enter the world of chocoMe, chocolate genius from Budapest, Hungary
Chocolatour is about the world of chocolate travel and all that it entails. Not simply about tasting or eating chocolate, but about going to places where chocolate or cocoa has had an impact on the culture of a country and the lives of its people.
Most of what I write (on this blog, in my books, and in freelance articles) results from experiential travel to the places where the best chocolate of the world is being created and made, where the creative people making the best chocolate live, where cacao is growing, and understanding how terroir affects the flavour of the cocoa and chocolate that is made from it.
That is why when chocolatiers I have met in person or been following online make the leap from using generic couverture to make their chocolate to either becoming full-fledged bean-to-bar chocolate makers or taking the intermediate step of going to cocoa farms, learning and understanding the full process, and ultimately helping to create their own signature recipe for the chocolate that will be used to make their own unique creations … I am thrilled!
Gabor Meszaros enjoyed visiting cacao plantations and learning about all the steps included in processing the cocoa to create his signature blend of chocoMe chocolate.
A photo of the chocoMe 2017 selection that includes the Delice pure chocolate squares, the Entree mixed bars, and the Raffinee square boxes filled with chocolate and nut confections.
chocoMe is a Hungarian brand that features excellent pure dark chocolate squares in addition to a wide range of chocolate confections
This has been the path of Gabor Mészáros founder of chocoMe, the multi-award winning chocolatier based in Budapest, Hungary, who in 2017, developed his own signature Or Noir couverture with the assistance of Cacao Barry’s chocolate lab in Paris to make his brand of Délice chocoMe products. The formula for this 72.2% dark chocolate is created from 44% Peruvian Trinitario cocoa blended with 39% Forastero cocoa from the Santo Domingo region of the Dominican Republic. I really loved the fruity (slightly acidic) notes of this blend of cacao and the creative packaging that houses these delicious chocolate squares.
The chocoMe Entree blond bar with pecans is one of my favourite fun chocolate bars with the perfect blend of Valrhona’s blond chocolate, pecans, and smoked sea salt.
Another thing that chocoMe takes pride in is its Entrée 100-gram chocolate bars that feature dried fruit and/or roasted nuts. I adored the Entrée bar made with 32% blond Valrhona couverture enhanced with caramel powder and bourbon vanilla and topped with roasted pecans flavoured with smoked sea salt. It is a beautiful bronze colour and the perfect blend of sweet and salty.
If you love nuts as I do, you will love the Raffinee collection from chocoMe.
As a nut nut, I also love the Raffinée line-up of nuts covered in delicious cocoa powder. These are far more than the plain milk chocolate covered almonds you may have eaten all your life. chocoMe’s Sicilian almonds are coated with a thin layer of crispy wafer dust and Guérande salty blond Valrhona couverture. They are absolutely delightful! The Raffinée collection also features Piedmont hazelnuts covered in ground Ethiopian Harrar coffee and covered in Valrhona’s milk chocolate couverture. It is no surprise that this particular offering has won chocoMe several international awards.
chocoMe has won 55 international awards (and counting!) for its creativity and top-notch chocolate and chocolate confections. I’ve not yet been to Hungary, but you can bet that Budapest is high on my list as I’d love to tour their chocolate making facility, meet Gabor Mészáros, and thank him on behalf of all chocolate lovers of the world for bringing the flavours of the jungle onto our palates.
Have you been to Budapest or tasted chocoMe chocolate products? If so, please join the conversation and share your impressions. Thanks!
Hi DOREEN,
I think this is one of the most significant information on Hungarian chocolate for me. I’m really glad to be reading your article. But I wanted to remark on a few general things. Your web site style is great, and your the articles are really nice and well written. Keep up the good work!
Thanks for a wonderful visit to your cottage at Matlock. Our family shared your offering of chocoMe Delice carre as a pre-dessert treat at the end of a meal at Rae & Jerry’s restaurant in Winnipeg.
I asked the group to follow your instruction to savour the chocolate by letting the piece melt on the roof of the mouth. It was a new experience for some who found the melting point a bit high. Still, the treat was enjoyable. Some comments:
“Sometimes dark chocolate has a bite, but this one didn’t.”
“Tasty; dry, but not too bitter.”
“Ratio of sweetness to chocolate good, but texture a bit waxy.”
“If this were a red wine, dry, but I liked it.”
