Why are Belgian chocolate considered some of the finest in the

They had a lot of chocolate from their brutal colonies down south, and they figured out what to do with it well before most other Europeans let alone the Americans who just dump vomit into their chocolate and pray to Jeebus. The perception that they make excellent chocolate is not wrong. However, one country being absolutely #1 at a thing like chocolate is kind of an antiquated notion, you can get excellent chocolate from many countries even the USA in modern times, if you know what you're looking for.

As far as "simply marketing", please try to understand that almost every consumer product you're aware of and like is something you're aware of and like because of marketing. Marketing is not the devil and it comes in many forms, not all of them obnoxious or deceptive. So to say "or is it marketing" as if that is incompatible with the question of "is it the best chocolate" demonstrates a warped understanding of how marketing is and what it's for.

>>8700955
Never thought I should say this on 4chan, but your post made sense and enlightened me a little.

>>8700955
This.

Any "X country makes the best Y" argument in the 21st century just shows how ignorant people are.

Now as far as vegetables they are right...soil and weather influence a lot of how vegetables and fruits grow and taste.

But if someone tells you something like "Only the French can make good brioche" they're just being pretentious.

File: cacao_from_usda_genetic_collection.jpg (466KB, 593x720px) Image search: [Google]

466KB, 593x720px

>>8700945
OP, you might enjoy the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden annual "Chocolate Festival" as it's very educational. (The property was the collection of world plant explorer/botanist Fairchild, early days USDA worker and open for self-guided tours at the same time). Every country of the world that produces cacao beans is there, with their embassies, and the consulates bring all their finest chocolate makers and purveyors. There are scientific lectures and presentations that are quite different each year.
http://www.fairchildgarden.org/events-community-outreach/international-chocolate-festival

There are a ton of chefs walking around in plain clothes if you keep your eyes open and you know faces, I dare say it can be as celebrity filled as SoBe Food & Wine without all the publicity. If you see selfies, you'll know you spotted someone enjoying their day off. I got a good half hour with floribbean fusion legend Chef Norman Van Aken in conversation one year. In past shows, I learned the tricks and secrets of a delicious chocolate macaron using different world chocolates, how they did drinking chocolate at Colonial Williamsburg, which I loved to the level of tasting a bit like cafe de olla with lots of orange zest, and why european chocolate tastes different then latin american (listen up: different varietal of bean). Oh, one visit I attended a scientific and travelogue lecture on Darjeeling India, agricultural region, first to third flush distinctions, and flavor profiles which sticks with me to this day every time I have a cuppa, sooo enriching. Oh, wine and beer chocolate pairings is informative too, plus all the chocolate related booze is free :) There ya go! I highly recommend this festival as the primary reason for a Miami winter vacation and immersion in history, no exaggeration.

[You know Anthony Bourdain bought interest in some of the rarest white cacao trees while in Peru, in a collaboration with his buddy Ripert.]

>>8701111
Not really.

Americans make the best pizza, chinese food, beer, wine etc, etc.

>>8701212
Sounds indeed interesting, will have a look. Thanks buddy.

>>8701111
I am the first reply and I agree with most of this but your last paragraph is misleading

saying "can" implies it's a question of theoretical ability and not will power

baked goods are different because realistically they cater to a very local market

the reason good chocolate makers thrive in weird places like Missouri is that the product can be shipped so even if only 0.5% of the market wants it, there's no problem getting their money

you won't find good brioche or croissant in most of america because numbers that work for ecommerce fail in retail and it costs more to source the right flours and produce stuff the right way when almost all the locals think Brioche Doree or Au Bon Pain is every bit as good as the real thing

If I remember correctly, Chocolate (re)crystallizes in 6 different ways that effects taste and melting temperature. Type V crystals are room stable and the best. I bet making chocolate is as much an art as it is a science

>>8700955
Yes, awareness is a result of marketing. But popular opinion is also a product of marketing, and may not be factual. OP's use of marketing is not incorrect.

>>8702150
>opinions may not be factual

>>8700945
I work in one of the best (if not the best) Belgian chocolate factory, ask my anything you want to know.