Chocolate Expert Guesses Cheap VS. Expensive Chocolate, Teaches Us A Lot Along The Way
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!
let me get this straight, she was judging her own product against ONE other in a "blind" taste test and calling it a "tasting competition"? That is not a "competition", that's a publicity stunt.
No, she wasn't testing her own product. She was testing a random selection of products.
Load More Replies...Cheap, expensive, high class, low class. I can't recall a chocolate I didn't like and I didn't have to waste my time dithering over it.
And "Puts Her Family’s Reputation On The Line" is exaggerated
Load More Replies...It appears to me that this article is clearly meant for chef's, cooks and possibly gourmets.
The last time I clicked on one of these videos it was a Trojan horse. I don't click on articles if I know there are videos, and I wish there were an icon to let me know which ones to avoid.
Load More Replies...I'm pretty sure the title of this article was different. I think the original title was "...puts her family's name on the line", something like that XD
I look for chocolate where the farm workers are not slaves. Fair Trade is fair for everyone.
All organic chocolate & chocolate from Central & South America is made without slave labour, including Newman's own. Not including Hershey, Godiva, or Ghiardelli, nor Trader Joe's or Starbucks.
Load More Replies...Pretty informative. I would have liked to learn more about the difference between organic & fair trade chocolate as well as exploitive child labor practices in West African cocoa plantations.
It's true, after so many years, the European food&drink products (or at least with some European genes, like these) are still better than their American counterparts. I wonder why don't you give up your pride and start importing bigger quantities, as they are also cheaper. And don't worry, they usually make small quantities so they won't displace more than 30-40% of your market, at best.
There are so many variables that weren't explained, such as who picked the competition, was it open to other companies, who was the judge, etc....if she were judging her own chocolate, she should be able to pick that out of a dozen different varieties. This is no competition.
I am not going to read the article and then watch the video. Is it safe to assume she picked her own product every time?
This is the most pointless article I have ever encountered. Of no help whatsoever, not entertaining or informative.
Air bubbles may be a sign of a lack of attention to detail... or my fondly hoped wish for dark chocolate Aero coming true! All sounds so delicious. There is a bar of gorgeous, dark chocolate in the room with me but it's not within arms reach and my dog is asleep on my lap. Dog vs chocolate... she's winning. For now.
I found the history of Guiitard of particular interest. I worked at various French & California Cuisine restaurants in San Francisco in the 70s, 80s, & 90s and all the best ones used Guittard. For pastries, mousses, and desserts, it was not only the best tasting, it had a consistency of quality that made it much easier to work with. Good to see that the company is still a family concern.
Man... that's how it works for me: If I like it, I eat it. It doesn't have to be expensive.
'were willing to pay him plenty much for his premium treats'. Just going to leave that here.
let me get this straight, she was judging her own product against ONE other in a "blind" taste test and calling it a "tasting competition"? That is not a "competition", that's a publicity stunt.
No, she wasn't testing her own product. She was testing a random selection of products.
Load More Replies...Cheap, expensive, high class, low class. I can't recall a chocolate I didn't like and I didn't have to waste my time dithering over it.
And "Puts Her Family’s Reputation On The Line" is exaggerated
Load More Replies...It appears to me that this article is clearly meant for chef's, cooks and possibly gourmets.
The last time I clicked on one of these videos it was a Trojan horse. I don't click on articles if I know there are videos, and I wish there were an icon to let me know which ones to avoid.
Load More Replies...I'm pretty sure the title of this article was different. I think the original title was "...puts her family's name on the line", something like that XD
I look for chocolate where the farm workers are not slaves. Fair Trade is fair for everyone.
All organic chocolate & chocolate from Central & South America is made without slave labour, including Newman's own. Not including Hershey, Godiva, or Ghiardelli, nor Trader Joe's or Starbucks.
Load More Replies...Pretty informative. I would have liked to learn more about the difference between organic & fair trade chocolate as well as exploitive child labor practices in West African cocoa plantations.
It's true, after so many years, the European food&drink products (or at least with some European genes, like these) are still better than their American counterparts. I wonder why don't you give up your pride and start importing bigger quantities, as they are also cheaper. And don't worry, they usually make small quantities so they won't displace more than 30-40% of your market, at best.
There are so many variables that weren't explained, such as who picked the competition, was it open to other companies, who was the judge, etc....if she were judging her own chocolate, she should be able to pick that out of a dozen different varieties. This is no competition.
I am not going to read the article and then watch the video. Is it safe to assume she picked her own product every time?
This is the most pointless article I have ever encountered. Of no help whatsoever, not entertaining or informative.
Air bubbles may be a sign of a lack of attention to detail... or my fondly hoped wish for dark chocolate Aero coming true! All sounds so delicious. There is a bar of gorgeous, dark chocolate in the room with me but it's not within arms reach and my dog is asleep on my lap. Dog vs chocolate... she's winning. For now.
I found the history of Guiitard of particular interest. I worked at various French & California Cuisine restaurants in San Francisco in the 70s, 80s, & 90s and all the best ones used Guittard. For pastries, mousses, and desserts, it was not only the best tasting, it had a consistency of quality that made it much easier to work with. Good to see that the company is still a family concern.
Man... that's how it works for me: If I like it, I eat it. It doesn't have to be expensive.
'were willing to pay him plenty much for his premium treats'. Just going to leave that here.
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