Chocolate

[edyzmedieval]

Alright so I've recently viewed a video about the differences in taste between European and US chocolate. Which I found very surprising as an avid chocolate eater.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTpHLR60XSs

Now, I've tasted Hershey before and I found it a bit off but it wasn't that bad. Yes, it was markedly different from European brands, and particularly from more special - artisanal chocolate - but it was not a complete game changer. Plus being an American import it was far more expensive than just normal chocolate which we have lying around.

Understanding however the process of confection / manufacturing for the chocolate raises a question - the taste of butyric acid, which is horrendous, was so popular in the United States? How did this happen? ~:eek:

In the video, butyric acid - which is what you usually get also from rotten cheese - stabilises milk and also gives Hershey bars & other US chocolate the specific tastes. Some say it's like vomit - but this is very popular in the US.

How come?

[drone]

Yes, Hershey's is bad. As a child in the US you don't really notice it because you don't know anything else, but once you get the opportunity to taste European style chocolate it's hard to go back. I wouldn't say it tastes like vomit (probably my childhood conditioning), but it definitely has a chemical/artificial flavor and texture. Thanks for the vid, now I know why!

[Seamus Fermanagh]

European chocolates, on average, use more cacao (mostly sourced from West Africa v USA's sourced from SA), less sugar, and cocoa butters and milk with a higher fat content. source (https://www.gourmetboutique.net/blogs/tasting-room/17250043-european-vs-american-chocolate-whats-the-difference) Marquee brands from both sides of the pond are tasty, but different.

This mirrors a general difference in thinking about sweets and desserts. Europeans tend to prefer creamier/fattier with a good bit less sugar over the American preference for high sugar, somewhat less fat, and less intense flavors overall. Again, marquee and artisanal brands on both sides produce good stuff.

[edyzmedieval]

It's quite interesting from a commercial standpoint - I'm fairly sure Hershey tried to get into the European market but the taste didn't catch on. Also the video made the comparison with Cadbury - which, although I love Cadbury Fruit & Nuts, is sweeter than most continental European brands like Milka and Kinder.

[Hooahguy]

Hersheys is ok in small amounts, or when combined with something. Like Reeses. That stuff is like drugs to me. But eat it plain? No thanks. There are good American chocolate makers, but they sadly are not as prominent as they should be. All the stores near me carry Ritter Sport chocolate which I like a lot. I'd love to find some Norwegian Freia Melkesjokolade (milk chocolate) bars which remain as my favorite of the European chocolate bars, but they are so expensive to buy here. On Amazon, three large-sized bars are a whopping $33!

[Crandar]

First time I hear about these firms. Neither of them is available in the local supermarkets. By far my favourite is Ion chocolate, a native brand. Probably because I got accustomed to it, because I doubt a Greek firm has really invested in quality. From the foreign brands, I also appreciate côte d'or, but again Ion tastes so much better. The rest are way too sweet in my opinion.

[edyzmedieval]

Ritter Sport is also widely available in Europe, makes sense since it's a German brand. Ritter Sport Coconut & Marzipan are very good. Cote D'Or is so and so, I've had plenty of Swiss chocolate and the commercial ones are only slightly better than normal commercial chocolate.

I recommend Belgian chocolate as well, I'm a fan of Leonidas. (yes, Crandar, it was founded by Leonidas Kestekides, a Greek immigrant to Belgium)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonidas_(chocolate_maker)

[Crandar]

Haha, I know Leo, he's well-known to chocolate addicts, like me, but even his brand has a very minimal presence in Greece. Same goes for Ritter sport. Apart from "candies", like Kit Kat, the most frequent chocolate brands to meet are Ion (already mentioned, my favourite), Lacta (also a Greek brand, but not a fan, personally), Pavlidis (again Greek, better than Lacta, but worse than Ion, in my opinion) Toblerone and Crunch. I honestly can't think of anything else. If you ever find any Ion bar, I strongly recommend trying it. After all, Ion is more of a Romanian than a Greek name, isn't it?

[edyzmedieval]

After all, Ion is more of a Romanian than a Greek name, isn't it?

You're not wrong here :laugh4:

On a similar note, I finally found Cadbury in stores here. Oh the joy, I love a Cadbury Fruit & Nut bar.