CHOCOLATES

Chocolates Valor was founded in 1881. The factory is located in Villajoyca near Alicante in Spain where they also have a chocolate museum. Their premium chocolate bar selection is made with bittersweet chocolate (70% cacao solids) made with cacao beans from Ghana, Equador and Panama, and flavored with orange, pear, banana, mint, forest fruit, tofee, or plain chocolate. Valor has also a series or more ordinary chocolate bars, drinking chocolate, sugar-free chocolate, and gourmet chocolate. At their chocolate cafés you can also buy hot sipping chocolate (thick, melted chocolate which you may enjoy as it is or with bisquits). Their chocolate cafés can be found in a number of Spanish cities and is absolutely recommended.

We have tried their premium chocolate bars flavored with orange and pear. These chocolate bars have an adult flavor which is not too sweet, with strong, delicious flavor of the fruit. Actually two of the best flavored chocolates we have ever tried.

Editor’s Rating:
Type: Specialty chocolate bars.
Flavor:

Hal Chocolate brands, Chocolate tasting, Specialty chocolates spain

The people of Iceland love the combination of milk chocolate and liquorice. The fairly small icelandic chocolate manufacturers Freyja and Noi Sirius produce several combinations of those ingredients. We have tried three of them: Freyju Hitt, Eitt Sett, and Nizza Lakriskurl. Freyju Hitt (by Freyja) is made with milk chocolate, toffee and soft liquorice. The flavor is delicious combined with a soft texture. Easy to eat, easy to like, and easy to get addicted!

Eitt Sett (by Noi Sirius) is contains a milk chocolate bar with fairly hard liquorice on top. When taking a bite the chocolate bar cracks into several pieces. The flavor is dominated by milk chocolate, the liquorice flavor comes later, but is never strong. The texure of the liquorice is too hard compared to the fairly soft milk chocolate, so in my opinion this combination is not very successful.

Nizza Lakkriskurl (by Sirius) is a milk chocolate bar containing finely ground liquorice. The texture is fine, almost like ordinary milk, chocolate, but the liquorice flavor could have been stronger.

Editor’s Rating:
Type: Sweet chocolate candy bars. Flavor:
Freyju Hitt:
Nizza Lakkriskurl:
Eitt Sett:

Hal Chocolate brands, Chocolate tasting iceland

Cacao is thrilled to introduce its’ exclusive bean to bar line of chocolate entitled The First Encounter on Wednesday April 1st at a launch reception taking place at Cacao’s chocolate boutique and laboratoire. This will be the initial Atlanta launch reception, poised as an affair of love and will ultimately lead to the final destination of The Love Bar in 2010.

Kristen Hard, Master Chocolatier and Proprietor of Cacao, will now join the ranks of the chocolate elite- group of less than 20 small-batch, artisan, bean to bar chocolate makers as the first and only female in the country. Cacao’s bean to bar line will deliver an authentic and luxurious chocolate experience while supporting the slow food movement, and utilizing local and sustainable products.

“The accomplishment of creating a bean to bar marks the successful transition from being a chocolatier to becoming a chocolate maker. Those in the industry recognize what a momentous transition this is. To be the first woman is a true honor and I hope to inspire other female chocolate makers in the future”, says Kristen Hard.

A chocolate maker is someone that buys and roasts cocoa beans, grinds them into chocolate, and is intimately involved in every step of the manufacturing process. A chocolatier, on the other hand, is someone who transforms chocolate from couverture, pure solid chocolate bought from different producers. Very few chocolatiers bridge the gap to becoming a chocolate maker.

Each bar will have its own certificate of authenticity with the origin of the cocoa bean and the date of production.

To RSVP to the launch event, please contact Caline Jarudi at caline@cacaoaltanta.com or call 404-221-2626.

Cacao, a chocolate boutique described as a balance between a luxurious jewelry store and a French apothecary, is located on North Highland Avenue near Fritti and The Grape in Inman Park, one of Atlanta’s trendiest neighborhoods. Created by Atlanta native and gourmet chocolatier, Kristen Hard, Cacao adds a new dimension to chocolate offerings in the city. This development may appeal to businessmen wanting to get in the cacao business and may seek the help of companies like investools for wise investment decisions and precise planning for the perfect strategic approach in this business.

Cacao Laboratoire du Chocolat and Boutique
312 C North Highland Ave.
Atlanta GA, 30307

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