Among serious chocolate fans there is no word more magical than Amedei, the Tuscan chocolate company that is prized by connusieurs. Chocolate guru David Lebovitz names Amedei as one of the five things to eat before you die.
I picked up a couple of bars from the Chocosphere.com website, a must peruse site for the chocolate lover.
Amedei Chuao, 70% cacao, $11.95 for a 1.75 oz bar.
Chuao, not to be confused with the California company of the same name, is a coastal region of Venezuela where some of the world's most prized cacao beans are grown.
The Amedei Chuao has a smooth, chocolatey taste, followed by a distinct fruitiness, which tastes of cherry. It avoids the bitterness that can plague high cacao chocolate but also the acidity that mars some single origin bars. A wonderful specimen.
Amedei Porcelana, 70% cacao, $12.95 for a 1.75 oz bar.
Porcelana is a distinct variety of Venezuelan cacao which is very delicate and hard to transport.
This bar is a whole different ballgame. Where the Chuao is a lovely specimen of dark chocolate, the Porcelana is much more complex, full of bold, dark chocolate flavors, nuttiness and a deep creamy flavor. Though it has the same cacao content as the Chuao, you would swear it is darker.
Five stars for this beautiful specimen.
Next week I will dip into the single origin bars from French purveyor Michel Cluizel.
Thanks for your post on Amedei. I hope to try both of those and maybe Slitti Lattenero.
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