Milk Chocolate Scandal
Recently my boss directed me to this link, which features a ranking of 25 kinds of milk chocolate with tasting notes. It's from the folks at Gourmetmagazine, so I thought it would be pretty insightful, and maybe help mefind a new favorite - something to share space on the pedestal withMichel Cluizel, who, IMNSHO, makes the best milk chocolate in theworld, in addition to some amazing dark chocolate. Perhaps it is mypreference for dark chocolate that fuels my love of the Cluizel milkbars - they have considerably higher cacao content than most of theirpeers. The Grand Lait has 45%, the Maralumi has 47%, and the Mangaro a full 50% - where most others who claim to have "lots of cocoa" in their milk blends only range between 37% and 41%.
Well,as the title of my post might suggest, I saw red when I saw their list.Grand Lait was skipped over completely, and they ranked the MaralumiBELOW HERSHEY'S. After counting to ten a few times and taking severaldeep breaths, I revisited the rankings. Bernard Castelain,a lesser known French chocolatier, received the top honor. I've hadthis bar, and was NOT able to consume three pieces of it. It certainlywasn't terrible, but it was awfully sweet and milky - "milk" may comebefore chocolate in "milk chocolate," but I want to taste the chocolatetoo. If you're having a sugar craving, it would be ideal. II have alsotried the next two bars listed, Lindt and Green & Black's, butwouldn't go to any lengths to seek them out.
I have to admit I haven't tried everythingon the list, but what I have tried is not nearly as good as Cluizel.Scharffen Berger? Lots of cocoa? Not in my book. The wrapper may say41%, but what I taste first, second, and last is the supersweetmilkiness. In fact, the Scharffen Berger has a heavier texture, butotherwise tastes no different from Castelain! How could they be rankedso differently? I know, I know, chocolate is largely a matter ofopinion, and strong opinion at that. I can't completely justify why Ilove Cadbury milk chocolate, but my biggest Lenten challenge would begiving up Cadbury Mini Eggs - so I won't even try.
Ipersonally have to rush to the defense of Maralumi, an exquisite milkchocolate full of flavor complexity. I am amazed every time I eat thissingle-origin bar! The ingredients are as follows, no more, no less:whole milk powder, cocoa, cocoa butter, cane sugar, Bourbon vanillapod. [Cluizel is well-known for using "noble ingredients" - no soy, noveggie oil, resulting in cioccolatopuro!] And yet! The flavors that evolve on the tongue make me doublecheck the list for berries, spices, and salted caramel. I know thereare many good milk chocolates with caramel notes, but none with Salt! Iswear there's just the right amount of salt that weds the caramel andchocolate together, which makes Maralumi not only utterly unique buttotally addictive. The nutrition facts betray the presence of 51milligrams of sodium per serving, but which ingredient contributesthis? The curious cacao beans from Papua New Guinea?
Mangaro is the other exciting offering from Cluizel's single-origin milk line, and this time the beans are from Madagascar. The Gourmetlist notes quite appropriately that this would border on semi-sweet fora milk chocolate lover, and also that it offers the depth and range offlavor you might be more accustomed to finding in a dark chocolate. Itaste banana in this one - a perfect banana that is neither too sweetnor too green. I don't think I've ever had plantains, but perhaps thatis the flavor I'm trying to describe. There are also traces of honey,but again, nothing too sweet. Incredibly multi-faceted.
So that's my sermon. What do you think of the Gourmet list? Is your favorite milk bar listed, and if so, do you agree with its ranking?
Well,as the title of my post might suggest, I saw red when I saw their list.Grand Lait was skipped over completely, and they ranked the MaralumiBELOW HERSHEY'S. After counting to ten a few times and taking severaldeep breaths, I revisited the rankings. Bernard Castelain,a lesser known French chocolatier, received the top honor. I've hadthis bar, and was NOT able to consume three pieces of it. It certainlywasn't terrible, but it was awfully sweet and milky - "milk" may comebefore chocolate in "milk chocolate," but I want to taste the chocolatetoo. If you're having a sugar craving, it would be ideal. II have alsotried the next two bars listed, Lindt and Green & Black's, butwouldn't go to any lengths to seek them out.
I have to admit I haven't tried everythingon the list, but what I have tried is not nearly as good as Cluizel.Scharffen Berger? Lots of cocoa? Not in my book. The wrapper may say41%, but what I taste first, second, and last is the supersweetmilkiness. In fact, the Scharffen Berger has a heavier texture, butotherwise tastes no different from Castelain! How could they be rankedso differently? I know, I know, chocolate is largely a matter ofopinion, and strong opinion at that. I can't completely justify why Ilove Cadbury milk chocolate, but my biggest Lenten challenge would begiving up Cadbury Mini Eggs - so I won't even try.
Ipersonally have to rush to the defense of Maralumi, an exquisite milkchocolate full of flavor complexity. I am amazed every time I eat thissingle-origin bar! The ingredients are as follows, no more, no less:whole milk powder, cocoa, cocoa butter, cane sugar, Bourbon vanillapod. [Cluizel is well-known for using "noble ingredients" - no soy, noveggie oil, resulting in cioccolatopuro!] And yet! The flavors that evolve on the tongue make me doublecheck the list for berries, spices, and salted caramel. I know thereare many good milk chocolates with caramel notes, but none with Salt! Iswear there's just the right amount of salt that weds the caramel andchocolate together, which makes Maralumi not only utterly unique buttotally addictive. The nutrition facts betray the presence of 51milligrams of sodium per serving, but which ingredient contributesthis? The curious cacao beans from Papua New Guinea?
Mangaro is the other exciting offering from Cluizel's single-origin milk line, and this time the beans are from Madagascar. The Gourmetlist notes quite appropriately that this would border on semi-sweet fora milk chocolate lover, and also that it offers the depth and range offlavor you might be more accustomed to finding in a dark chocolate. Itaste banana in this one - a perfect banana that is neither too sweetnor too green. I don't think I've ever had plantains, but perhaps thatis the flavor I'm trying to describe. There are also traces of honey,but again, nothing too sweet. Incredibly multi-faceted.
So that's my sermon. What do you think of the Gourmet list? Is your favorite milk bar listed, and if so, do you agree with its ranking?
There have been numerous studies about the effect of chocolate on mood.....it is evident based on the popularity of chocolate that people do turn to chocolate during stressful times.