Gourmet Chocolate - Page 3
Mass marketers and producers of chocolate make their money by producing a lot of product for not a lot of money and selling it for a cheap price. Gourmet chocolatiers, by comparison, largely use hand craft and artesian methods to create their chocolates. They are not usually mass produced, but only made in limited quantities. It is difficult to say exactly how and where the processes differ because candy makers in general and chocolate makers in particular are notoriously secretive about their processes. In fact, it is said that Ronald Dahl based his famous book Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory on the Cadbury chocolate company. The point is that besides some obvious things, like hand mixing, it is very difficult to say what the exact differences between the two processes are.
The last place where mass market chocolate and gourmet chocolate differs is in the variety of flavors and textures that gourmet chocolatiers offer. With the exception of M and M’s, whose chocolate is less sweet to encourage higher consumption, all mass chocolate is pretty much the same in different forms. It is poured over caramel and cookies, it is mixed with crisp rice or it is molded into a bar. No matter what is done to it or what other flavors are added, the basic chocolate is still the same. This is not the case with gourmet chocolate. For the reason that it is largely hand processed, there is a great variety in the subtle flavors and textures among the gourmet chocolates. Some is spicier, some is milder. Again, it is difficult to say how these differences come about. It could come about from the roasting of the bean or some other process, but gourmet chocolatiers often offer chocolates with subtle flavor notes that can not be found in mass produced chocolate.
Chocolate fans would agree that most any type of chocolate is good chocolate. Whether you find it at a gourmet chocolatier or you find it at a bakery or at the corner store, any chocolate is truly one of life’s pleasures. However, understanding the differences between gourmet chocolate and mass market chocolate may let you enjoy the former more when you have it, knowing the kind of care and work that went into creating it.
