Taza Chocolate 60% Stone Ground

A friend brought this Taza Chocolate bar back from the States and we tried it together in a café, hence me not having any photos of the full unopened bar here. But sharing this particular bar with someone who is just getting into fine chocolate was a great opportunity to get feedback on a chocolate that’s really quite different from other bean to bar chocolate.

Taza make their chocolate by coarsely grinding cocoa beans in granite mills. They don’t refine or conch the chocolate the way most chocolate makers would, so the result is a texture quite different from what you would normally look for in a chocolate bar. Where other chocolate makers look to create the smallest possible particle size so the chocolate melts evenly and has the perfect ‘snap’ when you break it, Taza’s approach is much more minimalistic closer to the chocolate bars we had 100 years ago.

My friend wasn’t quite sure what to make of it. As you can see, the exterior of the bar has a nice finish – aside from the bits that come from carrying the opened bar around in my bag all day. It’s not the glossiest chocolate in the world, but at first glance it looks like any other bar. But bite into a piece though and you can feel the particles on your tongue. And when you take a closer look at the cross-section of a broken pice, you can clearly see the texture, along with tiny crystals of sugar that are still separate from the cocoa.

This chocolate doesn’t melt in your mouth so much as dissolve. It doesn’t coat the tongue the way a normal chocolate does, but as soon as it hits the moisture in your mouth it starts to fall apart before very quickly dissolving to nothing. This process is much quicker than a normal chocolate melt, and the result is that it releases its flavour in a short, intense burst. And it’s a fantastic flavour.

It’s 60% cocoa solids, so it’s quite sweet, but there’s also a natural sweetness from the Dominican Republic cocoa. But the overwhelming flavour is an intense fruitiness that fills your mouth with joy. If you didn’t know better, it’s the kind of chocolate that you might think had added fruit flavours in it. I adore it.

That said, the texture is certainly an acquired taste, but if you approach it with an open mind then it’s a taste you can acquire very quickly. I would have no hesitation putting this bar on my ‘must try’ list for anyone just getting into the world of fine chocolate. Partly because it shows a very different approach to chocolate making, but mainly because it’s one of the nicest cocoa flavours I’ve experienced in a very long time. It’s not easy to come across outside the US, but it’s certainly a bar you should seek out.

Les Petits Richart

Out of all the flavor sets I have come across, the 49-piece, 7 aromatic families Les Petits Richart set has the most impressive range. Because this is such an extensive collection, I moved through it much more slowly than the Valentine’s box that Richart Chocolates sent me last time.

The white box, which is the same style as before, is of average size, despite holding 49 chocolates. That’s because these chocolates are tiny. Not quite Lilliputian, they’re the size of rounded dice. If you like taking big bites, maybe this size would be a problem, but I find it just right. It’s direct and not superfluous. The chocolate is a consistent 73% Venezuelan Criollo throughout, furthering the focus on the individual flavors added to each chocolate.

Each aromatic family has a different color, and each flavor has a different design; these in turn match up easily to a flavor guide booklet that also describes the shared characteristics of each family. It would be helpful, however, if the flavors in each family were arranged in the box in the same order as they are in the booklet. I also found that I was missing a flavor from the Floral family and that a couple of the designs there were different from in the booklet. For such a serious collection, these details matter.

Besides Floral, the other groups are Balsam (meaning “smooth” instead of vinegar), Roasted, Fruity, Citrus, Herbal, and Spicy. Designed as a “tasting journey,” this collection is not a day trip but more like a week’s vacation. Given that there are 49 carefully selected flavors, I would hate to share any of them. And after the first day (when I had two rows), I never wanted to have more than one row a day. So it’s chocolate to take your time pondering over.

While most of the chocolates use a ganache, a few have either praline or coulis–the silky ganache remains my favorite. Almost always, there is only one added flavor per chocolate, the simplicity of which I enjoyed. While the strength of the flavors varies somewhat as is necessary, they keep mostly to a balanced level that puts the flavor into focus while staying in harmony with the chocolate. The only three flavors that didn’t work for me were the Praline Thyme, Pink and Red Pepper Ganache, and Curry Praline.

My favorite category was probably Balsam, which included the decadent Papua Cocoa Ganache and the soft/rich Vanilla Bean Ganache. Even the group, Citrus, that I was expecting not to care for turned out mainly pleasant. Many of the flavors, from Violet to Roasted Walnut, are familiar. But there are also some less common ones: Roasted Pistachio, Pineapple, Basil, Alpine Flower, and Cardamom among them. It’s a good range, instantly making you realize the flavors you personally enjoy and the ones that come less natural to you.

At $67, Les Petits Richart won’t be a casual purchase. If you want something smaller, you can get 16-piece sets of the individual families for $25, or a $25 box with a sampling from each family. But I think that if you’re going for it at all, try to get the full set: it’s the most fun. Or, if you happen to have piles of cash lying around, there’s an $850 version that comes in a hand-crafted Burlwood Vault.

Gü ‘After Dark’ Selection

It seems like they’ve been around forever, but Gü Puds are celebrating their 10th birthday. To celebrate, they’ve launched a new addition to the range – New York Cheesecake – and they also took it upon themselves to send us a goodie bag packed with puds.

