OT: German Hazelnut Chocolates - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: echen1024
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 16, 2014, 02:05:51 pm
content: Is it only me that has a soft spot for these? When I was recently in Norway (Stavanger) and found that the local market had these in stock. I must've bought 16+ for my stay there. Unfortunately, there weren't any good ones at the Frankfurt Airport, where I was changing planes, however, the ones passed out on the Lufthansa flight were equally good. Anyone else love these as much as I do? If only they didn't cost a fortune at the local imports store. I might just end up going onto Amazon.

author: zapta
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 16, 2014, 02:45:24 pm
content: Have you tried the Chinese clones? Awesome value.http://www.dx.com/s/chocolate

author: echen1024
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 16, 2014, 03:04:34 pm
content: Quote from: zapta on June 16, 2014, 02:45:24 pmOh deer!http://www.dx.com/p/christmas-deer-plush-pp-cotton-bamboo-charcoal-bag-toy-chocolate-brown-red-white-174882

author: edavid
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 16, 2014, 11:56:22 pm
content: German!!?! Gianduia was invented by Italians. The Swiss are pretty good with it also.

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 17, 2014, 12:30:40 am
content: Quote from: echen1024 on June 16, 2014, 02:05:51 pmWhich type/brand are you talking about? BTW I like Mozart Kugeln (also chocolates) but those are not sold in the NL.

author: Stonent
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 17, 2014, 12:46:02 am
content: So is this something similar to the obligatory pyramid of Ferrero Rocher?

author: free_electron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 17, 2014, 12:53:14 am
content: hazelnut ? that is fake chocolate !nutella for example was invented as cheap alternative for chocolate ! it contains brely 15% chocolate. the rest is ground roasted hazelnut and palm oil.If you want real chocolate : Buy Callebaut.That stuff even has its own datasheet including the ideal melting and resolidification curves , optimum temperatures to process depending on what you want to do .only caveat : Callebaut is only available in 11 pound slabs...http://www.amazon.com/Callebaut-Chocolate-Block-Semisweet-53-8%25/dp/B005IOXBY0/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1402965728&sr=8-3&keywords=callebautCallebaut is the largest 'real chocolate' maker in the world. Real chocolate as defined by Belgian Law !Solids and oils of the cacao nut , unrefined sugar , pure vanilla extract and milk solids. NOTHING else is allowed in it ! (with the exception of an emulsifier which has to be soy lecithin )Shortly after european union came into life other countries were trying to flood the market with their 'chocolate'. According to law the label 'chocolate' is only allowed if it meets the standards. anything else has to be clearly labeled as 'fantasy chocolate' chocolate-like or 'containing chocolate'. you can't call it 'chocolate' or 'pure chocolate'.this became a big spat in the belgian and european parliament. Callebaut stepped up and announced : you touch the 'chocolate law' and we pack up and leave ! You will not touch the legal definition of chocolate ! it is a quality guarantee. The french claim champagne , the germans riesling and other stuff. We belgians have a legal definition of 'chocolate' so bugger off with your crap products. Since callebaut is a major economic force that got their attention...end result : the law still stands ! if something is labeled 'belgian chocolate' it fits the legal definition. this 'label' is now protected.Other very good chocolate is Cote D'or (also belgian) and for processed chocolates (with filling) : Leonidas.Forget that Neuhauss and Sharfenberger and Godiva. Those are considered "cat's piss" in BelgiumAs for Hersheys.. that is flavored sawdust ...I regularly buy Callebaut chocolate blocks , carve em up and split the cost with collegues. it is cheaper than even the cheapest fake crap. You do need a very strong saw blade or a hammer. That stuff is HARD. i'f you were to get hit in the head with such a block dropped from a floor above you it could possibly kill you.There is an amazon affiliate that ships these in styrofoam boxes with coldpacks. UPS shipping is 35$ and it arrives in 2 days , still nicely refrigerated.http://www.abc.net.au/correspondents/content/2003/s980133.htmit was 2003 tis happened. the british wanted to sell their cadbury crap containing cheap vegetable oils instead of the oil of the cacao palm.

author: echen1024
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 17, 2014, 01:11:18 am
content: I have had a piece of Callebaut before. It was some of the best chocolate I've ever had. OTOH, I've always had a soft spot for Hazelnuts, and no, I do not like Nutella. (Too sweet.) My personal favorite would be Stella Bernrain. In terms of readily available, I just pick up the little Ferrero Rocher things at Costco, and while they aren't as good as the others, work perfectly fine for parties, etc.

