Amedei Chocolate
November 4, 2010 Amedei produces some of the most exquisite chocolates in the world. It's not an exaggeration. Their award-winning bars have garnered much praise within the chocolate world. Chocoholics like myself can't get enough of their stuff.
It's been a while since I last tasted their products and I was delighted to see some new launches. The new Quadrotti Toscani line is a collection of filled chocolate squares. I tried the Ripieno Di Croccantino, which is a dreamy milk chocolate praline with a crunchy Mediterranean almond and hazelnut filling. It's probably a good thing that the package only contained four pieces as I'd have eaten way more if they included more squares.
The new Crema Toscana Alla Nocciola is hands down my ultimate gourmet sweet indulgence. This richly fragrant hazelnut cream will make your eyeballs roll backward. Each jar contains 47% Tonda Gentile delle Langhe hazelnuts. Putting a spoonful in your mouth will result in an explosion of hazelnut and chocolate. It's so good that you will abandon your Nutella in two seconds flat. I don't know which one I like better - the original Crema Toscana Al Cacao or this one.
The Toscano Nut Brown Cioccolato Gianduja 32% bar is another gem. Keeping with the artisan traditions of Piedmont chocolate-making, the choice of premium raw materials is apparent in this bar. Amedei uses only the purest cocoa, the best cane sugar, and large "Tonda Gentile" hazelnuts (toasted on the premises). If you want something with more texture the 32% Milk Chocolate with Hazelnuts is another beautiful, voluptuous bar. You won't taste anything as rich and luscious.
Embedded with dried fruit, the Toscano Blond 63% Extra Dark Chocolate with Peaches and Apricots is truly a sublime bar. Master chocolatier Cecilia Tessieri put all her passion in this recipe. By adding the dried peach and apricot she highlighted all the aromatic notes from the cacao. The same goes for the Toscano Red 70% Extra Dark Chocolate with Strawberries, Raspberries and Cherries. The tart red fruit heightens the fruitiness of the cacao, making it all the more enjoyable.
I also got to try the Extra Dark 70% Grenada Single Origin chocolate bar. The finish is very smooth and delicate. It's so well balanced that I didn't detect much acidity, only a bit of a balsamic tinge. This one features notes of green tea, strawberry tree honey, exotic fruits (avocado, papaya, mango), and ground pistachio.
In the U.S. you can buy Amedei at places like www.chocosphere.com. For more info go to www.amedei.com.
For editorial consideration, review samples were provided for this post.
Reader Comments (3)
I would love a bar of chocolate right now! :)
OMG! A gourmet version of Nutella? Why did you have to tell me about this. Such temptation! Definitely will have to seek this baby out.
Carolyn - yep, you read it correctly. It's more fragrant and the flavor is way more intense. We already went through a whole jar and bought another one!