After reading my pitiable lament about the demise of several domestic artisan chocolate factories, my friend wunx sent me two bars of Amano chocolate! Yum! I don't know why it seems so odd to me that good dark chocolate is being made just outside Salt Lake City, but Amano's product is delicious. I highly recommend both the Madagascar and the Ocumare; the Madagascar is sharp with a tangy citrus note, while the Ocumare is smoother. I can tell you that both go wonderfully with a nice pinot noir.
Amano also has a rather nice chocolate blog - check out their historical look at a chocolate factory in 1884, or the detailed post on chocolate roasting. I'm planning to experiment with their hot chocolate recipe as soon as I get more Amano Ocumare!
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I asked at the store where where I got the chocolate bars about the Amano Nibs, and they've gotten some in for me. I'm going on a shopping expedition tomorrow. Watch your mailbox.
In addition to the companies Cybele mentioned in her comment on your previous post, Jacques Torres is also making his own chocolate in his new factory in New York. It's good.
I really enjoy your blog!
And dark, dark chocolate. Why someone doesn't make a dark chocolate peanut butter cup is beyond me...
nothing finer.....
My very favorite hot cocoa is made with nibs brewed like coffee. I don't do it often, because it gets rather pricy, but I absolutely love a cup of unsweetened, uncreamed hot cocoa. I also love to mix some with my coffee beans for a rather succulent cup of "real" mocha.
Ironically, I am not all that fond of dark chocolate bars - I love me some great milk chocolate...
Although I do have to complain that the last thing I needed right now, is the distraction of the unbelievably sexy Amano chocolate site.
Really good milk chocolate is delicious too - most American milk chocolate is unfortunately too sweet for my taste. But mmmmm, hot cocoa. . .
Thanks for the shout out. I honestly didn't expect a review here at Science Blogs. (I read regularly and actually am a physicist - a bit of a change from working at LANL to making chocolate)
BTW - we have milk chocolate now. We're still waiting for the printing on the boxes to be done. But we're doing a "prerelease" of it off our blog. We tried to make a milk that would appeal to dark chocolate lovers but would also be enjoyable by those intimidated by dark chocolate.
A pleasant change to be sure! :) I know another physicist who has made chocolate, actually -physicists appear to enjoy food experiments in the kitchen-lab.