Different people have different tastes when it comes to chocolate. Some may like it rich, dark and bitter, while others may prefer it creamy, velvety and milky. Whether dark or milk chocolate, there are still some chocolates considered to be the best in the world, usually by chocolatiers, chocolate experts and critics. Below are some of the chocolates held to be the standard of high-end chocolate.

Chocolate from Italy

The best chocolate in the world, as voted by the Academy of Chocolate in London, comes from Tuscany, Italy—Amedei's Chauo, which got the gold medal and was said to have won because of its “fruity flavor and unique character.” Pierre Hermé, the famous French pâtissier and Ferran Adrià, the visionary Spanish chef, both said that Amedei's Chauo might be the world's greatest chocolate. Incidentally the silver medal also went to Amedei products, the Amedei 9 and the Amedei Porcelana. The chocolate brand Amedei was founded in 1990 by master chocolate makers Alessio Tessieri and his sister, Cecilia Tessieri. Alessio buys the cacao and Cecilia makes it into dark, rich and glossy chocolate bars. Only a few stores in the U.S. carry the Amedei chocolate brand and buying a bar can cost you an arm and a leg, but to have a taste of the “best chocolate in the world,” why not?

French Chocolate

French chocolate remains to be one of the finest in the world, mainly because of the French government's strict standards when it comes to manufacturing chocolate. In France, the use of animal or vegetable fat in manufacturing chocolate is strictly prohibited, and only pure cocoa butter can be used. Furthermore, French chocolate has to contain a minimum of 26% pure cocoa butter and at least 43% cocoa liquor. A lot of French chocolates contain pure ingredients well above the minimum cocoa liquor standards. The best French dark chocolate and bonbons contain up to 80% pure cocoa liquor, giving it the dark, rich and luxurious taste that French chocolate is known for.

Belgian Chocolate

Belgian chocolate is widely considered to be the standard of gourmet chocolate in the world. Excellent quality ingredients and traditional manufacturing techniques set Belgian chocolates apart from the rest of mass-produced chocolates that are widely distributed in the world. A lot of these are still even made by hand, especially in small chocolate shops. About 172,000 tons of chocolate is produced in Belgium per year and numerous chocolate shops are scattered across the country, such as in Brussels, in the famous Grand-Place where chocolate shops line the streets. Chocolate only became popular in Belgium in the 18th century. By the early 20th century, chocolate was regarded as a confectionary and a gift called praline, a wonderful assortment of chocolates with flavored fillings like coffee, nougat, cream, hazelnut, berries, nuts, various fruits, and even more chocolate. Pralines were patented with the name of ‘Ballotin' and thus was called Ballotin de Pralines. To this day, pralines are popular all over the world and still regarded as luxurious gifts.