For great make-at-home cocoa, the best I've found is Schokinag Extreme Dark Drinking Chocolate. You can buy it on line if you want to pay more $, but Whole Foods has this for less $ than I've seen elsewhere.

Schokinag Website/World Pantry:

Extreme Dark Drinking Chocolate

Also good is Green & Black Organic Hot Chocolate Drink which is about half sugar and half cocoa/dark chocolate. Better quality than most cocoa available in the US and pretty convenient. Schokinag is better, though.

My alltime favorite is the champagne truffle from Heinemann Cafe ( http://www.cafe-heinemann.com/ ) in Duesseldorf. As well availble in DUS airport. It is of course a must try.

They were on Food Network the other night!

It looked delicious

Is this the same as the trying to be national outfit with many stores:
http://www.schakolad.com/locations.asp

I've been recently enjoying 86% Cacao bars and drops made by Meiji in Japan.

Link

Is this widely available in Japan?
Outside of Japan?

I Love Reading About Chocolate And The Suggestions On This Subject Here Have Got Me Working All My Girls Overtime, To Emulate Some Of The Fine Products That Are Available In The North American Arena. I Own A Series Of Chocolate Shops, And In Our Opinion Source Our Chocolates From The Finest Chocolatiers In Australia. The Reason For The Post Is To Relate Another Story:
I Also Need To Visit Bkk On A Regular Pattern And Often Stay At 5* Hotel, Better I Not Mention It. This Trip I Took A Large Gb Of Our Chocolates Over For The Chef, As He Has Been Nice To Me, Making Up Certain Muesli For Me And Bringing In The Right Prunes, Little Things.
Well It Was As If I Had Given Him The Crown Jewells, Being European I Was Kissed And Kissed, And Every Morning He Came Down From His Office To Check On My Well Being, And Introduced Me To All And Sundry.
It's Funny, To Me It's Become A Commodity, I Love Reading About It, But Nowadays I Can't Smell It Or Taste It. It Not Till I Read A Site Like This Or Give A Present Of Our Product That I Remember The Passion I Once Had, And The Joy I Got From The Cracking Of The Chocolate Skin. Thank You For Posts, Thanks For Rekindling That Fire.

In Japan, yes at most stores stocking Meiji Chocolate......outside of Japan I wouldn't know, sorry!

That is a superb endorsment of this site. Randy shoul know about it.

I was browsing in Big Lots last week and saw some boxes of Lindt's Excellence 85% Cocoa DARK Extra Fine Thins (just typing what's on the box). It had a sticker that they had some cosmetic imperfections, but I couldn't tell. It was the best dark chocolate I've ever had... not sweet, nice and bold. I've been melting some in espresso in the mornings and it's been heavenly. At only $2 per box (6.35 oz), too. What would be the regular price on this?

I went back and got two more boxes yesterday... and may have to go back and get more before they run out... then again, I don't think the native West Virginians have such a palate as I. ;)

tonight I'm enjoying a 72% Scharffen Berger bar (from TJs)...man, this is good!!!

Mmmm ... Scharffen Berger. Costco in Danville just had a fantastic deal (there yesterday). Folks were there sampling all the Endangered Species chocolate bars. I bought the 88 percent dark ($9.99 for 8 bars) and the 72 (I think) percent w/tangerine and w/cherry 16 for $12.99.

Didn’t you have to “suffer” through taste-testing a Scharffen Berger dessert recently at a restaurant in San Francisco called Absinthe?

It was delicious, I must say. It was flavorful with a good “mouth-feel”, yet not too rich and not too sweet.

Yes. It was truly torturous, but I will do most anything for the benefit of my fellow FlyerTalkers. ;)

(Scharffen Berger has their cafe not too far from my house ... true torture is driving by and not stopping.)

Torte-urous?!?

Letiole, you are a true mensch ^
The chocolate dessert at Absinthe was amazing. Thanks so much for your selfless research.

I ran into John Scharffen Berger a few years back over in San Francisco, shortly before he was to head down to a Western Hemisphere cacao-growing region to buy beans for the chocolate (I don't remember where, other than not Brazil). I remember thinking that was good attention to detail.

-Hayden

Now that he's sold out to Hershey's we'll see how things change. Or not.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...UGM6DTAOM1.DTL

My current fave is New Tree Belgian Chocolate bars.

The Kansas City BBQ Do introduced us to Christopher Elbow. THOSE are chocolates!

Meiji in Japan is terrific. They have one with 99% cocoa.

The factory is next to railroad betwen Osaka and Kyoto. Anyone knows if they have factory tours and tastings?

This might sound strange but the best chocolate I have encountered thus far has been from a shop (in the Mercato Mall) that I think only exists in Dubai (or the U.A.E.) called Dolce Antico. The chocolate is smooth and rich, unlike any I have had before (and trust me I have had my share ;-)). If anyone knows where to get these outside of Dubai...please let me know :-).

A close second (okay tie) is the Italian chocolatier Venchi. They are simply AMAZING. They also have a superior sugar-free collection unlike any you will find elsewhere. You can normally find them in some shops and online here in the U.S.

...and then there is Vosages chocolate with outposts in the U.S. They have amazing flavors that you do not see anywhere else.

Belated Welcome to Flyertalk jmgendron!

After hours of web research I made your molten chocolate cakes tonight. What a perfect recipe! Simple ingredients, not too much of anything and absolutely wonderful.

I made four cakes, using two bars of New Tree belgian dark choclate bars. So glad I didn't skimp and use Nestle's choco chips. Made two in ramekins, two in custard cups. Next time for company I will try large muffin tins.

