One Of Julia Child's Favorite Chocolate Brands Is An Under-The-Radar Classic

Julia Child's influence on the culinary world is immeasurable. Along with introducing U.S. audiences to the how-to's of French cuisine and introducing Americans to her signature phrase "bon appétit," she also swayed national tastes by sharing her personal preferences. Examples include the cheddar Goldfish snack Julia Child served at Thanksgiving, as well as her favorite mayo brand – fans today are still scrambling to try the famed chef's everyday staples.

One brand that benefited immensely from Child's endorsement was Scharffen Berger Chocolates. As one of the first bean-to-bar chocolate maker in the United States, the company debuted at the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen in 1996. Child was in attendance that year — she had previously been a featured speaker in 1990 and a Meet the Masters panelist in 1993. When she tried the craft chocolate, she emphatically declared it the best American kind she'd ever had. What's more, Child's friend and frequent collaborator, legendary chef Jacques Pépin, was also in attendance and said that the taste of Scharffen Berger took him back to his French childhood.

The connection between Child and Scharffen Berger was further solidified in the 2009 movie "Julie & Julia," in which the company's original storefront plays a role. The movie is partially a biography about Child, while also telling the story of blogger Julie Powell, who set out to make every recipe in Child's magnum opus "Mastering the Art of French Cooking."

There are a number of reasons why acclaimed chefs name Scharffen Berger among their favorite chocolate brands. The company's products are made using artisanal methods with only the finest ingredients. The brand's co-founder Robert Steinberg made it a mission to find the best cacao from farms around the world. Steinberg died in 2008, and the company's ownership has changed hands multiple times since, but it still seeks out the highest quality cacao from its global partners and manufactures its chocolates in the United States.

The company's diverse array of products make it preferred by chocolate lovers and chefs alike. Bakers can choose from bittersweet and semisweet dark chocolate chunks or baking bars, or opt for the brand's unsweetened cocoa powder. And the lineup has certainly evolved to suit modern tastes, including more health-oriented offerings. Take the brand's "Breaks," a line of crunchy oat milk chocolate barks in flavors like salted almond, sunflower seed, and coconut and quinoa. These products are vegan, gluten-free, and low-glycemic. Another recent addition is the Chocolate Provisions, a collection of chocolate squares meant to complement charcuterie boards.

Scharffen Berger's other co-founder and namesake was winemaker John Scharffenberger — so it's no coincidence that these chocolates are also perfect for wine pairings. The company suggests that its 41% cacao milk chocolate would be ideal with a Chardonnay and recommended Chalone Estate Chardonnay from California. Incidentally, Chalone was lauded by Julia Child as the first non-French wine that she had ever liked.