Fine
chocolates are all over the world, literally. Below are some links of
some of the more popular chocolate companies from their respective countries.
This list is by all means not comprehensive as there are many, many
different chocolate companies. Do you have a favorite? or know of a
chocolate company from a different country? Let us know and we'll add
it to our list.
And about chocolate:
here is our list of Chocolate
Percentages and descriptions of some popular and unusual
chocolates to try.
All articles links
from the chocolate companies below are from their English versions unless
otherwise noted; for other languages available, go to the main page
and select a different country if available.
USA
Ghirardelli
http://www.ghirardelli.com/
Ghiradelli
kitchen's video list on the basics of chocolate making and using
chocolates, including a video
on tempering chocolate.
A Ghiradelli
product substitution
list.
A
glossary
of chocolates and chocolate terms.
Hawaiian
Vintage Chocolate
http://www.hawaiianchocolate.com/
Tips
on molding chocolate: simple list of tips for molding chocolates.
HVC gives
a simple-to-follow
chart detailing the steps from cocoa beans to cocoa powder or
to plain chocolate.
What the
cocoa
pod looks like, in illustration and photo.
Scharffen
Berger
http://www.scharffenberger.com/default.asp
An online
virtual tour of the plant, with pictures of the actual machines,
and a diagram of the layout of the factory. To see it in person,
you can make
reservations for a live tour if you're coming the Berkely area.
Scharffen
Berger's Chocolate
How Tos.
Guittard
Chocolate Company
http://www.guittard.com/home/index.html
Learn
about the different growing regions ('Anillo del Fuego' (ring
of fire), Sur del Lago, Quevedo (equator), Chucuri Valley, Ambanja
in the Sambirano Valley) and the cacao varietals.
Tips and
steps on making
confections.
Belgium
Callebaut
http://www.callebaut.be/
Downloads
from Callebaut, all in Adoble .pdf formats.
Tempering
chocolate is shown in five different ways, with photos of the
steps.
After you've
tempered your chocolate, here are several
decorations you can make, including chocolate fans, chocolate
curves and using and decorating molds.
Step-by-step
how to dip chocolates, for both a thin and thick enrobing layer.
If
you have chocolate molds and want to know how to successfully
fill and mold them, here is info on the basic types: single molds,
double molds, chocolate shells and making chocolate filled truffles
and pralines with molds.
History
of Choclate — Time lines for the history of chocolate,
where chocolate is grown and how its harvested, from 2000BC - present
Cocoa
Cultivation, from the bean all the way to the chocolate we know.
France
Valrhona
http://www.valrhona.com/
From
Valrhona, here is a link to an "illustrated"
recipe, with tools, recipe, assembly and decoration.
Bonnat
http://www.bonnat-chocolatier.com/index.html
Here is
a glossary
with definitions of all sorts of chocolate related terminology,
with highlights of some important dates in chocolate history.
Cluizel
http://www.cluizel.com/
Pictorial
chart of the chocolate manufacturing process; click on the 'next'
for a picture to pop up.
Swiss
Lindt
http://www.lindt.com/2865/2866.asp
From Lindt
UK, how to taste
chocolate successfully. The same info from the English version
of the Switzerland site, but with larger pictures
of the taster doing the tasting.
Health
and fact sheets from the IOCCC (International Office of Cocoa,
Chocolate and Sugar Confectionery Industries).
Spain
Valor
http://www.valor.es/
Amigos
del Chocolate Spanish fans of chocolate with recipes, forum,
etc.
Venezuela
El
Rey
http://www.chocolates-elrey.com/
Read up
on the three
different types of Venezuelan chocolates.
El Rey's
Fair Trade
statement.
Italy
Amedei
http://www.amedei.com/index.html
Glossary
of many chocolate terms, including terms not found on other
sites.
Copyright
© 2008 Renee Shelton.
All rights reserved.
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