Thanks for your comment (and visit), Howard! Welcome to Chocolatour. 🙂
Thx, also, for your feedback on the chocoMe treat. I’m glad your family enjoyed the Hungarian chocolate experience.
Doreen Pendgracs recently posted…tasting Cuban chocolate
I am actually a chocolate lover, but lately my weight seems to increase more, I’m not sure that consuming too much chocolate does not increase weight. I really like the taste of it. Thank you for sharing
Check out this article, in fact there are several regarding weight and eating chocolate: https://www.webmd.com/diet/news/20120326/eat-more-chocolate-weigh-less#1 . Whether it is true or not, I certainly enjoy my chocolate more. The thing about something like chocoMe you savor it and may only eat a couple of pieces at a time rather than just eating an entire large candy bar or a dozen(or more) “kisses” at a time.
Every time we get to read a blog post of yours we find it to be very informative and engaging. The information that you have given through this post is extremely engaging. Thanks for the insights Doreen.
You’re most welcome. Thank you for taking the time to comment.
We got to taste these wonderful chocolates and I must say they were absolutely the most delicious. Budapest is the most beautiful city in the world.
Well, Robert. Those are pretty powerful statements you make. It is quite the claim to say that Budapest is the most beautiful city in the world!
Wow! I’ve been to Budapest and how I wish I’ve known this chocolate before I visited the city. I’m glad to know that they are an advocate to look after the cocoa famers and very hands on to make sure that the quality is top notch! 🙂 I will definitely try this when I come to Budapest!
Hi Ryazan and welcome to Chocolatour! I believe you can order chocoMe for delivery to the UK, so you may wish to give it a try! As a chocolate lover, I hope you will subscribe to the site and have a look around at some of the older posts that may interest you.
Doreen Pendgracs recently posted…enter the world of chocoMe, chocolate genius from Budapest, Hungary
I love chocolate too, but I’m vegan and sometimes it’s hard to know with more complex creations if they’re vegan or not. For anyone that’s not quite sure what vegans eat, basically everything needs to be derived from plants without animal input. So for chocolate, dairy is usually the only non-vegan thing. Sometimes honey. Caramel is made from dairy, too.
I do love nuts and exotic chocolates though. I never thought to travel to learn about chocolate!
Travelling for chocolate is what I do. And I love every minute of it! 🙂 Thx for stopping by.
Doreen Pendgracs recently posted…enter the world of chocoMe, chocolate genius from Budapest, Hungary
Okay that blonde bar is the one for me! I can almost imagine biting into it! (Thanks for trying to comment on my post this week; I have no idea what is or was wrong with Blogger!)
I just want to declare, Budapest is the most beautiful city in the world:)
That is quite an endorsement, Lucia! I shall have to visit Budapest in the near future with all these positive endorsements coming in my all the readers. 🙂
Doreen Pendgracs recently posted…enter the world of chocoMe, chocolate genius from Budapest, Hungary
You’re welcome any time:)
I’ve been to Budapest – wonderful food and, surprisingly to me, great beer as well. But I hadn’t thought of it as a place where chocolate was made. A pity I didn’t realise, because that ChocoMe brand looks amazing!
I really do like the quality, creativity, and variety that chocoMe offers chocolate and nut lovers. You can order online, Karen. Would be easy delivery to the UK. Cheers!
Doreen Pendgracs recently posted…enter the world of chocoMe, chocolate genius from Budapest, Hungary
You should go to Budapest! But you have been writing about gourmet chocolate brands. I wonder what you would say about a cheap chocolate that is a legendary snack in the Philippines called ChocNut!
Hi Carol. I feature less on gourmet and more on the artistry of the chocolate and chocolate maker, Carol. There are indeed some delicious chocolate snacks/confections that I will eat on occasion. But if sugar is listed as the main ingredient, I’ll usually not bother.
Doreen Pendgracs recently posted…enter the world of chocoMe, chocolate genius from Budapest, Hungary
I love reading your blog about the different chocolate created in different regions. Must be fascinating and exciting for them to go into a lab, and create chocolate, like a chemist creates a new formula.
Hi William. You are SO right! There are many analogies between a chocolatier/chocolate maker and a chemist as both are playing with percentages to create a specific formula. I first learned than in 2010 when interviewing an Italian chocolatier and it forever changed the way I look at chocolate. Thx for sharing your insights.
