The 10 Best Chocolatiers in the World

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An array of chocolates at the Godiva Factory. (Photograph by Everjean, Flickr)

Each chocolatier on our list produces signature melt-in-your-mouth chocolates, be it a single-source dark chocolate bar, a cream- or liqueur-filled bonbon, a praline, fruit dipped in chocolate, a truffle, fudge, or some other sinfully delicious treat. You will never regret indulging yourself with the confections produced by these premier chocolate-makers.

1. Teuscher (Zurich, Switzerland)

Teuscher's version of a box of chocolate. (Photograph by Maako Tazawa, Flickr)

The Teuscher chocolate tradition began more than 70 years ago in a small town in the Swiss Alps. Dolf Teuscher scoured the world to find the finest cocoa, marzipan, fruits, nuts, and other ingredients with which to make his confectionery. After years of experimenting, he skillfully blended these ingredients into his now famous recipes.
Today the Teuscher kitchens in Zurich make more than 100 varieties of chocolates using these original recipes, which have been handed down from father to son. Only the finest and most expensive natural ingredients are used, and absolutely no chemicals, additives, or preservatives are added. The house specialty is a champagne truffle, a blend of fresh cream, butter, and chocolate with a champagne cream center, dusted with confectioner’s sugar. Chocolates are flown to Teuscher stores worldwide weekly.

2. Vosges Haut-Chocolat (Chicago, Illinois, USA)
Owner and chocolatier Katrina Markoff chooses every spice, flower, and chocolate that is flown into the Vosges kitchen to be transformed into fine chocolates. She learned the art of French confectionery at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. Further inspired by her global apprenticeships, infusions of rare spices and flowers are combined with premium chocolate in truffles such as Mexican vanilla bean and Argentinean dulce de leche.

3. Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker, Inc. (Berkeley, California, USA)

Scharffen Berger chocolate bars wrapped in a bow. (Photograph by John Loo, Flickr)

Specializing in dark chocolate, Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker is a premier chocolate manufacturer. It executes each step of the manufacturing process itself, all the way from bean to bar, to ensure that its finished chocolate delivers a flavor like no other. The chocolate-makers first find the finest cacao available, then carefully taste and blend beans of different origins to create a unique flavor profile. All the chocolate is made in small batches using artisanal manufacturing methods. In addition to its ready-to-eat bars, Scharffen Berger makes a variety of baking chocolates.

4. Jacques Torres Chocolate (New York, New York, USA)
When you step into Jacques Torres Chocolate, you feel as though you’ve stepped into a small European specialty store. Many customers compare the experience to the movie Chocolat. Jacques specializes in fresh, handcrafted chocolates. Eat them there, where cafe tables encourage you to sit, sip hot chocolate, and enjoy a freshly baked pain au chocolat — or take a selection home. Visitors often can see the chocolate goodies being prepared behind large glass windows. There are five Jacques Torres Chocolate shops in the city, plus one in Harrah’s in Atlantic City.

5. Norman Love Confections (Ft. Myers, Florida, USA)

Unwrapping Valrhona's Ampamakia bar. (Photograph by Everjean, Flickr)

“Chocolate is my passion,” says Norman Love, who dreamed of making chocolate that was visually stunning as well as delicious. Love and a partner perfected a technique in which the colored designs for each candy are hand-painted or airbrushed into chocolate molds, which are then filled with the finest chocolate imported from Belgium, France, and Switzerland. The pumpkin white chocolate bonbon is almost too gorgeous to eat. Using only the freshest ingredients, his recipes call for pureed raspberries, bananas, ginger, caramel, passionfruit, and hazelnuts, to name a few.

6. Valrhona (France)
Valrhona has been creating exceptional gourmet chocolate since 1922, with cocoa beans purchased directly from premier plantations in South America, the Caribbean, and Pacific regions. The chocolate, made in the French style, comes in a variety of bars. Valrhona was one of the first chocolatiers to describe its chocolate like wine, labeling creations as grand cru, single origins, single estate, and vintage chocolate from bean to bar. In 2008, it introduced spicy, salty Xocopili.

7. Godiva Chocolatier (Brussels, Belgium and worldwide)

It's all about finishing touches at Godiva. (Photograph by Everjean, Flickr)

The beginning of Godiva chocolates traces back to a 1920s chocolate- and sweet-making workshop owned and operated by the Draps family in Brussels, Belgium. Their “pralines,” typical Belgian filled chocolates, were sold in the large, highly fashionable shops. At the age of 14, Joseph Draps went into the family business. Over the years, he developed both his ability and creative talent as a master chocolate-maker as well as his business sense. He decided to create a prestige range of chocolates and to give it an evocative name. He chose “Godiva” and marketed his chocolates in instantly recognizable gold boxes. In recognition of its excellence, Godiva has been rewarded with an appointment as supplier to the Court of Belgium. Godiva continues to be an innovator in gourmet chocolate.

