I love shopping for chocolate and I love devouring it even more. Sometimes, however, it’s quite hard to choose what to get, since I lack the required knowledge that would guide me towards a satisfying purchase. During times like these, the price is the main guideline. But chocolatier Amy Guittard has recently appeared on Epicurious to teach us that there are many more things that indicate the quality of these heavenly delights.

Epicurious has presented Amy with a random selection of chocolates from different manufacturers, concealing all of the information about them. Employing only her taste, she did her best trying to tell which of them were cheap and which were expensive. And there couldn’t be a better person for the job. Chocolate is in Amy’s blood. She works at Guittard Chocolate Company, founded by her great-great-grandfather Etienne Guittard in 1868.

In the mid-1800s, Etienne was planning to leave his home in France to try his luck in the US, hoping of striking it rich at the California Gold Rush. The man, however, didn’t have the mining supplies for the job, so he packed a lot of delicious chocolate from his uncle’s factory to trade. When Etienne noticed how much the wealthy miners were willing to pay for his premium treats, he knew he had discovered another kind of gold. He sailed back to France, finessed his craft and returned to San Francisco in 1868, to open Guittard Chocolate on Sansome Street. In addition to chocolate, Etienne also sold coffee, tea, and spices. And the rest is history.

“Our craft is as much about making beautifully tasting chocolate as it is about supporting the people and preserving the places behind what we make,” the company writes on its website. “As the fifth generation joins the company, we continue to find ways to support, explore and grow with our extended family of customers, co-workers, farmers, and suppliers.”

Scroll down to check out how Amy’s blind-tasting went!

More info: guittard.com | Instagram

Chocolate is in Amy Guittard’s blood. She works at Guittard Chocolate Company, founded by her great-great-grandfather in 1868

Image credits: Susie Wyshak

In the mid-1800s, Etienne Guittard left his home in France to try his luck in the US in hopes of striking it rich during the California Gold Rush

Image credits: Guittard Chocolate Company

Etienne had brought chocolate with him, hoping to trade it for mining supplies

Image credits: Guittard Chocolate Company

But wealthy miners were willing to pay him plenty for his premium treats

Image credits: Guittard Chocolate Company

He returned to France, to train with his uncle, a chocolatier, and in 1868, Etienne was again in San Francisco, where he opened the Guittard Chocolate Company

Image credits: Guittard Chocolate Company

Recently, Amy shared her immense knowledge about chocolate while blind-tasting a random selection of products from different manufacturers

At first, she tried baking chips, comparing their color, flavor and other characteristics

Later, Amy tasted milk chocolate, pointing out the quality of their dairy and the roughness of the edges

When Amy compared white chocolate, she gave a lot of attention to cocoa butter

When trying cocoa powder, the chocolatier looked for lingering flavor and whether or not there was a burnt taste

Finally, dark chocolate. Amy was searching for (the lack of) air bubbles and whether or not the pieces satisfied her hunger

Watch the video below to check out the results!

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