Have you ever thought about what makes good, quality chocolate? Which ones are the most appreciated by those who work in the industry? Well, Valrhona is one of the finest, if not the best of what you can find on the market today. And if you haven’t heard about it yet, we’re going to present you with a great guide, containing everything you need to know about this delicacy.

But before we continue writing about Valrhona chocolate, here are some facts you need to know about chocolate in general.

Did you know…

According to research, there are about 600,000 different molecules in chocolate, about 50 of which play a significant role in its essence, that is, they are important for its aroma and taste. Connoisseurs have set a few golden rules for chocolate tasting, and according to them, what you should pay attention to when tasting different ones is:

• Appearance (color and gloss)
• Texture
• The way it breaks (including the sound it makes when breaking)
• Taste
• and above all the feeling that arises in the mouth, the aromas that are released during melting.

Flavors and aromas, which top professional chocolate tasters distinguish, can be divided into quite a lot of different ones, actually: fruity (berries, citrus fruits, stone fruits, dried fruits, tropical fruits…), nutty (almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, pistachios…), woody (cedar, pine, oak…), allspice (cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, pepper, vanilla, nutmeg…), herbal (mushrooms, coffee…), floral (lavender, hibiscus, rose, blueberry), alcoholic (wine, rum, whiskey, vodka…), dairy (butter, cream, fresh and mature cheeses), then aromas reminiscent of herbs (basil, tobacco, mint, St. John’s wort, various dry herbs… .), or even baked bread. So, if by now you thought that sweetness and pleasant taste is all it has to offer, think again.

About Valrhona…

In the chocolate industry, Valrhona is synonymous with high-quality standards and gastronomic luxury. In a way, Valrhona is the Mercedes of the chocolate industry. It is produced in large enough quantities to be widely available and is not eccentrically expensive like the best artisan chocolates (just as a Mercedes is not eccentrically expensive compared to a Rolls or Bentley), and yet it is always exquisite and undeniably exclusive.

Those of you who haven’t heard about it should know that it has been available on the restaurant scene worldwide, for a long time: the most ambitious restaurants prepare their chocolate desserts with Valrhona and proudly point it out on their menus. You should also keep in mind that we are talking about chocolate for professional cooking and not chocolate bars that are sold in stores.

Finest Varieties

Once you set out to explore a rich world of chocolate, you’ll notice that Valrhona has so many varieties. We’ll mention only a couple of them: Guanaja 70%, Caraibe 66%, Manjari 64%, and single origin.

Guanaja is one of Valrhona’s most popular chocolates. It is produced from South American trinitarian and criollo cacao varieties. Criollo is the most prized cocoa variety. It is a medium-bitter chocolate filled with cocoa pieces, which smells intensely of flowers. The taste is warm, slightly spicy, and very long, with elements of pure bitterness brought by pieces of cocoa.

Caraibe is a chocolate made from trinitarian from the Caribbean Islands. It is less complex and much fruitier than Guanaja, with a sweet-sour finish and a perfectly smooth texture. It is a highly commercial high-style chocolate.

Manjari comes from Madagascar. It is chocolate rich in the aromas of red and blue fruits such as cherries, cranberries, and plums: the fruity aromas are typical for Madagascar cocoa, and they are particularly pronounced in less bitter chocolates. With 64% cocoa mass, Manjari is relatively sweet. It also sells delicacies with orange peel.

Valrhona “single origin”. While the vast majority of chocolates are a fine blend of various types of cocoa when it comes to the so-called “single origin” refers to chocolates made from only one type of cocoa bean. The top experts in chocolates, the so-called connoisseurs swear that there is a difference depending on the year of harvest. there is logic there, as with wine.

Valrhona’s chocolates are not cheap. But these are the best chocolates that can be bought today. There’s one particular variety that has been on the list of the most luxurious and the most expensive chocolates in the world.

La Madeline au Truffe. This chocolate is made by the company “Knipschildt”, and half a kilogram costs an incredible 2,500 – 2,600 dollars. One ball has about 50 – 55 grams and costs 250 dollars per piece. This fabulously expensive delicacy is also the most expensive in the world, and its price is due to its premium ingredients. The recipe consists of 70 percent Valrhona dark chocolate and sweet cream, so this mixture is soaked in vanilla and pure truffle oil for 24 hours. This rich filling is then wrapped around French Périgord truffles, and finally, everything is rolled in cocoa.

Best recipes

We’ve mentioned how this type of chocolate is the secret ingredient of so many deserts served in the best restaurants in the world. In a way, whichever recipe you choose will be greatly enriched if you put quality chocolate inside. If you feel a lack of inspiration, Valrhona has opened up to the public and now offers chocolate lovers various recipes on its website, and if you log in (for free) you also have access to their television where they demonstrate the recipes.

A quality desert has never been easier to make, having all these commodities.