8. Richard Donnelly Fine Chocolates (Santa Cruz, California, USA)
These chocolates are unusual, to say the least. Richard Donnelly likes to push the chocolate experience by combining its rich tones — he uses Belgian and French chocolate — with ingredients such as lavender, chipotle, saffron, cardamom, and Earl Grey tea. Such innovation helped Donnelly win the Best Artisan award at the prestigious Euro Chocolate Festival in Perugia, Italy, just ten years after he opened his shop. To maintain quality and ensure freshness, Donnelly produces no more than 50 pounds of chocolate a day. If you need a break from the exotic and unusual flavors, try Donnelly’s white chocolate macadamia nut or a honey vanilla caramel.

9. Richart (Paris, France)

Puccini Bomboni's doesn't deliver, but it's well worth a trip to Amsterdam. (Photograph by Namealus, Flickr)

Committed to quality, the French chocolate-maker Richart guarantees you the most refined chocolates from the most refined ingredients. Richart recipes, developed and tested by the Richart family, have won France’s most prestigious confectioner’s honor, the Ruban Bleu, seven times. Having perfected the art of chocolate making, Richart now focuses on enhanced flavors and distinctive designs and colors. A box of assorted chocolates is visually stunning. If you really want to impress, splurge on the $850 burlwood vault with seven drawers of chocolate — complete with temperature and humidity gauges.

10. Puccini Bomboni (Amsterdam, Netherlands)
You will actually have to visit Amsterdam to sample what may be the best chocolates in the Netherlands. The proprietors of Puccini Bomboni, a delightful cafe and restaurant, hand-make each chocolate on the premises and do not deliver. Exotic combinations of chocolate and spices, concocted from the freshest ingredients, are a specialty. Although the variety isn’t enormous, the quality is truly amazing.

20 Foods That Reduce Stress And Depression

Your mood can be directly related to what you eat. When you are too busy and tired, you feel stressed out; it is tempting to grab refined carbohydrates and eat them in uncontrollable quantities. Instead of reaching a candy bar or dishing out a big bowl of ice cream to make yourself "feel" better, try some of these foods we've mentioned below. These particular comfort foods provide the vitamins and minerals for our bodies. Here's a list of the top 20 magical foods for stress relief.

1. Oranges

Oranges are very rich in vitamin C and have the added benefit of being totally portable. Stress makes our body release even more free radicals than when we are in good mood. Interestingly, vitamin C helps to keep the free radicals in control, and repairs the body. Basically, it helps protect the body from the cumulative effects of stress.

2. Bananas

Bananas are filled with potassium, the mineral essential to regulation of blood pressure (which can soar when you’re stressed). Bananas are also great in pacifying and soothing the mind since they are rich in tryptophan known as an amino acid which boosts the formation of serotonin hormone (makes you feel good) and melatonin hormone (makes you sleep well).

3. Spinach and broccoli

Spinach

Nutrition experts advise us to take enough magnesium in our daily meals to avoid migraine headaches and a feeling of fatigue. One cup of spinach provides 40 percent of your daily needs for magnesium.

Broccoli

Broccoli contains lots of vitamins that help replenish our bodies in times under pressure. This stress relieving food is the same as spinach which is a great source of magnesium. It is also rich in vitamin B, especially folic acid which helps relieve anxiety, panic and even depression.

4. Avocados

The monounsaturated fats and potassium in avocados help lower blood pressure. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute says that one of the best ways to lower blood pressure is to consume enough potassium (avocados have more than bananas). Moreover, it is also rich in glutathione, a substance that specifically blocks intestinal absorption of certain fats that cause oxidative damage.

Avocados are claimed to contain lutein, beta-carotene, vitamin E, and more folate than any other fruit. A single serving (about one-quarter of an avocado) has plenty of B vitamins, too.

5. Blueberries

Blueberries are crammed with antioxidants and vitamin C, which are potent stress busters. Antioxidants fight free radicals that damage your cells and also help to repair and protect your body from the effects of stress. As an added bonus, they're low in calories, so they won't make you blimp-like .Blueberries are also a good source of fiber, which can help relieve the cramps and constipation that can occur in times of tension. Mix the little suckers with some cottage cheese or eat them on their own as a snack or dessert.

6. Chamomile tea

This is probably one of the most recommended bedtime soothers. A new study from the University of Pennsylvania tested chamomile supplements on 57 participants with generalized anxiety disorder for 8 weeks, and found out that it led to a significant drop in anxiety symptoms.

According to the University Of Maryland Medical Center, there is some evidence that, in addition to calming nerves, chamomile promotes sleep. Just pour a cup of boiling water over 2 to 3 heaping tablespoons of the dried flowers (you can buy chamomile either loose or in tea bags at health food stores) and steep for 10 minutes. You will be really relaxed when enjoying this special drink.

