The Chocolate I Ate Today (And Yesterday): Scharffen Berger 70% to Match My Mood

Yesterday I had the following unopened bars sitting on my desk in my office:

  • Vosges Mo's Bacon Bar
  • A selection of 5 of Soma Chocolatier's Micro-batch Single Origin Bars
  • Taza's Chocolate Mexicano (not really a bar, and this one's actually half eaten)
  • Scharffen Berger's Bittersweet 70%
Based on my mood, I went for the Scharffen Berger bar, which ended up being a pretty fabulous choice. Scharffen Berger's 70% has a gorgeous shine and a beautiful deep brown color. And rather than squares of chocolate, Scharffen Berger cuts their bars into really big triangles, which feel good in your hand and are a delightful change from the norm. The bar is sweeter than many other 70% bars. Its flavors of fruit and spice come through right away, so it's a very nice bar if you're feeling impatient, which I was (and still am, kind of).

I've been thinking about mood-matching chocolate a lot lately. Here's a list of 5 excellent pure chocolates that cater to 5 very different moods:

  • If you're feeling edgy or impatient: Scharffen Berger's 70% - a burst a sweetness and deep chocolate comes through asap for instant gratification.

  • If you're feeling reflective: Valrhona's 70% Guanaja - this bar has a deep aroma that moves into a long, interesting flavor experience with an equally long finish (aftertaste), leaving you lots to think about.

  • If you're feeling sexy: Valrhona's 66% Caraibe - this bar is ultra-velvety smooth, mildly fruity, and will coat your palette with sensual deliciousness.

  • If you're feeling mellow: El Rey Dark 58.5% - this bar is well-balanced and an all-around crowd pleaser - there aren't many ups and downs in this bar's flavor profile, it's pretty much smooth-sailing from beginning to end.

  • If you're feeling angry: El Rey Milk 41% - this sweet, buttery, caramel-y bar always makes me smile.


Posted by Dana Zemack on October 15, 2007 3:53 PM |
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