I am ashamed to admit that rather than having a digestive with my morning cup of tea, I like to munch on posh chocolate. It is not much good for dipping (the melt factor!) but there really is nothing more indulgent than a 10:00 am chunk of chocolatey goodness.
My current favourite posh choc is created by Cecilia Tessieri who clearly loves chocolate as much as me. her dream was to make Italian chocolate the most exquisite chocolate possible. After a number of apprenticeships between France, Belgium and Germany and having always had a desire to find the world’s best cocoa beans and a continual search for perfection has resulted in her being the only woman in the world to hold the renowned title of Maitre Chocolatier, and producing the six-time winner of the Academy of Chocolate’s Golden Bean award.
Amedei began in a small workshop with just one employee, making pralines, Cecilia recalls how the chocolate was purchased elsewhere, and during this time she was driven to search for the ultimate cocoa bean in the world’s most remote corners, a cocoa bean that is rare, precious and aromatic in order to free these emotions in precious chocolate creations. As a result Amedei chocolate is not only delicious, it is pure and as healthy as chocolate can be, because Cecilia has managed to eliminate the use of soy lecithin and conservatives.
Cecilia creates every recipe after having selected the perfect beans, readjusting the recipes like a champagne maker or perfumer. The exceptional character and determination of Cecilia speaks through her creations. Taking her Porcelana bar as an example, this limited edition 70% is made from beans from a small planation in Venezuela. To capture the bean’s unique aromas, she flies them to Tuscany arriving white (hence the name meaning porcelain) and there is only a short window of time to roast them and achieve the flavours Cecilia requires.
Amedei Tuscany is now a staple on chocolate menus created by top chefs (including Michel Roux Jr.) and Cecilia is constantly searching for new ingredients to include in her products, such as Tuscan olive oil (as used in her new chocolate spread) which I can vouch is utterly delicious.
In a male-dominated business, Cecilia had added the feminine touch into the chocolate, which, beyond the taste, is why I choose Amedei Tuscany chocolate.
Amedei chocolate bars, pralines, and the gorgeous prendi me’ (literally ‘take me’) sharing bars are all available online and at Fortnum & Mason, Liberty’s, Selfridges and Harvey Nichols.
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