The best chocolate, do the awards it's received mean anything?

The best chocolate competition brings a sparkle to the eyes. Being able to taste award-winning chocolate is enticing. Just like with wine, these types of awards can increase visibility and even boost sales. But is it a good indicator? Are these chocolates really the best? Having had the chance to be part of various juries, I'm sharing some observations from behind the scenes of gourmandise.

Specific competitions for the best chocolate

Probably the best known, the International Chocolate Awards describe themselves as the largest competition on the subject. The International Institute of Chocolate Tasting is behind this initiative. The Academy of Chocolate is the other major international competition and also brings together chocolate professionals. Many bean-to-bar producers try their luck in these competitions to get an idea of the quality of their work.

Both competitions are relatively recent. Established in 2012 and 2005 respectively and based in London, the organizing structures are English-speaking. Despite their particularly international nature in terms of participation, these competitions represent a certain Western vision of chocolate. Nevertheless, their taste-based approach allows them to evolve with the market. Thus, the awarded chocolates remain very current. Similarly, by highlighting the link between cocoa quality and the final result, these competitions reward products with genuinely high standards.

In terms of criticisms, the highly segmented approach – by origin, by type of chocolate, etc. – sometimes proves problematic. While the numerous awards encourage participation, the public sometimes gets lost. Moreover, the prize received in a given year is often mentioned on subsequent bars. After some time, the "best chocolates" no longer come from cocoa beans of the same harvest. Finally, regarding the juries involved, the selection process could benefit from increased transparency.

Local, corporate, or more general awards

Beyond international competitions, there are also many other awards. Three types can be distinguished: those that are more general, for example, on taste, those by sector, and those dedicated solely to chocolate at a more local level. Each has its strengths and weaknesses.

The Great Taste jury evaluates very different products. Chocolate is just one of them. DR, Great Taste.

Competitions dedicated to broader themes such as cooking, sustainability, or craftsmanship have the advantage of putting chocolate in the spotlight, but offer little or no guarantee as to the quality of the chocolate as such. Indeed, the jury often has to juggle very different products and lacks specific expertise in chocolate. Corporate competitions, such as the Meilleurs ouvriers de France, are interesting for judging technical execution. However, by following very (too?) rigid frameworks, the jury often lacks taste expertise and knowledge of cocoa.

Finally, local chocolate competitions are very diverse. Besides very varied juries, they apply to very different situations. Thus, in Switzerland, the Rallye du Chocolat, which only awarded prizes for bonbons and ganaches, has gradually evolved. Indeed, with the emergence of a Swiss bean-to-bar community, the competition also includes a dedicated category. On the other hand, other awards, for example, those given by a city, will generally be played behind closed doors, meaning only among the chocolatiers of that city.

The best chocolate in the eyes of the public

While these best chocolates are decided by juries, there are also public awards. Sometimes, chocolates favored by the jury are also popular with the public, but this is not always the case. There are several reasons for this discrepancy. On the one hand, tasting conditions fundamentally differ. On the other hand, selection criteria are rarely similar. Thus, the jury evaluates a chocolate according to defined criteria. The public generally operates by preference. Of course, jury members also have their preferences, but they try to remain as objective as possible.

Because yes, the best chocolate in the world is indeed the one you prefer.