Quality Handmade Chocolates

Copyright (c) 2011 Sandra Tiffany

Both chocolate and gold have had great appeal to humans for countless generations. However, chocolate tastes a lot better. Chocolate originated in the Amazon region around 2000 BC, having been derived from the seeds of the cocoa tree.

The process of making gourmet chocolates by hand starts out very similar to how coffee is made, where the cocoa beans are roasted at a high temperature and allowed to gradually return to a lower temperature. The husks are then removed and the nibs are ground into a cocoa liqueur. During the conch and refining process the chocolate is given its smell, texture and taste. The exact flavor of the chocolate will depend on the type of chocolate made and the ingredients added during each process.

The chocolate is then tempered to give it a shiny appearance. This process prevents the chocolate from easily melting in your hands or in the box before it can be consumed. The chocolate is then heated and cooled and molded in a process that is both tedious and time-consuming when done by hand.

The key to making quality chocolate by hand is the ingredients and the time put into each step of the process. Also, in some cases, the rate at which the chocolate is allowed to cool is very important in determining its quality.

When gourmet chocolates are made by hand an additional ingredient, of course, is experience. It's a process of trial and error and finding what works best and then refining those techniques.

Some of the great names in chocolates include Lindt, Endangered Species, Dove, Chocolove, Emily's, thinkThin and Ghirardelli. There are also a variety of quality handmade chocolates including chocolate covered strawberries, chocolate truffles, gourmet chocolate and dark chocolate.

Say—I didn't hear you mention Hershey--you know, that town in Pennsylvania that makes the most famous chocolate of all. Be assured that factory made chocolates, like Hershey, may produce tasty chocolates, but they are made with a cookie-cutter technique to meet quantity demands and often with added ingredients to make the chocolate last longer. Quality hand made gourmet chocolates, on the other hand, have an added personal touch that is evident in each bite.

And speaking of bites, whether the chocolate is handmade or Hershey factory made, both have one thing very much in common—they are high in calories and not good for the waist line. So nibble only.


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Sandra Tiffany has a love-hate relationship with quality handmade chocolate--or any chocolate for that matter. She loves the taste, but hates the calories. Her site describes how chocolate is made, the leading handmade choclateers and various types of handmade chocolate. There are also articles and some delicious "Deals of the Day".

http://www.qualityhandmadechocolates.com