We recently conducted a taste test of eight different Swiss chocolates (four milk and four dark) with a group of over 50 people. All the chocolate was Swiss-made and can be found in Basel. The results were surprising! Read more to find out why.
A Blind Taste Test
How do you find the best chocolate in town? You get a room full of people to do a blind taste test of course! We were lucky enough to have such willing participants at a recent Bayer Basel Pharma Community event. Participants were asked to sample eight different types of chocolate, ranging in price from CHF 0.90 to CHF 8.75 per 100g. The chocolate was cut into 5g samples and organized by cocoa content. Participants were then asked to rate the chocolate out of 5 (5 being the best) on both taste and texture and to record any tasting notes. We then tabulated all the results.
The Contenders
The chocolate we selected was from a range of brands from supermarket to high-end. All the brands were Swiss and there were two vegan varieties. Make sure to read on for the results!
Sample 1
Brand: Halba Extra Milch
Cocoa: 31%
Sugar: 51g
Fat: 35g
Price: CHF 2.20/100g
Halba is part of the Coop Group and a leading manufacturer at the forefront of sustainable Swiss chocolate. Chocolates from Halba are exclusively produced in Switzerland and this chocolate has a ‘Fairtrade’ label, meaning the production complies with comprehensive social, ecological and economic criteria of the Faitrade Max Havelaar Stiftung.
Sample 2
Brand: Lindt Milch Extra
Cocoa: 31%
Sugar: 56g
Fat: 31g
Price: CHF 2.60/100g
Lindt has been creating the finest Swiss chocolate since 1845. This milk chocolate bar is made from Swiss milk and high-quality cocoa. Lindt uses only the most select ingredients from a wide variety of growing regions and is committed to sustainability and supporting cocoa farmers.
Sample 3
Brand: Sprüngli Milch Intense
Cocoa: 42%
Sugar: 46g
Fat: 39g
Price: CHF 7.50/100g
Confiserie Sprüngli has been a member of the exclusive circle of Swiss chocolatiers for more than 180 years and continues to make a significant contribution to the global reputation of Swiss chocolate. This fresh Swiss milk chocolate is prepared using the traditional skills of the master chocolatier with only the choicest ingredients.
Sample 4
Brand: Migros V-Love Choco Classic (vegan)
Cocoa: 45%
Sugar: 44g
Fat: 35g
Price: CHF 2.20/100g
Migros V-Love products are certified vegan and vegetarian. This chocolate also has a Rainforest Alliance certification seal which can only be used by farms and companies that meet the rigorous criteria of the Sustainable Agriculture Standard of the Rainforest Alliance certification program.
Sample 5
Brand: Migros Budget Dunkle Schokolade
Cocoa: 46%
Sugar: 52g
Fat: 29g
Price: CHF 0.90/100g
M-Budget is Migros budget brand. The M-budget prices are regularly compared by an independent market research institute and adjusted if necessary. This chocolate has a Rainforest Alliance certification seal which can only be used by farms and companies that meet the rigorous criteria of the Sustainable Agriculture Standard, part of the Rainforest Alliance certification program.
Sample 6
Brand: Frey Suprême Noir Satin
Cocoa: 69%
Sugar: 26g
Fat: 48g
Price: CHF 2.90/100g
Frey was established in 1887 and produces 100% Swiss-made in chocolate using UTZ certified beans. UTZ is a label which indicates sustainable farming practices that is part of the Rainforest Alliance.
Sample 7
Brand: Chocolate and Love (organic, vegan)
Cocoa: 71%
Sugar: 35g
Fat: 54g
Price: CHF 8.75/100g
Chocolate and Love is a family-run business founded by Richard and Birgitte O'Connor in 2010. They create award-winning, organic and 'Fairtrade' chocolate, made in Switzerland. The company has won a total of 63 Great Taste Awards. This particular chocolate has won 7 Great Taste Awards and is described as having notes of red berries followed by fresh, slightly acidic notes. The cacao in this bar comes from Peru and The Dominican Republic.
Sample 8
Brand: Coop Naturaplan (organic) 87% Honduras
Cocoa: 87%
Sugar: 11g
Fat: 57g
Price: CHF 2.95/100g
Part of Coop’s Naturplan organic brand, this chocolate has a ‘Fairtrade’ label meaning the production complied with comprehensive social, ecological and economic criteria of the Faitrade Max Havelaar Stiftung.
The Results
And which were the favourites? Our participants had very discerning tastes. Dark chocolate was certainly the favourite amongst this group, most of them remarking that the milk chocolate was too sweet. However the 87% cocoa of the darkest bar was a bit too strong and the preference lay with bars that had a cocoa content of 60-70%.
First Place
In first place was Frey Suprême Noir Satin (Sample 6) with 4.0 overall for taste and 3.9 for texture. This was a surprise given that this is one of the more affordable chocolate brands at only CHF 2.90 per 100g, which can be bought at almost any Migros. Participants remarked on the smooth texture and the coffee-like aroma of the chocolate. The cocoa content of 69% also seemed to hit the mark for combining creaminess and chocolate taste without being too sweet.
Second Place
A close second in the rankings with ratings of 3.8 for taste and 3.7 for texture was Chocolate and Love (Sample 7) with their 71% cocoa, rich dark chocolate. Participants remarked on the complexity of the chocolate flavour with tangy, fruity notes. They also found the texture to be very smooth. This brand was also one of the two vegan varieties. This was my personal favourite, and the most expensive of all the brands (CHF 8.75 per 100g). It is available locally in Basel at Xocolatl (as well as their online store).
Third Place
In third place and best-rated in the milk chocolate category was Sprüngli Milch Intense (Sample 3) with ratings of 3.6 for taste and 3.4 for texture. This variety was the second most expensive bar (CHF 7.50 per 100g) and was thought to be the perfect mix of milk and dark chocolate. It also has a very smooth melt which left a clean palette. This chocolate is available in Basel at Confiserie Sprüngli as well as online.
The Other Rankings (from highest to lowest)
Sample 1 Halba Extra Milch Taste 3.1 Texture 3.3
Sample 5 Migros Budget Dunkle Schokolade Taste 3.1 Texture 3.3
Sample 2 Lindt Milch Extra Taste 3.1 Texture 3.1
Sample 8 Coop Naturaplan 87% Honduras Taste 3.0 Texture 3.2
Sample 4 Migros V-Love Choco Classic Taste 2.7 Texture 2.9
A Chocolate Tasting Experience
It was certainly a fun experience and many thanks go out to the Bayer Basel Pharma Community for participating. If you are interested in having a chocolate tasting experience at your next get together, please contact us here and we would be happy to give you more details.
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