Chocolate in the USA

I don't know how many of you catch the Joy Behar Show on HLN but there was this woman from Brooklyn saying we don't have good chocolate here in USA.- while I was screaming at the TV I could name 4- Hershy's from Penn., Sea's from Seatle, Giradellis from San Fransisco, and Temo's from Akron, Ohio. She is the new inventor here of choloclate- had to vent !!!

Hmmmm... maybe, maybe not.
Chocolate-tiers pay taxes on their chocolate per package container. So if, say Neuhouse (a Belgian chocolate) makes their candy pieces, boxes them and sends them to the US, Neuhouse pay taxes on EACH individual box. What some will do is send bulk boxes to the US and have them boxed here and save on import taxes. Others, like Godiva, would send block chocolate and have the candy pieces made and boxed here in the US saving even more on taxes. The problem with all this is that the chocolate is 'handled' so much and shipped under all sorts of conditions. Almost everything and anything will effect chocolate but the biggest offenders are temperature and time. That's why a piece of Neuhouse chocolate here in the states is OK but the same chocolate in Belgium is almost a spiritual experience.

I adore See's or Giradellis chocolate best when I'm in California but then I'm right there where the chocolate is made. It doesn't have time to sit around on a shelf or in a warehouse someplace. The Belgian chocolate I ate in Paris was far superior to anything I've ever had stateside. But I think that same chocolate, were it shipped to the US, boxed in the US, then sold to consumers in the US, would suffer tremendously and be easily beaten in a taste test by most domestically made chocolate.

So who has the best tasting chocolate? I would say it would have to be the chocolateier that can get it to you the freshest.

http://www.tcho.com/

Made in San Fran

Proof/21C carries it.

http://www.cellardoorchocolates.com/

Made in Louisville

Vosges Chocolate are excellent US ( bar) chocolates- you can get them at Liquor Barn, Fresh Market ( and now at the Chicago airport I noticed on my last flight). These are fine chocolate bars- no comparison to Hershey's or See's. ( Both of which I like ). Regarding the freshness issue- Vosges are made in Chicago so the travel/shelf time for us is a lot less than many other national brands.

My favorite is the Barcelona- chocolate with sea salt and hazelnuts. OMG good!


Deb

There's good chocolate in the U.S. but there's great chocolate in Europe. Hershey's is good but comparing it to some of the chocolate that I had while in Paris is unrealistic. Also, I'm in total agreement w/ Carla G.

[Robin Garr]

For very serious chocolates made to an extremely high quality standard in the US, try Recchiuti Confections in San Francisco, but be prepared to pay for it. (Shipped only overnight, with ice packs in summer. You'll pay for that, too.)
http://www.recchiuti.com/index.html

Of course, it's hard to beat sitting in Christian Constant in Paris and having a bite while looking out over the Luxemourg Gardens ...

Wasn't Godiva acquired by Campbell Soup a few years back and later sold to a Turkish company? I don't know about you, but this does not inspire confidence for me.

I don't think I would include Hershey in the same category with the chocolatiers under discussion here.

I guess I didn't mean to put Hershy's in the same catagory as fine chocolate-I agree w/Carla fresh is the best!! My point was that there are good chocolates in the USA. This gal made it sound like she brought good chocolate to Amarica. Also sorry I spelled See's wrong.

Wasn't Godiva acquired by Campbell Soup a few years back and later sold to a Turkish company? I don't know about you, but this does not inspire confidence for me.

Yup. More than 20 years ago in fact.