Doreen Pendgracs recently posted…enter the world of chocoMe, chocolate genius from Budapest, Hungary
We are heading to Hungary early this year am looking forward to seeking out and trying this chocolate.Thanks for the tip 🙂
Of course who wouldn’t want a trip to Hungary, and a perfect gift to pick up there! But you CAN purchase them here in the United States. http://www.FinestImports.us is carrying them and can ship to you. Or if you are fortunate to live in Florida you may find them in retail shops. Soon you will be able to across the country. In fact if you know of a specialty gourmet shop locally that you think would be a perfect fit, contact us at Finest Imports.
Hi Esther: Great to know that chocoMe is available here in North America. I recommended to Jack at Chocolate Covered ion San Francisco that he carry chocoMe. You may wish to get in touch with him.
Doreen Pendgracs recently posted…talking chocolate at the International Chocolate Festival in Silicon Valley
What a lovely shop he has from his website. We will definitely get in touch with Jack. Any other chocolate lovers in the United States who would just LOVE to purchase chocoMe locally and know of the perfect spot let us know here or at info@finestimports.us. Anyone coming to South Florida can find it in GourmetPhile in Boca Raton and in quite a few high end spas. Let us know and we can assist you. Many companies are using it for corporate gifts.
I will be doing a post on Jack and his shop, Esther and all. Stay tuned!
Doreen Pendgracs recently posted…talking chocolate at the International Chocolate Festival in Silicon Valley
chocoMe chocolate looks and sounds delicious. I don’t think I’d care for the offerings with dried fruit, but with nuts for sure! I love how you find good chocolate in all parts of the world!
Thanks, Donna! It’s a tough job, but I sure enjoy doing it. 🙂
The dried fruit just adds another dimension to the chocolate…the freeze-dried strawberries and raspberries…peach and lemon…the crystalized rose petals and violet petals…So many variations…with or without nuts.
Oh YUM! The photo of the blonde bar with pecans had me drooling and your other descriptions of the addition of dried fruits and caramel sound tempting, too. It’s not hard to imagine that I’d want to try just about everything in chocoMe. Now both chocoMe as well as Budapest are on my list, Doreen!
Thanks, Anita. And thanks to Debra’s good detective work, we’ve learned that chocoMe does ship to numerous destinations, so you might want to check out their website. Cheers, and thx for stopping by.
Doreen Pendgracs recently posted…enter the world of chocoMe, chocolate genius from Budapest, Hungary
Carmel, vanilla bourbon and chocolate… yummy! I noticed that they deliver to Canada on their website, yes I had to find out if I could order some. 🙂
Yahoo! That’s great news, Debra. Thx for checking, and sharing the great news.
Doreen Pendgracs recently posted…enter the world of chocoMe, chocolate genius from Budapest, Hungary
I have been to Budapest many times, but I have never had the occasion to try chocoMe. It sounds divine! I always enjoy reading your articles; I learn so much about my favorite confection!
Thx for your comment, Marilyn. What is it that you like best about Busapest? I hope to get there sometime soon. Of course for the chocolate, but there seems to be a lot more to discover.
The Buda side is my favorite because of Castle Hill and so many other historic sites. On the Pest side, make sure to see the Shoes on the Danube tribute honoring slain Jews during WW II. Budapest is a wonderful city for exploring!!
Thanks, Marilyn. I’ll definitely make note of those highlights.
Hi Doreen. I’ve tried the Raffinee Valrhona which was exquisite. I really enjoyed the layers. The inside coating on the macadamia nut was done with blond chocolate and then had the Tonka beans with cocoa powder on the outside. I’m definitely a fan!
Thanks so much for your comment, Janet. I’m glad you liked the Tonka beans. They are not something that I particularly enjoy in chocolate. But the good thing is that we all like something different. How did you like chocoMe’s Delice bar flavoured with Murray River salt?
Doreen Pendgracs recently posted…enter the world of chocoMe, chocolate genius from Budapest, Hungary
I enjoyed the sea salt addition. I think it really brought out both the taste of the chocoate and the scent.
I’m not a “nut nut,” as you so well phrase it, but that Chocome blond bar with nuts sounds heavenly! As alway, I’m drooling for chocolate after reading one of your posts.
