{"id":12886,"date":"2019-06-12T18:12:59","date_gmt":"2019-06-13T01:12:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/chocolatebythebay.com\/magazine\/?p=12886"},"modified":"2024-11-30T15:46:56","modified_gmt":"2024-11-30T23:46:56","slug":"do-i-like-white-chocolate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chocolatebythebay.com\/magazine\/local-chocolate\/san-francisco-chocolate\/do-i-like-white-chocolate\/","title":{"rendered":"Do I like white chocolate?"},"content":{"rendered":"

In May 2019, Cacaopod was a judge for the annual TasteTV White Chocolate Awards<\/a> competition. If you\u2019ve read anything on this blog by now you probably already know how I feel about white chocolate, but since we are married and take our vows seriously, for better or for worse, I tried the entries too.<\/p>\n

There were 24 entries this year. And I can\u2019t believe I am writing this, but I loved 11 of them and liked 6. The rest shall remain unnamed and hopefully forgotten ASAP.<\/p>\n

I will start with the ones I loved, and \u2014 happy coincidence \u2014 all the SFBA entrants were included in the ones I loved, so they lede.<\/p>\n

Local stand-outs<\/h2>\n

Charlotte Truffles<\/a><\/strong> is the newest local (Santa Clara) chocolatier in this list. We first tried one of her truffles in the 2018\u00a0Truffle Artistry Awards<\/a>\u00a0competition, and loved the piece for its beauty and balance. We were similarly impressed with her entry in this competition.<\/p>\n

\"Dreamy
Dreamy Nangka practically glowed<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Dreamy Nangka<\/strong> was another\u00a0pretty piece by the chocolatier, with a unique molded leaf design and a bright orangey yellow color. \u00a0Inside, it had 2 layers and a weird texture \u2014 like sugar suspended inside jelly. The flavor was also unusual; the best description I could make was weak pineapple. I found out afterwards that nangka is another word for jackfruit, which has been described as tasting like a cross between banana and pineapple, and I think that\u2019s pretty accurate.<\/p>\n

Although I\u2019ve only tried 2 pieces by Charlotte Truffles, I think very highly of her artistry and creativity. Both pieces were beautiful and well made; and the flavors\/textures were unusual, but tasty. I look forward to seeing how her business develops.<\/p>\n

Dreamy Nangka received a 3.5 out of a possible 5-star rating.<\/p>\n

\"flying
flying noir entry\u2019s came in a single-serving package shaped like an egg<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

And speaking of unusual chocolates, our local queen of experimental chocolates, flying noir<\/a>,<\/strong> also had an entry which I loved. It started with the packaging, which was a neat egg-shaped package, and nestled inside was a single leaf-shaped truffle, hand decorated with splashes and flecks of natural color.<\/p>\n

The piece, called Matzu,<\/strong> was well made with a good shell thickness and smooth mouthfeel.\u00a0The ingredients list was a typically unique flying noir recipe: 31% white chocolate ganache flavored with butter, honey, Roku gin, matcha green tea, yuzu, and cherry plum shio salt (from Japan) in a 74% dark chocolate shell.<\/p>\n

It was not a sweet piece, which is what I always fear with white chocolate, but I wouldn\u2019t call it savory. The white ganache interior was\u00a0green colored from the matcha, which was one of the stronger flavors in the mix. It was a little bright and citrusy from the yuzu, but overall the flavors were not distinct from each other. Instead, they blended into a tasty experience.<\/p>\n

Matzu\u00a0received Silver for Best Taste, Best Texture, and Most Unique; Bronze for Best Ingredient Combination; and a 4.0 Star Rating.<\/p>\n

\"Michaels
Michael\u2019s bright-in-both-looks-and-taste Pomegranate Orange<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The last local entry was Michael\u2019s Chocolates<\/a>\u2019<\/strong> Pomegranate Orange.<\/strong> We first tried this piece at last year\u2019s Fall Chocolate Salon<\/a> and loved it, so we were excited to see it in the competition.<\/p>\n

As with all Michael\u2019s truffles, the piece is a treat on all levels, starting with the shiny orange\/red exterior. The color entirely coats the perfectly thin dark chocolate shell, which in turn houses the smooth orange pomegranate ganache.<\/p>\n

The first taste seems like it will be a typically crowd-pleasing orange chocolate, but a\u00a0tart berry-like flavor emerges to add a little tang to the innocuous orange. It\u2019s a subtly more adult chocolate orange.<\/p>\n

Michael\u2019s Pomegranate Orange received Bronze for Best Ingredient Combination and Best Texture, was ranked #3 Best White Chocolate, and earned a 4.0 Star Rating.<\/p>\n

Tastes like chocolate<\/h2>\n

While I was pleased with the local entrants and surprised that there were other entries I liked just as much, I am really excited about the white chocolate bar from Zurich-based chocolate maker Dieter Meier\u2019s Oro de Cacao<\/a> line.<\/p>\n

