We no longer bat an eye when we come across connoisseurs of fine wine, whisky, or cigars, but what about chocolate? More people are becoming aficionados in the world of luxury chocolates. Like fine wines, the ingredients for such opulent chocolates used carefully sourced, respectfully treated and processed ingredients. Craftsmen then artfully package the chocolates for sale. These exceptional confections come with exceptional price tags. These three chocolatiers produce some of the most expensive chocolates in the world.
Le Chocolat Alain Ducasse Chocolate Block – 95 € (approx. $100)
Travel to Paris to visit one of Alain Ducasse’s Le Chocolat locations. Choose from the varied, playful shaped chocolates, boxes of single-origin ganaches or pralines, or treat yourself to a decadent chocolate block in either dark or milk chocolate. The chocolate block comes with its very own accessories: a wooden tray and a mallet to break break the bar into bite-sized pieces. Enjoy the chocolate as is, or you can use it in desserts or confections of your own.
Knipschildt La Madeline au Truffe – $250
Danish chocolatier Fritz Knipschildt began making chocolates in his Connecticut kitchen in 1999, and now is one of the top purveyors of luxury chocolate in the world. The Knipschildt La Madeline au Truffle consists of a rare French Perigord truffle surrounded by a rich decadent ganache made from 70% Valrhona dark chocolate. Then more Valrhona dark chocolate coats the truffle and finally a layer of cocoa covers the whole thing. Knipschildt makes the truffles to order and ships them in a lovely silver chocolate box which is tied with a ribbon.
To’ak Spanish Elm Matured Chocolate Bar – $315
Finally, the most expensive chocolate in the world, To’ak chocolate bars come with a history. The Spanish Elm matured bar ages for 18 months in a Spanish Elm wood vessel, the same wood used to ferment To’ak’s Ecuadorian cacao beans. Artisans individually then engrave handcrafted Spanish Elm wood boxes with the bar number for each chocolate. The box includes specialized tasting utensils as well as a 116-page booklet which outlines the history of the cacao beans used in the luxurious chocolate bar. To’ak recommends breaking the bar while it is still in its golden wrapper, and then using the wooden tweezers to lift a piece of chocolate to your mouth (to avoid contaminating the flavor of the chocolate with any oils that may be on your fingers). To’ak only produces 100 of these bars.
Do you now believe that chocolates can be appreciated at the same level as luxury wines or fine cognac? Let us know in the comments below!
