Free but not delicious

debsey

Tue, Nov 11 2014, 11:07 am

I've been thinking it over. This whole thing of solicited testimonials kind of bugs me. OP, are you a known foodie? Like do you have a food blog or food related business, where people expect a certain standard out of things you endorse? If so, you really can't endorse the chocolate because you'd be misleading people. If I'd say - well, she's a real gourmet, I'm ordering it because if she says it's fabulous, then it is - then you are actually helping your friend defraud me (in a minor fashion)
If you are just "stam" a name - like "Rivky from Brooklyn says - really satisfies that sweet tooth....(like the amother above) I've never tasted anything like it.....If you're craving a sugar burst, this is it!" then it's fine.

Raisin

Tue, Nov 11 2014, 11:07 am

say something like, look, I love chocolate but not sweet chocolate. So I don't like your chocolate and I don't feel I can give an honest review.

33055

Tue, Nov 11 2014, 11:55 am

sequoia wrote:

Hmmm... so what do I write?

"I couldn't put it in my mouth, but you typical Americans will love it!"

What

The last part of the message is what you need to get across - "Americans will love it!" if you do feel like posting something positive about your friend. It's a business venture not a gift from a lover. Wish her luck and thank her if you don't want to post.

33055

Tue, Nov 11 2014, 11:59 am

debsey wrote:

And I have been thinking over the signature hot chocolate recipe. Sequoia, please share. What spices?

sequoia

Tue, Nov 11 2014, 12:09 pm

Mix Scharffen Berger Unsweetened Natural Cocoa Powder with a bit of hot water in the saucepan.

Add whole milk, cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg.

Boil.

You can add honey if you wish, but trust me: unsweetened is the best!

amother

Tue, Nov 11 2014, 1:33 pm

Your hot choc recipe sounds un-delicious for my taste, so maybe share the chocolate with a few friends who have non-gourmet palates and get their input, then you can write "I shared with a few friends and they all loved it!"

debsey

Tue, Nov 11 2014, 1:38 pm

MaBelleVie wrote:

"If you love sweet chocolates, these are the ones for you!"

MBV, are you this tactful in real life? That's awesome!

pickle321

Tue, Nov 11 2014, 1:43 pm

amother wrote:

Agreed. I love the fake type chocolate not the real unsweet stuff. I probably would not like your hot cocoa unless I added a few spoons of sugar. So maybe the chocolate is not yummy to you but give it to someone who has a sweet tooth and if they like it ask them what they think and use their words as you review

Chayalle

Tue, Nov 11 2014, 1:44 pm

I happen to agree with Sequoia to some extent - I love chocolate but really good chocolate has a higher cocoa density and less sugar. I still like it to be somewhat sweet, but a really good chocolate will have the right consistency and texture, and not be overly sweet.

ETA: born and bred in the US

heidi

Tue, Nov 11 2014, 2:19 pm

My foodie friend always makes fun of me bcz. I hate "real" gourmet chocolate and love love love Hershey's, which to her is not "real" chocolate. Sequoia, maybe I would love your friend's chocolate. I like the idea of explaining to her why it's not to your taste, but not posting publicly.

ora_43

Tue, Nov 11 2014, 4:47 pm

sequoia wrote:

Hmmm... so what do I write?

"I couldn't put it in my mouth, but you typical Americans will love it!"

What

Do you dislike most typical American sugar-chocolates? Maybe you could compare it favorably to a leading brand?

"Better than Hersheys" (says the woman who hates Hershey's, too, but nobody on Facebook needs to know that)

DrMom

Wed, Nov 12 2014, 1:37 am

Chayalle wrote:

Same here. And even stam Israeli Elite "red cow"chocolate is better than Hershey's.

Learning

Wed, Nov 12 2014, 1:59 am

Give it to some Friends that love Hershey's and Godiva or the like and ask them if they like it. If they do so it is a good chocolate that will sell well. You can ask one of the friends to help you write the ad. Your taste in chocolate is not typical.

chani8

Wed, Nov 12 2014, 2:29 am

What is cardamom called in Hebrew? Can we even get it here?

Sequoia, I make your hot chocolate recipe minus the cardamom. Delicious!

I love dark chocolate and wish they'd come out with 85% chocolate chips.

Chana Miriam S

Wed, Nov 12 2014, 3:33 am

Seriously folks, what is the problem here? I assume she wanted you to give an honest opinion. So do and use tact to make it informative and helpful.

Once, a friend of mine was selling coffee on amazon. he sent me a free box and asked for reviews. I didn't like any of the coffees. My review went something like this.

Before you read this, know that I am a starbucks kind of chick. I like my coffee strong. I tried all the coffees and none of them were stong enough for my taste. I do know that other members of my family enjoyed them more than I did.

To be transparent- the company provided me with a free sample box. They did not in any way request that my review be written in a certain way. They did not influence my review at all.

ally

Wed, Nov 12 2014, 4:06 am

chani8 wrote:

Cardamom is "hal".
It's what they add to Turkish Coffee.