There are cacao plantations in China and it should therefore be possible to find good Chinese dark chocolate made in China. This chocolate made by Shanghai Golden Monkey Food Co. Ltd. in Shanghai but was purchased in Tibet a few weeks ago (thanks to Grete). It is made with ”cocoa butter substitute” instead of cocoa butter, which affects the flavor and texture. The texture and flavor is somewhat waxy. The flavor is chocolatey with a weak hint of a unpleasant extraneous flavor, possibly related to the fat mixture added. This chocolate if probably fine for cooking.
Editor’s Rating:
Type: Semisweet bulk chocolate bar
Flavor: 
Not recommended.
Hal Chocolate brands, Chocolate tasting china
The Italian chocolate festival “Eurochocolate” will be held in Perugia, Italy, October 13-21, 2007. Last year’s event had more than one million visitors. The festival includes dozens of events related to the “food of the gods”, e.g. exhibitions, laboratories, internships, cooking classes, tasting, expositions, banquets, celebrations, and Eurochocolate Awards. For more information see the Eurochocolate website, which unfortunately is mostly in Italian.
Hal Chocolate events italy
In a shop in Seattle I found an unusual chocolate: “Salt Tasting Chocolate” from Bruco (Italy). It contains minimum 74% cacao solids, so it is a quite bitter chocolate. It is somewhat hard and appears dry, probably because a fairly low amount of cacao butter is added during production. A higher content of cacao butter would have given a softer texture. The addition of salt in a bittersweet chocolate bar was a new experience. Often a pinch of salt will enhance and enrich the flavor of a chocolate cake or dessert, which also happened in this case for a chocolate bar.
Editor’s Rating:
Type: Specialty chocolate bar.
Flavor: 
[Photo: Hal]
Hal Chocolate brands, Chocolate tasting, Specialty chocolates italy
3400 Phinney Chocolates are made by Theo Chocolate Company in Seattle WA, USA. Their factory is located at 3400 Phinney Avenue N, Seattle, WA 98103. This series of products is made with organic cacao beans and is fair trade certified. The milk chocolate with vanilla has a fairly traditional and nice flavor. The chai tea chocolate and coffee-flavored dark chocolates are also delicious and I highly recommend them. The coconut curry flavored milk chocolate has a very special flavor; you will either love it or hate it. The combination of flavors is uncommon, but very exciting. If you are able to obtain these chocolates, try them!
Editor’s Rating:
Type: Specialty chocolate candy bars.
Flavor: 
[Photo: Hal]
Hal Chocolate brands, Chocolate tasting, Specialty chocolates usa
Mink Chocolates has a cafe in Vancouver (863 Hastings Street West, Vancouver BC, Canada). By chance I passed the cafe one late evening and decided to visit the cafe the next morning. I was very much surprized by the creative chocolate products Mink is producing: fine chocolate bars (solid and filled), bon bons, and gift boxes. They are using chocolate from Callebaut (Belgium) for making their products. In the cafe you can also buy high quality coffee.
What about a dark chocolate bar filled with lime in white chocolate ganache? Or chocolate filled with burnt caramel with salt and rosemary? (The flavor of this one is fantastic!)
My visit opened a new world of flavor combinations. I absolutely recommend a visit to Mink Chocolate Cafe if you happen to be in Vancouver!
[Photos: Hal]
Hal Chocolate brands, Chocolate cafes, Chocolate tasting, Chocolatieres, Specialty chocolates canada