Chocolate Choices: Brix and Tcho
Last week, we looked at some specialty chocolates. Today, we’re focusing on the basic chocolate form- blocks and powders from pure chocolate- and two companies in particular.
Brix Chocolate is aimed at wine lovers, and falls on the quantity edge of the spectrum. This isn’t a bad thing- their Brix gift set features three types of chocolate in large brick form, complete with a nice cutting board and knife, and all three are single-origin chocolates from Ghana. You get to try a milk chocolate (40%) designed for pairing with light red wine or dessert wines (Pinot Noir, icewine, Burgundies), the medium-strength (60%), aimed at Syrah/Shiraz, Merlot or Zinfandel, and finally the darkest at 70%, meant to stand up to the richest and deepest wines like Cabernet and Bordeaux. We broke open a few bottles of wine and tried the suggested pairings- the milk chocolate was deemed unexceptional by most, but the darker chocolates were well-balanced and flavorful. The texture and “snap” of these chocolates is nice, and they are perfect for a larger party- add cheese and wine, and you have an instant conversation starter. $50 for the gift pack, available online.
Tcho, on the other hand, falls firmly onto the quality section of the spectrum. Their 4-pack of 60g chocolate bars is $24- putting it into the upper range of chocolate prices. You probably only want to break this stuff out for your closest friends- those who can appreciate it, preferably in tiny portions. But when you do, prepare for a lot of love- these are some interesting, even fascinating chocolates. Tcho breaks their chocolates into 6 categories, though only 4 are currently available- “Citrus”, “Nutty”, “Fruity”, and “Chocolatey”. Each is organic, single-origin, and usually limited to beans from a single plantation (instead of a broader region). And it’s easy to see where each chocolate got it’s name- they were chosen from a wide variety of beans, and molded (roasted) to fit a specific desired profile.
The only one we found unexceptional was “nutty”, and it was merely “really good”. The other three were complex, worthy of palate clearing and careful attention. In case you were wondering, the “chocolatey” flavor is fudgey, like a ganache but with a fuller flavor and better texture. But we would be remiss if we didn’t mention the Drinking Chocolate, which blends three of the four types above (all except “Fruity”). Just add hot water for an espresso-like shot, or use milk for a rich latte (add coffee for a mean mocha). Reasonably priced at $10.50 for a 300g tin, this is a great way to see how you like Tcho chocolate, and is some of the better drinking chocolate we’ve had. Available online, or from their San Francisco store.
