Hi.
I have tasted,many chocolates,dark always,but some times,with some
additives,almonds,chilli,etc.,differing in price,veery much.
Ie.,I pay Euros 1.00,for 100g of dark chocolate bar of 70% cacao, in
Greece,while I have found,and tasted,70% chocolates,at Euros almost
5.00 the 100g piece.
I would like to share your knowledge about this .
Is this price difference,reflecting a equivalent quality difference?
Or a taste one?
My oppinion,is negative.
Yours?

Theodore wrote:
> Hi.
> I have tasted,many chocolates,dark always,but some times,with some
> additives,almonds,chilli,etc.,differing in price,veery much.
> Ie.,I pay Euros 1.00,for 100g of dark chocolate bar of 70% cacao, in
> Greece,while I have found,and tasted,70% chocolates,at Euros almost
> 5.00 the 100g piece.
> I would like to share your knowledge about this .
> Is this price difference,reflecting a equivalent quality difference?
> Or a taste one?
> My oppinion,is negative.
> Yours?

My opinion is that price difference may make a difference
but a lot of price difference is due to packaging and intended
market by which I meant whether the people to which the
chocolate is intended to be sold are able to spare the price.
The amount and quality of human labor involved in
the production of the confection is a matter also affecting
the price.
I usually spend USD $3.99 for a 500 gram bar from a discount
grocery and wine chain. The bar of Guittard I recent reviewed here
was about the same price for about 60 grams.
I could quote similar disparties between the price of chocolate
candies like Michel Cluizel and See's but See's is a big statewide
business and sells from its own stores what is made in its own
factory-like confectioneries where lots of skilled hand labor
runs big machines.

later
bliss - Cocoa Powered (at sfo dot com)

--
b.sellers - retired nurse in San Francisco

It is by will alone I set my mind in motion.
It is by the beans of cacao that the thoughts acquire speed,
the thighs acquire girth, the girth become a warning.
It is by theobromine alone I set my mind in motion.
--from Someone else's Dune spoof ripped to my taste

B Sellers wrote:
>
> I usually spend USD $3.99 for a 500 gram bar from a discount
> grocery and wine chain. The bar of Guittard I recent reviewed here
> was about the same price for about 60 grams.

Recently, I've switched to Lindt Excellence 85%,
at US$2.29 for 100 gm. Trader Joe's has dark chocolate
for about half that price, but I buy what I like.

I used to buy Valrhona and Chocovic (around 70%)
at Trader Joe's, but I've recently come around
to Alex's view that anything below 80% is too sweet.

I still don't share his preference for over-roasted
chocolates, but I haven't found an 80%+ chocolate
which has the fruity notes of Valrhona and Chocovic.
The Lindt will do until I find better. There is a
Valrhona which is about 85%, but it isn't very good.
It isn't same same as their ~70% chocolate but with
less sugar. If it were, I'd but it.

> I could quote similar disparties between the price of chocolate
> candies like Michel Cluizel and See's but See's is a big statewide
> business and sells from its own stores what is made in its own
> factory-like confectioneries where lots of skilled hand labor
> runs big machines.

I've seen See's production on TV (it was on California's
Gold). Much of the work is still done by hand. They had
big heated mixers for making the peanut brittle, and long
tables for pouring it out, but how else are you going to
make peanut brittle? I'm not sure I even saw an enrober.
They use Guittard, BTW.