High quality cocoa powder?

Anyone have a good suggestion as to where I can get high quality cocoa powder, preferably in Chicago, not burbs?

Dutch press is preferred.

Thanks!

You can get reasonably priced, good quality regular and dutch-process cocoa at the Blommer's factory store.

Blommer's
600 W Kinzie St
(312) 492-1336

I can't recall the hours.

Treasure Island carries little packets of excellent cocoa powder that they label "French cocoa powder." Apparently the store buys the powder in bulk and packs these little celophane bags themselves, because there is no other brand name on them. Anyway, the cocoa and the baking chocolate they label in this way are both very very good.

I'm not really a cocoa head, but I know The Spice House had several different cocoa powders ( a few of them had the term "Dutched" or "Dutch Processed.") I don't know if they are the bestest cocoas ever, or if their pricing is any sort of value.

I don't know if this opinion is widely held, but I've been a fan of Ghirardelli chocolates since back in the day when Starbucks used their "ground chocolate" to make mochas (they switched in the early 90s.) Sometimes you can find their regular cocoa powder in a grocery store - but if not you can often find it at Cost Plus World Market (be careful that it's unsweetened cocoa - the 'ground chocolate' contains sugar.) I believe it is natural and not dutched; it has a beautiful reddish-brown color and lovely, earthy, bitter chocolate flavor. (Their cocoa-y 60% dark chocolate is my fave)

According to Cook's Thesaurus: Dutched cocoa = Dutch process cocoa = European process cocoa is treated with an alkali, making it milder yet richer-tasting. It's the preferred cocoa for beverages and frozen desserts, and for dusting baked goods Recipes for baked goods usually intend for you to use natural cocoa = American cocoa = regular cocoa = nonalkalized cocoa, which is more acidic than Dutched cocoa. You can often substitute one type of cocoa for the other, but if the recipe includes baking soda, it may be counting on the acid in natural cocoa in order to react.

You should be able to get it at any Treasure Island or Whole Foods. I've used Ghiardelli's in the past and liked it. If you want to order it online, there's a great source of chocolate for professionals and non-professionals called World Wide Chocolate. I buy the Vahlrona cocoa powder and love it.

Where the heck has all the dutch-process cocoa gone? Today and on one day shortly before the LTH cookie exchange I went hunting for it without success. I've been to Dominick's (2), Jewel, Treasure Island, Whole Foods, Trader Joes. I feel sure that in the past I'd gotten it without so much trouble. Short of the Blommer factory store and Penzeys, is there anywhere on the north side to get this?

Holly of Uptown wrote:Where the heck has all the dutch-process cocoa gone? Today and on one day shortly before the LTH cookie exchange I went hunting for it without success. I've been to Dominick's (2), Jewel, Treasure Island, Whole Foods, Trader Joes. I feel sure that in the past I'd gotten it without so much trouble. Short of the Blommer factory store and Penzeys, is there anywhere on the north side to get this?

Cost Plus World Market carries a couple of varieties. I am pretty sure I have seen Droste at the Dominicks at Foster & Sheridan during the Holidays. It was really hard to find - I think it was either the bottom shelf or the top shelf.

Cocoa may be in two different locations in supermarkets. Make sure you check the beverage aisle near the coffee and tea as well as the baking aisle near the flour and sugar.

If you want to order it online, there's a great source of chocolate for professionals and non-professionals called World Wide Chocolate. I buy the Vahlrona cocoa powder and love it.

I've seen the Valrhona at Whole Foods and Williams Sonoma.

FWIW, I've usually purchased my cocoa by mail from Penzey's and I've always found their "Dutch Process Cocoa Powder" and their "Natural Cocoa Powder" to be very high quality. (22% and 24% butterfat, respectively).

Good luck!