, and one of the pieces was about the Valrhona company, which makes gourmet chocolate.


So I thought it would be appropriate to start a chocolate thread -

http://www.valrhona.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valrhona

The even have a school devoted to chocolate. :-p

http://www.valrhona.com/fr/egc/dyn/present.php3?m0=0labo&m1=1egc&m2=2a&typ_clt=P&vlang=A

Chefs are invited to the school to learn how to incorporate chocolate into their recipes.


Valrhona has three cocoa plantations in Madagascar, Trinidad and in Venezuela.


And they have professional chocolate tasters. :-p
 
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The best chocolate I've ever had is bittersweet German Scho·Ka·Kola which comes in little triangles in a tin that looks like this:

schokoladestollwerk_01.jpg


It contains coffee and Kola nut, the African nut that's the base of the flavor of Coca-Cola.

Also, here's a tip for anyone in the Boston area: if you're ever passing along the little stretch of US Route 95 New Hampshire (if you're driving from Massachusetts to Maine, for example) a very short detour will take you to the Lindt and Sprüngli factory and factory outlet in Stratham. Just search for zip code 03885 http://www.lindtusa.com/stores.cfm" . The address of the factory is “One Fine Chocolate Place”. :!)

There's also a chocolate festival in Portland, Maine every year, unfortunately just past, usually at the beginning of February.
⚛​
 
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I'm afraid feelng this good is wrong. You can not exceed your credited dopamine levels. If you would like to purchase more dopamine credits, please contact your local DMV.

If you'll please hand over all chocolate and chocolate paraphernalia so that I can store it safely in the evidence locker and then we can both get about our business tonight and I won't even write you up.
 
Astronuc said:
And they have professional chocolate tasters.
I bet they spit it out.
 
jimmysnyder said:
I bet they spit it out.
And rinse with beer?
 
turbo-1 said:
And rinse with beer?
And spit that out too.
 
Whoa! Talk about hell on Earth.
 
turbo-1 said:
Whoa! Talk about hell on Earth.
It's worse than that, it's not beer, it's water. At least you get to spit it out.
Valrhona doesn't have a local outlet. That's probably for the best as I would probably waste my money there. Lots of money.
 
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Note that chocolate and wine combines even worse.
 
  • #10
Pythagorean said:
I'm afraid feelng this good is wrong. You can not exceed your credited dopamine levels. If you would like to purchase more dopamine credits, please contact your local DMV.

If you'll please hand over all chocolate and chocolate paraphernalia so that I can store it safely in the evidence locker and then we can both get about our business tonight and I won't even write you up.

:smile:

Don't worry, the sisterhood has excellent security, and a special vault in the evidence room to store contraband with such a high street value. We just take a small amount out of each batch for testing to ensure the contents are correctly identified. :approve:
 
  • #11
I don't know what my favorite is or anything, but I'll tell you that chocolate, and sweets in general, are my Achilles' heel. I'm worse than a woman when it comes to chocolate. It isn't helping my dieting plan AT ALL.
 
  • #12
It's got to be DARK chocolate. None of that milky diluted junk.

I think I need to make a pan of my super dark fudge tonight.
 
  • #13
I suspect a conspiracy ...

I never considered myself a chocolate fan until this past year - I had zero interest in milk chocolate (still do) and would indulge willingly in dark chocolate only when the opportunity presented itself but never went out of my way to acquire it. That has all changed in the last six months - just as the gourmet chocolates with cocoa percentages boldly proclaimed on their labels began to appear. Now I doubt I've gone more than a week without getting my grubby paws on some good dark chocolate for months!
What is going on?

And BTW, since I am now hopelessly in the grips of this insidious marketing scheme ... I can tell you my Personal Cocoa Percentage Preference (PCPP): 60% - 65% - no more, no less. What's yours??
 
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  • #14
I love it so much, but the shape is so annoying it always hurts my mouth :cry:

toblerone%206%20X%2010.jpg
 
  • #15
belliott4488, I'm tellin' ya, you've got to try that Scho·Ka·Kola stuff if you can get your hands on some.

I never thought about that, Mayday, I know what you mean about the shape of Toblerone. What is with that? Maybe it's supposed to be encouragement to hold it in your mouth until it melts?
⚛​
 
  • #16
I think the shape itself is somehow supposed to look like the Swiss Alps as it is a swiss product. The shape if well known to be the one of toblerone it kind of differentiates it from other swiss chocolates I would have though. Absolute mission to eat one though! When you eat them they can poke your gums which ache!
 
  • #17
I'm cursed! When I eat chocolate I sneeze! The darker the chocolate is the more severe and immediate the reaction. It only happens once or twice after I first start eating, but I have to be careful to not spray a brown mess. Otherwise I love chocolate.
 
