What an assignment Pete Wells had. The New York Times food critic decided to taste 14 bean-to-bar chocolate products made in the U.S. By bean-to-bar we mean the company claims to have sourced its own cacao beans to make the bars from scratch, as opposed to buying the already made cacao from a second party. The test was done “blind,” meaning wrappers were removed before tasting so Pete didn’t know which was which. If you’re interested in the details of each bar, you can read his analysis as it appeared in The Times last month. (Bear in mind he bought these in NYC, but you can find them in Connecticut or online.) — FM
THE WINNERS:
1. Amano, Venezuela cacao beans, 70% dark, $7
2. Patric, Madagascar cacao beans, 67% dark, $14
3. Castronovo, Colombia beans, 72% dark, $10
4. Dick Taylor, Belize beans, 72% dark, $9.50
5. Nathan Miller, Peru beans, 72% dark, $8
6. Dandelion, Venezuela beans, 70% dark, $10
7. Fruition, Peru beans, 76% dark, $12
8. Ritual, Equador beans, 75% dark, $7
