Here's my little contribution, an article from this morning's local paper
("Il Tirreno") here in Pisa, Italy. Here's a rough translation:

------------------------------------------------------------------

Title: Un cioccolato da Guinesss

The title of "best chocolate in the world" had arrived a month ago. Three
products of Amedei, which has its plant at La Rotta, at the doorstep of
Pontedera [about 15 miles from Pisa], have received the Oscar awarded in
London.

Of the "medals" for 2006, which are awarded every year by the London
Chocolate Academy, a total of five were awarded to Amedei: three gold, one
silver, and one bronze.

Among the great chocolates, those belonging to the category "Best bean to
bar dark chocolate," out of five gold medals awarded to producers from all
over the world, three went to the chocolates produced by Amedei: to Chuao,
already crowned in 2005 as the best dark chocolate in the world, to
Porcelana, and to Toscano Black 70%.

Other awards in the same category were a silver medal awarded to "Amedei 9"
and, for the first time, a bronze to the Amedei milk chocolate. It should
also be noted that in this category [milk chocolate] the London academy
awarded neither the gold nor the silver medal this year.

But these aren't the only "awards" for the Pontedera operation that entered
into the Guiness Book of World Records . and not for the quality of its
products. Rather, for their price.

The volume that collects all the world records, in its 2007 edition, just on
the market, recounts that the most expensive chocolate in the world is the
multi-decorated Porcelana of Amedei.

On Page 124 of the enormous volume that collects curiosities and strange
things from around the world, it is explained that "Amedei Porcelana is sold
for 90 dollars in a package of 450 grams." After some calculating, we find
that this means that one kilogram of chocolate costs 200 dollars. That is,
158 Euros per Kilo.

Porcelana is the first chocolate in the world - explains Guiness - that is
"produced from seeds of a single variety of cacao, the Porcelana, white with
porcelain reflections. Amedeit produces about 20 bars of it in a year."
------------------------------------------------------------------

John