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| January Joy at Lindt |
Boston hosts a veritable garden of specialty shops devoted to seductive sweetness, and so it is the perfect destination to catch a bit of January Joy. Yesterday, a friend and I were treated to a private tour of five delightful chocolate-filled destinations. Diana, the cheerful ambassador from Boston Chocolate Walking Tours, met us in the Lindt shop on Boylston Street.
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| 704 Boylston Street |
What a sublime spot for sensory overload! The floor-to-ceiling truffle display on the back wall towers over tables and bins heaped with coloful bags and individually-wrapped treats. European Specialty chocolates, molded rabbits and bags of truffles all clamor for attention. Lindt has shops in 100 countries, but only in the United States, Miguel informed us, can one encounter a shop packed with the full variety of Lindt products.
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| Lindt's energetic decor |
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| Miguel, unveiling the Excellence Chili Bar |
Fortunately, Miguel, the shop manager, invited us to focus on the rows of gourmet bars that line one wall. An almost overwhelming selection of chocolate bars increased in cocoa content from left to right. Presumably, this arrangement would help self-knowing chocolate-lovers locate pleasing selections, but Miguel's generosity convinced the most obstinate dark chocolate fan (me) that the entire panel deserves consideration. He treated us to seven different samples, from white to intense dark, each uniquely delicious.
Before waxing eloquent on the delectable diversity of Lindt's Excellence line, let's give credit to the embryo of all creative chocolatery: the cocoa seed. Those obliging cocoa trees of Ghana and the Ivory Coast (from whence the bulk of the world's chocolate originates) produce football-shaped cocoa pods filled with seeds (beans) that are fermented and dried and delivered to the care of the world's premier chocolatiers, whose machines clean, roast, pound, pummel, grind, conch and blend them into premier finesse.
Some seeds escape the industrial process and arrive in Diana's handbag to be passed to fortunate patrons of Boston's Chocolate Walking Tours. There, in the midst of all that glorious chocolatey accomplishment, my friend and I each receieved an almond-shaped seed to chomp.
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| A cocoa seed seconds before the second bite |
For one known to snack on a 100% cocoa-content Ghirardelli bar, chewing on a cocoa bean wasn't intimidating. But it served to highlight the complicated metamorphosis from seed to scrumptious specialty.
Miguel and Diana both trained us in the art of appreciating fine chocolate, which, rather like cheese and wine, relies on all the senses. Its aroma should be tintillating, its physical artistry should be apparent, and, before its exceptional flavor be given a chance to linger, its sound (in the case of a square being broken from a bar) should be pleasing. Apparently, chocolate that has been properly conched makes an enticing snap. And, proper conching (a process that grinds liquid chocolate until smooth) would be unknown if it weren't for a bit of negligence on the part of Rodolphe Lindt, who, one evening in the late 1800s accidentally left his chocolate mixer on all night. How delighted he must have been the next morning to discover a batch of -- not ruined, but augmented chocolate. Modern school of thought holds that top-quality chocolate be conched for more than 70 hours.
Miguel generously offered us a taste of whatever bar intrigued us. Of course, we pressed him for his favorite and sampled the newest flavor to emerge from Lindt's experimental labs in Switzerland: Black Currant. It smelled of Monet's garden and sunny fields of lavendar, although the magic list of ingredients includes not flowers but aromatic fruits and berries.
The Chili Bar had tickled my togue first in Switzerland last summer. My taste buds were again treated to triumphant smoothness with the perfect hint of bite. Lindt achieves this subtle flavor by using chili oil rather than actual chili peppers.
The Touch of Sea Salt bar was equally intriguing. Adding salt to premium chocolate became popular a year ago. Initially, Lindt's Fleur de Sel came from the south of France, but the distinction has been transferred to New Hampshire.
The Filled Pistachio Bar is a delightful concept -- beneath a milk chocolate shell, almond cream fluff wraps a whole pistachio nestling in each square. It was a bit too sweet for my taste, although the green pistachio in the square's center emerged like a gift.
We actually started our sampling with white chocolate, which contains cocoa butter, sugar and milk solids but no cocoa solids. Lindt deserves praise for its white chocolate products. The squares we sampled managed to override my prejudice, which is a testimonial to true skill! Although I have not been a fan of either white chocolate, sugar, or coconut, the gritty texture of the White Coconut Bar was very appealing; the coconut flavor was suggestive rather than overpowering. Cookie Dough is also an edible I avoid, but the Stracciatella Bar, named after an Italian gelato, contained enough cocoa nibs to impart a satisfying crunch. Neither was too sweet.
