Early Threesday: Chocolate bars PART I - local options

In light of the recent spat of chocolate-related news, perhaps you may be wondering - what is the state of chocolate in China?

Being the self-sacrificial types, we embarked on a mission for our newest Threesday series: recreate a casual chocolate run, to provide comprehensive coverage of local chocolate availability. That's right, we sacrifice our girlish figures for you, dear readers.

Now, perhaps you may cry foul, pointing to grievous chocolate omissions (Snickers, Kit Kat, M&M’s) or snobbishly point to more in-depth coverage of the chocolate market in China. We just sought to keep the delineations simple: we wanted to know about chocolate bars, and they must be found within 15 minutes of any given spot. Happy binging!

Part I: Local Chinese Brands

1. 脆香米 (Cui Xia Mi):
The only chocolate with no English on it whatsoever, these bars helpfully come in a great range of sizes, from larger bars to piñata-ready fun bars. Apparently, they are popular as part of gift boxes, according to a random Google search. Tastes nutty, compounded by the reduced sweetness and the crispy rice in the bars, perhaps more attuned to the Chinese palate?

2. 金帝 (Le Conte):
Le Conte was one of the first local players on the chocolate market (waaay back in 1991), and they are, according to their website, “classy, elegant, stylish.” The packaging is slick, and there is a seal that confirms its premium cocoa content. How does that translate into taste? It’s a bit of an exercise in disappointment; it looks like chocolate, smells like chocolate, holds the promise of chocolate within its chocolatey folds. And then, you bite into it, and after a few seconds of chewing, the taste of chocolate finally emerges. Like chocolate on mute. Not recommended unless you like muted chocolate.

3. 麦丽素 Mylikes Chocolate Products (Cocoa Butter Alternative):
We know, we know - They are chocolate balls, not chocolate bars. Cry us a river; we could have mentioned M&Ms instead. However, they earn extra points, and a place on this list, for being a completely honest cocoa butter alternative. You get what’s advertised: they taste like Maltesers, but alternative!

Tune in on Thursday for our foreign chocolate finds.