Noka is the second most expensive chocolate in the world, according to Forbes. The Plano, Texas company’s wares are about $850 a pound in bulk, up to about $1,800 a pound in itty bitty packages. (First place went to a French confection that has a black truffle – the rare fungus more expensive than gold – at its core.)
A Texas food blog named Dallasfood.org asked whether Noka was worth it, and started researching the company. In a 10-part, exhaustively researched series, Dallasfood.org concluded that the company was essentially repackaging chocolate from a small French chocolate manufacturer, Bonnat. Which you can order from fine chocolate sellers for about $40 a pound.
The company shrugged it off, saying the report didn’t hurt sales. Perhaps, as some of the Metafilter commenters suggested, once shoppers willingly pay $1,000 a pound for chocolate, it’s hard to shock them.
It’s part detective story, part primer on chocolate manufacturing. Even if you don’t accept the article’s connect-the-dots conclusions, it’s an interesting question. What’s a label really worth?
3 Comments
February 6, 2007 at 8:31 pm
That’s brilliant. What a great article.
February 6, 2007 at 8:35 pm
[...] Tip o’ the hat to Buffalo Buffet [...]
July 3, 2009 at 1:44 pm
[...] Tip o’ the hat to Buffalo Buffet [...]