Apparently, my early and unsatisfactory experience with white chocolate may have derived from drugstore varieties rather than artisanal varieties. There are two types of white chocolate on the market: that made from paraffin (lurking in drugstores) and that made from cocoa butter (parading in specialty shops). Ah, thank you, Lindt, for the epiphany!
Miguel and Diana both trained us in the art of appreciating fine chocolate, which, rather like cheese and wine, relies on all the senses. Its aroma should be tintillating, its physical artistry should be apparent, and, before its exceptional flavor be given a chance to linger, its sound (in the case of a square being broken from a bar) should be pleasing. Apparently, chocolate that has been properly conched makes an enticing snap. And, proper conching (a process that grinds liquid chocolate until smooth) would be unknown if it weren't for a bit of negligence on the part of Rodolphe Lindt, who, one evening in the late 1800s accidentally left his chocolate mixer on all night. How delighted he must have been the next morning to discover a batch of -- not ruined, but augmented chocolate. Modern school of thought holds that top-quality chocolate be conched for more than 70 hours.
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| A fraction of our options |
The Chili Bar had tickled my togue first in Switzerland last summer. My taste buds were again treated to triumphant smoothness with the perfect hint of bite. Lindt achieves this subtle flavor by using chili oil rather than actual chili peppers.
The Touch of Sea Salt bar was equally intriguing. Adding salt to premium chocolate became popular a year ago. Initially, Lindt's Fleur de Sel came from the south of France, but the distinction has been transferred to New Hampshire.
The Filled Pistachio Bar is a delightful concept -- beneath a milk chocolate shell, almond cream fluff wraps a whole pistachio nestling in each square. It was a bit too sweet for my taste, although the green pistachio in the square's center emerged like a gift.
We actually started our sampling with white chocolate, which contains cocoa butter, sugar and milk solids but no cocoa solids. Lindt deserves praise for its white chocolate products. The squares we sampled managed to override my prejudice, which is a testimonial to true skill! Although I have not been a fan of either white chocolate, sugar, or coconut, the gritty texture of the White Coconut Bar was very appealing; the coconut flavor was suggestive rather than overpowering. Cookie Dough is also an edible I avoid, but the Stracciatella Bar, named after an Italian gelato, contained enough cocoa nibs to impart a satisfying crunch. Neither was too sweet.
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| European Specialties |
Apparently, my early and unsatisfactory experience with white chocolate may have derived from drugstore varieties rather than artisanal varieties. There are two types of white chocolate on the market: that made from paraffin (lurking in drugstores) and that made from cocoa butter (parading in specialty shops). Ah, thank you, Lindt, for the epiphany!
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| Truffles begging to be bought |
All of the choclate bars we sampled, as well as the piles of European Specialty chocolates, were imported from Switzerland. Truffles, because of their delicate composition, suffer from lengthy voyages. They are best when maintained at consistent temperatures between 56 and 70 degrees F, which is difficult during transaltantic voyages. To ensure freshness for American truffle gourmets, Lindt has opened a factory in New Hampshire dedicated solely to truffle-making.
Miguel has been told by customers who have experience on both sides of the Atlantic that there is a definite difference in flavor. I concur, and the answer may be in the milk. Swiss cows, with their Alpine vistas and fresh air and sweet vegetation, produce premium milk which is churned into premium ganache for chocolate and truffles. Lindt's New Hampshire factories are not blessed with such a supply of organic milk from contented cows. But, unquestionably, they are worth the indulgence.
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| Edible artistry! |
AUTHOR'S CHOICE:
For something fresh and enticing, try Lindt's newest flavor in their Excellence series:
What a great blog post! The fantastic description of your in-store experience, complemented with the photos really allow any reader to get a true idea of what the shop is like. Thank you for the superb review!
ReplyDeleteIt was lovely meeting you today and I love your blog. Amazing chocolates.
ReplyDeleteElla
Very delicious! I love chocolate. I am very glad to know this tasty information because now I'm going to plan niagra bus tours with my family and during this tour my father have some work in Boston. So I must go with him and used to visit this chocolate bar.
ReplyDeleteGreat Blog friend. It is very delicious. It is very informative information because my uncle also searches in Boston attraction to enjoy the summer seasons. I am in new york day trip with my business partner. After going back to home I must ask my uncle to visit Chocolate bar. Thanks a lot for this great blog. Keep on sharing!
ReplyDelete