  • #18
I actually prefer darker chocolate, as white and milk are both a bit too sweet. I once tried some of this Japanese 90% cocoa stuff and it tasted like tar.
 
  • #19
_Mayday_ said:
I actually prefer darker chocolate, as white and milk are both a bit too sweet. I once tried some of this Japanese 90% cocoa stuff and it tasted like tar.
Amen to that! I can't even eat the 80% stuff. I read an article by some chocolate connoisseur (how do you get that job??) who said that it's a silly fad to eat the really high percentage chocolates. His point was that what distinguishes the finest chocolatiers is their blend of ingredients. Once you're over 70% or so cocoa, there's too little of anything else to matter - it is like eating tar (or pure cocoa, which is apparently a similar experience).:eek:
 
  • #20
Huckleberry said:
I'm cursed! When I eat chocolate I sneeze! The darker the chocolate is the more severe and immediate the reaction. It only happens once or twice after I first start eating, but I have to be careful to not spray a brown mess. Otherwise I love chocolate.
My deepest sympathies! I've known people with severe allergies to chocolate, but their reaction was head-splitting migraine headaches. I knew a guy who would still endure such headaches once in a while, just to be able to enjoy a little taste.
 
  • #21
CaptainQuasar said:
belliott4488, I'm tellin' ya, you've got to try that Scho·Ka·Kola stuff if you can get your hands on some.
mmm ... coffee and chocolate - a match made in Heaven!

Here's another fiber for this thread: who loves dark chocolate covered coffee beans?? MMMMM! :approve:
 
  • #22
I'd say I'm a 70% or higher. Funny, a couple of years ago we had a thread about chocolate and most people said they preferred milk chocolate, now I see more people preferring dark.
 
  • #23
belliott4488 said:
Here's another fiber for this thread: who loves dark chocolate covered coffee beans?? MMMMM!

Amen, brotha! Tes-ti-FY!

(or sistah, not sure)
⚛​
 
  • #24
I used to like the really milky and sugary ones evo, infact anything that had an extreme taste whether that be sweet or something salty (not salty chocolate) but I have acquired a dark chocolate taste.
 
  • #25
belliott4488 said:
mmm ... coffee and chocolate - a match made in Heaven!

Here's another fiber for this thread: who loves dark chocolate covered coffee beans?? MMMMM! :approve:
Those are really good, haven't had any in ages though.

_Mayday_ said:
I used to like the really milky and sugary ones evo, infact anything that had an extreme taste whether that be sweet or something salty (not salty chocolate) but I have acquired a dark chocolate taste.
Glad to hear you've come over to the dark side. :-p
 
  • #26
_Mayday_ said:
I think the shape itself is somehow supposed to look like the Swiss Alps as it is a swiss product. The shape if well known to be the one of toblerone it kind of differentiates it from other swiss chocolates I would have though. Absolute mission to eat one though! When you eat them they can poke your gums which ache!

Yeah, the shape of Toblerone is their trademark...you know what brand it is as soon as you see it. I've never had any trouble eating it though.

I enjoy a good quality milk chocolate for the melt-in-your-mouth texture as much as I enjoy the richer flavor of dark chocolate...not TOO high of cocoa content though, or it loses the pleasant texture I enjoy and starts getting too bitter.
 
  • #27
_Mayday_ said:
I used to like the really milky and sugary ones evo, infact anything that had an extreme taste whether that be sweet or something salty (not salty chocolate) but I have acquired a dark chocolate taste.

Mmmmm...salty chocolate! (Chocolate-covered pretzels.) :approve:
 
  • #28
I don't like chocolate to melt in the mouth so I'm probably a bit of a heathen since all chocolate goes in the fridge for me.
 
  • #29
Any nut covered in chocolate! Even those canned chow mein noodles coated with semi-sweet chocolate chips are wonderful, I never would have guessed.

Dark chocolate covered cherries, the real kind with liquor in them. I miss my Italian candy connection! :cry:
 
  • #30
Evo said:
Glad to hear you've come over to the dark side. :-p

:smile: :devil:

Moonbear said:
Yeah, the shape of Toblerone is their trademark...you know what brand it is as soon as you see it. I've never had any trouble eating it though.

do you put the whole cubes in your mouth or slowly grind away at them. I just chuck the whole cube thing in my mouth...:confused:

Moonbear said:
Mmmmm...salty chocolate! (Chocolate-covered pretzels.) :approve:

My mum said she saw somewhere on TV a panini with cheese and chocolate inside...and the people seemed to enjoy it. I could not bring myself to do it. Sometimes when I make peanut clusters some of the salt is left over and you get that dodgy sensation...
 

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