Anthony Bourdain, keep watching your back.

Dagoba Chocolates makes a wonderful chilies and cocoa nibs hot chocolate called Xocolatl. Dagoba makes single origin organic chocolates. Yummy!

You don't have to go to Belgium. Costco now has Kirkland brand Belgian chocolate which is actually Neuhuas. How do I know the true identity of the chocolate?

It says on the box "made for Neuhaus USA."

It looks and tastes like Neuhaus. Some of the chocolates are even in the shape of the Neuhaus "N".

Unbelievably, the cost is $12.99 for a one pound box. If word gets out in Belgium, they'll be doing mileage runs to here to buy the chocolate.

Maybe we should plan a Chocolate Do in Belgium!

Boost the miles and the endorphins at the same time

This definitely ranks up there with the best tips I've received on this board. Thank you! While I wouldn't give a box marked Kirkland as a gift, this is great to know for my own use. I love Neuhaus. ^

I'll remember this next time I'm in the US..

We have just concluded a six-month deal importing a particular chocolate from Belgium. The wholesale cost to us was $16 for 7 oz. tin.

Costco is currently selling the same product under the Kirkland brand 14 oz $14. Do the math. It IS the same product.

If you can live with the Kirkland label and tacky box, shop Costco. We're screwed, but there is no reason you should be too.

Is it the same product? I've never tasted it, so that is a real question, and not rhetorical. But in the past I have run into Neuhaus made for the US market (sold by Macy's for circa $40/lb) that was quite different from the Neuhaus sold in Europe. Not worse, but definitely different (and I preferred the European version). But Trader Joe has so many different chocolates now (ranging from poor to fabulous), that I'm not sure Neuhaus is good enough any more ... it certainly is no longer the world's best chocolate, and a lot of the smaller specialty chocolate makers have it outflanked (particular with the 'single origin' offerings which sometimes are outstanding).

all i can say is yum.... and wait, can I have another please, for breakfast??

OK, I think we may be referring to a number of different things here. My original post referred to a 16 oz. offering at Costco which is clearly Neuhaus. Someone else has now referred to a 14 oz. offering at Costco, but not said it was Neuhaus. Anyone know what the 14 oz. one is?

Just back from Costco and I was unable to find the chocolate labeled - made for Neuhaus USA- can you describe the package and contents please.

I'm in Bruxelles early February to do a Leonidas and Neuhaus run. Actually, it's a mileage run, but I'll be there to pick up the pralines and grab a cone frites with mayonaise and a gaufre Liégeois with Chantilly.


I think that Neuhaus goes for $55 to $60 per pound these days here in the US.

I suspect your Costco may not have it, given that it is kind of obvious if you are looking for it. The "made for Neuhaus USA" is in small letters. I believe it says "Belgian Chocolate" or something like that on the box.

When I get home tonight I will take a photo, post it on the web, and provide a link.

Francophile, don't you find MARCOLINI's chocolates to be better than Leonidas or Neuhaus?

After many many tastings, I come to conclusion that I really really like MARCOLINI and LA MAISON DU CHOCOLAT (France) the best!

UOTE=francophile;6792516]I'm in Bruxelles early February to do a Leonidas and Neuhaus run. Actually, it's a mileage run, but I'll be there to pick up the pralines and grab a cone frites with mayonaise and a gaufre Liégeois with Chantilly.




I think that Neuhaus goes for $55 to $60 per pound these days here in the US.[/QUOTE]

Yes, we are talking about different things. I'm referring to 14 oz. pkg of chocolate cups made by Noble under the Kirkland brand.

Here's a photo. Scroll down to see the product. This is not the Kirkland packaging.

The importer told me for a fact that it is the same product we purchased from him for 4x what Costco is selling it for. It's a true bargain at Costco, but I recommend repackaging! Or serving it in your home on a nice plate. :) For what it's worth "ours" come in a metal tin with hinged rounded top.

There are a number of small shops buying this product for $25-35 and retailing for $40-60 for 14 oz., which was the manufacturer's market until Costco came on the scene. I wonder if they will really make money from Costco in the long run. It's certainly repositioning their product from special to sleezy.

And yes, broadwayboy, you got it right: LA MAISON DU CHOCOLAT (France) the best!

Other than my desire to limit flying to what I have to do next year.

I'm game, but I would suggest to Paris, Lyon and ending in BRU.

www.davidlebovitz.com

I happened to be in Europe and re-routed to go via BRU in order to check out the chocolate situation more closely (but I was limited to what was at the airport, as I only had an hour there). Tried several different Neuhaus products, and wasn't too impressed. It is good chocolate, but no longer the best in the world or as special as it once was. Perhaps the airport store isn't the best place for such a tasting, but I now prefer other chocolates to Neuhaus. In fact I bought a Nestle Noir bar and it was almost as good (too bad they don't sell those in the US!). I guess the chocolate business has gotten to be a lot more competitive than it used to be (maybe due to better distribution channels, allowing lower volume products to exist).

I don't care for Neuhaus either.

I love Wittamer for their praline and mendiants and Pierre Marcolini for most everything...

However, those are things that require a ride to the gare centrale and a bit of a walk.

We do leave room in our bags for our caffe tasse stock up at the airport.

Some of the best damn bars and tablettes in the world.

Photos
 

Someone indicated some difficulty in finding the Neuhaus at Costco, so I have taken pictures of the package I bought. I think that I may have removed some of the external packaging and thrown it away, hence it is not visible in the picture. Also note that the box itself has no writing, so one can at least put it out at a party with no indication of the Costco lineage.

http://picasaweb.google.com/bigflyer...ey=7SPqlBPQhf4