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The Chocolate Connoisseur: For Everyone With a Passion for Chocolate
An expert and irresistible book for everyone who loves chocolate.
Few people know as much about chocolate as Chloé Doutre-Roussel. In this unique book she shares her knowledge and her passion with chocolate lovers who
- Learn to differentiate between good and bad chocolate
- Discover wonderful new brands to savor and enjoy
- Find out how to select brands to reflect mood and time of day
- Learn to taste chocolate like a connoisseur
Filled with information on the history, culture, lore, and culinary aspects of the world's finest chocolate, including recipes, this charming book is the most decadent dessert any chocolate lover can have-without the calories.
Few people know as much about chocolate as Chloé Doutre-Roussel. In this unique book she shares her knowledge and her passion with chocolate lovers who
- Learn to differentiate between good and bad chocolate
- Discover wonderful new brands to savor and enjoy
- Find out how to select brands to reflect mood and time of day
- Learn to taste chocolate like a connoisseur
Filled with information on the history, culture, lore, and culinary aspects of the world's finest chocolate, including recipes, this charming book is the most decadent dessert any chocolate lover can have-without the calories.
- GenresNonfictionFoodCulinary
224 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2005
12 people are currently reading
112 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
February 3, 2012
Chloe Doutre-Roussel is the chocolate buyer for London's Fortnum & Mason. In this capacity, she eats more than a pound of chocolate a day. Most of the chocolate she eats, however, is very different from the vast majority of what is called "chocolate" in this world. The purpose of this book is to explain the difference between the mass market, sugar-and-vanilla flavored candy and the artisan-crafted bars that have been coming to market in the last few years.
I have been a Scharfenberger 70% girl since we toured their Berkeley factory a few years ago and began to learn about how quality chocolate brands cultivate the unique flavors of individual beans in much the same way a wine maker does. This book expanded on what I learned there and taught me a few more things about how to find good bars and how to develop the palate to expand my ability to experience flavor. Notably, it also confirmed my observation that organic chocolate does not inherently taste better than its conventional counterparts - flavor comes from the type of bean and how it is processed, not from whether or not synthetic pesticides were used during farming.
Despite the fact that this is such a delightful subject, I did not enjoy this book anywhere near as much as I had hoped. While it does contain interesting information, the tone is exceedingly patronizing. I understand the author is passionate about her subject, but I hope at some point she learns how to share that passion in a less elitist way.
If you love chocolate, this book is probably worth picking up if for no other reason than it lists a number of sources to find good chocolate. Because it was written in 2005, this list undoubtedly no longer complete, but it has given me some new resources to investigate.
I have been a Scharfenberger 70% girl since we toured their Berkeley factory a few years ago and began to learn about how quality chocolate brands cultivate the unique flavors of individual beans in much the same way a wine maker does. This book expanded on what I learned there and taught me a few more things about how to find good bars and how to develop the palate to expand my ability to experience flavor. Notably, it also confirmed my observation that organic chocolate does not inherently taste better than its conventional counterparts - flavor comes from the type of bean and how it is processed, not from whether or not synthetic pesticides were used during farming.
Despite the fact that this is such a delightful subject, I did not enjoy this book anywhere near as much as I had hoped. While it does contain interesting information, the tone is exceedingly patronizing. I understand the author is passionate about her subject, but I hope at some point she learns how to share that passion in a less elitist way.
If you love chocolate, this book is probably worth picking up if for no other reason than it lists a number of sources to find good chocolate. Because it was written in 2005, this list undoubtedly no longer complete, but it has given me some new resources to investigate.
January 17, 2008
i want her job.
November 27, 2018
There is a lot of information packed into this little book, but the overall tone was pretty condescending to the reader. Being someone who has been tasting chocolate and researching everything I can find about chocolate I found The Chocolate Connoisseur to contain a lot of information that I have already read over and over, but there was some interesting information about Chloe's personal experiences with chocolate and traveling. This book may be aimed at everyone, but I think it would be suited more for the reader who loves chocolate, has already begun tasting it, and is just starting to research it.
I gave 4 stars for the book because I found the information to be interesting and helpful 3 stars, but the condescending tone to be offputting. I put an extra star because I met the author at a chocolate festival and got my book autographed.
I gave 4 stars for the book because I found the information to be interesting and helpful 3 stars, but the condescending tone to be offputting. I put an extra star because I met the author at a chocolate festival and got my book autographed.
