Chocolate [was Re: Python Books for 2002]

[Scherer, Bill]

On Tue, 10 Apr 2001, Alex Martelli wrote:

Please don't disparage all of American chocolates until you've tried
Scharffen-Berger.

Made in California, I can get it locally (New York), and it's also
available on-line direct from the manufacturer.

- Bill

> "Michael Ströder" <michael at stroeder.com> wrote in message
> news:3AD2D8C8.153A9B4F at stroeder.com...
>     [snip]
> > > Oh, sorry, you were talking about *high-quality* chocolate. There's some
> > > pretty good Belgian stuff in my local Whole Foods store.
> >
> > I prefer the swiss stuff. :-)
> 
> Looks to me like you guys never tasted the *real* thing -- Paris
> and Bologna chocolatiers' output.  The two cities where the idea
> of making _solid_ chocolate was born in the 18th century -- still
> leading the world in this respect... industrial-scale production
> may be a great idea, but for really high-quality chocolate you
> can't beat what artisans can make.  Of course, it has drawbacks --
> you generally have to walk into the respective workshops to get
> their wares (you may get them courier-delivered if you know where
> to order, but you ain't gonna find them at your supermarket).
> 
> A few of the classic chocolatiers do make their products available
> (albeit not on 'industrial scale'!) along today's more usual
> commercial channels -- my favourite is Bologna's "Majani", who
> IMHO have struck a wise balance between high quality artisanal
> worksmanship and the advantages of industrial production (lower
> price, higher volume) -- they kept their downtown shop, right
> next to the ruins of the Roman amphitheater, but they moved
> production to a cheaper just-out-of-town location where dozens
> of skilled workers (even with help from some selected machines;
> any more of that, and we'll be moving into the 19th century!-)
> labour at real classics like "Scorza" ("tree-bark" -- the oldest
> surviving form of solid chocolate) and innovations like "Fiat"
> (a creamy mix originally conceived by the then-leading Majani
> family member for the launch of a new automobile firm up in
> the Northwest -- a tad more than 100 years ago).  They don't
> export, but you can find their products in the best sweets
> shops all over Italy...
> 
> 
> [The movie 'Chocolat' is a must-see, by the way -- Jacqueline
> Binoche AND Johnny Depp together already make it that -- I
> regret that the idea of a Maja-rooted tradition of _solid_
> chocolate is anti-historical, but the movie's still a delight].
> 
> 
> Alex
> 
> 
> 
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