Chocolate: A very important poll!

[Twitch]

And as we stray a bit more, Reeses Peanutbutter Cups are excellent. What a great combination!

 

[Marc Chevalier]

My mom once received a can of chocolate-covered ants as a novelty gift. Real chocolate; real ants.

I prefer dark chocolate to chocolatey ants.

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[mysterygal]

As a child, I loved milk chocolate and considered dark chocolate to be much too bitter. My elders had contrary tastes and would often say,"You'll like dark chocolate when you get older". True enough.

I've found that to be true with other foods as well. As an adult I've come to actually like my veggies What's also kind of weird is that I can't seem to tolerage big amounts of candy at the same time..as a kid, I could practically live on charoleston chews, reeces pieces, ect. Now, they give me jitters (or should this be in the 'unusual things about me' thread? )

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Speaking of dark chocolate, have you ever tried "mole" (pronounced mo-lay)? It's a paste made from unsweetened cocoa (the chocolate "bean"). Mole has been used in Mexican dishes for a very long time.

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[mysterygal]

I've seen 'mole' sauce on mexican menu's...just been kind of scared to try it. I need to get out of just sticking to what I know, and trying some new things!

 

[green papaya]

dark chocolate tastes more like real chocolate

I like high quality dark chocolates

 

[Tomasso]

Mole is wonderful!

Mole has been used in Mexican dishes for a very long time.

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The Aztecs/Mayans created Mole from the cocoa plant, which was indigenous to their land. They also had cocoa drinks, some with a high octane.

I vaguely remember a story(Bert Wolf Travels) about English men's clubs evolving from Chocolate Bars(establishments that served chocolate food and drink which were popular in the 1700's).

 

[Hondo]

Zits

I love all chocolate, and I found out old middle age folks still get the zits

 

[ITG]

I love white Toblerone. Mmmmm good!

 

[Miss_Bella_Hell]

I hear Hershey's has a new "real" dark chocolate - anyone tried it?

 

[Daisy Buchanan]

I hear Hershey's has a new "real" dark chocolate - anyone tried it?

I saw them at the market. I have yet to try it, but it did take a lot of willpower to walk by and not pick any up. My Mom who is a dark chocolate fanatic said it's actually pretty good.

As for dark chocolate being an acquired taste, I think this is true. I couldn't stand it as a kid, but now I really enjoy it. I must admit, I don't like it if the chocolate is too dark, it just seems too bitter to me.

I'm a fan of chocolate, depending on the day, I'll chose a different type. I really like Cadbury. They actually have a white chocolate that is not too sweet and is very good. I tend to buy more white than milk, but that's just because Hemingway Jones is allergic to chocolate. I feel badly bringing home something so sweet and yummy that he wouldn't be able to try. So, usually if I bring home something of the milk chocolate or dark chocolate variety, I also bring home something in white chocolate for him.

For me, Ritter Sport with Hazelnuts. They make this is a white, dark and milk variety, and all are incredibly good.

ITG I'm a fan of Toblerone white too. MMMMMM

 

[ChezPez]

Ha, I haven't posted outside the Powder Room/ Beauty forums yet, but for chocolate I will venture out!

I tried the Hershey's dark... its ok. I just am not a fan of Hershey's. Never have been. My only exception to that rule is Reeses, or maybe some of their chocolate with almonds if there's no other chocolate resource.

I'm actually pretty fond of Trader Joe's chocolate- they make 75% dark chocolate and up for a good price! But I am a chocoholic. Its difficult to break. I pretty much grew up on bags of potato chips, and the only reason that habit ever broke was when I became vegetarian. Now I live on fruits and veggies- yet another facet of my extremist attitude. With the exception of my near-daily chocolate intake. Hey, better to enjoy it while I'm young and have the metabolism for it!

I enjoy white chocolate when I'm craving sugar hardcore, but it always makes me feel like crap afterwards. Its simply too much sugar for me.

 

[Miss_Bella_Hell]

Ha, I haven't posted outside the Powder Room/ Beauty forums yet, but for chocolate I will venture out!

I tried the Hershey's dark... its ok. I just am not a fan of Hershey's. Never have been. My only exception to that rule is Reeses, or maybe some of their chocolate with almonds if there's no other chocolate resource.