Of course, we’re a chocolate blog, and we can only tell you about the chocolate puds. Hard as it was, we had to eat all the non-chocolate puds without writing a single word. That was tough. But here’s what we thought about Gü’s more chocolatey offerings…

Black Forest Gateaux

I enjoyed this a lot. It’s described as “Brandy and kirsch-spiked Morello cherry compote smothered in silky mascarpone cheesecake topped with our sumptuously rich chocolate ganache”, and that about sums it up. It’s light, fruity and chocolatey, and I really wish it came in bigger sizes. There’s a really good balance of flavours… one spoonful you’ll get deliciously tangy cherries, and the next, you’ll get a mouthful of ganache. Like most Gü puds though, it’s gone too quickly. Thankfully, you get two in a pack!

Gü-ey Chocolate Torte

This large torte is designed to be shared between 6-8 people, but taking it out of the packaging, I was uninspired. It looks flat, plain and frankly a little dull. Straight from the fridge, I found the texture dry and a bit stodgy too.

The packaging does suggest serving with cream or fruit, but not having any, I warmed the torte for a couple of minutes and added a dollop of home made banana caramel. This imporoved it tremendously, but I still don’t think the torte is something I would buy. Having said that, my friend Kavey also received one and it was her favourite dessert in the whole range, so either there was something wrong with mine, or we just have very different tastes!

Chocolate Melting Middles

These are individual chocolate fondant style desserts and about the same size as the standard ramekins. Being designed to be heated, they don’t come in glass, but are simply wrapped in paper. There’s a plan dark chocolate version, and a dark chocolate with orange oil. You can either heat them in the oven, or just pop them in the microwave for 30 seconds.

Both styles of Melting Middles are very nice, but they’re very, very rich. What they need is a big dollop of fresh cream to cut through that richness – something that transforms them into a very delicious pud indeed.

Hot Chocolate Soufflés

Obviously, this one needs to be heated in the oven too, and I have to say, I rather like it. It can’t be easy to come up with a soufflé recipe that can be mass produced and not only rise in the ramekin, but also taste good. The soufflé is rich in flavour, but very light in texture. I actually prefer that lightness to the Melting Middles desserts, as it leaves you feeling satisfied rather than just full. Very nice.

Chocolate Ganache Mini Puds

Finally, we come to these little pots of ganache. This ultra smooth ganache is probably the kind of thing you’d put in a packed lunch for a quick chocolate hit. It may be small, but it’s rich and very chocolatey. For me though, just one of these little puds was about as much as I could manage after sampling the rest of the range!

Gü also make a range of non-chocolate puds, of course, and these are amongst my favourites. I love the fruity desserts and cheesecakes, despite not having a lot of time to eat non-chocolate puddings.

In fact, my only gripe about the entire range is the ramekins. Back in the old days, Gü puds came in simple ramekins that you would want to keep and serve your own desserts in. Then at some point, they changed the ramekin design and gave them a pronounced lip that not only looks ugly, but also makes it more difficult to scrape those last pieces of gooey pudding out. I’m sure there was a very good reason for doing this, but if I could just change one thing about Gü puds, it would be to bring back these old ramekins. I think I may need to start a petition…

TCHO Artisan Confections

TCHO is a American bean-to-bar chocolate maker based in San Francisco. Like Videri Chocolate Factory, TCHO like to concentrate on flavours rather than specific origins, although most of their chocolates are still single origin.

TCHO Artisan Confections is a new range of fresh chocolates, designed to complement the company’s existing range of bars. It’s always interesting when a chocolate maker turns chocolatier and starts making their own filled chocolates. They’ve very different skills, and it doesn’t always work very well. In this case though, TCHO have come up with a small collection of rather delicious chocolates.

So let’s explore this little box of treats…

“Classic” Seriousmilk + Ground Hazelnuts

A wonderfully nutty praline with a delicious crunch. Enrobed in a 39% milk chocolate, it’s light, creamy and has a great crunch to it. I’m not usually a fan of praline, but I could easily eat a whole box of these.

“Fruity” Purenotes Dark + Wild Morello Cherry

I love cherry and chocolate when done right, and this one is certainly done right. Using TCHO’s “Fruity” 68% Peruvian chocolate, and wild morello cherries in liqueur, it’s sharp, tangy and completely delicious. It’s not overly sweet, which is exactly what I’m looking for in this kind of chocolate, and the liqueur soaked cherry has a kick, without being overwhelming.

“Bright” Purenotes Dark + Blood Orange

A fantastic 67% Madagascan chocolate with a blood orange ganache. The ganache is so zingy and orangey, and is perfectly matched to the citrus notes in the Madagascan chocolate shell. Wonderful stuff.

Sea Salt & Roasted Nib Caramel

This liquid caramel is quite sweet, but that sweetness is offset by an 85% Ecuadorian dark chocolate and a generous helping of cocoa nibs. The result is a very enjoyable journey from sweet to dark.

In short, every chocolate in this box is an out-and-out winner. The flavour combinations have been carefully considered and not only match the chocolates they’ve been paired with, but also fit perfectly with TCHO’s flavour driven approach to chocolate making.

If I have one criticism it’s simply that they’re a little small, and a little expensive at $12.95 for a box of 4 chocolates. That works out at £2.14 per chocolate in proper money, which is at the top end of what you can expect to pay for high end artisan chocolates in the UK. But you do have to remember that these are handmade from the bean, and that’s a time consuming and labour intensive process, even before you consider the cost of sourcing quality ingredients. So even at that price, I think they’re worth paying for.

The other big downside is that TCHO don’t ship internationally yet. Even if they did, with such short shelf life products, I doubt the confections range will ever be on sale outside the US. But if you are able to get hold of them, I highly recommend parting with some cash.