The Century-Old Company Behind Some Of Aldi's Chocolates

Americans may not be as familiar with Moser Roth chocolate as U.S. brands like Hershey, but the company hiding behind this Aldi product has a history that international customers can't deny. Storck, Moser Roth's parent company, has been around for more than a century in Germany, the same country where Aldi got its start as the world's first discount grocery store.

Storck's long history with sweets dates back to 1903, when August "Oberwelland" Storck started a three-employee confectionary plant in the small town of Werther. Six years later, Storck employee Gustav Nebel created a buttery caramel recipe that's still a household name in America and throughout the world: Werther's Originals — one of the candies that grandparents love — although the name has since changed from the original "Wether's Echte" branding.

After World War I, Storck's son Hugo took over the factory, which had expanded its offerings to more than 200 varieties of hard candies. In 1934, the company created RIESEN, the first German brand of individually wrapped treats. During the 1950s, Storck began to sell outside of Germany, and the company introduced another favorite product: the Mamba brand of fruit chews. In 2007, Storck revived Moser Roth chocolates, a brand originally registered in 1902, as its offering for Aldi-exclusive premium chocolate. Now owned by the fourth generation of the family, Storck confections are sold in more than 100 countries, and its lineup also includes international favorites like Toffifay (also sold as Toffifee), Knoppers, and Merci.

Moser Roth chocolates are considered among Aldi's top tier options, bringing "a quiet luxury" at an economical price point, according to the candy brand's website. The offerings include two strengths of dark chocolate, with 70% or 85% available on Aldi shelves, along with milk, white, and specialty blends.

"I picked up a Moser Roth 70% dark bar on a whim at Aldi, and it completely changed how I enjoy everyday chocolate," reads one review shared on the Moser Roth website. "The snap is clean, the aroma is lush, and the melt is incredibly smooth without the chalkiness many affordable dark chocolates have." They went on to explain, "I paired it with a cup of dark roast coffee and the cocoa depth just unfolded beautifully — easily one of my favorite finds."

Moser Roth highlights its Dark Sea Salt & Caramel bar as one of its most popular, although our ranking of the best chocolates at Aldi was topped by Moser Roth's White Chocolate Madagascan Vanilla. The Dark Chocolate Orange Almond and Dark Chocolate Chili varieties came in second and third place, respectively, and the Dark Chocolate Mint and Dark Chocolate Sea Salt also made the top eight. Storck also occasionally sells Valentine's Day chocolates and seasonal products under the Moser Roth brand through Walmart and online retailers, so keep an eye out for this company that has been serving up sweetness for over a century.