You’ll forget you’re in Provo, Utah, when you walk into Taste, which is simply and elegantly decorated in black, white and gold. Once you’re in the store, you’ll never want to leave. The highlight here is their chocolate and vinegar tastings. At these events, you will try seven of Taste’s eight chocolate bars, sourced from Peru, Ecuador, Venezuela and Madagascar. If you think chocolate all tastes the same, then you’ll definitely think again after a visit to this shop.
I'm not a huge chocolate fan but when I get a craving, I can always come here to satisfy it. I don't think I've tried any truffles that weren't made perfectly. Not only are they beautiful but you can tell their fresh with quality ingredients. It looks like they're expanding now and it'll be a great space to hang out and eat your chocolate or eat your ice cream once it warms up! If you have someone in your life that you love or appreciate, you can't go wrong gifting them chocolate from this place! Fairly priced, beautifully packaged and delicious!
Over the chocolate shop has an unmistakeable woody, rough powdery texture to it, much like actual cocoa powder, and about the same darkness of it. The hazelnut further adds to this coarse, almost woody feel. The coffee is just noticable enough to amplify the chocolate. This has a certain HEAT to it, like there's the tiniest bit of chili. It also lasts the longest of these four on my skin.
Spending a little more on this 28-piece assortment of Belgian chocolates will give your loved one plenty of pleasure back in return. Each one-pound package includes buttercreams, truffles, and pralines coated with ivory, milk, and dark chocolate coverings. Plus, it comes pre-wrapped with a beautiful satin bow, so all you have to do is click 'order' and you'll have everything you need for a thoughtful gift.
“Chocolate is my passion,” says Norman Love, who dreamed of making chocolate that was visually stunning as well as delicious. Love and a partner perfected a technique in which the colored designs for each candy are hand-painted or airbrushed into chocolate molds, which are then filled with the finest chocolate imported from Belgium, France, and Switzerland. The pumpkin white chocolate bonbon is almost too gorgeous to eat. Using only the freshest ingredients, his recipes call for pureed raspberries, bananas, ginger, caramel, passionfruit, and hazelnuts, to name a few.
By and large, the truffles are nice. In the Class 5, the chocolate led, and the raspberry was a good partner. The Black Diamond made good use of chocolate. The Rocky Top had a mild pleasant coffee flavor. The Powder Day was a good firm white chocolate. Mostly the strengths were medium, although the hazelnut was weak in the milk chocolate Mud Season.
Among all of the tested chocolates, the Recchiuti come in the most intriguing shapes and designs. No two chocolates are the same. Some have intricate patterns, while others look like little sculptures. This contrasted sharply with the John and Kira’s box, filled with 15 squares of the same shape, size, and texture (a little monotonous for a romantic gift).
Visiting the Republica del Cacao should be on every chocoholic's bucket list! The youngest company among our selections, the Republica del Cacao is an Ecuadorian chocolate firm founded in 2004. The brand arose out of an effort to preserve the indigenous Arriba cacao plants grown predominantly on family farms in the Manabí, Los Ríos and El Oro regions of Ecuador. Republica del Cacao's claim to fame is their single-origin dark chocolate bar, made with nothing but cacao, sugar and cocoa butter, allowing the complex flavors of each region's chocolate to speak for themselves. The company has also branched out into beverages like hot cocoa, coffee and chocolate- and coffee-flavored liqueurs.
Neuhaus uses non-GMO ingredients to make its high-end chocolates, and this 25-piece box includes some of the very best milk, dark, and white chocolates the chocolatier has to offer. The box is filled with pralinés, ganaches, caramels, and more so there's something for everyone. Best of all, you can order this box with two-day shipping if you're in a rush.
Savoring the world’s finest artisanal chocolates is an experience, one that’s enhanced by knowing a bit about what you’re tasting, how it was made, and who made it. Accompanied with each chocolate shipment is In Pursuit of Chocolate, our monthly newsletter, which introduces you to the artisanal chocolatiers and the unique personalities behind each Gourmet Chocolate of the Month Club featured selection. You’ll receive:
If you like variety in your box of chocolates, you’ll love Belgian chocolatier Godiva’s classic variety box. This nineteen-count Belgian chocolate selection includes an assortment of dark, milk, and white chocolates with classic fillings including dark chocolate truffle, hazelnut praline, nut crescents, and coconut macaroon. It comes in an elegant gold box with a bow on top, making it easy to open and close and perfect for a gift.
Chuao Chocolatier: (pronounced chew-wow) This company specializes in textural surprise. The whiz kid behind the firecracker truffle (chipotle caramel fudge with sea salt and popping candy) likes to thread in a secret layer of heat that doesn’t hit until the finish so you get the full-on rich chocolaty pleasure with a spank of fun at the end. The other favorite in this tasting was the Salted Chocolate Crunch with toasted panko breadcrumbs, olive oil ganache and a dusting of sea salt—a truly devilish bit. Owners (and brothers) Michael and Richard Antonorsi. also hail from Venezuela.
I discovered this wonderful chocolate brand more than a year ago in one of my Amazon Sweet Surprise boxes and immediately started searching for more. Hands down, this is the best chocolate I’ve ever had, European or American. The flavors in this selection are among my all-time favorites made by Seattle Chocolate. If I could give it 10 stars I would. And so nice to know that a portion of revenue goes to charitable causes. Thanks so much, Seattle Chocolate!
For the chocolate purist, or anyone looking for the perfect corporate gift, we think Maison du Chocolat ($60 for 28 pieces) is a great premium choice. The flavors are subtle enough to really let the chocolate shine. The packaging, reminiscent of brown pebbled leather, is understated and innocuous enough to gift for professional reasons. Although these chocolates are incredibly smooth and slightly less sweet than the Michel Cluizel, the overall flavor profile isn’t quite as daring as those in the Recchiuti box and might not provide the same sensory adventure as our main pick. We also think the assortments available online are a little big for a Valentine’s gift (although you can purchase smaller boxes in their stores).
Snickers have continuously been one of the most delightful chocolate bars introduced in the market since 1930 and is one of the bars which provides a huge amount of calorie intake. Initially named Marathon until July of 1990, this chocolate bar by the American Company Mars incorporated consists of caramel and peanuts enroped in milk chocolate. The bar is one of the most preferred chocolate bars in the world with an approximate global sale value of over $2 billion.
La Chatelaine Chocolat Co: Located in, of all places, Bozeman Montana, owners JP Wlady Grochowski and Shannon Hughes Grochowski are most inspired by nature. Says Shannon, “We walk through a small forest each day to work, and feel inspired each time, whether it’s the color of the leaves, deep green of the spruces or the scent of sage, or the local snow-capped Bridger Mountains. We also find a lot of inspiration in France, where we spend each summer with our children and Wlady's maman and cousins.” Top taste was the Absinthe in dark chocolate ganache and the dark and rich Arriba truffle —composed of 72% dark chocolate made from Forestero beans of Arriba origin.
The love for chocolate does not discriminate. No matter how old you are, where you are from, how much money you have, or what your social status is, chances are there is some kind of chocolate that you can't say no to. There is a reason why chocolate is loved by people around the world -- it actually causes a chemical reaction in the brain that makes you happy.
We cut the chocolates into quarters so that more than one person could taste all of the offerings while also trying to avoid palate fatigue. While this may sound like a silly problem, it can be quite frustrating when your taste buds become overstimulated mid-tasting and fail you. To try to limit this, Saltines and club soda were set out to help tasters pace themselves.
