|
|
|
|
rich, moist chocolate cake
at Thu, 04 Dec 2003 21:10:23 GMT in >,
(Me) wrote :
>Thanks for all of the chocolate info. I'm afraid I don't get out enough
>and by "good" chocolate (not that I buy bad chocolate instead).
>
>Anyway, since I don't know much about this subject, can you give me your
>opinion of chocolates such as Valrohna?
>
Well, there really isn't such a thing as "such as Valrhona". It's either
Valrhona or not. What I mean by this is, you can't "lump" chocolates into
categories by associating them with a particular brand. Nor can you do so
by country. So it's equally misleading to talk about "French" or "Swiss" or
"American" chocolate as it is about chocolates "such as" Valrhona, or
Lindt, or Guittard. Even price isn't a particularly reliable guide: there
are world-class chocolates available at pittances, and chocolates that cost
a bomb that aren't any better than Nestle. Typically each quality chocolate
manufacturer has a "signature" taste - it's then up to you to decide which
type of taste you tend to like best.
As for Valrhona themselves, they make generally excellent chocolate. The
flavour of their chocolates usually leans strongly towards the fruity side.
But unlike Scharffen Berger, I've found that they usually don't go
overboard, so, yes, it's fruity, no, it's not overbearingly fruity. The
other thing Valrhona is well-known for is impeccable texture. Valrhona
chocolates are always ultra-smooth and creamy, usually better than similar
competitors. While this is valuable when you're eating it straight, it has
less of a direct impact if you're using it in baking. There are a few big
"winners" from Valrhona : chocolates that are worth your time to track down
and try.
Caraibe: Displays the characteristics of Trinitario cocoas. Pungent,
molasses flavour.
Le Noir Amer: A good reference for a general-purpose 70% bittersweet.
Nicely powerful, redolent of currants.
Araguani: A refreshingly new direction for them. It's roasted a little
longer, resulting in a beautiful, floral taste.
Gran Couva: The last 2 I'm listing are definitely a notch better than the
others. This one is very complex, with piney and blueberry notes. It varies
from year to year. A grand semisweet chocolate.
Guanaja: This is the chocolate that started it all: the one that created
the revival of interest in ultra-quality chocolate. Lives up to its
reputation beyond your imagination. Amazingly intense, tropical flavour,
and even the texture somehow seems a little better than other Valrhonas.
When it first came out, this chocolate pretty much redefined people's
concepts of what good chocolate could be. One of the world's great
chocolates.
--
Alex Rast
(remove d., .7, not, and .NOSPAM to reply)
|