Sugar Savvy

Recently, I assigned myself the task of evaluating several brands of milk chocolate. I decided to try bars made by Lindt, Scharffen Berger and Ghirardelli. I was especially eager to sample the Scharffen Berger milk chocolate, as I’ve heard so many wonderful things about the brand. Scharffen Berger was founded in the mid-1990’s by two long-time friends in San Francisco, and has recently been purchased by Hershey. From inception, they have been determined to use small-batch artisan manufacturing to ensure consistent quality.

Ghirardelli (pronounced GEAR-AR-DELLY), with its flagship store and Chocolate Manufactory also in San Francisco, is practically a neighbor to Scharffen Berger. In operation for over 150 years, Ghirardelli is practically an American staple as the country’s longest running chocolate manufacturer. It looks like Ghirardelli has learned some valuable lessons from its parent company, Lindt.

Lindt was founded in Zurich, Switzerland by a father-and-son team over 160 years ago, and acquired Ghirardelli in 1998. The company has manufacturing sites in Switzerland, Austria, France, Germany, Italy and the U.S.

My tasting left me less impressed with Scharffen Berger than I had expected. Of the three brands of milk chocolate I sampled, I found Scharffen Berger to be the least sweet, with a bitter aftertaste. I detected a slight coffee flavor. I would have preferred a bit more sweetness. It didn’t leave me disappointed, but I wasn’t particularly impressed.

For me, Ghirardelli is an old standby. I know their products well, from the hot chocolate mix to baking chocolate, not to mention the limited edition peppermint bark candy bar that I overindulged in at Christmas. During my tasting I noticed that the Ghirardelli milk chocolate has a bit of a soft texture, which matches the sweet creamy flavor perfectly. I detected a hint of nuttiness. Delicious every time.

I have to admit, I unknowingly saved the best for last. Lindt was my final selection, and I definitely didn’t go wrong with this choice. Their milk chocolate also has a soft texture, and the flavor is very creamy, sweet and rich. The verdict? Lindt has definitely become my chocolate of choice when I want an out of the ordinary treat.

Visit these websites for available products or additional company history on Ghirardelli, Lindt and Scharffen Berger.