November 17, 2013
This is an informative little volume about developing a palate for high quality chocolate. The process is equated with being a connoisseur of wine as the author explains how to conduct a tasting of chocolates which have been carefully selected and stored properly. She also covers the various aspects contributing to the flavor profile of a particular chocolate. Again much like wine, growing conditions, the way the beans are handled before and during processing, the quality of other ingredients all have their effect.
The author provides a soothing defense of the health properties of truly fine chocolate, which is not laden with a myriad of unpronounceable additives. Sorry Hershey, Mars, Cadbury, et al, you've negated most of the health benefits.
I appreciate that Doutre-Roussel exposes the conditions under which cacao farmers labor, that they are often desperately poor. She spends considerable time discussing innovators experimenting with different processing and working to re-establish plantations with the high quality Criollo-Trinitario beans as opposed to the ubiquitous Forastero beans. I wish she had spent as much time discussing those making efforts to reform production to bring about more of a fair trade ideal. She mentions it but dismisses the work as she feels it has not yet produced superior chocolate. Rather than dismissing it outright I'd be curious to know what she feels would help improve the product as these individuals seek to make important reforms because there are those of us who are passionate about chocolate but who would like to be able to enjoy it with a clear conscience.
The author provides a soothing defense of the health properties of truly fine chocolate, which is not laden with a myriad of unpronounceable additives. Sorry Hershey, Mars, Cadbury, et al, you've negated most of the health benefits.
I appreciate that Doutre-Roussel exposes the conditions under which cacao farmers labor, that they are often desperately poor. She spends considerable time discussing innovators experimenting with different processing and working to re-establish plantations with the high quality Criollo-Trinitario beans as opposed to the ubiquitous Forastero beans. I wish she had spent as much time discussing those making efforts to reform production to bring about more of a fair trade ideal. She mentions it but dismisses the work as she feels it has not yet produced superior chocolate. Rather than dismissing it outright I'd be curious to know what she feels would help improve the product as these individuals seek to make important reforms because there are those of us who are passionate about chocolate but who would like to be able to enjoy it with a clear conscience.
October 22, 2008
Things about "REAL" chocolate connoisseurs, according to Doutre-Roussel:
Chocolate does not go with coffee - they should be enjoyed separately.
Only ginger and orange peel are acceptable flavors to mix with chocolate (though she helped make a tea-infused ganache).
Fine chocolate should move away from including additional cocoa butter and vanilla, towards just being cocoa mass and sugar (emulsifiers not addressed). There is one guy who does this.
Organic chocolate probably doesn't really exist, as shipped beans probably have to be sprayed with pesticides. Also, organic does not equal quality, though Dagoba and a few others make some good stuff and hopefully this will become a trend.
Chocolates should never ever contain alcohol.
Chloe Doutre-Roussel can tell you what company made a chocolate she has never tasted before.
I guess I will never be a REAL chocolate connoisseur, though I am now working on my palate. And on making fine chocolate with alcohol in them. Hey, she doesn't have to eat them!
Initial review: Charming and enthusiastic writing and I LOVE how the book flows into and out of the information boxes so you don't feel like you're jumping around but can read straight through. I'm learning a lot (including that "true" connoisseurs always prefer a bar of plain chocolate -- fair enough: I guess I may just not be one!)
Chocolate does not go with coffee - they should be enjoyed separately.
Only ginger and orange peel are acceptable flavors to mix with chocolate (though she helped make a tea-infused ganache).
Fine chocolate should move away from including additional cocoa butter and vanilla, towards just being cocoa mass and sugar (emulsifiers not addressed). There is one guy who does this.
Organic chocolate probably doesn't really exist, as shipped beans probably have to be sprayed with pesticides. Also, organic does not equal quality, though Dagoba and a few others make some good stuff and hopefully this will become a trend.
Chocolates should never ever contain alcohol.
Chloe Doutre-Roussel can tell you what company made a chocolate she has never tasted before.
I guess I will never be a REAL chocolate connoisseur, though I am now working on my palate. And on making fine chocolate with alcohol in them. Hey, she doesn't have to eat them!
Initial review: Charming and enthusiastic writing and I LOVE how the book flows into and out of the information boxes so you don't feel like you're jumping around but can read straight through. I'm learning a lot (including that "true" connoisseurs always prefer a bar of plain chocolate -- fair enough: I guess I may just not be one!)
