[t_hah]

With my roommate we had a conversation about chocolate in Europe and in the US. He says that M&M's taste different, and also that Nutella tastes different on the two continents. Any experts out there? I couldnot find much content information about the products, but I believe that Nutella is the same in Europe and in the US.

t

[OreoCookie]

I heard that McDonalds adjusts its sauces to the tastes of the different countries. So I'd think that this is also possible for many other products.

[t_hah]

I agree with McDonalds...it does taeste different in various countries. But what about these chocolates?

[euchomai]

Chocolate is 100% different between the two continents. I have a student that is from England, when he comes to study here in the States he has to bring back so much chocolate. People actually look forward to him coming back here because of the great tasting chocolate. More rich... He said it has to do with them not adding as much "tasteless filler".

[Kilbey]

We just bought some Nutella for the first time last week.

They really should just give the first jar out for free 'cause i am crazy addicted to it now.

[Sherwin]

Well, given that chocolate is different between England, Belgium and Switzerland, I'd say there's a good chance it's gonna be different once you get across the pond.

[philzilla]

Originally posted by t_hah:
I agree with McDonalds...it does taeste different in various countries.

from bad to worse?

[Spheric Harlot]

Originally posted by philzilla:
from bad to worse?

Actually, Makudonarudo Japan's Teriyaki burger is the best McD crap I've ever had anywhere.

-s*

[sanity assassin]

Originally posted by Kilbey:
We just bought some Nutella for the first time last week.

They really should just give the first jar out for free 'cause i am crazy addicted to it now.

I am sooooo addicted to it, I just get a spoon and scoop it out of the jar.

[deekay1]

Originally posted by t_hah:
I believe that Nutella is the same in Europe and in the US.

afair they taste about the same i love nutella...but...i'm out at the moment *grabsjacketandrunstothestore*

p.s. the only thing that tastes a lot different over here is "mexican" food. the stuff i had in the states tasted great, and totally got me addicted (- no, i'm talking about taco bell! *g*).

german "mexican" food tastes like crap.

[NYCFarmboy]

There is a big difference between euro milk chocolate and American milk chocolate...

because Milton Hershey when he first made milk chocolate in the USA developed a process for making it that burned it in the process.

Thus... American chocolate to this day tastes burned to European tastes. But Americans grew up with it so we like it. I love both euro and American chocolates.

The hershey chocolate has a slight burned taste that goes very well with almonds.

Hershey supplied almost all chocolate in the United States up until the 1950's... so formulas for almost all American popular candies/bars use the American version.

[Spheric Harlot]

Originally posted by euchomai:
He said it has to do with them not adding as much "tasteless filler".

Continental chocolate is historically of higher quality than British chocolate, for example, partly because the Pommies partly replaced cocoa butter with other vegetable fats, something that German and Swiss chocolatiers were forbidden by law.

As of spring this year, there is an EU-wide uniform limit of max 5% of cocoa butter than may be replaced by cheaper alternatives.

-s*

[Spheric Harlot]

Originally posted by NYCFarmboy:
There is a big difference between euro milk chocolate and American milk chocolate...

because Milton Hershey when he first made milk chocolate in the USA developed a process for making it that burned it in the process.

Thus... American chocolate to this day tastes burned to European tastes. But Americans grew up with it so we like it.

Isn't that just "dark" chocolate?

We get that here, too - and Hershey's still doesn't compare.

-s*

[Diggory Laycock]

UK Chocolate (as Spheric said) is different from "purer" Euro chocolate - we tend to add veg. oils to make the chocolate smoother - less "Snappy."

American Chocolate (to my taste) tastes disgusting - hersheys tastes like something you might find down the back of the sofa

[t_hah]

I agree with chocolate differences in general. I also think that European chocolate taskets better, but how about the same brand in two different countries, especially M&Ms and Nutella. I do not feel any difference in Nutella, and I am not a big M&Ms fan so that one I could not tell if it felt any different.

t

[SimeyTheLimey]

US chocolate is generally not as good, although Ghirardelli isn't bad. Generally, I would say that American chocolate has been getting better.

On the other hand, UK chocolate is vastly inferior to what it was 20-30 years ago. The change was fairly sudden and happened (as far as I recall) in the early 1980s. The Mars Bar of today is not the Mars Bar of my childhood.

Belgian chocolate is certainly the best (almost as good as their beer). Swiss is good, and German is very similar -- even the cheap Swiss/German brands like Lindt and Ritter Sport are much better than Hershey's. They are also both available in the US.

