Okay, the last time I tried to write a fic, I stepped on a lot of toes because I didn't get my information write.

I'm trying not do that this time.

In that case, does anyone know about Swiss chocolate? I know some of you are in Europe.

But what I need to know is, would it taste better fresh or aged? In the fic I have it as tasting better fresh. But I got to thinking that there are a lot of things that are supposed to taste better aged. (Like Swiss cheese and wine, for instance.)

So does anyone know? It's not actually a main part of the plot this time, but it would make it sound better.

I eat a lot of chocolate, but usually French chocolate rather than Swiss. However, I'm pretty certain that chocolate doesn't age well at all. I know for sure that when I have put away a bar of chocolate someplace and found it after a couple of months, it is not as nice as it was before. Often it has become a little harder, and sometimes it has lost its shiny luster and rich brown color and become dull and greyish. I think it is the cocoa butter that crystallizes, and you don't want that to happen.

So you should definitely eat your chocolate fresh!

Ann

I'm a major chocolate fan. As a matter of fact, currently have a bag of pepernoten covered in chocolate next to me so I have something to munch on.

Anyway, Ann is right. Chocolate does go 'bad' after some months. It's a slow process, but you can feel it, see it, and taste it after some time. There's nothing as good as <i> fresh </i> chocolate. While I enjoy pre-packed chocolate bars and the like, nothing really beats the stuff you can buy in chocolate stores. Just the smells there... *is in heaven just thinking about it*

The taste to Swiss chocolate is rather special as well. It's different from Belgium chocolate, and that's what I'm mostly familiar with. I'm not a big fan of Swiss chocolate. I only know of Lindt, and their chocolate is too dark for me. Then again, I'm a big fan of white chocolate.

Saskia (who needs to stop drooling now)

Alas I never let my chocolate get old. But I think fresh chocolate would be best. I can't imagine Lois letting chocolate get old either.

the worst thing about OLD CHOCOLATE is when it goes white on the outside....

this is not really mould, but the milk-solids that have separated from the mixture....

it changes the whole taste of the chocolate.....


oh, and SASKIA...
as a HUGE LINDT fan myself, all I know is avoid their dark chocolates (well, especially their chilli-chocolate that one nearly killed me as I HATE CHILLI),

however their milk-chocolates are to die for

In Sydney there are a number of specialist Chocolate CAFEs including....
THE LINDT CAFE
this one serves you a huge bowl (think 1Litre) of molten Lindt chocolate with as much warm milk as you want... to serve 2-4 people..... HEAVEN in a mug

but the Best by far is BELLE FLEUR... he was a swiss chocolateere (Spelling?) and learnt the trade in swizerland, he makes his own chocolates in Sydney, and people can't get enough of them

The trick to keeping chocolate fresh is simply to refrigerate it. Stays good for ages. I learned this after buying a 1.5 kilo (about 3.5 lb) bar of Belgian chocolate in a moment of madness, then realising I couldn't possibly eat it in less than several months...