May 28, 2011
I found this book in Boulder, Colorado and it provided a fun vacation read. I loved the encouragement to branch out into gourmet chocolates and the advice to appreciate and embrace complex flavors in chocolate (beyond just "sweet" and "dark"). I was surprised to read negative reviews on Amazon, but I can see where they are coming from. Sometimes I thought the author was a bit redundant as well as a bit egocentric, but I didn't find it offensive. To be honest, I dismissed it as a language and possible cultural thing (I'm assuming French is her first language). I liked the concrete recommendations for certain brands, and I intend to try them all, as finances and time allow. :)
In this book I read about Steve deVries, who happened to be in Denver, CO. I looked him up in the phone book to enquire whether he has a shop. He invited me for a private tour of his factory! My husband and I went that afternoon, and it was really cool! If I hadn't read this book, I would have had no idea he was even there!
In this book I read about Steve deVries, who happened to be in Denver, CO. I looked him up in the phone book to enquire whether he has a shop. He invited me for a private tour of his factory! My husband and I went that afternoon, and it was really cool! If I hadn't read this book, I would have had no idea he was even there!
August 29, 2010
I found this to be a fascinating book. There is so much to learn about chocolate that I didn't even realize existed! I was motivated to develop my chocolate palate, so I had a chocolate tasting with a Sharffen Berger and 2 Valrhona bars with my 3 year old son, who is also quite a foodie already. Of course, we had the tasting in the morning before breakfast when our palates were freshest! Yum!
My only complaint about this book is that it can be a tad haughty in places, only a tad though, so it was forgivable! ;)
My only complaint about this book is that it can be a tad haughty in places, only a tad though, so it was forgivable! ;)
February 12, 2020
The first time I read this book in 2005 it was life-altering. Literally. I picked it up again this year and things in the industry have changed. Chocolate Chloe is still very much an expert in her field and she gives good advice on how to develop your palate, but with so many more craft makers and more focus on farms and bean terroir there is more to be addressed. Some people say it comes across as pretentious or arrogant, but I don't really get that, she is an expert and so she has some strong opinions. Worth a quick read if you are into REAL chocolate.
February 17, 2024
If there's a gene for obsession, whether the obsession is for premium wine, cool shoes, or fine chocolate, Chloe Doutre-Roussel has it. By her own admission, she eats a pound of it a day and tirelessly pursues the best chocolate and chocolate products. In her little book The Chocolate Connoisseur: For Everyone With a Passion for Chocolate, she tells us a bit about how chocolate is made and a lot about how to appreciate it. She also tells us how to differentiate between what she refers to as "real" chocolate and, well, everything else that claims to be chocolate (probably 99% of what's out there).
To begin with, the book assumes the reader has a passion for chocolate. No casual enthusiast will survive her rigorous standards for chocolate tasting (eg: no coffee, tea, or anything else in the mouth for at least two hours before tasting).
Sadly, the book, first published in 2005, has not been updated and almost all of the resources and many of the brands (other than mass-market brands such as Nestle and Lindt) have disappeared.
Fortunately, most of the principles of chocolate tasting and appreciation are not subject to brand or online resource availability, so for the truly obsessed - or even the merely passionate - Ms. Doutre-Roussel's book may still be of use. I learned a few things and enjoyed going through it.
To begin with, the book assumes the reader has a passion for chocolate. No casual enthusiast will survive her rigorous standards for chocolate tasting (eg: no coffee, tea, or anything else in the mouth for at least two hours before tasting).
Sadly, the book, first published in 2005, has not been updated and almost all of the resources and many of the brands (other than mass-market brands such as Nestle and Lindt) have disappeared.
Fortunately, most of the principles of chocolate tasting and appreciation are not subject to brand or online resource availability, so for the truly obsessed - or even the merely passionate - Ms. Doutre-Roussel's book may still be of use. I learned a few things and enjoyed going through it.
January 5, 2024
I just love chocolate and found this book so interesting to read. Some chapters could be a bit tedious, but otherwise very informative. My family and I did a chocolate tasting with some bars and found it highly entertaining, we especially liked listening to the sound chocolate makes when you break it. At the same time I was reading this book I was also reading "The Monk of Moka" and was getting my chocolate and coffee regions confused a bit. It's so fascinating to see the rise in chocolate and coffee passion happening in a similar fashion. Hopefully these trends continue and help to raise awareness and quality for the product as well as the lives of those who are dedicated to growing these long ago "delicacies"
May 21, 2017
I met Chloe in Paris and had not read her book. She now works as a consultant and her book teaches the lay person how to enjoy chocolate. When we first moved to the US, I wasn't excited about the chocolate candies here because I found them to be too sweet - it's like getting smacked in the face with sugar. I now understand why this was the case and love the revolution taking place within the chocolate industry.
