Green & Black's Organic Hot Chocolate > Reviews (10)

OK, lets be honest, we ladies need our chocolate. There are things I could give up..... there are things I couldn't. I'm afraid chocolate is in the latter category, orgasms, well, if I had this every day, they may well be relegated.... 'cos I'd have them anyway!

Who Makes It?

This is made by Green & Blacks, an organic producer - for those who likes loads of info, heres their details:

Green & Black's 2 Valentine Place London SE1 8QH

Nutritional Information

Typical Values Per Per 100g Per Serving (g)
Energy 1596 kJ / 378 kcal
Protein 7.4g
Carbohydrate 66.8g
Fat 6.6g

The Package?

A brown jar with gold writing, this can usually be found in the Organic section. I buy mine from Tesco. The package is simple, but has a 'quality' feel to it. It is easily recognisable as a Green & Blacks product.

Taste

I use this a lot in the restaurant, and everyone loves this brand, it tastes far more rich than most of the other offerings available. The taste is warm and akin to rich belgian chocolate (or indeed, Green & Blacks regular chocolate, which I also love!)

It is often described as a 'grown up taste', I think its a little closer to dark chocolate, but without the bitter aftertaste. I view this as an indulgence, and it tastes like one!

Definitely wasted on the younger generation who crave it, but so much better for them than the mass produced stuff, this is gorgeous and really not remotely like its competition in taste.

Who else does Hot Choc?

I have done LOTS of research in this area.... its so hard, trying out lots of hot chocolates to find the best (I did a similar exercise with wine, too). In my defence, I run a restaurant and only the best will do, so its not JUST sheer indulgence on my part!

Offerings in this sector of the market range from supermarket own brands at very cheap prices (eg Tesco Value at 63p for 400g) right up to the big brands like Cadbury (£1.48 for 400g) and Galaxy (£1.98 for 400g).

What about the price on this one?

Price is around the £2.50 mark for 300g, so its considerably more expensive than the 'brand names'. I didn't choose it because its the most costly, though, I chose it because it is unequivocably the best!

Big price variant - so what's the difference?

There are 3 main differences between this brand and all the other offerings, (1) cocoa solids - ie how much chocolate is actually in the product, (2) a Fair Trade policy and (3) organic production methods.

Carol Charlton, a popular organic author has me convinced when in comes to 'cheap' versus 'organic', when she explains that nothing is really cheap, its just whether or not you prefer paying the cost with your health and the environment, or with the health of the workers or animals used in non-organic production, or whether you prefer to pay with your pocket.

Lower cocoa solids in other brands - ie less chocolate for your money - is one obvious explanation for their lower costs, so the bargain you picked up is probably not so cheap anyway! This certainly explains the taste difference people notice with this product.

Many customers who try it in the restaurant ask me where they can get it!

What are 'Fair Trade' and 'Organic' Products?

Cocoa growers abroad often live in penury whilst the mass producers in the west are making a massive margin. Fair trade producers such as Green and Blacks pay a higher share of the profits directly to the Growers.

Organic foods are grown the way nature intended and have not been sprayed with harmful insecticides, or forced grown to produce a higher yield.

Sugar is a major component in hot chocolates, including this one. It is quite concerning to note that sugar is one of the most liberally sprayed crops available, and also one of the most refined. Thankfully the sugar used in Green & Blacks is organic, along with the cocoa beans (another over-sprayed product). Its suitable for veggies, too.

My reason for choosing organic products where possible has a far more simple reason, though - they usually taste better!

How well does it Mix?

This is important, and because it is granular rather than powdery, it mixes well with freshly frothed warm milk, however I mix it to a paste with just a little milk first.

OK, so your Best Recipe?

I use 5 teaspoons of this in a tall latte glass. I mix it to a paste as above, then add steamed milk. I top it with froth and add a dash of Merlyn welsh liqueur (another must-have for grown ups!). I top it with some tiny marshmallows, and serve with a sundae spoon to eat them with (although Shaun prefers his with Marshmallows mixed in!).

Overall Verdict?

There are some products which are so different from the rest of the offerings they deserve their own category. This is one of them. Try it....... you may even consider giving up some of the other pleasures in life to make sure you've always got this in the cupboard!