The Chocolate Connoisseur: For Everyone with a Passion for Chocolate

I really enjoyed this book! My husband and I switched to a low carb diet in the fall of 2009 and cut out sweets. This book helped guide me through the world of super dark high quality chocolate, and now I can enjoy even 100% dark chocolate if it's well made. The book is well written and I found the author's passion for chocolate to be delightful. It includes the history of chocolate, how to find good chocolate, how to taste it and how to create your own "chocolate profile."

Chloe-Doutre-Roussel is a fantastic saleswoman for top quality chocolate. This short book is easy to read and gives the basics of what happens from cacao tree to bar. It also sets out helpful tips on how to improve your chocolate tasting skills and what to look for in quality chocolate. I read the book on first publication 3 years ago and it inspired me to undertake much more detailed research into cacao and chocolate. While some of Chloe's facts may need to be taken with a pinch of salt, her sheer enthusiasm (occasionally becoming perhaps a bit gushy) for the subject is infectious!

I read other posted reviews of this book, then checked it out of the library. Far from being "autistic" on any level, the author is (as she admits, herself) lovingly obssessed with chocolate. She refers to herself and her own experiences only to provide the reader with a frame of reference. This book is a terrific introduction to the world of premium chocolate, especially the richer, higher-cocoa-percentage chocolates now appearing in better stores. While I would've liked more references to external sources concerning the history and current status of chocolate, to support her facts, I found this book extremely useful for preparing a small seminar on chocolate and chocolate tasting. I highly recommend the book.

I really enjoyed this book. Ms. Doutre-Roussel has a light-hearted style of writing that made this book an easy read. At the same time, she drew me in from being moderately interested in premium chocolate to being seriously interested. Sure, it doesn't have every possible detail of the history or manufacturing or other topics within the world of chocolate - but this book wasn't meant to be exhaustive. She assumes the reader is not an experienced chocolate lover, and therefore does a good job of explaining many things simply. I appreciated the diagrams of tasting, the handful of recipes, the simple timelines of chocolate history, and more. This book is an excellent stepping stone for a budding chocolate conoisseur and probably just right for the person moderately interested in chocolate. Ms. Doutre-Roussel also clearly states her opinions about the kinds of chocolate that she adores and the "chocolates" she doesn't. She repeatedly emphasizes the point that you have to discover your own opinions about chocolate. I found it easy to not be offended or turned off by how she grew up, how much chocolate she eats in a day, and other more personal items. Rather, I just read the book for what it is meant to be - an enjoyable education. Well done!

I adore this book. At the core of The Chocolate Connoisseur is a true passion for the subject and a completely selfless wish to share it. It tells the history of chocolate as well as the science behind it in a way that is compelling and interesting. But its strongest point is Chloe's encouragement to form your own opinion and deepen to your appreciation and pleasure - great life lessons indeed. That's what food writing is all about.