I did some research for a small dessert and wine bar I was starting a few years ago by the name of bisou bleu. While trying some of the worlds best wines, I also discovered some of the worlds best chocolate! 

Artisanal chocolate offers any chocolate fan the opportunity to discover interesting flavor combinations and gourmet quality.

Here is a small list of the worlds best chocolate:

If you're ever in San Francisco at the Farmers Market on the Embarcadero, stop by and sample some yourself. If you're not near San Francisco, you can always order online.

Recchiuti Chocolate - San Francisco, California

http://www.recchiuti.com/

In 1997, after years in the test kitchen, Michael was ready to bring his creations to a larger audience and to introduce Americans to real chocolate. He founded Recchiuti Confections with his wife Jacky and the idea that once you introduce people to truly exquisite chocolates they will be won over instantly and forever. Then, as now, he achieved those exquisite chocolates by painstakingly selecting each ingredient that would go into the final confection. He’d visit the San Francisco farmers’ market for bundles of fresh lavender, tarragon and lemon verbena, which he’d carefully dry for use in his signature infusions. He made frequent trips to local chocolate manufacturers, trying their latest offerings and deciding if it had the right texture, color and acidity for a new blend he was working on. And he’d meticulously see to each step that turned those fine ingredients into finer confections, using traditional European techniques and equipment. But taste and technique only tell part of the story. Michael’s life is filled with art, music and lots of friends, so the look of his chocolates act as a show and tell of his favorite things. Some feature drawings, etchings and paintings from his favorite San Francisco artists, while others are adorned with Japanese block prints.

Try the following from Recchuiuti:

Boxed Chocolates - Varietal

L'Harmonie Varietal 

The elegant complexity of this piece is owing to a blend of cacao beans from the Caribbean, Central and South America. The nutty and floral notes of the chocolate are enhanced by the similar elements of whole Tahitian vanilla bean.

Venezuelan Varietal

Lake breezes in the Sur de Lago region of Venezuela provide a unique climate for growing cacao beans and result in a distinctive flavor. Less complex than L'Harmonie, the Venezuelan exhibits pure, delicate nut and caramel tones.

Columbian Varietal

The single cacao bean varietal from the Chucurreno region of Colombia yields a balance of berry and spice notes matched with burgundy hues. A long, slow finish and elements of wine provide the perfect precursor for the Ecuador Varietal.

Ecuador Varietal 

The straightforward intensity of this chocolate, made using single cacao bean varietal from Ecuador, exhibits a truly remarkable persistence of flavor. Smokey tobacco notes, a hint of earthiness and a rich, coffee color make this piece the most dramatic of the four Varietals.

(Out of any chocolate I have tasted, this is the one that made my head explode! If you have any interest at all in chocolate, this is the absolute best chocolate I have ever had!)

All chocolate from Micheal Recchiuti is outstanding, but another that stands out that you should not miss is: 

Fleur De Sel Caramels 

Covered in dark chocolate, each chewy caramel is the perfect balance of salty and sweet. The delicate floral notes of Fleur de Sel draw out rich, smoky tones in these caramels, with flavors so addictive you'll want to keep these all to yourself.

Another source of outstanding chocolate is Vosges Chocolate from Katrina Markoff, with boutiques in New York and Chicago. Additional Retailers that carry Vosges chocolate can be found in:

Honolulu ~ Neiman Marcus
Los Angeles ~ Neiman Marcus
San Francisco ~ Neiman Marcus
Ann Arbor, MI ~ Zingermans
London ~ Selfridges

Vosges History

Vosges' exotic truffles are made from the finest ingredients offered around the world. Owner/Chocolatier, Katrina Markoff, personally chooses every spice, flower and chocolate that is flown into our Chicago kitchen. Markoff utilizes the original methods of French confectionery artistry which she learned during her training at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. Having graduated with the Grand Diplôme from Le Cordon Bleu and having worked extensively in France, Spain, Italy, Southeast Asia and Australia her collections of haut-chocolats have great, worldly inspirations. Inspired by her global apprenticeships, Vosges truffles have exotic influences of an "East meets West" theme. The infusions of rare spices and flowers combined with premium chocolate give a delicate balance of flavor, leaving you with a layered and lingering sensation of spice and chocolate, a true haut-chocolat experience.

