International Chocolates

Thorntons is a traditonal English chocolate manufacturer and exist since 1911. The chocolate was invented in the Central English city of Sheffield. Todays headquaters can be found in the 22.000 inhabitant town of Alfreton in Derbyshire.

I have received the red chocolate bar as a gift from an England traveller. The certain bar is labeled as “Thorntons Dark Chocolate With Balsamic”. Thortons touts with the slogan “the Art of the Chocolatier”.

On the backside of the cardboard wrapping are much more things to read. Such things as “exquisite dark, chocolate laced, with the finest balsamic vinegar.”

The chocolatiers of Thortons know how well balsamic vinegar would complement this mildy intense, exotic dark chocolate. Its subtle, slightly floral flavour comes only from Tanzania cocoa beans, making it the ultimate gourmet bar. There are no artificial colours and no artificial flavours.

Thorntons Chocolate is also known to come from a chocolate recipe with a unique blend of the finest ingredients with no added vegetable fats and just 100 percent cocoa butter.

Alright, enough of seductive words on the wrapping box. Let’s try a piece of Thorntons Chocolate …

… the first impression is a very fruity flavour escorted by a solid taste of dark chocolate. The first bite does not open a new flavour feeling. The taste stays the same. Noble and solid.

The fruity flavour, I suppose its the balsamic, is very dominating. Maybe a bit too much dominating. Don’t get me wrong. The chocolate is excellent, but without the balsamic it would be even better. At the end of the chocolate piece I am able to experience the wonderful wonder of the perfect cocoa bean flavour. Such a wonderful feeling on the tounge and in my chocolate soul.

I must confess that this kind of Thorntons Chocolate is a fabulous example of British quality chocolate. Well done!

On a sunny Sunday at the end of August like today, I thought its time for a very special chocolate creation.

I have found my delight in an organge chocolate box with the title “Sissikugeln”. Sissi Kugeln were tradionally manufactured by the Viennese chocolate maker “Hofbauer”, but as the company was sold to “Lindt & Sprüngli, the delicious chocolates are now produced in the chocolate factoy of Gloggnitz, which can be found in the Eastern part of Lower Austria.

Sissi Kugeln are part of Viennas wonderful chocolate history. Those delicious chocolate piece are named according to Austrias queen “Elisabeth of Austria”, who lived from 1837 to 1898. She was also called the worlds most beautiful queen in history.

Sissikugeln chocolates consist of an apricot marzipan and nougat filling, covered by a mixture of the finest bitter and milk chocolate.

Sissi Chocolates are available on the market since 1998. This certain year was the time of the Sissi anniversary. As the chocolates celebrated an unbelievable success in sales, the product is still available since that time.

When I took my first try, I have experienced a full, intensive, and magnificent taste of apricot.  This is the apricot marzipan. An unique creation of confiserie skills, only made for the Sissi chocolate. It’s the first impression of this special and impressive candy delicacy.

At the end of the whole enjoyment comes the wonderful taste of the chocolate coating to its full expansion. I have tasted a tenter chocolate taste, not too sweet, not too bitter, melting on my tongue. Sissi Kugeln chocolates are a wonderful seducement for special and unique moments. My opinion: very good!

Manner Mozartwürfel Chocolate Cubes are manufactured by one of Austrias most traditional chocolate manufacturers.

The chocolate factory is located in the centre of Vienna, and known as “Manner”. Manner was the surname of Josef Manner. A highly gifted chocolate maker with a certain vision. His dream was to offer chocolate delicacies for everyone. At the beginning of the 20th century, chocolates were a luxury item. It was impossible for an average worker to buy chocolates. It was too expensive. Josef Manner, the founder of the chocolate factory, wanted to change that. Chocolate should be affordable for everyone. This was his vision.

Mozartwürfel are on of many delicious chocolate items from Manner. Those chocolates are coated in dark chocolate. The filling consists of marzipan and nougat. The form of the delicacy is a cube.

The dark chocolate is very tasty. A clear enjoyment with full flavour. Also the filling has a brillant character: fresh and fruity. Yes, Mozartwurfel Chocolate Cubes are really something nice to increase its mood. Especially if you are a fan of dark chocolate, nougat and marzipan, Mozartwurfel could be something for you.

A look inside the Manner Mozartwurfel: wonderful nougat and brillant marzipan coated with exquisite dark chocolate. A true enjoyment the Viennese way.

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Merci Chocolate is manufactured by the German candy producer Storck in Germans capital of Berlin.

Storck was founded in 1903. The chocolate factory survived two world wars, and invented its popular Merci chocolates in 1965.

Merci chocolates are little chocolate sticks, with different fillings, made of milk chocolate. You can find chocolate sticks with following flavours: finest cream, almonds and nuts, nougat and milk cream. In bigger boxes are even much more different kinds of Merci chocolates. Like marzipan or dark chocolate.

Merci Chocolate is a popular gift for special moments, like birthdays, mother’s days, or just to say “thank you” for something.

The chocolate is something special indeed. You can taste the finest flavour of milk chocolate in combination with one of those certain flavours.

I chose the hazelnuts and almonds chocolate stick first. The chocolate was a true pleasure. The cocoa content of chocolate has a percentage of 32. The little almond and hazelnut pieces in the chocolate are crunchy and digestible.

Merci is a fantastic chocolate, and sold in more than 70 countries worldwide. The success is no surprise to me. The chocolate is a masterpiece of chocolate making.

Berger is a chocolate maker from Salzburg, who has also a chocolate shop in Vienna (Wollzeile). I found this shop in Vienna by accident, and thought to buy a little bar.

