Product Description

Originating from the legendary Chuao village plantation in Venezuela, Amedei Chuao extends the imagination's reach of how extraordinary a chocolate can be. Historically, Chuao was used by chocolatiers only as a blending ingredient to improve the taste of other chocolates. Unique ecological conditions in the Chuao region, a centuries-old natural selection process and great care in handling of cocoa plants have brought about this rare and exquisite cocoa. Building upon this with painstaking craft-based production in Tuscany at Amedei, with a formulation derived from intensive experimentation, Amedei has brought forth the very best aspects of this legendary bean, resulting in a gold medal-winning taste unlike and beyond any other. A box of twelve Chuao napolitains, produced in a limited edition by Amedei, with each box hand-numbered.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3497 in Gourmet Food
• Brand: Amedei
• Dimensions: .12 pounds

Features

• Twelve napolitains
• Limited edition
• Under exclusive arrangement with the world-renowned Chuao cocoa plantation, Venezuela

Customer Reviews

'Rockstar' of chocolates
Expensive? Yes. Worth it? To me it is. It is a unique chocolate. High quality chocolate with a very complex taste. It has an initial flavor of fruit, plums. If you want a bold chocolate flavor, go elsewhere (I recommend Santander 70% cacao dark). But for savoring a chocolate with different levels of flavor, this is a star. The mini-bars are perfect for that little treat. (Note - for a more affordable but still somewhat complex chocolate, I like Michel Cluizel Mangara Noir 65%. I tend to get all 3 of these chocolates and intersperse them.) I am certainly not a taste or chocolate expert, but I have tried many of them in my own unofficial taste testings, and the 3 I mention here have been the winners so far.

Breathtaking...truly spectacular
Having always a refined palate and sense of smell, good food has long been a joy in my life. Not to say it is purely a blessing: as a child I hated zoos because the smell would penetrate my core and incapacitate me to some degree. But on to the chocolate. I would by no means call myself a choco-holic, at least I wouldn't have before I tried these amazing creations from Amedei. Chocolate usually leaves an unpleasant aftertaste in my mouth that lingers long beyond the joy I receive from its initial flavor. However, the Amedei I have tried thusfar provides no unpleasant aftertast whatsoever. On the contrary, the incredibly potent, delicious aromas and contrasts lingers on the tongue and in the nose for fifteen, sometimes thirty minutes after enjoying the chocolate. As for the initial flavor, imagine the purest cocoa aroma. However, like I have hinted already, Amedei chocolates are unlike any other I have tried. Like a fine glass of red wine, the chocolate possesses layers of flavors that change as it melts on your tongue. As the chocolate begins to melt, notes of raspberry and currant light up, still accompanied by this delectably smooth, rich chocolatiness that can only be described as bliss. A friend who was luckiest enough for me to share with described the sensation as if she were on some sort of drug: a chocolate drug. I agree, and recommend buying several napolitains, and savoring one each morning. Amedei might have found a substitute for morning coffee, one that far surpasses in both flavor and effect. Trust me, your days will be much happier with a start like this. But this chocolate is so special no description can truly do it justice. You much try it yourself, and remember not to chew.

Great for sharing, or for fortifying willpower
After my experience with the Amedei Limited Edition Chuao bar, also available on Amazon, I had to expand my horizons with Amedei and will endeavor to write reviews on all of their products. For those of you who have tried Amedei products before, you'll recognize this as blatant self-serving, but for the rest of you let me assure you that I only have the most noble of motives - to provide an honest review based upon personal experience.

That being said, I must admit that I have become a fan of this company. Everything I've tried so far from this company has been of extraordinarily high quality, and these continue that trend.

As noted, I first tried the Chuao bar, and had accordingly high expectations of the Napolitains. As I noted in my review for the bar, "this is simply the best chocolate I've ever had the privilege to sample. Dozens of subtle flavors dance across the tongue as each type of taste bud brings slight variations in this creamy smooth bittersweet confection. Best experienced by sharing with a friend, although I'm sure other pairings would work well too. Easily 5 stars for the chocolate." Unsurprisingly, the napolitains are the same excellent chocolate.

One major benefit of the napolitains over the bar is that the pieces are individually wrapped. As noted, one of the best things about this chocolate is sharing it with friends, and the napolitains let you to do this with abandon, allowing you to share it with many people who may never have even heard of this company. The individual pieces are attractively packaged, much like the larger bars, and proudly note the name of the company. This makes it easy for them to find it later and order their own, instead of relying on you to get it for them.... Likewise, one drawback of the bar which I failed to mention is the overwhelming temptation to sit down and eat the whole bar at one sitting. Another benefit of the napolitains is that since they are already individually packaged, you can bolster your willpower a bit easier and limit yourself to only one or two, if you so desire. (I can't imagine why anyone would want to do that, but my wife states that this is important, and made some vague comment about my waistline....)

As with any order from Amedei, it will be shipped with ice packs which drive up the total cost of shipping. Anticipate a significant shipping charge if ordering just one item. My recommendation is to order several items to spread out and justify this cost, which only makes sense as this chocolate is too good not to share with friends!