Try the Aztec Truffle Collection 9pc!

Ancho chili, Ceylon cinnamon, Mexican Vanilla, and Dulce de Leche

From its earliest use as a drink in Mayan and Aztec cultures to the present indulgent treat enjoyed the world over, chocolate has long been linked with love as one of the most potent aphrodisiacs. It is said that the Aztec emperor Montezuma indulged in his potion of chillies and cacao more than fifty times a day (a virility builder, he confirmed).

Vosqes also donates 10% of the proceeds of the sale of this chocolate to V-Day, the worldwide movement to end violence against women.

Inside the 9 piece Aztec box:

2 Xocatyl: Mexican vanilla bean + milk chocolate

2 Tlan Nacu: Mexican vanilla bean + dark chocolate

2 Dulce de leche: Argentinean Dulce de Leche + milk chocolate + Costa Rican cashews

3 Red Fire: Ancho chili powder + Ceylon cinnamon + dark chocolate

This chocolate is beyond fresh and has a short shelf life. As noted from the packaging:

*Our truffles are made with fresh cream and have a shelf life of only 14 days. The truffles should be refrigerated until ready to consume. Bring to room temperature to indulge.

Rachel Ray has also chosen La Parisienne Couture Cocoa as the #1 hot chocolate out of 75 contenders! 

La Parisienne is a traditional dark chocolate cocoa. Bittersweet chocolate intertwined with the warming flavor of rich Madagascar vanilla. This thick drinking chocolate has a deep cacao intensity intended to be savored in tiny sips.

Check out this great informative video from Katrina at the Taste3 Conference detailing her four step process of inspiration that leads her to delicious and creative new chocolate collections.

With the first bite, you’ll experience how each Sterling Truffle bar begins with some of the finest chocolate available in the world. Next, we flavor each truffle bar with a unique blend of original flavors that not only stand out on their own, but also complement one another. Finally, we customize each Sterling Truffle Bar with a hand-decorated design that creates a completely new confection that is so unique, we’ve applied to patent the manufacturing process.

Sterling Truffle Bar Sterling has transformed the common truffle into a distinctive chocolate canvas, hand-painted with vivid and artistic designs that not only entice the eye, but also tempt the palate.

I'll leave you with one more tip for finding a great chocolate that has been clinically shown to significantly enhance mood and vitality. Check out Hawaiian Vintage Chocolate from Hawaii:

http://www.hawaiianvintage.com/ and can only be purchased online through the following link: https://www.hwvi.com/store/ 

Based on a novel technology developed by the HESA Institute, and investigated for HESA by Dr. Dean Radin, Hawaiian Vintage Chocolate can now offer, in limited quantities, a chocolate that has been clinically shown to significantly enhance mood and vitality. The new "ingredient" is not a conventional nutrient, but rather the focused benevolent intentions of highly experienced meditators. 

We started with Hawaiian Vintage’s Fine 68% Dark Chocolate, then treated it using the new HESA technology to imprint the intention that an individual who consumes the chocolate will "manifest optimal health and functioning at physical, emotional and mental levels, and in particular enjoy an increased sense of energy, vigor and well-being."

Based on a human clinical trial, conducted under double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled conditions, we found that people who ate ½ oz of  the intentionally treated chocolate twice daily for three days had a significant improvement in mood, as compared to people eating the same, but non-treated chocolate. The specific benefits are listed below:

Benefits from a Coherent HVC Chocolate 

•       Lowered stress
•       More energy
•       Less fatigue
•       Calmness
•       Focus
•       Improved General Well being

 Hope you enjoyed learning about some of the worlds best chocolate! I will feature more chocolate sources in my next Best Chocolate in the World blog, exclusively found only on Flixya.com. 

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