Chocolate Love, Part I

I, like so many citizens of the world, adore chocolate. It's yummy, it's satisfying, and apparently contains the same chemicals your body produces when you're in love. But I'm not a scientist. I'm an unrepentant Chocoholic. In my lifetime, I've tried many, many types of chocolate, from all over the world. To date, I tend to prefer European chocolates, but that's just me. What's your favorite type of chocolate?

The worst chocolate I've ever tried, however, was Chinese in origin (don't mistake this for racism or something; I happen to be Asian). I've had it three times over the years: once in the US, when a family friend brought a gift platter of Chinese candies over for the Lunar New Year, and twice in Hong Kong. Each time it was the same: dry, with a slightly greasy texture that brought a grimace to my face. It has a distinctly non-chocolate flavor. Sort of like a Tootsie Roll left over from ten Halloweens ago. My advice: Chinese people make some really great desserts and confections, but chocolate is not included in that category.

Recently, I stopped by our local grocery store to pick up pet food. Oddly, the chocolate was in the same aisle. LOL? Here's what I picked out:

1. Hershey's Milk Chocolate Nuggets

These are great for just snacking or satisfying a chocolate craving. They're softer in texture, closer to fudge, and you can taste the sugar flavors. It's not super rich in flavor, which makes eating many of them easy. In my opinion, not the best quality product, but great in a pinch. And, when people crowd around asking for chocolate, you won't feel as depressed giving it away. Hahaha.

2. Chocolove's Ginger Crystallized in Dark Chocolate

Mmm, high cocoa content. This was something I hadn't tried before, my sister had baked Chocolate chip ginger cookies for me once that were absolutely delicious, so I decided to try it. The dark chocolate was almost perfect, rich and slightly bitter. The ginger was a nice complement, though bigger pieces of it tended to be too spicy for me (I prefer ginger in small minced bits). Overall, a nice snack. I ate this bar over the course of a few days. It's pretty rich in flavor, so it's not something I eat a large amount of in one sitting. The love poem advertised on the wrapping was pretty odd though. 

3. Choceur's Mini Chocolate Bars with Strawberry Creme Filling

I've only ever found these in Aldi grocery stores. I love strawberry paired with chocolate, and these are one of my favorite candies. The filling is a sweet yogurt creme with bits of dried strawberries that give it a slightly sour twist to it. Great to snack on, and easy to share!