Finding The Best Chocolate For Valentine's Day
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Valentine's Day is just days away and Americans are expected to spend more than a billion dollars on candy alone – 75 percent of that candy will be chocolate.
"It says you're smart," if you give a gift of chocolate says Susan McGinty of Eureka Chocolates and Gifts in Shadyside where they sell all kinds of exotic candy including chocolate caramel topped with bacon.
"Everybody loves chocolate," says McGinty.
McGinty lent us her store to conduct a blind taste test to find out if you really need to break the bank on that heart-shaped box of chocolate for your sweetie.
Consumer Editor Susan Koeppen assembled four local women who are also chocolate lovers. She also purchased four boxes of chocolate: a $10 Whitman's sampler, a $40 box of chocolates from Sarris, a $75 box from Godiva, and just for fun, a $27-box of imported truffles made by Prestat, the queen of England's favorite chocolates.
Susan asked the women to sample chocolates from plates marked A, B, C, and D and then pick their favorite. The women didn't know, but plate A was the Whitman's sampler, B was the candy from Sarris, C was from Godiva and D was the box from England.
"I love A. It's probably the cheapest but I love it," remarked tester Diane Lee. Donna Ayres agreed. "I keep going back to A," she said.
Tester Effie LaQuatra thought plate C tasted the most expensive. Marion Jackson liked the dark chocolate on plate D.
When Susan asked the women to pick a favorite, as a group they decided they like the chocolate from plate D the best.
Susan surprised them with the news. "The chocolates that you picked, D, were the chocolates that were given out at the royal wedding. You have very fancy taste!"
At $27 a box, the ladies thought the British chocolates were a good deal, but all agreed even box A, the cheapest of the bunch, would be a fine gift for Valentine's Day.
"I would be cool with that," said Diane. Effie agreed. "We would be happy with any of them. They were all great."
Susan says the only problem with the British Prestat chocolates is that they're imported, so they can only be purchased online.
RELATED LINKS
Whitman's Sampler
Sarris Candies
Godvia
Prestat
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