I'm actually pretty fond of Trader Joe's chocolate- they make 75% dark chocolate and up for a good price! But I am a chocoholic. Its difficult to break. I pretty much grew up on bags of potato chips, and the only reason that habit ever broke was when I became vegetarian. Now I live on fruits and veggies- yet another facet of my extremist attitude. With the exception of my near-daily chocolate intake. Hey, better to enjoy it while I'm young and have the metabolism for it!

I enjoy white chocolate when I'm craving sugar hardcore, but it always makes me feel like crap afterwards. Its simply too much sugar for me.

I agree, white chocolate is just too sweet for me. Sometimes I eat it anyway though, if it's around. There's the old Hershey's dark, but they have a new "Cacao Reserve" now. Just curious. Always interested when a new type comes on the market, though I'm very content with my old standards.

 

[dhermann1]

Wet blanket

I hate to be a wet blanket, but I thought our chocolate lovers might want to know this. I recently saw on TV a piece about the use of slave labor used in the production of cocoa beans in West Africa. 11 and 12 year old boys being sold to do the heavy work involving machetes. These kids wind up with terribly scarred legs from accidents, and no education.
There is some sort of consortium of ethical growers out there, who guarantee that this sort of thing is not done. The label should specify. If it doesn't have that label I try to buy South American chocolate. This is an area where I don't think waiting for "market forces" to do their job is appropriate.
There are a lot of new gourmet labels coming out nowadays that produce delicious but expensive stuff. It's tough finding brands that satisfy all criteria, but it's worth the quest!
And as we all know, chocolate is loaded with anti-depressants and phytochemicals that are GOOD for us! Oh, and of course my favorite is the DARK stuff!

 

[Miss_Bella_Hell]

It's tough finding brands that satisfy all criteria, but it's worth the quest!
!

Well, give us a list!

 

[beaucaillou]

Right now I'm pretty into Pralus. They have a rad website too: http://www.chocolats-pralus.com/
I was destroyed when Scharffen Berger was purchased by Hershey last year. How dreadful, but there's better chocolate anyway so I console myself with that.

9 out of 10 times I opt for dark chocolate, but some beans and makers actually do a lot better when they restrain and don't craft as dark as possible just for the sake of doing so.

I also like buying a bunch of single-sight Valrhona bars and comparing, seeing how the tastes and bodies doffer from country to country. And if there's Port or Madiera nearby? Even better.

Seventypercent is one of my favorite websites:
http://www.seventypercent.com/index.asp

I say this about dark chocolate, but if there's a Cote d'Or bar around (milk chocolate) someone may get hurt if they don't hand it over/stand back. Pure deliciousness.

I wish I had more time to study chocolate. And coffee. And cheese.

 

[SpitfireXIV]

my favorite will always be the Cadbury Dairy Milk bar - preferably the British version. Sooooooooo creamy!

i have had Cadbury imported from Britian, Ireland and South Africa and it's all good...

my achilles heel in the chocolate world is: the triple coated almond. there's a little chocolatier out in Pennsylvania that makes the best....

I hate to be a wet blanket, but I thought our chocolate lovers might want to know this. I recently saw on TV a piece about the use of slave labor used in the production of cocoa beans in West Africa. 11 and 12 year old boys being sold to do the heavy work involving machetes. These kids wind up with terribly scarred legs from accidents, and no education.

to be a wet blanket even further: the countries that are harvesting these beloved cocoa beans are still using leaded gasoline, potentially, having unsafe (as if there's such a thing as a "safe") levels in lead in any products with cocoa in them.

 

[MrNewportCustom]

No category for, "I don't care, JUST GIMME SOME"?

In order of preference;

Expensive
Milk
White
Dark
Cheap

Although I have been known to rearrange due to mood and availability


Lee
________________________

Carob, though, has the aroma and consistency of dirt. I wouldn't even sweep it up.

 

[Diamondback]

Not usually a sweets guy, but once a year at Ghirardelli's store and ice-cream shop in Vegas I allow myself to splurge and binge (was also a great time to pick up Christmas presents for lady ex-profs, too ) If I were entertaining a sweetie with a trip to Vegas, this'd be a must-hit for sure...

Anyway, ANYTHING Gharardelli does the job for me.

 

[TheKitschGoth]

I love dark chocolate (she says with a massive bar of it on the desk in front of her), I also love white chocolate. Milk chocolate isn't quite so amazing to me, not that I'd turn it down! My favourite chocolates then are the ones where trhey are half dark chocolate and half white, I think Thorntons make some.

Has anyone tried strawberry flavoured chocolate? I went to a chocolate factory ages ago and got to try some. It was delicious.