7. Green tea

Green tea contains polyphenols that are powerful anti-oxidants that stimulate availability dopamine (dopamine is important for creating positive mood status). Sipping a warm cup of tea is a soothing activity that will help you prepare for the day ahead and feel nurtured.

8. Milk and yogurt

Milk and yoghurt are very high in calcium and B vitamins, which help to build your bones and are essential for nerve health. They also contain the mood stabilizer tryptophan, which helps to calm your mind, and explains why some people like to drink a glass of milk before bed.

9. Ginger tea

Taking a whiff of ginger tea can help improve your mood and give you a sunny disposition. It leaves you feeling refreshed and calm, and if you’re having a bad day, all those negative vibes will dissipate. Ginger tea is a remarkable stress reliever because of its comforting and relaxing scent.

10. Oatmeal

Oatmeal causes your brain to produce serotonin, a feel-good chemical. Not only does serotonin have antioxidant properties, it also brings a comfortable feeling that helps reduce stress. Oatmeal is an energy food that provides plenty of folic acid. If eaten on a daily basis, oatmeal can also help reduce your risk for heart disease.

Studies have shown that kids who eat oatmeal for breakfast stay sharper throughout the morning. And beta-glucan, the type of soluble fiber found in oatmeal, has been shown to promote greater satiety scores than other whole grains.

11. Brown rice

Complex carbohydrates are great for maintaining high energy levels in stressful situations. Brown rice and whole wheat pasta are complex carbohydrates that give you a sustained amount of energy throughout the day.

12. Salmon

Salmon, which contains omega-3 fatty acids, helps brain cells to function more efficiently. As shown by a study from Diabetes & Metabolism, omega-3s help reduce levels of stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline.

13. Tuna

This kind of fish, like milk, is high in B6 and B12 which are a prime source in fighting against stress. Tuna is also a good low-fat protein food so we can eat it at least 3 times a week to get the ultimate stress fighting benefits. However, there is a caution that we should avoid eating too much mayonnaise in our tuna to reduce unhealthy fats.

14. Oysters

Oysters are loaded with zinc. A six oyster serving, which is what you'd typically be served in a restaurant as an appetizer, has more than half the RDA for this important mineral. It is suggested that they're best served on ice with nothing but a lemon wedge.

15. Beef (Grass-fed beef is better)

Beef is a great dinner option for a stressed-out family since it contains high levels of zinc, B vitamins and iron, which are also known to help stabilize your mood. A recent study in the British Journal of Nutrition found that healthy volunteers who ate grass-fed meat increased their blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids and decreased their levels of pro-inflammatory omega-6 fatty acids. These changes have been linked with a lower risk of a host of disorders, including depression, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and inflammatory disease.

16. Chocolate

Despite the fact that chocolate usually has caffeine, it's also one of the best foods to eat if you are engaging in a stress relief diet. Actually, most doctors have not figured out why chocolate makes us feel so good while some think it might be the antioxidants contained in chocolate. Because chocolate is high in calories so remember not to eat it too much. Obviously, when you gain 10 lbs, you'll feel even more stressed than before you tried to relieve your stress with chocolate.

17. Cashews

Cashews are an especially good source of zinc. Nutritionists show that low levels of zinc have been linked to both anxiety as well as depression. In fact, our bodies have no way of storing zinc, it's vital to get some every day. However, for those going on a diet, they should use a proper serving size, as cashews are high in calories.

18. Garlic

Garlic is rich in antioxidants which help neutralize free radicals (particles that have bad effects in our cells, encourage aging and cause diseases). Allicin, which is one of the compounds in garlic, has been linked to fending off cancer, heart disease, and even the common cold. Because stress weakens our immune system, it is necessary for us to eat garlic, which can toughen it back up. As long as you saute it in broth, not oil, you can add it liberally to all the meals on the plan.

19. Walnuts

Walnuts contain fiber, antioxidants, and unsaturated fatty acids, particularly alpha linolenic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid. These compounds could be responsible for the beneficial effects on blood pressure. Other polyphenols loaded in walnuts have been shown to help prevent memory loss. Now, nutrition experts have discovered that these tasty nuts can help battle stress and may also help reduce C-reactive protein and other markers of inflammation.

20. Almonds

These crunchy little dudes are great stress relievers: they're packed with vitamin B2 (riboflavin), zinc, magnesium and vitamin E. B vitamins and magnesium are involved in the production of serotonin, which helps relieve stress and regulate mood. Zinc has also been shown to fight some of the negative effects of stress, while vitamin E is an antioxidant that destroys the free radicals related to stress and heart disease. However, you should only eat a small handful at a time since almonds are high in fat. Although it is mostly healthy fat of the unsaturated variety, it could still make you pack on the pounds.