Best Chocolates in the World??

I want to buy the best chocolates in the world as a gift for someone special (my mammy ). We get these belgian chocolates called leonidas in ireland and they're the best I know of.

Rolex make watches, rolls royce make cars, who makes chocolates?

The ones that I prefer are either Pierre Marcolini (shops: http://www.marcolini.be/#/nl/shops/?catId=1) or Wittamer (only shops are in Belgium or Japan: http://www.wittamer.com/fr/shopworld/index.php) However, when I think about it, the only chocolate for which I specifically make a detour everytime I'm visiting the seaside is The Chocolate Line in Bruges (http://www.thechocolateline.be/) This is one of the three chocolate shops mentionned in the Michelin guide.

my old girl loved le maison du chocolat over at 1 rock

http://www.lamaisonduchocolat.com/en/

Mine, of course.

It depends on your location and what you're fond of. Some guys do fruit based stuff exceptionally. Some guys are great artists and elevate presentation to a new level. Some guys "push the envelope" and love experimenting.

If you just like chocolate, i.e. bars, Bonnat's Porcelain stuff is pretty amazing in both flavor and price (~$25 for 3oz?). My go-to chocolate is Valrhona (I like the 64% Manjari for the majority of my work). If chocolate is the centerpiece, I use the same as part of the filling ganache, but if I'm trying to get the other ingredients to shine, I use something more neutral (callebaut for darks, el rey's Icoa for more delicate stuff). Fan of milk chocolate? I like Michel Cluizel's high % chocolate. I'm sure there's lots of good stuff out there that I don't have access to (or the time and money to experiment), those are just things I've run across in the past 5 or 6 years that I started exploring higher end chocolate.

Today, I bought (gasp) a box of Godiva Truffles for the girls at work because I've been slacking on my own chocolate work. For mass produced stuff, it's probably one of the better brands. But, if you've got access to real chocolate shops in Europe, go for it. I'm more of a fan of the French tradition of dark chocolate, but everyone has a different palate.

Of those available in NYC, I like Marcolini and Debauve & Gallais the most. Maison du Chocolat is also pretty good. I find Leonidas and Godiva generally pretty awful.

best chocolates in the world??

Godiva... mmmm.

just kidding.

i dont know im not a choco connoisseuir, connoseiur? , connoiseuir?, whatever.

grrrrr

Originally Posted by gdl203

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grrrrr

Indeed.

Connoisseur is not a French word. kthxbye.

Delicious thread

Does one have to buy chocolates fresh from a local shop or it is safe to order online from another country?

Another vote for pierre marcolini

I'm curious, is a best chocolate, like this pierre marcollini, something that would appeal to everyone who tries it, or do these chocolates require some sort of 'sophisticated' palate?

Originally Posted by somatoform

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I'm curious, is a best chocolate, like this pierre marcollini, something that would appeal to everyone who tries it, or do these chocolates require some sort of 'sophisticated' palate?

The former. Some fancy-schmancy hyper-creative chocolatiers will have strange flavors and combinations with fennel and chipotle or whatever (I'm thinking guys like Vosges), but Marcolini, Debauve & Gallais, Maison du Chocolat, etc... will also have classic gianduja or praline based chocolates that are just high quality, better made and made with better ingredients.

That said, they also have simple, dark chocolate and in the high %, it can indeed be an acquired taste because of the very low sugar content.

Any recommendations in the 85-90% range that are available to be ordered online?

Originally Posted by M.D.

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The ones that I prefer are either Pierre Marcolini (shops: http://www.marcolini.be/#/nl/shops/?catId=1) or Wittamer (only shops are in Belgium or Japan: http://www.wittamer.com/fr/shopworld/index.php) However, when I think about it, the only chocolate for which I specifically make a detour everytime I'm visiting the seaside is The Chocolate Line in Bruges (http://www.thechocolateline.be/) This is one of the three chocolate shops mentionned in the Michelin guide.

+1 on Pierre Marcolini, fabulous chocolate.