Berger Chocolate is something very fancy, and the prices are quite elevated. I suppose a chocolate for the special moments in life. Not for everyday life. Something to enjoy and make other people happy. This is Berger Chocolate for me.

There were different types of chocolates. Some of them had also funny forms and characters. I went for the cheapest and bought the little bar of 40g. My chocolate bar was named as “the harmonic one”.

The special character of this chocolate is its tartish flavour. The cocoa content amounts 33 percent. Chocolate maker Mr. Berger used cocoa beans from the African island of Madagascar for this product.

There is also a strong taste of milk noticeable, and a light flavour of caramel. I must confess that this one is really a top class chocolate. It’s okay to pay such a high price for that kind of flavour experience. I am in love with Berger Chocolate. Chocolate in paradise might taste like that.

- link: Berger Confiserie (Berger chocolate shop in Vienna)

Daim is a traditonal candy from Sweden. The inventor and manufacturer of this chocolate is the famous Swedish company called “Marabou”.

Daim came on the Swedish market under the name of “Dajm” in 1953. It took some more years when Daim found its way to the Central European market. 1978 Germany, 1983 Austria, and 1988 France and many other European countries. Since 1989 Daim is also sold in Japan. The furniture store of IKEA seems to be a very important factor for the distribution of the sweet delicacy outside of Sweden.

In Austria I am able to find Daim Chocolate only in IKEA shops.

Daim Chocolate is a hard and thin bar of chocolate. The coating consists of a delicious milk chocolate. This coating has a very full flavour, and is probably the best of the whole thing. The filling is a hard and crispy plate of cocoa butter, cocoa, butter, almonds, sugar and caramel.

As I already told the milk chocolate of Daim is quite enjoyable, but the hard filling a bit unusual and quite difficult for melting on the tongue. I suppose you have to bite this hard plate of almonds and caramel. I was not able to let it melt on my tongue. But biting this kind of thing is not such a delighting idea and not so nice for the teeth either.

Cadbury is a traditional chocolate brand from England. The famous company from Old Albion was established in 1824 by a man called John Cadbury in Birmingham.

First he was just doing business with tea and coffee, but later he decided to extend his range of goods with chocolate. This was the beginning of a fantastic and sweet success story. Today Cadbury is known around the world as the typical chocolate creation from England.

Well, I was happy to find my first Cadbury chocolate in a supermarket called “IKI” in the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius during my last holiday. Of course I did not think twice, and grasped the opportunity. I have never seen a Cadbury chocolate before, but I knew about the existance.

It seemed my Cadbury chocolate was manufactured in Russia, and not in England. There are a lot of Cyrillic letters on the wrapping. Someone who is able to understand the Russian language confirmed that this Cadbury chocolate was made in a Russian city I have never heard of: Novgorod. Novgorod has 220.000 inhabitants, and can be found in the North Eastern corner of Russia, very close to St. Petersburg.

When I have opened the wrapping I could smell a lovely aroma. In my first bite I have experienced a meagre taste. The chocolate was not really sweet, but also not bitter. It was even difficult to locate the milk in the milk chocolate. Very strange.

The hazelnuts are cut in very small pieces. I am not sure what to think about this chocolate. Also the content of cocoa stays a secret. I don’t know why, because there is no cheap taste, which is typical for chocolate brands who enjoy hiding their cocoa content.

Cadbury chocolate is not bad, but also not really an enjoyment. Milka chocolate for instance is more sweet and has more flavour. Maybe Cadbury chocolate has just the character English people like. Gentle, quiet and not too obtrusive in the taste.

Ivoria is a delicious chocolate creation from France. It’s manufactured in the French town of Morteau. Morteau is located in the west of French, directly on the Swiss border, and has 6.500 inhabitants.

The official name of the chocolate bar is: Ivoria Inspirations Patissieres Facon Poire Belle Helene Chocolat Noir Fourre.

There is dark chocolate with a 57% content of cocoa as coating. The filling consists of Poire belle Hélène cream (pears).

The combination is something very new to me. I never had a pear chocolate in my life before. This makes it to a very special chocolate creation to me. But not only that. Also the taste is more than okay, and the tasting was a true enjoyment.

I bought this chocolate in the IKI supermarket of Vilnius (Lithuania).

- link: IKI Supermarket Vilnius

The Pischinger Oblaten Torte is manufactured by the traditonal company Pischinger from Vienna.

The company exists since 1849 and received world fame with the invention of the “Pischinger Torte” in 1881.

The Pischinger Oblaten Torte has two thin wafer plates on the top and the bottom, and a tender filling of cocoa cream.

It was a very pleasant experience to taste such a fine delicacy. The dry wafers and the intensive cocoa cream are a wonderful combination.

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Casali Rum Kokos are chocolates made of the finest Viennese chocolate and filled with Carribean rum.

Casali has a very long history. The company was founded in 1782, and started to manufacture rum. The brilliant quality of the products soon opened the doors to the Imperial family and other aristocratic personages.

During the wars in the Napoleon times the company moved from Trieste to Vienna. Trieste was an Austrian city in those times, and had to suffer a lot by the French soldiers. The boss of the company, Julian Casali, did not see a future anymore in this city and moved to the Austrian capital Vienna.

In 1810 Julian Casali, who was the son of the founder, moved into his first office in Vienna. It was located in the city centre of Vienna, Wollzeile Nr. 816.

One year before the first world war in 1913, the Casali company was sold to a family called “Beer”. They started to manufacture chocolate candy with alcoholic filling. Casali Rum Kokos was born!

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Even two world wars could not stop the success of Casali Rum Kokos. Today they are manufactured by the Manner company (since 1970), and one of Austrias most famous and popular candy specialities.