Day 5 – Berlin and chocolate mediocrity

Is it fair to feel disappointed with a day devoid of good chocolate finds when I never saw Germany as part of my chocolate odyssey anyway?  This morning I intended to be on a 9 am walking tour, the same one I had failed to make three times the day before.   If nothing else. I am consistent in my inability to get to a designated place on time (being ever optimistic as to how long it takes me to get from one point to another - but at least flexible enough to adjust my plans).  So with a couple of hours to fill, I wander the streets and straight into a gourmet food hall of Galeria Kaufhof. (Sound familiar?  Food halls seem to be my thing.) 

And the food hall certainly impresses, submitting a stunning array of tempting foodstuffs to the cashed up consumer.  And whilst I’m not exactly cashed up, a large proportion of my travel budget does seem to be (happily) allocated to food and all its glory.  And possibly I only move on empty handed as it is the start of the day and filling my satchel with a wonder of weighty goodies that I have to cart around for the next six hours or so doesn’t seem very clever.

Impressed with the food in general I am hoping for a similar experience on the chocolate front.  On a high note they have a small range of Valrhona and Belgian brand Neauhaus.  Lindt, of course, ever present along with other brands I am starting to get use to seeing (getting use to but not getting excited by) such as Lauenstein, Hanchez, Niedergger, Wagner, Heilmann. 

And a few brands that are new to me – however these also fail to excite, as other than tasting the other indicator I can fall back on (albeit it is hardly scientific) is price; and these are on the cheaper side.  I need to note, that this is not to suggest that all expensive chocolate is good, quite the opposite there is a lot of rubbish at high prices, but it is very rare for cheap chocolate to be good – quality base ingredients and processing simply cost too much so, heed my warning and do beware the cheap chocolate. 

Surrounded by chocolate mediocrity, I still feel the need to buy so decide to do something I haven’t done in a while and dabble in the supermarket favourite, Lindt.  I justify this as they offer a selection of small little morsels (I don’t need to commit to buying a whole block, as I know my nature and I will eat the entire block, all the while decrying its inferior quality).  They also offer a few flavours and formats that I have never seen in the chocolate wasteland that is the anitpodes.  Amongst the exotic and unknown are Lindt Balls in coffee, orange, champagne and gianduja along with very Italian looking triangles of giandujotti.  So as an experiment I buy:

• Gianduja (Lindt Ball - I do have fond memories of Lindt Balls and that texture)
• Giandujotti Fondente (Dark)
• Orange Latte Cereal

(For those who aren’t familiar with it, gianduja is an Italian wonder from the Piemonte region of Italy and is made up of ground hazelnuts, chocolate and sugar – think Nutella but better.  This often comes in large bars/pieces.  Giandujotti is small individual triangular pieces of gianduja, covered in chocolate and generally given as Christmas gifts in Italy and just the right size to pop in one’s mouth.)

But I can’t just leave with Lindt, I would feel rather dirty!  I’m not that thrilled with any of the other offers, but then there is a brand Rausch that I keep seeing around (including an impressive looking store near Unter den Linden.  I’m not that confident about it but I am curious.  So I get myself a small bar (long thin stick) of the El Cuador 70%. 

I must say, I am loving the long thin stick/bar of chocolate that seem to be common here!  They are around the 40 – 50g mark and many brands offer them.  Not only is there some childish satisfaction in the shape, but given how much I am buying it stops me from having to buy (and eat) 100g blocks!  So hooray the long thin stick, and may you please come to Australia.

And now I have to stop and ask myself a question, should I publicly admit my guilty secret…?  The whole point of Cocoa Kiss (not to mention this trip and this blog) is quality chocolate.  I enthuse the message of quality at any poor soul who may have the misfortune to show the slightest interest.  I scoff at my friends as they tell me they just enjoyed a block of Lindt Pear flavoured chocolate – yes you know who you are!  But really, I am no better, I too am foiable in terms of chocolate, and I don’t just mean the Lindt.  I did something worse!  Pick’n’mix.

I couldn’t help it.  All those bins of chocolates and lollies were lined up, inviting the child in me to come and indulge (although not sure that the words indulge and pick’n’mix can actually be used in the same sentence!).  I’m blaming the child Shari for this one, but they did look reasonable and actually weren’t that bad – the amaretto dark in particular was almost enjoyable, but damn my anglophile lack of language as without any real German skills I had to guess as to what  was inside and a few of my guesses were less than close.  That will teach me to even contemplate the pick’n’mix again…

Despite my various experiments and childish indulgences, it is fair to say that chocolate mediocrity seemed to reign today, although there was hope!  On my morning bakery mission I had found a chocolate store Backstube & Schokolaterie on Wilmersdorfer StraBe however it was closed.  But perhaps a visit on the way home would redeem me….

The first thing I notice being in a small chocolate store as opposed to large food hall is they don’t seem to take so kindly to me walking around picking up products and furiously scribbling notes in my moleskin.  I don’t know why I did this, but rather than explain the nature of my research and/or blog and flatter them with my interest, for some reason I decide to play dumb and pretend I know nothing about chocolate, making the whole experience just a little awkward, although interesting to hear what they have to educate the (apparent) newby chocolate patron. 

And good news for Cocoa Kiss, the owner explains that Amedei is by far the best brand they they sell and I am incredibly tempted by their offerings but I know I will be in Italy soon so time to exercise a little caution.  I also spy some Venchi and a little Michel Cluizel and Mazet, but the same rule applies.  I ask whether they stock German chocolate and she looks disappointed and makes some comment along the lines that German’s 'don’t make chocolate, but there is some Austrian chocolate – we are almost there.  The Austrian chocolate (sadly I can’t remember the brand and couldn’t write it down) worries me with its dizzying array of flavours, I always get a little concerned when brands need to heavily flavour their chocolate rather than just let the bean come through.  This is a trend I notice in a lot of German chocolate (both those made in Germany or nearby), they are full of flavours more than straight up chocolate such as pepper, cranberry, rose, lemon, lavender, chilli, tea – and the list goes on.

When I enquire further about this and whether it is any good she does comment that it has some additives that aren’t so good.  So I move on.  Although later when asking about the quality of one brand over another she proudly (and possibly correctly) informs me that all the chocolate they sell are very good.

We then move on to some Spanish chocolate.  When I ask how this quality compares with the others I get a surprised response that all the products are good.  Spanish seems good, I’m not going to Spain and they are the forefathers of chocolate, so I find myself leaving with what I hope to be better quality with a block of Blanxart Dark Chocolate 60% with Macadamia Nuts.

As a footnote, I do eventually learn from my mistakes and make the 11 am walking tour and it, and the informative Dutch guide on German history, Jeff, were very good!   three times the day before. 

And the verdict…

Lindt Giaduja Ball.  Nice enough, as Lindt Balls are.  At first the flavor is reasonable in a nutty manner but then it tastes a distinctly like amaretto, therefore suggesting almonds rather than hazelnuts.

Giadujotti Fondente.  No real flavour other than nuts but like the Lindt Ball above it is a distinctly almond flavour.  No need to repeat this one.

Latte Cereal Orange.  Nice but mainly from texture with pieces of cereal throughout.  Would possibly eat if it was about but wouldn’t get too excited or buy myself.

Rausch El Cuador 70%.  Non-descript.  Tastes of pretend chocolate, i.e. has the appropriate amount of sweetness (despite the fact this is somewhat crudely bitter) but no real flavour profile.  Tastes like what food manufacturers have been telling us for years chocolate is meant to taste like, not what quality dark chocolate does taste like.

As for the Blanxart, that is still sitting there unopened, waiting for me…