\"Dieter
Unfortunately, Oro de Cacao bars by Dieter Meier are not available outside Switzerland and Leichtenstein<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I tried a couple of his dark bars and a milk chocolate bar in another competition and was surprised to find raw chocolate I liked. Usually, raw chocolate is too gritty and not as flavorful as traditionally roasted and tempered chocolate for me. At Oro de Cacao, they have a \u201cpatented full-flavor cold extraction\u201d process, which they claim allows them to create raw chocolate that preserves the complex natural aromas of the cacao, eliminates the need for vanilla, reduces the amount of added sugar required, and is not bitter.<\/p>\n

While the bars in that competition were gritty\/powdery as expected for raw chocolate, they tasted pretty good. Each bar was complex: the milk started nutty and ended with a chocolate ice cream aftertaste; the 75% was cocoa upfront, then had notes of banana candy, and ended with a generally vegetal, but fruity taste; the 80% tasted very fermented with nutty overtones.<\/p>\n

With raw white chocolate however, there is no grittiness because there are no ground-up bean bits. Its chocolate comes from cocoa butter only. Traditional cocoa butter is pretty tasteless, which is the reason people add so much sugar, vanilla, and other flavorings to it. But with Oro de Cacao\u2019s cold extraction, the cocoa butter actually retains its cocoa flavor.<\/p>\n

The White Chocolate Guatemala 42%<\/strong> from Oro de Cacao\u00a0had a raw chocolate taste, but I didn\u2019t find that so bothersome in white chocolate. Instead, it had more complexity in flavor than usual in white chocolate, and was less sweet than other white chocolate.<\/p>\n

I liked it because it was more chocolatey tasting than other white chocolate. You would never mistake it for a dark or milk chocolate, it\u2019s more subtle. But it earns the name \u201cchocolate.\u201d<\/p>\n

Oro de Cacao \/ Chocolat Dieter Meier – White Chocolate Guatemala 42% received Silver for Best Taste and Bronze for Best Texture, was ranked #1 Best White Chocolate, and earned a 4.0 Star Rating.<\/p>\n

\"Strawberry
Chip in a Bottle\u2019s lovely Strawberry Sumac with Fennel Pollen<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

More happy surprises<\/h2>\n

I\u2019m not even halfway through with this batch of white chocolate: There were 7 more entries that I loved and 6 that I liked.<\/p>\n

Chip in a Bottle, a Connecticut based chocolatier, had 3 entries in the competition. I loved 2 of them and shall remain silent about the 3rd.<\/p>\n

Strawberry Sumac with Fennel Pollen<\/strong> was a pretty half-white\/half-pink\u00a0heart-shaped piece\u00a0created by splattering the mold with red and white edible coloring. The shell was a good thinness, with a gooey inside, which tasted lightly of strawberry at first, but got more intensely strawberry, Kudos for it being not too sweet.<\/p>\n

\"Bitters
Chip in a Bottle\u2019s Bitters with Sweet Citrus Reduction didn\u2019t look appetizing, but was tasty<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Chip in a Bottle\u2019s\u00a0Strawberry Sumac with Fennel Pollen received Gold for Most Unique, Silver for Best Ingredient Combination, and a 3.5 Star Rating.<\/p>\n

The name of Chip in a Bottle\u2019s Bitters with Sweet Citrus Reduction<\/strong> gave me pause; as did the unattractive color combo of yellow\/brown\/red on its sea shell\/snail shell mold. But it was a cool piece with a jellied core \u2014 maybe that\u2019s the reduction? \u2014and a taste like old-fashioned Reeds cinnamon candy. No citrus taste that I could discern, but it was a unique piece.<\/p>\n

Chip in a Bottle\u2019s Bitters with Sweet Citrus Reduction received Bronze for Best Ingredient Combination and a 3.0 Star Rating.<\/p>\n

\"Coco
Coco Gusto\u2019s White Raspberry Bonbon had a blushing bottom<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Coco Gusto Chocolates<\/a>\u00a0 makes\u00a0hand painted artisan chocolates in Denver, CO. Their single entry in the competition, their\u00a0White Raspberry Bonbon,<\/strong> was a very pretty twisted-bar shape molded chocolate. While the top attracts all the attention with its blue and orange sprays of color, the bottom was surprisingly pink. The ganache inside was a good white chocolate, not too sweet, with a light raspberry flavor that ended a little buttery.<\/p>\n

Coco Gusto\u2019s White Raspberry Bonbon received Silver for Best Texture, Bronze for Best Taste, and a 3.5 Star Rating.<\/p>\n

\"Panache
Panache Chocolatier\u2019s Cascara was a new taste for me<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

<\/a>
\nPanache Chocolatier<\/a>, Kansas City, MO, entered 3 of their big, round truffles in this competition. One I loved, 2 I liked. The one I loved, Cascara,<\/strong> was a white orb sprinkled with cocoa powder. Simple, but attractive. It had a good thin shell, and the smooth ganache was slightly fruity with caramel overtones. It was sweet, but not too sweet.<\/p>\n

