|
|
|
ONLINE FEATURES
Book Reviews
BW Video
Columnists
Interactive Gallery
Newsletters
Past Covers
Philanthropy
Podcasts
Special Reports
BLOGS
Auto Beat
Bangalore Tigers
Blogspotting
Brand New Day
Byte of the Apple
Economics Unbound
Eye on Asia
Fine On Media
Green Biz
Hot Property
Investing Insights
Management IQ
NEXT: Innovation
NussbaumOnDesign
Tech Beat
Working Parents
TECHNOLOGY
J.D. Power Ratings
Product Reviews
Tech Stats
Wildstrom: Tech Maven
AUTOS
Home Page
Auto Reviews
Classic Cars
Car Care & Safety
Hybrids
INNOVATION
& DESIGN Home Page Architecture Brand Equity Auto Design Game Room SMALLBIZ Smart Answers Success Stories Today's Tip INVESTING Investing: Europe Annual Reports BW 50 S&P Picks & Pans Stock Screeners Free S&P Stock Report SCOREBOARDS Hot Growth 100 Mutual Funds Info Tech 100 S&P 500 B-SCHOOLS Undergrad Programs MBA Blogs MBA Profiles MBA Rankings Who's Hiring Grads |  |
FEBRUARY 12, 2007
Pure Chocolate Indulgence Aficionados, like wine lovers, care about where the beans come from. Now you can find sweets made of cocoa from a single country or plantation Origin: São Tomé Overview: The first African cocoa plantations were planted in the 19th century on the islands of São Tomé and Principe, which is on the Equator off the coast of central Africa. The fertile, volcanic soil from Africa's smallest nation produces a forbiddingly dark, bittersweet chocolate. Tasting Notes: The cocoa taste of Michel Cluizel's Tamarina Noir is enhanced by licorice and citrus flavors. It is part of a five-plantation tasting box for $26 (chocolatmichelcluizel-na.com). Fruit and spice dominate in the bittersweet Pralus São Tomé bar, which is $8 (chocosphere.com). Origin: Ghana Overview: Ghanaian beans, usually at the bottom of the totem pole, tend to be used in mass-produced chocolates, but there are some standouts. Growers harvest pods by hand and ferment the beans between banana leaves on the forest floor. Tasting Notes: Cocoa-dusted truffles from La Maison du Chocolat are sweet, earthy, and mild at $45 for half a pound (www.lamaisonduchocolat.com/en). Made from an aromatic cocoa, the Pralus Ghana bar, $8, is a bit spicier with plenty of acidity to round it out. Origin: Ecuador Overview: Beans from Ecuador tend to have strong acidity because they are grown at high altitudes. Ecuadoran cocoa is more complex than African, but it's not considered to be top-tier. The country's best chocolate comes from the Salinas de Guaranda area, which is in the central region. Tasting Notes: Hershey's (HSY ) Cacao Reserve Arriba bars can be found at major retailers for just $3.29. Because milk is used in production, true chocolate buffs will scoff at the sweet, herbal taste. For a more sensual experience, try Domori's Arriba bar, $4.80. It boasts hazelnut, banana, and citrus flavors. Origin: Venezuela Overview: This South American country known for oil and Hugo Chávez is also a leading producer of high-end beans. But many so-called single-origin Venezuelan chocolates are actually a blend from several growing regions. Beans from Chuao and Porcelana are considered the best in the world. Tasting Notes: Produced exclusively by Tuscan chocolatier Amedei in limited quantities, Chuao features notes of red currant and cherries. Even more rare is Porcelana. It tastes like bread and jam. Boxes of Amedei Porcelana and Amedei Chuao Napolitains are $24 (www.amedei-us.com).  By Lauren Young
BW MALL
SPONSORED LINKS
Get BusinessWeek directly on your desktop with our RSS feeds.
Buy a link now! Add BusinessWeek news to your Web site with our headline feed. Click to buy an e-print or reprint of a BusinessWeek or BusinessWeek Online story or video. To subscribe online to BusinessWeek magazine, please click here. Learn more, go to the BusinessWeekOnline home page  | | |
 Copyright 2007, by The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. All rights reserved.Terms of Use | Privacy Notice |
Printer-Friendly Version