author: edavid
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 17, 2014, 01:35:15 am
content: Callebaut is fine, but it's not anything exotic. Guittard chocolate (made in Burlingame, CA) is very competitive in quality, and depending on how the Euro is doing, can be a bit cheaper.It's easy to break up a block of tempered chocolate with a chef's knife or a sharp chisel.Vincent, you and other Bay Area people should buy your bulk chocolate from Pacific Gourmet in San Francisco. They have great prices on Callebaut and other good brands - much cheaper than the source you mentioned, and you can just pick it up.Chocolate should not be refrigerated, since that causes it to bloom.

author: free_electron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 17, 2014, 01:52:07 am
content: Quote from: edavid on June 17, 2014, 01:35:15 amcorrect, it is not 'exotic'. it is just pure chocolate. made for post processing.(hence the 11 pound slabs). it is not meant to be eaten 'as-is' but as a base for whatever requires pure chocolate as an ingredient.that is why it has a datasheet and there are 'grades'. on callebauts website you can specify what you need chocolate for and they will tell you what order code you need. different order codes have different melting points, longer working span before solidification and so on.chocolate should be stored in the dark around 18 degrees to 22 degrees centigrade. you can keep chocolate for years. if it blooms scrape that off. it is just sugar coming out of emulsion. nothing will touch pure chocolate. neither ants nor insects or fungi. chocolate is imperveous.

author: edavid
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 17, 2014, 01:57:43 am
content: Usually it's fat bloom. That indicates the chocolate should be retempered, which is a hassle if you don't have a tempering machine.

author: FrankBuss
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 17, 2014, 03:09:17 am
content: I like it, too. There are some manufacturers. I avoid the ones from "Milka", because they are too sweet. Lindt (Swiss chocolate) tastes good:http://www.amazon.de/Lindt-Grandes-Haselnüsse-Feinherbe-Schokolade/dp/B002OQIZEGToo bad for my weight, that it is just a 5 minute walk from where I live to theSchokoladenmuseumshop, which has all kinds of chocolate.

author: Balaur
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 17, 2014, 02:24:40 pm
content: Quote from: free_electron on June 17, 2014, 12:53:14 amHeh heh, you are almost as vicious as my local chocolatiers.I buy Leonidas quite often as they are the perfect gift when visiting someone: good quality, nice looking and almost half as cheap as chocolate from independent (i.e. no franchised) makers.Agreed on Hersheys and other *mart atrocities.

author: Kjelt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 17, 2014, 02:34:47 pm
content: Best pure chocolate bars: Valrhonathey have their bars sorted by country and even location so almost the equivalent of an AOC.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appellation_d%27origine_contr%C3%B4l%C3%A9e

author: echen1024
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 17, 2014, 02:37:34 pm
content: Yes, Hershey's. Everyone's worst nightmare... along with whatever crap Nestle calls "Chocolate." Those are to be avoided like the plague, much like CrapXOns or Amy's baking co.Quote from: Kjelt on June 17, 2014, 02:34:47 pmI have a bar of that as well, 70% dark. It's very smooth chocolate, comparable to Callebaut in terms of flavor.Their best version: 70% dark.

author: BennyBoy
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: June 17, 2014, 02:48:25 pm
content: Quote from: echen1024 on June 16, 2014, 02:05:51 pmI've been all over the world over the last 35 years, I love all kinds of Chocolate. I've tried most every brand I could find. And to most peoples surprise, I rank See's right up there with the best of them!http://www.sees.com/prod.cfm/Candy_Bars/dark_chocolate_candy_bar

author: madires
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 17, 2014, 03:16:20 pm
content: If you like to try really good chocolate please try Criollo, That's not a brand, it's the cocoa bean. Most chocolate is made with the Forastero bean which got that well known bitter flavour.

author: edavid
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 17, 2014, 03:26:59 pm
content: Quote from: Kjelt on June 17, 2014, 02:34:47 pmGood quality, but very overpriced compared to other good brands.

author: Mr Smiley
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 17, 2014, 04:53:42 pm
content: Reminds me of a joke,A day cleaner visits an elderly gentlemen for several years and she notices that he throws away Hazelnuts in the bin next to his bed. So one day she asks about them and he tells her that his sister brings them round every time she visits; oh she says, i love hazelnuts and asks if she could have them instead of them being thrown away and wasted, yes he replays. So every week when she visits he gives her a bag of hazelnuts.Anyway, as always happens, he passes away.During his funeral service the cleaner gets talking to his sister and mentions the hazelnuts, Oh yes his sister reply’s, he just loved sucking the chocolate off them but he never ate the nuts

