Favorite Valentine´s Chocolate in Japan

Want to share chocolate on Valentine´s day but not sure what´s popular? Here is a list made by Nikkei where they asked the experts about what chocolate boxes are delicious and can “wow” people!

TOKYO (Nikkei)–Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. In Japanese offices, it is a custom for women to give chocolate to male bosses and colleagues as a thank-you gift. But for those who want to share a tasty and happy moment with the entire office, here is a list of assortments recommended for break times.

The Nikkei Plus 1 asked 12 confectionery experts to select and rank boxes of chocolate that are delicious and can wow colleagues. They were chosen from 122 assortments recommended by department stores which include at least eight pieces and sell for up to 6,000 yen. Some are only available until mid-February.

The top spot went to Bonbon Chocolat by Pierre Herme Paris. Each piece of the assortment offers the unique experience of varying flavor and texture from surface to center. Yoshio Shimizu, who writes a blog about sweets, said the chocolate is just as splendid as patissier Pierre Herme’s famed macaroons.

A distant second was Theobroma’s Caviar, small chocolate balls resembled fish roe. Koji Tsuchiya, who heads the chocolate maker, is one of Japan’s pioneering chocolatiers. Masae Shimozono, a confectionery specialist, said the chocolate would probably be liked by men as well because it has a bitter flavor.

Ranked third was Grands Crus Dominos by Bonnat, a French chocolate company with a 125-year history. The chocolate is made from cacao beans from eight farms around the world, providing a rich flavor with a 75% cacao content.

Fourth-placed Marcolini Selection is by famous Belgian chocolatier Pierre Marcolini. Diamant d’Amour by Del Rey, a chocolate maker from Belgium, came in seventh. Ninth-ranked Selection Chuao by Italian chocolatier Amedei is made with legendary “Chuao” cacao beans.

Chocolates by Japanese patissiers were also among the top 10. In addition to Theobroma items ranked second and 10th, Bonbon Chocolat by Patisserie Sadaharu Aoki Paris came in fifth and Valentine Huit by Mont St. Clair, a cake shop led by Hironobu Tsujiguchi, was ranked in eighth.

Sixth place went to Potatochip Chocolate by Royce’, a chocolatier in Hokkaido. “The sweet and salty flavors of chocolate and potato chips make an intriguing combination,” said Yuko Nishi, who runs a Web site about food sold at department stores.

Source: Nikkei

The only problem is the availability as it seems they are sold only in Japan, but guess it is interesting to know what Japanese likes in “choco” terms.

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