Barry extra brute

The Valrhona definitely wins in terms of convenience and percent cocoa, but the Callebaut wins in terms of flavor and texture (oddly enough). This is a richer tasting chocolate, which I think is due to it having more cocoa butter than the Valrhona.

The Barry Callebaut Group, headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, resulted from a merger in 1996 between two iconic chocolate makers, the Belgian Callebaut and the French Cacao Barry.

Cacao Barry Extra Brute Cocoa Powder (2.2 lbs) Another Dutch cocoa in the 22-to-24% range, Cacao Barry Extra Brute is rich and aromatic. The company sources its beans from countries in West Africa and uses a fermentation and drying process that adds to the complexity of flavor.

Unsweetened cocoa powder: a high-quality cocoa powder or cacao powder is essential. I highly recommend using Ghirardelli's 100% cocoa. I think it has the best flavor for hot chocolate (and trust me, I've tried quite a few!)

Callebaut agrees the bean shortage has been brought on by climate change, El Nino and farmers in Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana in West Africa — which supplies 60 per cent of the world's cocoa market — leaving the industry. “Because they don't make enough money.