author: Frost
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 17, 2014, 09:45:23 pm
content: Quote from: echen1024 on June 16, 2014, 02:05:51 pmYes, of courseFor my personal taste one of the best Hazelnut Chocolateyou can get here in Germany is the Milk&Hazelnuts from Heidi Grand'Orhttp://heidi-chocolate.com/en/chocolate/tablets/grand%27or/Hazelnuts-Milk/12/But Heidi Chocolate is not a German Company, the production facilityis located in Romania and the Heidi brand belongs to theConfiseur Läderach AG which is a Swiss Company.If you are interested in chocolates with the most exotic tastes,take look at Zotter from Autstriahttp://www.zotter.at/en/homepage.htmlWithin there hand-scooped line they offer crazy flavorslike Cheese-Walnut-Grapes, "Peanuts and Ketchup" or "Pink Coconut and Fish Marshmallow"but my favorite Zotter is the not so exoctic "Walnuts with Marzipan"

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 17, 2014, 11:11:36 pm
content: Quote from: free_electron on June 17, 2014, 12:53:14 amI don't care; I love Nutella on breadIt's just way too fat so I had to cut backIn many cases adding more 'good' flavour can wreck the taste. My wife once bought a jar of 'exclusive' jam for €15 with all kinds of ingredients like strawberries, honey, cherries, etc but it tasted like crap.

author: madworm
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 18, 2014, 11:49:06 am
content: I wouldn't worry so much about the fat in nutella, it is only about 30%. The sugar content is close to 60%, and that stuff fries your liver and pancreas. Don't get me wrong, the fat in nutella is probably cheap shit too, but don't forget the sugar. The white stuff is far from harmless.

author: jaxbird
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 18, 2014, 12:23:40 pm
content: Quote from: zapta on June 16, 2014, 02:45:24 pmumm, Chinese chocolate, melamine etchttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_Chinese_milk_scandalhttp://www.cnbc.com/id/100938448

author: Kjelt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 18, 2014, 12:24:12 pm
content: they just don't know *&^*&^*& about what effects some stuff has on the human body, actually they don't know (*(*& about the human body period.Anyway to show some recent studies about chocolate (some in dutch sorry about that):http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/8306796/Chocolate-is-the-new-super-food.htmlQuoteaugust 2011 Physiology & Behavior :British Reading University : pure chocolate instantaneously improves the visual and cognitive functions of young adults.And what about this:In the US a study of 1000 persons revealed that those that are eating often small amounts of chocolate have a lower BMI then those who don'thttp://www.nu.nl/wetenschap/2772865/chocola-maakt-mogelijk-dunner.htmlI would say enjoy while you can, life is short, and everything out there is bad for you in too large quantities.

author: madworm
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 18, 2014, 02:57:33 pm
content: No problem with that at all - as long as you're talking about real chocolate.Nutella isn't chocolate. It may contain some cocoa (insignificant amount), but that's about it. And most of the stuff that is sold as chocolate and comes in bar-shape (all the sweet milk-chocolate crap, hershey "chocolate"...) should be banned or sold as "Sugar with trace-amounts of cocoa powder suspended in a cheap processed vegetable-fat matrix, stabilized with soy-protein that can't be disposed off elsewhere"

author: grumpydoc
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 18, 2014, 03:41:12 pm
content: Quote7.4% I believe, about the same as the hazlenuts. It's something like 55% sugar and 30% palm oil.It's pretty horribly bad for you.Doesn't stop me liking it

author: GK
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 18, 2014, 03:59:04 pm
content: Chocolate as a whole is pretty nasty stuff. Putting stuff like hazelnuts into it makes it more palatable, but eating it pure? Buuurkk. It also clogs up your intestines. I still have terrible childhood memories of having to stick a homemade suppository up my arse in desperation after not being able to shit for two whole weeks, after eating way too much of it all at once. Never again.

author: echen1024
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 18, 2014, 05:31:07 pm
content: Quote from: GK on June 18, 2014, 03:59:04 pmReally? I actually like pure chocolate.

author: Kjelt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 18, 2014, 06:16:19 pm
content: Quote from: GK on June 18, 2014, 03:59:04 pmThat goes for everything you consume.A student died here two years or so ago after drinking 6 liters of water within an hour at a fret party.

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 18, 2014, 06:31:46 pm
content: Obligatary Dilbertism.....http://dilbert.com/strips/comic/2014-06-13/

author: GK
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 19, 2014, 12:16:37 am
content: Quote from: Kjelt on June 18, 2014, 06:16:19 pmI've never managed to clog myself up eating prunes.

author: madworm
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 19, 2014, 12:22:37 am
content: You go from one extreme to another. First constipant then laxative...Maybe you should try prunes coated with dark chocolate.

author: echen1024
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 19, 2014, 01:14:28 am
content: Quote from: madworm on June 19, 2014, 12:22:37 amNot a bad idea. Guarantees ideal consistency.