Special delivery! all the way from San Francisco came 2 bars of Ghirardelli chocolate courtesy of a friend back from an adventurous holiday. Both dark chocolate and I was very keen to try them against their Lindt counterparts. Both brands are well known but their history dates back to 1800s …
I know Lindt & Sprungli really as Lindt, I mean it is ‘Lindt’ that is printed in gold scroll script on the front wrapper, then at the back is printed Lindt & Sprungli. This was not always the way. First came the Swiss chocolatier Sprungli (depuis 1845). Then came Lindt, another Swiss chocolatier (depuis 1879). It was Lindt who revolutionised the manufacturing process by inventing the conche (a roller grinder machine which worked on the cocoa and sugar to make it smoother. The movement aerated the chocolate to improve flavour too.). Sprungli acquired Lindt’s business (name and secrets) which enabled the new larger company to expand and focus on mass market production. The company survived two wars and are now an international chocolate manufacturer incorporating other successful chocolate factories like Cafferal (Italy) and Ghirardelli (USA).
Ghirardelli (Gear – ar – delly)
Domingo Ghirardelli had a long history with importing beans (cocoa and coffee) and spices. From his home in Italy where he apprenticed with a candy importer, he moved to Uruguay, then to Peru to open a confectionary store. The gold rush brought him to California where he opened a general store to serve the miners. A second and third store soon followed in San Francisco. The latter stores where destroyed by the Great Fire 1851 but this lead to the start of the Ghirardelli Chocolate Company. The business expanded selling bagged chocolate, cooking chocolate and cocoa in supermarkets, opening chocolate shops and ice cream shops. This very same company also had a successful mustard trading side, mad eh? Anyway it passed through a series of owners until it became a subsidiary of Lindt in 1998. The bars tasted below were added to the range in 2006.
Now back to the important business of tasting …
Ghirardelli twilight delight 72% Unwrapping this bar reveals a lovely sheen and finish, with the intricate Ghirardelli logo beautifully molded on each square. It is dark in color, but not as dark as the Lindt 70%. The smell of this chocolate is not very exciting, a mild vanilla, earthy smell. It feels soft with a light snap. The texture is scarily waxy and slow to melt. But it is smooth, not a grain to be felt anywhere. The taste is mildly earthy with a hint of raspberries. Aftertaste is bitter but short lived. Overall, everything about this bar is mild, light and easygoing. Nothing wow or dramatic but they didn’t promise that, they promised that I could ’savour the pleasurable and relaxing finish to the day’.
Lindt Excellence 70% (European version) Unwrapping this bar (a very similar experience as before because both bars are boxed and wrapped the same) reveals a chocolate darker in color than the Ghirardelli 72%, with a smooth finish. The smell is strong, cocoa, even smokey with a hint of vanilla. It feels solid and gives a nice crisp snap. It tastes smokey but sweet (brown sugar) with a smooth creamy texture melting easily. Overall, I like this chocolate. It’s my everyday chocolate because it is easy to pick up a bar (€2.08 in Dunnes). Thumbs up to the Lindties!
Ghirardelli midnight reverie 86% Each square on this bar is as beautiful as the 72%. The smell is a mild bitter cocoa giving away nothing. Compared to Lindt 85%, it is lighter in color with a reddish tinge. Strangely enough, this chocolate feels like soap with a soft snap. It tastes pleasant enough, small bit bitter, like black coffee, woody taste. Not so overpowering, not likely to cause offense but not wow either. A little disappointing. It is slow to melt …. like soap, you have to work with it! Overall this is a mellow 86% chocolate, not as rich as Lindt 85%.
Lindt Excellence 85% (European version) This is a very dark looking bar of chocolate with a strong cocoa smell to match (hints of vanilla too). Again a smooth finish, hard to the touch and a firm crisp snap. The texture is smooth and creamy at first then quite drying, but the taste is bitter as I would expect but not offensive, a deep cocoa flavor. Overall this is a little too strong for me, but I would still prefer this to the Ghirardelli because of its rich texture.
