Road Trip: Burdick Chocolates

47 Main Street
Walpole, New Hampshire
800-229-2419
http://www.burdickchocolate.com/

We missed a posting on Tuesday, March 11, because Pat was traveling up to New Hampshire, stopping in Walpole along the way. About four hours north of New York City, this New England town is home to Burdick Chocolates, one of our all-time favorite chocolate makers anywhere in the world.

Larry Burdick started his business in Red Hook, Brooklyn, in 1987 and later moved to East 93rd Street in Manhattan. In 1993, he moved with his family to this village in the southwest corner of New Hampshire and set up operations there. While we have been fans of Burdick chocolates from the start, we can honestly say they’ve never been better.

Burdick views chocolate as part of the whole gastronomic experience—a nice ending to a special meal. He claims that the way to make quality chocolates is very simple: Just use the best ingredients and sell the product at its freshest.

Extracts and flavorings are taboo. Instead, coffees and teas are brewed, fresh fruits are cooked. Nuts come from California and Turkey, vanilla beans from Mexico, milk and cream from local dairies. The chocolate base, Valrhona from France, is widely considered the best available. Burdick chocolates are cut and shaped by hand, which according to the chocolate maker, gives a more pleasant eating experience.

When you open a box of Burdick chocolates, the first surprise is their appearance. They are delicate, imperfectly shaped, and tiny—about 80 pieces per pound. More astonishing is how wonderful and fresh they taste. Each piece melts in your mouth as the flavors unfold. In the quarter-pound box ($15) that we bought, there were about 20 varieties. There seems to be a subtle surprise in every bite. Take the Richelieu, a milk and dark chocolate interior with cherry liquor, cherries and an unexpected hint of cumin seeds.

Burdick packaging is always lovely and the business has expanded to include nice choices for wedding favors and corporate gifts, all the while maintaining top quality. Special attention is given to all holidays, from expected ones like Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day to smaller ones like St. Patrick’s Day and Chinese New Year.

The Main Street location in Walpole is home to a restaurant, café and chocolate shop. But you don’t have to take the trip. With a click of your mouse, you can have Burdick chocolates delivered to your door in about a day’s time.