But hands down the best chocolate I ever had was a hot chocolate at a cafe in northern Italy. It was like a cup of melted Swiss chocolate. Mmmmmmmmm!

Speaking of Italian chocolate, any fans here of Pocket Coffee? Think of chocolate liquores, but with espresso coffee. Zing!

[t_hah]

Since someone mentioned liquores, I like the rum and cherry chocolates...


t

[gerbnl]

Originally posted by Spheric Harlot:
As of spring this year, there is an EU-wide uniform limit of max 5% of cocoa butter than may be replaced by cheaper alternatives.

-s*

Yeah... really BAD decision! really!

btw, it is already allowed to put all kinds of crap instead of the cocoa butter, it's just not allowed to call it chocolate then. You get these weird names like choco-fantasy and the likes.

[korn]

Originally posted by Spheric Harlot:
Actually, Makudonarudo Japan's Teriyaki burger is the best McD crap I've ever had anywhere.

-s*

I agree 100%

[voodoo]

Chocolate isn't chockolate unless it contains more than 70% cocoa. Yeah baby!! That's the real McCoy!

[voodoo]

Originally posted by SimeyTheLimey:
On the other hand, UK chocolate is vastly inferior to what it was 20-30 years ago. The change was fairly sudden and happened (as far as I recall) in the early 1980s. The Mars Bar of today is not the Mars Bar of my childhood.

Mars is American u know.

http://www.mars.com/About_us/The_Mars_story.asp

[Zimphire]

I get my chocolate right here.

http://www.holls.com/

Expensive, but well worth it. And it's only a mile down the road from me.

[daimoni]

.

[Dubya's Dealer]

Pocket Coffee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I can't figure out why the don't market it abroad-it's just so damn good.

Maybe it's because the liquid center ( pure espresso) dries up after a relatively short while.

Insomma, peccato...

[Joshua]

Vosges Haut-Chocolat makes some of the best chocolate I've ever had. Pricey, but well worth it. The Naga truffles are my favorite: sweet indian curry and coconut. Blows your mind. The ginger and wasabi is really good too.

They're based in Chicago, but you can order them online or pick them up from some high-end grocers.

[SimeyTheLimey]

Originally posted by Dubya's Dealer:
Pocket Coffee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I can't figure out why the don't market it abroad-it's just so damn good.

Maybe it's because the liquid center ( pure espresso) dries up after a relatively short while.

Insomma, peccato...

If you don't mind paying a bit: http://www.capriflavors.com/index.php

I first came across it in Italy in the late 1970s. There was a shortage of spare change so if you bought a cup of coffee you got pocket coffee as change.

[The Ginger Rat]

I am not a huge fan of UK chocolate, but would plunder and pillage continents for Belgian dark chocolate. Even the very affordable Cote d'Or is delicious.

BTW, dark chocolate only- milk chocolate is totally meh.

Also love those French style truffles that are the little blobs of cream and butter and sugar rolled in cocoa. Trader Joes in the US carries some, as does Costco around Xmas.

[Dubya's Dealer]

Nah, I'm not far from Italy, and I always ask people coming from there to get me some at the train station or airport. That and whatever Dylan Dogs and Diaboliks they can manage.

Best chocolate I ever had was in Belgium.

Best beer too, actually.

Best hot chocolate was in Spain-so thick as to be barely liquid. Dunk a couple chocolate covered churros and you're all set.

[milhous]

I'll never forget the time I was a freshman in high school, and I was sitting there in computer lab when I started talking to this kid that was a German exchange student who offered me a piece of Ferraro chocolate. Not knowing exactly what it was, I quickly ate it and soon discovered that it had cherry liquor in it. Aww yeah, that took the edge off computer lab that day. Wonder where you can get more of them--the kid probably brought it over from Germany.

[deekay1]

Originally posted by milhous:
... Ferraro chocolate. Not knowing exactly what it was, I quickly ate it and soon discovered that it had cherry liquor in it.

hehehehee...i used to love'em, - but i over ate. now i don't like'em so much anymore!

[gerbnl]

Originally posted by voodoo:
Chocolate isn't chockolate unless it contains more than 70% cocoa. Yeah baby!! That's the real McCoy!

70% is allright i guess... *cough*



(afaik Lindt made this stuff for the french market, really hard to get)

[voodoo]

Originally posted by gerbnl:
70% is allright i guess... *cough*



(afaik Lindt made this stuff for the french market, really hard to get)

I've never tried 99%! France here I come!! <orders ticket>