Food & Dining World Chocolate Day

Is the reason for starting this thread to make it for the people participating in this thread?

 

Just thought I'd update this thread.

Previously we had rated the Lindt Excellence Smooth Blend 70% chocolate as our favourite, however they have recently increased the price and stopped discounting it as frequently as they did.

I rarely see the price below $4.25 per 100g, which is far too much in my opinion. It's good, but not that good.

Especially when you have a new product now stocked by Woolworths - Frey Supreme Dark 69%, retailing for $2.50 per 100g - made in Switzerland.

This has slightly lower carbs and fat content than the Lindt Smooth Blend (30.1g per 100 of carbs and 47.7g per 100 of fat compared to 33g and 48g respectively for the Lindt), with a taste that's just as good as the Smooth Blend in our opinion.

It works really well in a hot chocolate and in my chocolate mousse - indeed I think my most recent mousses using Frey's have been the best I've ever made (although it may also be I've improved my technique).

At $2.50 per 100g and such a good taste, it's a no-brainer ... sorry, Lindt - you've been replaced.

 

New chocolate day!



I bought some of the new Lindt 78% chocolate and did a taste test with the Frey 69% and the Lindt 85%. I think I have a new favourite!

As per my post a few weeks ago, I love the Frey 69% chocolate - it's got a nice flavour that's as good or better than my previous favourite, the Lindt 70% Smooth Blend (and with lower carb content too!) - but it's typically a lot cheaper than the Lindt which makes it a no brainer really.

However, I've been looking for ways to reduce the carb content of my mousse even more. Weekend before last, I made my mousse with 2x Frey 69% blocks and 1x Lindt 85% block and I think it was my best ever - a bit more bite from the 85% gave it more zing.

So this new 78% with only 22g of carbs per 100g block is a full 8g less than the Frey 69% and 11g less than the Lindt 70% I was previously using! When using 300g in a mousse, that's 24g less than Frey and 33g less than Lindt in total.

By way of comparison (all figures per 100g):

• Lindt 70% 33g carbs; 48g fat (Smooth Blend)
• Frey 69% 30.1g carbs; 47.7g fat
• Lindt 78% 22g carbs; 48g fat
• Lindt 85% 19g carbs; 46g fat

My tastes must be changing - I didn't find the 85% anywhere near as offensive as I have previously. It certainly has a complex flavour - with almost a fruity flavour to it coming through in the bitterness. It's still the strongest flavour by far.

Being so similar in carb and fat count, you wouldn't think there would be much difference between the 85% and the new 78% Lindt - but I found it a much different flavour. A quick look at the ingredient list shows that it's not as simple as the cocoa content - there are differences in ingredients too!

• Lindt 70% - Cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter, emulsifier (soy lecithin), vanilla.
• Frey 69% - Cocoa paste, sugar, cocoa butter, cocoa powder, melted butter aroma.
  
• Lindt 78% - Cocoa mass, cocoa butter, sugar, fat reduced cocoa powder, milk fat.
• Lindt 85% - Cocoa mass, fat reduced cocoa powder, cocoa butter, demerara sugar, vanilla.

The 78% is a very smooth flavour - much closer to the Smooth Blend flavour than the 85% flavour - which is much more harsh and in-your-face.

I would describe it as "rich" and "intense" - great cocoa flavour without the bitterness of the 85%.

After tasting the 85% and the 78%, the Frey 69% seemed very sweet - almost sugary in taste!

I really liked the 78%. I only had a half a "square", but really enjoyed it. Will try a couple of squares some time to see if I still enjoy it as much without having first tried the 85% for comparison.

I was originally going to try a 1x Frey 69% + 2x Lindt 85% mousse to see if that was still edible - but I think I'll just go straight for a 3x 78% Lindt mousse next. Except for Lindt's ridiculous pricing compared to the Frey chocolate - will have to keep my eyes out for specials.

 

Well yes, but there is a method to my madness.

I need to have something to help satisfy the cravings - but without adding too many carbs to what I'm eating. So finding the right balance between carb content, taste, fat and price is the key to a winning combination.

Once I know what the parameters are and find something I enjoy eating and understand what impact it will have on my daily carb allowance - then I can just enjoy the chocolate (up to my limit) guilt free.

 

Yes, previously they were - but in recent months I've found that they are rarely discounted below their $4.25 retail price at the supermarkets.

Interestingly, I have seen them regularly discounted at some service stations (Caltex I think).

 

Yes I did mention this in my first post in this thread - I find the same thing.

Interestingly if you compare the ingredient list they are quite different.