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Valrhona Carre Guanaja Pieces
I know there are some on this forum who are not favorably impressed with Valrhona and I am certainly not qualified to get into that discussion. However, I have been eating the individually wrapped Valrhona pieces for years and enjoy them very much. Unfortunately, I am no longer able to buy them here in Hawaii in a quantity or at a price that even remotely approaches sanity. This dilemma is what started me down the path to learn more about chocolate.
My question for you experts is this: How does Valrhona make the Guanaja chocolate squares that they sell in the individually wrapped gold colored paper with a black outer wrapping? What form is it. Tempered? I would very much like to make something similar in texture and taste. I like the manner in which it melts on the top of your mouth with that silky finish. The 73% Des Alphes that I'm currently using is not cutting it. This could very well be due to my ineptitude. It just doesn't melt the same in my mouth.
Any suggestions?
Aloha.
My question for you experts is this: How does Valrhona make the Guanaja chocolate squares that they sell in the individually wrapped gold colored paper with a black outer wrapping? What form is it. Tempered? I would very much like to make something similar in texture and taste. I like the manner in which it melts on the top of your mouth with that silky finish. The 73% Des Alphes that I'm currently using is not cutting it. This could very well be due to my ineptitude. It just doesn't melt the same in my mouth.
Any suggestions?
Aloha.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Robert Shea on -
I for one do not care for Valrhona, but I figure the Academy of Chocolate has given them golds and Pierre Herme uses them, so clearly they are a quality product that just isn't to my particular taste.
I am sure every Valrhona you've had has been sold in tempered form. As to making something like that... I mean they are considered one of the finest chocolates availible and pretty much the default choice of every top chocolatier and pastry chef. I think if it were so easy to reproduce... Ya know?
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Permalink Reply by Langdon Stevenson on -
As Devil said, I think that you are going to find it very hard (if not impossible) to replicate the Valrhona product - especially taste. There are some things that you mention though that can be explained:
Melting in mouth: this is at least partly due to the piece of chocolate being thin. A small, thin wafer will melt quickly where as a thick piece will not.
Silky finish: this is likely to come from small particle size and extra cocoa butter
Langdon
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Permalink Reply by Rich on -
Thanks for the replies. I had a feeling this is the way it would go. If it were so easy....... everyone would do it? Probably.
I've tried the thin wafer method with less than satisfactory results, but thanks for the thought. I guess I'll hope for a local supplier to bring Valrhona in again.
Aloha
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