I love taunting you, Rachel. It’s fun to get our taste buds in motion, isn’t it? 🙂
Doreen Pendgracs recently posted…enter the world of chocoMe, chocolate genius from Budapest, Hungary
The blond chocolate IS absolutely delicious! And since you are not particularly a “nut nut” you MUST try the freeze-dried raspberries covered with white chocolate and raspberry powder. They are divine! You will NOT want to share them! And the brand new blackcurrant covered with white chocolate and blueberry yogurt. They are AMAZING!
I love nuts, so the Raffinée looks particularly tasty to me. Every time I read your posts, I’m impressed with the artisans creating these delicious looking treats!
That’s why I’m doing this, Rose! My goal is to teach chocolate lovers that there is artistry in chocolate creations, that there are health benefits to eating pure, low sugar chocolate, and that there is reason to travel the world in search of unique chocolate experiences. 🙂
You’ve got me craving for some good quality chocolates now Doreen! Any idea if they sell chocoMe anywhere in Asia? I would love to try some of their chocolates, the ones you mentioned here sounds absolutely delish! I can’t remember the last time I treated myself to some luxury chocolates. Any other brands that you’d recommend?
Hi Rosary: Did you check the chocoMe.com website to see if they ship to Asia? I truly don’t know. If you are looking for luxury chocolates that definitely DO ship to Asia, I highly recommend zChocolat. Please hit the home page on my site and you will see the post on zChocolat. The link to the company’s site is in the post, and I know that they deliver worldwide. It is SO worth it! 🙂
Doreen Pendgracs recently posted…enter the world of chocoMe, chocolate genius from Budapest, Hungary
ChocoMe IS available in Asia. Go to http://www.chocoMe.com and you will see the many countries in Asia where it is available including China, Indonesia, Singapore. We at FinestImports.us are importing from Hungary and distributing in the United States. It truly is amazing chocolate and it is great to see it recognised around the world.
chocoMe sounds divine. I’m all for the bar with caramel powder and bourbon vanilla. This may be the first time too I can recall seeing the phrase bean-to-bar used.
Yikes, Jeri! Then that means you haven’t been reading my posts! I’ve featured very many bean-to-bar chocolate makers.
Budapest is one of my favourite cities. I have very fond memories of it. Now I will have to go back just to taste the chocolate.
Hi Lyn. Can you tell me what it is you like so much about Budapest? I would like to plan a trip there.
Doreen Pendgracs recently posted…enter the world of chocoMe, chocolate genius from Budapest, Hungary
Whoever thought that Hungary would be a hotbed of chocolate making. Every time I read one of your posts about chocolate making, I have a greater appreciation for the hard work and experimentation it must take to develop a unique, and delicious, chocolate.
Thx, Jeannette. Then I am reaching my goal!
I hardly ever eat chocolate and you’ve got me drooling just reading about the Valrhona! I’ve never considered going to Hungary, and certainly never related it to chocolate but as I’m learning from you, there is a whole world of chocolate masters out there!
You are so right, Marty! There are great chocolatiers and chocolate makers pretty much everywhere!
Have to admit I have never given a thought to the fact that there is Hungarian cholcolate. It makes perfect sense though since their cakes are famous. And the cafeés in Vienna and Budapest are fantstic.
Catarina, believe me. There is great chocolate to be found in every country. It may not have been that way 10 years go, but things have really changed in the world of chocolate and nearly every country is now producing world class chocolate. Thx for sharing your thoughts on this tasty topic. 🙂
Doreen Pendgracs recently posted…enter the world of chocoMe, chocolate genius from Budapest, Hungary
You have definitely sold these chocolates to me, namely the chocome entree blond bar with pecans! The Raffinee collection is a close second. I am sure the sale of chocolates increase tremendously at this time of year. I can appreciate luxurious chocolates and have found your average milk chocolate tastes rather sweet and is not at all satisfying to my taste buds.
So true, Phoenicia. when you eat cheap to average chocolate, you will notice a reduced cocoa flavour and a more intense sweetness. I’d much rather eat a small quantity of quality chocolate than a large quantity of the cheap stuff.
Wow – We got to taste these wonderful chocolates and I must say they were absolutely the most deliceouse. Almonds covered in chocolate are our favourite treat.
Thx for sharing your chocolate love, Betty. Those chocoMe cocoa dusted almonds are the best I’ve ever had.
Doreen Pendgracs recently posted…enter the world of chocoMe, chocolate genius from Budapest, Hungary