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Sweet battles of the chocolate war

Paul Mtirara and chocolates. Picture: TEBOGO LETSIE 07/10/08
Paul Mtirara and chocolates. Picture: TEBOGO LETSIE 07/10/08

There will always be those South Africans who swear that Nestlé's is the creamiest, smoothest, richest chocolate, and others who will follow Beacon to the end of a silky, milky chocolate landscape.

There will always be those South Africans who swear that Nestlé's is the creamiest, smoothest, richest chocolate, and others who will follow Beacon to the end of a silky, milky chocolate landscape.

Personally I'm a Cadbury's person but many of my friends think that there's nothing to beat Swiss-made Lindt & Sprüngli for uber-luxury, if you have the bank balance for it.

Paul Mtirara, who hosts Midnight Moves on Metro FM on weekdays from midnight to 3am says his mother believes it's impolite not to have chocolate in the house.

You never know when you're going to need a cocoa-flavoured pick me up, whether you're having a bad day or you just need to round off a meal.

Mtirara goes for the Lindt first.

"I know I like this one," he says. "First of all the packaging is very appealing. It is blue and white and has a pastoral scene with cows, milk pails and blue skies, suggesting the luxury creamy taste of the chocolate itself," he says.

Mtirara is convinced that this chocolate is made with milk from the most special, biggest cows fed on lush grass and milked by soft fingers.

"It's very smooth, comforting and just melts in your mouth," he says. "It is perfect for pulling you out of a bad day. I think it would be the perfect chocolate to eat if you've just been dumped and need to indulge yourself."

Mtirara also finds Cadbury chocolate appealing.

"There's something about their TV commercial that gets to you subliminally," he says.

"It's the notion of a glass and half of milk that gets your brain ready to experience a chocolate heaven melting in your mouth."

Like the Lindt, Cadbury melts really easily and dissolves in the mouth, the perfect accompaniment to a cup of tea or coffee.

"I might be fooling myself but I believe this brand tastes healthier than the others and is the one I would go for if I were on a diet.

"Nestlé's packaging isn't bad. They've gone for shiny red that suggests the connection between love and chocolate. It's a good chocolate.

But in comparison with Cadbury and Lindt there is something missing: some vital creamy ingredient that gives the other two an edge.

Like the others, it has an appealing strong smell, but it does not dissolve as easily in the mouth."

The Beacon packaging does not appeal to Mtirara at all. It is flat and the picture of the chocolate does nothing for it.

"This packaging clearly needs to be spiced up," he says.

"What's more, it smells processed and is a bit dry, not smooth and creamy like the other brands."

Mtirara claims to be an expert on chocolate. If his opinion is anything to go by Cadbury wins the prize as best South African chocolate brand hands down.

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