Dark Chocolate-covered Orange Peel
 

While some may have called me a snob over the issue, I prefer to think of myself as "particular," and not wanting to waste calories on something that costs too much and isn't particularly delicious.

And here's the story (and may give you an idea of what I'm looking for).

Once upon a time, circa 1990-something, there was a little humble rustic chocolate shop on the Grand Sablon called Pierre Marcolini. While many of you may know the brand, you probably aren't familiar of the "little humble rustic chocolate shop" description. Well, it once was, and said shop made the best dark chocolate covered orange peel in the history of mankind. And your favo(u)rite deity (or lack thereof) knows I've tried a lot of them.

Anyway, fast forward a while, and Pierre Marcolini turned into this fancy museum type experience. On a trip to Brussels in the mid 2000s, I was so excited to return to my humble shop to find it missing. Oh, it had moved down the block and looked like a fancy shoe or clothing boutique, seeming like you needed to dress up and also be constipated due to being so uptight just to enter. Nonetheless, I did, and purchased some of the orange peel. It was perfectly ok, but not the same. Pierre Marcolini was on the road to "leaving my radar." Notwithstanding that, I'd occasionally buy a small quantity of the peels from one of ever growing number of shops I'd see around the world, equally disappointed every time. (Again, a "perfectly ok" product, but nothing like the original). Out of curiosity, I just checked on the current ownership, and PM was sold again, this time to VM2 earlier this year (which owns Godiva).

I've tried various peels from here and there, and when I see a shop that has them, I'll try a small portion, and after a long time of doing this, I've never had another at any price point that makes me feel special. And my taste buds aren't yet failing me in this department.

Last year, my brother ordered some online from that Nuts.com place, and they were awful. Today, I went into a little local shop in Berkeley that has made some respectable ones in the past, and for whatever supply chain reason (I think it is a drought affecting the particular Italian oranges or whatever they used), there aren't any.

Certainly, someone here can help me find the perfect dark chocolate covered orange peel. I don't ask much from any of you. I may annoy you, humo(u)r you, make you hungry or nauseous with some food pics, but I now ask thees for assistance in what is turning into a futile, calorie-laden, and somewhat dear journey for eternal, or at least a temporally eternal experience.

Zingermans sells a few chocolate/orange confections- perhaps these will meet your standards?

https://www.zingermans.com/Product/c...ge-peels/P-OCP

I'm not an orange-peel kind of guy; I like dark-chocolate sponge candy (a/k/a molasses chips, a/k/a honeycomb chips), and nuts.com does a great job with that: just as good as See's' (how's that for proper use of apostrophes?), at half the price.

However, I've been to these two chocolate shops in Upstate New York, and both carry the product you're seeking. I cannot vouch for the quality of their orange peel, but their other chocolates are excellent. And both places have been around for decades. Good luck!

https://www.krausescandy.com/12-lb-D...eel_p_524.html

https://www.steverscandy.com/view_cart.asp

Thanks for the suggestions. And not only Mary See (may she rest in peace), but Warren Buffet, would approve of your grammar. And I love dark chocolate covered honeycomb (the chunks) as well as the molasses chips. TJ's has an acceptable light/dark mixed box.

Don't know if they have what you're looking for, but these folks had some of the best chocolate I've ever eaten
Coffe House, Neighborhood Cafe- Stockbridge, MA

Some interesting options -- at various price points -- come up with a Google search for "chocolate covered orange peel."

I don't know but ca. 15 years is a long time to go between a trying a product... I find that what I liked 15 years ago doesn't necessarily correspond to what I like today. And whilst of course it could be that the product I've also eaten previously have changed receipe it has happened to often for me to believe that to be the case. Also, if the first time you tried it was a quaint "undiscovered" store, replaced by something which by your definition you dislike intently, perhaps it is the experience which impacted your perception of taste? I've found vineyards where I first went and you tried the wine in the owners house to be "excellent" only for it to be replaced by a more sterile tasting room, and subsequently the wine was just "meh".

Regardless, for me, orange and chocolate is a combination which should be outlawed and I cannot trust anyone who likes it tastebuds as being good ;-)

I find that a lot of times the "peel" inside turns out to be what might be described as an orange flavored gummy worm. :td:

Before the Covid lockdown you used to be able to get candied peel coated in chocolate from Torreblanca in Spain, .

but it’s no longer in their line up
https://torreblanca.net/chocolates/

I went to as many prefectural satellite shops as I could during my stay in Tokyo this August and bought candied citrus peels from all over, wherever I saw them, different kinds of yuzu, and lemon, and orange, and other varieties I might never see or taste again. Some I ate, others were given as gifts. Still haven’t had a bad experience with candied peel in Japan, it’s the only place I feel comfortable buying them.

I’d bet these are good: https://onlineshop.greenchocolate.jp/products/orangette

I beg to differ. I am with OP. Have been searching for some perfect chocolate covered orange peels and have been disappointed. Every city I go to I tried at least a couple of stores but usually their come up short. I recently bought some at the Leonidas in Paris.

I've never had their orange peel, only their truffles (and I admit that I'm okay with less than Marcolini- level chocs), but Wine Country Chocolates might be worth a try.

But the real reason I'm here is this: where in Berkeley is your regular dealer?

1) It wasn't 15 years between trying. It was 15 years between discovery and disappointment.
2) You can outlaw yourself :p. And I am unanimous in that!
3) I'd pay whatever PM would be charging if they were as good as they were.
4) IM(nsh)o, pretty much every place that grows too large can't keep the QC up. Part of it is just sourcing enough special product, which has been particularly noticable in the coffee arena. And there are other parts, too.

Not a "regular dealer" because these are usually a special treat, but the Xocolate Bar on Solano had a respectable product for a while, including nice candied orange slices, dipped. Xocolate Bar just opened a second outpost on College Ave.

Please don't beg. But thank you for differing!

It is like my quest for the perfect mille feuille. The best shop EVAR was in Paris, closed years ago, and I've never found a close second. And I've certainly tried.

That was my entry point to Torreblanca (when he had a shop in Alicante) the mille fuille (or mil hojas), and they had a special reduced price on Wednesdays - ¡Mi perdición!

Have you tried the orange peel at Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory? I don't think it will reach the heights of Pierre Marcolini, may it RIP, but it's decent.

I love the dark chocolate orange peels from https://compartes.com