Whether you're a connoisseur or not, this is an interesting read if you're interested in chocolate.
Whether you're a connoisseur or not, this is an interesting read if you're interested in chocolate.
December 5, 2017
A very amusing from a highly opinionated chocolate expert. I learned a lot from reading this breezy book and am excited to try some of her tips and recipes — even if I don’t agree with everything. I got to take a class from her last month (she captured her voice perfectly in this book) and it was fun to hear how the chocolate industry has changed since she first wrote this (and coincidentally how her “desert island” chocolates and makers have changed).
January 12, 2020
It's a perfect read for anyone who loves chocolate and wants to know more about it. But also, if you have any particular passion for something, it will inspire you to pursue it with gusto!
You can feel the love the author has for her craft in every word.
I enjoyed thoroughly, learned a lot, and felt my own drive revitalized. Definitely recommended!
You can feel the love the author has for her craft in every word.
I enjoyed thoroughly, learned a lot, and felt my own drive revitalized. Definitely recommended!
August 1, 2022
I mean I absolutely love chocolate, so a book about chocolate is hard for me to not like!
also her job sounds really fun 👀
also her job sounds really fun 👀
October 20, 2010
This was a pretentious little volume, but still educational and a bit entertaining. However, I DID get tired of the author's constant references to eating a pound of chocloate a day (good for you, sweetheart) and reminding the reader that she worked for Fortnum & Mason. (ditto) On the other hand, I got a tasty looking recipe for Nutella Tart that I can't wait to try! Only recommended if you are looking for a detailed history/description of the world of chocolate.
February 18, 2012
Aside from the lack of focus and the author's self-centerness, the book is a quick introduction to chocolate (not candy). I wish there was more than a 50-word description of the finer chocolate plantations and their distinct characteristics, but alas, the Chocolate Queen of the Fortnum&Mason must have been too reluctant to share...
December 11, 2012
As a dessert blogger, I have considered myself a chocolate connoisseur in training for a few years. This book shows me how much I have learned on my own. I wouldn't say this book offers very much for someone who is already far along in their chocolate training, but was still a pleasant read. A good test is to refer to p. 185, which features a list of questions the book sought to answer.
October 28, 2015
Having not yet finished the book, I will still voice my opinion as a chocolatier.
It is obvious this book is almost 10 years old now, as a lot of progress has happened in the industry, especially when it comes to organic, Fair Trade and sustainability.
The part about tasting and ingredients is good though.
It is obvious this book is almost 10 years old now, as a lot of progress has happened in the industry, especially when it comes to organic, Fair Trade and sustainability.
The part about tasting and ingredients is good though.
November 3, 2013
This book was a fun and easy read. Most of the chocolate books I've read so far have been thick and full of jargon. Chloe however writes to the reader as if they were having a conversation and thus her information and stories are extremely accessible.
April 14, 2014
According to this article http://www.chocolatereview.com.au/boo..., this book has many problems. Despite these, I did like her introduction to tasting and appreciated the chocolate recommendations.
June 5, 2008
VERY informative about chocolate.
December 9, 2010
this book started me on a dark chocolate frenzy, trying all sorts, taking notes...loved it!
April 21, 2011
Anyone who loves chocolate would appreciate the information listed in this book.
It got me really interested in getting to know chocolate better.
It's a book to have in your library.
It got me really interested in getting to know chocolate better.
It's a book to have in your library.
October 1, 2011
Delicious little book on everything you always wanted to know about chocolate.Loved it!
June 18, 2012
The first thing she does when she gets up in the morning is eat chocolate! What a great life!
June 2, 2013
Not a book that I would read from cover to cover, per se. There are some interesting tidbits but I found myself just flipping around from time to time instead of devouring it.
November 7, 2014
This book really taught me how to enjoy chocolate. Good stuff
May 30, 2017
Chock full of interesting chocolate-related information, but the author's tone was off-putting. Her opinion is the only opinion, apparently, the rest of us are just ignorant rubes.
May 18, 2011
Love Chocolate, love the book - will schedule a "Chocolate tasting" soon.
January 27, 2019
A great book on chocolate tasting and how to appreciate the finest varieties of cocoa. I learnt so much about how chocolate is made, the global chocolate market and how to enjoy chocolate. Includes some great recipes for hot chocolate.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews