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CONFISERIE NK STOCKHOLM

i had been to this department store many years ago. It is the most luxe in all of Scandinavia. In the basement in the food hall there is a whole chocolate department. I was not that impressed with it except for their own name brand chocolates. I bought a box and I was quite glad that I did. In fact I wish I had bought a bigger box. It was quite enjoyable. Rich robust chocolate that did not overpower the flavors, Interesting Scandinavian flavors. Unfortunately no tastes allowed as this is a department store so I was restrained in my purchase. Not the best I have had but I can say that it topped what I bought in Copenhagen and Helsinki. If I were to go back to Stockholm I would definitely return and buy more. But still leagues behind the French and the Belgians but not as bland as what I had in Copenhagen

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THE BEST SWISS - Confiserie SPRUNGLI

We were in Zurich airport twice and I had the opportunity to sample this amazing brand twice. Once going and once coming home. It was amazing. Without a doubt the best thing Kloten airport in Zurich has to offer. I have had a lot of exposure to Laderach and while I enjoy it , it's a bit too sweet for my taste. I find most Swiss chocolate too sweet compared to other European chocolates, except Sprungli. For my taste they have achieved the perfect balance with all their bon bons. The chocolate is rich and robust but it does not over power the fillings. It is almost a perfect balance. Without a doubt Sprungli is the best Swiss chocolate that I have tasted and holds it own with competition from France and Belgium. It is not too sweet and opposed to other brand the chocolate flavor remains dominant and is not watered down. Plus there is a large selection. Unfortunately they do not ship to the USA. Shipping costs within Europe are shockingly high. Lets hope for another stop over in Switzerland. I will definitely buy this again as I have enjoyed them so much.

Comparing Sprungli with Laderach, Sprungli focuses on traditonal Swiss chocolate techniques and flavors while Laderach is said to be more innovative. Perhaps that is why I like this chocolate better!

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XOCOLAB HELSINKI, FINLAND

Not known as the land of chocolate I chose this place as it was the chocolatier that received the highest scores on line. The verdict good with interesting flavors. However not close to the best that I have had. I have enjoyed eating the box slowly. The best flavors tend to be the chocolate ganaches. The quality of the other flavors varies widely. To its credit it is not as bland as the Songbird Chocolate from. Denmark. However my take is based on what I am used to and subtly is the way to go in Scandinavia. The chocolate itself surrounding the bon bons is very good with robust flavor. The fillings is where the weakness lies. Not inexpensive and staff definitely NOT friendly. If I am ever in Helsinki again I would not go back. Definitely worth trying once, but alas Finland is not famous for its chocolate except for the mass market Frazer which I did not purchase

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SONGBIRD CHOCOLATE COPENHAGEN

This is one of the best chocolates in Copenhagen. They have boutiques all across the city . I bought my boxes in the basement of the Magasin du Nord department store where they have a confisirie. The salesman was knowlegeable and generous with the samples. The chocolate is very good but not great because it is bland almost washed out. But this is made for Scandinavian tastes so this could be a regioanl variation.

This lacks the robust tasts of Belgian and Italian or even Spanish chocolate. Even the flavors associated with the chocolate are too bland. You almost feel as if the volume needs to turned up.

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