This is a face off between two premium Swiss dark chocolate (Chocolat Swiss Noir) – Swiss Delice Supreme Noir Authentique 78% Cacao vs. LINDT Chocolat Cree a Berne. I wanted it to be a straight Swiss dark chocolate comparison so…
…the Cote d’Or Belgian extra high quality dark chocolate is out of this post’s scope
(and also coz I noticed that the Cote d’Or only contains 56% cocoa solids – a very low figure compared to the two Swiss brands I’m evaluating)
The Swiss Delice Supreme Noir Authentique 78% Cacao is an extra dark bittersweet chocolate with a high cocoa solid content – the highest amongst the two, weighing in at 78% cacao.
It retails for RM 9.90 each and comes in a thin cardboard package containing just 100 grams of chocolate. Weight for weight, it’s more expensive than the Cote d’Or brand (which I wouldn’t be mentioning except it was brought up :p) with its 2 x 200 g (400 g) packaging priced at RM 27.90.
The back of the package lists the contents of the chocolate and also has text that goes “Swiss Delice invites connoisseurs from all over the world to take part in a culinary journey throughout Switzerland. The delightful specialties are carefully created using traditional recipes and only the finest ingredients. Take a real taste of Switzerland home with you.”
The packaging of Swiss Delice Supreme Noir Authentique 78% is impeccable – the slim cardboard packaging has a side that parts to reveal a thin block of dark chocolate wrapped in foil (which is the best wrapping for our climate – unlike the paper wrappings in Australia, our heat does not allow anything except foil for long term shelf life).
The Swiss Delice Supreme Noir 78% cacao breaks apart easily at the perforations and produces neat imprinted dark chocolate in bite sized pieces. It’s about the size of the ubiquitous After 8 thin dark chocolate dinner mints for a better mind size comparison.
I ate (nearly) the entire block of Swiss Delice Supreme Noir Authentique 78% (which isn’t much considering it’s only 100 g – the size of a large Mars bar) while waiting for my flight (which was delayed). There was someone sitting beside me, traveling alone too (Swinburne student – Hello Alice!), and I offered her a slice, which she accepted. She pronounced it good, as do I.
Swiss Delice Supreme Noir Authentique 78% Cacao is smooth high cocoa solid content chocolate – it has a melt in your mouth quality and its bittersweet nature is great. This is real dark chocolate – the product does not disappoint.
LINDT Chocolat Cree A Berne is also another Swiss dark chocolate product which caught my eye due to its retro packaging. It looks like a product from the 1940’s – the candy wrapping is minimalist and heavily text oriented. It certainly has novelty value.
I sampled the LINDT Chocolat Cree A Berne the next day (and an important note here is that I wasn’t fully in withdrawal hell as I planned to stop my opiate consumption on Friday night and I was still VERY MUCH under the influence of Oxycontin bliss during the time of this review) at home.
LINDT Chocolat Cree A Berne also comes in a slim 100 g package. Unfortunately, it weighs in at a (relatively) dismal 49% cocoa solids content. LINDT Chocolat Cree A Berne retails at RM 8.90 (all chocolates is this review is from the Choc Stop franchise at the airport).
The LINDT Chocolat Cree A Berne chocolate bar is also wrapped in foil and comes in smaller perforated chunks. I personally prefer an After 8 sized slice, much like the format of the previously featured Swiss Delice Supreme Noir Authentique 78% Cacao instead of this smaller chunk.
The chocolate perforates nicely to reveal chocolate chunks with the Lindt signature on each of the chunks. I’m still harping about the size of the chunk – IMHO, I feel that premium chocolate should come in the larger format instead of this Cadbury/Hershey’s (tick according to your country) style chunk which is associated with mass produced chocolate.
The LINDT Chocolat Cree A Berne breaks nicely and takes well to biting smaller chunks off it. It tastes great, with a bittersweet symphony that indulges the senses. However, I still prefer the Swiss Delice Supreme Noir Authentique 78% Cacao as it has that elusive mouth-feel from the higher cacao content.
Swiss Delice Supreme Noir Authentique 78% Cacao is the better of the two. It’s definitely a must try, with its high cocoa solid content – which is what chocolate is all about. 🙂
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