I did not know what cascara was, so I looked it up<\/a>. Turns out it\u2019s the skin and pulp of the fruit around a coffee bean. The dried pieces are steeped in water, so it\u2019s kind of like coffee or tea, but this piece didn\u2019t taste like either one to me. It was its own, hard-to-describe flavor.<\/p>\n

Panache Chocolatier\u2019s Cascara received Bronze for Best Texture and a 3.0 Star Rating.<\/p>\n

\"Shokolat
Shokolate Haven\u2019s Pink Coconut in White Chocolate<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Shokolate Haven\u00a0is a Minneapolis, MN chocolatier. Their single entry in the competition, the Pink Coconut in White Chocolate<\/strong> truffle, looked like half a pink Easter egg, splashed and swirled with every dye color they had on hand. It was a fun piece, with a liquidy raspberry flavored inside with some coconut bits mixed in.<\/p>\n

Shokolate Haven\u2019s Pink Coconut in White Chocolate truffle received a 3.5 Star Rating.<\/p>\n

\"Tandem
Tandem Chocolate\u2019s Mocha Brulee<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Perhaps in reference to its namesake, Tandem Chocolates<\/a>, Reno, NV, submitted 2 truffles into the competition. I loved one, liked the other.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0Mocha Br\u00fbl\u00e9e<\/strong> was a convex square molded chocolate with a transfer design on bottom, but it was the decoration on top that was truly eye catching. It was the hardened caramelized sugar like the top of a cr\u00e8me br\u00fbl\u00e9e dessert. And just like a crunchy br\u00fbl\u00e9e top, it cracked a bit as I chewed it \u2014 so cool! Even without the crunchy top the piece itself was tasty, with a light mocha coffee flavor, and not too sweet. But the topping put it over the top for me.<\/p>\n

Tandem Chocolate\u2019s Mocha Brulee received Gold for Best Ingredient Combination, Bronze for Best Taste and Most Unique, and a 4.0 Star Rating.<\/p>\n

You can buy Tandem Chocolates online<\/a>\u00a0or at their storefront in Reno.<\/p>\n

\"St.
St. Croix Chocolate Co.\u2019s mystery box<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Mysterious & beautiful<\/h2>\n

My last 2-thumbs-up selection was actually 4 pieces by Minnesota\u2019s\u00a0St. Croix Chocolate Company<\/a>. I was intrigued by the beautiful wooden box with their logo stamped on it, which when opened revealed another box with 4 pretty bonbons inside.<\/p>\n

Everything about this entry looked so great, but there was no menu! Would we be able to unravel the mystery of this\u00a0assortment?<\/p>\n

\"Lemon
Lemon Daisy<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The first piece we tried was a very detailed molded white daisy with a bright yellow flower head. It was almost too cute to eat, but I\u2019m glad I did. Inside the thin shell was a super soft, yellow ganache that was very lemony, like lemon curd. I found out afterwards that this piece is called Lively Lemon,<\/strong> and I think that\u2019s accurate.<\/p>\n

\"Passion
Passion Fruit<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The next piece looked like a purple plumeria flower. It had a yellow ganache inside the purple shell and tasted like Passion Fruit.<\/strong> I thought it was clever to use the colors of real passion fruit for the piece. And beyond that, it was strongly passion fruit flavored, so delicious, I loved it.<\/p>\n

\"Apricot\"
Apricot<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The 3rd piece, a light orange speckled dome, was the only piece we got wrong. It had a layered interior, with p\u00e2te de fruit on top of white chocolate ganache.<\/p>\n

We couldn\u2019t tell what fruit flavor it was. We thought it might be guava or another tropical fruit to go with the others, but we found out later that it was Apricot.<\/strong> I guess apricot is too light a flavor for me to guess. I couldn\u2019t discern it in one of the pieces I liked later in the competition either.<\/p>\n

\"Coffee
Coffee Malt<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The final piece was a gorgeous robin\u2019s egg blue dome speckled with brown. I don\u2019t think this was a white chocolate piece. It seemed like a dark chocolate shell with coffee flavored milk chocolate ganache inside, but I didn\u2019t care. Chocolate Malt<\/strong> looked and tasted great.<\/p>\n

While this box counted as one entry, I think it should have gotten extra credit for each piece being so impressive. As it was, the\u00a0St. Croix Chocolate Company Black and White bon bon box<\/strong> received Gold for Best Taste and Best Texture, Silver for Best Ingredient Combination, ranked #2 Best White Chocolate, and received a 4.5 Star Rating.<\/p>\n

My runners-up list<\/h2>\n

While I am still amazed I loved as many entries as I did, I didn\u2019t love everything. However, beyond the ones mentioned above, there were a few more entries I liked:<\/p>\n