Chocolate [was Re: Python Books for 2002]

[Alex Martelli]

"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